Peril & Profit

by M. H. Johnson

  And though Sorn knew this was a valid point, he also understood that Halence was hitting so hard for the sake of profit. And even here, he knew Halence would probably argue, it made little difference. For having half of one's original fortune and a chance to start over was infinitely better than living on as a half-starved indentured servant facing mutilation or the auction of one's own children, should one fail to please the Empire, with no fortune, or luck, or hope at all. And it was only in impressing these lords with the true magnitude of the terror that lay just outside their city walls, a war machine that had washed over all earlier resistance, only with such grim imagery could Halence force these lords to accept the truth, and thus save their very lives and those of their families. That Halence and Sorn would profit mightily in doing so was almost incidental.

  Lord Salevin took a deep shuddering breath before addressing Halence. He now looked near defeated, the game over. His countenance was a far cry from that imposing demeanor, that aura of command he had worn when they had first entered the room.

  "As to your questions. One. You made it through because you have under your employ a full mage, at the least, though more likely he is a partner, so vital would his skills be to your endeavor. that would explain the plumes of fire witnessed by the men in the keeps guarding our port. Obviously, said mage obliterated those ships that you were not able to sail past in the dead of night."

  Salevin gazed thoughtfully at Sorn. "I have rarely heard of wizards engaging in trade, nor do I think the mage's guild would look too kindly at such an operation, but who is to say? It's a shame I never thought to engage the services of a mage as a trade partner on any of my own ships. Every man has the right to protect his own wares, after all."

  Salevin dipped his head. "Very clever, Captain, I give you credit. Your venture was innovative, daring, and I suspect will in all likelihood net you a very handsome return indeed. Perhaps I should say ludicrous. For that brings me to your second question. Why would you come to me? Simply put, because I am one of the wealthiest men in this city-state, though it is not something I advertise, and so you hope to make a fortune charging my family and I passage to York, your port of origin, if I am not mistaken. A city known to take in skilled refugees and grant them citizenship, even minor titles, should they have or rank and wealth sufficient to earn those privileges. The matter is, of course, mute, unless we come to a price we could mutually agree upon. And this brings us to your third question. Are you, your ship, and your mage my family's only hope?"

  Salevin flashed an icy smile. "It is true that the services of a battle mage with the power to get us past the blockade would prove invaluable. And indeed, I would pay handsomely for such a voyage. But consider this, Captain Halence of the arrogant demeanor, so sure you are of having the upper hand that you would dare to demean and belittle me, treating me with contempt in my own home. What is to stop me from simply taking one of my own ships and sailing right behind you? Or better yet, undercutting your price for passage so that all the fares you hope to accrue tonight would instead find themselves in my berth, at a far more reasonable price, forcing you to accept dross where you were hoping for a river of gold? A fitting reward for one with your insufferable arrogance, don't you think?"

  Halence laughed at this. Whether he sensed that Salevin was simply probing as opposed to making a genuine threat, or whether he was just cocky as all hell, Sorn had no idea. "Indeed you could try that Lord Salevin," Halence said bemusedly. "And frankly, the more poor souls you get out of this gods-forsaken deathtrap, the happier I will be, simply as someone who loathes that Empire of a thousand cruelties, all profit aside. But in truth, how many cutters do you think the forces of that Empire have? A dozen? Two dozen?"

  Hard eyes locked upon Salevin's own. "The king himself says that the keeps have spotted what they believe to be well over fifty. Fifty! Even a squadron of four battlemages would be hard pressed to handle a handful, trading fireballs for balls of pitch in turn, pierced like as not, despite their protective magics, by the five-foot iron bolts the cutters can also shoot from their siege crossbows. This is what we would face in a daylight voyage when dozens of cutters could potentially see us, signal each other, and coordinate an attack."

  Halence smiled. "The truth is that my ship is probably the fastest ship of her class on the sea. And we have one more edge as well. I have mastered the stars, Salevin." The lord blinked and swallowed. Star navigation seemed to be a rare skill indeed, Sorn observed.

  "We will set sail at night, in pitch black waters, where none can see us. And should we stumble upon a single ship or two, which is quite possible, of course, all too possible, then as you have accurately deduced, my 'battlemage' will happily blast it to smithereens. Well in line with the codes of mages, no doubt, for he is not only protecting cargo from an active aggressor making war, but human lives as well. A ship or two, that we can face with utter ease, even three, if necessary. And once we are away from the coastline, sailing the sea, my wizard has sufficient magics to scout the sea for hundreds of leagues on all sides, making sure we stay out of sight of all hostile ships patrolling the waters. By first light we will be free and clear and the only ship for leagues around."

  Halence flashed a cold smile. "However, as we will be departing in the pitch black of night, it is doubtful in the extreme that a successful train of ships could depart in unison. Indeed, any signal we would use, light or sound, could be detected by another. It is terribly likely that any other ships would lose sight of us, what little could be seen, and or blunder right into patrolling ships in their own right, which also strive to go about pitch black at night, though in sight of trooper fires upon the shore, of course."

  Halence sighed. "Sadly, there is no way for our own mage to protect those other ships, as that would entail engaging cutters in various battles, alerting all to our presence, leaving our mage potentially exhausted and vulnerable before we even manage to break free of the blockade. Besides which, how many captains in the south actually know how to navigate by starlight?

  "No, Lord Salevin. If our mage guards one ship, our chances are more than excellent. If he attempts to guard many, I fear we are all doomed. Furthermore, even if other ships blundering about in the dark did manage to break through the first blockade by chance, how many would be spotted by cutters once daylight hits? Those cutters are designed for speed. And the mounted crossbow at the helm is designed to cripple enemy troop carriers slowly but surely, throwing balls of pitch at a range beyond what even a skilled longbowman could reach. They also sail within range to signal each other. So like a swarm of wasps, they can all work together to bring down a ship, once spotted. Sophisticated, deadly, and logical. It explains why no ships save our own have even made it this far." Halence flashed a smile that never touched his probing gaze.

  "Perhaps you are under the impression that the various ships that have tried to leave by night, from time to time as your king has assured me has been attempted, have indeed made it through by skill or luck, and have successfully made it to northern ports? Perhaps you think that it was rumors of siege and the need for supplies that enticed me into this venture?"

  His cold gaze never leaving Salevin's own, Halence slowly shook his head. "The truth is, Lord Salevin, that we have heard nothing from the South at all. Complete silence. Weeks ago, your ships stopped sailing to our ports. Not a whisper, not a word. It was only by guesswork that I deduced that a naval blockade might be in effect, perhaps even that Caverenoc was itself under siege. A siege so well planned and executed that your enemy managed to utterly block you from passage by sea before you even knew you were at war.

  "Any trade ship would have been easy prey for these cutters to sink. The only ships that could have feasibly broken through the blockade around Caverenoc, the light, fast warships of York that could match the cutter's maneuverability, had no reason to make the week long voyage. Rest assured, your port is sealed as tight as a drum. All who have tried to run the barricade have failed, to what we can only assume was
their demise. For I promise you, not a whisper of your terrible fate has made it to the north. Indeed, were it not for our mage's unique ability to spot patrolling cutters miles away before they are in our sights, we ourselves would have been spotted."

  Halence paused a moment, letting the weight of his words sink in. "So let me ask you again, Lord Salevin, what do you think your chances are of seeing this year through with the lives and freedom of your family intact?"

  Lord Salevin sighed. "I see you don't believe in pulling your blows. All right. Let's suppose that I was interested in booking passage on your ship. When would you leave? What assurance do I have that we would even make it to York? Nothing is guaranteed in this life, you know."

  "As to when we leave, soon. Within a handful of days. As to guarantees?" Halence chuckled. "The only guarantee is the enslavement, degradation, and horror your family would endure if you stayed. Your assets would be seized entirely, with you and your wife living like paupers as your son is sent to the copper mines and your daughters auctioned off like chattel. That, sir, is the only guarantee! With my ship, you at least have good odds of starting life over in a prosperous city where you can find safety, sanity, freedom, wealth, even rank. Your daughters will be able to dream gentle dreams of romance and happy marriages to whatever sweet boy catches their fancy, never even knowing the utter nightmare their lives had nearly become. And you will, of course, be living in the city that hosts the Royal Arcane Academy. There would be no better place for your son to learn magery, should he have the gift and gain acceptance. That, sir, is what I am offering you. Nothing less than your ticket to salvation."

  Halence looked dead in the eye of Lord Salevin, his harsh words each a measured blow. "Now you tell me, Lord Salevin, what that opportunity, what that light of hope I shine before you is worth to you. Think. Even half of your fortunes in a new land is infinitely better than none at all. Make me an offer, sir, and make it significant. If I don't accept your bid, we will negotiate. But if you insult me, sir, if you lowball me for a paltry handful of gold, I will walk out this door and never look back and you can judge yourself as the weeks go by and the pounding of the trebuchets becomes the rhythm by which you gain your tortured sleep, how deeply you regret the mistake you made."

  As Halence uttered his ultimatum his gaze burned into Lord Salevin's brow, seeming for all the world, by stance, posture, and tone, like a righteous crusader shaming a heathen as opposed to a captain bargaining with a man for passage. It was Lord Salevin who broke the stare, looking down at his desk, seeing Sorn knew not what. "All right," he whispered. "Three thousand royal crowns."

  Sorn almost gasped at the figure. It was phenomenal. Huge. Unbelievable. Sixteen gold crowns had seemed like a fortune, just a short week ago. And here he and his cousins' share would be one thousand! It was simply beyond comprehension. It was fortunate indeed that Lord Salevin was not looking at Sorn directly, or he would have seen the genuine surprise on his face.

  Halence, perhaps, could sense that his use of fear and anxiety had pushed this man to make a high bid indeed. Lord Salevin was obviously far too troubled by the idea of Halence walking out without a backward glance and what fearsome and terrible consequences his family would face as a result, to dare risk antagonizing the captain with anything less than an exorbitant bid. Images, of course, that Halence had so skillfully and ruthlessly forced Lord Salevin to contemplate in the first place. All the same, it was a phenomenal figure, and Sorn feared that if Halence pushed it any further it might well backfire, with Salevin throwing them out himself, outraged at being so viciously fleeced.

  Halence, however, did not demand more. Rather he held silent for a few moments, letting the anxiety build. Perhaps it was a calculated move so as to not let Lord Salevin think he had bid too high, which might be the case if Halence accepted too quickly. In any case, it was only after the tension rose to a pitch that made Sorn want to squirm in his seat that Halence nodded his head slightly and quietly said, "Done."

  "For me, my family, and all the luggage we can bring with us," Salevin added, voice raw with the strain, perhaps now feeling the bite of the deal he had made.

  Halence's reply was curt. "The passage I offer is for you and your family. It is you I will provide safe haven for, not a boatload of knickknacks. All the baggage that takes up space dooms another family to that very nightmare you yourself seek succor from. No, good sir, I will not accept carrying endless amounts of cargo at the cost of other people's lives. But at the same time, I fully respect and appreciate your right to bring what resources you can to start your life anew. To that effect, you may bring two large flat trunks filled with all that you desire. You may also bring bedding and a pillow for each, and what food and drink you choose, so long as it fits into those two trunks. I will accept no men-at-arms, nor servants. Almost all have families and we will not have the room for them, and I will not have a foolish mutiny that will overwhelm our ship, and perhaps drown us all or doom us to never leave port.

  "You, sir, are to tell no one of what we intend, save he whom you trust with your life. Discretion is vital here. If our intentions become widely known, we will never leave the port. If you care to bring a personal weapon of your own, you are free to do so, but no crossbows or the like. Since all our other passengers shall be of the better class of merchants and nobles, I think we can expect a fair amount of decorum. And rest assured, my sailors will not enter the hold save to bring your trunks down, and you shall be permitted the deck unless foul weather or tricky conditions preclude such, for fresh air or ship's rations as needed. So long as all obey my words, all shall go smoothly. For on the sea, my words are law, and my sole desire will be to get us to York as quickly and safely as possible. Now if this is acceptable to you, we have a deal."

  Lord Salevin just nodded his head. "How will I get my trunks on board, if I have no men to assist?"

  "Fear not. My sailors shall assist, and they are trustworthy, I assure you. They well know what the cost would be, should they cross me at this port, so rest assured, they will most definitely be on their best behavior.

  "All right, then. I would offer a draft from my bank, but I fear its worth would be questionable to you as our city may well be doomed," he offered with a shaky smile. "I will need time to withdraw my funds from the bank, however."

  Halence's tone made it clear he would brook no argument when next he spoke. "I will tell you this for your own sake, Lord Salevin. You had best be discreet when you make your withdrawals, as there will be more than one well-to-do individual preparing to start a new life away from this city. You will be happy, or you should be, to know that I have secured the king's hand in this. He will prevent the bank from withholding funds, allowing the rumor to float that the ship making port will be using its knowledge of a secure route to hire mercenaries and that the king is using loyal citizen's gold as a tax of sorts. This will help prevent a panic, and will prevent the bank from attempting to lock down on the fortunes it so greedily holds. However, if people look too happy withdrawing their funds, or if unfavorable rumors start about what we are truly doing, that could cause a panic, and the king has let it be known that this would displease him greatly.

  "As to our arrangement, you shall give me one-half of what you owe me now, and the other half once we are at sea. And if you in any way think to frown upon my integrity, you are more than free to take it up with his majesty himself who has entrusted me personally to deliver his messages to their intended parties in the north."

  "No Captain Halence, that will not be necessary," Lord Salevin assured with a sigh. "You will not mind waiting here a moment, I trust? I shall be back shortly with the down payment."

  Halence gave a negligent nod, seeming to hardly pay Lord Salevin any notice at all as he contemplated his drink. Sorn, for his part, couldn't help feeling for the haunted-looking man. Sorn knew full well that Halence had systematically heightened his anxieties to a fever pitch before coldly demanding a fortune to abate the terrible fear this man now held for h
is family's safety. Halence's cool abstracted look turned into a knowing smile as Salevin left the room. He gave Sorn a wink.

  Sorn just shook his head at the irrepressible captain. To him, it was almost a game, albeit an extremely lucrative one, and all the emotional turmoil he had so carefully orchestrated to plumb the vulnerable riches laid bare was, to his mind, no doubt perfectly justified. After all, they were, in fact, offering passage to deliver these noble families from a reality every bit as terrible as the images Halence had forced his potential passenger to contemplate. Halence was too professional to speak of this while still in the lord's house, as evidenced by the quiet finger he put to his still smiling lips for Sorn's benefit. And who knew? Lord Salevin could well be listening at the door at that very moment. At least that's what Halence's wry gesture toward the door seemed to indicate.

  Shortly thereafter, Lord Salevin did reenter the well-appointed chamber once again, carrying a small chest, elegantly carved, stained a rich black. Lord Salevin was no frail man, but he did indeed seem to be straining under the weight of the chest. He put the chest down upon his desk with an audible thump and a sigh, at which point he pulled a key from around his neck and opened it. He then proceeded to count out a number of coins of several different sizes, Sorn noted, with one telling similarity. They all shined the rich yellow luster of gold, near glowing in the light reflected from the flickering fire and oil lamp both.