by B A Simmons
“I am pleased to help you. I desire you a safe journey to your home and family. Please express my sorrow to them for the loss of Rob Engleman and Geoffrey Morris. I say again, they were both honest and good men.”
A knock sounded at the door.
Just outside the chambers, the guards stood waiting with two baronial guards behind them. Their countenances were impossible to read. Tom threw up his hands in defense.
“Look, if you’re going to arrest me, at least tell Baron Eric or Captain Thompson that I’m here and I need to speak with them.”
A long moment passed in silence before one of them said, “The baron heard that Poulustus was back and sent us to fetch him. You can come along too, I suppose.”
Poulustus and Sli-kur Elain emerged from behind Tom and bowed to the guards. The baronial guards lead the way with the Duarves following and, in turn, being followed by Tom. Baron Eric sat at a desk in his office a short distance away from the courtroom. He beamed upon seeing Poulustus and Tom noted that his eyes went straight to the Duarve ambassador when addressing him. He, at least, could tell the difference between the two Duarves.
“Poulustus, I am glad to see you again. While Sli-kur has done well in your place, we must say that you have been missed. How have you been?”
“I am well, Eric of Aruth. I have remained busy as I’m sure your spies have told you.”
Eric laughed. “Well, I certainly can’t imagine you taking a holiday!”
“I am not returning as suurilla. I came to bring this man to you. He is—”
“Captain Tom Engleman of the Entdecker. I remember you, but I must confess I did not expect to see you again so soon. In fact, it seems unlikely that you could have sailed down to Engle Isle and returned so quickly.”
“No, I was unable to return home. We met with disaster. Piers, the man who sailed with us, betrayed us. He was working for the baron on Fallen Dome.”
Eric’s face fell into an angry frown. “What are you saying? What did this man do?”
“He killed us. They’re all dead, our crew. Including Rob. Piers was about to steal some Duarve devices we found. He was taking them aboard a Fallen Dome ship when… I, I drew the car-dun that lives in those waters. It destroyed the Fallen Dome ship, Piers… and Rob. I just couldn’t let him have them. It’s a miracle I survived.”
Tom massaged his wounded shoulder. It ached, but not as much as it had three days before.
“And your ship, the Entdecker?”
“She’s badly damaged, but salvageable. This is why I’ve come back to Aruth, to ask for your help in getting the Entdecker back into action. Most of the cargo you gave us is still lashed fast in her hold. We need to get her back to Engle Isle.”
Eric stood up from the desk. “This is grave news, Tom. For some time, we’ve known that Baron Fredrick’s mind is troubled, but we never thought he’d turn against allies. This man, this spy, Piers told you he was working for him?”
“For the new defense minister, Tremblay was—”
“Dismissed from service. The baron’s nephew, a complete meecher, wormed his way into the position playing on his uncle’s paranoia. He’s the type of man who would sell his own mother for a higher rank and more power.”
Eric turned to one of the guards, “Get down to Annar, have them prepare the Rebecca for me. I will arrive shortly after you.”
The guard saluted his baron and left the room with haste. Eric looked at Poulustus.
“I’m sorry our reunion has to be so brief. I want you to know that I appreciate the work you are doing among your people. I too endeavor to teach peace among my kind.”
He looked back to Tom. “But I think now is the time for Aruth to show her might. We’ve taken a distant position on the crisis unfolding around us. Now, it is time for war. Tom, I will take you back to your ship and then, back to your home.”
Tom sighed. It was as if he’d been holding his breath for several minutes. Tears came to his eyes. “Thank you, my lord.”
“No, just call me Eric. Please.”
A few days later, Tom stood aboard Eric’s personal yacht, the Rebecca, watching the coastline of Big Nose Isle pass by. Having slept for a full day in Eric’s hammock, he felt rested and energized for the first time in weeks. He looked skyward, spotting the dark shapes of circling birds. His thoughts moved to Colum and Aacarys, and the chances of seeing them again. He felt certain they were gone from Hellhound Isle or would be by the time the Rebecca arrived. Yet, hope remained. A hope for Engle Isle and the cause of Alimia. It seemed to Tom such a long time since he’d last seen his aunt Meriam on that island. Where she was now remained a mystery, but he would see done the job of avenging her and the other Alimians.
Then afterwards, after the war and justice and all that. Then he would search for the beautiful Ferlie whose face shined brightest in his mind.
19
Rumors and Suspicions
E dwin hated passing Isle de Joc without stopping to check on Seth and his people. He remembered the last time he was there; Seth had offered to join in the rebellion against the Falcons. Yet, he let the island pass by at a safe distance to ensure any Falcon ships did not stop them. It hurt him even more to let Copper Isle slip past them in the night. He could see the lights of the Duarve mines on the mountain, and for a moment, thought he smelled the baked bantam whale from the Silver Swan. James served grilled mullet that night.
His mind was made up. He would put duty to family and country before the desire of his heart. They were on their way to Isle de James for the last batch of elixir. They would return to the Falcon empire to sell it, though not to King’s Isle. They would have to use a different port to distribute it.
As they pulled into Port James, Edwin noticed a difference in the décor. The sight of baronial banners fluttering in the wind was common around the capital city. However, wherever they hung they were now accompanied by the banner of the Hellhound Consortium. Just beyond the docks, where the open market flourished with wares, Edwin found a peddler selling badges with the Hellhound emblem embroidered on them. Edwin’s attention went to the sleeves of a dozen tunics worn by the people around him. Almost all had this patch sewn on.
“When can I expect more toadstool?” asked Kenneth, the apothecary, after letting Edwin into his shop.
Edwin hesitated before answering. This was the commitment he knew he had to make. If he balked now, he would never be able to commit in the future.
“I will be back in a few days with more.”
“So, your supplier is to the west then,” Kenneth said.
“Excuse me?”
“Well, I’ve deduced that it can’t be Copper Isle or anywhere north of there, otherwise you would have picked more up on the way here. Alimia is too dry for toadstool, unless everything we know about that island is wrong. So, it must be to the west. Isle de Benjamin perhaps or Willard Isle. I hear there’s a man on Willard Isle who can make anything.”
“Let’s not spoil this business deal we have, Kenneth. I’ve had enough of that sort of thing lately.”
Seeing Edwin was in no mood for conversation, Kenneth accepted payment for the elixir he had and set his porter to transporting it to the Anna Louisa. Edwin left for the baronial palace, hoping to catch up with Malcolm and share information with Henry. He was disappointed to discover neither were there, but that Captain Siever was at Port Jim. Nothing else was said by the sergeant at the palace gates.
Returning to his ship, Edwin gave orders to make for Port Jim. It would be another day of sailing, but he felt it necessary that somebody in the upper echelons of the barony know what was going on in the Falcon Empire.
In the late morning of the next day, they entered the bay which enclosed Port Jim, noting the Hellhound flag flying above the barracks on the bluff above them. Yet, it was the ship at the repair docks that captured their attention. The Alphina bobbed there, with carpenters covering her like stickybugs. The entire crew left the Anna Louisa to find those belonging to the Alphina. None
were at the docks, so Edwin, with Duncan, Eugene and James trekked up to the barracks. There the Alphina’s crew were housed, nursing as many wounds as their ship had. Duncan embraced Yusef Massoud and shook hands with Harland FitzHugh. Edwin and the Bell brothers spotted Trina in the courtyard, pacing along the wall.
She lifted her head when they called out to her and forced a weak smile to her face.
“What are you doing here?” she said.
Edwin cocked his head the side. “I was about to ask you the same question. Where’s Pete?”
Trina’s smile vanished. “He’s on Engle Isle. The Falcons invaded the island. Seven ships, hundreds of soldiers. The Old Man is gone, destroyed. We’re hurt, as you can see. Pete stayed behind to fight after ordering us here for repairs.”
“What about Tim and Richard?” Eugene asked.
“Lost with the Old Man. We’ve lost many good people. Many more are still down there fighting, dying. And we’re stuck up here waiting for repairs.”
“Edwin!” a voice called out. It was Captain Siever coming into the barracks. “Edwin, it’s good to see you. How goes your enterprise among the Falcon islands?”
“Siever you’re always far too cheery for the times,” Edwin muttered. “I take it you’ve been told of the Falcon invasion of my home.”
“Yes, I’m very sorry to hear of your home town.”
Edwin looked at Trina. “My home town? What about Port John?”
“When we left, it was being burned. More smoke than just that of battle,” she said.
“Henry is with Malcolm and your sister on our newest ship. A warship called the Engleman. They’re out to Copper Isle on the maiden voyage. Perhaps you passed by them there. In any case, as soon as they’re back and the Alphina is in fighting shape, we’ll sail to Engle Isle to fight off the invasion,” Siever said.
Edwin glared in defiance of his optimism. Duncan, Yusef and Harland joined them.
Siever waited a moment before continuing, “It’s a pity the Entdecker isn’t back yet with those weapons from Aruth. Or do you suppose they went straight to Engle Isle without stopping here?”
Edwin spoke before Trina could. “The Entdecker isn’t at Engle Isle. I’m pretty sure she’s lost to us.”
“What? How do you know?” Trina said.
“Because Rob is on King’s Isle in the Falcon Empire. I saw him there being sold at a slave auction.”
“Rob is on King’s Isle?”
“A slave? And you left him there?” Trina growled.
“Hey!” James said.
“I tried to buy him, but I was outbid. I know who did buy him and I was informed by a reliable source that attempting to free him by force would only have led to my death.”
“I don’t care who dies trying, we have to get him back!” Trina said.
“I would exercise more caution. If Rob is still the intelligent young man Malcolm has made him out to be, he’s likely working his servitude to his own advantage,” Siever said.
“He’s surrounded by the enemy. What advantage could he possibly get?”
Edwin lifted his hand to interrupt. “There’s discord in the empire. Riots against merchants, especially foreign merchants. I’ve learned of rival factions among the nobility, all vying for their man to become the next emperor.”
“The rumors are true then. The emperor is dying and the carrion slugs are circling his throne, waiting for his demise,” Siever said.
“Yes. He could already be dead, and while I agree with you about Rob’s intelligence, Trina does still have a point. There’s only so much Rob can do to save himself.”
“Rob won’t try to save himself,” Duncan said. “If the Entdecker is sunk then you can bet Tom went with her. Rob will then have lost his brother and his cousin in less than a year. Surrounded by the enemy with no chance to escape, he’ll do what damage he can before being killed.”
They all nodded, knowing that Duncan understood better than most the devastation the loss of a loved one brings.
Trina turned to the Alphina’s boatswain. “Yusef, you’re now in command of the Alphina. As soon as she’s combat ready, with or without the Engleman, you take her back to Engle Isle.”
“Where are you going?” Edwin asked.
“With you to get Rob back.”
“With me? Back to the Falcon Archipelago? You did hear me say they have it out for foreign merchants, right?”
Eugene spoke up. “That’s what we were planning on doing anyway, isn’t it Cap’n?”
Edwin glared at his boatswain. “The invasion of Engle Isle changes things now, doesn’t it? We should sail there with the Alphina and help save our families.”
“Here, here!” Harland said.
Trina scowled at them. “Edwin, it’s Rob. You know he’d come for you if the roles were reversed. There are plenty of people here to fight at Engle Isle, not to mention those already on the island. The Anna Louisa is not a fighting ship.”
“She’s been in fights before!” Edwin said.
“And you complained about her being in each of them; especially when we fought the Quillian in the Sea of Grass,” Eugene countered.
“Whose side are you on?!” Edwin shouted.
Harland smirked, “Edwin, Trina’s just miffed at Pete for staying on Engle Isle without her. Don’t mind her—”
He was unable to finish the sentence before Trina’s fist impacted his mouth. Trina didn’t wait for Edwin to follow her back to the docks. She gathered her weapons and armor from the Alphina and boarded the Anna Louisa without saying a word to the two bewildered Fishhook Islanders standing guard on her deck.
They departed Port Jim that afternoon and were soon cruising along with a strong westerly wind. Trina set herself to work, taking a turn on watch and steering duty. She said little beyond the communications necessary to sail the ship. It was as if she’d reverted back to the Trina they hired at Fallen Dome.
Edwin’s mood soured more. While he was continuing with the plan he’d set himself to, he was now less than happy about doing so. Thoughts of his home and parents filled his mind. Alongside these thoughts, floating toward the far end of his attention; he wondered how Anna had managed to get herself made captain of a ship.
* * *
The musty scent of dark soil filled Rob’s nostrils. It was a smell he knew well and loved. Feeling the moist clumps of dirt clinging to his fingers, the trickle of sweat tickling his nose; these brought fond memories of a simpler time. With Signore d’Silva’s permission, Rob began attending his garden. In just over a fortnight, it went from a mediocre display of shrubbery and flowers to the envy of Porto Profuno’s elite class. Both Frederic and Gloria d’Silva brought their friends to enjoy the new colors and foliage, taking full credit and honor for the change. Rob stood by, smiling and listening to their conversations.
Only when Liliana brought her gaggle of conspirators to the garden, was any attention paid to Rob. In fact, it was too much. Rob began to feel uncomfortable with Liliana’s flirtations and cast several furtive glances about the garden to see who might be watching. Patrizia was right. Liliana didn’t judge Rob harshly for being a leader of the Hellhound Consortium. If anything, it appeared to increase her interest in him.
His work for the garden done, Rob put away the tools and went to wash up. In the servant’s quarters reserved for single men, he removed the dirty tunic and began to wash the soil and sweat from his face and torso.
“Sei bello per me.”
Rob turned to see Liliana standing behind him. “Che cosa?”
“You heard me. Your Iyty has much improved since you arrived. I saw you laugh yesterday when mother scolded Corey.”
“It was funny because it wasn’t much of a scold. My own mother was far worse.”
She stepped closer to him, her smile beaming like the sun. The all too familiar discomfort began rising in Rob’s chest. He wasn’t sure if it was fear of getting caught with Liliana that made him so nervous or guilt. A part of himself wanted to resist her
advances, screaming out Anna’s name each time he saw Liliana looking at him. Yet with each encounter, this part diminished more and the voice was drowned in a sea of rising desire. It was so now as she reached out and traced a finger down his bare arm, smiling at the goosebumps she raised there.
The finger stopped at one of the scars. She rubbed it gently as if trying to wipe it away. Her touch electrified Rob’s mind and his heart thudded in his chest.
“Where did you get these?” She asked, her hand now examining another scar.
“In battle against your people.”
He thought his reply might stop her hands, but she appeared unfazed.
She clicked her tongue. “Another reason to put an end to this war. Too many people are being hurt.”
“I had these wounds the same night my brother died. Shot by a Falcon crossbow.”
Her hands withdrew and Rob almost reached out for them. He let out a sigh and took a step back just as Corey entered the room.
“Fai come ti dico o affronterai mia madre!” Liliana shouted before turning and storming out.
Corey grinned at Rob but said nothing as he walked to his own bed. Rob finished his bath, dressed in a clean tunic and went out to perform his usual chores. He hadn’t cleaned many of the chamber pots before Signore d’Silva found him.
“Roberto, vieni con me.”
Rob smiled again at the venerated Falcon aristocrat, who had taken to calling him what he figured was the Iyty version of his name. He had assumed such, without asking Rob the true origins of the name his parents gave him. The smile remained on Rob’s face as he followed d’Silva from the house to the stables. He assumed he would be put to work there cleaning a mess someone else made but found instead that the carriage was prepared for departure and d’Silva opened the door for Rob to enter.
“Signore? No capisco.”
“Entra. Spiegherò.”
Rob entered the carriage and sat. He felt a bead of sweat dribble down from his armpit, and took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. His mind raced, trying to determine if he was in trouble or if this was a good sign.