risks,” I said. “That’s why we were trying to keep it a secret.”
Sable let out a sigh. “You know the Regency’s stance against primitives. I cannot, in good conscience, submit my crew to a situation as unsafe as this.”
“Then stop listening to your conscience,” I said. “And listen to your gut.”
Sable gave me a mocking smile. “They’re the same thing.”
“Wrong. Your conscience tells you what you’re supposed to do. Your gut tells you what you know is right.”
“I always do the right thing,” she said. “And the right thing is keeping my crew and my ship intact, whatever it takes. As much as I want to get Uncle Angus back, the Galeskimmer is our home. I won’t allow you to stay in our home if it’s against the crew’s wishes. We’ll let them decide.” Sable’s wrist blade shwicked away into her arm. “All in favor of keeping our passengers onboard, raise your hand.”
No one did.
Sable waited a long moment, looking over each of her companions to be sure. “All opposed?”
Every hand shot up, including Sable’s.
Vilaris sighed and ran a hand through his greasy hair. Chaz hung his big white bandaged head. Blaylocke was clutching his arm, his jaw set tight. I imagined their stomachs were sinking, like mine was.
“You have your answer, Muller Jakes. We’ll let you off at the next stop. I’ll refund the unused portion of your deposit then, minus expenses.”
“Who has your Uncle?” I said.
Sable narrowed her eyes at me. “Maclin Automation,” she said.
Interesting, I thought. This has some legs. Literally. “The augmentation research and development company?”
“You’re familiar with them, I’m sure.”
“Are you kidding? Half the tech in my body is Maclin stuff. Well, not anymore.” I gave Chaz an apologetic look. “But I used to have lots of Maclin-made augments. They kidnapped your uncle? Really? What’s a big conglomerate like that doing maintaining its own off-the-record debtor’s prison?”
“I don’t know the extent of Uncle Angus’s business relationship with Maclin. But they told me if I reported them to the Regency, it was the last time I’d ever see him. There’s nothing we can do about it except pay them what they ask.”
“Whatever you dropped from that shipment must’ve been pretty important to get them so upset with you. Too bad it’s lost to the Churn by now, or sitting smashed up on some floater. How much do they want, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“They said the part of the shipment we lost was worth three hundred thousand chips. They want three-fifty, including interest and damages that resulted from the loss.”
“Dear sweet merciful Leridote.” I scratched my noggin, trying to stimulate the idea that was growing in my brain-cavity. “Have you paid them anything yet?”
“Nothing. We still haven’t repaired all the damage to the Galeskimmer. The other half of your fee would’ve gotten us over the top and started us well on our way in the savings department.”
I looked at my companions. Chaz was still looking a little spacey, still coming back from that nasty knock to the head. Blaylocke was leaning against the ship’s railing with his arms folded in front of him, holding a strip of cloth to his wound. Vilaris was giving me that squirrely look of his, the one that says, ‘don’t do what I think you’re about to do, or I’ll lose it.’
I flashed Vilaris a sly grin and cleared my throat. “I can’t help but feel like this partnership has started off on the wrong foot. Let’s let bygones be bygones and start over, shall we? We’re going to be working together very closely over the next few weeks, and I want everyone here getting along. We need to be a well-oiled machine if we’re going to do this—”
Sable’s knifeblade flicked out again. She took two quick strides toward me and jerked the blade up to my throat. “What in the heavens’ name are you going on about?” she said.
I winked at her. “We’re partners now, you and I. Your crew and mine.”
“I’m afraid you are very much mistaken,” she said.
“Am I? I don’t think so. You see, by the time you manage to scrape together three hundred and fifty thousand chips, your Uncle Angus will be a skeleton. Shoot, I’ll be an old man by then. Call me a fool for overlooking it until now, but it’s just become startlingly apparent to me how much we need each other.”
“We don’t need the likes of you, or your primitives, to blacken our good name.”
“Well then, let me tell you what I need,” I said. “I need a ship. This one will do the trick. I need my friends to be protected by a good group of upstanding techsouls. Case in point.” I waved a hand toward her crew. “And last, I need to find a certain gentleman by the name of Alastair Gilfoyle. When you help us find him and take back what’s ours, this life of indentured servitude you’re leading will be over. Because in exchange for helping us, I’m going to offer you half my share of the takings.”
Vilaris scrunched up his face. “Your share? Since when do you have a share?”
“Since I agreed to launch this little excursion for you, Clint. You told me I would be paid for my troubles. As payment, I want a one-quarter share of the haul, to split with the fine folks who live and work on the Galeskimmer.”
“You can’t take that much of the city’s income,” Vilaris blurted out.
“I can, and I will. It’s a one-fourth share or it’s nothing at all.”
“Wait a minute… what city?” said Mr. Scofield.
I grasped for words. “The city we’re all from. Bannock,” I lied.
“Bannock is no city. It’s a drift-town, at best.”
“We call it a city sometimes. Give us a break.” I turned to Sable, desperate to change the subject. “Captain Brunswick… do you and your crew really want to spend the next several years of your lives scraping by, trying to earn enough to pay your debts? Or would you rather help us and get your uncle back right away? Don’t delude yourself. This is going to take a lot longer than you’re willing to admit, unless you help us.”
Sable lowered her blade. She took off her hat, wiped the sweat from her brow with a thin white shirtsleeve. When she spoke, she was addressing her crew. “You all heard him. We have a long road ahead of us if we go it alone. Getting Captain Angus back means making sacrifices. Knowing what we know now changes things. All in favor of combining crews and working together for a short period of time, raise your hand.” She counted. “All opposed?” She counted again, then looked at me. “The matter appears to be settled, Mr. Nordstrom.”
This time, old Landon Scofield and young Eliza Kinally were the only ones who had voted against us. I hadn’t heard a word out of Eliza’s mouth since we’d been on board. I didn’t even know what job she had on the ship. But it was apparent that, for any number of available reasons, she didn’t like us.
“Good,” I said. “This is surely the start of a very lucrative and prosperous arrangement. We need to fire up the turbines and set a course upstream if we’re going to find Gilfoyle.”
The crew glared at me.
“Not an order,” I said, “just a suggestion. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be getting back to bed.”
I caught another handful of dirty looks as I made my way belowdecks. They can hate me if they want to, I told myself as I crawled into my hammock. They can keep on hating me after I make them filthy rich, for all I care. Just as long as they don’t treat me like some lowborn swabbie. I’ve been captain of my own boat, for crying out loud. One day, I’ll retake command of my Ostelle. Nobody will ever order me around again after that. I drifted off to sleep, my head swelling with pride, eager to dream of all the good things to come.
“I’m impressed.” My eyes shot open at the sound of Sable’s voice. I found her standing beside my hammock, a hand on her hip. “Not many people can twist a hopeless situation to their advantage like you can.”
I yawned and stretched. “Yeah, well, I’m not many people. And you’re no fool, either. You caught on to how impressiv
e I am without a single hint. Usually I have to spell it out for people.”
Sable’s hand was at my throat. No blade this time—just her cold, skinny fingers. She was doing a fair job of convincing me that she was not a friendly person.
“I thought I told you to behave yourself while you were aboard my ship,” she said.
I tried to gulp, but the lump didn’t make it past her grip. “I was behaving myself just fine. Then they dragged me out of bed for a whipping I didn’t deserve. That isn’t a situation I’m comfortable behaving for.”
“Why didn’t you just follow orders?”
“Following orders would suggest that I’m a lesser being than the person who’s giving them,” I said. “I’m no slave, sister. I’m your cargo, not your hired hand.”
“Oh, you’re our cargo, are you? Maybe we ought to find a nice big empty crate to shove you into.”
“If it’s the only way I can get a decent night’s sleep without you jerkwads being all over my case about it…”
She tightened her grip on my throat and leaned in. Her braid slipped around her back and fell onto my lap with a whop. I could smell her, the faint animal scent of unwashed woman beneath layers of perfume.
“I don’t care how much you’re worth to us,” she said. “This can be an easy trip for you. Keep on provoking me, and I’ll see that it’s a hard one. Up to you.”
I kissed her. Wrapped my hand around the back of her head and pulled her in tight. She shrieked into my open mouth, wrenched away,