03
The cutter, like all boats of the Pela, was entirely enclosed, the upper half by a high arching iron cage which allowed me to observe the proceedings taking place on its deck.
A rough standing desk made of crates was anchored on the broad deck of the cutter, manned by three of the slaver's black uniformed officers. Half a dozen crew members armed with swords and side arms lounged about behind them. Two of the officers stood by the desk - the first mate, in charge of the proceedings, and the purser, who was doing the bookkeeping. The third officer, the ship's doctor, was casually inspecting the captives the natives were offering to sell. These captives, both men and women, were examined, graded, and if accepted, an armed crew member would accompany the seller around the cutter, as they inspected and selected various items of merchandise - knives and swords, tools, cooking utensils, and all sorts of bright trinkets and cloth - up to the agreed value of their captives. The newly purchased slave or slaves, in the meanwhile, were escorted up the gangplank by two of the armed guards and down a narrow companionway between two sets of cages, to be shoved into one of them. I counted a dozen on a side. I also noted that the crew was keeping an eye on the proceedings from the ship's open ports - the rocket launchers were trained on the boats alongside. They were taking no chances.
As we approached the cutter's open access port for our turn, the first mate must have seen me and realized that the next item up for sale wasn't a native. He snapped an order to one of guards, who hurried up the gangplank likely to summon the captain.
'Well, well, well, what have the savages brought us?' sneered the doctor, a short, stocky, and seemingly tipsy broad-feathered man, as we tied up alongside. I recognized the language as Saraime, with a slightly different accent than the Temtres used. He went on, 'My, my, it looks like we've a fine-feathered item in parade dress uniform being offered for sale. How in the Infernal Islands did one of these get here? This should make for an entertaining story at the very least.'
My captors certainly agreed, since even before we had tied up alongside, they were excitedly explaining, in their own language, the circumstances of their capture, and, I gathered, the vast price they expected to receive from their rare, fine-feathered, find. We tied up and I was dragged out to stand on the cutter's deck between my colorful captors.
I didn't share their excitement. Looking at the cages, I rather suspected that this was a case of escaping the pot (literally) for the fire. The crew looked to be hard men, all but a few of them, broad-feathered. No surprise on either account. We were still in the small islands and I rather doubted that slaving as an occupation appealed to the kindhearted. This was the Pela, after all, so I wasn't expecting to be greeted with open arms.
'Give us your story, mate,' the doctor leered, stepping close, whiskey on his breath.
I decided to say nothing until the expected arrival of the captain.
'Can you talk?' asked the tipsy doctor, peering at me crossly.
'Aye,' I allowed.
He grinned, 'Well, my stoic friend, this is your lucky day. You might not be the main course at a savage feast after all. Though given the price your friends are demanding, you may not be out of the pot yet. What brings you to these savage islands? Adventure? Fortune? Ill fortune? Give us a reason to buy you.'
I considered my answer. I glanced over to the old, greyish officer at the makeshift desk who was watching the proceedings listlessly. 'I think I'll save my story until your captain's arrival, if you don't mind. No point telling it twice,' I said, deciding to reclaim a little dignity by refusing to banter with a half-drunk ship's doctor.
He laughed, 'Come now, don't be shy. You have a lot riding on making a good impression!'
But even as he said it, I caught sight of a tall, dark, broad-feathered female in black trousers, blouse and a wide brimmed rather shapeless hat emerging from the shadows of the ship. She sauntered slowly down the gangplank, hands clasped behind her back, a long barreled sidearm in a holster on her hip. She wore a lazy smile as she studied me as she approached.
Catching the shift in my gaze, my now rather sulky interrogator stepped aside and muttered, 'Ah, Captain, it seems we have a very rare bird wanting passage to Tyrina.'
Stepping on to the cutter's deck, she stopped and casually looked me up and down without comment for a moment or two.
'How do you do, Captain?' I said with a smile and a little bow. My future depended upon this slaver Captain, so I'd decided that I best pour on what "oily" charm I possessed.
She nodded. 'Oh, I'm getting by. Nice weather we're having,' she remarked looking about with a satirically lazy smile. 'So what brings you to these plague islands and in the company of a brace of Rin'ti warriors?'
'A great storm. A shipwreck. Ill luck, and carelessness,' I replied, trying to keep my replies in the same laconic vein as hers.
She laughed. 'Ill luck and carelessness are what brings us all to the Outward Islands. And drink,' she added with a cheerful smile cast in the Doctor's direction.
'Cause or effect?' he replied, not intimidated. 'Who knows? Or cares?'
'In any case, here we all are. Care to elaborate?''
'It is a rather long story, and my friends here are rather anxious to strike a deal, so I trust it can wait until we've settled things with my friends here.'
'Haven't had the time to invent one yet, I suspect. Well, we all have our stories, so no matter. Do you have a name?'
'Wil Litang,' I paused, debated, and added, 'Captain, Wil Litang.'
She smiled. 'Oh Captain Wilitang, is it? You must have a very interesting story to tell. The question is whether we can afford to hear it. What do they want for him?' she asked, turning to her first mate.
He shrugged. 'Some outrageous sum. Ten number one items, each. More a ransom than a passage price. We could probably get him for two number one items apiece.'
She sighed and looked at the grinning, eager painted men beside me. She gave them a smile and said to me, 'We're in the business of providing passage to potential workers who cannot afford the passage price. Passengers-on-speculation, so to speak. We're not in the business of ransoming careless captains. I have owners who examine every outlay very, very closely. You see, they're well aware of the types of people they employ in this trade. And they're very frugal chaps, these owners, so you see, I must be prudent in my outlays. And just so you understand my dilemma, we've had a very unfortunate voyage to date. They're not going to be in a happy mood when they see my cargo and books. So you see, I don't know how much I can spring for you. Fine-feathered prospective workers are rather rare in our trade. I'm not sure what the market is for your kind - without any particularly useful skills to speak of.'
I smiled. 'I'm familiar with owners, Captain, so I understand your concern. However, I will do everything in my power to compensate you for any outlay you make on my account.'
She leaned back, and put her hand to her chin to studied me. I suspected that she was just playing the game with my artistic companions. They eagerly grinned back as their leader once more eagerly expounded on my sterling qualities - Litang, a bargain at any price.
'I can't follow what he's saying, but I'm certain I'm worth it,' I added.
She nodded, smiled sagely, and said a few encouraging words to him before turning to me. 'Sorry, I can't accept their asking price. However, if I don't take you, you'll end up amusing them for a while, and then feeding them. These Rin'ti are very cheerful, but like all Outward Islanders, guests are usually their main course. My dilemma is that I've no idea what you'll fetch for my owners on Tyrina. To be perfectly honest, my customers, to date, have all been Outward Islanders looking to improve their lot in the mines and fields. Still, you'd likely fetch something... I suppose.
'However, if I were to take you on as a passenger, I doubt you'd last long in our passenger accommodations. You know how it is, everyone distrusts an outsider and these Outward Islanders distrust anyone not of their tribe. Now, if I take you on, I'd have to make other arrangements
which would involve extra expenses and more work for my crew, which is already severely understaffed...' She paused, shaking her head sadly, and studying me.
I thought she was just having her fun, so I just smiled and shrugged. 'What can I do to help?'
'Willing to help, are you? Well, we are short several stokers... Ever done any stoking?
I shook my head. 'But I'm willing to learn.'
She sighed, 'Oh, I'm too kindhearted for this trade. If you're willing to learn and work hard, I'll see what I can do about your price and sign you on as crew. '
'I am,' I hastened to assure her. 'And I would greatly appreciate any efforts you make on my behalf.'
'I'm sure you would. I would, however, have to subtract the price we pay for you from your wages of five coppers a round. Still, it wouldn't take more than several thousand rounds for you to pay your passage fee back, though the actual time would depend on what your friends are willing to settle for. So, Captain Wilitang, what do you say? Are you willing to sign on to the Bird of Passage as a stoker at five coppers a round, and to pay your purchase price out of your wages, or would you prefer to take your chances with your new friends?'
As a would-be revolutionary, would-be murderer, would-be lover of a mercenary stealth of St Bleyth, and a new friend of pirates, it would seem that my moral compass has been captured by a very dark lodestar. Still, I hesitated before agreeing to sign on as a stoker aboard a slaver - for a second - before saying, 'I'd be very grateful if you'd allow me to sign on as one of your crew.'
She smiled. 'Good. Let's see if we can strike a reasonable deal with your friends. Cley, see what you can get him for.'
'I'll try, Cap'n. An additional stoker would be welcomed by the deck crew. We should be able to get him for something reasonable. You know how they are. Wild demands, but I think they'll settle for eight no.1 items,' the old officer at the desk replied glumly.
She gave me a lazy, measuring look. 'Rather steep for a stoker. Still we need a stoker, and the price will be coming out of his wages, see what you can do.'
I doubt the islanders understood more than a word or two of what we said, but they could catch drift of the conversation, and now they all spoke up boldly demanding their price.
Cley let'em go on for a while, grimly shaking his head and repeating a phrase in their tongue. My price.
There was a sudden stir amongst my two captors to my right. They leaped back. I looked to see Hissi - who must have hitched a ride hidden on the outer hull of the boat - shot over to me and settle on my shoulder, wrapping herself tightly around my neck with a rather frightened hiss. Her sudden appearance sent my captors leaping away from me with a loud volley exclamations and strange gyrations. They stared at me in wild alarm. I would've thought they'd seen Simla dragons before. Given all the ones the Temtre had, I'd have thought them to be very common in these islands.
'Hi, Hissi,' I said, 'You shouldn't be here, I think we're in a rather iffy spot. You needn't have followed me.'
She gave me a low, low hiss, as if to say, "You said it, brother."
The Captain observed all this with a brief puzzled look, and then she put on an angry face, barking something sharply to my captors in their own language. She then turned to me, and with her hands and manner seemed to be apologizing and blaming my captors for something, but said, 'My, my, Captain Wilitang we are full of surprises, aren't we? Your little friend has put your new friends in quite a funk. They now fear that they've captured, and no doubt greatly offended, a witch-man, a sorcerer, a powerful man who will no doubt extract his revenge on them, their family and tribe.'
'How so?
'You have a Simla dragon as a familiar.'
'Certainly Simla dragons are not unknown in these islands.'
'Aye, but not friendly ones. These islanders eat everything, including Simla dragons. As a result, the local Simla dragons are not known for their tameness. Only magic, evil magic, can tame them, and only powerful witches have them as familiars. So, commanding even a young one confers evil powers to you. Oh my, you're now a fellow to be feared. Give then a hard, angry glare, and we'll drive your price way down.'
'I'd do more than that.'
I turned to them and roared in my best comic-opera captain's voice, 'Now cut these straps!' and swung back around, holding out my arms.
When I felt the straps loosening, I roared again, 'My things, I want the things you took from me!' and indicated what I wanted with pantomime my com link and darter with my newly freed arms.
They stood, stock still for a moment, until Hissi hissed and I roared again.
This sent one of the lads diving back into their boat to fetch my gear. As he emerged from the bamboo shell, I held out my hand but he wouldn't come near me. He tossed them to me and joined his friends, who had all stepped back to the edge of the cutter.
'Oh, my, that looks to be a springer, Captain Wilitang, I believe I'll take it for now. I don't allow my crew to go about with more than a knife. They're a hot-tempered lot. Carelessness may've gotten me this berth, but I'm resolved to be much more responsible going forward,' she said, watching me warily while holding out her hand.
'Of course, Captain,' I said, handing over my darter and holster. I was going to have to get used to taking orders rather than giving them, and this seemed to be a good time to start. 'This,' I indicated the com link, 'Is harmless, a talisman, worn on my arm.'
She shrugged, 'You might want to get your money back on it, 'she said with an arched look, but let me keep it.
Turning to her first mate. 'Carry on, Cley. One number one trade item, each.'
'Each, Captain?' objected Cley. 'They'll now settle for just one and no curses.'
'Each. We want our customers to be happy. Still, I suppose we should leave it to Captain Wilitang here, since he's footing the bill,' she asked turning back to me.
'I believe I'm well worth four number one items.'
'Not as a stoker. You're going to be with us for quite a while at a stoker's pay. But if you do your duty, perhaps you can move up and buy your life back sooner. Now try to indicate that you've forgiven them, and then we'll sign you on.'
I nodded to them and smiled, which didn't seem to go over very well, they backed away, bowed, and hurried to collect their price.
'Carry on Cley,' she said with a nod, and turned up the gangplank towards the banks of slave cages. With Hissi clinging quietly on my shoulder, I followed her.