Wells’ handshake was firm, his eyes calculating. “Captain Cunningham speaks highly of you. Says you’re the finest officer in the fleet.”
“The Captain is generous with his praise,” I replied diplomatically.
Eric clapped Wells on the shoulder with casual familiarity that seemed odd for a first meeting. “Mr. Wells has a proposition for us. One that could be quite beneficial to House Eldritch’s interests.”
Something in his tone made me uneasy. I’d served under Eric long enough to recognize when he was choosing his words carefully.
“I’ve just been reviewing the cargo manifests,” I said to Eric. “There seem to be significant discrepancies between what was expected and what’s actually being delivered.”
A flicker of annoyance crossed Eric’s face, quickly masked. “Yes, that’s part of what Mr. Wells is here to discuss. The Merchant’s Guild has been experiencing some… logistical challenges with their supply chains.”
Wells nodded solemnly. “Pirates have been particularly troublesome this season. We’ve lost nearly a third of our shipments to raiders on the eastern routes.”
“I wasn’t aware the eastern routes were experiencing increased pirate activity,” I said carefully. Our intelligence reports had indicated the opposite.
“It’s a recent development,” Wells replied smoothly. “Very recent.”
Eric stepped forward. “Mr. Wells has proposed a mutually beneficial arrangement. The Guild will provide us withintelligence on pirate movements, and in exchange, we’ll offer… flexibility… in our inspection protocols.”
I stared at him. “Flexibility, sir?”
“The nobility imposes ridiculous tariffs,” Wells interjected. “Taxes that ultimately hurt the common people when we’re forced to raise our prices. If certain shipments could bypass the more… stringent aspects of inspection…”
Now I understood. They were proposing we look the other way while they smuggled goods to avoid taxation.
“Captain, may I speak with you privately?” I kept my voice level.
Eric’s jaw tightened. “Mr. Wells, would you excuse us for a moment?”
Once Wells had left, I turned to Eric. “This is smuggling. If we’re caught—”
“We won’t be caught,” Eric cut me off. “And it’s notsmuggling, it’s… creative logistics.”
“It’s illegal,” I insisted. “And it violates our oath to House Eldritch.”
Eric stepped closer. “Max, those taxes don’t improve the kingdom or help the people. They line the pockets of nobles who’ve never worked a day in their lives.”
I hesitated. He wasn’t wrong.
“The common people are starving while the nobility feasts,” Eric continued. “This arrangement helps ordinary merchants survive, helps keep prices affordable for the poor. Is that really so wrong?”
Put that way, it was harder to argue against. Still, uneasiness churned in my gut. “There are proper channels for changing tax policies—”
“Proper channels controlled by the same people benefiting from the current system.” Eric’s hand found my arm. “I’m notasking you to do anything terrible, Max. Just… look the other way sometimes. For the greater good.”
I glanced down at the silver ring on my finger, then back at Eric’s earnest expression. He believed what he was saying—I could see that. And I trusted him. Didn’t I?
“I don’t like this,” I reiterated.
“I know. And that’s what I love about you. Your moral compass, your integrity. I would never want to change that. But sometimes, Max, sometimes we need to bend the rules a little to truly serve justice.”
The way he looked at me then—like I was the only person who mattered—made my resolve weaken.
“I don’t like this,” I admitted. “But… I trust you. You know I do. Just… keep me informed about everything.”
Relief washed over his features. “I knew you’d understand. And, of course. Full transparency between us, always.”
As I watched him stride away to rejoin Wells, I tried to ignore the nagging doubt in the back of my mind. Eric was right—the system was corrupt. And if bending a few rules could help ordinary people…
