“Where’s the chimeric?”
“Where’s Tarry Forks?” asked Fahr.
De Sous grinned and tapped his chest with a long fingernail.
“His heart gave out,” he said.
“Didn’t much like the shiv we put in it,” said Polley.
“Sit,” said de Sous. “Bilgetown is a city well in the black. We share with all those we do business.”
And he pushed a corked bottle into the center of the table.
Fahr slid a chair and sat but did not motion for me or the seamages. I folded my hands behind my back.
“Aw, c’mon, mate,” said de Sous. “Let the lady sit.”
Polley grinned, patted his knee.
I lifted my chin. Swabs, I knew. Swabs, I could handle.
“She looks Navy,” said de Sous. “Navy ain’t welcome here.”
“Navy welcome here,” said Polley, running his hand along his thigh. “We teach her the Bilge way.”
“You wouldn’t like our Blue,” said Fahr. “She’s from the Spits.”
“Cold bitches,” said de Sous, eyeing me up and down. “Keep ’er, then. You want news?”
“We want the Cloudgate.”
There was silence for a long moment.
“Why you want the Cloudgate, now? You plannin’ on heading to Nethersea? Might welcome that.”
Fahr shook his head. “Too manyRhi’Ahrcruisers are coming in through the breaches. So, it’s time to restore the Dreadwall fromthe source.”
It was de Sous’s turn to shake his head. “Ten year, he’s been at it.”
“Aye, that’s about right,” said Fahr.
De Sous leaned back, swirled the contents of his cup.
Polley patted his knee again.
“She sits, I talk.”
“Not our Blue,” said Fahr.
“No sit, no talk.”
“No talk, no chimeric,” said Fahr.
“We take what we want.”
Three men stepped in from the shadows, steel gleaming in the candlelight. But it wasn’t steel—it was flint and iron. None but the king’s fusiliers had flints. It was illegal, but then again, this was Bilgetown.
“You take it, Bilgetown sinks,” said Fahr, and he put a boot on the wooden chest. “You think Thanavar would let something this valuable leave the ship without a spell?”
