“Wait,” Isaac said, dropping his spell.“Don’t kill thecreature.The company charter—”
“It’s a danger,” the otter said, taking careful aim.“Mycrew comes first.”
The manticore began to sob, trying to twist its head fromZaria’s grip.Half the deckhands were keeping its body pinned to the planks.The others watched, much of them clutching wounds from the slash of its tailand claw.
“Either it’s our supper,” Vance said, “or it’s going to thefish.”
Isaac looked into the human face.It was still whimpering“no” between every gasp for air.He knew it was only mimicry—the localvillagers had made it clear that the chimera hunted byambush, luring travelers off the trail with a voice that begged for help.Thewords it spoke now were likely the last ones of its previous victim.
He sighed, taking a step back.
Zaria looked to Vance.The otter nodded.In one quickmovement, she fell back, and the captain fired.Blood sprayed across the deck.The manticore’s wings fell as flat as an unrigged sail.Vance blew smoke fromthe barrel of her pistol, sheathed it back against her chest, and shouted:“Fresh meat, lads!”
The crew cheered.Behind them, the cockatrice poked its headthrough the crowd, curious about the noise.Presly managed to recapture itsattention with the promise of a biscuit.
Zaria rose back to her feet, adjusting her thin boatswainjacket.“Fuckin’ thing chewed through its cage in the night.Would’ve got mostthe others if I hadn’t caught it.”
Vance surveyed the crew.“All those cut or clawed, to thesick bay.Full rations and two days rest.”She lookeddown at Isaac, her short fur glistening with the spray of the sea.She wasnearly a head taller than Zaria herself, and Isaac felt every inch of thisheight whenever she was displeased.“You’re on surgeon’s duty.”
Isaac cleared his throat.“Sorry, captain.I’ve prepared anumber of salves and liniments during our last shore.They’ll heal.”
“They better,” Vance said.“My naturalist best not let hisspecimens run loose again, or else they’ll be paddin’ our larder.”She turnedto the gathered crowd of hands.“Capture the rest and put them back in thecages!Alive, if you can!”
“Aye, capt!”said the crew, and scattered.
Isaac watched the blood leak from the manticore’s head.Theskin around the entry wound had burned black, scored from the burst of shot.Taxidermy would not fix such an obvious imperfection.In all likelihood, hewould have to settle for the bones and lion’s pelt, once the butchering wasdone.
Then again, perhaps the man-eating chimera did not need tobe studied, after all.
“Isaac,” Vance said, following his gaze.“Let me be clearagain.The Royal Claw may be payin’ our wages, and you might be doin’ good forthe sciences, but this is my ship, and my crew, and I’ll not see them harmed.We don’t need to test that sentiment, do we?”
“No, captain.Sorry.”
“Giovanna is an ocean away.I’m the only law you needconcern yourself with.”
“Of course, captain.”
“From now on,” the otter said, “I’m holding supreme veto onany beast you decide to bring aboard.Anything I don’t like is only gracing mydeck as skin and skeleton.Are we clear on this?”
“Yes, captain.”
Vance’s whiskers dripped with sea spray as she looked downat him.After a moment, she adjusted her tricorn hat.“Right.Good.Enough ofthat.Back to pressing matters.”
“What?”
“Our pursuers, sir mage.”
Isaac looked over the sea again.The privateer vessel hadgrown from a distant speck on the waves to a leering tangle of rope and wood,the glowing sigils burning like cattle brands across the sails.Even withouthis spyglass, he could see crews climbing through the rigging, tossing entirebushels of fire onto the canvas, bringing the ship so quickly to accelerationthat her prow was impaling the waves.
At the front, the flag of the feline queen had been lowered.In the place of cat’s eyes and griffins, a black flag rose above the foremast,bearing the deathly gaze of an ursine skull.
“Isaac,” Vance said.“Stop us from being robbed and put tosword, and it might be I like you again.Agreed?”
He saluted.
“Don’t fuckin’ do that!”
Isaac approached the starboard edge of theArms of Horn.As he began the mnemonics, Zaria leaped onto the gunwale, grabbed a section ofrigging, and shouted: “Clear the deck!Wizard firin’off a starboard!”
