Wendy took a deep breath, then breathed out, “Sure. Let’s go to the cell.” The sun had intensified beyond pleasant, and she wanted the relative quiet of her “room.”
The pair spent a peaceful hour or so before dinner. Disa lasted through the first story, then fell asleep while demanding a second. Wendy left him there during the evening meal, anevent she was able to enjoy more freely now that she knew her tablemates weren’t vicious pirates.
*****
The next morning, the upper deck was a flurry of motion. At first chaotic and incomprehensible to Wendy’s eye, she soon perceived a rhythm and an order. Mücahit walked around giving orders. She identified him from his hoarse voice and recognized him as the Sharamilan fiddler. Smee followed behind and occasionally added nonverbal directions that everyone seemed to decipher without trouble.
Tendoo, the port they were headed toward, was approaching fast. Wendy thought the ruckus today was more extensive than the landing procedures that had occurred when they dropped off Rahma’s family in Buala. That made sense when they made anchor and began unloading a significant quantity of cargo.
Wendy didn’t bother trying to sneak down the gangplank. She had no desire to get crushed by one of the barrels Cooper was rolling down it. Nor did she think it was a good idea to dart through the dockworkers who were helping the crew remove some of the larger pieces with a veritable forest of pulleys and ropes. Hook had made his point about the authorities not believing her. As much as it irked her—and as much as the worry for her brothers chafed—she would likely fail without a viable plan. Or make things worse.
“Raghu, Phillip,” Hook called from behind Wendy.
She turned to see the horse-loving lookout and a man in his early twenties, who definitely had Desjunonian heritage with his golden skin and dark hair, approaching from opposite sections of the ship. Nothing about Raghu’s clothing or the way he walked hinted that he had once been impaled by a monster with a child’s face.
Enjoying the sound of Hook’s velvety voice at close proximity and only mildly curious about what he was saying, Wendy nearly swooned in shock at his next words.
“You two, escort Wendy to the market. I’d like to say you have an hour or so, but you’ve met Tomi.” Hook’s face told her enough about how he viewed poor Tomi.
Raghu laughed with his eyes. “You’ll be lucky to get out of there in two hours. That rumormonger doesn’t even stop talking to breathe.”
“He is a valuable resource,” Hook said in a way that sounded like he was trying to convince himself. “But yes, last night would have been a better time for this.”
Wendy tilted her head to the side as a smile slowly built on her face. How interesting. Poor Hook was obviously going to suffer for the next two hours. Or more. She didn’t rub her hands with glee, but it was a near thing. Hook caught her mirth and raised an eyebrow at her.
When she simply smirked back, he shook his head and turned back to the men.
“Gharza isn’t cooking a midday meal today. You’re on your own.” He passed them a small pouch. “Feed Wendy, please.”
“You got it, Cap’n Hook!” Phillip promised.
Raghu gave a sharp nod. “Yes, sir.” Then he offered his arm to Wendy. “Shall we go?”
“Why, certainly. Thank you, Raghu.” She placed her hand in the crook of his elbow and bestowed a friendly smile. Over his shoulder, she saw Hook grit his teeth. He was still too appealing, even with the line between his brows, so she turned her face toward the exit.
By now, the bulk of the smaller freight headed into Tendoo had been offloaded, leaving the gangplank clear for pedestrians. Wendy watched the path for leftover puddles from this morning’s sprinkle. Her bandage was no longer white on the bottom, but she wanted to avoid an unnecessary soaking.
Tendoo was a thriving port and hosted a much larger market than the town near the Darling estate. Without a specific purpose, the trio wandered leisurely, led by their whims. Phillip stopped frequently to drool over horses. Even the common draft horses pulling carts were worthy of a second look. Raghu flirted his way out of several sales. None of the female vendors fussed that he was blocking their access to paying customers, and each one smiled wistfully when he moved on. Wendy tried to view him objectively. He was young, strong, and charming. If Hook wasn’t available for comparison, she might have found him physically attractive, as well.
A number of readymade dresses caught her eye as they passed. Too bad the small pouch of coins had been designated for lunch. Her purple attire was beginning to show the toll of three days of sun and sweat. She bet she could ask for bathing water again, but there was absolutely no way she was going to put on the nightmare nightgown in order to wash her current dress. Nor did she feel safe hanging around her cell naked while she waited for it to dry.
“Tell me about Tomi?” she asked Raghu as they passed an incense stall that flavored the entire street.
Phillip found someone willing to let him pat her horse. The other two paused as he chatted with his new best friend.
Raghu shrugged with an easy smile. “What’s there to tell? He’s a quasi-legal fence whose real trade is information.”
“Fence?” Wendy questioned.
Her guide, or maybe guard would be more accurate, stiffened for a blink, then relaxed with a grin. “Let’s just say the goods he acquires aren’t always . . . ‘honestly obtained.’ ” He slung an arm around her shoulder and started walking toward a flower vendor. “Let’s go sniff flowers. Phillip!”
“Coming,” Phillip called from behind them.
Wendy let Raghu redirect their conversation and their steps. Privately, she questioned the legitimacy of the goods Hook was presently dealing. It gnawed at the back of her mind as they moved from flowers to pottery to glass figurines. By the time they reached the fountain in the center of the market, she hadwell-nigh convinced herself that Hook actuallywasa pirate. His sad origin story notwithstanding.
“Wendy”—Phillip bounced—“wanna check out the dragon stalls?”
“Fine.”
