We had two days to prepare.
“We’ll be unloading early,” Will continued.
“How early?” Gort asked.
“They warned us to be there by four bells.”
FourAM. They didn’t want anyone to pay too much attention to that salt, so they would unload it before the wharf filled with workers.
“This might be harder than we thought,” Will said. “They watch us closely.”
“How many guards?” Reynald asked.
“Two, and three clerks on the warehouse crew.”
Gort grunted. “We’ll need a diversion.”
“It will have to be something flashy,” Will said. “Their guards are dedicated.”
Silence fell.
“How is the pier lit?” Reynald asked.
“Reinforced barrels with logs,” Will said. “One on each side of the pier where it joins the wharf and two along the pier’s length. Lanterns inside the warehouse.”
Reynald’s face turned thoughtful. He walked over, picked up bar #17, and smelled it. “In the north, they make soap out of gorefish blubber instead of tallow.”
“Tallow is better,” Shana said. “If gorefish blubber catches fire, it flares up. They make oil out of it and use it for Kair Toren’s lighthouses.”
Reynald looked at Clover, then at Kaiden.
“How fast are you?”
“Very fast,” Kaiden said.
Reynald took our mixing bucket, walked over to the wine tree, and set the bucket on the stone wall wrapping around the tree. Then he went back to the bench and picked up a round helmet.
What was he up to?
Reynald waved Kaiden over. Kaiden trotted to him. Reynald gave the helmet to him and drew an invisible line on the stone with his foot.
“Stand here.”
Kaiden stood.
“Toss the helmet into the bucket.”
Kaiden threw the helmet. It bounced off the rim and clattered to the ground. Bucketball, not Kaiden’s best talent.
“Again,” Reynald said.
Kaiden chased the helmet down and tossed it into the bucket again. This time it landed.
Bucket, gorefish blubber, diversion . . .
Oh. I got it.
“Safely,” I said. “If anyone gets hurt, it’s not worth it.”
