After they’d found a buyer for the spices, Keelin gave Smithe permission to hand out the ship’s pay – ten silver bits per sailor. The crew seemed more than happy, and well they should; it was almost twice as much as most pirates would have received for their part in the taking. Smithe organised which of the crew had first, second, and third chances at going ashore, and for the first time in as long as Keelin could remember, everyone seemed pleased.
Watching Aimi depart the ship with Jojo and Feather and a number of other pirates, Keelin took in a deep breath of the salty air of Larkos’ bay and steeled himself for the next, and most important, job of his stay in the city. Unlike his crew, Keelin wouldn’t have the luxury of relaxing ashore; he was here for work.
The day was just starting to darken when he summoned Kebble and Morley to his cabin. He had three cups of rum ready and waiting when the two men entered. Kebble had miraculously made a full recovery from his injuries at the battle for New Sev’relain, despite the doc pronouncing him dead on at least one occasion. Morley, on the other hand, wore his scars on the inside, and it was clear to Keelin that his first mate was letting doubts about his captain creep into his heart.
“Sit down and take a mug,” Keelin said.
Morley glanced at Kebble suspiciously. Though the marksman wasn’t a true member of the crew, undertaking none of the responsibilities or duties for sailing the ship, he’d proven himself an excellent warrior and an invaluable man to have around. Even Morley couldn’t deny that.
“Drake tasked me with finding folk to sail and fight and settle on our isles,” Keelin said once both men were sitting and sipping. “Now, he reckoned my best bet was to appeal to the guilds, try to make them support us. I ain’t doing that.”
Morley smiled. “’Bout time ya started thinking for yaself again, Captan.”
Keelin let the insult slide. “I’ve got a better idea. I’m going to buy the people we need.”
“What?” Morley snapped.
Kebble remained damningly silent.
“Captan,” Morley continued once he’d glanced sideways and seen the dark expression on Kebble’s face, “ya can’t mean to participate in slavery. Ain’t a man in the isles would forgive you for it, least of all Morrass. I may not like the man, but his policy on slavers is something we should all look up to.”
“I ain’t looking to turn slaver,” Keelin said loudly, fixing both men with a stare. “I’m looking to turn liberator.”
“Eh?” Morley said.
A sly smile spread across Kebble’s face.
“I figure we buy the folk from the slavers guild, sail them down to the isles, and tell them they’re free to do whatever the fuck they please. They can hop the next ship going anywhere, or they can help us build and help us fight. I’m saying we give them the chance to start life anew and build something for themselves with us.”
Morley drained his mug and reached for the bottle, pouring himself a large portion that just so happened to empty the bottle. Keelin smiled as he opened his drawer and took out another. Lubrication could only serve to help his argument.
“Thoughts?” Keelin prompted when it looked like neither of the men was going to say anything.
“Slavers guild don’t take kindly to folk freeing their property,” Morley said.
“I intend to make them no one’s property,” Keelin said.
“Kind of the point, Captan. Even once they’re bought, slavers don’t like folk freeing slaves. Bad for business. The isles got a fuck load of freed slaves already – more might raise the bastards’ ire.”
“I reckon that ire is likely already raised, Morley. Drake ordered our lot to start pirating the slavers to free their cargo.”
“One more reason not to visit the slavers guild, Captan.”
Keelin sighed. “I’m hoping news of it hasn’t reached them yet.” It was a circular argument at best.
“How will we get them to the isles?” Morley continued. “You promised the crew the next stop would be riches beyond imagining. I don’t think they’ll take kindly to more delays.”
“Next for us is the Forgotten Empire, Morley. I haven’t forgotten, and nor do I intend to change that plan. I will hire ships to transport the folk we purchase to the isles. I may even be able to convince Zothus to accompany them.”
Morley sat back in his chair, sipping at the rum. His face was caught between outright refusal and the need for the plan to work. He knew as well as Keelin that there was no better way to get the reinforcements they needed.
“Kebble?” Keelin said.
“A sound plan,” Kebble said as he smoothed down his moustache. “Far more likely than convincing the guilds of Larkos to help. Their time of change will soon be upon them, and it is past unlikely any of them will stick their necks out for us, even should we throw Drake’s name around. The slaving guild has polluted this world for far too long, and any move to undermine them should be welcomed.”
Both Keelin and Morley were staring at Kebble. “Uh, right. Just what I was thinking,” Keelin said. “Are we agreed then?”
“Is it required, Captan?” Morley said.
“Well, I’d like you both to come with me to the slavers guild. Backup and a united front, I reckon.”
“Aye,” said Kebble.
Morley chewed on his mug for a moment before nodding. “Aye, Captan.”
Aimi followed along behind the crew, happy to hang at the back with Jojo. She’d been to Larkos before, but never as a woman. The last time, she’d been posing as a ship’s boy, and that presented a whole different problem in the form of her crewmates buying her time with a whore and expecting her to do the deed.
Aimi had taken the woman to a room and, once the door was firmly closed, explained her situation. Luckily the whore was quite accommodating, and if anything seemed pleased that all she had to do to earn her pay was sit and do nothing. They’d chatted for quite some time until someone started hammering on the door. The whore arranged herself on the bed like she’d just received the best fuck of her life, and Aimi opened the door to find her crew cheering and whooping. She received quite the reputation after that for being hung like a particularly well-endowed horse. The memory brought a smile to her face.
The folk they passed gave the pirates a wide berth, all except those attempting to sell them junk, and plenty of stares were levelled their way. Sailors weren’t uncommon on the docks of Larkos, but the crew of The Phoenix were new and that garnered attention. Some folk wondered if they would cause trouble, while others wondered how well they could deal with trouble. It was always the same with pirate crews in civilised ports.
“Stick with us,” Jojo said quietly. “Pirates alone are easy pickings for authorities and thieves alike.”
“It ain’t my first time,” Aimi said. She caught the eye of a tall man dressed in a robe with a heavy cudgel hanging from his belt.
“The Clerics are a lenient bunch when it comes to punishment, but not so much when it comes to crime,” Jojo rasped. “They would happily arrest us all for little to no offence.”
Laughter broke out from a couple of the crew ahead of them, and Feather dropped back, a wide grin on his face.
“Usually it’s tradition ta buy the newest member of the group a good fuck,” Feather said to Aimi. “But it’s been decided that might not please the Cap’n too well, given that he seems to want you all to himself.”
“It might not please me either,” Aimi said with a scowl. “Any of you dumb fucks think of that?”