“Would you like…”
“Reckon we’ve got you over a barrel,” Elaina said, interrupting the king’s advisor. It was another of her father’s ploys – let your opponent make the first move, but don’t let them finish it.
“I was going to suggest refreshments,” the advisor continued.
“You’ve had plenty of time to drink,” Elaina snapped. “We’re here to talk peace.”
“We are,” King Jackt said. “But talking can make one thirsty. I’ll have some wine brought in.”
Elaina shrugged and leaned back in her chair, her arms still crossed. “We still got you over a barrel.”
The king and the ambassador shared a look.
“You defeated our latest force, it’s true,” King Jackt said with a forced smile. “But do not think that constitutes our entire naval presence.”
“Yeah?” Elaina said. “You got anything left that can match our entire naval presence?”
Both the king and the ambassador remained silent. They could bluff and posture, but the threat the Pirate Isles now posed was too great to risk another confrontation. Elaina could now lock down trade between all the other great empires of man.
She shook her head and sighed. “I didn’t come here to threaten. Nor try to take everything you got. We came here to talk peace. To figure out a way we can all live together. I ain’t saying we don’t want some reparations for your slaughtering of our people and burning of our towns.” Elaina paused and let her words sink in. “But we’re not unreasonable.”
Keelin leaned forwards and took over, just as they’d planned. “We have this morning released fifty-four officers from our custody. Mostly nobles and such. Their families will be pleased to see them alive and well, I reckon. It’s an act of good faith on our part. We have another fifty-five aboard our ships, including one Admiral Wulfden. Our wish is to release them all upon agreeing terms here. We don’t want any more needless killing.”
“Do you have any of our soldiers held captive also?” said the king’s advisor.
“No,” said Keelin. “Those who survived were given the choice to stay in the Pirate Isles or return home. Those who chose the latter were sent on their way. Some have likely reached you already; any that haven’t aren’t likely to now.”
“These sound like hostages,” the ambassador said, sipping at the newly arrived wine.
“Aye, they are,” Keelin said. “Hostages against our safe conduct here, not bargaining chips. Whether or not we reach an agreement, the remaining hostages will be returned once we return to our ships.”
“Maybe we ain’t as vicious as you like to think, eh?” Elaina grinned savagely.
“Peace,” King Jackt said with a smile. “And how would you propose we attain such a thing? You rob and murder our citizens for your own personal gain. It is how you exist as you do. We may have brought a war to your islands, but in truth it was started by your own hands, by your people’s actions. You have been at war with us since your birth; we just finally decided to fight back.”
Elaina leaned forwards, smiling at the Five Kingdoms king. “Fought back and lost.”
Silence held for a good long while.
“Your numbers are too great,” the king’s advisor said eventually. “You take too many ships. Our merchants can no longer continue to operate at such a loss.”
“We propose a different way,” Keelin said. They’d discussed at length which of them should make the proposal, and Elaina had decided that it should be Keelin. They were following Drake’s plan, after all, and Keelin had been with him since the beginning. No one knew Morrass’ plan better.
“The truth is, the Pirate Isles are perfectly situated in the best shipping lanes between your two kingdoms, not to mention trade coming from or going to the Dragon Empire. What we propose is a tax for any and all ships wanting to sail our waters, wanting to use our islands for fresh water.”
“Robbery by a different name,” the Sarth ambassador exclaimed.
“Aye,” Elaina said. “But it’s robbery you’re going to agree to. Robbery you’re going to make legal.”
“At the moment we take maybe one in every fourth ship that sails through our waters,” Keelin said. “Far too high a number to continue, especially when we not only take the choicest goods, but we also take the ship’s supplies. Often those ships don’t make it to their destination because of that.”
“Not to mention the ships you steal, the crews you murder,” the advisor said bitterly.
“Casualties of war,” Elaina said with a wink.
“You’re making our point for us,” Keelin said quickly. “Instead of us taking one in every four ships, we tax every ship, the same way any port does. All of the ships reach their destination. All intact. All with their entire crew alive.”
“We offer protection, at a price, for sailing our waters,” Elaina said.
“Protection from yourselves,” said the king’s advisor.
“Aye. And from any others. We’ll be pretty harsh on folk who think to pirate our waters without consent.”
“And anyone who doesn’t pay your tax?” the ambassador said.
“Gets pirated to fuck.” Elaina chuckled. “Our ships will still be sailing our waters, and they’ll still stop folk and inspect them. Anyone who hasn’t paid for the privilege of passing through will have their cargo taken, their ship commandeered, and their crew killed. Pretty good incentive for folk to pay, aye?”
“This is…”
“I agree to the terms,” King Jackt said, interrupting his advisor. “In principle.”
All eyes turned to the Sarth ambassador. The boy suddenly looked very young, chewing on his lip. Elaina fixed her mouth to a smile and watched.
“Sarth concurs,” he said eventually. “In principle.”
Elaina laughed. “Excellent. Seems all that’s left is to talk figures. Where’s that wine?”
Epilogue
Beck mounted the stairs in a rush, her new coat, a replacement for the one lost at sea, billowing behind her. She was sweating by the time she reached the top of the tower, and she took off her hat to wipe at her brow. It wasn’t the first time she’d climbed the Inquisition’s tower of light, but it was the first time she’d raced up the steps. She was eager to meet with Inquisitor Vance, because she needed answers.
There were no guards at the door. With the ill health of Grand Inquisitor Artur Vance, his son was now the most powerful agent the Inquisition had at its disposal. Hironous needed no one to ensure his safety.
Beck paused before knocking to straighten her coat, take a deep breath, and attempt to reign in her emotions. Getting angry wouldn’t help her; the Inquisitor would likely respond better to calm. She knocked three times, and the call to enter was almost immediate. Beck opened the door and stepped inside. The room was much as she remembered. Books and scrolls lined the walls, each meticulously filed away in its own spot. A low fire crackled away in the far corner, a heavy iron grate in place to stop any stray embers escaping. A desk lay to the left of the room, and behind it sat the white-robed figure of Inquisitor Hironous Vance, eagerly scribbling away in the tome that he carried with him everywhere he went. Like his father, the only weapon Hironous ever carried was his personal book of sorceries.
“Arbiter Beck,” Inquisitor Vance said without looking up. “I have heard of your success. I would like to both congratulate you on and thank you for your service. Now, what can I do for you?” Finally he glanced up from his book, and his piercing yellow eyes seemed to look straight through Beck.
“You sent me to the Pirate Isles and told me to protect Drake Morrass. I assumed it was because you had seen he would be the target of some heretic, and I suppose he was.” Beck paused and let out a sigh. She’d intended to ease into the question, but now she was here all attempts at patience fled. “But once the Drurr were dead, you ordered me to kill him and burn his ship just before he led the pirates to war. Why, Inquisitor? Why did I have to kill Drake?”