New reader? Start here.
Back to Part 023 – Forward to Part 025
Billy laid out scrap paper from the Relay feed on Cait’s desk. He sketched with a pencil the Port of Voys, in Lúme. He moved his hand quickly, marking little boxes for city blocks with ease. Before long he had a simple map of the port. Cait watched, hands on her hips. Traffic from Lúme had increased, and they’d reach the port in a few hours.
“We’ll be landing here,” he said, sketching the docks out from the land. “There’s an avenue here,” dark pencil streaked up the paper, “that splinters off into smaller feeders,” like branches on a tree. Along one branch, he drew a row of boxes. “These two buildings have an alley between them,” a thin line, bent in a shallow unseen slalom, “which will take us to,” quick marks made a box, “the Bloody Courtyard.”
“Bloody like ‘oi, that’s a bloody courtyard, it is’,” Xiphos said, leaning against Cait’s filing cabinent, “or bloody like bloody-bloody?”
“I think,” Billy said, “it’s just a name. Also, no one invited you. Go steer the ship.”
Xiphos sighed, trudging back to the helm. She sat down at the controls, pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them. Cait watched over her shoulder, then turned to Billy.
“That was mean.”
“She knows we’re playing. She’ll be fine.” He tapped his pencil on the paper. “So?”
Cait looked at the map. “I think you could hang it in the Anchorhead Museum of Modern Art and no one would be the wiser.”
Billy dropped his shoulders. “I’m doing my best here, Cait. It’s been 15 years.”
“Just ruffling your feathers, dear. I think it is suitable.” She traced the route with her eyes. “What does one bring when one calls on an Information Trader?”
“Everyone loves a fruit basket,” Billy shrugged.
“Hmm.”
Toby waited at the door with a tea service. Cait waved him in. “Thank you, dear.”
Toby nodded, and turned back to the door. Tre was right behind, carrying a small container.
“What’s this?” Billy asked, leaning over to look inside.
“Left overs,” Toby said. A few of the little cakes were left, along with some cookies, and what looked like droplets of chocolate. He quickly arranged a small selection on a plate next to the tea pot.
“Is Tre helping you now?” Cait asked, stifling a little smile.
Toby nodded again. “I had a lot to carry.”
“That was big of you,” Billy said, up to Tre.
Tre took a cookie from the box and took a bite, raising his eyebrows at Billy. He turned to walk off the bridge, but not before Toby grabbed a couple of cookies himself, plating one on a saucer from the tea service. He stayed a moment longer.
“Do not go too far, Tre,” Cait said. “I will need to speak to you in just a moment.”
Toby shifted his weight back and forth, from foot to foot. “Uhm… sir?” He said, dropping his eyes away from Cait.
“Yes, dear,” Cait said. She poured tea for Billy, and then herself.
“Do you… when… when do you think I’ll be able to go home?”
“Soon,” Cait said. “We are working on it, but these things can take time. I will make sure you are informed. Does that answer your question?”
Toby nodded. “Yes, sir. Thank you.” He started back to the guest kitchen, which he had taken over as his, but curved his path. He took the plate with the cookie on it and set it down next to Xiphos, before almost darting off the bridge. Xiphos looked down at the cookie, and then back out the hatch. Her tail twitched a little.
Tre slipped back into the office, waiting with his hands behind his back.
“We will need you for this mission,” Cait said.
Tre raised an eyebrow.
“I would prefer having an escort with me when I go to speak to the pirates.”
Tre shook his head.
“No? And why not?”
Tre tapped the medallion around his neck.
“I do not expect trouble,” Cait said. “But I would like someone to intimidate all the same.”
Tre shook his head again.
“You won’t have to hurt anyone,” Billy said.
Tre gave a short, exasperated sigh, and held out his hands, open to Billy.
“No,” Cait said. “We are asking him to go against his oath.” She turned to Billy. “We will just have to work with what we have.”
—-
Bloody Square resembled neither. It was an oblong, half-hearted attempt at a rectangle, notched by doorways and alcoves and little shrines to the various Gods and their Servants. And it was quiet, tempered only by the sound of a little fountain trickling away.
Billy pointed Cait to a perfectly boring door on the edge of the square. It was a door that was trying too hard to be perfectly boring, right down to its perfectly chosen stain and door knocker. Cait lifted the knocker and pounded a couple of times. From inside came nondescript bustling. Cait looked back at Billy, who focused hard on looking tough.
The door opened, but only enough for someone to peek out. “Bonan tagon.”
“We would like information,” Cait said.
The man narrowed his eyes. “Foriru!” He started to close the door. Billy hit it with the heel of his hand, and the door sprang open. Cait stepped inside. There was a small foyer, with steps leading up to what could have been apartments. Off to the side with a door, slightly cracked, light spilling out from inside. Cait motioned to Billy to follow her in.
“Digu!” The man said, trying to block the door. “Ni havas nenio por vin!”
Billy brushed the man aside, and Cait stepped in to the room.
The walls of the room were bookshelves over every imaginable size and shape. Cait took the time to examine some of the spines. They were marked by hand with ever increasing numbers. Every shelf had only these books. In the center of the room was a table, more of these books surrounding a much larger volume, which had been spread open. A couple of scholarly-looking men, their work interrupted, looked up from the table. A doorway led to another room that, from what Cait could tell, looked exactly like this one.
“I am not asking,” Cait said. The man looked between Cait and Billy a few times.
“No,” he said, his Merchant suddenly disappearing. “I should guess not.”
“We want to talk about a map,” Cait said. She turned back to the man. “I am sure you are aware of it.”
“There are a lot of maps,” the Information Trader said. He took a few steps towards the table. The scholars got up and left the room, closing the door behind them. The Trader looked up and swore.
“Hmm,” Cait said. “But none like this one. Perhaps you have heard of it. It seems to be very old, but the continents are incredibly and very accurately detailed. The Gods seem to be watching from the borders.”
“It sounds wonderful,” the Trader said, “but I have heard of no such map.”
“You are wasting my time,” Cait said.
“I could say the same of you.”
Cait stepped forward. The Trader stepped back. “This is your last chance, pirate. Tell me what you know about the map.”
The Trader laughed, and Cait tilted her head. She hadn’t expected that, but she hid her surprise quickly.
“Or what?”
“Him,” Cait said, motioning with her head to Billy.
The Trader snorted. “I’ve seen worse.”
Cait sighed hard through her nose. “Right,” she said, dropping her voice. She looked at the wooden floorboards. Then, looking right at the Trader, her voice stronger, she said, “Billy, punch him in the throat.”
Billy cracked his knuckles, squeezing his hands into fists. He stepped forward, raising his hand. The Trader shielded his face, “Alright!”
“Billy,” Cait said, and Billy stepped back. The Trader stepped around the table to the great book in the center. He flipped a few pages back, scanning the page with his finger. He stopped, read the passage, and then looked up at Cait.
“I think you will find the answer is exactly what you thought it was.”
“And what would that be?” Cait said.
“Pirates,” the Trader said.
“Hmm. And what am I supposed to do with that?”
“You have your hunches,” the Trader said. “But you have a few leads to follow.”
“That means nothing. I am not here to get my fortune told. Is this how you conduct your business?”
The Trader leaned against the table. “A lot of the pirate clans wanted the map as much as you do now. We’ve received numerous visits, just as you have, except usually we play dumb and tell them nothing.” The Trader scratched behind his ear.
“And why is this time different?”
“I like you, Captain Molyneux.”
Cait raised an eyebrow.
“I cannot help but feel responsible for your loss,” the pirate said.
“What do you know of-” Cait started.
The Trader shrugged. “What is it you think we do here? Anyways, I have a name of a boat where the map may be.” He produced a piece of paper and a pen, and wrote a name on it. He then, very ceremoniously, sealed it with wax and stamped it with the Information Trader’s seal. “Find this ship, and you’ll find your map.” He handed the paper to Cait. “And the people that go with that map, I assume.”
“Thank you,” Cait said. She took her leave, letting Billy linger a moment. When they were both gone, the Trader rapped on the door to the next room.
“You can come out now,” the Trader said, adding under his breath, “you jellyfish.” He straightened the books on the table, returning the great tome to the work in progress, and checking over the work of his scholars. Another moment passed, and gradually, the scholars returned to their stations. Another knock came at the door.
“Really? Did I not already give you what you need?” He opened the door. “What is it now, Captai-”
“I’m back.” A former patron.
“No,” the Trader said. He tried to push the door closed, reaching for the emergency alarm next to the door. “You’re supposed to be heading to-”
“Yeah,” the patron said. They rammed the door, spilling in. The scholars tried to get up, but more people streamed through the door. The patron stepped inside, drawing a gun.
“We need to talk about my map.”
[g]
PSST! If you’ve been enjoying the series so far, please stop by and drop me a vote on top web fiction. You may do so with this link. Thanks! It’s much appreciated.
