(england)

"Didn't I see in today's paper that there were to be no vessels of class larger than schooner docked at Hallar airspace?" Antonio asked.

"Yes, well -"

"And don't you own a frigate? Which is much larger than a schooner?"

"It's a rather exceptional set of circumstances, it appears."

"How did you know I'd be on Hallar?"

"Lovino mentioned your visit about a week ago, during one of my sells to Romae. He's been preparing double time for the auction since he won't be around for it this year," and Antonio calmed down upon hearing 'Lovino', though he wasn't pleased to hear he wouldn't be at the auction. And he didn't unfreeze any towards Kirkland.

"So that's why you're here," he sneered.

"Romae wanted the remainder of the shipment from the Nova Sector. He was graceful enough to persuade the right people to look the other way when we cleared the airspace with a Delivery shuttle," Kirkland explained.

"I wasn't aware you had friends in such high places. Or that you had friends at all," Antonio parried, and next to him, Unsinkable gave a derisive snort. Kirkland ignored both of them.

"Listen, I didn't kidnap you for idle chit-chat," Kirkland said. "We need you to do something for us. You're right that we're not to be planet-side, and ... we won't receive dispensation for the auction, either. We need you to buy a bondsperson for us there."

"I'm not so keen to do anything for you. Maybe you could provide a little incentive first," Antonio sneered, and Kirkland's first thought was in Unsinkable's voice, saying, 'I've got your incentive right here!' and miming the drawing of his cutlass. It made him blush and almost smile, until he remembered how angry the man was with him. Bloody Ísland.

"It's entirely covered financially, and you get paid back - with change - after all's said and done." Hell, Kirkland would offer up the eight hundred thousand - a great deal more than Antonio made in a year - as 'just take it and forget this happened' money.

"Even if I wanted to do something for you, which I don't particularly, I couldn't," Antonio snapped. "I'm already buying one for a friend. Hallar BSPA will be all over the auction to make sure nobody steps a toe out of line, and I can't purchase more than one due to my income bracket, which Marigon so delightfully makes public."

Kirkland narrowed his eyes. "Who's the friend?"

"Mister None of Your Business. Now can I leave?"

"Not just yet. We need information about someone you had once -"

"Twice," Unsinkable interrupted.

"Twice. Blonde haired, green-eyed, thin and perhaps a few inches shorter than you are. Someone who was picked up off the Nova dwarves about three years ago."

"Doesn't ring a bell."

"Extremely feisty," Unsinkable added, and dammit, Kirkland thought, he was supposed to be remaining silent! Of course, it was silly to expect the man to be able to shut his mouth for more than ten minutes. "She sprained your wrist and nearly took one of your eyes out. And in return, you pulled her hair and bruised her ribs."

Antonio glowered. "Yes, I know her. That's Francis' little Belle."

"Her name is Margot."

"I don't name them. And she isn't mine anymore. Go talk to Francis, he said he'd have better luck selling her but he's been no more successful than I am." Antonio paused, realising something. "Hang on a sec. I know your voice -" and before Unsinkable (or Kirkland) could put the guns up again he'd torn the dark shades off the other man's face. "Yes, I do know you!" he exclaimed, and then he spoke words that replaced the blood in Kirkland's veins with fear. "Do you have any idea how much money is out there for you?"

"Fuck the money, my life is priceless!"

"Not to me, it's not. Why, I could place a call and have Romae here within minutes. The price he's asking, I'd never want for anything again in my life. I could split the proceeds with you, Kirkland -"

"He isn't for sale," Kirkland insisted.

"Why, did you do something so foolish as buy him? I didn't expect you to be the daredevil type."

"Nobody bought me! And nobody's gonna tell Romae I was even planet-side." Antonio looked unconvinced. "You're going to conveniently ignore this fact. In return, we'll convince your little friend Lovino to be at the auction." Oh god, no, thought Kirkland. Not another errand! This bloody plan to rescue Alfred was already more trouble than it was worth.

Antonio practically simpered. "You would do that? You have those connections?"

"Kirkland doesn't, I do," he said. "We got a deal?" Antonio nodded enthusiastically.

Kirkland put a stop to it before he let Unsinkable get them into any more trouble. "If that's everything, this concludes our business." He put on his wig again, adjusted it and rapped on the side of the door to let the driver know to slow and stop. They'd all find their way from here somehow, they hadn't gotten far.

The very second Antonio was out of earshot, Kirkland yanked on his stupid associate's arm. "You are an imbecile!" he hissed. "I told you not to say a bloody word, not one word, and now you've gone and landed us something else to do."

"Relax," was the calm reply, and it had the usual effect on Kirkland - it sparked a minor fit of apoplexy and most certainly did not make him relax - "we don't actually owe him anything. Way I see it, by the time he realises we haven't fulfilled our end of the bargain, we're already gone, so he can blab to Romae all he wants about my presence. We'll be in undeclared space by that time and he can't touch me. But he'll buy it for a few hours which will buy us that much. That's the problem with deals. You gotta make sure they both deliver at the exact same time."

"Well sod me," Kirkland said, impressed, and Unsinkable simply glowed behind his lenses. "You're right. You didn't intend to help him at all. And yet he'll help us. I suppose I needn't to worry about your skills anymore, I can see you'll make a fantastic pirate with these kind of tricks."

"Yeah, well," he replied darkly, "I learn from the best, don't I."

Kirkland was probably imagining that dirty look. But it made him flush red hot with shame anyway.

"If I may make a suggestion? Don't do it with Francis. Francis isn't nearly as naive, and I don't want to lose - to lose focus. So just as we agreed, aye? I go in first, and if he's there, wait for me to catch his attention. Once I've got that secured, you creep in afterwards. Scope out the place to get a feel for what Romae's Emporium interior looks like - all these old buildings have virtually the same floor plans anyhow - and for the love of the god I don't believe in, get out before anyone notices you're there."

"Right."

.:.

Kirkland walked through the door of the Emporium first, keeping it propped open. As he remembered, he heard the chime of a bell on the glass. There wasn't a single person in the Emporium front room, however, so he held the door open long enough for Unsinkable to slip by and hide behind a desk before he let the door shut.

"As we agreed!" Kirkland whispered, and he waved him off. Kirkland could practically hear, 'Yeah, yeah, don't nag.'

"Who's there?" called a timid voice. A tall, thin man - not Francis - stood at the end of the front room, next to the heavy curtains. He wore slave garb, but it seemed newer, somehow. Must be Francis' bondsman, though he acted more like a secretary. He gave Kirkland a judging look. Kirkland refused to feel self-conscious - these old clothes weren't even his, they'd nabbed them off the first pair of Deversorium employees that Kirkland had managed to knock out with a thwack of his pistol to the back of the head. Of course they didn't fit!

"I'm looking for Francis of Hallar," Kirkland stated.

"Have you got an appointment?"

"I think he'll want to see me. I have important information for him."

"So..." the bondsman replied, "you haven't got an appointment."

This man was either dull as a doorknob or giving him lip for looking so shabby. Kirkland glared. "Just go get your master. And if you'd like to give him a name it's Captain Arthur Kirkland of the Great Delivery. Please and thank you," he gritted. The bondsman rolled his eyes and disappeared back up the curtain.

Seconds later he saw the curtain jiggle again. "Kirkland," Francis growled, and strode over to him with angry, heavy thumps.

"Yes, Francis, I'm happy to see you too -" but before he could finish that sentence, like lightning Francis had raised his fist and introduced it to Kirkland's jaw with a loud smack. Across the room, he swore he could hear Unsinkable's low cackle. Laugh louder, why don't you, he thought, rubbing his cheek. "Bloody mother of -"

"You have more gall than I thought," Francis spat, his fist still raised. "To call upon my store like this! You think we wouldn't find out, hein?"

"About what?"

"That you ratted Antonio of Hallar out to the Caput Halleri Border Control Checkpoint in exchange for a two-year clemency deal! You're the reason he has languished upon Marigon for over a decade!"

"Oh, for the love of - it's not nearly as bad as you're making it out to be!"

"Typical pirate. You only ever think of yourself!"

"If I didn't do what I did, I wouldn't've been able to get to Romae's place for deliveries and he has to come out to the Anchorage. That costs him a great deal. Romae loses money, Romae gets angry. Did you want that instead?"

"Obviously not, but did it have to come at the expense of my oldest friend, having to flee with nothing but the clothes on his back?"

"But he's perfectly fine now! I saw him less than an hour ago, he's healthy, he's safe, he's sane, and he's nice and far enough away that the two of you can be friends without destroying each other's business."

"I- you! Infuriating little man!" Francis spluttered. "You talk as though you did me a favour!"

"I did do you a favour," Kirkland shouted. "You were losing money, he was losing money, and Romae's people were feeding the boss information about Antonio's spending habits in order to try and lure him into bankruptcy, because there's not nearly as much love between Romae and Antonio as there is between you and Antonio. The way I picked was a win-win-win-win situation for all four parties, it just took a bit of time for some of us to realise that. I see some of us still haven't! So I'll clarify. Yes, Francis. I did you a favour. I did you one hell of a favour, and now I need to call that favour in."

"You're disgusting," Francis replied, "and I shall do nothing for you."

"All you have to do is buy someone at auction. I have the money up front, and -" oh, but Kirkland had really wanted those new solar sails. Ah well, maybe next year - "there's an extra eight hundred thou just for you. Just for doing this. Francis, it's not even illegal, you just have to make sure you buy the right boy for me."

"Why would a pirate want to buy a bondsman? Can't you simply take one of your cargo anytime you like?"

"I wouldn't - it's not, I'm not - I won't be using him!" Kirkland stammered, though perhaps he was protesting a bit too much because Francis didn't buy it either, his arms folded in and a dirty disbelieving look of really, I was not born yesterday. "I won't!" he insisted. "I simply - it's a long story, but he's far away from home. And he needs to go back."

"Since when do you do good deeds?" Francis sneered. "Since when did you develop a conscience?"

Since Alfred, he thought. "It's none of your business why I want this," he told Francis. "If you won't do it for the money, I also have vital information you want to hear."

"And what's that?" Francis asked, suspicious.

But Kirkland shook his head with the stubborness of a toddler. "Not 'til we have an accord." He shot his hand out and Francis looked at it as though it were infected. "Are we agreed?"

Francis grimaced, then shook his hand. "I suppose," he said, sniffing distastefully. "You know who this boy is that I need to purchase?"

"I won't have his number for another few days. He's one of Romae's, but that doesn't exactly narrow it down. As for the information, well - I ought to make sure of something first. Will you let me have a look at your files? Not the private ones, just the basic information you keep on your charges?"

"Those are private," Francis contested.

"I don't plan to gossip. I only want to confirm that you've got who it is I think you've got." Francis still seemed unconvinced. "Look, I need your catalogues. Those aren't private - you publish them every month."

Finally Francis relented and pulled out a thick tome from the bookcase near the desk. He let it fall on the desk with a heavy thunk. "There you are," Francis said, "and if you could be quick about it? We don't have all day to babysit you."

Kirkland was about to mention they could just leave him alone. But he was a pirate. His job was stealing things. He admitted it wouldn't be the most prudent decision.

"Ah, Matthieu," he heard him say to the bondsman he'd seen before, who, having reappeared at the curtain, looked a little more nervous now. They conversed in Frankish - Kirkland didn't understand a word of it so he tuned them out and got to work.

Francis had organised his slaves alphabetically by their nicknames. Pictures, basic information, profiles, and the like. He went to the most recently dated ones for M. Madeleine, Marcel, Maxime - no Margot. (No Matthieu, either.)

Then again, Antonio had mentioned her name as being "Belle" - Francis' Belle... he flipped to the B's for that year. There she was, under Belle. Her picture matched the description Ísland's associate - and Unsinkable - had given. Under "Additional notes:" Francis had even written, "Belle as she is beautiful. Will only respond to Margot, however."

Strange that Francis knew her previous name and called her Belle anyway. Trainers! He'd never understand their ways.

And then, on a whim, he realised... the last time they'd picked up their little white-haired terror from Francis', it would have been last year ...

Kirkland flipped to last year's catalogue. He didn't have to search for long; under "Albert" he found Unsinkable's picture staring up at him with a "fuck you" look in his eyes. It was unmistakably him - hair and eyes aside, he knew the character of that look all too well. But there was nothing under additional notes.

He flipped to the year before. No Albert.

The year before that. No Albert. It wasn't until the fifth year back that he found "Albert" again, and this time there was something more written down in the notes: "Wanted to name him Alban, but says his name is Gilbert. As a compromise he may be called Albert. Temperament extremely hostile, no matter what you call him."

Gilbert. Gilbert the Unsinkable. He couldn't stop himself from grinning; that kind of had a ring to it.

Kirkland made a quick hand-written copy of Francis' file to send to Ísland for use on Olyokin, tore out the picture, and flipped back to Belle before he called Francis over. "This one, here," he pointed. "Sell her at auction."

"Are you mad? She isn't ready for auction! I only just got her a few months back and she's still unfriendly!"

"Sell her anyway." Kirkland leaned in, with his 'I've got a secret' smile. It worked on everyone, it certainly worked on Francis; he leaned in too, curiosity piqued. "You won't be able to train that one. You know the kind she is. That one's in cahoots with the legendary Uns-"

"Do not even speak the name," Francis muttered. "I told myself after that one, I would never be interested in taming the wild ones again. A silly game among traders. I do not like to play it."

"And yet you've been saddled with - Belle, is it? I bet she refuses to come when called, since she insists her name is Margot," Kirkland replied sweetly. "You won't be able to get her to behave, either. She'll just make the rounds until someone figures out what to do with her."

"They were going to put her down, you know?" Francis said. "On Marigon, they were prepared to make it a quick injection of aqueous sylvite and that would be it. It's barbaric."

"I know someone who wants her, and her alone. Someone who will buy her back. Someone who doesn't want her dead! You don't have to worry about her anymore, she goes to someone - to someone who's familiar to her, and nobody puts anybody down."

Please, Francis! The harder he made this the more Kirkland would reconsider it all. So much easier, wouldn't it be, to give Alfred to whoever bought him, and let Romae pay him a hefty sum of silver for Unsinkable?

"It will be a late cost to enter her into the auction at this stage," argued Francis.

His mouth, the one part of him that didn't care about coin, ran away from him. "I'll cover the late fee."

Francis thought about it a minute and then said, accepting, "Very well, I shall do it."