Nice Rant

- "...was putting up a show that she didn't want it! After I bought her three pints and she took me to her digs," explained a mean-eyed youth to his companion.

- "So what did ya do?" asked the other young man, grinning. His face was full of craters the pimples had left on it, as he was barely out of his teens. He felt excited about being a Night Mask, and traveling to Cormyr on an important mission.

- "What do ya think I did?" snorted the one with mean eyes. "Gave it to her good, that's what. The nerve of her..."

- "I like just to make the wenches moan," the other man said. "Why do ya even bother with the girls who are not selling it?"

- "Too easy with the whores. 'S better when they pr'tend they don't want it."

- "Excuse me."

Someone tapped the back of the crater-face in the back. He turned around and faced a young, pretty girl with a dimpled smile and a shockingly pink hair.

- "Have you any idea how completely disgusting and obnoxious you two are?" the girl asked.

- "Why, you little..." started the mean-eyed youth, not even stopping to think where the girl had come from. He never had time to finish the sentence.

- "Fear the wrath of the pink one!" Cespenar screamed, as Imoen's Horrid wilting spell dried both of the men into oblivion.

They were the ones in with the children, and now they were no more. Imoen smiled grimly, as she didn't feel the least bit sorry for having demolished both of the men. She had sneaked in, and considered just backstabbing them or casting the spell without warning, but she couldn't resist making the comment after listening to their callous conversation, held in front of the more or less catatonic children chained to the planks. Now Winski and Jelena were guarding the entrance so that no-one could enter and try to use the children as pawns in the hijack. Sarevok and Peri were updeck where they were eliminating the crew. Ali was sphered and Sarevok had been carrying him piggy-bag. Imoen didn't know whether to be amused or deeply moved about his brother's blossoming paternal instincts. After a few moments of relative silence she started to hear a homily of a booming, deep voice from the deck.

- "You, who out of greed, cowardice and utter lack of decency would corrupt and steal the flame of those who still have the innocence, the potential, you threw away or never had! Fear me, for I am the icy breath of death, come from the pits of Abyss to haunt on you, to bring vengeance in the name of those who have been abandoned by their parents, divine and mortal! Fear me, for I, Sarevok, was the demon who brought death to many and the death still follows in my wake even as I seek to redeem myself from the bitter bile of my evil! Fear me, and face your fate!"

After a few minutes of slaughter Sarevok shook his head, panting, disoriented, not finding anyone to kill anymore. He tried to get his calm back, for he had felt euphoric and the adrenaline was still running in his system.

Peri arrived, dragging the man called Arny with her.

- "Hm. Nice rant. Couldn't you just have gutted them and be done with it? I'm sure they feared you plenty without being told to," she said.

- "I was not ranting!" Sarevok snapped, and Peri just arched her eyebrow and kept looking at him.

- "Well. Perhaps I was," Sarevok admitted. "I sort of... got carried away."

- "Really. I never could have guessed," Peri said. "Anyway, I have this toad here. Say Arny, your promotion didn't work exactly like you hoped it to, did it?"

- "What the hell do you want?" the man snarled, his eyes dark in the night. He was scared, yes, but far less than most of the surprised crew had been. Those who had time to register what had happened, that was.

- "Let's see. To know how you have arranged the contacting of the people on this list in the Cormyr end, for starters," Peri said.

- "Oh yeah? And I suppose you righteous fools are not going to kill me if I tell you?" Arny sneered.

Sarevok drew breath, his eyes blazing.

- "Sarevok. Go to Winski. He had something important to tell you," Peri said. Her eyes conveyed that it would be a good idea to go and ask no further questions. Sarevok turned around and went away, his heavy steps loud on the eerily quiet night.

- "Look. I am a businesswoman," Peri said. "That guy is a zealot, completely nuts, but he is the best warrior I have ever met. I use him as a tool, pretending to help the slaves, but what I try to do in fact is to take over the operation, and start a guild opposing the Masks. I could use you, especially as you have some inside knowledge already."

Arny nodded. It made sense.

- "Of course, if you'd rather walk the plank out of loyalty to your guild, do let me know," Peri said, smiling wolfishly.

Arny told her everything he knew. When Peri, quick as a flash, snapped his neck, he realized his miscalculation only very fleetingly.

Oh well. Sarevok would never have done this so quick and easy, Peri thought. I guess some of us have to be practical.