Captain's Logbook, entry 2
14 March, In Solis 475; 8 o'clock in the eve
Entered port, VdZ, at 3p.m. without trouble; missed the storm. Spent just 15 minutes in customs...locals prefer to pretend we're not here... Skies clear; should sail tomorrow or the next day, no problems. Unless crew is hung over...
There was a ruckus going on downstairs. Geddoe heard it before his feet had quite touched the floor. Outside it was dark, but not the gloomy kind of dark the skies had reflected the night before; this was only the typical peace of a Vinay del Zexay spring evening.
The captain covered his mouth as he yawned, sitting up in the bed. Everyone else must already be up, too. He stretched his arms over his head, smiling faintly at the cool, fresh breeze that blew the curtains away from the windows. He finally stood up and walked over to the dresser, picking up his comb. Hopefully his boys--and Queen--weren't making too much of a mess in the tavern below; he'd hate to have them banned from yet another inn.
Ignoring his reflection in the mirror (he wasn't trying to impress anyone, just appear alert), the captain put down his comb and dressed himself quickly, tying his boots with deft hands, eager to join his crew.
When he got to the bottom of the stairs, however, the captain found that the place was empty--except for his mates, that is.
"Where is everyone?" Geddoe asked. "What's going on?"
Joker shrugged, then slapped Ace on the back. The spacey-eyed man's face hit the table with a crash, sending his glass to the floor, shattering it to pieces. Ace didn't move.
Queen flinched. "Men are so disgusting," she frowned.
Joker laughed, suddenly and for no apparent reason.
Geddoe ignored the scene, moving across the room to peer out of one of the windows. Bright light shone in from the square, where hundreds of people seemed to be gathered. There was music playing somewhere out there from unseen buskers' instruments, and the city was lively with dancing peasants.
"We were waiting for permission to check out the festival," Queen said, joining the captain by the window. "Then..." She turned her gaze back at the first mate and cook with a look of disgust.
Geddoe shook his head. "No need to ask; please feel free to look around."
"Well..." Queen cleared her throat, then tipped her head to the side, looking up at the handsome older man. "Can I get some company?"
Joker belched, making both of the more civilized people cringe. "I'd be more than happy to join you," Geddoe nodded, offering his arm like a gentleman.
The city was alive with revelry the likes of which Ged had never seen in Vinay del Zexay. The council was usually so strict about its holidays, he had a hard time coming up with a reason for the festival. Today wasn't a religious celebration that he knew of... Perhaps some government holiday? The council was very assertive about its political principles.
The vendors were out and thrusting their wares in the faces of any passersby that looked their way; people were dancing in the streets, clapping their hands to the beat of the music; the city was alight with colored lanterns, hanging from houses to glow down on the revelry below.
"...What do you think?" Geddoe asked his companion.
Queen frowned. "Noisy, isn't it, Sir?" she shouted, trying to raise her voice over the music and voices.
The captain laughed. Queen was so like him--preferring solitude, quiet, and...the sea. Neither of them cared for cities--or landlubbers, for that matter. "I'm starving. Maybe they've got something here worth tasting."
Queen nodded her assent, and the captain's arm dropped hers; instead, he took her hand and led her through the tightly-pressed crowd to the tables piled high with fresh fruits and meats that weren't so readily available from the ocean market. Another thing they agreed on: fish wasn't a particular favorite--especially where Queen was concerned, being a vegetarian.
The captain's companion suddenly felt warm. Even though it was only through their gloves, the thought that Captain Geddoe was actually holding her hand made her flush a little. She'd always admired him, for so many reasons: his strength, honor, and reputation were qualities that few men she'd met in her 31 years possessed. He was attractive, as well. His hair was long, unkempt but sexy. He had a set jaw and a serious face, but when he smiled...
"How does that look to you?" he was asking.
Her mind went blank for a moment. "S-sure," was all she managed to mumble, feeling more uncomfortable than before. She regretted letting his hand go while he paid for the sandwiches.
Once they had their food in hand, Geddoe jerked his head towards an opening in the mob and led her to an open table. It was at least a bit quieter there, and they didn't need to shout to hear each other.
"...Thanks," Queen said, smiling faintly.
Geddoe nodded, taking a bite of his sandwich hungrily. "Mmmm!" he declared. "This is fantastic!"
Queen tasted of her meatless sandwich, and had to agree.
Ged was watching the crowd, his eye shining with excitement. Queen had rarely seen him in such good spirits. She wondered why, but was happy that he was happy. Not that he was ever unhappy, but sometimes he was almost too serious.
"The atmosphere seems to do you some good," she remarked, hoping she didn't sound sarcastic.
He cocked his head at her, smiling. "...Sometimes I forget there are other people in the world," he said, making her feel warm again. "I feel as though the Blackjack is the world, and her crew is all that exists for me."
Queen nodded understandingly. She knew what he meant, but she liked the feeling of having no restrictions. The council made her sick; how could they rule over people this way, steal their freedom? She'd take the open seas any day. Loneliness wasn't an issue, as long as one had a fine crew on board--with the exceptions of Joker and Ace--and a strong wind to sail the Blackjack by.
"When do we leave?"
Geddoe looked at her with surprise. "Leave Vinay del Zexay? Do you dislike it so much?"
She looked a little uncomfortable under his scrutiny. "...I'm missing home already," she admitted sheepishly. She meant the ship, of course; they'd sailed together for ten years, and since leaving her home to join his crew, she'd never known anything else, never wanted to be anywhere else.
"We'll pick up some supplies tomorrow, but I thought we may as well wait until the day after that to leave." Queen looked disappointed, so he added, "We should be fair to Ace and Joker and let them spend some time doing what they enjoy, too." She seemed to accept that.
A pair of young ladies sat down at a table near theirs, chattering excitedly. They stopped, however, the moment one of them glanced the captain's way. The young woman nudged her companion, who tried her best to appear uninterested when she looked his way, but they both flushed and giggled when he looked back at them. He smiled at them in a friendly sort of way.
Queen was partly amused, partly jealous.
The women flirted with their eyes, and finally Geddoe stood to greet them. Bowing like a courtier, he said, "Good evening, fair ladies. I am Captain of the pirate ship Blackjack."
They tittered from the word "pirate."
Queen distracted herself by watching the dancers as the captain talked with the girls. She hoped she didn't look as envious as she felt. Then again, with her short hair and roguish clothes, she'd been taken for a man before...
"Do you want to dance?" the captain asked of her so suddenly she choked on her beer.
"E-excuse me, Sir?"
"Dance? Would you like to?" Geddoe shrugged. "Everybody's doing it," he laughed.
"Oh...um, I'm not--I don't know--"
"Come on!" The captain reached for her hand and drew her off the bench, pulling her into the crowd surrounding the buskers.
Queen panicked. She didn't know how to dance or hold a man or any of those things women her age had been doing for half their lives. She was a pirate; she knew only how to use her blade to intimidate people, to raid for loot, and defend her ship. She obeyed her captain to the best of her abilities, but she'd never giggled and flirted and dressed up and played the role of a real woman.
There was nowhere to run or hide. She would have felt like a fool, anyway, trying to wrestle a man like Geddoe. His hand was at her hip, the other clasping her hand again, and he drew them together. Suddenly they were hopping in a circle, spinning around other couples and blending right in with the rest of the crowd, losing their identities and becoming just another pair of Zexans for the moment.
The confused woman forgot to be embarrassed or anxious. She was actually having fun! And what was so wrong about that? Maybe they'd go back to the ship in a few days and pretend it was always as it had been before; Queen was, after all, just another mate of Ged's Blackjack crew. But for tonight, she wanted to be a woman to him.
"For the love of God, man, shut up!!!" Joker screamed, his chubby hands covering his ears, but still not blocking out what he did not want to hear.
For thirty minutes or more, Ace had been drunkenly staggering circles around the tavern--which had picked up a few patrons since eight o'clock--singing out prose to a barmaid he'd mistaken for Queen.
i"...dressed in the color of my desires, you go your way naked through my thoughts..."/i
"Oh, dear lord..."
i"I travel your eyes, like the sea... I travel your length, like a river, I travel your body, like a forest..."/i
"If Queen hears you, I guarantee blood will spill." Joker shook his head, hoping that Ace would pass out again soon, or maybe just shut up.
i"My shadow shatters, and I gather the pieces and go on with no body, groping my way--"/i
"Grope there and you'll not have a hand left to grope yourself with!" a husky voice suddenly spat, interrupting Ace's dramatic recitation.
"Gyaa--aack!" Ace screamed, flinching away from the blade he suddenly found pointed at his chest. He tripped and fell backwards onto the floor, landing hard, his head reeling with dizziness. Slowly his eyes focused, and his gaze traveled up the length of a figure's dirty boots and tattered trousers, up to a full chest with pale breasts pushing through a shirt that clung too tight for the woman's own decency. His eyes lingered, so he didn't realize that he was staring at someone he knew all too well.
"Same old Ace," she spat down at him. "Geddoe's got quite a sorry crew for so fine a ship; he should give it up. I'd make him a fair trade."
"Meaning what, exactly, Elaine?" Joker shot at her, rushing to defend his honorable captain and crew.
"Mutts like you aren't fit to grace such worthy decks."
"Hey! We helped the Cap'n loot the treasure that paid for them wordy desks, I'll have you know!" Ace muttered, crawling on the floor and trying to find something to brace himself with. He finally latched onto Joker's leg and began tugging at his pants to climb to his feet.
"Dammit, you're pulling my clothes off!" Joker yelled, dragging his slighter companion to his feet and slapping him.
Elaine, now joined by her own crew, laughed. "Pathetic," Duke, the first mate, said darkly. "They're not worth our time, Captain."
Gau, a rebel Kobold who had teamed up with them, growled. "Suddenly this place doesn't seem very welcoming."
"You're right," Elaine agreed, looking at her rivals with a sneer. "Tell Ged we're sorry we missed him; if he wants to say hello, we'll be on the Skulldog. You landlubber's enjoy your cozy inn, now..." She paused for a moment to laugh at them before following her mates out of the tavern.
Ace spat. "One minute alone with her, and I'd--"
"--draw the wrong sword," Joker finished cynically.
Ace glared at him.
Geddoe related to Queen what he'd learned from the giggling girls, and she was surprised he'd gotten more information from them than just their house numbers.
Apparently there was a celebration going on for a counselor's retirement. The man himself had just set sail today, bound for his new land acquirements as part of his reward. The man was supposed to be the richest of them all, with a ship of gold and servants to wait on his dog. At the mention of gold, his mate's eyes glittered.
"You mean to follow them, don't you?" she said as quietly as she could in the crowd, but loud enough for him to hear her words.
If the man had had two eyes, he'd have winked.
Their third dance ended, and Queen clapped her hands wildly, cheering with the rest of the Zexans. If she had to be stuck on land, this was at least entertaining. And there was also the added bonus of having her captain treat her like a lady.
Geddoe wasn't looking at her now, though. His gaze had turned to something in the distance, and he was frowning, the familiar serious expression settling in its rightful place, and putting Queen in hers.
"What is it, Captain?"
"Isn't that Nicholas, from the Skulldog?"
Queen spun around, craning her neck and standing on her toes to get a better look. "...I don't see anyone..."
"Come on!" The captain was suddenly on the go, and she was trailing him, pushing through the crowd and dashing down darkened streets.
Geddoe was fast for his age, Queen couldn't help but think. She was having a difficult time keeping up. "Sir?" she panted, once they were standing in a deserted section of the city, "I haven't seen any--"
"Ssh!" Geddoe suddenly flung himself against her, pressing her against a wall of a building. Her heart hammered and she held her breath, listening to the murmur of voices down the next street. Feet shuffled, a door opened and closed somewhere in the alley, then Geddoe let her go.
With a series of looks and gestures, they agreed to sneak into the alley and have a look. Their rivals were usually up to some scheme or other, and it was always a treat to get to foil their plans.
Though the storm had left Vinay del Zexay unscathed, and the moon overhead was bright in a clear sky, the alley was so narrow that it was almost too dark to see where they were going. Geddoe turned left, right, back again, searching for some indication of where their rival and his unknown companion had run off to. Suddenly, a faint light burst into being above them, and Geddoe motioned for Queen to stand next to him.
"Get up on my shoulders," he whispered very quietly, "and try to look through the window."
She nodded, standing on the captain's thigh as he crouched down to give her a boost. He was solid and sturdy under her, helping her to balance herself. He stood slowly, his hands on the wall of the building to climb to a stand. Queen also gripped the wall, slowly coming to full height on the captain's shoulders, peering into the half-shaded window to see what was happening.
It was Nicholas in there, all right. The other man sat in shadow, but his hands came into view every now and then, where he was seated across from the Skulldog mate at a crooked, three-legged table. One hand looked old and withered, a strange, dry skin tone that made her think of a corpse's, but his other hand remained gloved. A lantern sat between them on the tabletop, giving off a faint light in an otherwise black room. They were murmuring quietly, but Queen strained her ears and listened well to what they said, as they pointed to a crumply map.
"...guards, but that shouldn't be too difficult to handle."
"So you say...but I don't know why I should trust your judgment. I don't understand why you need the Skulldogs for your ruse."
"I'm offering you a fortune, man! The councilman is wealthy beyond your wildest imaginings, and there's nothing he wouldn't do--to protect his investments, if you know what I mean."
"...I still don't see what this has to do with us."
"I don't have a ship, a crew... I can't do it alone, as much as I hate to say it. So? Have we a deal? I want to sail tomorrow before noon, when the winds are high. We'll have to hurry to catch up to them."
"I have no reason to believe you. How can you be a sailor when you have no ship?!"
"I explained that to you, already..."
"And yet you've offered me no proof that you're who you say you are."
"Proof?" the other man growled. "You want proof? Here's your proof!" A glint of silver flashed in the lanternlight, and for a moment, Queen thought the man had drawn a blade. She saw, though, to her horror, that what she was looking at was a hook, and that the hook was attached to the strange man's wrist where his hand should have been.
She gasped out loud, then dropped to a crouch on the captain's shoulders, ducking out of sight. Geddoe held her ankles steady, but apparently the men inside the dilapidated building hadn't heard anything, and a moment later, Geddoe helped Queen to the ground. Before letting her explain, he led her out of the alley and around the corner.
"Okay," he said, once they were down another side street, "what's the deal?"
"It's Nicholas, all right," Queen said. She gulped, continuing. "He's with a man, and they were talking about hijacking the councilman's ship or something. I couldn't see the other man's face, but he's got a hook for a hand! Have you ever heard of the likes of him, Captain?"
The Captain frowned. There was only one man in the world he knew of with a deformity like that, and Geddoe was the one who had caused it.
"Did they say when they'll be setting sails?"
Queen grinned. When there was a chance to usurp the Skulldogs, the Blackjacks were always there. "Tomorrow at noon. But, Captain...the man with the hook...?"
"........."
"...There's something you're not telling me," Queen confronted his silence.
He looked away, almost lost in the old memory. "...Ace and Joker are going to be disappointed," he sighed, evading the question, "but when the Skulldogs leave, we'll be right behind them."
14 March, In Solis 475; 8 o'clock in the eve
Entered port, VdZ, at 3p.m. without trouble; missed the storm. Spent just 15 minutes in customs...locals prefer to pretend we're not here... Skies clear; should sail tomorrow or the next day, no problems. Unless crew is hung over...
There was a ruckus going on downstairs. Geddoe heard it before his feet had quite touched the floor. Outside it was dark, but not the gloomy kind of dark the skies had reflected the night before; this was only the typical peace of a Vinay del Zexay spring evening.
The captain covered his mouth as he yawned, sitting up in the bed. Everyone else must already be up, too. He stretched his arms over his head, smiling faintly at the cool, fresh breeze that blew the curtains away from the windows. He finally stood up and walked over to the dresser, picking up his comb. Hopefully his boys--and Queen--weren't making too much of a mess in the tavern below; he'd hate to have them banned from yet another inn.
Ignoring his reflection in the mirror (he wasn't trying to impress anyone, just appear alert), the captain put down his comb and dressed himself quickly, tying his boots with deft hands, eager to join his crew.
When he got to the bottom of the stairs, however, the captain found that the place was empty--except for his mates, that is.
"Where is everyone?" Geddoe asked. "What's going on?"
Joker shrugged, then slapped Ace on the back. The spacey-eyed man's face hit the table with a crash, sending his glass to the floor, shattering it to pieces. Ace didn't move.
Queen flinched. "Men are so disgusting," she frowned.
Joker laughed, suddenly and for no apparent reason.
Geddoe ignored the scene, moving across the room to peer out of one of the windows. Bright light shone in from the square, where hundreds of people seemed to be gathered. There was music playing somewhere out there from unseen buskers' instruments, and the city was lively with dancing peasants.
"We were waiting for permission to check out the festival," Queen said, joining the captain by the window. "Then..." She turned her gaze back at the first mate and cook with a look of disgust.
Geddoe shook his head. "No need to ask; please feel free to look around."
"Well..." Queen cleared her throat, then tipped her head to the side, looking up at the handsome older man. "Can I get some company?"
Joker belched, making both of the more civilized people cringe. "I'd be more than happy to join you," Geddoe nodded, offering his arm like a gentleman.
The city was alive with revelry the likes of which Ged had never seen in Vinay del Zexay. The council was usually so strict about its holidays, he had a hard time coming up with a reason for the festival. Today wasn't a religious celebration that he knew of... Perhaps some government holiday? The council was very assertive about its political principles.
The vendors were out and thrusting their wares in the faces of any passersby that looked their way; people were dancing in the streets, clapping their hands to the beat of the music; the city was alight with colored lanterns, hanging from houses to glow down on the revelry below.
"...What do you think?" Geddoe asked his companion.
Queen frowned. "Noisy, isn't it, Sir?" she shouted, trying to raise her voice over the music and voices.
The captain laughed. Queen was so like him--preferring solitude, quiet, and...the sea. Neither of them cared for cities--or landlubbers, for that matter. "I'm starving. Maybe they've got something here worth tasting."
Queen nodded her assent, and the captain's arm dropped hers; instead, he took her hand and led her through the tightly-pressed crowd to the tables piled high with fresh fruits and meats that weren't so readily available from the ocean market. Another thing they agreed on: fish wasn't a particular favorite--especially where Queen was concerned, being a vegetarian.
The captain's companion suddenly felt warm. Even though it was only through their gloves, the thought that Captain Geddoe was actually holding her hand made her flush a little. She'd always admired him, for so many reasons: his strength, honor, and reputation were qualities that few men she'd met in her 31 years possessed. He was attractive, as well. His hair was long, unkempt but sexy. He had a set jaw and a serious face, but when he smiled...
"How does that look to you?" he was asking.
Her mind went blank for a moment. "S-sure," was all she managed to mumble, feeling more uncomfortable than before. She regretted letting his hand go while he paid for the sandwiches.
Once they had their food in hand, Geddoe jerked his head towards an opening in the mob and led her to an open table. It was at least a bit quieter there, and they didn't need to shout to hear each other.
"...Thanks," Queen said, smiling faintly.
Geddoe nodded, taking a bite of his sandwich hungrily. "Mmmm!" he declared. "This is fantastic!"
Queen tasted of her meatless sandwich, and had to agree.
Ged was watching the crowd, his eye shining with excitement. Queen had rarely seen him in such good spirits. She wondered why, but was happy that he was happy. Not that he was ever unhappy, but sometimes he was almost too serious.
"The atmosphere seems to do you some good," she remarked, hoping she didn't sound sarcastic.
He cocked his head at her, smiling. "...Sometimes I forget there are other people in the world," he said, making her feel warm again. "I feel as though the Blackjack is the world, and her crew is all that exists for me."
Queen nodded understandingly. She knew what he meant, but she liked the feeling of having no restrictions. The council made her sick; how could they rule over people this way, steal their freedom? She'd take the open seas any day. Loneliness wasn't an issue, as long as one had a fine crew on board--with the exceptions of Joker and Ace--and a strong wind to sail the Blackjack by.
"When do we leave?"
Geddoe looked at her with surprise. "Leave Vinay del Zexay? Do you dislike it so much?"
She looked a little uncomfortable under his scrutiny. "...I'm missing home already," she admitted sheepishly. She meant the ship, of course; they'd sailed together for ten years, and since leaving her home to join his crew, she'd never known anything else, never wanted to be anywhere else.
"We'll pick up some supplies tomorrow, but I thought we may as well wait until the day after that to leave." Queen looked disappointed, so he added, "We should be fair to Ace and Joker and let them spend some time doing what they enjoy, too." She seemed to accept that.
A pair of young ladies sat down at a table near theirs, chattering excitedly. They stopped, however, the moment one of them glanced the captain's way. The young woman nudged her companion, who tried her best to appear uninterested when she looked his way, but they both flushed and giggled when he looked back at them. He smiled at them in a friendly sort of way.
Queen was partly amused, partly jealous.
The women flirted with their eyes, and finally Geddoe stood to greet them. Bowing like a courtier, he said, "Good evening, fair ladies. I am Captain of the pirate ship Blackjack."
They tittered from the word "pirate."
Queen distracted herself by watching the dancers as the captain talked with the girls. She hoped she didn't look as envious as she felt. Then again, with her short hair and roguish clothes, she'd been taken for a man before...
"Do you want to dance?" the captain asked of her so suddenly she choked on her beer.
"E-excuse me, Sir?"
"Dance? Would you like to?" Geddoe shrugged. "Everybody's doing it," he laughed.
"Oh...um, I'm not--I don't know--"
"Come on!" The captain reached for her hand and drew her off the bench, pulling her into the crowd surrounding the buskers.
Queen panicked. She didn't know how to dance or hold a man or any of those things women her age had been doing for half their lives. She was a pirate; she knew only how to use her blade to intimidate people, to raid for loot, and defend her ship. She obeyed her captain to the best of her abilities, but she'd never giggled and flirted and dressed up and played the role of a real woman.
There was nowhere to run or hide. She would have felt like a fool, anyway, trying to wrestle a man like Geddoe. His hand was at her hip, the other clasping her hand again, and he drew them together. Suddenly they were hopping in a circle, spinning around other couples and blending right in with the rest of the crowd, losing their identities and becoming just another pair of Zexans for the moment.
The confused woman forgot to be embarrassed or anxious. She was actually having fun! And what was so wrong about that? Maybe they'd go back to the ship in a few days and pretend it was always as it had been before; Queen was, after all, just another mate of Ged's Blackjack crew. But for tonight, she wanted to be a woman to him.
"For the love of God, man, shut up!!!" Joker screamed, his chubby hands covering his ears, but still not blocking out what he did not want to hear.
For thirty minutes or more, Ace had been drunkenly staggering circles around the tavern--which had picked up a few patrons since eight o'clock--singing out prose to a barmaid he'd mistaken for Queen.
i"...dressed in the color of my desires, you go your way naked through my thoughts..."/i
"Oh, dear lord..."
i"I travel your eyes, like the sea... I travel your length, like a river, I travel your body, like a forest..."/i
"If Queen hears you, I guarantee blood will spill." Joker shook his head, hoping that Ace would pass out again soon, or maybe just shut up.
i"My shadow shatters, and I gather the pieces and go on with no body, groping my way--"/i
"Grope there and you'll not have a hand left to grope yourself with!" a husky voice suddenly spat, interrupting Ace's dramatic recitation.
"Gyaa--aack!" Ace screamed, flinching away from the blade he suddenly found pointed at his chest. He tripped and fell backwards onto the floor, landing hard, his head reeling with dizziness. Slowly his eyes focused, and his gaze traveled up the length of a figure's dirty boots and tattered trousers, up to a full chest with pale breasts pushing through a shirt that clung too tight for the woman's own decency. His eyes lingered, so he didn't realize that he was staring at someone he knew all too well.
"Same old Ace," she spat down at him. "Geddoe's got quite a sorry crew for so fine a ship; he should give it up. I'd make him a fair trade."
"Meaning what, exactly, Elaine?" Joker shot at her, rushing to defend his honorable captain and crew.
"Mutts like you aren't fit to grace such worthy decks."
"Hey! We helped the Cap'n loot the treasure that paid for them wordy desks, I'll have you know!" Ace muttered, crawling on the floor and trying to find something to brace himself with. He finally latched onto Joker's leg and began tugging at his pants to climb to his feet.
"Dammit, you're pulling my clothes off!" Joker yelled, dragging his slighter companion to his feet and slapping him.
Elaine, now joined by her own crew, laughed. "Pathetic," Duke, the first mate, said darkly. "They're not worth our time, Captain."
Gau, a rebel Kobold who had teamed up with them, growled. "Suddenly this place doesn't seem very welcoming."
"You're right," Elaine agreed, looking at her rivals with a sneer. "Tell Ged we're sorry we missed him; if he wants to say hello, we'll be on the Skulldog. You landlubber's enjoy your cozy inn, now..." She paused for a moment to laugh at them before following her mates out of the tavern.
Ace spat. "One minute alone with her, and I'd--"
"--draw the wrong sword," Joker finished cynically.
Ace glared at him.
Geddoe related to Queen what he'd learned from the giggling girls, and she was surprised he'd gotten more information from them than just their house numbers.
Apparently there was a celebration going on for a counselor's retirement. The man himself had just set sail today, bound for his new land acquirements as part of his reward. The man was supposed to be the richest of them all, with a ship of gold and servants to wait on his dog. At the mention of gold, his mate's eyes glittered.
"You mean to follow them, don't you?" she said as quietly as she could in the crowd, but loud enough for him to hear her words.
If the man had had two eyes, he'd have winked.
Their third dance ended, and Queen clapped her hands wildly, cheering with the rest of the Zexans. If she had to be stuck on land, this was at least entertaining. And there was also the added bonus of having her captain treat her like a lady.
Geddoe wasn't looking at her now, though. His gaze had turned to something in the distance, and he was frowning, the familiar serious expression settling in its rightful place, and putting Queen in hers.
"What is it, Captain?"
"Isn't that Nicholas, from the Skulldog?"
Queen spun around, craning her neck and standing on her toes to get a better look. "...I don't see anyone..."
"Come on!" The captain was suddenly on the go, and she was trailing him, pushing through the crowd and dashing down darkened streets.
Geddoe was fast for his age, Queen couldn't help but think. She was having a difficult time keeping up. "Sir?" she panted, once they were standing in a deserted section of the city, "I haven't seen any--"
"Ssh!" Geddoe suddenly flung himself against her, pressing her against a wall of a building. Her heart hammered and she held her breath, listening to the murmur of voices down the next street. Feet shuffled, a door opened and closed somewhere in the alley, then Geddoe let her go.
With a series of looks and gestures, they agreed to sneak into the alley and have a look. Their rivals were usually up to some scheme or other, and it was always a treat to get to foil their plans.
Though the storm had left Vinay del Zexay unscathed, and the moon overhead was bright in a clear sky, the alley was so narrow that it was almost too dark to see where they were going. Geddoe turned left, right, back again, searching for some indication of where their rival and his unknown companion had run off to. Suddenly, a faint light burst into being above them, and Geddoe motioned for Queen to stand next to him.
"Get up on my shoulders," he whispered very quietly, "and try to look through the window."
She nodded, standing on the captain's thigh as he crouched down to give her a boost. He was solid and sturdy under her, helping her to balance herself. He stood slowly, his hands on the wall of the building to climb to a stand. Queen also gripped the wall, slowly coming to full height on the captain's shoulders, peering into the half-shaded window to see what was happening.
It was Nicholas in there, all right. The other man sat in shadow, but his hands came into view every now and then, where he was seated across from the Skulldog mate at a crooked, three-legged table. One hand looked old and withered, a strange, dry skin tone that made her think of a corpse's, but his other hand remained gloved. A lantern sat between them on the tabletop, giving off a faint light in an otherwise black room. They were murmuring quietly, but Queen strained her ears and listened well to what they said, as they pointed to a crumply map.
"...guards, but that shouldn't be too difficult to handle."
"So you say...but I don't know why I should trust your judgment. I don't understand why you need the Skulldogs for your ruse."
"I'm offering you a fortune, man! The councilman is wealthy beyond your wildest imaginings, and there's nothing he wouldn't do--to protect his investments, if you know what I mean."
"...I still don't see what this has to do with us."
"I don't have a ship, a crew... I can't do it alone, as much as I hate to say it. So? Have we a deal? I want to sail tomorrow before noon, when the winds are high. We'll have to hurry to catch up to them."
"I have no reason to believe you. How can you be a sailor when you have no ship?!"
"I explained that to you, already..."
"And yet you've offered me no proof that you're who you say you are."
"Proof?" the other man growled. "You want proof? Here's your proof!" A glint of silver flashed in the lanternlight, and for a moment, Queen thought the man had drawn a blade. She saw, though, to her horror, that what she was looking at was a hook, and that the hook was attached to the strange man's wrist where his hand should have been.
She gasped out loud, then dropped to a crouch on the captain's shoulders, ducking out of sight. Geddoe held her ankles steady, but apparently the men inside the dilapidated building hadn't heard anything, and a moment later, Geddoe helped Queen to the ground. Before letting her explain, he led her out of the alley and around the corner.
"Okay," he said, once they were down another side street, "what's the deal?"
"It's Nicholas, all right," Queen said. She gulped, continuing. "He's with a man, and they were talking about hijacking the councilman's ship or something. I couldn't see the other man's face, but he's got a hook for a hand! Have you ever heard of the likes of him, Captain?"
The Captain frowned. There was only one man in the world he knew of with a deformity like that, and Geddoe was the one who had caused it.
"Did they say when they'll be setting sails?"
Queen grinned. When there was a chance to usurp the Skulldogs, the Blackjacks were always there. "Tomorrow at noon. But, Captain...the man with the hook...?"
"........."
"...There's something you're not telling me," Queen confronted his silence.
He looked away, almost lost in the old memory. "...Ace and Joker are going to be disappointed," he sighed, evading the question, "but when the Skulldogs leave, we'll be right behind them."