BECMI Chapter 393 – A Secret Meeting is Not
“Multiple sails to the northeast!” sang out the lookout above me. “At least twoscore coming in!” He peered intently that way as Eagle Eyes gave his range of vision wings. “Showing black flags, Captain, Lady!” he called down.
“The pirate clans?” Lieutenant Halletar remarked, looking that way as I pointed, and Captain Sigmal shouted for more sail and our speed picked up quickly. “What are they doing here, and on an intercept course?” He was incredulous, as they certainly could not be so brave as to attack a fleet this size!
We’d seen several of the ships on the horizon, but none had dared come closer to the armada itself. I considered all the possibilities, and then smiled ever-so-slightly, which was enough to make his blood run cold.
“Captain Manswor! This is the Lady Edge. There is a fleet of pirate craft coming this way, presumably with intent to parlay with us. I think they might be a bit off-put to find you sailing with us.
“We’re going to provide you with a temporary flag, and kindly move the First Wall closer to the rear of the main fleet so as not to draw attention to it. I will be sending my Bat Duum over to you shortly and fetching you to the Wave here. Prepare to change your uniform. I think you will enjoy having a ringside seat to what is going to happen here.”
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Unsurprisingly, the pirate craft were a motley lot, different shipwrights from the Remnants each having their own style, and most of the ships showing signs of combat and subsequent repair from the same, as well as personal alterations by individual captains. It was plain to see which vessel was in charge, because it was a fully intact Omicran galleon, the sight of which made the captain here clench his fists in anger… before coolly controlling his expression.
Captain Manswor had on the uniform of a Siricilan personal manservant, looking quite trim, as well as showing pale skin that hadn’t seen any sun and very black hair which was not common among Omicrans.
I, of course, was an elf and definitely not of any nation here, although the mix of skin colors and hair among the crews of my fleet were quite different from the natives. Frier and old Delphan seemed to have mixed a lot more since the fall of the Empire, many of the purebloods having left with the mages, resulting in new peoples of more mixed heritage than before.
I couldn’t call it a bad thing.
“That is the True Resolve. It was lost after a diplomatic meeting to Thatallix, with no indications of who took it until it reappeared to attack shipping between Omicran and Iotar a year later. It is called the Haughty Gift now,” Captain Manswor nearly spat.
“I am of the impression that Omicra does not like the Free Clans?” I asked coolly, studying the magic wound about the ship. The original builders and the pirates alike hadn’t skimped on it.
“Maggots and parasites of the seas,” he declared icily. “They build nothing and steal what they want instead of trading for it honestly.”
“That may well be because they don’t have a lot to trade for,” I said thoughtfully. “So the only thing they have of value is their seamanship and willingness to fight.” I considered the ship approaching us skillfully and openly. It was almost twice the tonnage of the Scampering Wave, but of course we could fly, and they could not. The shutters for the decks of close-range ballista and shot-hurlers were closed, doubtless the weapons within primed and ready to fire and only needing the windows thrown open to do so.
They wouldn’t like what happened if they did that, but it wasn’t my concern. They were showing the white flag of a parley, and a black flag with an ornate white heron on it.
Somewhat to my surprise, the Omicran captain actually considered that for a moment, watching the ship coming in alongside with a masterful hand, sails furling at just the proper moment. “They know how to sail, I will give them that,” he admitted grudgingly, watching them with an experienced eye. “The pirate clans are as fine as any Iotar crew, but even more prone to overconfidence in battle, and then breaking morale rather than fighting to the end. They’ve the skill, but not the will,” he stated, raising his chin. “Also untrustworthy, keeping their word only among their kin and only if it benefits them to others. Trusting to their word or honor is a fool’s choice.”
“I’m sure they think the same way of outsiders who’ve broken bonds or covenants or understandings over time, especially since they don’t consider that the Clans speak for one another and are perfectly happy to throw fire upon one another’s names and honor to make one another look bad if it benefits themselves. Standard family politics, especially when they are all in the same line of business.”
The captain just grunted. “I’ll have the grace not to think you’re defending them, just observing them, Lady Edge.”
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“Truth. If they were pulling that stuff on our shipping, we’d just sink their ships repeatedly, and that would be that. They’d learn not to mess with our shipping, other firms would start using our ships, and then we might offer them a shipping contract for honest money in order to stop them from doing the same things over and over again.
“That, and likely moving off some islands with no resources where they’ve little choice between crappy fishing and piracy as livelihoods.”
He gave me a sidelong glance. “You have expectations for what is about to happen here, Lady Edge?”
“I expect you to be marvelously entertained. Just stand there looking like a properly foppish servant and pour the wine. No duplicity needed.”
“Ahoy the ship!” a cheerful voice called across to us, our decks level despite the other ship’s greater size and tonnage. A fellow in a fairly colorful red coat and extravagant green trireme, white lace at throat and cuff for extra flamboyance, and a yellow sash near as bright as the sun to accent the bright blue pants and black boots, called out cheerfully to us, his mustachios nigh as firm as rapiers. Crew members in a motley array of silks and cloth that would have done hyn pirates proud were crowded alongside us, trying to look fierce… and rather mystified when the crew just went about their normal business, clearly not worried about them at all. “Permission to come aboard for a chat, if it pleases the captain!” he called out.
I snapped my fingers. Loudly. Sounded like a bright metallic bronze chime.
The wind died, the waves died, and abruptly the entire area around our ships was becalmed, still as glass, the ships sitting there absolutely motionless.
As the pirates were blinking in surprise, I snapped again, and a silver array of notes assembled between us, collapsing together into a twinkling force structure bridging the gap between our ships. The middle of the bridge flared wide to a circle, while I walked up the side of the railing there calmly.
“If it pleases you, Captain, we may talk on neutral ground,” I indicated calmly. My Disk came out, swirled into a chair, while Captain Manswor towed a Disk with a crate of chilled wines and some cups upon it after me, keeping his nose nice and high as he did so.
Well, there wasn’t anything for the rather startled pirate captain to do but take me up on my invitation. I flicked up a Disk for him to sit on as he was about to call for a stool, he considered getting one anyway, then decided to just swing over the side, bringing his first mate with him, a rather attractive redhead with distrustful eyes and a lot of knives about her.
Manswor calmly poured out three goblets of wine, offered them to the pirate pair with careful formality as the pirate gingerly sat upon the Disk… and it morphed into a custom, perfectly fitting floating chair for him, although made of translucent force instead of silver-chased blackened mithral wound about with crimson roses like mine was.
The two pirates gingerly took their choice of the goblets, waited until I drank from mine, and went ahead to sample theirs. Despite their suspicions, both their eyebrows went up when they tasted it.
Obviously they’d never had elven wines before.
“I am the Lady Edge. This is my armada, Captain-?” I asked formally.
He readjusted his worldview quickly and warily, having to stop himself from sipping at the wine. “Palgermas, my fair Lady. Palgermas, Scoundrel of the Sundered Seas, Rogue of the Remnant Realms, Master of the Midnight Mists, Explorer of the Endless Expanse, and so forth and so on,” he waved airily at all his titles. “Grantor and Master of the Haughty Gift, the splendid little boat behind me.” I didn’t miss his first mate rolling her eyes, either, although the listening pirates hooted a bit in support of their captain.
My people just ignored us, although they could hear everything, naturally.
“You have business with us, Captain Palgermas?” I inquired smoothly. “Our ultimate destination is the Mists of Infinity. If that would take us through your home waters, know that we have no designs upon you or your people, unless you try to stop us from going home.”
“Ah, that! Well, we were wondering if there might be a way you could take a slight small detour on your voyages, to somewhat mutual profit, Lady Edge,” he began slowly, glancing at the array of ships slowly closing in behind us. “It seems to us you’ve a fleet that is arranged for matters of war and not commerce, as it were…”
“This is indeed an armada made for the purposes of invading a nation unleashing poisonous clouds upon our lands,” I said smoothly. “However, Immortals chose to directly involve themselves in mortal affairs.” That was enough to visibly alarm both of the pirates. “To make a long story very short, we ended up being drawn through a maelstrom not unlike the one at the mouth of the Emperor’s Flight, ending up in the void many sailing days in that direction.” I pointed past and behind us calmly.
“Those Immortals have been having fun with us this entire time, and, I suspect, are manipulating you and your clans as well.” I steepled my fingers as I looked at him, saw him clutching at his goblet nervously. “Please tell me you’ve not been approached by the grasping hands of Thatallix with an offer to join us in attacking and looting Omicra.”
His jaw opened slightly as the pirates on the ship there visibly tensed.
The crew behind me did absolutely nothing, clearly not worried in the slightest. That naturally worried the pirates all the more!
“Some of the more far-ranging ships did see your fleet in the distance, and thought it might portend a unique opportunity, as it were,” he began, and trailed off as I slowly shook my head.
“Captain, you are a very experienced seaman. We’ve had nothing but fair winds for the last week, and have not stopped for a moment. Tell me, what manner of ship is going to see us, outrun us, convey word to their masters, then get word to you, all in time for you to come forth and intercept us before we reach Omicra?” I asked him calmly.
He opened his mouth with a raised finger, closed it slowly as his dark eyes shifted to the ships behind me, the horizon beyond them, and his brow furrowed in consternation.
“That… is a very good question,” he murmured, choosing to address the wine in his hand instead.
Captain Manswor, as instructed, opened a new bottle, and soon poured three new glasses full of the clear green wine there, offering one to each of us, which we all took smoothly.
This lightened the somber mood a bit, but only a bit.