Gunpowder (3 page)

- And where,
if I might ask, one gives a two stellar bribe for a routine
inspection of ordinary wine? - The portly gentleman squinted his
eyes and studied the smuggler. He hit the target.

- I see your
point. Let’s end the stupid questions. And so, to business.

- Indeed.
Let’s agree to end the stupid questions and on three dozen stellars
for the load.

- You, mister,
are insolently playing a jest on us. - Hans reached for the jug
taking over the initiative. Haggling was his role in this
partnership. - The wine is paramount and worth at least seven and a
half dozen stellars.

- And the
barrels most probably have an abundance of knot holes that one can
fuck and then save up on the whores in a brothel... - The merchant
was perhaps awkward and unaccustomed to dark deals, but apparently
he was looking to strike a bargain. The strangest thing was, that
he seemed not only not to know what he was haggling for, but more
importantly as if he didn’t really care. They might as well have
been selling wool. He haggled just to haggle. - Half a hundred
stellars and not a penny more.

- Right you
are that one could save up on brothel visits - Kristoff jumped into
the conversation, seeing that the companion has lost his momentum.
- Just not because of the knots in the barrels but due to their
contents. For the rest of one’s life after having tried that wine
one will feel so blissful that shagging will no longer seem
worthwhile. One hundred. - The merchant took a long swig from his
cup, poured himself a refill, and took another one. He calculated
something in his head and took his time. Finally, after the third
long sip he stomped the empty cup on the table.

- You bargain
well and even only for that a proper respect is deserved. I shall,
therefore, out of this respect, consent to a little loss to show my
good will here. I’ll give you five dozen stellars, but now if I
hear you even begin to moan, then I will stand up, go out and shit
is what you will get. - He looked hard into their eyes, first one,
then the other of his interlocutors. They in turn looked uneasily
at each other, measuring themselves thoughtfully with the proposal
hanging over the table.

- So be it,
mister. Five dozen stellars... but your people will take care of
the unloading and transportation of the goods.

The merchant
smiled and wiped his forehead with a batiste handkerchief. Now he
was on familiar territory of negotiating the details of the
transaction.

- I wouldn’t
dare suggest anything else, gentlemen. - He spat on the palm of his
hand and put it forward over the table. Kristoff shook on the
contract with his right hand and looked deep into his eyes.

- If you plan
to do me over, mister, know that I'll find you.

- My dear
captain, I'm doing business, not fakes. - He got up heavily and
went to the exit. - Anyway, if you want to look for me, sir, your
companion is after all a local. Until now we haven’t had the
pleasure of trading, but by sight and reputation he probably knows
me, and therefore, you will find me soon enough, sir.

He pushed the
curtain aside and walked out, leaving the two friends surprised
speechless with such an unusual farewell. Kristoff recovered first
and nudging Hans’ arm with his fist, he yelled happily.

- Well, what a
sneaky bastard. And what a day, what a day... So much money, so
much money... Everything is deftly arranged. Tomorrow we will be
rid of the illicit goods and I will be able to set sail, and yet
still to come this evening, is your filly, the one who was looking
for a ship this morning...

-... I think
she must have brought this luck upon us, because soon after her
visit a purveyor of our goods appeared, so eager that in one
meeting we sold him the whole merchandise for a shitload of
money.

- May it never
turn against us. And who is he, anyway?

- A local
merchant. Exemplary. The best kind. Least suspicious.

- Does he know
what he just bought?

- He put
forward five dozen stellars. If one is willing to pay you five
dozens stellars for mere wine, even the best one, he is probably
more suited to an asylum for the insane than to a trading office.
Do not be afraid, he is not stupid. He knows what he pays for.

Kristoff
looked unconvinced, however. Something was telling him that the
merchant was not honest with them. On the other hand, he just
traded a cargo of illegal drugs stolen from the mob that has only
passed customs after being inspected by corrupt officers who were
handed a handsome bribe. Waiting for a fair and honourable merchant
would be naive to say the least. His humour, however, was improved
significantly after a few deep gulps of beer.

The rest of
the afternoon was spent on eating, drinking and telling lewd,
ribald stories. Anne personally fetched subsequent jugs of beer and
delicious snacks. Every time she came in, she sat for a moment on
Hans’ lap and plunging her hand into his lush black hair listened
to Kristoff’s sea stories. Then she got up, kissed her husband
tenderly on the forehead, poured the beer and went out to look
after the business. Knowing not why and when, Kristoff found
himself with the eager waitress he had met before noon, sitting on
his lap. The smuggler, initially reluctant to her advances looked
with more and more interest at her untied corset, and his hand was
wandering ever further north up her thigh.

The evening
found them already healthily tipsy, happy and well fed. They were
just sipping light dessert wine, when Anne came into the room,
shooed away a half undressed serving wench and soon returned
leading in a simple-looking girl. The young newcomer was dressed in
a plain green dress and her flaming red hair was plaited in two
thick, though short plaits. She had plump cheeks, and slightly
parted lips, which revealed protruding teeth. Steel-grey eyes
seemed disproportionately large behind thick, round wire glasses.
Kristoff never imagined that anyone could have as many freckles on
one’s face. Hans brightened somewhat drunkenly at her sight.

- Aaa...
Welcome, my dissstinguishshshed lady. - He got up nearly knocking
over the table. High, decorative flask of wine from innkeeper’s
private inventory swayed dangerously, but was caught by Kristoff
before it fell over. - In good time the lady comes to us, because a
friend of mine sucssessfully arranged his businesses and will soon
be ready to help you, young lady. - He pointed to the captain, who
was rising cautiously. - Allow me, young lady, to present you,
Captain...

- … Janus
Janus... from Port Sud - caught his word Kristoff, looking
significantly at his companion. He came out from behind the table,
bowed and gallantly took the newcomer’s hand placing a kiss upon
it. Straightening up he pointed her to a seat.

- I am glad to
make such an acquaintance. Hanna von Blitzen, from Rixburg in the
Northern Kaesary. Our helpful host recommended you, captain, to me
as my saviour from a difficult situation. - The smuggler shook his
head as if in disbelief, trying to comprehend his own promotion to
the rank of saviour as well as connect in some way the word
“helpful” with the hefty posture and the fierce mug of Hans. The
girl sat down and thanked Hans with a nod for filling with wine the
tin cup standing in front of her. The innkeeper broke the resulting
silence with his stentorian voice.

- Tomorrow,
most probably, all matters relating to the cargo will be taken care
of, and then the dawn of the day after tomorrow will find you
already at sea, if you can agree upon all travel conditions
tonight.

- You are so
eager to see an agreement because you already took of me three
stellars for arranging a ship. But my life is dearer to me than
money, and I will only set foot on a ship, which has the ability to
safely slip through the blockade and release me ashore safe and
sound in the port of Smiteverden.

Kristoff
smiled to himself and looking askance, interjected.

- Miss,
forgive me for interrupting you. My ship is the fastest and the
most agile in the entire world.

- Is it
really? Why have I never heard of her?

- Because she
is just that good... - The girl stared for a moment in the eyes of
the captain, and then she laughed out loud with a porky squeel-like
laugh.

- You just
convinced me, sir. May she bring us safely to our goal. - She
lifted the cup in a toast. The captain reluctantly joined his
vessel to the enthusiastically lifted chalices of the young
noblewoman and the innkeeper and drank the toast in silence. He
spoke only after setting down his empty cup on the table.

- Tell me,
miss, why is such respectable a person looking for transport in
such an infamous place - Hans's eyes widened and he put on an
offended face, but before he could say anything Kristoff stopped
him with a gesture of his hand. - Sorry my friend, but despite the
huge layers of a sympathy that I have for you, it seems strange to
me that the lady does not want to use the services of reputable
sailors from the Guild, who remain regular customers of much better
taverns.

- Do not
think, sir, that I was not looking in the better ones already. No
offence to the host, but in fact this dump can hardly be called a
peak of refinement. Well, to say it simply, no one wants to sail
with me. My search for my father leads me to Smiteverden, where the
port is now blockaded. You, captain, are the first to even talk to
me. Everyone else just smiled and walked away, because the task is
supposed to be, as it was deftly put, “a certain suicide.”

- It is. Only
I can reach that harbour.

- For an
ordinary ride I wouldn’t pay half a dozen stellars. Of which you,
gentlemen, already took half in advance, so do not even try to
bargain now.

- I did not
intend to. Do not get agitated in vain miss. Anger does not become
beauty. - Kristoff smiled conciliatorily. - I only wanted to
determine where a young lady could hear about us.

- A sailor of
the “Ramming Ram” came to up me after his captain had refused me
and pointed me to this tavern, as the last, and sure, chance of
finding a ship to charter. He claimed that the owner is able to
arrange just about anything for the right, generous, fee. - She
turned to Hans, as if anticipating his next question. - His name
was Gorbo. Gorbo Gravedigger. He said to convey his greetings,
which I am dutifully doing. - She smiled, baring buck teeth.

Hans looked at
his fingers thoughtfully. A moment later, his eyes brightened with
a glimpse of recollection.

- I remember
him. Such a thin, tall lug. I sailed with him about ten years ago.
He was barely a sailor then. His father was an embalmer, hence the
nickname.

- I am glad
that I was able to bring back good memories. So, captain Janus,
have I satisfied your thirst for knowledge?

- I beg your
forgiveness, miss. Nowadays, one never knows what one is getting
into by taking a stranger aboard. Even more so, if the destination
is so unusual and dangerous. I assure you, young lady, that I'll
keep the agreement. I think I will be able to set sail the day
after tomorrow before dawn. If the young lady would want to leave
us her address, I will send a trusted messenger in the event of any
change of plans.

- Thank you,
sir, but I believe that everything will work out our way and thus I
will arrive on the waterfront on the day after tomorrow, an hour
before dawn. If anything changes, you can tell me about it then
personally.

- So be it,
Miss von Blitzen. The day after tomorrow arrive an hour before dawn
on the western quay. My “Underwater Goat” is moored to one of the
side piers.

- See you
there and then, Captain Janus. And I should say goodbye for a long
time to you, innkeeper. Farewell then.

- Farewell,
miss. You will always be a welcomed guest here, miss, and my wifey,
Anne, will be glad to accommodate you in case of my possible
absence. - The conversation had visibly sobered Hans as he bowed to
the girl quite coherently.

Miss von
Blitzen stood up, curtsied courtly, smiled at them and left. They
stared in silence at the curtain behind which she had disappeared
until it froze in utter stillness. Hans was the first to speak.

- Well, you
have your cruise. A good day today.

- Yes...
yes... but something does not feel right to me. She was oddly
cheerful for an orphan seeking her father.

- Stop looking
for a hole that's not there. An old companion recommended her. And
she is paying us as if for a trip around the world. What do you
want more?

- Well, what
indeed? Don’t you think it's all too... handy?

- It seems to
me that for an intrepid seafarer you definitely think too much.

- And it seems
to me that one can only be an intrepid seafarer, if one is not
dead.

- You should
have thought this through when you were stealing the goods from the
mob. Now it is perhaps a little too late for these precautions. How
come you are not afraid of the mob, and yet you cower before the
young lady with a good descent?

- You're
right, Hans. Tis’ not the time to hesitate. Let’s drink up and go
to sleep. Tomorrow will most likely be a long day.

- For you it
will be tomorrow. For me, it will still be a long evening. This pub
closes in the early hours of the morning, and I don’t want to leave
Anne alone with all the drunkards.

Next day went
according to plan. Kristoff oversaw the reloading of barrels onto
merchant’s carts. He took care of all the necessary errands and
herded the crew onto the ship from all the surrounding pubs and
brothels. In the evening, they loaded the purchased, preserved food
rations and supplies of fresh water. In the evening briefing the
captain forbade his crew to drink alcohol and swear excessively
during the forthcoming voyage, which was met with understandable
disapproval of the sailing brethren. The crew had dispersed to
their duties, preparing the ship for sea. When the eastern sky
began to turn visibly grey, Miss von Blitzen arrived on the
waterfront in the company of a rather short, young porter. For all
the luggage she only had a medium-sized trunk. Porter put the trunk
on the ground, got some coins from the girl and vanished.