18 Captain Spade

As she went through her stuff and changed her clothes, a peculiar little piece of paper flew from the sleeve of her new shirt.

She took a look at it, thinking it might be some measurements written by Swordly. The measurements themselves would probably be massive. This was a men's shirt. It hung off Serenica's shoulders, making her look very thin and small.

The note appeared to be a schedule. Someone was supposed to meet the writer in front of the Porttown Inn an hour before noon. The tone was very commanding. These were instructions to whoever was the intended recipient. Serenica turned the paper around. There was something attached to it.

It was a playing card, the king of spades, and what else was frightening was the fact that it was from the exact same unique handmade pack as the card Serenica had caught while the homeless witches were playing.

Every fiber in her body froze.

This was some dark magic, or a coincidence so fateful that it stretched the boundaries of time and fate. Serenica got her bag and the note with the card still attached and went to see Gadfly.

The man was already drinking.

"Cut that stuff off," Serenica hissed. "I know where your captain will be an hour from now."

Gadfly raised his eyes to meet Serenica's gaze with disbelief. "How in hell's name?"

Serenica slammed the note on the table with the card. "You were supposed to get his shirts, weren't you? You forgot. He left you clear directions, and you forgot everything. You damn drunkard."

A crowd had quietly gathered around them, very much confused by what seemed to be a scene of a young woman cussing out the fourth most feared pirate on the entire ocean.

Gadfly made himself small and Serenica felt an ounce of pity towards him.

"Should we go?" she asked softly.

"Yes. We should."

Serenica had to wonder how someone that ineffective could be the boatswain of the Dainty Princess. That was the name of Spade's ship. That name was known throughout Sennas and probably in the north as well, and that name meant one thing. The sightings of it were so rare that the rumor said it never left anyone to tell tales about it. Serenica had a different theory. Perhaps Spade hunted such big game that no one in their right mind would be open and honest about losing such cargo to a pirate. When it came to Gadfly, though, she was puzzled. Perhaps the Princess was indeed but a myth, actually sailing for easy prey in shallow waters like pirates did.

The man tried hard to demonstrate his ability to keep rigging in a prime condition. He kept talking about how he bossed his men around all day and how smoothly the Princess sailed. Those things really did not interest Serenica at all. She loved romantic tales of piracy, but the mechanics of seafaring were as foreign to her as they were dull. She listened to Gadfly to be courteous. There was nothing else she could do. How could she have talked about the rigging of the main sail during a storm in an engaging manner? Perhaps the man was a professional. So far, Serenica could only picture him being excellent in a physical fight.

They walked towards the Porttown Inn and Serenica felt something building up inside her. She had to share her own story with Gadfly. She knew he wouldn't judge her.

"You know…" Words got stuck around the roof of her mouth like a particularly nasty spoonful of porridge.

"Hmm?"

"I killed a man," she blurted out before she could regret saying those awful truths. "I thought he'd ratted me out. It was the wrong person, of course, and the true traitor is a woman. A mother! I can't kill a mother of gods know how many daughters."

"We've all been there, haven't we," Gadfly said, looking away, but without a hint of remorse. "It happens. Don't beat yourself over it. Or if you really want to make yourself suffer. He didn't happen to be a landlord, did he? Those men are very killable."

Serenica suffered a shock even worse than the one caused by the mysterious playing card. "Mother of worms! How do you know?"

"I didn't know, it was a guess. A good one. I killed my landlord before I went pirating for the first time. The things that man told my girl… Any man would've done the same. Any honorable man."

"I'm sorry you and your girl had to suffer. But – am I to understand that you, too, have made the mistake of killing the wrong person entirely?"

"Aye. That's a different story, though. Always feels bad, doesn't it? But since you were willing to end him, he wasn't the most lenient landlord, am I right?"

"You're right, of course," Serenica said, having trouble forgiving herself even a little.

It was true that Murdon's intention had been to rat her out.

"We're here," Gadfly said redundantly as they arrived under a big wooden sign that said "PORTTOWN INN".

They had to use Spade's name to get in through the doorman, and even then the young fellow eyed them with disdain. The room downstairs was reserved for dining and drinking, as rooms on the street level often were in Neul, and there were merchants with their wives and business partners engaging in quiet conversations over a nice steak or some fried cannonfish and Serenica could not see how a notorious pirate could possibly feel at home in such a dangerous place. These men and women looked like they feared the crown and prayed for the crops with one hand over their hearts.

They looked like they would be terribly upset to see a dangerous outlaw.

Gadfly passed through the room, exchanging niceties with some businessmen and never losing his nautical way of speech.

"Ainsley, how's it been? Not much fresh fruit in the north, eh?"

"On the contrary, Gadfly, the season has been very fruitful this far. Would you or any of your associates fancy a shipment of prime tobacco?"

"We can't take a lot right now," Gadfly said, furrowing his brow. "Is it any good?"

"It's very good, I tell you. Of course there's some notes of raisin, but it's more like nuts and it's got a glaze of rum over it, it's ready to be sold and smoked right away, does it interest you?"

"Aye, we'll take a box. Or two. Always good to have a little business on the side. I'm sure Cap'n won't object."

Serenica realized she'd been wrong about the nature of the customers. These weren't men who feared the crown. These were men who were rational about when to do what pleased the crown.

They made their way towards the furthest corner, a place that was somewhat hidden from the view when approaching from the front door.

Gadfly stopped and Serenica nearly walked into him.

She didn't want to peek from behind him like a little girl. She took her place right beside him and noticed that he was shaking like a person hungover enough to be dying.

"I'm sorry, Cap'n," Gadfly said with a hushed voice.

Serenica looked at the person this man feared so.

A Karshaan, far more robust in appearance than most of his people, having finished his lunch, was drinking wine and arranging a small pile of papers. His beard was sharper on the edges than Serenica's knives and even though he had fewer pieces of jewelry on him than Gadfly, the golden chains and rings were thicker and they were adorned with diamonds. Not rubies, diamonds.

Serenica recognized the yellow embroidery on his coat instantly.

"She's wearing my shirt," the man said and his eyes pierced Serenica.

She felt sweat building up on her skin. She felt him analyze her and she was unable to say whether Spade was judging her or not.

"I robbed Swordly," she said, wondering how she had such bravery in her. Still, it was better to say this sooner than later. "He was double-dealing."

"I've suspected that of him long enough," Spade said, shrugged and gestured at two empty chairs opposite him. "You and my wretched boatswain may take a seat. Apparently you're somehow relevant at the moment, seeing as Gadfly hasn't executed you yet. I trust his judgment on this."

Serenica sat down next to the trembling boatswain.