Page 77 of A Flash of Golden Fire

“What kind of a name is Simon?” he countered.

I gasped. “Simon is a bloody respectable and historical name, thank you very much. Squid is a…slimy and mysterious creature from the depths!”

The captain’s amusement grew.

“What are you scared of? He looks all right to me. I have an affinity for unusual people. I do like to collect them.” He eyed me up and down as if I were a piece of pottery on his shelf. I didn’t hate his manner, but he was very distracting.

“Fine. Do what you want. But I don’t like him.”

“Noted.”

“Humph.”

“Oh, you are lovely when you’re disgruntled. Like a prickly little pear.”

How he could deliver an insult, combined with a complement, like he was telling me to pull down my drawers…Goddamn it.

I wanted to be angry. I was extremely offended by the prickly pear comparison. But he had also called me lovely, and right now he was looking at me like he wanted to rip off my breeches and bend me over the gunwale.

“I’m not… I’m not angry,” I said. “I just don’t know about Squid.”

Captain Martin shrugged. “Maybe he’ll change his mind.”

We gazed along the rail to where the crew were hoisting belongings acquired from theLanterndown to waiting boats.

Squid had positioned himself at the top of the ladder, waiting for us.

*

Back on theArrowwith a number of items recovered from theLantern, including one strange and contrary fellow named, ostensibly, Squid, we tried to satisfy the crew who were a little disappointed in the lack of blood spillage.

“Didn’t even get to chop off a bloody arm! I thought we were pirates, not a band of sorry labourers.” One fellow grouched.

“Privateers, you mean.”

“Oh, fuck off.”

Another man sighed. “Didn’t have to take out my sword once. Not once!”

So much for allaying the crew’s need for battle and blood. TheLanternhad put up so little resistance, the matter had been like taking purchases from a store, without having to give over any gold. Satisfying on some level, but missing the visceral release of a hand-to-hand fight.

“Now, now,” Captain Martin tried to assuage them. “I’m very pleased with how you all managed that. To think, your capabilities as negotiators and facilitators are growing by leaps and bounds. I’m quite impressed.”

The crew blinked up at Captain Martin, half of them not even sure what those words meant. But they saw the admiration in Captain Martin’s eyes, and the respect in his tone of voice, and responded to those honest words.

“Well, of course, yes, we could have chopped off a few arms. But in the end, we didn’t need to, I suppose.”

“Exactly,” Captain Martin affirmed. “But they knew you were ready to do so and wouldn’t hesitate. That, my friends, is called the power of intimidation. And it’s a much more efficient way of doing business.”

“Humph. Business. Are we businessmen, now? Not even privateers?” someone asked.

“We were always businessmen,” Captain Martin said. “In the business of thievery and mischief.”

There were chuckles. Someone added, “And other sordid activities,” with a glance at me.

I stuck my tongue out at him.

“I didn’t know we were collecting strays,” Martinéz muttered, motioning toward Squid, who lurked by the rail, watching everything and looking unsure about where they should be or go, or whether they’d made the right decision to come over to theArrow. And in that vulnerability, I saw myself from a few weeks ago, and my heart softened toward him.

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