Retribution Falls - Chris Wooding [134]
The cheer that erupted at that drowned out anything else for a while. When the crowd was relatively quiet again, Orkmund continued.
“I’m proud to see so many men and women here today. Some of the finest pirates in the land. Some of you’ve known of this place for years. For others, it’d only been legend until recently. But you’ve come at my call, and I thank you for that. Together, we’ll be an unstoppable force. Together, we’ll make an army like Vardia’s never seen!”
More cheers. Pinn and Malvery cheered along with them, caught up in the moment.
“Now, I know some of you are frustrated. Champing at the bit. You wanna get into action, don’t you? You wanna break some bones and smash some skulls!”
Another deafening cheer, accompanied by clapping and jostling that threatened to turn into a riot.
Orkmund held up his hands. “You’ve enjoyed my hospitality. You’ve dipped your beaks in the delights of Retribution Falls. And in return, I ask you only one thing: be patient.”
The pirates near to Frey groaned and muttered. Suddenly the fervor had gone out of the crowd.
“I know you’re disappointed. No one wants to get out there more than me,” Orkmund hollered. “But this ain’t no small task we’re taking on! We ain’t here to rob a freighter or steal a few trinkets from some remote outpost. We ain’t just a crew of fifty men, or a hundred. We’re a crew of thousands! And a crew of thousands takes time to gather and coordinate.”
There were reluctant mumbles of concession at this.
“The time’s coming very soon. A matter of days,” said Orkmund. “But I’ve brought you here today because I’ve something to show you all.”
As he spoke, a troop of armed pirates sallied out of the stronghold, guarding two dozen men who were carrying a dozen large chests between them. They carried the chests up onto the stage as Orkmund continued.
“I know that there are doubters out there. What are we doing here? Why are we waiting? Who are we attacking, and why’s it still a secret?” Orkmund said, prowling back and forth on the stage. “Well, first ask yourself: why’d you come to Retribution Falls? Why’d you answer my call, when you didn’t even know who you was fighting? For some, it was loyalty to me. For some, it was the call to adventure. But for most of you … it were this!”
He threw open one of the chests, and a gasp went up from the crowd.
“Loot! Ducats! Money!” Orkmund cried, and the crowd cheered anew, their spirits roused. He went to the next one and threw that open, revealing that it, too, was full of coins. “All this, for you! Booty! A share for every man who survives, and a right generous share it is too!” He threw open another one. “Now, ain’t this worth fighting for? Ain’t this worth waiting a few more days for?”
The pirates howled with glee, shaking their fists in the air, driven rabid by the sight of so much money. If not for the respect they had for Orkmund and the multiple guns trained on them, they might have tried to storm the stage right then.
But while Pinn and Malvery were yelling themselves hoarse, Frey had spotted something. He turned to Jez. “Can you see the stage?”
She craned to look over the shoulder of the pirate in front. “Not really.”
“Come here,” he said, and crouched down to offer her a piggyback.
“No, Cap’n, it’s really alright.”
“I need your eyes, Jez. Help me out.”
Since she couldn’t think of a good reason to protest, she climbed awkwardly onto his back and he lifted her up.
“You know, my eyesight’s not all that great. I mean, it’s—”
“The last chest on the right,” said Frey. “Describe it to me.”
Jez looked. “It’s red.”
“Describe it more,” he said irritably.
She thought for a moment. “It’s very fine,” she said. “Dark-red lacquer. Kind of a branch-and-leaf design on the lid. Silver clasp in the shape of a wolf’s head. Oh, wait, he’s opening it.”
Orkmund was throwing open each chest, whipping the pirates into a frenzy with the wealth paraded before them. Frey didn’t need Jez to tell him that the red-lacquered chest was full to bursting with ducats.