The Lost Library of Cormanthy - Mel Odom [102]
"A ship?"
"Aye, lady, and a bad one at that. She's under the command of Uziraff
Fireblade. And a worse pirate there's never been."
"Where might I find this ship?" Cordyan asked. She felt some constriction at the back of her throat. Why had Baylee turned to someone like Uziraff Fireblade?
"Windchaser's already left," the sailor answered.
"Where?"
"Sailing north," the man answered. "I talked to some of her crew before she left as the old warrior suggested, helping them load the supplies for a few silver pieces. They talked of going to Mintarn."
"What's in Mintarn?"
"Lady, I could not say."
"Thank you." Cordyan reached into her purse for a few coins.
Floon held up his hands. "I could not. The old warrior, he more than adequately paid me for my time."
"You would know Windchaser, though, wouldn't you?"
The man nodded.
"And you're familiar with the sea in this area, and Mintarn?"
"Aye, lady."
"Then perhaps I could hire you to guide us. Our captain is not overly familiar with these waters."
The man smiled and nodded. "It's been many a day since I was out for a real sail, lady. I'd appreciate the opportunity to be of service."
"Then you're hired, Floon." Cordyan turned to her sergeant. "Hammal."
The sergeant turned to face her.
"Get the supplies loaded quickly. We need to cast off again at once."
The man gave her a crisp salute. Then he turned and started shouting orders to the other members of the watch.
"How long ago did Windchaser leave?" Cordyan asked.
"She set sail three hours ago, lady."
"Have we a chance of catching her?"
The man hesitated, then shook his head. "She's a cog, lady, much like your own. But Uziraff has her set up to sail in these islands. She is as fleet as they come."
"Then we'll do the best we can. I'll have you taken to the captain. Tell him I want you to take a look over the provisions. If there is anything we need to purchase that we don't have, let him know to buy it." She called for a nearby guard and sent the old sailor off with the man. She turned to Calebaan, who was regarding the sea with amusement. "Why would Cthulad tip us off as to where they were going and who they were going with?"
"There is the possibility he lied," Calebaan pointed out.
"Do you think that's probable? You spent more time with him than I did."
"No. I said that in jest. With Civva Cthulad's real name being used, you know the message was given by him. And he is not a man prone to lying to escape trouble."
"He might, if he thought we were offering him or Baylee any harm, yet did not want to harm us either."
Calebaan regarded her. "You've been given too much time to think. What do your instincts tell you?"
Cordyan took a deep breath and let it out. "Only that Cthulad realized Baylee was getting them in over their heads and he guessed that we might be following."
"So he's using what he has available to manage the situation as best as he can." Calebaan nodded. "Now that sounds more like the man I talked with."
"Then let us hope this three hour lead Windchaser has doesn't get us there too late to help them," Cordyan said.
21
"The pictograph came up in a lizard man's net," Uziraff Fireblade yelled over the whip and crack of the sailcloth. "He didn't understand what he'd found, but he took it to a man I do business with in Mintarn. The lizard man got a couple gold pieces and was very happy. The man I do business with got a hundred gold for his time, and considered himself fortunate. I, on the other hand, got a few thousand from Golsway. And now I'm starting to think I was made a fool of too."
Baylee stared down into the murky green depths, ignoring Uziraff's complaints, thinking about the long dive that awaited him. Dusk was already starting to drink down the sun. It would be full dark by the time he dropped into the ocean. But that didn't matter much, because at the depth he thought he might be diving, it wouldn't be light anyway. He'd come prepared for that, however.
"You've heard of nothing else ever being found in this spot before?" he asked.
"I've never heard of anything being found out