The Mercenaries - Ed Greenwood [21]
"Give," Belmer said simply, his face expressionless.
After a long, silent moment, Kurthe slapped the shell into the little man's palm, rose, and stalked away without looking back.
Belmer swept the shell swiftly to his ear, listened for a long, motionless moment, and then drew the shell slowly down again as he stared at Kurthe's retreating back. "Rings," he asked gently, without turning his head, "would you be so good as to bring Kurthe down to the cabin you share, as soon as it's convenient?"
The dwarf gave their employer a frowning look, and then trundled off in the Konigheimer's wake with a muttered "Aye."
"Is this… going to be a meeting between you two that we should know more about?" Anvil asked casually, his tone not quite menacing.
Belmer turned his head and gave them all a mirthless smile. "No. It's a meeting between us all that I should have held earlier. Some things need to be said-and overheard by the right ears."
Ignoring the puzzled looks of the Sharkers, the fat little man indicated the nearest companionway leading below, and asked politely, "Shall we?"
"The mists are clearing," Brindra said suddenly. "Shouldn't we be worried about the black ship coming to call again?"
"Not if we move quickly," Belmer replied, and swept past her to bound down the worn stairs. Exchanging glances, the Sharkers followed. What was the little man up to this time?
Their cabin was as they had left it-clothes hung, draped, or wadded up here and there, the chest that had held their weapons standing open in the center of the floor, the lamps out. Belmer lit one with a striker and waved at Belgin to use it to light the others.
As the Sharkers shuffled to their bunks, their employer leaned against the central pillar, arms crossed and one boot planted atop the empty chest. Kurthe shouldered down the other stairs, froze for a moment when he saw the assembly, and then went to his bunk, ignoring Belmer. Rings gave them all a cheery wave and followed suit.
"What's this all about?" Sharessa asked, before Belmer could begin.
He gave her a little smile and replied, "I've heard talk about who I may be, and what the mission I've hired you for might turn out to be. Both of those things are my own business, but I'm prepared to swear to you now-by the names of whatever gods you hold dear, and if need be as an addendum to our contract-that I never met Blackfingers Ralingor."
He looked around at them all, and went on. "I knew the man only by reputation, never had dealings with him or suffered losses from his activities, and I have never had any part of his fabled treasure. I am not seeking his treasure now. Nor do I have anything of his, nor the man himself nor any shipmate of his save those of us openly gathered here, on this ship or in any place that I know of. Our trip does not concern the late Ralingor, and anyone searching this ship for his wealth is going to be disappointed. There is not a copper bit of it here."
Belmer looked around the room, meeting the eyes of each Sharker in turn. "I have no interest in hunting down spies among you, nor in listening to whispers as each of you tries to decide how many of the words I've just spoken were lies. So I propose that we all drink some wine-of your choice, from the cabin beside my own-with more of what I gave you earlier dissolved in it. This much extra of it will release you to sleep normally, not keep you wakeful as it has been doing-but it will make all of us loose-tongued and entirely truthful in what we do say. Ask me, after we drink, about all I have said, and what you hear shall be the truth; test it on yourselves first if you doubt me in this."
"Bah-you could be immune to this stuff," Kurthe growled.
Belmer turned his head to look at the moon-faced man from Edenvale. "Belgin? Tell him."
"If he is," the sharper told them all,