The Sea Devil's Eye - Mel Odom [9]
"The night was over for you," the woman rasped. "Once you've gotten so deeply into your cups and sated yourself like some rutting goat, you never wake again until well after morningfeast."
Frennick snuffled, drawing in phlegm and saliva, preparing to spit.
Jherek yanked the pirate's head back as he spat. Frennick succeeded only in spitting into his own face.
"No," he told Frennick softly, hating that he was taking part in any of the night's events.
The pirate growled in rage.
"Take a fair price, lady," Jherek said. "No more, no less."
Jherek watched as the woman hesitated, then dropped most of the coins and gems back to the floor.
"I can't find a disk like the one you described, sir," the woman said.
"Please dress him," Jherek replied.
Frennick kicked at her, but the woman quickly dodged away. Jherek rapped the man's ear with the flat of the cutlass blade, splitting the skin.
"Conscious, or dead weight," the young sailor promised, "I'm getting you out of here tonight. How things go after that will depend on how you act now."
Reluctantly, Frennick stood, then stepped into the breeches the woman held ready for him.
"Watch her," Talif advised from the other side of the room. He pried at the facing along the bottom of the wall, searching for hidden places. The wood pulled out easily. "She may act like she hates that bastard, but she may try to slip him a knife all the same."
Jherek didn't respond. He was already aware of that possibility. He watched carefully, trying to ignore the embarrassment he felt at watching the smooth, rolling nakedness the woman presented.
"Put back everything you've taken," the young sailor said.
"What?" Talif demanded.
Jherek spared the man a hard glance and said, "I won't be party to robbery."
"What do you think we're doing here tonight?"
"Taking something back that Frennick has no right to," Jherek answered.
Talif glared at the young sailor, trying to intimidate him. Jherek met the other man's gaze.
"I mean what I say," the young sailor said, "and I'll know if you lie and try to take something."
Despite his own show of will, Talif melted before the younger man's gaze. "Cyric take you," he said. "Are you afraid for your soul?"
"No," Jherek answered, knowing that the birthright passed on by his father already doomed him, "but I will stand accountable for my actions."
"These are my actions."
"You wouldn't be here if it weren't for me."
"Foolish, prideful stubbornness."
"Aye," Jherek responded without rancor. "Call it as you will, but you will not leave here with any stolen goods."
"Others will steal it in our stead," Talif protested.
"But we won't."
Uttering venomous curses, Talif emptied his pockets of coins, gems, and pieces of jewelry.
"I've not found your precious disk, boy, and I've searched every inch of this room."
"That disk is not here," Frennick said. He stood dressed in boots and breeches. With his hands behind his back, the woman hadn't been able to get a blouse on him. "Vurgrom has it."
Jherek faced the pirate more squarely and asked, "Where can we find Vurgrom?"
"If I tell you, Vurgrom will kill me."
Talif stepped closer, a wickedly curved blade in his hand, and said, "At least the death he hands out won't come as soon as the one we'll give you."
"There are things worse than death," Frennick said. "Vurgrom knows many of them."
Jherek grabbed a cloak from the foot of the bed. He checked through it quickly for weapons, turning up three knives, a sap, and a set of brass knuckles. He dropped the collection to the bed and draped the cloak over Frennick's shoulders, securing it with a brooch at the throat. Unless someone looked closely, they'd never know he went blouse-less beneath it.
"You're even more of a fool than I believed to think you can simply walk this man through the tavern and out the building," Talif stated.
"He knows about Lathander's disk," Jherek replied. al need to know what he knows of it, and Captain Azla wishes to know about Vurgrom's movements."
The young sailor placed a hand on his prisoner's shoulders and shoved