Robert Redick - The Rats and the Ruling sea

'Tarsel the blacksmith.'

'And that half-deaf gunner — Byrd.'

'And Mr Druffle,' said Thasha.

The naming stopped. Four pairs of eyes snapped to Thasha.

'What's the matter?' she demanded. 'I know he was under Arunis' spell — that's why I thought of him. Druffle hates Arunis more than anyone aboard.'

'It's not just the spell he was under,' said Pazel uncomfortably. 'Druffle is… strange.'

'So are you,' said Thasha. 'We can't rule people out just because they give you a funny feeling.'

'We can't?' said Felthrup, dismayed.

Thasha slapped the notebook down on the table. 'This is hopeless. They're going to beat us like a blary rug.'

Neeps glanced at her cautiously. 'Listen to me, that letter-'

Thasha lunged at him. Neeps smiled, but only for an instant. Thasha was on him before he could stand, and when he raised an arm to shield his face she grabbed it and threw him over her outstretched leg. Jorl and Suzyt exploded in barks. When Neeps hit the floor Thasha dropped on top of him, pinning his throat to the ground with the point of her elbow.

'Thasha! Thasha!' said Pazel, struggling not to shout. 'What in Pitfire's wrong with you?'

'Bakru's Beard, mistress!' hissed Fiffengurt. He and Pazel leaped to their feet, but the mastiffs' growls froze them where they stood. Felthrup ran under Isiq's reading chair, whimpering rabies, fever, musth.

Thasha let go of Neeps and rolled smoothly to her feet. The tarboy seemed to spring up by the force of his embarrassment. 'Come on, nutter girl, face to face!' he growled as softly as he could.

Now Pazel was struggling not to laugh. 'Don't make it worse, mate.'

'But what in the Great South Sea was that about?' said Fiffengurt.

Thasha dropped into her father's chair with a sigh. 'I wasn't about to hurt you, Neeps. But it's true what Mr Fiffengurt says. We're in danger, and we don't have many fighters on our side. Without Hercol we'd be nearly helpless.'

'I've been fighting since I could walk!' Neeps snarled. 'You bring a damn Volpek in here and I'll take him on!'

'That's the problem,' said Thasha. 'You would. And I already know how Pazel fights.'

Pazel reddened in turn: he had never quite gotten around to telling Neeps about their first encounter, when Thasha had flattened him even more quickly. 'Don't like fighting,' he muttered.

'I do!' said Neeps.

'Hush, you donkey!' said Thasha. 'Can't either of you think? If we have to fight I want you to blary win. For that you need training and practice. Swordplay, knifeplay, bare-knuckle, staves. Archery. Trickery. Everything.'

The boys looked at her, finally starting to understand. 'And if Hercol leaves now,' she went on, 'there'll be no one to teach you but me.'

'You're good enough,' said Pazel.

'Good enough!' said Fiffengurt. 'You're a right monster, you are, Thasha!'

She turned him a curious look. 'I declare, Mr Fiffengurt, no matter how bad this conversation gets, a smile keeps creeping back onto your face. Do you know something we don't?'

Fiffengurt glanced vaguely around the room — more vaguely than most people were capable of, given his wandering eye. He looked for a moment as though he might deny the charge of happiness.

'You wouldn't be the sort to talk, or think ill of me?' he said.

Never, they assured him.

With that the struggle ceased. He leaned forward and whispered: 'I'm going to be a father!'

The boys and Thasha muffled whoops of surprise. Felthrup hopped and squeaked. 'Hooray, hooray! A new litter of Fiffengurts!'

The quartermaster pulled a folded sheet from his jacket and kissed it. 'Just got the letter, dated the twenty-first of Vaqrin — that's nine days after we left! The wee thing'll be born before the new year!'

'I didn't even know you were married,' said Pazel.

'Well now,' said Fiffengurt, blushing, 'that's the "don't think ill of me" bit.'

Felthrup ceased hopping.

'Now don't jump to conclusions!' said Fiffengurt hotly. 'My Annabel and I have been pledged to each other for ten years. But her parents want no more seafarers in the family. Two of her uncles died on a frigate in the Sugar War, and her grandfather drowned hunting seals. Arrigus Rodd, Anni's father, brews beer. They're good folk but strict as schoolmarms. Old Arrigus is fond of quoting Rule Fifty-Three of the sacred Ninety.'

The boys glanced at Thasha expectantly. The Sisters of the Lorg School had made her recite the Ninety Rules every morning before breakfast.

'"Love must sometimes bow to elder wisdom, patron and keeper of her honour," ' said Thasha.

'Aye, m'lady, but Arrigus leaves out the sometimes. He'll not consent to our marriage without my pledge to sail no more for ever. He's fond of me, though. I've apprenticed myself to that old man at every shore leave, learning his trade. This past spring I was set to give that pledge, and take over as Master Brewer. Want to know why I didn't? Thugs from the Mangel Beerworks came in the night, that's why, and torched his little brewery.'

'Oh no,' said Thasha.

'Anni and her folks barely got out alive,' said the quartermaster, staring fixedly at nothing. 'Her mother spent the winter in bandages. Those Mangels already sell nine of every ten pints of ale in the city, you know, but it seems that wasn't, wasn't-'

He got to his feet, shaking all over, and raised both fists in the air. 'The bastards! The bastards!'

They implored him to lower his voice, but it was some time before he could continue.

'Well, then,' he huffed. 'No family business to join, and no money for me and Annabel to set up a household with. And so it's back to sea for Fiffengurt. But what now? A little baby? How could I do this, how could I get her with child?'

'Same way as anybody else,' said Neeps.

'That's enough out of you, Undrabust!' Fiffengurt snapped. Then he dropped back into the chair with a moan.

'Sounds like you're the one who should abandon ship,' said Thasha.

'Can't swim half that far,' said Fiffengurt, with a glance towards Simja. 'They'd find me washed up on the jetty. No, there's only one thing to do — and I'm going to do it, by damn, I've made up my mind.'

Looking rather proud of himself, Fiffengurt took out another letter, fresh and unwrinkled, and waved it significantly.

'I'm telling her to marry my brother, Gellin. He's a bachelor and plannin' to stay that way — never could settle on just one girl, he said. But he worships the ground I walk on, and he has a snug little watch-mending business. And here's the best part.'

He leaned closer, eyes twinkling again. 'My first name's Graff. And we both sign our names G. Fiffengurt, see?'

Pazel glanced at the others. 'Uh — not quite, sir.'

'Well now, the neighbours don't much know what those G 's stand for. And you can be sure the monk who marries 'em won't. So Gellin will just sign my name to the marriage deed, in place of his! On the sly! When I get back I'll be Anni's husband already, and that babe's legal father!'

He could scarcely contain himself. 'Gellin won't refuse, I know it! He loves Anni, calls her sister already! Hey now, what's the matter?'

All of them, even Felthrup, were looking at him with pity. But no one met his eye.

'They won't let you send the letter,' said Pazel at last.

The quartermaster's face froze. He had been so obsessed with matters in Etherhorde that he had completely forgotten his inability to affect them. Now the plain truth crashed down all at once. His chest heaved, the muscles in his throat constricted. Suddenly he leaped up again and tore the letter once, twice, thrice before their eyes. Then he ran for the stateroom door.

'Wait, wait!' they cried, as Thasha dashed for cover.

But it was too late. Fiffengurt threw the door wide. And there at the cross-passage, some twenty feet away, stood Dr Chadfallow.