Stephen Deas - The Thief-Takers Apprentice

‘Harbour-Master.’ Master Sy bowed to the man and then introduced Lilissa. ‘This is Lilissa. She’s ward to my brother Talon, who sailed into the city a few weeks ago on the Heraclian.’

The fat man didn’t get up. He nodded at Master Sy, but his eyes were all over Lilissa like a bad rash.

‘How delightful. And how did you find the Heraclian, my sweet?’ He didn’t even seem to notice that Berren was there. Berren’s dislike solidified into a knot of hate and anger and envy.

Lilissa curtseyed. She put on her shy look and stared at her shoes. Then she batted her eyelashes at the harbour-master. Berren clenched his fists. ‘She rode surprisingly low in the water, sir. But her cabins were comfortable and she took the seas well enough.’

It was obviously an answer they’d rehearsed. The harbour-master tried to smile, but to Berren it seemed more like a sneer. ‘And where is your guardian, pretty one?’

‘In Varr by now I hope, sir. He is here to see…’ She stared even harder at the floor. ‘I cannot say, sir.’

‘No need to explain, little bird. I understand. I know Syannis well, you see.’ The harbour-master licked his lips. Berren fidgeted. He had to stop himself from jumping on to the table and screaming: Fat old man! Keep your eyes off her! That she’d betrayed him to the thief-taker instead of hiding him and that he was supposed to be hating her for it, all that was long forgotten.

Master Sy pointed to Berren. ‘This is my apprentice, Berren. I’m showing him the places of the city that matter most. And of course the people.’ He turned to Berren. ‘Lady Lilissa, Berren, this is Harbour-Master Regis VenDormen, one of the most powerful men in this city.’

Their introductions complete, Master Sy sat down. Something in his manner made Berren realise that he wasn’t the only one who disliked the harbour-master.

The harbour-master immediately set his attention on Lilissa. He spoke to her slowly and carefully and with simple words, so he ended up sounding as though he was talking to a child. All the time he stared fixedly at Lilissa’s chest and Berren couldn’t do anything except fidget on his chair. He was trying to sound important, but his job didn’t sound that difficult. As far as Berren could tell, it came down to deciding where each ship should weigh anchor and when it would be allowed to load or unload its cargo. This sounded straightforward enough, something almost anyone could have done; but just when Berren had felt unable to bite his tongue, Master Sy had elbowed him. When no one else was watching, Lilissa shot Berren a look, stuck out her tongue and made a disgusted face. Berren grinned, sighed with relief, and tried to make himself relax. He nodded and gave a soft gasp and tried to look suitably awed. The harbour-master smiled. Then he promptly seemed to forget that either Berren or Lilissa existed. For the rest of the evening, he and Master Sy talked animatedly about people and places and ships, and Berren was left to pick at his supper. He didn’t recognise the food he was eating, and it was far too rich. After a few mouthfuls, his stomach began to rumble. He cleaned his plate nevertheless. He didn’t dare not. He smiled at Lilissa and she smiled back, and that somehow made everything else worth it.

At some point, he dozed off. The food had long since ended, but a steady flow of wine came to the table and most of it found its way into the harbour-master. Berren was even given a glass of his own, heavily watered, and that had been around the time he’d fallen asleep. He woke up again with a start, horrified with himself. His head was throbbing again. The harbour-master and Master Sy were getting to their feet. Lilissa was still sitting bolt upright, eyes wide, cheeks flushed. There was a half-empty wine-glass in front of her. She stifled a yawn. When Berren cocked his head, she rolled her eyes.

‘It’s been a pleasure, as usual,’ the harbour-master was saying. His cheeks, which had been pasty white at the start of the evening, were now rosy.

‘Yes.’ Master Sy helped him up from the table. ‘Your company is appreciated, as usual.’ He smiled, although Berren could sense his tension. ‘I am, as always, grateful that you find time amid so many arduous responsibilities, for your friends.’

The harbour-master belched loudly.

‘There’s one other little thing I suppose I might mention, ’ Master Sy said.

The air changed. The harbour-master’s cheery smile fell away. His eyes turned cold and hard. The air seemed to crackle. Unconsciously, Berren sat up straighter and got ready to run. He knew that sort of look. Hatchet got it sometimes. The killing look, his boys had called it. Never mind the hiding you’d take later – when the master got that look, you ran.

‘Yes?’

‘Those pirates we were talking about a month back.’

‘Yes, the fishermen.’

‘Well, that’s the thing. I don’t think it’s them. You might cast your eyes over who comes and goes through the Sea Gate in the dead of night.’ The Sea Gate was at the bottom of Reeper Hill. In the dead of night, everyone came and went through it. ‘And who doesn’t. I’m fairly sure you won’t find any mudlarks using it, you see. And yet they wander your docks. It is a puzzle.’

‘I see.’ The harbour-master smiled and clasped the thief-taker’s shoulder, a gesture of friendship and affection. ‘Well, I dare say they come up and down the Avenue of Emperors like most honest folk, but when I see one, I shall ask him. One way or another, this piracy will be stopped. I commend your efforts, sir.’ He sounded like he meant it, too, but his eyes didn’t change. The killing look never shifted.

Master Sy made his farewells and scooped up Berren and Lilissa, sweeping them towards the doors. As soon as they were back in the gardens outside, he pulled Lilissa close. He whispered into her ear and pressed something into her hand. She stopped, looked shocked, and then Master Sy took her arm and pulled her on again. When they emerged into the Avenue of Emperors, he let go of her and grabbed hold of Berren instead.

‘I’m very sorry, Berren, but I’ve misjudged our friend the harbour-master, and badly so. There are men already following us. Take this.’ Now he pressed a small knife into Berren’s hand. ‘When they come for us, run, do you hear? Run as fast as you can. Look after Lilissa. If I don’t come back, tell Kol everything that happened tonight. Don’t trust him, just tell him. And then, no matter what he does, leave it be.’

Berren blinked, uncomprehending. ‘Wuh?’ He could feel the danger, though. He had a sixth sense for that sort of thing. You needed to, in Shipwrights, if you were going to survive. He glanced over his shoulder. Four hooded men had come out into the avenue after them. They were all armed. Snuffers. Master Sy gave Berren a hard shove in the back. He didn’t bother whispering any more.

‘Now, lad! Run!’

Whys could come later. When someone said run and there were snuffers on the street, Berren ran.

Syannis watched Berren and Lilissa start to run up the Avenue of Emperors. Not fast enough. With a sigh, he turned to face the four swordsmen who’d come out of the Captain’s Rest. This wasn’t what he’d expected, not even half-guessed. VenDormen wasn’t supposed to do this, wasn’t supposed to be so bold, wasn’t supposed to even have any part of this. Gods! The Bloody Dag, in the end, hadn’t had a name to give. He’d come here fishing, looking to see what he might catch and he’d accidentally caught a shark.

Oh well. He drew his short sword and raised his guard. At least now I know who it is. Pity I couldn’t have somehow found that out a few hours earlier.

The Avenue of Emperors, even at night, was about the most public place in the city, short of the docks themselves. People were already stopping to watch – from a careful distance, of course – and the four swordsmen hadn’t even reached him yet. Syannis gritted his teeth. We should charge them. Sell tickets. A penny apiece. He took a few deep breaths. Four against one. Not good odds. Likely as not he was going to die. Lilissa and Berren would be safe, and that would be his legacy. Marvellous. Hardly a fitting end for someone who should have been a king.