Erastus 22

  Click, click, click.

  Heads turned as Sosima swept through Goatshead, her steel shod shoes clicking across the cobblestones. They weren’t as good as hooves, but the sound put her at ease and drew eyes: a win-win. Sosima was not merely a woman here in port, she was an officer, an object of desire, a recruiter, and an advertisement. A devil enticing people to sell their souls to Captain M’Dair.

  While she visited grocers and corner shops hunting for deals, she also kept an eye out for promising individuals. With Sebastien’s old sword at her hip, she didn’t feel remotely threatened by such attention even in a rough town like this.

  Teach. Spread.

  The ship had numerous needs, and as quartermaster it was up to Sosima to see them addressed. Of course, she had a full week to do so at minimum and saw no harm in shopping around for the best deals. The Sea Shanty goblins had a respectable pickling business, but Sosima didn’t particurly like dealing with them. The goblins running many of the harbor businesses saw her in much the same way she saw them; a useful repository of resources, but faintly repulsive on an individual level.

  Whatever is necessary.

  Her headaches had been getting progressively worse over the st week. Once it became obvious that Aaron Ivey would not be binding Vishgurv, possibly cking the capacity to do so entirely, a pressure had started to grow between her temples. She naturally suppressed all outside signals, as befitted a dy, but she could only control her reaction. The pain remained whether she acknowledged it or not.

  Write. Share.

  She stopped as she felt a wave of nausea, masking it by running her eyes across the street. The goblins had not been lying when they decred their part of town to be the only part worth visiting. The moment that the guards were out of sight, men lost all subtlety in their leering and the general caliber of people plummeted. Less than half of the men even bothered to wear shirts, and precious few had physiques that justified such vanity. If she had not been reliably informed about local farmer’s markets found on the edge of the city, she wouldn’t have bothered.

  Entice. Insinuate.

  Almost as bad were the cordon of entrepreneurial souls gathered like vultures to accost wandering visitors. If the aged and malnourished whores were typical, Sosima imagined that the drug dens and potions being advertised were of abysmal quality. She didn’t see any children on offer, but even in pces such as this most had the sense to be subtle about such perverse delights.

  Subjugate. Network.

  Sosima’s clicking footsteps fell silent as she id eyes upon a familiar style of auction block, one she had passing familiarity with from her homend. She ruefully admitted that for the year, she was a sve. Vishgurv would only grow louder, so long as she refused him. She had already been fighting off nightmares in which she dragged Ivey into the sea to feed him to the Aberrant of Time. Ripping him away from the ship and finding some small rock. Threatening him with isotion even more profound than that which he had just escaped would do nicely.

  Demand. Coerce.

  Indeed, the only reason she hadn’t done so already was that Emrys would no doubt object. He was a sweet and generous man, under a few yers of pragmatism. Endearing, possibly what she loved about him most, but inconvenient. She needed to find a way to fulfill her pact without arming him. As she considered legitimate options, the pressure eased.

  She considered her budget, and her personal possessions. She could check prices, at least. What would be the harm? She withdrew a silver coin, then returned it in favor of a copper piece and approached one of the more unfortunate whores. An older garundi woman, perhaps fifty, marred by series of burn scars on her face and arms. Nonetheless, she tried to present her shrunken body to good effect. She moved with surprising grace, adopting a smile as she met Sosima’s eyes. Sosima noticed that the woman kept her mouth mostly shut, and shuddered at the likely state of the woman’s teeth. Despite all that, she had a certain confident set to her shoulders; in all likelihood, she’d been at least moderately pretty once.

  “Well hello my dy.” The prostitute croaked, “what can I do for you?”

  She leaned forward, far too eager to show off far too little of value. Even worse, she revealed a pattern of bruises under her dress, which her pimp really should have addressed before sending her out. Those would be a turn off to many potential clients, not just Sosima.

  “First, stand up.” Sosima snapped. “I’ll pay you for a service, but I’ve no need for the one you are attempting to purvey. Do you typically work here?”

  “Yes?” The woman said, jumping. “Whatever you wish.”

  The woman’s eyes went wide at the mild reproof, her confident veneer vanishing, and Sosima’s estimation of her pimp went down further. He either allowed or perpetrated the kind of behavior that would train a person to act in this unprofessional manner. Disgusting.

  “Tell me, what are the prices for sves at this auction block, typically?” Sosima demanded, dropping a copper coin into the woman’s hand. “And the quality, in your estimation. Do you think I’d be able to find someone literate from today's wares?”

  “Probably!” She sputtered, clutching the coin like a piece of driftwood at sea. “The ones with skills tend to go for around fifty gold, I think? If someone old is on offer, they usually go for less. It’s an auction though, you know? Sometimes some rich idiot arrives and drives the prices up.”

  Sosima did some mental math, dismissing her pn as unworkable or at least undesirable. She gave the dark haired prostitute a once over.

  “You. Could I hire you?” She asked, carefully making her voice gentler. She’d dealt with abused sves before, and they tended to become cooperative with only the slightest effort at kindness. “I have need of a servant and scribe. Do you have any skill at sketching?”

  “What? No!” The woman, “Fat Du would… I can’t keep talking to you.”

  The woman looked ready to bolt, until Sosima pulled out a silver coin. It caught her eye, and she stared at it hungrily. She shook, clearly still considering flight.

  “You can’t be worth much anymore.” Sosima said frankly. “Perhaps I should meet this Du fellow. I could buy out your contract, whatever it is. I can be very persuasive. Now answer my question. Are you literate, and can you draw?”

  “Yes. I was a scribe once, but they said I was too pretty…” the prostitute said, looking at her bare feet. “Please, even if you bought me, my daughter would be better. She’s younger, and I’ve seen her draw beautiful things.”

  “Oh? Generational service, is it?” Sosima asked, receiving a mute nod in return, “easy enough to get you both. Give me your names. If I’m going to buy you, I will need to know that.”

  “Luba.” The woman supplied, "My daughter is Naomi.”

  “No surname?” Sosima asked.

  She shook her head.

  “Very well.” Sosima said, “Is Du part of any rge network? Does he have backing?”

  “He’s of the Bekyar tribe.” Luba said, nodding. “Powerful svers. He has cousins who would-“

  “Have you ever met these cousins?” Sosima asked, cutting Luba off.

  “No.” Luba admitted, “He writes to them sometimes, and speaks of them often at the bar, but they never visit.”

  “What of superiors, or a business other than turning you out on the street?” Sosima demanded, “Those he routinely gives money to, who see him as a source of income.”

  “No, he has a small farm.” Luba said, then cmmed up. She was not supposed to speak about him so much, and certainly wasn’t supposed to share his location. (Sense Motive 7+6=13)

  “Of course.” Sosima said, a devious smile overtaking her face. “I understand. In fact, it might be best if you don’t speak to him of me. I wouldn’t want to get you in trouble.”

  Behind her smile, Sosima’s mind was forming a pn.

  Oh this is just too perfect. A small farmstead, potentially occupied by only a single man and two women, at least one of which seems quite broken? It likely won’t be any trouble to have Dierdre tail Luba back to her home, and I suspect I can convince at least Sandara to come along with the convenient sob story. Not Emrys. I’m not sure if his distaste would outweigh his caution. He doesn’t seem like a rich man, but surely he has something worth taking once he’s dealt with. Even if he lives in squalor, his women should be easy to snatch up.

  “Don’t look so nervous.” Sosima purred. “There are many benefits to serving on my crew. You’ll be able to pay off your indenture. I’ll even teach you magic if you have any talent.”

  She stroked the aged woman’s face with one knuckle.

  “If you’re very good, I could even teach you how to become young and beautiful again.” She whispered. “I think you may have wasted it the first time. Doesn’t a life as a pirate sound so much more appealing? So much more powerful?” (Diplomacy 18+10=28)

  Teach. Offer. Take.

  Luba stared up at the tall woman, eyes wide and terrified. If Sosima had asked for her soul, it would have made more sense. She spoke like a devil, and she looked like one. For an assurance of what the woman offered, Luba would have freely given it anyway.

  ??????????

  “I intend to kill a man.” Sosima said, settling across the table from Sandara. “Do you want to come along?”

  Sandara looked up, a bit of fish stuck to her cheek, and raised an eyebrow. Next to her, Jaundiced Jape whipped his head up in confusion.

  “Well that’s one hell of a good afternoon.” Sandara said once the shock subsided. “Why?”

  “I found a rather heavily abused prostitute during today’s urban exploration.” Sosima said, pulling out a file and smoothing one of her short nails. “I think she’d be both happier and more productive with us than as an effective sve to someone who does not value her, and I imagine that the rest of his possessions would either agree or take a neutral stance on the subject. I don’t know how strong he is, but he seems to be a puffed up fool from what I’ve heard secondhand. So: Do you want to come along?”

  “Does he live in goblin town?” Sandara asked. “If not, I’m in.”

  “Just like that?” Jape asked, gawking, “you’re talking murder! You’re not supposed to be this casual about it!”

  “If it helps, I also intend to ransack his house. Quite piratical.” Sosima said dryly. “By the way, Sandara, how do you keep your nails healthy? Mine have been incredibly fragile since I changed bodies.”

  “Probably just that you don’t have freakish devil talons to tear flesh anymore.” Sandara suggested, her eyes sparkling. “Come on Jape, it sounds worth doing. We need the cash, and we need recruits. It’ll be fun, assuming Fishy read the room right. You should come too, get a share of the loot.”

  “Do you happen to know where Dierdre is?” Sosima asked. “I’m hoping she can tail Miss Luba back to her home.”

  “I think she’s passed out in the rafters.” Sandara said, jabbing one thumb into the air. “Poor thing tried to have a whole shot of whisky herself. Don't worry, I can fix her up.”

  “Be a dear and take care of it while I change?” Sosima asked, gathering her skirts and standing up. “Is there anyone else from the crew we should invite along?”

  “Eh, Rowe’s uncle wanted to talk to her, Narwhal’s off shopping, Ratts is still waffling about where he’s going next, and Cog’s at the temple emptying his pockets.” Sandara counted them off on her fingers. “Syl and the Captain are trying to get us some extra spending money, Owlbear is too much of a softy, and Rosie isn’t going to leave him alone in a strange town.”

  “Of course. I’ll inform Miss Cusswell regardless.” Sosima said as she left. “It would not do to leave without informing anyone.”

  ??????????

  Sosima’s caution, scant as it was, proved unnecessary. Fat Du proved to be little more formidable than his name implied. The obese Garundi man managed to score a strike on Jape with a heavy mace, but it was nothing that Sandara could not patch up in moments. In all likelihood, Sosima could have dispatched him alone with her armor.

  The bronze skinned girl preparing his dinner had fled immediately, though Sosima knew not whether this was due to cowardice or a ck of warmth between the two. Luba’s total ck of concern for the man implied the former, but women that young could always be idiots.

  “Naomi!” She called, giving chase, “Wait! These women are here to help us!”

  Sosima noted Dierdre flitting off after the mother and daughter. In all likelihood Dierdre would catch Naomi long before Luba, if she wished. In any event, that situation was handled.

  “Stop sniveling, Jape.” She commanded. “He had a cart around back. Bring it to the door. Sandara and I shall do a preliminary inspection while we await their return. Hopefully Luba knows where to find anything of value.”

  Jape looked up from where he was prodding his newly healed arm with a dazed expression.

  “Hey! I haven’t killed someone in cold blood before.” He compined. “Forgive me for taking a minute.”

  “He fought back.” Sosima said primly. “That tends to warm the blood quite nicely. Besides, you saw those girls.”

  “Hah!” Sandara barked. “That was almost too easy. I doubt he has anything really worth keeping.”

  “Then you shall have additional pocket money to waste on drinks.” Sosima said with a dismissive wave. “The girls will be of greater use to us in the long run regardless.”

  Sandara stared at Sosima, frowning.

  “You honestly think I buy my own drinks?” Sandara asked, offense clear in her tone.