“No doubt.” Roo was silent a moment, then said, “My Prince is almost certain to return you to Queg by the first Free Cities ship heading there, as he has no desire to further antagonize your Emperor. It seems to me we have this opportunity to reach an accommodation.”
Vasarius turned to face Roo. “Accommodation? To what purpose? You’ve won. I am close to ruin. My last copper piece was tied up in those ships and the cargo we sold to Fadawah. It’s now at the bottom of the sea, and I can’t see how you can be of any help to me, considering you were the one who sank my treasure!”
Roo shrugged. “Strictly speaking, you sank the treasure. I was merely trying to steal it.
“In any event, that wealth was stripped from the citizens of the Kingdom, and perhaps some from those living across the sea. I can’t feel much sympathy for you losing that fortune, if you can see my point.”
“Barely. But it’s entirely academic, now, isn’t it?”
“Not necessarily,” said Roo.
“If you’re proposing something, propose.”
“I had nothing to do with your greed, Vasarius. If you had been anything near cautious, you wouldn’t have dispatched your entire fleet to the Straits of Darkness on the strength of a rumor.”
Vasarius laughed. “Of course, it was a rumor you spread.”
“Of course,” said Roo, “but any decent investigation might have made you reconsider the plan.”
“Your Lord James was far too clever, by half. I’m sure, had I checked, I would have found more rumors to support the story of a vast treasure fleet coming from across the Endless Sea.”
Roo said, “There is that. James had the most facile mind I’ve ever encountered. But that’s not the point. The point is you have something to gain as do I, and we need to agree to that before we reach Krondor.”
“What is that?”
“The price of my life.”
Vasarius studied Roo for a long moment, then said, “Say on.”
“I was taking that treasure ship of yours to Krondor. I would have sent the ship back to you, for I would not be counted a pirate, but the gold was taken from the Kingdom and was to be returned to the Kingdom.” He smiled. “As it happens, the crown is in debt to me, considerable debt, and I suspect I would have accounted much of that treasure to that debt, so in a sense, it was more my treasure than yours.”
Vasarius said, “Avery, your logic astonishes me.”
“Thank you.”
“It wasn’t a compliment. Besides, the treasure resides below a great deal of ocean at the moment.”
“Ah, but I know how to get it,” said Roo.
Vasarius’s eyes narrowed. He said, “And you need me to get it?”
“No, actually, I don’t need you at all. In fact, unless you have access to certain magicians, you’re of no use to me. I can locate members of the Wreckers Guild of Krondor. They’re actively clearing the harbor right now, but the Prince will let me borrow some for a small commission.”
“So then, why tell me this?”
“Because here’s my offer. I will take what I raise from the ocean’s floor. I will need to give one part in ten to the crown for interrupting their clearing of the harbor. And I will be forced to account the rest toward the debt of the crown, I am certain. And I will have to pay the guild’s fee. But I am willing to divide what remains equally, and ship that half to Queg.”
“In exchange for what?”
“For you not engaging the services of a highly trained assassin as soon as you return to Queg.”
“That is all?”
“More, a vow that you will never attempt to harm me or my family, nor will you idly allow anyone over whom you have influence in Queg to trouble us.”
Vasarius was silent for a very long time, and Roo resisted the impulse to speak.
Finally the Quegan noble said, “If you can do this and account to me half the money you raise less the Prince’s cut and the guild’s fee, then I will agree to seek no further reprisals against you or your family.”
The night air was cooling, and Roo hugged himself. “That takes a great load off my mind.”
“Is there anything else?” asked Vasarius.
“One suggestion,” said Roo.
“What?”
“Consider that when this war with Fadawah’s invaders is over, there will be many opportunities for profit. But not if a war erupts between Queg and the Kingdom. Both sides have suffered from the invaders’ intrusion into the Bitter Sea, and more war would bleed us all white.”
“Agreed,” said Vasarius. “We are not ready to fight a war.”
“That’s not the point. The point is when you’re ready to fight one, it still does neither side any good.”
“That is for us to decide,” said the Quegan.
“Well, if you don’t see it my way, at least consider this: there is going to be a great deal of profit in rebuilding the entire Bitter Sea after the war with Fadawah is finished, and those who aren’t fighting are going to be able to reap most of it. I could use associates in many of the undertakings I’ll be contemplating.”
“You have the effrontery to suggest an association, after I made that terrible mistake once already?”
“No, but if you should someday choose to make it, I will listen.”