“I didn’t read it.”
“Weren’t you the one who called me stupid because—”
“I never had a chance. Wyatt grabbed them first. Then there was this little incident with a burning ship and lots of swimming. Now Wesley has them and he’s hardly slept. I’ve not had an opportunity.”
“Then we’ll have to stick to that letter until either you get a chance to take a peek or we solve this riddle. I mean, what is the empire doing sending weapons to Calis when they need them to fight the Nationalists?”
“Maybe bribing Calis to join the fight on their side?”
Hadrian shook his head. “Rhenydd could beat them in a war all by itself. There’s no organization down here, no central authority, just a bunch of competing warlords. The whole place is corrupt, and they constantly fight each other. There is no way Merrick could convince enough leaders to go fight for the New Empire—most of these warlords have never even heard of Avryn. And what’s with the elves? What were they doing with them?”
“I have to admit, I’d like to know that myself,” Royce said.
Hadrian’s glance followed Thranic as he came topside and lay among the excess canvas at the bow, his hood pulled down to block the light, his arms folded across his chest. He almost looked like a corpse in need of a coffin.
Hadrian gestured toward the sentinel. “So, what’s going on between you and Thranic, anyway? He appears to really hate you—even more than most people.”
Royce did not look in his direction. He sat nonchalantly, pretending to ignore the world, as if they were the only two aboard. “Funny thing, that. I never met him, never heard of him until this voyage, and yet I know him rather well, and he knows me.”
“Thank you, Mr. Esrahaddon. Can you provide me with perhaps a more cryptic answer?”
Royce smiled. “I see why he does it now. It’s rather fun. I’m also surprised you haven’t figured it out yet.”
“Figured what out?”
“Our boy Thranic has a nasty little secret. It’s what makes him so unpleasant and at the same time so dangerous. He would have killed Wyatt, might even have given you a surprise or two. With Staul added to the mix and Bernie slinking about, it wasn’t a battle I felt confident in winning, even if I didn’t have Gwen’s voice echoing in my head.”
“You aren’t going to tell me, are you?”
“What would be the fun in that? This will give you something to do. You can try to guess, and I can amuse myself by insulting your intelligence. I wouldn’t take too long, though. Thranic is going to die soon.”
Wesley returned and trotted up the gangway to address them. “I want volunteers to accompany me, Sentinel Thranic, Mr. Bulard, Dr. Levy, and Seamen Staul and Defoe inland. We will be traveling deep into the Calian jungles. The journey will not be without significant risks, so I won’t order anyone to follow me who doesn’t want to go. Those who choose to stay behind will remain with the ship. Upon my return, we will sail for home, where you will receive your pay.”
“Where in the jungle are you headed, Mr. Wesley?” Banner asked.
“I must deliver a letter to Erandabon Gile, who I am informed is a warlord of some note in these parts. I have met with Mr. Dilladrum, who has been awaiting our arrival and has a caravan prepared and ready to escort us. Gile’s fortress, however, is deep in the jungles, and contact with the Ba Ran Ghazel is likely. Now, who is with me?”
Hadrian, who was one of the first to raise his hand, found it strange that he was among the majority. Wyatt and Poe did not surprise him, but even Jacob and Grady joined in after seeing the others. Only Greig and Banner abstained.
“I see,” Wesley said with a note of surprise. “All right then, Banner, I’ll leave you in charge of the ship.”
“What are we to do while yer gone, sir?” Banner asked.
“Nothing,” he told them. “Just stay with the ship and out of the city. Don’t cause any trouble.”
Banner smiled gleefully at Greig. “So we can just sleep all day if we want?”
“I don’t care what you do, as long as you protect the ship and don’t embarrass the empire.”
Both of them could hardly contain their delight. “I’ll bet the rest of you are wishing you hadn’t raised your hands now.”
“You realize there’s only about a week’s worth of rations below, right?” Wyatt mentioned. “You might want to eat sparingly.”
A worried look crossed Banner’s face. “You’re gonna hurry back, right?”