Natalia, sensing his awkwardness, wouldn't let it rest. "Athgar, can you read?"

"Read?" he said in response. "No, I never learned. There was scant use for it back in Athelwald."

"Athelwald?" she repeated. "I take it that was your village."

"It was," he confirmed, "but no more, thanks to those filthy Cunars!" He hadn't intended to raise his voice, but his temper had gotten the better of him. People all around the room glared at him, a result of his outburst. He lowered his head in shame, staring down at his food.

Natalia reached across the table, placing her hand over his. "It's all right," she soothed, "we'll get to the bottom of this, I promise you."

"Yes," he said, his voice now quieter, "but how? We came all the way to Corassus on a whim, nothing more. I have no proof the Temple Knights are the slavers that attacked my village, only a gut instinct."

"It is a reasonable deduction," she said. "After all, who would dare impersonate a Temple Knight?"

"True," he admitted, "but there's no reason they would come to Corassus, is there?"

"I believe that's where you're wrong," said Natalia. "Think of all we've been through on this trip. Do you remember the pirates?"

"Of course," he replied, "I'm not stupid."

"I didn't mean to imply that you are," she retorted, "but think for a minute, what do we know about them?"

"They raid from the cliffs," he said. "What else is there to know?

"Yes," she agreed, "but they use galleys."

The meaning of her words dawned on him. "Yes," he agreed, "with slaves to man them."

"And they must get those slaves from somewhere," suggested Natalia.

"The Church?" he posed.

"Possibly, though it's only speculation. The big question is, how do we prove it."

"That's easy," he suggested, "we find some of those slaves."

"And how do you suggest we do that?" she asked.

"We liberate them from a pirate ship!"

"We're not equipped to do that," she warned.

"No," Athgar replied, "but I have an idea. My understanding is that the shipping here is controlled by the big merchant companies. If I'm correct in my assumptions, their ships are seldom, if ever, attacked. The brunt of the attacks falls to the independent traders. Perhaps we can convince them to send out an expedition?"

"What makes you so sure the larger companies are complicit in this?" asked Natalia.

"Let's look at this from their point of view. The merchant houses control large numbers of ships. If they weren't involved, surely it would be in their best interest to eliminate the threat? Piracy would hurt all shipping, I would think."

"Maybe we should dig deeper," she suggested. "Perhaps someone at the Archives can tell us when the pirates first appeared?"

"Why would that be important?" Athgar asked. "I would imagine there's been pirates in these waters for centuries."

"Perhaps, but I have a suspicion that isn't the case."

"You're developing instincts," he remarked.