"No," Kira said. "I have no ties to the fellowship. My mother gave me that knife. That's as far as it goes. And she only preyed on ships of the Empire, Syndar, and the Great Guilds."

"The Great Guilds? So it was twenty years ago that your mother sailed in the Umbari?" the first mate demanded.

"Yes," Kira said. "With the daughter's ships."

"What ship did she sail on?" the captain asked.

"The Pride. With Captain Banda." Which was true enough, though in fact Captain Banda had served under Mari's command.

The captain nodded, his expression staying stern. "You have a good story, and if your mother sailed with Banda on the Pride you have reason for pride yourself. But if I get any hint that you're pursuing the work of the fellowship, you'll be over the side and greeting the fishes no matter how far we are from land. The Son of Taris is an honest ship."

"I understand," Kira said. "We've broken no laws, and intend breaking no laws."

"You've broken a law by stowing away on my ship, girl! Your mother should have told you that when she was handing out such grand toys to you!" The captain's frown shifted to Jason, who Kira unhappily realized when confronted with an authority figure had shifted back into sullenness. "And what of you?"

"I'm with her," Jason mumbled.

The captain shook his head as he looked at Jason. "I am a merciful man, so you two won't be going over the side to take your chances with the sea. Nor will you be locked below and handed over to the authorities at the next port where we make call. I will give you two the chance to earn your passage with honest labor. Do that, and you'll be free to leave at the next port. Oh, one thing more." The captain gave Kira and Jason another stern look. "Whatever else you two are up to, you're both clearly below legal age. While you're on this ship you'll keep your hands and your bodies off each other."

Kira felt her face heating up. "We're not like that."

"See you prove it. First Mate! Take these two in hand and see what you can do with them."

"I'll make sailors of these two," the first mate said, her smile and the tone of her voice nearly making Kira shiver with worry.

"Them?" the captain questioned. "Five crowns you can't."

"Done. Five crowns I can." The first mate smiled at Mari and Jason again. "Shall we begin?"

The first mate walked back and forth a few times, studying Kira and Jason. "You'll need something suitable for work." She pointed forward. "Go."