The captain had begun swaying, though not in time with the heaving ship. He poured wine all over the table as well as into the four goblets arrayed before him. ‘Ordering thick-skulled sailors this way and that makes for a considerable thirst. I expect the food will be along shortly.’

Pormqual’s treasurer, who did not consider the company worthy of knowing his name, raised painted eyebrows. ‘But, Captain, we have already eaten.’

‘Have we? That explains the mess, then, though the mess still has some explaining to do, because it must have been awful. You there,’ he said to Kalam, ‘you’re as solid as any Fenn bear, was that palatable? Never mind, what would you know, anyway? I hear Seven Cities natives grow fruit just so they can eat the larvae in them. Gobble the worm and toss the apple, hey? If you want to know how you folk see the world, it’s all there in that one custom. Now that we’re all chums, what were we talking about?’

Salk Elan reached out and collected his goblet, sniffing cautiously before taking a swallow. ‘The dear treasurer was surprising us with a complaint, Captain.’

‘Was he now?’ The captain leaned over the small table to stare at the treasurer. ‘A complaint? Aboard my ship? You bring those to me, sir.’

‘I just have,’ the man replied, sneering.

‘And deal with it I shall, as a captain must.’ He leaned back with an air of satisfaction. ‘Now, what else should we talk about?’

Salk Elan met Kalam’s eye, winked. ‘What if we were to touch on the small matter of those two privateers presently pursuing us?’

‘They’re not pursuing,’ the captain said. He drained his goblet, smacked his lips, then refilled it from the webbed jug. ‘They are keeping pace, sir, and that is entirely different, as you must surely grasp.’

‘Well, I admit, I see the distinction less clearly than you do, Captain.’

‘How unfortunate.’

‘You might,’ the treasurer rasped, ‘endeavour to enlighten us.’

‘What did you say? Lightendeavourus? Extraordinary, man!’ He settled back in his seat, a contented expression on his face.

‘They want a stronger wind,’ Kalam ventured.

‘Quickening,’ the captain said. ‘They want to dance around us, aye, the ale-pissing cowards. Toe to toe, that’s how I’d like it, but no, they’d rather duck and dodge.’ He swung surprisingly steady eyes on Kalam. ‘That’s why we’ll take them unawares, come the dawn. Attack! Hard about! Marines prepare to board enemy vessel! I won’t truck complaints aboard Ragstopper. Not a one, dammit. The next bleat I hear and the bleater loses a finger. Bleats again, loses another one. And so on. Each one nailed to the deck. Tap tap!’