“Don’t mean I can’t take advantage of fresh opportunities when they come along, now, does it?” Stagg countered, unfazed by Hawkwood’s sarcasm. His brow puckered. “What’s that word they use? Diversify? Well, that’s what I’m doin’. I’m diversifyin’.” His teeth waxed yellow in the lantern glow.

Hawkwood wondered what time it was. Pale light was filtering through the hatchway. Not quite dawn, he guessed.

Lawrence had relieved him shortly after midnight, in continuance of their arrangement that one of them should be awake at all times. It wasn’t surprising that the crew had caught on to their precautions, but Hawkwood hadn’t bargained on Stagg using the strategy against them, waiting until they had only Lawrence to deal with before springing their trap.

It was a tactic with which Hawkwood should have been familiar. He’d used it himself, in his duties as a Runner. If you wanted to pick up a suspect for questioning or arrest, you did it before first light, while they were slumbering. That way, you caught them off-guard before they were dressed for flight. Hawkwood was fully dressed but he was on a boat with no route of escape, and he’d been caught napping, literally. But as Lawrence had pointed out, one man against six wasn’t the best of odds. It could just as easily have been him on deck and Lawrence in the cot.

Stagg began to pace the cabin. It was a short distance between turns and Hawkwood guessed the man was doing it to intimidate them. He and Lawrence were seated, while Stagg was showing that he was the one with the freedom to move about. Though, given his bulk, he looked more like a bear trapped in a small cage.

As Hawkwood assessed his and Lawrence’s options, Stagg paused. “Thing is, I couldn’t help but ask myself why you were so set on securing such a swift passage to the border. It weren’t the names. Might as well have been Washington and Madison, for all I care. But I did wonder. Not about who you were but what you were. And d’you know what my first thought was? Them’s military.”

He looked towards Lawrence, his lips parted. The major said nothing.