“With a fair wind it will take four days to sail there, half a day for you to row in. The ship will wait two days for you, then they will leave and you will have to make your own way. I cannot come rescue you, Pocket. The harbor at Genoa is the most fortified in the world.”

“I’ll be back in little more than a week.” I slapped the Moor’s shoulder by way of thanks; he scowled at me. Really, I preferred the grin, despite the dreadful joke that preceded it.

“What of the girl?” asked the Moor.

“She’s waiting for her fiancé.”

“Who is dead, you said.”

I had told Othello of Lorenzo’s demise, although I said he’d died by my blade in a fight, not that he’d been done in by Vivian. It was quite enough to run through the whole story, from my walling-up to Antonio and Iago’s plot to take Brabantio’s seat on the council so they could start a bloody Crusade for profit without adding the complication of a bloody mermaid having me off in the dungeon and murdering Jessica’s betrothed.

“She doesn’t know that. I’ll take her with me to keep her distracted.”

“You are going to have to tell her.”

“I thought I’d just share in her dismay when he didn’t show up.”

“Take her, but tell her.”

“She’s forsaken her father and her home, now to find out that I killed her lover, even if he was an appallingly devious bastard, it would be cruel. I am all she has.”

“You must be cruel to be kind.* You are all she has.”

“That’s a flaming flagon of dragon wank, if I’ve ever heard one. She’ll be fine, waiting. When you’re waiting the world is full of promise.”

“Tell her, or no ship.”

“I’ll tell her, after we’ve rescued Drool. I may need her gold to pay ransom.”

“Promise you will tell her. Color it how you may, Pocket, but tell her.”

“I will promise to tell her if you promise to throw Iago in chains.”

“I will be cautious of Iago, but he has fought by my side in many battles and been true; I must see evidence of his betrayal before I take action.”

“He killed my Cordelia, recruited the spy that poisoned her.”

“So you say.”

“So said Brabantio. Iago is a traitor, you night-browed ninny. You cannot trust him.”

“I will keep my back to the wall in his presence and I will look for proof of what you say, but Iago is as clever as you in the way of words, subtle fool, and if I confront him on only your word, he will evade me and I will appear a tyrant. This force is mine to lead because I am steady, not rash.”

“So I don’t have to tell Jessica that Lorenzo is dead.”