Chapter 18

“Only the smartest get good educations. Even among the talented, only the best will get into the academies. But what defines best and smartest is merely either the privilege or persistence to know more than their peers. Inevitably, either by choice, will or circumstance, the majority of the most talented or intelligent people slip through the cracks into what I shall term ‘the basement.’ It is a netherworld of crime, deceit, intrigue, assassins, alliances and guilds.”

—Quote from the book Thousand Nations

Natali sat in one of the chairs in her father’s study. It was late. Her hair was still damp from the swim. Falahgo gave Natali a brush for her hair, and she started to comb it.

He sat down in a chair opposite her.

“So?” he asked.

“Reyn is nice, and Seff wants to take over the world,” Natali said.

“How is Reyn nice?” he said.

“He doesn’t want anything in particular. He lives in the moment, and I think he’ll always live in that moment. It’s his personality, and because he is that way, he can be manipulated through moments where he needs to make a decision. He leans towards helping people rather than himself. He’s a bit plain, but he’s sweet and kind.”

“And his attitude towards you?”

“He likes me, and I’m fairly sure that he’d move mountains for me if I asked.”

“So, he’s in love with you?”

Natali thought about it. Love was too strong of a word. Did Reyn have a crush on her? She was sure of it. However, he was patient and calm. But if he did have a crush, he would have actively tried to kiss or hold her hand. If he had asked her to come closer in the water, she would have. If he had kissed her, then she didn’t know what she would have done. But he hadn’t. She said, “No, he just likes me.”

“And Seff?”

“He also likes me, but more as an ally, rather than a friend.”

“Is he any danger to you?”

“No, since he thinks I am useful and on his team. He really does want to take over the world, though.”

Falahgo stood up and started walking around, “Ambitious plans. How does he think he’ll do it?”

“He’s going to use Reyn and rise through the ranks. After he’s emperor, he’ll just make war and take over the other empires. I’m not sure if he understands that emperors need to be powerful themselves, not just have powerful allies.”

“Indeed. It would be quite funny to see Seff helping Reyn to emperor, and not the other way around. It’s too bad you were at Goff’s with them, otherwise we could turn them in to be executed. We’d be very wealthy. Do you think Seff is talented enough to become emperor?”

“No, but he definitely has plans to use Reyn in some way towards that end. Since Reyn lives in the moment, he’s very malleable.”

“That’s not going to get Seff the times he needs in the arenas. And even if Reyn is powerful, it won’t matter if he has no technique. Did they get suspicious of why you were asking them all of these questions one on one?”

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“No, they both thought that I was just curious about them, and they were more than happy to oblige, spilling their heart and soul to me.”

“Do you think they could escape if the town guard were somehow alerted to your looting?”

“I’d feel sorry for the town guard. Seff is a match for even highly ranked sorcerers. He is highly trained by someone. He wouldn’t go down easily, even if surprised. I think he’s started having a shield spell on himself at all times, which is really weird to be around him.”

“Oh?”

“Just to prevent himself from being randomly killed by a lightning bolt or whatever. I think what happened at Goff’s spooked him a little.”

“He might be getting a little paranoid,” he said.

“He is being hunted,” Natali pointed out.

“So, what do you want to do?” Falahgo asked.

Natali was unsure of what he meant. She cocked her head, “Huh?”

Falahgo followed up, “I thought of something just now. We could invite them over, delay them going home through conversation, offer to have them stay the night, and slit their throats while they sleep. We could turn their dead bodies over to the council and collect the reward.”

Natali gasped in fright, thinking of Reyn having escaped the gallows only to be betrayed by her and getting his throat slit. Seff deserved it, but Reyn did not. Natali lost her temper, threw her brush at Falahgo, and shouted, “Why are men so obsessed with killing? I don’t want them killed, ever. I don’t want anyone else to die.”

Catching the brush, Falahgo said, “I’m sorry. The Academy teaches you things, like the practicalities of survival. They’re both very dangerous sorcerers—Reyn for being so damned naïve and Seff for being a ruthless ass.”

“I understand, but Reyn doesn’t deserve it, at all. And Seff did save him, against all odds.”

“So, you want to let them steal, help us out, and then let them go?” Falahgo walked over to Natali.

“Why not? Maybe we can keep Reyn, separating the two of them,” Natali liked this idea. Reyn was a sweetheart, and she didn’t like Seff’s designs for him. She imagined leaning over Reyn and giving him a surprise kiss. She wanted to see his face after.

Falahgo rolled his eyes and gave the brush back to Natali. He said, “Keeping Reyn would be trouble. He’s wanted. He’s more wanted than a lot of murderers. On a side note, the Cristina is a ship that regularly travels to the far northern islands and back. It’s one of a dozen or so that do, and its home port is here. If you rob it just after it returns, you may have a chance to get some nice goods off of it. When the ship docks, most of the crew helps unload the heaviest things—the beasts, skins, fats and oils, and anything else bulky. After that, they disappear with their pay to get drunk or see their wives or do whatever sailors do.”

Natali started back at brushing her hair.

Falahgo continued, “There will only be comparably few sailors onboard and only a handful awake. Avoid them or knock them out and search the ship for valuables. The charts will be priceless, and as such, not a good target unless they want a king’s bounty on our head. So, skip the charts, rob the safe, and take any gold or silver, money, whatever.

“Leave a simple note of ‘we did not take nor copy your charts.’ The ship generates enough wealth that a simple robbery will not matter much to them.”

“Why would this ship have gold or silver on board?” Natali asked.

“The northern islands have rare virgin timber, animals, and all sorts of exotic things that can be obtained nowhere else. They’re also foggy, misty, reef-ridden, tempestuous devils. A storm will appear from a sunny blue day and dash your ship against invisible rocks. The captains that go there are crazy, but they do it for the profit. They risk their lives and ship for the money—which isn’t much of a gamble except for whether they’ll live or not. When they dock, they present a manifest to their contracted trading partner, and the partner pays them immediately with bullion or coin.”

Natali stood, setting the brush down, “So we rob it, and then what?”

“That should get us halfway there. After, we rob the payroll and tax chests for the city.”

“That’ll be enough?”

Falahgo hugged her, “It’ll be enough to pay off my debt and a little extra, plus enough for Reyn and Seff to slip safely away into obscurity. Except, something tells me, that they won’t slip away quietly. But regardless, just tell them to get out of town—quickly. Nobody knows anything about them as far as I can tell, except their abilities. Just tell them not to use their sorcery until they get into the Academy.”

Natali broke off the hug and asked, “Should I tell them about the ship right away?”

“No, wait until it docks and then tell them the plan. You can’t go along, though.”

“What!” she shouted, stepping back from him. “Who knows what they might do if I’m not around? I’m the only one telling them not to murder half the town.” She was furious knowing what type of trouble they’d get into without her help, although it didn’t help much at Goff’s.

Falahgo started to exit the den, “They’ll do just fine by themselves. If they do kill half the town, I certainly don’t want you with them.”

“I don’t think that’s fair,” Natali said, following Falahgo out.

Looking back at her, Falahgo said, “I didn’t think you would, but that’s the way it’s going to be.”