“M-my lord!”

James turned around at the voice, a young man had followed him from the ‘tween deck. He was a pale man, the scorch of the sun burning him rather than tanning, a mass of freckles bloomed across his face, seeming to multiply by the day. His copper hair fell into his eyes that matched the ocean, he brushed it back.

“Yes, Thomas?” James asked.

The young man’s eyes widened, startled, “you know my name?”

“We have spoken before if you recall,” James said amused.

“I do! I just didn’t think…”

“How can I help you, Thomas?”

“I’m returning this to you,” Thomas thrust out his hand, a small leather pouch in it. James took it, it clanked as he dumped the contents out into his hand. Twelve crowns and six shillings fell out. He put them back in the bag. The bag itself was made of cowhide, its texture beneath his fingers was smooth as silk, James wondered at the quality of the bag.

“This isn’t mine,” James said. “You won it.”

“I l-lied,” Thomas stuttered. “When I said I had money to back my bet. I lied to you.”

Obviously.

Everyone had lied. James sincerely doubted any man or woman on the lower deck had so much spare money to throw around. When James had started playing with the men on the ‘tween deck, they were playing with farthings, small copper coins worth a quarter of a penny. James had seen the money then, coins being placed on the table by all participants, no promises of “I’m good for it.”

“I heard what you said when you lost to Ms Becca. That you’re broke now.” Thomas continued. “Then the others followed my lead… It’s all my fault,” Thomas bowed his head, shame and guilt weighing his shoulders down. He wasn’t technically wrong. It was Thomas who started the whole thing, at James's prompting and manipulation, of course. James had goaded Thomas into lying, leading him along. Are you sure you don’t have any money? Surely you have a single farthing? If not on you, then in your luggage? You don’t have to get it now, I believe you.

“So you're taking the blame for the others lying as well?” James said amused at the gull of the kid. “Twelve crowns and some shillings hardly make up for my losses.”

“I’ll make the others repay you too. It was wrong of us to lie.”

I sincerely doubt you could, James thought. The others would either laugh in the kid's face or throw him overboard at the very suggestion. “And if they don’t return the money? What will you do then?”

“I’ll–I’ll pay you back myself. I swear!”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“You swear, huh,” James said. The kid had a good heart. But god was he naive. The New World would eat the boy alive and spit him out. A thought occurred to James. He smiled, “I’ll let you in on a secret. Here hold this,” he stuck the money pouch back into the kid's hand. Thomas was too startled to protest.

James lifted his now empty hand and before the kid's very eyes, a card appeared in it as if my magic. It was an ace of hearts. With a flick of James's wrist, it turned into a king of diamonds.

Thomas gasped, his eyes widening so far they looked like they might roll out of his head, “magic!”

“There’s nothing magical about it. It’s simply a skill. A sleight of hand and a trick of the eye.” He did the trick slower, then slower again so he could see the card moving in and out of James's sleeve.

“If you could change out the cards so easily, why didn’t you?”

James stared until Thomas blushed in realization.

“You did! That’s why you’re so unlucky!” Thomas frowned, “I don’t understand. You’ve been changing the cards so you lose?”

“Tell me honestly. What do you think of the journey so far?”

“Um. It’s not the most comfortable I’ve been.” Thomas said. Understatement, James thought. “But everyone has been very nice and we have a lot of fun on the ‘tween deck. There is music and games, and everyone eats together. It’s like a big happy family. I hadn’t expected that.”

James nodded. “It’s not always so on ships such as these. They were originally built for war not comfort. After the first few days, the anticipation and excitement die down, people will sink into either depression or frustration. Anger at each other for lack of personal space, fresh air, and papal food.”

“But not here,” Thomas realized. “Because each day brings with it a chance to win money.”

“I can’t change the conditions of the journey. It’s a miserable thing. But if I can change people's outlook, why shouldn’t I? I’ve been lucky in this life. I have so much wealth, it holds little value to me.” It wasn’t even his money. Even the skin he now possessed did little to earn it. James Wilkins's wealth was generational. His grandfather had earned wealth through international trade and the exploitation of the slave trade. To James, the money was worth less than dirt. He would be glad to be rid of it. “The game I’m playing has one simple rule. No one loses the initial bet. That way no one owes me anything and everyone leaves the table happy. Becca was smart enough to realize that. The second round she played was testing her theory. She bet everything and bet against the other players. They still had enough coins reserved to walk away but she would be left owing me one pound sterling if she lost.

“I was joking when I said everyone on the ‘tween deck had brought me to ruin. So keep the money. I have no use for it.”

“Oh,” Thomas said looking down at the money pouch in his hand.

“Do you know her well?” James said, with a casual air, changing the topic. Becca?”

“Um, no. She’s rather quiet. She doesn’t interact much with the others.”

“She’s quite clever.” James hedged.

“That’s nice?”

God. It was like pulling teeth with this one, “I think she’s the type of person that's worth getting to know.”

“Oh,” Thomas said. “Oh! Um, it’s not as if I haven’t tried! I’ve tried to speak with her before but I think I said something wrong because she just glared at me. I got nervous… and I haven't spoken to her since… she’s very…very…”

“Intimidating?” James supplied.

“Stunning,” Thomas said at the same time, flushing a deep red.

“Oh, is she now,” James smiled. “Maybe you should try talking to her again.

“What would I even say?”

“You now know a secret. Perhaps she’d be interested in having her suspicions confirmed?”

“You think?” Thomas looked down at his feet, “Do you think she would really want to be friends with me?”

James settled a hand on the kid's shoulder, prompting him to look up and meet James's eyes, “It’s worth a try.”