Free Sebastian Darke: Prince of Pirates by Philip Caveney Page B

landlord, a big, bald brute of a man with a dark leathery face covered with intricate tattoos. When he grinned, he displayed a set of badly fitting false teeth fashioned from some kind of highly polished shell. Cornelius ordered a couple of tankards of the local ale and immediately engaged the landlord in conversation.
     
'You seem to be busy today.'
     
'We're always busy here!' said the landlord. 'Traders from all over the known world come to Ramalat to sell their goods.' He filled two tankards from a huge barrel and set them before his new customers. 'That'll be two croats,' he said. Cornelius found his moneybag and handed over the coins, which the landlord tested between his strange teeth before dropping them into his purse.
     
'New in town?' he asked.
     
'Yes,' said Cornelius. 'We've travelled here from Keladon.'
     
The man's eyebrows raised slightly. 'Keladon! That's quite a distance. I heard there's been a big ruckus over there. Some kind of uprising against the king.'
     
'Yes,' said Sebastian. 'We were the ones who—' He broke off as Cornelius elbowed him in the ribs.
     
'– saw some of it,' continued his friend. 'I understand it was quite a nasty business. But they say the new queen is well-loved by her people.' He gave Sebastian a sly look, warning him not to say anything further on the matter.
     
'So what brings you gentlemen here?' asked the landlord.
     
'My friend and I have need of a ship and a captain,' said Cornelius. 'We'd be willing to pay handsomely for the right one.' He leaned over the bar and adopted a conspiratorial air. 'I don't suppose you could recommend somebody reliable?'
     
The big man thought for a moment. His expression remained blank until Cornelius reached once again into his moneybag and placed an extra croat on the counter.
     
'Well, sir, I will tell you this,' he said. 'The captain and the crew of the Sea Witch are in today. You'll find them in the snug.' He indicated a small room at the other end of the bar. 'They've been sitting around for quite a few days now with time on their hands. They often undertake work for various people and I understand they are honest which, believe me, is a pretty rare thing among seafaring folk.'
     
Cornelius nodded and placed another coin on the bar. 'Thanks for the tip,' he said. 'And have a couple of drinks on us.'
     
The landlord gave his shell-encrusted grin and once again tested each coin with his teeth before slipping them into his purse.
     
Sebastian and Cornelius took their tankards and pushed their way through the crowds towards the snug.
     
'Why did you stop me telling him that we led the uprising in Keladon?' asked Sebastian.
     
'I didn't think it was a good idea to go advertising the fact. This is supposed to be a low-key operation – the last thing we want to do is draw attention to ourselves.'
     
Sebastian nodded. He could see the sense in that.
     
In the snug they found a motley collection of some ten or so sailors slumped around a huge oak table, nursing drinks and looking distinctly bored. Sebastian realized that it was one of the sailors who was making the 'music', alternately opening and closing a strange box that rested on his lap. None of the other men were giving him any encouragement to continue but he was going at it anyway, his craggy, weather-beaten face a picture of concentration. One tall character, wearing the flamboyant three-cornered hat of a sea captain, was facing away from Sebastian and Cornelius, staring out of the open window.
     
Cornelius stepped up to the table and cleared his throat. 'Good day to you!' he said. 'Do I have the honour of addressing the captain of the Sea Witch ?'
     
The figure nodded but didn't turn.
     
'Excellent,' he went on. 'I am here, sir, to see if you would be willing to hire out your ship and crew to me and my friend. We wish to make an expedition and need the services of somebody reliable. I can assure you that you would be handsomely rewarded for your work.'
     
The figure