Merren walked back toward the docks, Prattle perched on his shoulder and Dain walking beside them. The afternoon sun was sinking in a golden glow, casting long shadows across the harbor.

  "That went well," Dain said. "I mean, apart from Jorvan's dignity being destroyed and us potentially recruiting an eight-year-old into a resistance, yeah?"

  "She recruited herself," Merren pointed out. "We just agreed to let her—"

  "Captain Thorn!"

  The voice was smooth, friendly, professional.

  Merren's entire posture changed. The easy swagger became something more theatrical, more performed.

  He turned.

  Eustace the Monk approached along the dock with that polished smile, hands open in greeting. "I thought that was you! Small world, isn't it?"

  Behind Eustace, the water bubbled.

  Merren's eyes flicked over Eustace's shoulder. Five sleek shapes breaking the surface—

  Eustace noticed Merren looking behind him and turned to look.

  Merren went very still.

  For the briefest moment, the grin vanished entirely.

  Then the smile snapped back into place, wider than before.

  “Ah,” he said lightly. “There you are. Brother Eustace!" Merren stepped casually to his right, forcing Eustace to turn slightly to keep facing him and the eels behind him. “What an unexpected pleasure! And here I was thinking these waters lacked surprises.”

  The eels ducked back down. Merren hoped Eustace hadn’t noticed them.

  "Oh, I sail everywhere," Eustace said, adjusting his stance to face Merren properly. "Work takes me all over—you know how it is. Opportunities arise, one must be flexible." His gaze swept over Dain, lingered briefly on Prattle, then returned to Merren. "Traveling with companions now? Last I heard, you preferred working alone."

  The water bubbled again behind Eustace.

  Merren's gestures became slightly more animated—just a touch more energy. "Circumstances change! This is Dain—musician, artist, occasional noise-maker. Very talented. Selectively so—and that’s Prattle." he gestured at the jackdaw, "Excellent listener. Says very little of consequence. Usually."

  Over Eustace's shoulder, the eels surfaced. Five of them, moving toward the dock.

  "I was there," Eustace said, smile unwavering. "At the ceremony. Quite a spectacle. Rumour has it, it was a dog, but you can't really believe rumour, now can you? Very unfortunate timing." He paused, watching Merren's face. "I wonder if it's the same dog Inquisitor Theron is looking for? Last seen with a woman. Heard they were here too. What a coincidence?"

  Behind him, one eel—Keen, moving with more deliberate purpose than the others—spotted Merren talking to someone in a very theatrical manner.

  That was not good.

  Eels knew Merren.

  Dain's hand dropped to his side, fingers flicking a sharp downward gesture where Eustace couldn't see.

  "Wasn't it just!" Merren said, voice carrying just a bit louder. "Women, dogs, dogs with women, women with dogs—Eldmere’s practically overrun when you start noticing. You know what I always say,” Merren added cheerfully, waving a hand. “If everyone’s looking for patterns, the safest place to stand is in the middle of a mess. Theron’s searching? Well, there’s coincidence for you. Lots of women, lots of dogs. Put them together and you’ve got half the city. Maybe a quarter. They should have dogs though. Excellent companions. Could be anywhere. I hope the inquisitor finds the woman and dog he's looking for." He glanced past Eustace toward his ship—loud enough for the eels to hear: "Well! Time conspires against us, Dain. Ships dislike being ignored, and mine is not known for patience."

  Keen circled around the eels and began swimming toward The Black Ballad.

  Merren took a step back to his left.

  Eustace's head tilted slightly. "I—" He adjusted his position, following Merren's movement. "Your ship—The Black Ballad, isn't it?"

  "That’s her! Elegant. Dependable. Entirely innocent-looking." Merren was already turning, watching the eels slip around to the far side of his ship in his peripheral vision. "I'm docked just there. Where’s your berth?"

  "Just down the way. Perhaps we could share a drink later? Compare notes on the local... opportunities?"

  "Perhaps. Possibly. Or not at all. Evenings are notoriously unpredictable." Merren was moving now, took two paces right then started, walking backward along the dock. "Very busy schedule. Cargo to secure and all that. But lovely to see you, Brother Eustace. Always a pleasure. Professional courtesy and such!"

  "Of course." Eustace watched him retreat. "Until later, then."

  "Later! Yes! Much later!" Merren turned and walked quickly toward The Black Ballad, Dain falling into step beside him.

  They didn't speak until they were aboard, out of Eustace's line of sight.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  "That was—" Dain started.

  "Too close," Merren muttered. "Far too close." He moved to the far side of the ship.

  The water rippled below. Five eels surfaced, keeping close to the hull.

  Merren grabbed a bucket from the deck and tied a rope to it.

  “Right then! Let’s get all my eels in a bucket, shall we? Can’t have eels just about, can we?”

  He lowered the bucket over the rail, then raised his voice in case Eustace was listening.

  “Bucket management! Tragically overlooked, that. Ruins more sailors than storms!"

  The eels understood immediately.

  "Newthss," Ripple hissed.

  "Newsss," came Sleech's familiar hiss.

  "Yes, I imagine you have news. LOTS of news," Merren said, quietly. “That gentleman down the dock?” Merren murmured. “Very interested. So we’re having a very dull conversation. Understand?"

  “Underththand,” the Eldmere eels hissed.

  Sleech gave a slow, wet sound of agreement.

  “Understood,” Keen said.

  "Good. Excellent. Top-notch eels, really. Best eels I've ever worked with! Very cooperative! Into the bucket you go!"

  The eels slithered into the bucket—three at first, then the remaining two.

  "There we are!” Merren pulled the bucket back up. “All sorted! Now let's get you lot below deck where you belong!"

  He carried the bucket toward the cargo hold, Dain following. Prattle flew from Dain's shoulder to Merren's, then back to Dain's, clearly unable to decide whose company he preferred.

  Down the dock, Eustace stood watching for a moment longer. Then turned back toward his own ship.

  Merren didn't relax until they were below deck with the cargo hold door closed behind them.

  In the dim light, Cocky and Kith were waiting. The cockatrice looked up anxiously as they descended.

  "What's happening up there? We heard shouting earlier. From the city."

  Merren set the bucket down carefully. "Long story. Several long stories, actually. All of them complicated." He looked at the eels. "Right then. No audience now. What news?"

  The eels immediately began speaking, their hissing voices overlapping.

  “King-man furiousss—”

  “Ceremony sssspoiled—”

  “Much ssssshouting—”

  “Eyeth everywhere—”

  “I heard shouting,” Cocky said. “That wasn’t… normal shouting.”

  "Ink created… let’s call it… a contribution,” Merren paused. “A distraction, really," Merren said. "A tremendously effective, tremendously embarrassing distraction. Jorvan's dignity is currently somewhere at the bottom of the harbor."

  Kith's ears perked up. "I like her more every day."

  "But that's not the problem," Merren continued. "The problem is Eustace. Brother Eustace the Monk, captain of the Serpent's Smile who followed us here and brought Theron here from Myr. He's watching this ship. Probably reporting everything he sees to Valgarr."

  The eels hissed in agreement.

  “Watching,” Sleech hissed.

  “Dock-man watching,” another added.

  Keen said, “He waits.”

  Cocky's feathers puffed. "What does that mean?"

  "You can’t stay here," Merren said quietly. "Not if Eustace is paying attention. Two hidden passengers—one of them supposedly dead—that's the kind of cargo that gets ships searched. Thoroughly."

  "Where do we go?" Kith asked.

  Merren looked at Dain. "The hayloft? Behind the Good For What Ales Ya?"

  "It's where Seren is," Dain said. "How long can they hide there—"

  Cocky looked at the eels. "What else did you see? What's happening in the palace?"

  The eels shifted in their bucket, voices dropping lower.

  “Beard-man speaking softly—”

  “Sharp-voice listening—”

  “Papers passed—”

  “Benjamin-man named—”

  Sleech’s voice dropped. “Sharp-voice sssaid… hands can be guided.”

  Cocky went very still. "Making him? How?"

  The eels shifted.

  Keen said, “Not said. Implied.”

  Silence in the hold.

  Cocky's feathers puffed with distress. "No. They can't—Benjamin would never—"

  Kith's ears went flat. "That doesn't sound good."

  "It’s much worse," Merren agreed. “Once Benjamin signs,” Merren said quietly, “it stops being theft and starts being paperwork—which is far more dangerous.”

  Cocky's legs wobbled. He sat down hard on a coil of rope. "I left him. I left him alone and now—"

  "You left him because you were dead," Kith said firmly. "Or supposed to be."

  "We have to get him out," Cocky said, voice cracking. "We have to—"

  "We will," Merren said. "But first, we get you two somewhere safe. Tonight. Before Eustace decides to have a look around my ship and finds two very interesting stowaways. And also, Cocky, "

  Merren looked at Prattle. “Can you scout the route? Docks to the Good For What Ales Ya. Quietly.”

  Prattle blinked. “Define quietly.”

  "Good." Merren straightened. "Then we wait. Preferably for darkness. Darkness has a way of improving decisions. In the meantime, King Cocky, we need to prepare letters for the kings of Vyrden and Caladwyth for aid while we wait for nightfall.”

  "And Seren?" Cocky asked quietly.

  Prattle, who'd been quiet through all of this, suddenly spoke in Jorvan's voice: "This is—this is TREMENDOUSLY unfortunate! But we're going to—we're going to continue! Because this is IMPORTANT! This liberation—this TREMENDOUS liberation—"

  Despite everything, the corners of Cocky’s beak curved into something almost like a smile. "He really said that?"

  "Multiple times," Dain confirmed. "Quite a performance, yeah? Shame you missed it."

  "Ink's version was better," Kith said. "Wish I could've seen it."

  "You'll hear about it for years," Merren promised.

  Merren picked up the bucket of eels. "Right then. Let's get you lot back to the water before someone asks why I'm keeping eels in a bucket. Questions get asked. Eyebrows raise. Whole unpleasant business. Can't have people thinking I'm up to something."

  “You are always up to thomething,” Strewth said.

  "Well yes, but they don't need to KNOW that."

  He climbed back up to the deck, Dain following. The sun was lower now, painting the harbor in gold and red.

  Down the dock, Eustace stood on his own ship, watching.

  Merren smiled, waved cheerfully, and dumped the eels over the side with the exaggerated care of a man who pretended he was having absolutely nothing to do with eels. And he was very serious about whatever that was.

  "There you are! Back where you belong.” He said softly “Try not to be noticed. Swim free, little friends!"

  The eels disappeared beneath the surface.

  Eustace watched for a moment longer, then turned away.

  Merren's smile faded as soon as the smuggler was out of sight.

  “Tonight,” Merren said softly. “We become very difficult to catch.”

  He looked toward the palace, visible over the rooftops.

  “Then we figure out how to save Eldmere.”