Вилорп

→"The men in Turai are fools," she says.

→Makri sits down heavily at my table, looking a little fatigued after her long evening shift.

→Some drinkers call over to the Captain, asking if his lady would like to give us a song. The Captain waves their requests away for a while, and starts to look annoyed when a few young mercenaries are too persistent in their attentions. Rallee starts to get angry but Moolifi ends any bad feelings by smiling at the mercenaries and calling over that she'll be pleased to sing. She rises to her feet, a confident woman who's used to entertaining an audience. As the tavern goes quiet,

→Gurd's tavern is full, but despite the raucous drinking contest going on between a group of northern mercenaries and a company of crossbowmen from the Turanian village of Geslax, most people's attention is drawn to Moolifi. The Avenging Axe has never before played host to such a famous entertainer. Captain Rallee pretends not to notice but I can tell he's as pleased as a pixie. He loves it that he can sit at a table with Moolifi and let people see the way she looks into his eyes. He's replaced his tired old black uniform with a smart new one, polished up his boots and trimmed his moustache. Drinkers pause as they lift their flagons to their lips and glance over at the couple, jealous that the Captain has made such a catch. Singers and dancers are very low down in Turai's social strata, but even so, a golden-haired beauty like Moolifi would normally be spending her time with a wealthy member of the Honourable Merchants Association, or maybe even a senator. Now Rallee's hooked up with her, even though he's only a poorly paid captain in the Civil Guard. It says something for his qualities as a man, or so he likes to think.

→I spend the evening sitting in front of the fire downstairs in the tavern, sipping beer and working my way through an enormous venison pie. Salted venison rather than fresh, as it's winter, but Tanrose has a way of bringing it back to life. My mood improves. True, the rooms upstairs are full of sick people, and the pie isn't quite the same without a few yams to mash up in the gravy, but looking on the bright side, I'm feeling on firmer ground with regard to the missing Ocean Storm. Now I've cleared up the matter of the so-called mysterious disappearance of the ship's captain, at least I know where I stand. I've no idea who might have killed him after he slipped away quietly into his lover's arms, but when it comes to a murder in Twelve Seas, I can generally sort it out. Criminals round here are careless. They make mistakes. I find them out. Sometimes it takes a smart piece of thinking. Sometimes just the willingness to plod on till I find the solution. I generally get there in the end.

→Chapter Nine

→"Not quite. But I can feel things moving my way."

→"Have you raised the money yet?"

→"Cancelling it would only raise suspicions."

→"You're meant to be not drawing attention to the Avenging Axe. Staging the biggest card game in Twelve Seas' history might technically be seen as drawing attention."

→Makri scoffs at this.

→"In times of crisis, a man has to carry on as normal. I can't go around cancelling card games. It would be unpatriotic."

→I get the slight feeling that things are spinning out of control, with sick people everywhere and the city's richest gamblers heading in my direction, but I force the thought away.

→"Of course it will. People are bound to talk about it, especially if General Acarius brings Praetor Capatius."

→"No it won't."

→"It'll draw attention to the tavern."

→"Why would I do that?"

→I'm puzzled.

→"Are you going to cancel the card game?" asks Makri.

→I'm not that impressed by Cicerius sending Tirini Snake Smiter to help. She's not the sort of Sorcerer you'd turn to in a crisis. I'd be happier if he sent a regiment of troops to ring the tavern. Unfortunately this might alert the Orcs to Lisutaris's illness, which might precipitate an immediate attack.