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.I put my hand on his shoulder.I caressed his neck, letting my fingers play over his scar."All that time I spent getting ready when youcouldn't see me, and now you can, it has to be like this," hesaid, and somehow, I heard the smile in his voice before Isaw it on his face.This was Valero.My Valero.I knew him.And myresolve to be with him was absolutely unwavering."I missed you," I said, and the smile on his facegrew."I've been worried," he said."After what I did, andthen you didn't come& ""They had me in sick bay.They thought I'd& "They thought I'd lost my mind, and maybe I had."Theyfixed my eyes.""I'm glad," he said.His smile faded."Tell me youforgive me for what I did."It took me a moment to even realize what he meant,but then I remembered him hitting me and shoving me intohis closet."Of course I forgive you," I said.If he hadn'tdone it, I'd be locked in the cell with him.In some ways, I159 Blind Space Marie Sextonwould have preferred that.And yet if I'd been locked uptoo, I wouldn't have been able to get him out.I knew what I had to do."Which one's the captain?" I asked, and when hiseyebrows went down in confusion, I laughed."The realcaptain."* * * *Captain Yima turned out to be the fourth man in thecell the one Valero had been talking to on the bench atthe back of the cell.He was much as I had pictured him:huge and barrel-chested.He looked to be about fifty yearsold.He had a thick black beard and a completely bald headtattooed with red and gold flames.The tattoo ink was brightand metallic, and the flames seemed to flicker in the lightwhen he turned his head."I know the kidnapping was Rikard's idea," I toldhim."But I need to know if you have any proof.""I have the messages," he said, "but what good willit do?""Are they on the ship servers?"He laughed."How stupid do I look, kid?""Where are they? And would they prove he was inon it?"160 Blind Space Marie SextonHe stopped smiling.He squinted his eyes at me as iftrying to determine how seriously to take me."They're on anon-Regency server under an anonymous account," he said."Rikard's messages say who he is, but they were sent froma public computer, so they couldn't be traced to him.All hehas to do is say somebody set him up.""Besides which," Valero said, "we'd never get tothem anyway.They won't give us computer access.""You have a right to present facts in your defense"Yima snorted."You really think those messageswill ever see the light of day?" he asked."I can guaranteethe Regent will make sure they disappear.""Greedy bastard," Valero said."First he sells hisown men out to us, then he turns around and sells us out theRegency.""What do you mean?" I asked."Somebody gave the Regency our lock code," Yimasaid."We counted on your prince being less than honest.We never told him the code and he didn't have computeraccess, but we made the mistake of trusting our ownpeople."I looked at Valero for explanation, and he pointeddown the aisle to a cell at the end of the room.It was full ofwomen.Unlike the male pirates, who all seemed to follow161 Blind Space Marie Sextonthe same code of what a pirate should look like, the womenwere a diverse group.One wore no makeup.Her hair wascropped short.She wore nondescript men's clothing.Imight have thought she was a young boy, if I'd passed herin the corridor.One of them had bright, spiked hair like themen.The rest looked like any woman I might have met at aRegency mixer."We're missing one crew member," Valero said."Janus.The woman who's been warming your prince'ssheets.""He's not my prince," I said.Valero continued as if I hadn't interrupted."He wasgetting bored.What he thought would last only days hadstretched into weeks.He was out of tobacco and wine.Ourmen didn't pander to him as he expected.Once the Regencyrefused the bulk of the ransom, he obviously decided to cuthis losses and go home.""So he convinced Janus to contact the Regency?"Valero shrugged."Seems like the most logicalexplanation."I was distracted by movement in the cell oppositethe women.Two men stood at the bars, looking my way.They weren't like the other pirates.They were young.Notattoos.No mohawks.No makeup.In fact, one was wearinga Regency Militia jacket.162 Blind Space Marie SextonThey were the defectors.I walked down to their cell.Tomas and Seamus,two of my youngest men.They both stared at me withscared eyes.I stared back, wondering what I should say.Itwas Seamus who spoke first."Captain Kelley ""I'm not your captain anymore."They both hung their heads at that, and I realizedthey had misunderstood me.They thought I meant becausethey had defected, when what I really meant was because Ihad.I stepped up close to the bars."Listen to me," I said,and they both looked back up at me, their eyes hopeful."I'm getting you all out of here as soon as I can, but themilitia will never take you back.You boys need to decidenow if you're going with the pirates, or if you havesomebody else you can run to.Do you understand?"They both nodded, but it was Tomas who answered."Yes, sir," he said."We understand."163 Blind Space Marie SextonCHAPTER 19Standing outside Rikard's room gave me an eeriesense of déjà vu.I straightened my uniform for at least thethird time.I smoothed down my hair.How many times hadI done this before being let into his room, sometimes forbusiness, sometimes for more? I didn't want to see him, butI could think of no other way to get what I needed.I took a deep breath to steady myself and I knockedon his door.It was answered by a woman.Although she'dobviously gone to great lengths to dress like a respectablemember of Regency society, there was no missing the pinkstripe in her hair.Her makeup was too thick and too dark."You must be Janus," I said."Yeah.So?" She put a hand on her hip."Who thehell are you?"It was a good act, but not good enough.I could tellshe was nervous [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ]
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.I put my hand on his shoulder.I caressed his neck, letting my fingers play over his scar."All that time I spent getting ready when youcouldn't see me, and now you can, it has to be like this," hesaid, and somehow, I heard the smile in his voice before Isaw it on his face.This was Valero.My Valero.I knew him.And myresolve to be with him was absolutely unwavering."I missed you," I said, and the smile on his facegrew."I've been worried," he said."After what I did, andthen you didn't come& ""They had me in sick bay.They thought I'd& "They thought I'd lost my mind, and maybe I had."Theyfixed my eyes.""I'm glad," he said.His smile faded."Tell me youforgive me for what I did."It took me a moment to even realize what he meant,but then I remembered him hitting me and shoving me intohis closet."Of course I forgive you," I said.If he hadn'tdone it, I'd be locked in the cell with him.In some ways, I159 Blind Space Marie Sextonwould have preferred that.And yet if I'd been locked uptoo, I wouldn't have been able to get him out.I knew what I had to do."Which one's the captain?" I asked, and when hiseyebrows went down in confusion, I laughed."The realcaptain."* * * *Captain Yima turned out to be the fourth man in thecell the one Valero had been talking to on the bench atthe back of the cell.He was much as I had pictured him:huge and barrel-chested.He looked to be about fifty yearsold.He had a thick black beard and a completely bald headtattooed with red and gold flames.The tattoo ink was brightand metallic, and the flames seemed to flicker in the lightwhen he turned his head."I know the kidnapping was Rikard's idea," I toldhim."But I need to know if you have any proof.""I have the messages," he said, "but what good willit do?""Are they on the ship servers?"He laughed."How stupid do I look, kid?""Where are they? And would they prove he was inon it?"160 Blind Space Marie SextonHe stopped smiling.He squinted his eyes at me as iftrying to determine how seriously to take me."They're on anon-Regency server under an anonymous account," he said."Rikard's messages say who he is, but they were sent froma public computer, so they couldn't be traced to him.All hehas to do is say somebody set him up.""Besides which," Valero said, "we'd never get tothem anyway.They won't give us computer access.""You have a right to present facts in your defense"Yima snorted."You really think those messageswill ever see the light of day?" he asked."I can guaranteethe Regent will make sure they disappear.""Greedy bastard," Valero said."First he sells hisown men out to us, then he turns around and sells us out theRegency.""What do you mean?" I asked."Somebody gave the Regency our lock code," Yimasaid."We counted on your prince being less than honest.We never told him the code and he didn't have computeraccess, but we made the mistake of trusting our ownpeople."I looked at Valero for explanation, and he pointeddown the aisle to a cell at the end of the room.It was full ofwomen.Unlike the male pirates, who all seemed to follow161 Blind Space Marie Sextonthe same code of what a pirate should look like, the womenwere a diverse group.One wore no makeup.Her hair wascropped short.She wore nondescript men's clothing.Imight have thought she was a young boy, if I'd passed herin the corridor.One of them had bright, spiked hair like themen.The rest looked like any woman I might have met at aRegency mixer."We're missing one crew member," Valero said."Janus.The woman who's been warming your prince'ssheets.""He's not my prince," I said.Valero continued as if I hadn't interrupted."He wasgetting bored.What he thought would last only days hadstretched into weeks.He was out of tobacco and wine.Ourmen didn't pander to him as he expected.Once the Regencyrefused the bulk of the ransom, he obviously decided to cuthis losses and go home.""So he convinced Janus to contact the Regency?"Valero shrugged."Seems like the most logicalexplanation."I was distracted by movement in the cell oppositethe women.Two men stood at the bars, looking my way.They weren't like the other pirates.They were young.Notattoos.No mohawks.No makeup.In fact, one was wearinga Regency Militia jacket.162 Blind Space Marie SextonThey were the defectors.I walked down to their cell.Tomas and Seamus,two of my youngest men.They both stared at me withscared eyes.I stared back, wondering what I should say.Itwas Seamus who spoke first."Captain Kelley ""I'm not your captain anymore."They both hung their heads at that, and I realizedthey had misunderstood me.They thought I meant becausethey had defected, when what I really meant was because Ihad.I stepped up close to the bars."Listen to me," I said,and they both looked back up at me, their eyes hopeful."I'm getting you all out of here as soon as I can, but themilitia will never take you back.You boys need to decidenow if you're going with the pirates, or if you havesomebody else you can run to.Do you understand?"They both nodded, but it was Tomas who answered."Yes, sir," he said."We understand."163 Blind Space Marie SextonCHAPTER 19Standing outside Rikard's room gave me an eeriesense of déjà vu.I straightened my uniform for at least thethird time.I smoothed down my hair.How many times hadI done this before being let into his room, sometimes forbusiness, sometimes for more? I didn't want to see him, butI could think of no other way to get what I needed.I took a deep breath to steady myself and I knockedon his door.It was answered by a woman.Although she'dobviously gone to great lengths to dress like a respectablemember of Regency society, there was no missing the pinkstripe in her hair.Her makeup was too thick and too dark."You must be Janus," I said."Yeah.So?" She put a hand on her hip."Who thehell are you?"It was a good act, but not good enough.I could tellshe was nervous [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ]