Masque

Chapter 6/Part 2

As Fasili and company sauntered along for a bit of reconnaissance, the sweet tune of Merosans and Relish exchanging spit and bile rose above the din of labourers and fruit hawkers. He gnawed a lip and considered the suitability of Relais' mast as a laundry line.

It might start a war. But it would not be with Khasuk.

If Fasili didn't get himself caught.

Nuru was exchanging raspberries with just the sort of Merosan lad he needed for the job.

The boy was mocking her from atop a coil of rope with a slice of halva.

"¿Eso es tuyo?" Fasili growled. He was terribly out of practice with the language, so he hoped some aggressive looming would help get his meaning across.

"No, señor—er..." he replied and smartly deposited the sweet into Fasili's open palm. Nuru made a grab at it, but he lifted it from her reach. Then, he removed his mask and took a big bite.

Nuru's cheeks puffed up and she stomped his toes. Fortunately, he was not in his sandals. The cover of his slippers and socks absorbed what damage she tried to inflict.

"Stealing from children as well?" Mustafa hissed in his ear and stomped his foot harder.

"It was already stolen." Fasili winced and passed the remainder to Ulaf.

The captain wounded him by dividing it in two. He kept half for himself and gave the other portion to the spiteful eunuch. Which he then split and handed to the children. So, Ulaf cut his again and poked a large crumb under Mustafa's mask.

The eunuch excused himself to a nook between some crates and discreetly blew it out of his nose.

"¿Eso es tuyo?" Fasili whispered and pointed his thumb at the ship.

The lad nodded and jumped off his perch. He tried to slip away with only a pathetic apology muttered under his breath. Ulaf cut him off with a gentle, but threatening stroll.

"¿Sabes dónde guarda el embajador...sus calzas?" Fasili planted a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"¿Las...calzas...del Señor de Baradoz?" he replied with a doubtful frown.

"Sì. Calzas." Not quite the word he was going for, but the ambassador's hose would surely lead to his intimates.

"That's our man." Ulaf's fingers tapped the jewelled hilt hanging from his belt.

"S-sì." The boy gulped and nodded sensibly.

A congested chest cough came from someone behind them. "Pardon me, is this—"

"Hello, my friend!" Mustafa swooped in from his snot-spot and carried the man away. "I know a Prince from Işar and he has some gold but he cannot get it through this port..."

Before any more interruptions came their way, Fasili heaved the boy up by the collar and swung him up under his arm. He was deceptively heavy, and the flailing limbs made carrying him sideways the safest option.

"Are you mad?" Ulaf shrieked and drew more attention to him than the screaming child already had.

"If I leave him there, he'll run off."

"He stole from Subajan," Nuru said and gave him a jab in the rib. "Pasha needs to cut off his fingers."

"I won't go that far if he helps me relocate some things from his friends." Fasili laughed and patted her little head. "Robas a tus amigos, y no te quitaré los dedos. ¿De acuerdo?"