A Ruby for a Ship
The parlour doors swung open as Leonard entered the dimly lit salon. The mix of tobacco and cheap perfume overpowered his senses. The crowd was noisy in here tonight. He hadn’t noticed it from outside.
He took in the lavish decor. Sitting booths were arranged all along the walls, both sides of the well-stocked bar in the centre. Purple curtains separated each booth, giving the patrons a veil of privacy. The guests were mostly men dressed in the latest fashion. The tailored shirts and shiny jackets made Leonard smile. For once, he wasn't overdressed. Perfect. He wouldn’t draw any unnecessary attention.
Though an outsider could be fooled into thinking these were men of high society, Leonard knew better. Smugglers, arms dealers, local warlords - the worst that Pirate Port 5 had to offer. All came here to demonstrate power and riches, to bargain for a bigger piece of the local economy.
A band played sailor tunes in the far left corner of the salon, but hardly anyone was dancing. The polished thugs were mostly interested in the scantly dressed personnel.
So, this is “Madame Genevive’s”..., Leonard thought as he headed for the bar. Who sets a business meeting in a brothel?
“Hey, handsome. Wanna show me what you’re hiding under that beautiful shirt?”, one of the girls stopped him.
She wore her long black hair loose. She was about two heads shorter than Leonard but still displayed unnerving confidence. She didn’t shy away from showing off her shapely figure, her breasts barely hidden under a thin piece of green fabric. What was that? Was it a shirt? Was it a neglige?
“Sorry…” Leonard started, realising he had stared a bit too long.
“Oh, don’t apologise, dear. You can do a lot more than look. Why don’t you join me upstairs?” she said, gently placing his hand on her breast.
“Look, you are very pretty - ” Leonard collected his thoughts, “but I have some matters to attend to. A bit later, perhaps?”
“Fine…” she pouted in pretend disappointment. “Just don’t forget me, handsome.” She slapped him playfully on his firm chest and walked on, joining the crowd in one of the nearby booths.
Leonard gave an awkward nod in her direction, steadied himself and found his way to the bar.
He was a charming young man. Most would even say he was good-looking. His light green eyes and messy sunbleached hair had made many a girl blush over the years. He enjoyed the attention. Under other circumstances, he might’ve even been down for a bit of fun.
But not tonight. Tonight was different. He had important business. He couldn't afford the distraction - however convincing the offer.
“A glass of brandy, please.” Leonard summoned the barmaid’s attention.
“Coming up,” she said, looking him up and down. “You’re not from here, are you, pretty boy?” she asked.
Is it that obvious, Leonard thought, maybe I shouldn’t have agreed to this…
“I’m not what you’d call… a regular, no.” he said in the most confident tone he could manage. “But if all goes well tonight, you might be seeing a lot of from me around these parts.”
“Oh yeah? What’s tonight?”
“Let’s just say I’m meeting someone important.”
“You mean her?” the barmaid nodded past Leonard, towards a dark booth in the corner of the salon. A slender hooded figure was sitting there, slowly sipping a mug of ale. Although Leonard couldn’t see a face under the hood’s shadow, he had this strange feeling the woman was regarding him from a distance. He suddenly realised she’d been watching him ever since he entered the salon.
“Yes… It seems like she’s here for me”, he said with a shaky voice. “Would you excuse me, madam?” he said, not expecting a response. He dropped a gold coin on the counter and moved away from the bar, brandy glass in hand.
Ok, Leonard, breathe… Don’t fuck this up, he tried to steady himself as he approached the mysterious stranger.
“Leonard Clay, at your service!” he said, finding his seat across the hooded stranger. “My friends call me Leo, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. And you are…?”
“Doesn’t matter.” said the woman with a cold voice. “Let’s get to it, Mr. Clay. My associate said you had some interesting business for me?”
“Ah, yes. Straight to the point. No wasting time. Right…” Leonard felt panic creep in as he saw the woman’s head tilt to the side, her invisible stare heavy on his mind. He couldn’t quite make out her face in the low light. All he saw was a delicate jawline and ruby-red lips. She couldn’t have been more than 30 years old.
“I asked to meet with you tonight” Leonard began, trying not to pay attention to his sweaty palms, “because I want to make you a lot of money.”
“Is that so?” the woman asked, the corners of her lips turning up in amusement. “And how do you intend to do that, Mr. Clay?”
“Well, I have reason to believe that the merchants of Aros are running a new trade route in neutral waters, not too far from our shores.” Leonard continued. “Risky move, but you know how they are, they’d do anything to earn an extra gold piece, those greedy bastards… Anyway, in approximately three weeks, their first group of 4 vessels is scheduled to depart. My sources say they will be carrying a rich bounty of silks, gems and spices, all intended for Sanctum. With your help, I can hijack the convoy and take the cargo.”
“That’s it? A little sting operation?” the woman scoffed. “I thought you’d be more inventive than that, Mr. Clay. The Merchant Guild may be greedy, but they’re not stupid. They will have a security escort. You're a fool if you think you can pull this off.”
With that, she pushed herself up from her seat, ready to leave. “It seems like you’ve wasted my time here. Enjoy your evening, Mr. Clay.”
“Wait! I wasn’t finished. Give me one more minute, please!” Leonard pleaded, his voice breaking slightly.
The woman sat back down with a sigh. “One minute” she repeated with a flat voice.
“Thank you! Now where was I…” Leonard said, composing himself before continuing.
“To cut some time on the way to The Sanctum, the ships will pass through the Barren Straits. Those are shallow waters, as I’m sure you know. Warships can’t make it through. The merchants will be forced to travel light.
“As it happens, the Straits are also a perfect place for an ambush. That’s our window of opportunity. That’s where I will strike. We’ll isolate the last ship from the convoy, pick the guards off one by one and take what’s on board.
“I estimate that would be around a hundred thousand gold pieces worth of cargo. Maybe more, if sold to the right people. We split the spoils evenly, of course. All I need is a small ship and a crew of 15 men, no more.”
“I see,” said the woman, tapping her fingers on the table.
Though she didn’t really show it, she liked the sound of this deal. There would be virtually no risk to her reputation. Technically she wouldn’t be involved at all. But if this daring pup succeeded, she’d gain a considerable amount of coin in a short space of time.
“That could actually work.” she said after a brief pause.
“It will work. All I need is a ship.” Leonard held his arms open in expectation.
“All right, Mr. Clay. You have my attention. But we don’t have a deal yet. Not until you get me something nice first.”
“Oh?!” Leonard exclaimed, “Something nice?”
“Yes. You see, Mr. Clay, we take trust very seriously in our business.” the woman said. “And I must know that I can trust you in principle before I give you ships and men to command. I need you to do a small favour for me.”
“What favour?” Leonard leaned in closer to her, both elbows on the table.
“Well, there is a reason I brought you to Madame Genevive’s tonight. She is something of a connoisseur of fine jewellery - a collector if you will. She has a very special necklace in her possession. Adorning it - the finest ruby you’ve ever laid your eyes on. If you want us to make a deal tonight, you must bring me that ruby.”
“You want me to steal a necklace?”
“Exactly! That wouldn’t be any trouble for you, would it? I mean, after all, you’ve just proposed stealing a whole Merchant Guild trade ship…”
Leonard brought his hands together in front of his lips. He stared into the hood’s shadow, trying to make out more details of the woman’s face. He wasn’t exactly a jewel thief and he hadn’t prepared for anything like this tonight. But he had been working towards this opportunity for months. He had to walk away with a deal - one way or another.
“So, Mr. Clay. What’s your decision? Will you get me that necklace?”
“If you give me a ship and crew in return.” Leonard stuck out his hand.
“Get me the ruby and we’ll talk,” she said ignoring the gesture. “Madame Genevive’s private quarters are on the third floor. The golden door. You can’t miss it.”
“Alright then. Give me five minutes. I’ll be back before you finish your ale.” he said standing up, his gaze already focused on the staircase behind the music stage.
“Just be careful. Madame Genevive likes her privacy. The room is probably guarded.”
“I know what I’m doing.” Leonard said with forced confidence.
He downed his brandy in one gulp and darted for the stairs. The salon was busy tonight. Hardly anyone noticed his rushed movement.
The second floor was much quieter than the first, though Leonard could hear the sounds coming from the girls’ rooms. It seemed like their guests were getting their money’s worth. No wonder Madame Genevive isolated herself on the third floor, Leonard thought while walking up the stairs.
The third floor was much quieter. It was also much darker. The only light came from two lanterns hanging on either side of a golden door at the end of a long corridor.
Here we go, Leonard steadied himself before moving onwards. He stepped lightly, ensuring the wooden floor didn’t creak beneath his feet. It seemed like there was noone around, but Leonard wasn’t in the mood for risks.
As he approached the room, he took out a small pocket knife and reached for the brass door handle. He leaned on the door slightly and it popped open before he even had a chance to pick the lock.
Really? She likes her privacy?
Leonard didn’t let the thought linger too long. He wanted to be done with this as soon as possible.
He peered inside the room but only darkness greeted his eyes. He held his breath as he listened closely - no noises came from inside. Complete silence. Sounds like no one’s home. He picked up one of the lanterns and walked in, leaving the door slightly ajar.
As he made his way across the large room, he noticed Madame Genevive liked her luxuries. The furniture was beautifully crafted, draped in expensive silks, and finished in precious metals. Next to the extravagant bed, there was a huge crystal mirror attached to a vanity desk. Leonard instinctively headed for the drawers underneath. Should be here, Leonard thought as he started rummaging through the drawers.
He had no luck on the first three, but the last one seemed odd. He removed a few of the documents from inside and noticed there was a hollow compartment. Using his knife, he managed to lift the bottom. As soon as he did, a red glow hit him, overpowering the dim lantern light.
The ruby inside was like nothing he’d ever seen. He picked it up. It fit nicely in his hand, its weight felt somehow soothing.
Yet Leonard felt a strange warmth pulsing from the stone and into his hand. He looked closely at the ruby and noticed swirls of red moving inside. It was as if someone had taken a red-ink quill and stirred it into a glass of water. The nuances of red reminded him of fire and blood. The thought was strangely unsettling.
He shook himself back to the present. Right, I got it. Now, it’s time to leave. Leonard pocketed the ruby and threw everything else back in the drawer.
This was easy, he thought as he hurried for the exit. Looks like I might get my ship after all. As he opened the door with a smug grin, he was met by a rapier pointed at his face.
“What’s this then?” said the man at the other end of the blade, “A little turd lost its way?”
“Now, now, Terry. We mustn’t be rude to our guests. Even if they are trying to steal from us…” Leonard noticed a middle-aged woman behind Terry. Despite her portly figure, she carried herself with dignity and elegance.
“What have you got there, young man?” she pointed at the ruby in Leonard’s hand.
“It’s allright, Genia. I asked him to get it for me.” a familiar voice joined the conversation.
“That’s a strange way to ask for your necklace back, Charlot.”, said the older woman turning to the slender figure that appeared from the shadows. “Your possessions are safe with me.”
For the first time tonight, Leonard saw his sponsor. Without the hood, the young woman was impossible to miss. Her shimmering red hair would have given her away instantly. Charlot - The Scarlet Siren herself! Leonard thought as he noticed her mocking gaze fixed on him. If there wasn’t a blade pushing up against his throat, he would have looked down with embarrassment.
“I know, Genia. But I had to test this one.” Charlot said as she walked behind Leonard. “You really want this deal, don’t you, Mr. Clay?”, she whispered the question in his ear as she pushed the rapier down and away from him.
“Yes, lady Charlot.” he said as he ran his fingers beneath his chin to see if the blade had left a cut. “As I mentioned, I stand to make a lot of money from this operation. I can think of no better partner than the Scarlet Siren herself!”
“I like you”, Charlot said without trying to hide her amusement. “And you did get me my necklace after all…” she pointed out as she took the stone from his hand. “Very well, Leo. I’ll give you a ship with a 20-man crew.” She put out her hand, inviting him to seal the deal.
Leonard didn’t think twice. “This will be the beginning of a fruitful partnership, lady Charlot!” he said as he shook her hand eagerly. “I will not disappoint.”
“I know you won’t. Those who disappoint me usually don’t end well” she remarked as she patted him on the shoulder and headed for the stairs.
“Oh, and remember -” she said turning for a moment, “we split everything 60-40.”
