Sebastian Darke: Prince of Pirates (44 page)

'Oh . . . perfect.' He scowled at her. 'I suppose I should be grateful you've given me this much notice. It's a wonder I didn't wake up and find a note pinned to the door.
Gone
south. Back in two moons.
'

She laughed and lifted her tankard. 'Oh come on, don't be such a misery! The time will fly by, you'll see. And who knows, maybe we'll use whatever money is left from my trip to start our treasure-hunting fund.'

He lifted his own tankard and drank dutifully, but the ale seemed to have lost its flavour and he found himself wondering how he was going to pass the time till she was home again.

He found Cornelius sitting at one of the tables of the outdoor café, opposite a prosperous-looking merchant in richly embroidered robes. Max, who had been assigned to help Cornelius get around while he was recovering from his wound, was tethered to a rail a short distance away from the two men. He was quite clearly eavesdropping on their conversation. Sebastian sidled up to the buffalope and murmured in his ear.

'What's it all about?' he asked.

'What's it
always
about?' grunted Max disapprovingly. 'Pipe dreams and nonsense.' He snorted. 'Plus, of course, the prospect of some cash.'

Sebastian thought about that. Maybe if he came up with enough gold, he could finance the trip to the treasure cave himself, and be waiting for Jenna with a fortune in gold and precious jewels. 'Who's the stiff in the fancy robes?' he whispered.

Max made a face. 'His name's Thaddeus Peel. A Berundian oil merchant. Aren't they always the ones with the fat wallets?'

Sebastian smothered a smile. Max had always had a dim view of Berundians. True, one
had
overcharged them for oil on the road to Keladon, but such a deep-seated dislike must have had more foundation than that. He told himself that he really must ask Max about that some time. But for the moment there were more pressing matters.

'Is he going to fund our expedition?' he asked Max.

'Don't think so. I gather he has an agenda of his own.'

At that moment Cornelius glanced up and saw Sebastian. 'Ah, here's the fellow I was telling you about!' he roared. 'Sebastian, don't stand there skulking. Come over and meet Thaddeus!'

Sebastian gave Max a wary look, but he went obligingly over and shook the fat, beringed finger that the merchant held out to him.

'Mr Darke,' said Thaddeus in a soft but deep voice. 'Captain Drummel has been singing your praises. He was just telling me how you beat that rascal Trencherman in bloody hand-to-hand combat.'

'Was he now?' Sebastian took a seat at the table and Cornelius poured him a goblet of wine. 'And did he tell you how lucky I was to survive?'

'Luck had nothing to do with it!' roared Cornelius, slapping Sebastian on the shoulder and nearly making him spill his wine. 'He's too modest, Mr Peel! You'll not find a more intrepid adventurer anywhere in Ramalat, I can assure you. Why, in these parts he's known as Sebastian Darke, Prince of Explorers! He'd be the perfect choice to lead your expedition.'

'Expedition?' Sebastian brightened a little. 'Then you
are
interested in our treasure hunt?'

Cornelius shook his head. 'I told Thaddeus all about the treasure. And he admitted he might be prepared to fund us
another time
.'

'Another time? But—'

'But for now he has a different quest in mind.'

'Oh yes?' Sebastian looked at the merchant, puzzled and slightly annoyed. 'What would that be?'

Thaddeus Peel smiled and leaned back in his chair. 'Mr Darke,' he said, 'what do you know of the jungles of Mendip?'

'I know they cover the whole of the Southlands,' ventured Sebastian. 'A green wilderness as far as the eye can see, even from the highest vantage point. I know that few men have ventured far beyond its edge. And I have heard people tell fanciful stories of how they are inhabited by monsters—'

'Monsters?' said Max, his voice full of dread. 'W-what kind of monsters?'

Sebastian ignored him. 'Others say that the jungles are cursed and there are many who would not dream of setting foot there.'

'Oh, and a curse too. Lovely!' muttered Max.

Thaddeus Peel nodded. 'And among all those stories, Mr Darke, did you ever hear one about a mysterious lost city?'

Sebastian shook his head. 'I can't say that I did,' he admitted.

'Well, I have heard such stories, many times. Deep in the heart of the jungle, the legend says, lies a fabulous lost city belonging to a once-mighty empire, now fallen into ruin, but packed with treasures just waiting to be plundered. For some time now, the talk among the Brotherhood has been about the possibility of these stories being based on fact.'

'The Brotherhood?' echoed Sebastian.

'Yes. It's a society of successful and influential merchants, of which I am a founder member.' Thaddeus paused for a moment, looking at his beautifully manicured fingernails as though expecting his companions to congratulate him, but nobody said anything, so he continued. 'We have discussed this matter in great detail and have decided that an expedition must be mounted to ascertain the truth and bring back proof of the city's existence.'

'Hah!' said Max. 'And where would you hope to find anybody stupid enough to go on such a trip?'

There was a long uncomfortable silence. Thaddeus glared at the buffalope, clearly affronted by his interruption. 'Somebody should teach that impertinent beast to hold his tongue,' he muttered sourly.

Sebastian shrugged. 'I've been trying to do that for years,' he said. 'In the end I had to admit defeat. Bringing down a wicked king or an evil sea captain, that's one thing; persuading a cantankerous buffalope to accept his place in life is quite another.'

Thaddeus tried to force a smile, but it was clear that his feathers had been ruffled. He cleared his throat and took a mouthful of wine before continuing.

'Yes . . . well . . . naturally, such an expedition would be fraught with danger, no matter how intrepid its leader. That is why I and my fellow merchants are offering a king's ransom for anyone willing to undertake the challenge. And an even more handsome bonus should they return with proof of the fabled city's existence.'

'It would need to be a considerable amount to make me consider a journey like that,' said Sebastian.

Thaddeus nodded. He took another sip of his wine, leaving a couple of red crescents at the corners of his mouth. 'What would you say to five hundred gold crowns?' he asked. 'And another five for a successful conclusion?'

'Shadlog's teeth!' exclaimed Cornelius, then coughed self-consciously. 'That, er . . . would seem an appropriate amount for a mission like that,' he added. 'Yes, in that general region.'

'You are kidding, I hope!' said Max flatly. 'To put all our lives at risk in a dank, stinking jungle, the payoff should be at least ten thousand!'

Sebastian looked at him sharply. 'Max,' he said, 'I don't think—'

'Ten thousand?' mused Thaddeus. 'I don't think so. We might be persuaded to go to five thousand, but—'

'Six thousand,' said Max. 'But I don't know why we're even talking about it, because there's no way the young master would ever—' He broke off because he could see the dreamy look in Sebastian's eyes. 'Oh no,' he said. 'Tell me you're not actually considering this!'

But Sebastian was thinking. He was thinking that with that kind of money in his purse, the trip back to Captain Callinestra's cave was assured; and that Jenna might never have to go away to sea again.

'Very well,' said Thaddeus. 'Let's say three thousand up front and another three on your successful return. But we would require some pretty compelling evidence that the city really exists.'

'It's certainly a generous offer,' conceded Cornelius. 'But my friend and I will need to discuss it in detail. When would you require an answer?'

'I wouldn't wait around too long,' said Thaddeus matter-of-factly. 'There are plenty of other adventurers in this town who would doubtless take on the task for a lot less than you are asking. But . . . well, you come highly recommended, Mr Darke, and I feel our best hope of success lies with you. I trust you will accept our offer.' He drained the last of his wine and stood up. 'I have business to attend to. I will give you until sundown tomorrow to decide. Then I shall look elsewhere.' He nodded to Cornelius. 'Captain Drummel,' he said; and he turned and strode away, looking very full of himself.

'Typical Berundian,' muttered Max disdainfully. 'Thinks that money can cure any problem.'

'You're quite the businessman yourself,' Cornelius told him. 'You just talked up our fee by five thousand crowns without raising an eyebrow.'

Max shrugged. 'Oh, it's not so difficult when you know how,' he said. 'You just have to let them know who's boss. Besides, I was just toying with him. I knew that after all the terrible hardships we've endured recently, we wouldn't even consider going anywhere near that rotten jungle . . . would we?'

Sebastian didn't answer the question, but instead directed one to Cornelius. 'How long would an expedition like that take?'

Cornelius frowned. 'Impossible to say,' he replied. 'There's no guarantee that we'd even find this lost city. Chances are, it's just a myth. But think of it this way. Even if we fail to find it, we'd still have three thousand gold crowns in our pockets, enough to finance our own trip.'

'But . . . hang on a moment!' argued Max. 'Are either of you up to it? Cornelius, you're still limping badly from that kelfer bite; and Sebastian, you very nearly ended up in the belly of one of those sea creatures. Goodness knows what kind of horrors might be lurking in that jungle.'

Sebastian smiled at the buffalope. 'And my reply to you is the same as ever,' he said. 'You don't have to come with us – you're free to stay here in a nice, warm stable and relax. After all, Max, you're not as young as you used to be—'

'Nonsense! I'm in my prime! And you know perfectly well that I'm not about to leave the two of you to run things. Why, without my help on that infernal ship you'd both have wound up as fish food!'

Sebastian and Cornelius exchanged smiles. Max had a very high opinion of his own worth, but they both knew that he was quite right. He had saved their skins on innumerable occasions, and to go on any expedition without him would have been unthinkable.

'So it looks as though you are in favour of the trip,' observed Cornelius.

Sebastian nodded. 'It would finance our return to the treasure cave. And besides, Jenna's going to be away for a couple of moons – I'll be at a loose end.'

'So decorate the house,' said Max. 'Have a few lie-ins and the odd flagon of ale! Why must we be forever galloping round the known world, exhausting ourselves?'

'It's good for the soul,' Sebastian assured him.

Cornelius grinned. 'I'll go straight after Thaddeus and tell him we accept his proposition,' he said. 'May as well get the ball rolling.' He clambered down from his chair and limped off in the direction that the oil merchant had taken. Sebastian and Max stared after him thoughtfully.

'Are you sure he's up to it?' muttered Max.

'Cornelius? Of course. He'd be up to it if he'd lost the whole leg!'

Max sighed. 'And I suppose there's nothing I can do to talk you out of this?'

Sebastian shook his head. 'Think of it this way,' he said. 'A large chunk of the treasure we lost was yours. If we can return and secure a portion of it for you, there's no reason why you should ever have to exhaust yourself again. Imagine, Max, a life of relaxation. All the fresh fruit you can eat and even the odd bucket of ale.'