The White Flags

The merchants ships hauled up white flags, with black markings on them. The mate raised a spyglass, and nodded. The men on the Gold Coast were noticably at ease. "All men remain at your stations", the mate shouted. Something was up, but Astra had no idea what.

On board one of the ships, the captain of the Gold Coast talked to the captain of the foreign ship in a far friendlier manner than Astra would have imagined. He was looking through some papers, and said, "Everything's in order, Jerimiah. Why didn't you fly the pennent in the first place? If we can't see it, we do not know that you have paid the tribute already, and you are open to attack."

"We don't fly it near port. The subject of giving tribute to the Lords is a sore one back home. The Blacksand navy looks upon accepting your pennent as treason. I don't fly the pennent unless I need to identify myself to one of you. I have some good news and some bad news for you. We have a cargo of spirits, and if you want to help yourself to a few casks, then we can chalk it up to the normal 'evaporation' that takes place."

The captain replied, "What's the bad news?"

"It is all ouzo. Damned peculiar flavour. A little of it goes a long way. It is a specialty item that we are delivering on the Archangel run. One of the merchant barons has a taste for it."

"I will take three casks. Spirits are spirits, and we can find a use for them. Jerimiah, I have a business proposition for you. I need you to fence something for me."

The foreign captain looked skeptical. "You are asking me to fence something? What is so hot that the Lords of the Sea cannot move it?"

"We have a mixed party of strange creatures, including a dragon. Charlie has been in touch with headquarters. We will not be able to kill her. She has a magic that is too strong for us. We have to get rid of her, but in such a state that she cannot hurt us."

"So you want me to sell a dragon?"

"Well, to sell her in her human form, once we have separated her from her companions. She is said to be from a monarchy from the far side of the ocean. Even if she is, that is too far to go, and leaves us to vulnerable to revenge later."

Jerimiah looked doubtful. "If she is a dragon, will she stay in her human form? If you do not have enough power to make her human permanently, and not to kill her, what makes you think that you can force her to become human?"

"I am going by what Charlie the Mage told me, but it is a problem. I was hoping that you could come up with something. You see why this isn't easy."

Jerimiah frowned, but it was the frown of an expert tackling a thorny but interesting problem. He then continued, "Let us talk about her companions for a minute."

"One sailor from the Black Capes."

"He might be worth a quarter pika. Not much more. It is probably not worth the trouble to sell him. We will just give him up to the Blacksand Navy when they shake us down for 'superfluous' men."

"That's fine. One gnome. Hardy, but with no special qualities that we can find."

"Worth ten pikas, as a novelty in a court. Temperament?"

"Seems placid enough."

"I can work with that. What else?"

"One knight from the far side of the ocean. Excellent shape, and fairly sharp. He is a bit surly, but smart enough to know when he is beat."

"A pika, as I am in a hurry. Some professional dealer might be able to get ten if he was indeed a warrior and can ride a horse well."

"Fine. Here are the two most interesting items outside the dragon. One harpy, which dropped in late last night, after we had subdued the main party. We found her trying to fool with one of the cannons."

"Never seen a harpy come this far, and certainly not from the west. Twenty-five pikas as a novelty, minimum. I would not pay that much, as I don't know that he will keep."

"It a she."

"Really? I may want to talk with her. She has to have one heck of a story. I don't like women on ship, as it provides a distraction, but as harpies aren't quite human, I should be able to manage. Will it be difficult to keep her under control, with the talons?"

"No, no. She doesn't have talons. She looks like an underfed girl with wings. Besides the dragon, she was the one that put up the most resistance."

"Interesting. What else do you have?"

"A distraction."

"A woman?"

"Fair, young, and a maiden."

"That's trouble. It couldn't be any worse."

"It is. She is a mage. Charlie caught her trying to work spells, and has done some things to her mind that make her much less dangerous."

"I will have to see, but if she were just a common wench, she would be worth a hundred pikas, from your description. Still not worth the trouble, if you ask me. But someday I am going to ask the Lords a favour, and I expect to be remembered."

"So you will do it, then? The dragon has to be transported on a different ship. Headquarters thinks that someone in her group has a valuable item hidden away somewhere that is a key to her magic, but we cannot find it."

Jerimiah's face brightened, and he slammed his right fist into his left hand with some satisfaction. "I think that I have it. Let's not worry about changing her form. The dragon will go on the other ship. There is a man who will buy her with no questions asked. He is a powerful man in Colonia Galia. Colonia Gallia isn't affiliated with Blacksand or Archangel, whose navies and taxes are a bane to independent proprietors like myself. The Archeron there understands that, and Colonia Galia is a haven for free traders* and freethinkers. He would be interested in her."

"Excellent idea! I will bring a cask of rum aboard to sweeten the deal, and ten pikas of gold for your trouble with the dragon. And you can keep any profits from the deal."

"On my next run, I would like an escort to Bainweigh. It will be above what we have contracted for. That will be an acceptable deal."

"Throw in an extra cask of ouzo, and we will draw up the papers. Six captives, a cask of rum, ten pikas in gold, and an extraordinary escort for your next journey to Bainweigh in exchange for four casks of ouzo. Not a bad deal."

"If we can get rid of the dragon, it is an excellent deal. We are, of course, assuming a lot of risk."

1. The crew of the Gold Coast try to move their captives to the other ships.

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