2
(Fenjaday – cont.)
Joton, Kri’enden – Freebooter Casino
“Cruro is impossible to intimidate,” Belmara said disappointedly as she came into the wood-lined office of the newly remodeled Freebooter casino in Joton. The room was very obviously meant to look like the bridge of an old pirate ship. Today, she didn’t feel amused by it. She had someone to find and Cruro’s unwillingness to assist her had annoyed her.
“Told you,” Sheena remarked, not even looking up from her card game.
“I didn’t expect much else from him,” Fashi admitted. “Running the Joton Shaze Academy demands a certain amount of respect for anonymity. I’m sure Zilan and Iyva were under new aliases. Cruro was never likely to say anything. Did you mention the blue hair, Belmara? Surely he would have reacted to that.”
“Of course I mentioned it!” Belmara replied. “No reaction from Cruro though – remember who trained him.”
“You said blue hair?” Sheena interrupted.
“Yes. Zilan’s trademark,” Belmara said, barely stifling a yawn at the woman’s inattention.
“They were here then. I didn’t know about the Edicts otherwise I might have done something. They went by the name Shadow. He taught, she learned… and defeated everyone here,” Sheena said.
“Did Cruro know?” Belmara asked.
“I’m sure he worked it out,” Sheena replied. “But he’s his own man these days. Not really one of us anymore. He won’t betray us, but neither will he betray anyone in the Shaze Academy – just like Fashi said.”
“It’s still disappointing. All Cruro said was that Zilan and his student aren’t here. So, a wasted trip, it seems,” Belmara said, feeling very annoyed.
“Depends on what you mean by wasted. We can run the betting enterprise better from the Freebooter. I’m glad our organization runs it, so we don’t have to pretend anything,” Fashi said.
“I thought I was running it okay,” Sheena defended, looking up from her cards.
“You’re doing fine – except noticing when two people with Death Edicts spend a month under your nose!” Belmara replied sourly. Sheena didn’t seem to be taking it seriously. They would have to fix that.
“Sorry,” Sheena said. “Running the casino is sort of a full time job.”
“That’s why we’re here to help,” Fashi said with a smile. “Do you know of anyone who would make a good assistant manager? Maybe even be Kri’enden # 2?”
“There are a few A’mara visitors in town. Most of them are the usual but there’s one who has been eyeing me when I train. He has the right sort of personality. He might be malleable,” Sheena said.
“And…?” Belmara asked impatiently.
“Gaetan Rookley. When you do some digging, he has a bit of a colorful past. Several children suspected to be his in Omrill… teenagers that he romanced,” Sheena said.
“That’s an age gap that’s probably criminal if it were to be made known,” Belmara said recognizing the potential.
“I think most of them are from when he was younger – at least ten years ago.”
“But possibly still criminal,” Fashi said. “Sounds like our type! Let’s start reeling him in. You do your part, Sheena.”
Sheena rolled her eyes and went back to her cards.
“Consider it a bonus,” Belmara said. “I’m sure even you have needs. You’re pushing 50, after all...”
“Speak for yourself, Belmara!” Sheena retorted with a glare. “At least I didn’t undergo ‘The Change’ early!”
“Anyway...” Fashi interjected.
“And the fact you didn’t benefited you how?” Belmara launched back, ignoring her husband. “No children? No contribution to our cause?”
“At least I didn’t supply the jail!” Sheena shouted in reply.
“Yoo hoo!” Fashi tried again.
Belmara used a leya blast to shove Sheena out of her chair onto the floor, cards flying everywhere. “You will regret that!”
“Blood is difficult to get out of carpets,” Fashi said, positioning himself between the two women. “And it’s difficult to find good Number Ones.”
Belmara and Sheena quieted, but continued glaring at each other.
“Anyway!” Fashi said. Belmara could see he was trying to defuse the situation and return focus to the topics they were meant to be discussing. She didn’t feel like letting him, but she let it drop.
Fashi waited in silence for a couple moments before continuing. “Anyway, this Gaetan is obviously susceptible to the charms of a pretty woman. You lead him in here, Sheena. Then at some point you drop the bombshell that we know about him and he can either cooperate with us or be turned in for the scum he truly is.”
“What do we have him manage? Can he be trusted enough?” Sheena asked, not taking her eyes off Belmara.
“Just because he can’t be trusted with a girl doesn’t mean he can’t be trusted with something else – like catching cheats. He might be really good at that. Put him in the crow’s nest,” Fashi said.
“So, how is the betting going?” Belmara asked, looking at him at last. She wasn’t really all that interested in gambling, as long as it paid the bills. At the moment though, it was better than letting Sheena control the conversation.
Fashi looked at her. She knew he wasn’t fooled. It didn’t hamper his enthusiasm though.
“This border dispute is proving very profitable. Everyone knows about the dispute between the Yeziling and the Zley, yet no one seems all that bothered by them – except to make bets on when they think the next skirmish will be, started by whom and won by whom. What does surprise me is how lop-sided it is. Everyone bets on the Yeziling, even though you know there are plenty of Zley here in Joton!” Fashi explained.
“Do the Zley really lose that much?” Belmara asked.
“No. That’s what’s surprising. The Yeziling seem to perpetrate more, but the Zley are more than able to hold their own. But still, the bets roll in on the Yeziling.”
“I guess we need to make sure the Zley win something unexpected to throw everyone off guard.”
“But how?” Fashi asked.
“Weapons?” Belmara asked. “You know, standard stuff?”
“That seems so cliché,” Fashi complained.
“What do they normally fight over?” Belmara asked, looking at Sheena.
Sheena grabbed the chance to be the expert. “Most of the time, the Yeziling steal land, livestock, even workers who happen to be in the way. Oh, they also steal brides, but they don’t discriminate – they’re more than happy to steal from other tribes too. The Zley, of course, retaliate. But they’re more after reclaiming what was lost, not taking more,” Sheena explained. “It’s hard to get good info though. There are no press agencies parked along the border.”
“They steal brides? Are they that butt ugly or something?” Belmara asked through clenched teeth.
Sheena glared at Belmara’s insult. “Actually, the Yeziling are considered extremely attractive. For them, it’s a matter of pride and honor, but a warped sense for sure,” Sheena said, picking up the cards, shuffling and laying them out again. “It definitely causes war from time to time. Most of the time, though, it’s tolerated.”
“Not much different from many Balan actually,” Belmara said, rolling her eyes, equally annoyed by the fact that Sheena was now mostly ignoring her. “Except our young men are taught to be at least a little more romantic than that!”
“But clearly, we need to make them somehow break their normal mold… both of the tribes. Something unexpected… what can we do?” Fashi wondered.
“Something that is fairly particular to the Yeziling…,” Sheena shared, looking at Fashi. “As they live in the hot desert, they tend to only raid at nights. The Zley, being more used to the canyons, tend to raid in the day instead.”
“So, how can we make the Yeziling raid in the day?” Belmara asked, almost forgetting to be irritated with Sheena, in the excitement of seeing an opportunity forming. “Just this once anyway. Enough to make people bet on the Zley again...”
“What if we began the rumor that the Zley planned a raid?” Fashi asked.
“And make sure the Zley have a reason to raid…,” Belmara continued.
“Suggest to the Yeziling that if they win in the daytime, they will gain more. Meanwhile, we make the Zley think that the Yeziling have raided, so they need to launch a counter raid. Suddenly, they meet in the daylight…,” Fashi planned aloud.
“Don’t we have someone in the media here?” Belmara asked. “Maybe an initiate who needs to impress? A timely leak would do much...”
♥
If you have enjoyed this book, I would be grateful if you could put your thoughts as a review on Goodreads for me.
Other Chapters of this set
Acting the Part - chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Building on Promise - Chapter 1
Acting the Part, part 2 - Chapter 10
Spice of Strength - Chapter 1
Acting the Part, part 3 - Chapter 19
Sands of Survival - Chapter 1
Maps and Guides
- continents of Alacantis and Kranisis (five maps)
- continent of Almara (five maps)
- countries of Kri'enden and Yezi'im (four maps plus "other places")
- characters, pronunciation and glossary
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Lori Svensen
author/designer at A'mara Books
photographer/graphic artist for Viking Visual
verified author on Goodreads
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also on: Whaleshares, WeKu
