‘I know that there are doubters out there. What are we doing here? Why are we waiting? Who are we attacking, and why’s it still a secret?’ Orkmund said, prowling back and forth on the stage. ‘Well, first ask yourself: why’d you come to Retribution Falls? Why’d you answer my call, when you didn’t even know who you was fighting? For some, it was loyalty to me. For some, it was the call to adventure. But for most of you . . . it were this!’
He threw open one of the chests, and a gasp went up from the crowd.
‘Loot! Ducats! Money!’ Orkmund cried, and the crowd cheered anew, their spirits roused. He went to the next one, and threw that open, revealing that it, too, was full of coins. ‘All this, for you! Booty! A share for every man that survives, and a right generous share it is too!’ He threw open another one. ‘Now ain’t this worth fighting for? Ain’t this worth waiting a few more days for?’
The pirates howled with glee, shaking their fists in the air, driven rabid by the sight of so much money. If not for the respect they had for Orkmund and the multiple guns trained on them, they might have tried to storm the stage right then.
But while Pinn and Malvery were yelling themselves hoarse, Frey had spotted something. He turned to Jez. ‘Can you see the stage?’
She craned to look over the shoulder of the pirate in front. ‘Not really.’
‘Come here,’ he said, and crouched down to offer her a piggy-back.
‘No, Cap’n, it’s really alright.’
‘I need your eyes, Jez. Help me out.’
Since she couldn’t think of a good reason to protest, she climbed awkwardly onto his back and he lifted her up.
‘You know, my eyesight’s not all that great, I mean it’s—’
‘The last chest on the right,’ said Frey. ‘Describe it to me.’
Jez looked. ‘It’s red.’
‘Describe it more,’ he said irritably.
She thought for moment. ‘It’s very fine,’ she said. ‘Dark red lacquer. Kind of a branch-and-leaf design on the lid. Silver clasp in the shape of a wolf’s head. Oh, wait, he’s opening it.’
Orkmund was throwing open each chest, whipping the pirates into a frenzy with the wealth paraded before them. Frey didn’t need Jez to tell him that the red-lacquered chest was full to bursting with ducats.
And that was it. The final piece fell into place.
‘Everyone!’ he said. ‘We’re leaving.’
Pinn whined in complaint. Malvery raised a threatening hand to cuff him. ‘Fine,’ Pinn sulked. ‘Let’s go.’
Frey let Jez down to the floor. ‘Seen enough, Cap’n?’ she asked.
‘Oh yeah,’ he said. ‘I’ve seen enough.’
The streets were relatively quiet on their way back. Retribution Falls seemed cold and bleak without the din of drunken revelry. Frey stepped through the sludge of debris and bodily fluids from the night before, setting a quick pace. He was eager to get to the Ketty Jay. There was a purpose in his walk.
‘What’s the story, Cap’n?’ Jez asked. ‘Are we getting out
