the street. They both looked at me as I approached the alley entrance. Robard spotted the dog first.
“What is that?” he asked.
“A dog.”
“I can see that! What are you doing with it?” he said.
“I believe it is more what she is doing with me,” I answered. “I tried to get her to stay, but she seems convinced that she needs to come with us.”
Robard snorted, but Maryam knelt, scratching the mutt behind the ears and laughing as the dog jumped at her, licking her face. It was the first time I had heard Maryam giggle like that.
“Any sign of Sir Hugh’s men?” I asked.
“None,” Robard replied.
“Let’s get moving. We need to get to the docks,” I said.
Maryam rose, and with no one in sight we moved out of the alley. She led us down a cobblestone pathway where we cut through another alley. Moving back and forth through the twisting, turning streets it was not long before I was horribly lost. The whole time the dog trotted along beside us, perfectly content to be in our company.
The city was quiet at night, but I heard the sounds of people as we passed by taverns and houses. Laughter and shouts escaped into the darkness, mixing with the spicy smells of cooking fires. It was a pleasant contrast to the busy activity during the daylight hours.
Finally we exited an alley and before us lay the waterfront. It was a shabby-looking place with a few decrepit buildings running directly along the shore. A long wooden dock jutted out into the water perpendicular to the street. A single longboat was moored to it. Out in the bay I saw several ships lying at anchor, bobbing gently in the moonlit waves.
Flashing back to my first sea voyage to Outremer, I did not relish getting on a ship again. My stomach lurched at the thought. But a ship would get me home faster and relieve me of the Grail. Taking the overland route would take months and was rife with danger. Added to that was the fact that I had no idea how to even find the overland route and my options were limited. I needed a ship.
“What now?” asked Maryam.
In reality, I had no idea. I had hoped to find the waterfront in the daylight hours. Then I could have taken a careful assessment of the ships in the harbor, asking people on the docks who might provide us with a good vessel at a fair price. Now our situation was more desperate. Undoubtedly we had Sir Hugh and his men-at-arms searching the city for us. It was imperative to find a ship that could leave immediately.
“We’ll need to find a captain. My guess would be that we look there first.” I pointed to a run-down, dilapidated old building standing a few yards away. Light came through the windows, and I heard the buzz of voices rising and falling inside. A sign hanging above the door said “The Dancing Fig” in English with some Arabic words written underneath. It did not look inviting. The door burst open and a man staggered out, stumbling a few steps before falling face-first in the dirt. He lay there moaning a few moments, then clambered to his feet. Letting out a mighty belch he wandered off down the street.
Robard and Maryam looked at the building, then at each other, then at me. The dog gave out a low whine and flattened itself to the ground, whimpering and growling.
“You’re going to go in there?” Robard asked.
“Yes.”
Robard shook his head and chuckled.
“Don’t laugh. You’re coming in with me.” I had no intention of entering that place without someone to watch my back.
“Oh, don’t worry. I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” he said.
“Maryam, would you kindly wait here and keep watch? Give a shout if anyone shows up. Besides, I don’t think The Dancing Fig is any place for a…well…let’s just say it’s probably best that Robard and I go in alone.”
Maryam smiled and agreed to wait. Moving a few steps away she took a position inside the doorway of a building, giving her a good view of the street in both directions. The dog followed along and curled up at her feet.
I handed my short sword to Robard. “You might find this more useful than a bow or your dagger at close quarters,” I told him.
He held the sword out in front of him, as if I’d handed him a bouquet of flowers or a small kitten. “What are you going to use?”
“I still have the battle sword.” I adjusted it so that it lay across my back at a better angle, making it easier to draw.
Robard saw the logic of my suggestion and buckled my sword around his waist.
“Shall we?” I asked.
Entering The Dancing Fig we discovered that the inside looked even worse than the outside. The smell hit us like a punch in the face, an ugly combination of spilled ale, burned meat and unwashed men. My eyes began to water, and I waved my hand back and forth over my face for a few moments until I grew used to the odor.
It was dim inside, with light from a few oil lamps placed here and there along the walls. Some candles were lighted, placed on the few tables that took up the main part of the room. Along the back wall was a wooden bar with an open doorway behind it. A dark-haired man stood behind the bar, surveying us as we entered.
Most every table was occupied. A few of them held a single man drinking alone. Some of them were surrounded by small groups holding loud conversations. No one, except the man behind the bar, paid us any attention.
“Now what?” Robard whispered.
I didn’t answer, walking across the floor to the bar. Robard stepped to the side of the door, but kept his eyes on the occupants of the main room.
The man watched me approach, but his expression never changed. His eyes were hooded, and he appeared tired and uninterested in anything I might have to say. Unless I wanted to buy some ale, I expect he looked forward to the shortest possible conversation.
“Excuse me, sir. I’m seeking passage by ship out of Tyre, ideally to England. Do you know someone who might help me?”
The man stared at me, then at Robard still standing by the door, and said nothing.
“Excuse me. I’m looking for a ship.” I spoke more loudly this time.
Still nothing.
A thought occurred to me. I reached in the satchel, feeling around for the bag of coins that Sir Thomas had given me. I found a small one and placed it on the bar in front of me.
The man’s hand shot out for the coin like a cobra, but I grabbed his wrist while his fingers clutched the coin. The man glared at me, eyes narrowed, but I held his gaze.
“A ship?”
He nodded in the direction of a man sitting at a small table along the far wall. I let go of his wrist, and he quickly secreted the coin somewhere beneath the bar.
“Thank you,” I said.
Picking my way through the tables and chairs I reached the man sitting at the table along the wall. He was old, with white hair, or what might once have been white hair had it not been covered in dirt and grime. He wore a simple shirt and woolen leggings, but it was impossible to tell their color, they were so torn and dirty. He smelled like he’d been in the ale for a while, and indeed a dark jug sat next to a small cup on the table in front of him.
He stared up at me when I reached his table, closing one of his eyes as he tried to focus on me.
“Who’re you?” he asked.
“I’m told you have a ship. I’m interested in passage for me and my friend. I can pay. However, we need to leave right away. Tonight, if possible, first light at the latest. Can you help me?”
“A ship, you say? Aye, I’ve a ship. A fine ship she is. And I’m leaving tomorrow. Tomorrow without fail. You got money?” He squinted at me again.
“Yes, I have money for both of us. How much will it cost?”
He told me and I laughed. He wanted an outrageous sum. He tried again to focus on me with his other eye, but it appeared to not be working correctly, so he squinted at me again.
