Page 108 of A Flash of Golden Fire

Others were kinder.

Squid came right up to me and put his hand on my arm. “I thank you very much, Mr White. I thought I was a goner.”

“We couldn’t have left you, Squid. You’re one of us now.”

Then Lahiri and Martinez brought me some flowers.

I blinked in surprise at the kind gesture. “But where did you get them?”

“They’re herbs, really. Mr Guthrie threatened to serve us up for supper when he saw us in his kitchen. But we grabbed these and ran.”

I looked at the pretty sprigs that had been tied with a length of blue ribbon and thought about Guthrie in his galley watching them running away.

“You braved Guthrie’s wrath for me? I’m honored. I hope he doesn’t shit in your soup.”

Their mouths gaped, and they glanced at each other in horror.

“Oh, I’m sure he won’t. Probably,” I added.

“We was wondering about that long-haired fellow youse brought aboard,” Martinez said, glancing at Lahiri. “Is he what…we think he is?”

“What do you think he is?” I asked, blinking benignly.

Lahiri looked down and shook his head, but Martinez continued.

“A whore?” he said in hushed tones.

I stared at Martinez and frowned.

“Well, he doesn’t do that any longer,” I asserted.

Lahiri glanced up from his ropework nearby. “Aye. He’s crew now. Whatever he did before don’t matter.”

I nodded and Martinez gave me a long look, then nodded in return.

“S’pose that makes sense. Most of us have pasts with some shame tied to ’em, I reckon.”

“I reckon,” I agreed. “His name is Domingo, and he’s very sweet. Also tough. So I wouldn’t say anything untoward to the man. He’ll have you hung on the mainsail. He’s tight with Captain Martin.”

Martinez chuckled, then frowned. “Wait. How tight?”

“Never mind. We’re friends, the three of us. That’s all.”

Martinez looked skeptical, and Lahiri rolled his eyes.

The captain’s voice came from behind me.

“Ah, Rooster, there you are.”

I turned around and was delighted to see him in his fancy captain’s garb again. I couldn’t help but admire the fine figure he cut.

“Do you need me, Captain?” I asked with exaggerated innocence, my gaze dragging down his body like a fishnet dropping over a swimming shark.

“Most urgently, Roost—” He cleared his throat, smiling. “—Mr White.” He corrected himself, a slight pink hue to his cheeks. He put his hands on his hips, trying to look sober and businesslike. “Ah, there’s a…situation that I need you to…uh…address.”

Snickers from Martinez and Lahiri as they took their leave.

“A situation?” I asked, my face a mask of concern. “My God, what kind of situation?”

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