Page 60 of Bloody Business

“Another body?”she asked weakly.“A man?”Her voice was scratchy.

“Seemed to be.Any relation to you?”

She shuddered.“No.”

“Well, good riddance then.”He handed her a canteen.Her chapped lips scraped against the metal lip.It was plain water, but welcome.

“We'll be in town in a couple hours.Might as well sleep if you can.We had a good catch and there's nowhere to go on this boat.It's going to be boring until we dock.”

She shouldn't have been able to sleep, but she was exhausted.She'd been dragged up the mountain by a cultist.He believed that if he sacrificed someone in the river, the mountain would open a door to untold riches.

Sure enough, they did come to a door, but it turned out to be the home of a hermit carved into a nook of the mountain.She was knocked off the tiny stone bridge and into the stream.Apparently, her kidnapper had also been knocked in, probably by the angry hermit.

The details were a little hazy.That was probably for the best.

The walls had been high and slick, and she couldn't climb them.In her panic, she nearly drowned.She remembered something hard thumping into her shoulder and hooking under her armpit.She'd grabbed on with all her remaining strength.It must have been a grappling hook.She'd have bruises under that arm but it had been worth it.

Seeing that she was still awake, the goblin asked, “What's your name?”

“Lily.”

He flinched.After a long pause he asked hoarsely, “Where are your parents?”

“Dead.”

“Got family?”

“No.”

“If he died a soldier, there's benefits...”

“No!”she said more forcefully.The lady who took her to collect her father's death benefits was not good.She didn't want to end up back in her hands.

The fisherman frowned.“You're what, ten, twelve?It's a hard age to survive without an adult to help.”

She stayed silent.Adults didn't always help.Adults were to be watched and carefully judged.Some of them were okay.It depended, and there were signs.

He sighed.“Fine.It happens I need a cook.Can you cook?”

“Some things,” she said cautiously.She had bread memorized.

“Fine.And you can clean...you're a girl.You must know how.Women are always cleaner.”

“Yes.”She knew all about household chores.She'd been doing many of them from a young age.First for Dad, and then for That Woman.

“All right.Room and board.Should we say...five coppers a week?You're pretty young, but I'm feeling hopeful.Also, I'm tired of living in my own filth.”

Was he crazy?Five coppers a week was an adult's wage.No one ever gave her money, but she knew what things cost.

It was light enough now he could see her incredulous look.“Just for cooking and cleaning and probably shopping, if you can manage it.I'm not a pervert,” he groused.

She stared at him, and then realized what he was saying.She tried to scramble out of his lap.He helped her sit up, but there was nowhere to go.

“Simmer down,” he said irritably.“Like I said, I just need a cook.”

“Hur's really not a pervert,” the guy up front called helpfully.“Just a sucker.”

Lily hadn't realized there was anyone else on the boat.

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