Page 59 of A Princess, Stolen
“Cinnamon waffles”—made without eggs and with gluten-free flour—“with cherries.” I bit my lip and didn’t mention the sinfully expensive coffee from Ecuador. “What about you? What do you usually have for breakfast when you’re not on a ship?” The alcohol made it easy for me to talk to them. I wasn’t as nervous as I would have normally been.
“Oh, I always choose something different from my parents’ diner. Pancakes, beaver tails, macaroni and cheese… We have a fast-food joint in our grocery store.” His narrow greyhound face was memorable. Everything about him was somehow narrow. His nose, his lips, his eyes, and his eyebrows. Only his smile was wide.
“And you entertain the patronage with your magic tricks?”
“Sometimes.” He shrugged. “When there are enough people.” As if by magic, he suddenly held Nathan’s bracelet in his hands and presented it to me in the palm of his hand just as I had presented the ring the other day.
Was that a hint?
“How do you do that?” I shook my head in fascination and grabbed the bracelet before he made it disappear again.
“Distraction,” he simply said. “Distraction and skill, those are the abilities of every magician.”
While I braided the bracelet back into my hair, they continued to question me: if our faucets were made of gold, if the water in my toilet was infused with scented oils, how many dining rooms the penthouse had, what I did all day, if I still had dreams when I had everything from birth, and if I could actually buy everything. By now, they had formed a circle around me. I told them that our toilet water not only glittered, but was also scented by the best perfumers in the world. I told them aboutthe top designers in New York who tailored my wardrobe and I almost told them that I dreamed of having my own art exhibit, but I stopped at the last moment. Instead, I invented the dream of wanting to be a famous ballerina.
Then, I asked them about their dreams, but they couldn’t think of anything. Not one mentioned a Lamborghini or a country house oceanside. Not one seemed to want anything luxurious. It was enough to drive you to despair. Most of them just wanted enough beer, a warm cabin, and a working stove. Maybe even a girl, an honest girl, not a dockside whore, and not a stripper like fromJay’s Friends—whatever that was in Coldville.
A short time later, the group broke up because a few men had to get back on shift. I paced restlessly along the railing, running from stern to bow and back again. On one hand, I wanted to see Nathan, but on the other, it would be bad for my plan if he showed up now.
I was growing increasingly nervous even though I still felt the alcohol. I was running out of time. I had no idea who to ask. Dad often said,if you want to know something about someone, ask someone else, but I didn’t know if I could trust the others. I was afraid of making a deal with the wrong person, so I waited to see if anyone would approach me. Earlier, Sparta had looked over at me a few times and then retreated to the front deck. Now he was sitting off to one side on a bollard next to the anchor winch.
I maintained my distance but stood so that he could see me. I still had three nights and two days before Isaac came on board. I needed to assume that Nathan couldn’t prevent it. And my reprieve was short, besides, a good plan needs some lead time.
I glanced over at Sparta furtively and turned the ring around my finger. Once to the right, once to the left. Always alternating. Luckily, the alcohol made me braver.
“Well, princess, all alone again?” he asked at some point calmly, staring at me through the night. He was at least ten steps away. His eyes were glassy and his dreadlocks fell across his face, hiding his gaunt features.
Sparta was the person I least wanted to ask, but he would probably be the most willing to accept my offer. It was merely a feeling, but I trusted my intuition. He wanted something from me, otherwise, I wouldn’t have gotten off so lightly in the storage room containing the nets today. On the other hand, he might simply be waiting for a good opportunity to do something to me without anyone finding out.
I retreated a little again and stood under the sheltered railing so I wouldn’t be seen from the bridge.
“Hey, wait a minute!” Sparta jumped down from the bollard and followed. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be sitting with your new lapdog Pan?”
I glanced from him to the ring, hoping he would get the hint and ask me about it.
He obviously understood because he came closer and whispered, “So that’s how it is! You want to make me an offer. Have you asked Pan yet?”
I remained cautious. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Oh please!” He twisted his mouth mockingly and I noticed that the corners of his mouth were cracked. Creepy. As if he had an iron deficiency. I couldn’t guess how old he was. Maybe thirty, maybe younger, but he looked sick, and then I suddenly remembered my sore throat and fever from this morning.
Sparta leaned a little over the railing and stared at the night-darkened sea. “This is the wrong group, princess,” he said, spitting into the water. “These men have no dreams that you can fulfill with money. They mourn their loved ones and their hometown. They’ve lost both. They can’t buy either back with money.”
It sounded as if my father had set off a firebomb over Coldville, but obviously, that was nonsense, the world would have heard about it. But what did Nathan mean by reparations? A political decision?
“I could report you to Nathan,” he said.
I stared at him. Wind tugged at his dreadlocks, and for a few seconds, it was completely silent. “I didn’t make you an offer,” I replied.
“Think carefully.” Sparta’s gaze lingered on my ring finger. “I might be your only option. I could remove the stones and sell them individually. That way, no one would know that these diamonds came from the Hamptons’ jewels.”
Was it a positive sign that he had already thought about it? But why should he of all people accept the offer? It was crystal clear that he despised me. Above all, it was too easy. Maybe he wanted to trick me, get something out of me, and then actually betray me to Nathan.
I glanced from him to the ring and pulled my hand back. My plan suddenly seemed too risky. And I didn’t like Sparta’s attitude: he was a traitor who could be bribed with money. Crazy! And that was exactly the kind of person I needed. I should have been happy.
Suddenly, Nathan popped into my mind. If I escaped, I would probably never see him again. I might never know if there was some truth in everything he said. I would never know why he had lost his home.
For a moment, I thought about his sea-gray eyes and our kiss, about my fluttering stomach, and the longing that I couldn’t even properly name that awakened the desire in me to be brave, courageous, and to stand up for myself.
