Page 51 of Suffer No Fools
Tim eased himself out of the rocking chair on the porch.
"You haven't seen the witch, have you?" Yvette asked.
"No witches, but that female death weaver just went up to her room." He winked.
Yvette rolled her eyes. "Aye, that witch."
"Not a witch," Tim called after her. "Talk like that gets people burned at the stake in mountain country."
"Is that where you're from?" Hugo asked as he and Tim walked along the path. It would take longer to get back to Petri's food stand, but at least they wouldn't be walking through underbrush and sticker bushes to get there.
"Aye. I grew up in a town a day's travel south of Landale. Lots of snow. Lots of ignorance. They thought weavers were abominations against their gods. When I reached Landale and joined my first crew, I almost died when I was tossed overboard during my first storm. The captain, a water weaver, saved me by wrapping me in a bubble and dragging me back to the surface. I've never said a bad word about weavers since."
"I didn't realize we had people so prejudiced against weavers in Embertide," Hugo said.
"There are pockets of uneducated people with their own views of the world." Tim shrugged. "I'm from one such pocket."
"You didn't stay uneducated," Hugo guessed. "You speak as well as some courtiers I know."
Tim grinned. "That's thanks to your dad. The navy, and all his military, provided a free education for anyone who joined. It was the sailor's duty to attend class, of course. There are plenty of folks my age who served but didn't learn a damn thing."
Hugo laughed at that. "I can imagine. I'm glad you benefited from it."
"Aye. Your father, and your grandfather, were good leaders. Removing the ban on fire weavers was one of the best laws your grandfather passed. Educating his military was the best thing your father did."
"All Mom had was Coryn's lies," Hugo said.
"Your mother kept us from outright war with Glamiere," Tim said. They were back to the food stand, where Petri was setting up for their afternoon business. "She was the one who saw how terrible war would be with weavers in control."
"That's why she disbanded the military?"
Tim nodded. "We hated it at the time. We all thought she was a horrible leader to do it, but Coryn's actions since her death have been much worse."
"Coryn's actions in my name." Hugo cringed as he said it aloud, and Tim continued walking as though he hadn't heard him.
Only the birdsong and rustling of wind through the trees accompanied the sound of Tim's shuffling gait. When they reachedStarlight Specterand walked up the gangplank, Hugo was disturbed by how quiet the ship was with her sails furled. The main mast looked empty without Hannah sitting atop it.
The doorway to Vadim and Klaus's crate cabin stood open as they approached the galley, but there was rustling in the hold between the crate and the galley door. Hugo wondered if the hold was haunted when he heard whispers, but then he heard a grunt he recognized.
"Wait here," he said to Tim. "If my guards are doing what I think they're doing, you might not want to see them."
"I've already seen them." Tim laughed. "Many times."
Hugo should have guessed as much. He rounded the corner into the hold and found his boyfriends fully clothed, which was not what he'd expected at all.
"What are you doing down here?" he asked.
Stan looked guilty. "What areyoudoing down here?"
"Fanidra suggested I try to heat the clasp of my enchantment necklace instead of the silver cuffs. It would give me a more accurate understanding of the locks I'm trying to break."
"That's a good idea," Tovey said from behind Stan. Hugo could see he was still wearing trousers and his tunic, so why was he hiding?
Tim smirked at them as he passed and continued toward the galley. "You coming?"
"Yes." Hugo gave a hesitant wave of his hand, still not sure what he'd interrupted. "I'll see you tonight?"
"We'll meet you in the tub before dinner," Tovey said.
