00.1 - The Blood Price Read Free Page A

make his move. So far though, the highborn hadn’t
managed to find any useful candidates for the job. To a man, the crew preferred
to keep its distance from him, despite all the games of dice he played with
them. Perhaps I shouldn’t keep taking so much of their coin, he mused, rolling
the dice in his palm.
    The knot of crouching sailors around Malus shifted suddenly, letting in a
gust of freezing air and sea spray. Malus glanced up, a snarl curling his lip,
and caught sight of Silar. The young knight surveyed the gamblers with a
disapproving frown. “Master Gul wishes to speak to you in his cabin, my lord,”
he said coldly.
    Malus growled under his breath. He was tempted to tell the unctuous ship’s
master to wait while he won back his silver. The highborn eyed the sad handful
of coins at his side and decided to try and build a bit of goodwill with the
men. He shrugged, gathering up his paltry winnings. “You’ve plucked me to the
bone this time, you sea birds,” he said to the corsairs. “We’ll see who the gods
favour next time.”
    The corsairs gathered up their coins and got back to work, grinning to
themselves. Malus sighed and waved his hand at Silar. “All right. Take me to
him,” he said.
    Silar led him through a narrow door in the fortress deck aft, then down to
the master’s cabin. A corsair stood watch outside Gul’s cabin door. At the sight
of Silar and Malus, the scarred druchii pushed the door open and stepped aside.
    Tall, narrow windows dominated the aft bulkhead of Gul’s cabin, throwing bars
of weak, grey light across the broad expanse of the master’s oaken table. A huge
map was spread across its surface, showing Naggaroth, Ulthuan and the domain of
the humans etched in fine, black lines. Gul sat on the far side of the table,
sipping wine and smiling to himself as he traced the sinuous lines of prevailing
currents across the map. The navigator Shebyl sat nearby, consulting a thick set
of scrolls marked with astronomical charts. Lhunara stood off to one side, arms
folded tightly across her chest. She studied Malus and Silar thoughtfully as
they entered the cabin.
    “Welcome to my humble quarters, Captain Malus,” Gul said, opening his arms
expansively. “Please, sit. Have some of this fine wine. I stole it in a raid off
Ulthuan many years ago, and it only gets better with time.”
    Malus picked up a goblet and poured from a crystal flagon set on a tray at
the end of the table. It was the first time he’d been invited into Gul’s
personal quarters, and he was impressed at its luxurious appointments: a feather
bed, expensive chairs of oak and dwarf hide, shelves of books and an impressive
collection of trophies, from gilt skulls to jewel-encrusted ceremonial daggers
and silver-inlaid armour. Whatever else Gul may be, Malus had to admit the
gold-toothed corsair knew a thing or two about his trade.
    “Far be it from me to turn down an offer of wine and hospitality,” he said,
taking a deep drink. “What is the occasion?”
    Gul tapped the map with a calloused finger. “We’re nearly to the open sea, my
captain,” he said. “Time for you to approve the course I and the good navigator
have laid out.”
    Malus sampled some more of the wine. It was, indeed, quite fine. “All right,”
he said with a shrug. “Tell me.”
    “Since your father approached me last winter I’ve been thinking about a
course that would be suitable to your, ah, level of skill,” he said. “There is a
great deal riding on this cruise, after all. You are about to enter highborn
society. The wealth and fame you win on the Manticore will determine your
initial status at court, after all.”
    The highborn cast a momentary glance at Silar. “Provided some human doesn’t
dash in my skull or I suffer a similar misfortune along the way.”
    Gul smiled. “Well, life is about risk, is it not?” He leaned forward over the
map. “But have no fear. I have gone to great effort to chart a route