"Now, now," said Fengel in exasperation. "Don't all shout at once. What, are you a howling mob of ruffians and cut-throats? Let's start again. How much of that loot was left behind? What happened to the survivors of the Albatross?"
Sarah Lome dumped the pirate from below onto the deck with a thump. Fengel glanced over his shoulder at her. She threw her thick red braid back over her shoulder, then raised an eyebrow at him.
"What are you doing, Captain?"
"Just interrogating our prisoners," replied Fengel. "I was quite curious how they'd gotten through the Stormwall without trouble; apparently hugging the Silverpenny was much less problematic than our own entrance." He paused and touched his chin, looking thoughtful. "Also, I am engaging in a bit of extracurricular catharsis. But so it goes. What have you got here?" He turned to take in the moaning, shuddering pirate at their feet. "Who is this poor devil? And what in the Goddess's good name has happened to him?"
"One of Natasha's Reavers. Miss Stone surprised him down below and...took care of him."
"Took care of him how? This man looks like he's been attacked by scryn. Or an angry Haventown prostitute."
For the first time she'd known Sarah, the big gunnery mistress looked at a loss for words. "Ah, there, sir." She gestured at Lina. Arriving in the store-room below, Sarah had only asked Lina if she had it under control, though she'd had a strange expression on her face.
Fengel looked up, noticing Lina for the first time. His eyes widened and he went for the saber at his side. "Stone! Hold still!"
Runt raised its head at the noise. "Chirr?" it said.
Lina held up a hand. "It's fine, Captain. Runt's safe," she lied. "Helped me with this fellow."
"That's a scryn, Miss Stone. Don't you remember what happened last time? Hold still so we can get it off of you."
"I do remember," said Lina defensively. "This one's fine. I've got it drunk on Corsair's Cure-all."
She met his gaze and held it. He owed her for the scryn attack and her quick thinking at Engmann's Maelstrom. And he knew she knew that.
Fengel appeared to come to a decision. He relaxed, moving his hand away from his saber. The look he gave her was obvious. Fine then, it seemed to say. Its messes are your own though, and keep it out of trouble. "Well," said her captain. "So long as it's under control," he stressed, "that should be all right then."
He turned back to the pirate at their feet with a frown. "Henry, go tell Lucian, then take care of this fellow here. Tie him up and then see if we have any antivenin left. Gunny Lome, round up some men and search this vessel from top to bottom. Get the Mechanist and move the light-air cells in the frame around if you have to. I find I am tiring of surprises this evening."
Both rushed off to their tasks. Those that Sarah didn't take with her glanced at Runt and found reasons to be elsewhere. She hadn't been ordered away, so Lina moved up to the gunwales to peer over the edge. The ropes descended over the railing to somewhere below the bow. Several pirates were outlined by the backdrop of the jungle, the captive Reavers all tied up and suspended upside down. Some moaned, some pleaded, others cursed.
Fengel sidled slightly away from her. Lina looked up to him; he quickly glanced away from her and the serpentine creature on her shoulders.
"So," she asked hesitantly. "What have you found out?"
Captain Fengel raised an eyebrow at her. Then he shrugged. "Not much of import, really. Apparently the Albatross was deserted when they got there. Strange, but it could be that most of the crew decided to make their way on foot back up to Breachtown. Moreover though, we didn't get quite all the treasure aboard, and I want to know how much we left behind. Looks like just a few chests of coins." He gestured at the bow gunwales. "From what these fellows tell me, the Lantern wasn't in them."
Lina had peeked down in the hold. The amount of loot they'd taken was enormous. "Does that matter? We've got a ton of treasure down below. That gemstone your Sindicato friend wants has got to be in there somewhere."
Fengel snorted. "The thought of leaving my harpy of a wife anything worthwhile chaps my hide somewhat fiercely."
Lina considered that fact, and agreed that it was somewhat irksome.
"Still," she said. "We're golden. You pay off that debt, you've got a new airship, and we're all rich now." Lina smiled. "And you've left Natasha marooned in a strange jungle filled with Goddess-knows-what, with a hundred-league march back to civilization."
Her captain nodded slowly. "That's true."
"She's probably wanted in Breachtown. I mean, we are pirates, right?"