Page 81 of Six of Crows (Dregs 1)
“Nice pin,” Kaz said with a glance at the ruby stuck to Van Eck’s tie. “Not as nice as the other one, though.”
Van Eck’s lips pursed slightly. “The other was an heirloom. Well?” he said to the Shu man beside him.
The Shu said, “That’s Kuwei Yul-Bo. It’s a year since I’ve seen him. He’s quite a bit taller now, but he’s the spitting image of his father.” He said something to Kuwei in Shu and gave a short bow.
Kuwei glanced at Kaz, then bowed in return. Jesper could see a sheen of sweat on his brow.
Van Eck smiled. “I will confess I am surprised, Mister Brekker. Surprised but delighted.”
“You didn’t think we’d succeed.”
“Let’s say I thought you were a long shot.”
“Is that why you hedged your bets?”
“Ah, so you’ve spoken to Pekka Rollins.”
“He’s quite a talker when you get him in the right frame of mind,” said Kaz, and Jesper remembered the blood on Kaz’s shirt at the prison. “He said you contracted him and the Dime Lions to go after Yul-Bayur for the Merchant Council as well.”
With a niggle of unease, Jesper wondered what else Rollins might have told Kaz.
Van Eck shrugged. “It was best to be safe.”
“And why should you care if a bunch of canal rats blow each other to bits in pursuit of a prize?”
“We knew the odds of either team succeeding were small. As a gambler, I hope you can understand.”
But Jesper had never thought of Kaz as a gambler. Gamblers left something to chance.
“Thirty million kruge will soothe my hurt feelings,” said Kaz.
Van Eck gestured to the guards behind him. They hefted the trunk and set it down in front of Kaz. He crouched beside it and opened the lid. Even from a distance, Jesper could see the stacks of bills in palest Kerch purple, emblazoned with the three flying fish, row after row of them, bound in paper bands sealed with wax.
Inej drew in a breath.
“Even your money is a peculiar color,” said Matthias.
Jesper wanted to run his hands over those glorious stacks. He wanted to take a bath in them. “I think my mouth just watered.”
Kaz pulled out one of the stacks and let his gloved thumb skim over it, then dug down another layer to make sure Van Eck hadn’t tried to bunk them.
“It’s all here,” he said.
He looked over his shoulder and waved Kuwei forward. The boy crossed the short distance, and Van Eck gestured him over to his side, giving him a pat on the back.
Kaz rose. “Well, Van Eck. I’d like to say it’s been a pleasure, but I’m not that good a liar. We’ll take our leave.”
Van Eck stepped in front of Kuwei and said, “I’m afraid I can’t allow that, Mister Brekker.”
Kaz leaned on his cane, watching Van Eck keenly. “Is there a problem?”
“I count several right in front of me. And there’s no way any of you are getting off this island.”
Van Eck pulled a whistle from his pocket and blew a shrill note. In the same moment, his servants drew their weapons and a wind came out of nowhere—a howling, unnatural gale that whirled around the little island as the sea began to rise.
The sailors by the brigantine’s longboat lifted their arms, waves gathering behind them.
“Tidemakers,” growled Matthias, reaching for his rifle.
Then two more figures launched themselves from the deck of the brigantine.
“Squallers!” Jesper shouted. “They’re using parem!”
The Squallers circled in the sky, wind whipping the air around them.
“You kept part of the stash Yul-Bayur sent to the Council,” said Kaz, dark eyes narrowed.
The Squallers lifted their arms, and the wind wailed a high, keening cry.
Jesper reached for his revolvers. Hadn’t he wanted something to shoot at? I guess this place is good luck, he thought with a rush of anticipation. Looks like I’m about to get my wish.
45
KAZ
“The deal is the deal, Van Eck,” Kaz said over the sounds of the growing storm. “If the Merchant Council fails to honor its end of this bargain, no one from the Barrel will ever traffic with any of you again. Your word will be meaningless.”
“That would be a problem, Mister Brekker, if the Council knew anything about this deal.”
Understanding came in a terrible flash. “They were never involved,” Kaz said. Why had he believed Van Eck had the blessing of the Merchant Council? Because he was a rich, upstanding mercher? Because he’d dressed his own servants and soldiers in the purple uniforms of the stadwatch? Kaz had met with Van Eck in a quarantined mercher’s house, not a government building, but he’d been taken in by a little set dressing. It was Hertzoon and his coffeehouse all over again, only now Kaz was old enough to know better.
“You wanted Yul-Bayur. You wanted the formula for parem.”
Van Eck conceded the truth with an easy nod. “Neutrality is a luxury Kerch has too long enjoyed. The members of the Council think that their wealth protects them, that they can sit back and count their money while the world squabbles
.”
“And you know better?”
“Indeed, I do. Jurda parem is not a secret that can be kept or quashed or stashed in a cabin on the Zemeni frontier.”
“So all your talk of trade lines and markets collapsing—”
“Oh, it will all happen just as I predicted, Mister Brekker. I’m counting on it. As soon as the Council received Bo Yul-Bayur’s message, I began buying up jurda fields in Novyi Zem. When parem is unleashed on the world, every country, every government will be clamoring for a ready supply of it to use on their Grisha.”
“Chaos,” said Matthias.
“Yes,” said Van Eck. “Chaos will come, and I will be its master. Its very wealthy master.”
“You will be ensuring slavery and death for Grisha everywhere,” Inej said.
Van Eck raised a brow. “How old are you, girl? Sixteen? Seventeen? Nations rise and fall. Markets are made and unmade. When power shifts, someone always suffers.”
“When profit shifts,” Jesper shot back.
Van Eck’s expression was bemused. “Aren’t they one and the same?”
“When the Council finds out—” Inej began.
“The Council will never hear of this,” Van Eck said. “Why do you think I chose scum from the Barrel as my champions? Oh, you are resourceful and far more clever than any mercenaries, I give you that. But more important, you will not be missed.”
Van Eck lifted his hand. The Tidemakers spun their arms. Kaz heard a yell and turned to see a coil of water looming over Rotty. It slammed down on the longboat, smashing it to bits as he dove for cover.
“None of you will leave this island, Mister Brekker. All of you will vanish, and nobody will care.” He raised his hand again, and the Tidemakers responded. A massive wave roared toward the Ferolind.
“No!” cried Jesper.
“Van Eck!” shouted Kaz. “Your son is on that ship.”
Van Eck’s gaze snapped to Kaz. He blew his whistle. The Tidemakers froze, awaiting instruction. Reluctantly, Van Eck dropped his hand. They let the wave fall harmlessly, the displaced sea sloshing against the side of the Ferolind.
“My son?” Van Eck said.
