Page 47 of Crooked Kingdom (Dregs 2)
Kaz looked up from the table, his interest secured.
“Big trouble in Little Ravka?” asked Jesper.
“Nothing we couldn’t handle,” Nina said. “Please tell me there’s something to eat.”
“You’re hungry?” said Inej.
They all goggled at Nina. She curtsied. “Yes, yes, Nina Zenik is hungry. Now will someone feed me before I’m forced to cook one of you?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Jesper. “You don’t know how to cook.”
Inej was already digging through what remained of their stockpile of food, placing the meager offerings of salt cod, dried meat, and stale crackers before Nina.
“What happened at the tavern?” asked Kaz.
“The refugees are in hiding at the embassy,” said Matthias. “We met—”
“Their leader,” said Nina. “They’ll be waiting for word from us.” She shoved two crackers into her mouth. “These are awful.”
“Slow down,” said Matthias. “You’re going to choke.”
“Worth it,” Nina said, struggling to swallow.
“For crackers?”
“I’m pretending they’re pie. When does the boat leave?”
“We found a shipment of molasses headed for Os Kervo leaving at eleven bells,” said Inej. “Specht is working on the documents now.”
“Good,” said Nina, uncrumpling a piece of paper from her pocket and smoothing it onto the table. A sketch of Matthias looked back at them. “We need to get out of town as soon as possible.”
“Damn it,” Jesper said. “Kaz and Wylan are still in the lead.” He gestured to where they’d pasted up the rest of the wanted posters: Jesper, Kaz, and Inej were all there. Van Eck hadn’t yet dared to plaster Kuwei Yul-Bo’s face over every surface in Ketterdam, but he’d had to maintain the pretense of searching for his son, so there was also a poster offering a reward for Wylan Van Eck’s safe return. It showed his old features, but Jesper didn’t think it was much of a likeness. Only Nina was missing. She’d never met Van Eck, and though she had connections to the Dregs, it was possible he didn’t know of her involvement.
Matthias examined the posters. “One hundred thousand kruge!” He shot a disbelieving glower at Kaz. “You’re hardly worth that.”
The hint of a smile tugged at Kaz’s lips. “As the market wills it.”
“Tell me about it,” said Jesper. “They’re only offering thirty thousand for me.”
“Your lives are at stake,” said Wylan. “How can you act like this is a competition?”
“We’re stuck in a tomb, merchling. You take the action where you find it.”
“Maybe we should all go to Ravka,” said Nina, tapping Inej’s wanted poster. “It isn’t safe for you to remain here.”
“It’s not a bad idea,” said Kaz.
Inej cast him a swift glance. “You’d go to Ravka?”
“Not a chance. I’ll lie low here. I want to see Van Eck’s life come apart when the hammer falls.”
“But you could come,” Nina said to Inej. “Jesper? We could bring Colm too.”
Jesper thought of his father, stuck in some lavish suite at the Geldrenner, probably wearing the carpet down to the floorboards with his pacing. Just two days had passed since he’d watched his father’s broad back disappear between the graves as Rotty shepherded him off Black Veil, but it felt like far longer. Since then, Jesper had nearly been killed by Grisha hunters and had a price placed on his head. But if they could just get this job done tonight, his father wouldn’t have to know any of that.
“No way,” said Jesper. “I want Da to get his money as fast as possible and then get back to Novyi Zem. I’m not going to sleep easy until he’s safe on the farm. We’ll hide out at his hotel until Van Eck has been discredited and the sugar market goes crazy.”
“Inej?” said Nina.
They all looked to the Wraith—except Jesper. He watched Kaz, curious to see how he would react to the prospect of Inej leaving town. But Kaz’s expression was impassive, as if waiting to hear what time dinner might be served.
Inej shook her head. “When I go to Ravka, it will be on my own ship, piloted by my own crew.”
Jesper’s brows shot up. “Since when are you a seafarer? And what sane person would want to spend more time on a boat?”
Inej smiled. “I’ve heard this city drives people mad.”
Kaz drew his watch from his waistcoat. “We’re coming up on eight bells. Van Eck is gathering the Merchant Council at his house for a meeting tonight.”
“Do you think they’ll devote more resources to the search for Wylan?” asked Nina.
“Probably. It’s not our concern anymore. The noise and people coming and going will provide good cover for Wylan and me to get the seal out of the safe. Nina and Inej will hit Sweet Reef at the same time. The guards patrol the silos’ perimeter constantly, and it takes about twelve minutes for them to make it around the fence. They always leave someone to watch the gate, so be smart about the approach.” He placed a tiny stoppered bottle on the table. “This is coffee extract. Kuwei, Nina, Jesper, I want you all wearing plenty of it. If those Shu soldiers really can scent Grisha, this might throw them off.”
“Coffee?” asked Kuwei, popping the cork and taking a tentative sniff.
“Clever,” said Jesper. “We used to pack illegal shipments of jurda and spices in coffee grounds to throw off the stadwatch dogs. Confuses their noses.”
Nina took the bottle and dabbed a generous amount of the extract behind her ears and at her wrists. “Let’s hope the Kherguud work the same way.”
“Your refugees had better be ready,” said Kaz. “How many are there?”
“Fewer than we thought. Fifteen and um … some of the people from the embassy too. A total of seventeen.”
“Plus you, Matthias, Wylan, and Kuwei. Twenty-one. Specht will forge the letter accordingly.”
“I’m not going,” said Wylan.
Jesper clasped his fingers together to make them stay still. “No?”
“I’m not letting my father run me out of this city again.”
“Why is everyone so determined to stay in this miserable town?” Nina grumbled.
Jesper tipped his chair back, studying Kaz. He’d shown no surprise that Wylan wanted to remain in Ketterdam. “You knew,” he said, putting the pieces together. “You knew Wylan’s mother was alive.”
“Wylan’s mother is alive?” said Nina.
“Why do you think I let you two go to Olendaal?” Kaz said.
Wylan blinked. “And you knew I was lying about the quarry.”
Jesper f
elt a spike of rage. It was one thing for Kaz to mess with him, but Wylan wasn’t like the rest of them. Despite the bad hand he’d drawn with his father, Wylan hadn’t let his circumstances or this city knock the goodness out of him. He still believed people could do right. Jesper pointed a finger at Kaz. “You shouldn’t have sent him to Saint Hilde blind like that. It was cruel.”
“It was necessary.”
Wylan’s fists were clenched. “Why?”
“Because you still didn’t understand what your father really is.”
“You could have told me.”
“You were angry. Angry wears off. I needed you righteous.”
Wylan crossed his arms. “Well, you’ve got me.”
Kaz folded his hands over his cane. “It’s getting late, so everybody put away your Poor Wylan hankies and set your minds to the task at hand. Matthias, Jesper, and Kuwei will leave for the embassy at half past nine bells. You approach from the canal. Jesper, you’re tall, brown, and conspicuous—”
“All synonyms for delightful.”
“And that means you’ll have to be twice as careful.”
“There’s always a price to be paid for greatness.”
“Try to take this seriously,” said Kaz, voice like a rusty blade. Was that actual concern? Jesper tried not to wonder if it was for him or the job. “Move quickly and get everyone to the docks no sooner than ten. I don’t want all of you hanging around attracting attention. We meet at Third Harbor, berth fifteen. The ship is called the Verrhader. It sails the route from Kerch to Ravka several times a year.” He rose. “Stay smart and stay quiet. None of this works if Van Eck gets wise.”
“And stay safe,” added Inej. “I want to celebrate with all of you when that boat leaves the harbor.”
Jesper wanted that too. He wanted to see them all safe on the other side of this night. He raised his hand. “Will there be champagne?”
Nina finished the last of the crackers, licking her fingers. “I’ll be there, and I’m effervescent.”
After that, there was nothing to do but finish packing up their gear. There would be no grand goodbye.
Jesper shuffled over to the table where Wylan was packing his satchel and pretended to search for something he needed in the pile of maps and documents.
