When their own longboat made shore, Jesper and the others leaped out to pull it onto the sand.
Jesper checked his revolvers and saw Inej touch her fingers briefly to each of her knives, lips moving. Matthias adjusted the rifle strapped to his back and rolled his enormous shoulders. Kuwei watched it all in silence.
“All right,” Kaz said. “Let’s go get rich.”
“No mourners,” Rotty said, settling down to wait with the longboat.
“No funerals,” they replied.
They strode towards the centre of the island, Kuwei behind Kaz, bracketed by Jesper and Inej. As they drew closer, Jesper saw someone in a black mercher ’s suit approaching, accompanied by a tall Shu man, dark hair bound at the nape of his neck, and followed by a contingent of the stadwatch in purple coats, all carrying batons and repeating rifles. Two men lugged a heavy trunk between them, staggering slightly with its weight.
“So that’s what thirty million kruge looks like,” said Kaz.
Jesper gave a low whistle. “Hopefully, the longboat won’t sink.”
“Just you, Van Eck?” Kaz asked the man in merch black. “The rest of the Council couldn’t be bothered?”
So this was Jan Van Eck. He was leaner than Wylan, and his hairline was higher, but Jesper could definitely see the resemblance.
“The Council felt I was best suited to this task, as we’ve had dealings before.”
“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 longshot.”
“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 colour,” 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 Bo sent to the Council,” said Kaz, dark eyes narrowed.