Within the Hollow Crown by Daniel Antoniazzi Page B

boy, and you have a loving family. I will not let you be a pirate.”
    “You cannot stop me, Father! I will be a pirate no matter what it takes!”
    And so he ran off. He went straight to the south shore, at the docks just east of Hartstone Castle, and lived there from the age of ten .
    He picked up what work he could from the less picky foremen. He had pure brawn, so if you were willing to put up with the garb and the accent, he was excellent at moving heavy things.
    He saved every farthing he got his hands on. He lived in what some would call abject poverty, but he had his dreams to keep him warm at nights. Finally, he had enough to buy a boat of his own . It wasn’t pretty, but it was his, and he loved it.
    The shoddy craft didn’t attract the kind of clientele most people sought, but since Corthos prided himself on being a pirate, it suited him nicely. He was happy to deliver small loads of cargo, especially the sort that you didn’t want customs agents knowing about. And the same went for people. If they needed to get out of Deliem, he wouldn’t ask any questions.
    But, to keep up appearances, he had a sign up by the boat, painted in black, which read: “Tour the Kingdom, starting at only ten Ducats.” Nobody was fooled into thinking Corthos was any kind of tour guide.  You would have to be really clueless to fall for his cover story.
    “Jareld,” Thor said, “Look: A boat that will take us to the Island of Milos.”
    Jareld whispered back, “I don’t think we want to take this boat.”
    “But, for only ten Ducats…” Thor said, his voice anything but quiet.
    Suddenly, a pirate popped out from below decks.
    “Top o’ the mornin’ to ya!” Corthos bellowed. Jareld and Thor recoiled in unison.
    “Umm… Hello,” was all Jareld could manage.
    “What is it ya’ need?”
    “Actually,” Thor said, “We need to get to the Island of Milos.”
    “Then welcome aboard the Leaking Tub!”
    True enough, the boat had its name painted on the side. The Leaking Tub was built forty-three years ago as a minor supply ship for the Count’s Navy. It had been decommissioned some twelve years ago, which is why Corthos had managed to get it at a bargain price. The rudder was broken, the sails ripped, the steering wheel warped, and the hull rotted. Corthos admitted to himself that it was a fixer-upper, but a few more jobs and he’d have enough coins to give her a nice overhaul.
    “I think we’re going to check with the Galleon over there, to see where it’s heading.”
    “Wait a minute, matey,” Corthos said, leaping off the ship and onto the pier beside Jareld. “That there Galleon is a fine ship. The Stormbearer it is called. And she has a prime crew, to be sure. But...” Corthos said with a finger of warning, “It will not go where you wish. It be the Count’s ship, so e’en if it sail West, it likely won’t stray past Avonshire.”
    “I see your point, but--”
    “Now, the Leaking Tub ain’t much to look at, I’ll grant you that. And she may not ‘ave technically passed inspection in the last three years. And ya may have to share some of our rations with the mice from time to time. But I am bound by no law, by no man, and by no border, and for the right price, I can take ya’ anywhere in this great land, or beyond, if that be your wish.”
    “How much to get us to Milos?” Jareld asked, taking out a small bag of coins and shaking it around. It seemed to Corthos that something could be worked out.
     

Chapter 16: Knowledgeable Birds
     
    Two carrier pigeons flew in the silent night over the Avonshire-Deliem border. One was headed west, to Anuen, to inform the King that Prince Nathaniel was dead. The other was headed east, to Hartstone, to inform Prince Nathaniel that the King was dead.
    Had those two pigeons stopped for a quick drink at the same fountain, and had they gotten into a quick conversation, they would have been the most informed beings in the Kingdom on the first night of summer.
    But