(continued from Ch 16, Defeat in Darkness)

The Chronicles of Rapina
Chapter 17, A Captain In Chains


"Awaken Rapina, I know you have not slept long, nor have I, but it is noon and we have much to do today. I do not wish you to wash today, and I have your old clothes. You must look your worst for the constable when he arrives this evening or tomorrow."

Rapina jumped out of bed and opened the door.

"Constable?" Rapina asked as she came out of her room wearing a nightshirt and nothing else.

"Indeed," the necmancer smiled as he glanced at Rapina's legs. "I sent a message via pigeon to my brother priest in Granville. It's a large town on the River Augustana just West of the confluence of the river Augustana and Grand Lake about 15 miles from here. It is the area's largest settlement. Lumbering, quarrying, farming and fishing keep it going. My brother priest, Mortician Hagston, will be sending supplies and the constable. Thanks to a local superstition about the restless dead not being able to cross water, all of the towns in the area send their departed here to Graveston Isle. There are several small settlements on or near the lake, but only Granville is large enough to have its own priest of Mortaebius. He travels around the area a lot, but I send to him or his wife for supplies every month or so."

"Why didn't they give you a job like that?"

"At one time they did. I was one of several priests in a city on the river, but because I had a natural inclination towards the study of necromancy, and because of the incident concerning my hand, I was allowed to join the order of the Shroud and take this obscure assignment. My stipend covers basic supplies, and my naive brother priest gives me a percentage of his funereal take when I help bury one of the deceased, so I get by. On occasion, I locate a book, scroll or alchemical item I need for my magical practice, and that usually wipes out my savings. In the past I could not have afforded even to feed a servant, but I believe my fortunes have taken a definite change for the better," the necromancer smiled. With your cooperation I believe I could convince the authorities to sentence you to indentured servitude here for your crime of grave robbing."

"Me, stay here with you?" Rapina shook her whole body no, her nipples wavering from side to side beneath her nightshirt. "You might as well ship me off to the other priest," Rapina sighed.

"You would rather be indentured to a "celebate" rapist than serve as my maid?"

"You terrify me, your ghoulish servitors, your skeletal hand, your zombies, it's all so frightening. I'm sure I would have stabbed myself with a kitchen knife long before this if..."

"If what?" the necromancer asked.

"Well, your magic, the lights, the way you could see the battle in your pool, summon shadows, and cast spells, its fascinating. My Auntie was a wise woman. She knew herbs and petty curses. I learned herbal medicine from her and Leech Kennon, the pirate doctor. I have fantasized about casting spells, but I had never seen a man wield *true* magic until these past few days."

Thane chuckled, "So you find me terrifying, yet fascinating, both because of my magic."

Rapina nodded.

"Well you know, as my maid, you might be called upon to clean and tend my laboratory. You might pick up a little knowledge of the creation of potions."

Rapina frowned. "Maids don't learn magic, they're just drudges. I might as well be a drudge in a town somewhere; at least I'd get to see other people, even if they were slaves and prisoners. Working here would just be a frustration, seeing magic but never learning it, alone and being terrorized by the dead, what kind of life is that?"

"I could try to get the constable to assign you to me without your help, and I might easily succeed."

"Fine! I have so much to live for, I'll just attack you with a kitchen knife and get cut to pieces. Then I'll never have to worry about evil men ruining my life again! Rapina burst into tears. "It's not fair, what did I ever do to deserve all this?" Rapina cried.

Thane sighed, "Probably nothing." There was a long moment of uncomfortable silence.

Rapina sniffled.

"There is no guarantee you could even learn magic, and an apprentice most certainly works harder than a maid. In truth, apprentices do many of the chores of a maid and then they must learn in addition... If you agree to serve me well, young lady, I will endeavor to right some of the many wrongs men have heaped on you because of your beauty, and give you a chance to prove yourself as an apprentice rather than a simple servant."

Rapina looked up between her tears, "Do you really mean that Thane? You won't just give me the hardest book you have, then use me once you have proved I'm incapable?"

"Nay," Thane stepped back. "Mark me lady, you have my word, to the degree you put forth effort to serve me and to learn, to that same degree I will put forth effort to teach you, and I will start you with the easiest book of magic that I own, not the most difficult. Furthermore, I will not force you to my bed or mistreat you for no reason."

"Do you really mean that?" Rapina asked.

"I do." Thane replied succinctly.

Rapina took hold of Thane and cried against his chest for several minutes.

The necromancer was flushed and at a loss for words. After some time he said, "Shall we get started?"

Rapina let go of the necromancer, sniffed and nodded. "You want me to wear those smokey old clothes?

"Actually, I had one of the skeletons do the laundry yesterday while you were preparing breakfast. Now I almost wish I hadn't. You need to look plain for the constable, and if you have committed other crimes with the pirates we must make you look a bit different so that you will not be connected to them, to be shipped off to some prison where you will no doubt suffer much as you have been. Also the constable is a married man, but we cannot be too careful. He must not think I want you as a mistress. He must also believe you are repentant, and we may have to convince a judge as well. As long as we make no glaring errors, and I am seen as the hero who saved the world from Red Jack, then the judge will likely grant any reasonable request."

Rapina nodded.

"Now, we must hurry. Today will test you severely. The only reason I was willing to take you on as a servant and now am willing to make you my apprentice is because I expect to be much wealthier than I currently am. Formerly I could simply not have afforded it. You see, Red Jack and many of his men have sizable bounties on their heads, some of them quite obscene. Dead or alive, altogether they are worth a king's ransom. The constable will be bringing a stack of wanted posters for Jack's men. We must help him by identifying all the bodies.

Rapina grimaced, "All right."

"Make breakfast and I will ready our mounts," Thane said.

After breakfast, the necromancer and Rapina were lowered down into the canyon in the wicker cage. Thane helped Rapina onto a skeletal horse cowled in black, and then mounted another such horse. They and what remained of Thane's guards rode briskly to the pirate fort where Thane had Rapina identify a score of deceased recruits that Thane had his guards drag to a central location.

"Pay close attention," Thane held a symbol of the god of death, mumbled incantations, and four of the dead men rose as zombies. "That was the power of Mortaebius. Now I will demonstrate the wizardly version of the same spell." Thane tossed bone powder over the bodies and wove a different, more impressive magic. Four more zombies rose. Thane then repeated the first spell.

Rapina wrinkled her nose.

"Thane chuckled. "We will need the workers." The constable will want to see the battlefield. I will tell him I used magic to best the pirates, but he must not know the exact nature of the magic. The law takes a dim view of necromancy. Illusion is a much more palatable form of magic."

Thane ordered the zombies about and they began laying out the dead pirates, face up, at the top of the hill.

"Now, you and I must collect skeletons that could be reassembled and reanimated. The pirates destroyed so much of what I had that the isle is largely unprotected. I have a special magical glue as well as a mending spell that both work magnificently on bone. Here are some burlap sacks. In each put the pieces of a full skeleton." Thane said.

Rapina's stomach complained, but she worked diligently. She did not want to stay on the isle or think what she was doing, but she knew that she might never have the opportunity to learn real magic again. It seemed to her that the beauty she had been given by the lust spirit had carried with it a curse. She needed to be more powerful than that curse, or she would always be at its mercy.

By mid afternoon, Thane had perused the captain's various strong boxes in the fort. The records included a list of Red Jack's men. Thane sent Rapina around to identify each man, and tie a label naming him to each dead man's big toe.

After fetching the cut-up bodies from the mausoleum and laying them out with the others, the necromancer checked them against the list.

"Counting the ones caught alive, we have one hundred forty-seven of one hundred fifty-three accounted for. We are missing Arzeal, Brackston, Drake, Pike, Rage, and Skitch. The ghouls took this man, Gape, in their tunnels yesterday. I have his head and skeleton back home.

Rapina nodded. It was obvious that the days work had kept her in horror and tears, but she refused to let the one chance she had to overpower her fate slip away.


"Now let us cover these corpses with pirate tents to keep the carrion birds off them and have our workers take the various usable weapons, arrows and equipment back to my storage rooms, and pack up the skeletons too shattered to be of use. We must hurry, the constable could be here soon."

---

Thane entered Red Jack's cell. The pirate captain's ankles were manacled together, his wrists were manacled and attached to a chain around his waist, and another chain went from his wrists to his ankles. A chain ran from the wall of the cell to an iron collar around Jack's neck. Thane was not taking any chances.

"Well now, has Kent been keeping you entertained?" Thane asked.

Captain Red Jack scowled.

"I have come to make a business proposition. You will no doubt be hung for your crimes, and I have kept you alive for one reason only. I seem to recall that some perverse bureaucrat made you considerably more valuable alive than dead. Perhaps you have some noble enemy who wishes to take personal revenge against you?"

The captain looked stonily up at the necromancer. He idly wondered why the man wore gloves in this weather.

Thane continued. "It's really no matter to me. I'm just a simple priest charged by the church of Mortaebius to keep this isle free of grave robbers. I realize you may have a tendency to talk, to try to drag me down with you by alleging that I am a necromancer."

Jack scoffed, "alleging?"

"Indeed. Of course all that you saw was simply the power of illusion." Thane smiled.

"My Ass, it was."

"Perhaps I can persuade you to change your mind."

"How in hell da ye expect ta do that?" the captain asked.

"I realize you are not inclined to keep any bargains being that you are on your way to the gallows, but I believe you might make an exception in this case. I have a bit of information you might be interested in, and I have captured someone I will be keeping on as an indentured servant for the crime of grave robbery. I assure you, if I go down, Rapina will go down with me."


Captain Red Jack tried not to react to the mention of his favorite wench, but he could see the cold gaze of the necromancer duly noted his reaction.

"What information do ye suppose a dead man like me might be interested in?"

"Six of your men escaped. I have their names. This noon I made a little deal with Rapina and she has since been quite helpful. I suppose she did realize Kent and I could figure it out ourselves, but one can not always trust the recollections of a ghoul."

"What kind o' deal did ye cut with th' wench, you swine, ye'd not kill 'er if she spread 'er legs for ye?" Red Jack growled.

Thane looked down his nose at Red Jack, "Nay, I'd say that particular deal has already been over-used in her case... Actually, she drove a hard bargain, threatening to stab me with a kitchen knife, which would result in her death by my guards, if I gave her nothing to live for."

Jack chuckled. "Plucky wench, ain't she?"

"Indeed. Now, do we have a deal?" Thane asked.

"Aright, I'll bargain w' ye. My silence about yer fell magery, in return fer th' names o' me men that escaped, yer word ye won't harm th' wench, th' details o' yer deal with 'er, an two hours alone w' 'er without these damned chains before they cart me off."

"And what do you plan to do in those two hours?"

"Say gbye ta her like a proper pirate if she'll have me. It'll likely be th' last time I see 'er or any woman."

"Hmmmm, you drive a hard bargain indeed." Thane pursed his lips. "I am not so sure I wish to grant that last request, but I will tell you what. In addition to failing to mention necromancy, if you will tell me everything you know about the girl, and promise you will not force her, then I will grant your request."

"Aye, I don't need ta force th' wench, she's a healthy young woman if er' there was one. Ye got a deal," The captain said.

Thane raised an eyebrow at Jack's comment. "The men who escaped are Arzeal, Brackston, Drake, Pike, Rage, and Skitch. Once they left the isle, I have no idea what they did, and it is none of my concern what they do hereafter. As I said, I am a humble priest charged to protect this isle from grave robbers, and up to the time I collect the bounties on you and your men, I will also be a relatively impoverished priest."

Red Jack Chuckled. "An after that ye'll be richer'n a baron. How in hell's name did Arzeal escape?"

"He left the darkness on the opposite side of the hill as I was on and made a run for it. He shot many of the archers shooting at him on his way down the hill and likely veered south and swam for it once he reached the cove.

Thane smiled, "As for the details of my arrangement with Rapina, legally speaking I will hold her here on indenture for her crimes. After her sentence runs out she will still have to face sentence on whatever crimes she may have committed elsewhere."

Captain Red Jack grimaced.

"It is the best I can do within the law. Is there something she has not told me? We do have a deal don't we?" the necromancer asked.

"Aye, there is, an' I don't know if I should be tellin' ye, but a deal's a deal, an' I guess ye'll be rich enough that th' wench'll be better to ye than some pretty reward," Red Jack said.

"There's money on her head?" Thane asked.

"There was a powerful priest who ran 'er town an' preyed on' th' young women on th' sly. He died on 'er while rapin' 'er fer th' umpteenth time. Least that's what I got out o' her. He was mean, crazy mean - had a few screws loose. She was tryin' ta tire 'im out so 'ed sleep 'stead o' leave when 'e'd finished with 'er so she could make 'er escape. She got 'im sleepin' deep aright, six feet deep, but she claims 'e broke a vessel or somethin' 'cause she didn't lift 'er hand again' 'im. I don't know if that part is true. I only 'ave 'er word on it. I do know some o' the boys pulled 'er out o' th' river near dead drowned when they were on their way ta join me crew, so she warr makin' an escape from somethin', 'an believe me, I know a hardened criminal when I see one, Rapina was just a kid, she ain't a natural born killer.

She's also told me 'er aunt was th' villiage witch 'an th' aunt did curses on that ol' letcher o' a priest 'till 'e had th' aunt executed. Rapina ain't a normal girl. She's deadly smart, 'an she's frisky as a mink. That's 'ow this all started for 'er. 'Er stupid mother didn't believe th' rumors about th' reverend. He warr good at shutin' up anyone who squealed, sometimes permanent. Her dad caught 'er w' one o' 'er boyfriends, a nice lad too, 'e warr th' one who helped teach 'er ta read, but they wasn't readin' at th' time.


Rapina was what ye call precocious, a real natural w' th' boys, a born lover. Th' damned priest were probably a bit leary about takin' 'er given Rapina's aunt an' 'er family maybe knowin' about 'im. Thing was, 'er stupid mother delivered the poor girl right inta th' priest's foul hands fer foolin' w' th' boys. The foul priest gave 'er her first lesson on 'ow sick some folks can be 'tween th' sheets. He beat 'er, cut 'er and would 'ave done worse if th' god o' th' dead hadn't dragged 'im under. Least that's what she told me, an' I'm inclined ta belive 'er.

I'm sure th' man's family will make like she bewitched 'im 'an drained th' life out o' 'im. Who knows, maybe she did, an if 'e did even 'alf 'o what she said 'e did, 'e deserved everything 'e got. One thing's sure though, first time I were with 'er warrn't entirely w' 'er consent, but she was a good sport about it, and we 'ad a little wine and conversation before th' event. 'Fact that I'm still alive, an th' fact that any pirate boyfriend she 'ad was still kickin' up 'till ye snuffed 'em says somethin' about 'er. If she's got bewitchin' powers, she sure as hell ne're used em' on me. Any attachment I got, I came by th' natural way, Red Jack winked saltily."

Thane scowled.

"Don't ye be judgin' 'er too harsh. She ain't a lady that way, but she's a goddess in a man's bed, an' if ye treat 'er right ye'll find out fer yerself. She told me straight up she coudn't 'elp foolin' w' th' boys. 'Said 'er father used ta beat 'er for it 'an 'er mother used ta heap th' guilt on 'er, but that's 'ow she is, a natural born lover 'an comely as they come. Not a woman I've known could 'old a candle to 'er. Ye're holdin' a girl any man would give 'is eye teeth for, an' ye're not keepin' 'er on 'cause she's ugly, so ye can be glad she ain't a cold bitch. On th' other 'and, it's best ye know 'er nature up front, or yer like ta kill 'er fer bein' her, an' regret it fer th' rest o' yer life an' then some.

Other than bein' th' finest woman ye'll ever lay eyes on, She's got more guts an' determination than any pirate recruit I've ever had. Leech Kennon, me camp doctor who ye snuffed, 'e said she was th' finest student an' assistant he'd ever had 'er seen. Me arms master tried ta wash 'er out o' basic 'an failed. He didn't take kindly ta women in 'is trainin'. Instead she got 'erself some advice 'an trainin' from other men 'an learned skill at arms better'n th' bigger, tougher recruits 'e put 'er up against. Fer someone who's had just eight weeks o' basic trainin' an a few weeks o' practice on th' boats, she sails better, shoots a bow straighter and wields short sword an shield or rapier an' main gauche as good as any recruit I ever had. She could kill ye with that kitchen knife if she 'ad a mind to, but she can be th' best friend ye ever 'ad if ye treat 'er right.

I gave it to ye straight. She's a pirate wench, an' ye knew that when ye got 'er, but she's a sweet kid too in spite o' everything she's been through, an' that's even more considerable now what w' all ye're cursed walkin' dead. Ye're no prize yerself, an ye don't deserve a wench like Rapina."

Thane looked down his nose at Red Jack.

"I know what ye're thinkin', an' I'll be th' first ta admit it. I didn't deserve 'er neither, but I'm an opportunist, 'an I'm a killer same as ye are. I hate ye for killin' me men, but I'd o' killed yer men too, if they 'adn't been dead already. Now, I gave ye all I know. Yer turn."

"This reverend she killed, what was his name?" the necromancer asked.

Red Jack sighed, "Ye promise not ta turn her in fer killin' the bastard?"

"If what you say about him is true, then I will not fault the woman for defending herself," Thane said.

"Evangeline Avengene. I 'ad 'is signet from her fer a while, but I sold it." Jack scowled as he saw the priest freeze in surprise for just an instant. "That's all I know, now what's the rest of yer agreement with th' wench?" Jack asked.

"I have agreed to give Rapina the chance to be more than a servant. In the unlikely event that her intellect is sufficient, She is to be my apprentice in magic."

Red Jack nodded, "Me first officer Roger, who ye killed, he liked ta imagine th' recruits in some profession that fit 'em when they first joined on. Kent 'e saw as a naval officer good as any o' th' captains in th' king's navy. He couldn't place Rapina, said she gave 'im th' willies, but 'e finally did place 'er. She was a sorcerer's apprentice."

Thane raised his eyebrow. "The constable may arrive at any time. I have other things to show him so you'll have your two hours, perhaps more, but I'll need to fetch the girl straight away."

Thane left and then returned a few minutes later and let Rapina into Jack's cell. He hung a large censor on the bars of the cell's window that released myrrh-scented smoke into the air.

Rapina carried the key to Jack's chains, but she'd been instructed not to release the pirate unless she wanted to, and to chain him up again before she left. Kent, Edgar, and a few of their fellow ghouls were on call in the guardroom.

"Jack, I'm so sorry, he... beat us," Rapina stammered.

"Aye, 'an 'e beat us as well. I warr a fool, I should 'ave seen th' 'and writin' on th' wall. That priest is as cold an' calculatin' a general as I've seen."

Rapina nodded, "Guardian Thane is a magician and a priest, a member of The Order of the Death's Peace. It's the militant arm of the church of Mortaebius, god of the dead. I'm sure he was trained in tactics when he joined the order. They specialize in protecting the church, and protecting tombs from grave robbers."

Jack sighed, "I'm sorry Rapina, I should 'ave known, I warr too wrapped up in th' loss o' me ships an' I fought when I should 'ave run. That's what 'as kept me off th' king's gallows fer this long. In th' past, I always knew when it warr time ta run."

Rapina hugged Jack and unlocked the iron collar around his neck. "You couldn't have known Jack. Thane uses magic; no one could have estimated his power or his resources. If he had not come down to fight you himself, you would have won. What you saw at the end was all he had left, his household guards and whatever he could borrow from the tombs."

Rapina unlocked the chain around Jack's waist.

"Damn! I nearly had 'im. How's 'e been treatin' ye, girl?"

"Kent abducted me using a secret door in the tomb after one of Thane's traps failed him but still killed half of our party."

"That man's full o' infernal traps 'an schemes," Jack snapped.

Rapina unlocked Jack's ankles. "Once here, I unfroze and tried to escape once but wound up just outside this cell. It was the only door I could find that I could hold against the guards Thane assigned to me, because I found a key to it on the wall of the guardroom. I saw Jonas, but I'm not sure he's here anymore. When I holed up here, it turned out that Kent and Thane were talking in the last cell. Kent was eating Piggy. It was horrible!

"Aye, I don't know what Thane's doin' ta Kent, but 'e's th' only ghoul guard I've seen who looks eighteen months pregnant."

"Anyway, Thane and Kent came out of a cell with three of Thane's special armored skeletons, and Thane surrounded me with flying bones. I had to surrender; it was hopeless. Thane took me out of here and put me up in one of his guest rooms. He turned me into his maid straight away, and I cooked and cleaned for him while he occupied himself with the battle. He's very creepy, and he treats death as casually as the weather, but he's not beat me or anything, even though I tried to escape."

The captain nodded. "He's a' evil man, but I'm no angel meself. I hope 'e treats ye right. 'Fraid I'm not goin' ta be able ta watch over ye any longer. I can hope me escaped men will find me an' manage ta spring me afore I'm hanged, but It ain't likely. 'Least th' 'ol bastard gave me that hope. 'e told me Arzeal escaped, an' Pike, Brackston, Drake, Skitch and Rage."

Rapina Nodded, "I saw the bodies, they weren't among them, and early this morning when he came home from the battle, Thane told me Arzeal had gotten away at the end of the battle."

"Aye, then maybe 'e's tellin' th' truth," Red Jack said.

"But enough 'o that, if I'm goin' ta hang 'an then be slavin' an' burnin' in some death god's underworld, I'd like ta 'bring as many memories of ye as I can."

Jack drew Rapina to him and kissed her deeply. ---

After leaving Jack and Rapina, Thane had gone to the cliffs above his abode. From there he had seen a ship approaching from the South and had gone to meet it. The constable always anchored his boats off the box canyon entrance to the isle and sent a ship's boat with the bodies of executed criminals. Thane had provided the constable with a few thick iron rings set into the stone of the canyon so that he could leave living prisoners to be killed and buried, but the constable usually had criminals publicly executed. Thus Thane usually was just left with recently dead bodies, and often supplies sent from his brother priest via the constable's ship. These things sustained his ghouls and himself, but not in high style.

When there were no bodies of criminals from the constable and no burials of local people brought to the isle by his brother priest, Mortician Hagston, Hagston sent a hired boat, but that cost money. Thus Thane relied on the constable and burial parties to do him the kindness of delivering supplies whenever possible. On this occasion, Thane had sent a request for wheat, various other foodstuffs and cloth to his brother priest when he sent the message about Red Jack via pigeon. In addition to the supplies, the constable would be bringing a caged pigeon from Hagston to replace the one Thane had used to send the last message. When the constable and his chief deputy arrived, Thane took them straight away to see the pirate camp.

"This was their fort, and that's the lot of them, laid out for you, constable Barns. I found this list in Red Jack's logs, and a prisoner helped me sort out who was who. I have labeled each body."

Constable Olsen shook his head. "That's amazin' work Guardian Thane. I got to admit, when Mortician Hagston tol' me you had defeated Red Jack and his men with th' power o' Mortaebius, I was more'n a bit skeptical, but seein' em all laid out like this in your usual efficient manner, well, seein' is belevin', eh deputy?"


"Sure is, hard ta believe a man can conjure shades ta hack men up like this."

"Indeed, I see you're point, Deputy. Frankly, I'm still quite beat from the battle. It took quite a bit out of me, but I believe I will be sufficiently recuperated to muster a small demonstration for you tomorrow morning if you like."

"Of m-magic?" Barns looked at Olsen.

"That would be good of you Guardian Thane. Why it'd be a pleasure to see how the Infamous Red Jack met his doom. Speakin' of whom, where is his carcass?"

"Actually, I was able to capture Red Jack alive," Thane said. "After we return to my residence for a short break, I'll take you on a little tour of the dungeon."

"Alive! Wow," deputy Barnes exclaimed.

By the time Thane escorted the men into the canyon, the sun was already down.

Olsen looked at the sky. "Sure glad you got that magic light, Guardian Thane, I got a little worried we'd fall off the cliffs soon as the sun went down."

Ah, it is nothing; light is a very common spell. Thane stopped. "Lower!" he yelled.

The wicker cage was lowered for them. After Thane had shown the men their rooms and served wine and cheese on the table of the dining hall, the priest excused himself for a moment.

Thane took a circuitous route around the men and back down the stairs to the corridor with the dungeon and storage areas the men had entered after exiting the cage.

"Rapina, Captain, I'll be bringing the constable in shortly. I believe you've had over two hours now. Rapina, please come out as soon as you are ready, hurry."

Rapina hugged Jack one last time and put his chains back on. Jack was exhausted from their earlier love-making, but wore a salty grin that threatened never to leave him.

"Fare the well, lass. I pray I can slip th' noose, but 'least I'll die a happy man if me luck ain't up ta a miracle."

"Rapina smiled but shed a tear. I hope I'll see you again Jack, but just in case, I want to thank you for watching over for these last few months."

"Aye, it was my pleasure lass, an' if th' worse happens, why I'll jimmy me way outa hell, an' ye'll have a ghost Red Jack ta watch over ye fer as long as ye need me."

Rapina smiled through her tears, waved one last time and left the cell.

"Let's see your face, quickly," Thane said taking the key from Rapina's hand. Thane produced a little mortician's makeup kit and went to work on Rapina's face in key locations, adding shadows and making her look older and a bit different. Now, go in, undress and take this strip of cloth and bind your breasts tight to your chest, then dress again. When the constable comes, hunch your shoulders over a bit, and look at the floor a lot. It will help you look plainer. The constable must not think anything untoward. I will be calling you Serina. If the constable and the judge fail to recognize you for the crimes that the priest's family accused you of, then so much the better."

Rapina nodded.

Kent checked Captain Red Jack's chains, then locked Jack's cell and left the dungeon with the rest of the ghouls for the storage room across the hall.

"I shall return with the constable and his deputy shortly."

After a few minutes, Thane arrived with the officers and opened Jack's cell.

Barns took a deep breath, "It's really him!"

"Nay, can't ye see I'm th' Duke an' I hereby pardon meself all transgressions, legal 'r otherwise past an future. Now unchain me an' get me back ta me palace."

"Good try Jack, but the Duke is a shorter man. Olsen held up a wanted poster. That's you all right."

"Ach, they got the beard all wrong, can't ye see?" Jack snapped.

"It will be a pleasure to turn you over to the Duke's men, Red Jack, you've burned your last town and killed your last innocent victim!"

"I'll see ye in th' hells o' Mortabius, constable."

"Stop gawking, Barns. We'll be taking him back to town tomorrow. Any others you wanted us to see, Guardian Thane?" Barns said ushering his deputy back into the corridor.

"Just one other. I didn't think it would be right to kill a young woman, even if she had gotten mixed up with the pirates. She and several other of the pirates robbed one of the Baronial tombs. Unfortunately, six of her mates got away, so you men and your sailors best keep on the lookout for trouble. The escapees are wounded, but any veteran of Red Jack's band is dangerous in any condition short of deceased."

"That's good advice if I ever heard it," Olsen said.

Thane opened Rapina's cell. "This is Serina, she has been very helpful in identifying the bodies, and before that in cooking and cleaning for me while I was concentrating on the battle. I will, of course be pressing charges for her grave robbing, but I believe this woman can be rehabilitated. I wonder if I might get her sentenced to an indenture here as my maid? It seems I will finally be able to afford to feed a servant, but it is so difficult to get the locals to hire on for a stint on the infamous Graveston isle."

"I'm sure the Judge'll be favorably inclined to you, Guardian Thane. You'll be a mighty big hero in Granville. Why don't you keep her for now, and I'll arrange for a hearing for you when you come to pick up the reward money. I hope you've got a big boat, because the gold from those bounties would sink a lesser one."

Thane chuckled, "I'll work something out. Please give my brother priest a note to send me via pigeon as to when to collect the bounty and attend the hearing. That's one date I'd hate to be late for. Shall I bring the girl for the hearing?"

"Likely you'll need to, but it should be just a formality," Olsen said.

"Very well, let us retire to my chambers. The girl can fix us something to eat and then after a little conversation, I expect you men will want to turn in. You are, of course, invited to stay in my guest rooms. No need for you to stay on your boat with your other men, when I am glad to provide better accommodations."

"Sure thing, it's been a long day," Olsen said.

The next morning after breakfast, Thane ushered the men to one of his storage rooms.

Thane handed Olsen a dim, red mage light. "My magic works best in poor lighting, that is why I took Jack and his men at night. As you might imagine, with my background as a mortician, I have little trouble conjuring up images that terrify the unschooled. Now here we have one of the bodies of the pirates that I've hung from a pillar. Now let me work and you will soon see how the morale of Jack's troops was robbed from them, allowing my quasi-real troops to close in for the kill."

Thane made a show of coalescing the shadows into terrifying beings and forming a ghoulish monster from the shadows as well. The creatures tore up the body. In truth, the illusion hid the real players until they were "conjured;" the three shadows and the ghoul were authentic. When the demonstration was over, the undead monsters escaped through a secret door, once again under cover of Thane's illusion.

Thane removed the cover from a strong, white mage-light and the men were suddenly transported from the horror of the night to standing in a well-lit ordinary, nearly empty storage room. It was obvious that there was now nothing living in the room but Thane, Olsen and Barns. "There now, I hope I managed to scare you at least a little bit."

"A-a little b-bit I'd say," stammered Barns

Olsen chuckled nervously, "Those pirates must have really lost it when you conjured monstrosities like that at night."

"Yes, fear itself can be the greatest enemy." Thane wiped his brow. "I'd best spend a few more days resting, I think, but I am glad I could show you men a little of the magic that bested Red Jack."

"Guess we better get goin'. After that demonstration, I sure's heck want ta be back in Granville before nightfall. My skin's still a-crawlin'."

"Thank you constable, you flatter my humble powers. Let's get Red Jack and you can be on your way."

Sometime later Thane watched as the constable and several deputies loaded Red Jack and his many chains onto a long boat bound for the constable's stout little ship.

"Thank you for coming, and have a safe trip, Constable Olsen, deputy Barns and you other sailors and gentlemen of the law. I'll look forward to a note from you, constable Olsen via my brother priest, Mortician Hagston," Thane said.

"Thank *you* Guardian Thane, your heroism has saved countless innocent lives. Every community along the Augustana owes you a deep debt of gratitude, and I will be glad to see you are amply rewarded," Olsen said.

Thane bowed humbly and watched as the boat sailed off. When it was gone, he turned and grinned.
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This ends A Captain in Chains, Chapter 17 of The Chronicles of Rapina.
The story continues in Chapter 18, Judgment in Disguise.

Copyright 2001 by Rapina