(Continued from Ch 25, Reunions)

The Chronicles of Rapina
Chapter 26, The Jolly Roger 


The next night there was to be another reunion. 

An instant after the transport spell was cast on her Rapina was standing in the midst of a fire in the middle of a pirate camp. The layout was familiar. Rapina blinked as two crossbow bolts and an arrow ricocheted off one of the spells protecting her. She wondered why the fire was not burning her, but decided to step out of it just the same. Her black-robed skeletal companion accompanied her. Several more arrows bounced off the spell, one nearly transfixing Brackston. 

"Son of a bitch! Hold up a second! What in hell's name are yew doin' steppin' out o' th fire with death, Rapina? Is that really yew?" Brackston squinted. 

"It's really me." Rapina said. "I need to talk to Captain Red Jack. Rapina pointed to the black-robed skeleton next to her holding the scythe. You are not going to believe who that is." 

"After what happened ta Kent, maybe I don' want ta know!" Brackston practically hollered. "Hey Slice, yew get yer pretty ass over ta the captain's tent an' tell 'im Rapina dressed like th' red queen o' Clairmont, an' a corpse dressed like death 'jus stepped outa' th' fire in th' middle o' camp an' want ta talk to 'im. Yew tell 'im we shot th' intruders on sight jus' like 'e said, only th' arrows bounced off th' air in front o' 'em. Yew tell 'im if I see any more fuckin' sorcery tanight I'm goin' ta piss!" 

A few minutes passed before Pike and Drake appeared on the scene. 

"Wow, is that really you Rapina?" Pike asked. 

Rapina smiled. "It's really me." 

"Can I touch you?" Pike asked.

"Um, I think so," Rapina said. "I'm not sure what all the spells he cast on me do. Best to take it slow." 

Pike reached out his hand. It encountered a bit of resistance but he could move it toward her. 

Rapina reached out and took Pike's hand. 

"What's this all about?" Suddenly Pike lunged with his other free hand to grab for Rapina's throat. 

Rapina had no time to react. There was a blur from the corner of her eye; Pike's traitorous hand stopped inches from her neck, and it was gushing blood like a fountain. 

Pike looked down the handle of the scythe that had somehow appeared between his hand and Rapina's neck. 

"No heroics, Pike, let's do this one straight," The skeleton rasped in an emotionless tone. 

"Damn!" Pike dropped Rapina's hand to squeeze his bloody left hand. "How in hell?" Pike froze as a chill ran up his spine. He looked at Rapina's skeletal protector, "It couldn't be." 

"Who else could have predicted that move?" The skeleton asked.

Pike shuddered and shook his head. "Sorry Rapina. With all those spells, I was pretty sure you were not here of your own free will. What's this all about?" 

"We are here to offer Captain Red Jack a deal, but I don't think he would want us discussing the particulars in front of everyone. I know you are looking out for Jack. I would not be here if I thought Kroz wanted to kill him. If his purpose was to kill Jack, he probably would have sent more like him," Rapina pointed at her, "negotiating partner." 

Pike nodded and turned to the skeleton, "If you are not here to kill us, then I guess he won't be needing that scythe." 

"The scythe is part of what I am now, Pike, and you just proved I do need it. As long as you are armed, I will be armed. Rapina is under my protection." 

"Damn I'll say. I've never seen anyone move that fast," Pike said.

"Sometimes death strikes swiftly," The skeleton replied.

A chill went down his spine as Pike stared at the skeleton. The Norseman shook himself and lead Rapina to the Captain's tent. The skeleton followed. At least Rapina's hand had been warm, he hoped that meant something. 

"Ye've filled out a bit wench. Ye're lookin' better than ever, an' I like yer choice 'o colors. What brings ye here all dressed up like a scarlet noblewench?" 

Rapina blushed. "Thank you Captain Red Jack. Well, I have a deal to discuss. It might be a little scary for some of the recruits, but I think it might be important for you in the long run." 

"All right. I'll hear ye out. Get me Arzeal, an' Drake, Brackston and Skitch. I'll be wantin' ta know their opinion, an there's nothin' I'll be doin' without 'em in on it. Clear Guts and Bled away to a safe distance. This'll be just the officers." 

When the others arrived, Jack cleared his throat. All right, say yer piece girl. This 'as got ta do with th' necromancer aye?" 

"It all started there anyway. What do you remember about him?" 

"He's a priest o' that god o' the dead, Mortaebius, 'is name is Thane. He's there ta protect the isle from grave robbers. A little overkill in that one, I'd say." 

Rapina nodded, "Yes, Thane was not a bad sorcerer. Kroz says he is not at the stature of a true wizard but is working towards it. As a priest he could command and animate the dead, and as a magician he could cast magical darkness and a few other minor spells. Many priests have no spells, magical or clerical, but there are a few who are exceptional. Most priests of Mortaebius are little more than morticians. Thane was a priest in an order that protects the church. Due to their worshipping of the god of death, their church has, um, some interesting friends and unofficial priests that very few of them know about." 

"Th' right 'and doesn't know what th' left 'and is doing?" Jack asked.

Rapina nodded, "The secret patrons of the church protect it in times of war. Most of the priests of Mortaebius know little or nothing about them. Sometimes they appear to the priests as minions of Mortaebius, and there are traditions within the church that these minions are to be heeded in times of war. For the church, one of those times is beginning. However, before I talk about the trouble the church is in, let me talk about the trouble you are in. Then I'll connect the two." 


"Trouble's me middle name." Jack grinned.

Rapina smiled. "My, ah, partner has some posters." 

"Here you are sir." The skeleton reached into his thick black robes and passed an envelope to Red Jack. 

Red Jack froze as a chill went down his spine. "Roger?" 

"Aye sir," the death skeleton replied.

"What happened to ye man?" Red Jack asked.

"I died sir, in the battle on the hill," Roger said.

"Damn it Roger, I was goin' ta say it looked like ye'd lost a bit o' weight. Now ye're tellin' me ye're dead, what're ye doin' back here as a bag 'o bones an' why can ye still talk an' think?" Jack asked.

"I am a death of Mortaebius now, sir. Deaths are created by the most powerful mage-priests of Mortaebius. I serve the god of death, and I will serve you also if the deal is to your liking." 

The captain grimaced, "Ye're dead, Roger." 

"No sir, I am undead. I was dead for a while, sir." Roger said in his characteristic emotionless tone, made all the worse by the fact that his voice sounded more like a whispery rasp than it had when Roger was alive, yet even so, the voice was recognizably Roger's. 

"Aye." Red Jack spread the posters out on the table. "I've got this one o' Pike an this one o' me already. I see Arzeal, Drake an' th' rest are worth a pretty penny as well. Thar's no doubt we're pricey men," Jack chuckled. "Go on, wench." 

"You're so pricey that Kroz says you have reached the point where you will start to receive unwanted wizardly and priestly attention. He himself found you in a matter of hours." 

"I see yer point, certain noblemen fer instance might stoop ta hirein' a mage ta pinch me needle in the haystack. Who is this Kroz fellow anyways?" Jack asked.

Rapina smiled. Jack was amazing. Rapina could not take the grave note out of her voice, yet Jack was making jokes. "Kroz is a necromancer, a man with whom Thane had some dealings. There are not many magician-priests of Mortaebius, but some of those are acquainted with one another as friends or suppliers of things necessary for the practice of magic. Thane had bought a few spells and things from Kroz in the past, so when Thane obtained the bounty money, he contacted Kroz. During their meeting Kroz expressed an interest in the bodies of some of your men because their deeds in life made them desirable for certain advanced animations. I was serving as Thane's maid at the time, so I was able to overhear their conversation." 

"Kroz takes a proactive stance towards the protection of the church of Mortaebius, and is very worried that his god's house on the prime material plane could be destroyed by the forces of the vindicator. Thane bought some spells but, at least from what I overheard, he was far too lawful to sell Kroz what he really wanted, the bodies of your men."

"As Thane's servant, I had helped bury them in a group grave in the valley of the dead, so I knew where they were. I needed to escape, so while Kroz was there, I struck up a bargain with him. He would take me on as an apprentice and I in return would show him where the bodies were. I had to escape Thane but Kroz told me he was willing to pick me up in a certain location if I could escape. Kroz did not want to loose a good customer or get in trouble with the law. He told me where I needed to go in order for him to pick me up. It took me some time, but not long ago, I got this horrible case of the winter blahs, and Thane eventually decided I had been away from people too long and took me to the town of Granville. 

Unfortunately, for the first couple days Thane didn't go out at night while in town, and I didn't want to try to escape during the day. The night before we were going to leave he took the constable and his deputy out to dinner with us. It was risky but I was able to escape, steal a horse and get to the appointed place. It must have been spelled, because somehow Kroz knew I was there. He came and picked me up. Later he took me to the island so that I could satisfy my end of the bargain. He is a necromancer, so he had no trouble dealing with the undeads that wander the isle. Actually Kent and Edgar discovered us digging up the bodies, but Kroz commanded the two of them to help us dig up the corpses. Since they knew he had been there, he simply stole them when we left."

"Kroz let me know that this winter in the marquisate of Avengene, many of the priests of Mortaebius have been killed. Temples of Mortaebius have been sacked and burned and the church was and currently is in dire need of protection." 

"A religious war?" Jack asked.

Rapina nodded, "Zealots of the church of the vindicator, trying to destroy the competition. They are doing it on a large and growing scale. They use groups disguised as bandits and thieves, and Marquis Avengene winks and looks the other way. He's probably in on it. Outside the Marquis' territory, the vindicator has a little less power, but that just means the vindicator's zealots have to be a little more careful." 

The captain nodded, "Aye, so this Kroz, bein' a necromancer is a worshiper of Mortaebius and he wants ta be protectin' the morticians an' th' temples 'o Mortaebius." 

Rapina nodded, "preferably without them knowing the details or the methods involved." 

"Where do I come in?" Jack asked.

"You need to be shielded against wizardly spying and Kroz needs dead bodies, a steady supply for the war effort," Rapina said.

"I see what ye're drivin' at. I may tell any man who asks that Thane warr an illusionist, but none of me officers who were there believe me. They figure he warr a necromancer, an' we don't want to be dealin' with any necromancers if one o' 'em killed me men!"... Jack paused dramatically. "On th' other hand we're in a bit of a bind. It's a cinch this Kroz knows where I am, an' if he knows, then every two-bit wizard in Clairmont might be able ta find out." The captain faced his men, "Wizardry appears ta work, otherwise Rapina an' Roger wouldn't be appearin' in th' middle o' a camp we all did are darndest ta keep secret." Jack looked back at Rapina, "First I got to decide if we're goin' ta deal with ye at all, girl. You two go back ta th' central fire an' let me hash this one out wi' me officers." 
--------------------

After Rapina and Roger left, Arzeal returned from escorting them to the fire and the captain faced Brackston. 

"All right Brackston, ye're th' first I want ta hear from. Ye've been squirmin' like a worm ever since ye saw Roger, an' ta tell ye th' truth, I don't blame ye," Red Jack said.

"Yew can't go ahead with this one cap'n' we'll be cursed fer sure," Brackston said.

"An what do ye suppose'll happen if I say, "No deal," Brackston?" Jack asked.

Brackston looked at the floor and clenched his fist. "He will send a few like Roger an' Kent, an' de spooks will cut us down like wheat. I was there sir. Yew know Pike is fast, an' h' didn't telegraph de move. Maybe Roger figured he'd try somefin', but I saw it happen sir, no man could move that fast." 

"He struck like death did 'e?" Jack laughed. "Aye, an now me best fighter's one-handed unless an' until that wound heals. Damn it! We don't even have a proper leech! Pike was trainin' th' recruits too, and now that 'e's got a split hand we're out half an arms master. But that's not what we're here ta discuss. We got the devil on our doorstep wantin' ta make a deal. I'm askin' fer yer ideas not yer fears. Fears are goin' ta do us about as much good as Pike's lunge at Rapina's throat.

I know me wench pretty well, an' she's scared we won't deal, which means she's pretty sure we'll be on meat hooks if we turn 'im down. I'll tell ye somethin' else, seein' Roger has jogged me memory. Roger was always me sixth sense concernin' spies and infiltrators. He could always spot a recruit who didn't fit. Skitch ye're not bad at figurin' who's a spy, an' Brackston ye think they're all spies, 'cept Slice 'cause 'e likes ye ta poke 'is pretty ass. I'll tell ye, after Turnmoor are reputation grew another notch; tharr's plenty o' recruits out there, but weedin' out th' bad apples is a bigger chore than ever. We got plenty o' problems, an now we got the sovereign o' 'em all landin' on us tanight. What do ye think Pike?" 

"Pike growled. I don't like it sir, but I really think that is Roger. He talks like Roger, and, more important, he thinks like Roger. Trouble is, Roger was never that fast." 

"Or that dead," Jack grinned. 

"Even Skitch ain't that fast," Brackston said.

"Arzael, what's yer say?" Jack asked. 

The archer grimaced, "Things were a lot simpler before we got so famous. The way I see it, either we retire and scatter, or we deal. I saw those posters, and we know at least Pike's and yours are authentic. I'll bet the others are as well. If that kind of money won't pay for wizardry, then it can't be bought. We don't really know what we are dealing with, but I think we can be sure that Thane is a priest and necromancer of Mortaebius. It stands to reason that he would have friends and associates that he bought supplies from, and if Roger's any indication, our dead friends can be used for advanced animations. 

I don't see how Thane could have faked what happened at the isle. It scares me to even think about the battle. Armored and mounted bones, shadows, ghouls, darkness, wizardry, yet I realize we nearly won. If this man is even more powerful and less scrupulous than Thane is, he is making us an offer we can't refuse. If we have to work with one of those devils, then we'd better make the best of it. Maybe we could get a few exploding arrows and some other magics out of it. The smoke powder I was able to get to spring you from Turnmoor was great, but we burned big money getting it." 

"Aye, we're none too rich. I had a little set aside fer a rainy day, but I had ta bury it on Thane's isle. Rapina was dressed awful nice, ye don't suppose that Necromancer found more than the bodies of me men, do ye?" 

"Hard ta say, sir. Could be he's got some sorcerous power like a divinin' rod. As fer what Arzeal said, I've seen temples o' Mortaebius before sir. They're all over. Death's a good business, an' as far as I know, every church has its powerful patrons, and it stands ta reason a church of the god of the dead would have men like Thane and Kroz under their rugs. The whole thing just seems too... plausable ta be entirely a fake. I say we have ta deal with 'em whether we like it or not unless we can find ourselves another group o' wizards to work with who'll scare 'em off. Question is, where can a bunch o' pirates expect ta find a nice upstandin' cabal 'o wizards ta look out after our best interests?" 

"Aye, beggars can't be choosers. Brackston, ye had me ol' men jumpin' out o' their skins when ye thought Doanthalas was a demon. How do ye think ye would handle yerself around th' real thing?" 

"Captain, yew're not considering..." 

"I'm askin' fer better ideas an' so far we're comin' up empty. What do ye want me ta do? Go ta the church o' the vindicator an' ask 'em ta help us out against their enemy? That'd go over like a lead balloon. In case ye didn't know, th' vindicator's a god o' justice an' righteousness. I'm sure they'd be real glad ta cash in are chips fer us. We could hire areselves a wizard 'er two if we had a hoard o' money, but are income ain't up ta retainin' a mage." 

"Us payin' wizards w' dead bodies is like someone hirein' a mage fer spent fire wood. It's a damn good deal if ye can get over th' creepiness o' th' devil, an' the fact that one o' 'em bested me battle skills, killed me men, an almost got me executed. Not ta mention scarin' us all half ta death. Kroz is a nervy cuss even ta ask, but by the sounds o' things, it was Rapina who swayed 'em ta deal. He might have been assumin' we wouldn't work with 'im, on account of Thane, so 'e were goin' ta cash in are chips just like the ol' vindicator would. 

I have ta agree w' Arzeal, either we go inta this deal whole hog an choke back are fear o' spooks like Roger, or we go fer a separate an' early retirement. Bein' as how I lost me retirement money, I say we go in whole hog. Let's get as much as we can fer every cadaver an' make 'im solve some o' the problems that have been plaguin ' us since Thane just about ruined me. Maybe I could get some money out of 'im. I'm sure 'e'd have limits, but let's press 'em. An' if 'e wants cadavers, we'll give 'im cadavers. It's one thing we seem ta be good at makin'. 

On th' other hand, now's th' time ta get out if ye need to, with no hard feelin's. Brackston, I can admit retirin' might be th' thing ta do, an' if ye want ta go an' take Slice with ye, I don't have a problem with that. Ye'll be sorely missed. On th' other hand, I can't afford anyone ta go daft on me w' fear or superstition. If we're goin' ta work with spooks, we'd better buck up an' get used to it. Let the recruits pee their pants, we can't afford to. If ye can't give Roger a kiss on th' mouth, then ye'd better get out while ye can." 

"Heh, 'kiss death on the lips,' It's got a good ring to it, sir," Skitch said. I'm in for now, long as I can retire in a few years when I have a nest egg. I don't want ta stay around 'till after the religious war's over." 

"Aye, this piratin' business is gettin' too complicated. Let's keep an eye on that holy war so we know when are services will no longer be needed. In th' mean time, I have ta see what I can get outa Roger. Just my luck I'd be negotiatin' with me own ex-first mate. How in hell's name am I supposed ta lie good? That fool used ta do me books!" 

"Bring that bag o' bones an' me scarlet wench back in here. Skitch, Arzeal, Drake, stay with me an' let me know if ye get any wild ideas. Pike, Brackston, stay 'er go as ye like. All o' ye remember, I'm the fool doin' th' negotiatin' here. If ye 'ave an idea, whisper it in me ear, don't go blurtin' it out ta th' opposition half-baked, and remember whatever deal we cut is fer th' ears o' the officers only. We'll figure out how ta sell it ta the men later; 'mean time th' less they know, th' better." 
--- 

Rapina and Roger returned. 

"All right, I decided ta make a deal with ye, only because I couldn't think o' another wizard who would work with a bunch o' bloodthirsty pirates. However, if ye want a steady supply o' stiffs, ye're goin' ta have ta help me solve a few o' me problems," Jack said.

Preventin' wizardly spies is fine fer th' long run, but it ain't goin' ta get any work done. It just shores up a leak that hasn't sprung yet. Th' worst leak I have spy wise right now is me recruits, I can never be sure if I got an honest ta goodness human spy on me hands. Second thing is I'm broke, damn Thane took all me money, I'll be wantin' it back. Another thing, if ye're workin' fer a mage, we'd like a little canned magic ta help us out in emergencies, what can ye do ta increase are fire power, or heal are wounds? Ye just ruined me arms master's hand ye know, an' I don't have a proper leech." 

"If we strike a bargain, I can help you pick out spies as I always did," Roger said. "My job would be to serve you and see that Mortaebius' interests were protected. Kroz may also be able to help with spies, but his magic is only practical on an individual scale, so we will have to narrow down who we wish to test.

The wealth and possessions Thane won in the battle on the hill and your original bounty money are his. He is a good customer, and an upstanding worshipper of Mortaebius. Kroz has no wish to offend him. He removed the remains of your men, but those were easily replaced with the bodies of other men, and Thane will never know the difference. The money, however is another matter entirely." 

Captain red Jack swore under his breath. "What ye're sayin' is Thane already spent me money. What about me ships? They're sittin' at th' bottom o' 'is cove?" Jack asked.

"Kroz cannot simply take your ships from Thane's cove. Again, they would be missed," Roger said.

"Well, if ye want yer cadavers, ye're goin' ta have ta sweeten th' deal a little more than ye have. I can get along without yer wise council an' that way I won't have ta worry about me recruits peein' their pants. Have ye got anything ta offer other than a bit o' advice an' some protection from wizards spyin' on me? 

"Kroz has the ability to make healing potions, but he lacks an important ingredient. If you would like to make a side deal with him to help him fetch a certain creature, then he believes he can offer you healing potions at a cut rate. " 

"What ye're sayin' is ye cannot even offer us healin' right now," Captain Red Jack grimaced. 

"Healing is not germane to the god of the dead, however Kroz is aware of a type of necromantic spell that can be used to drain the life force of another and bestow it on the necromancer to heal him. There may be a way to bestow the life force drained on a wounded individual other than the necromancer. He will look into the matter, but can guarantee nothing. He can, however, increase your emergency fire power." 

"What kind o' fire power are we talkin' about?" Jack asked.

"Kroz can make you limited quantities of magical incendiary arrows that burst in a five-foot radius of magical flame," Roger said.

"Aye, fire balls ten foot across. Those would come in useful. Now what about th' stiffs ye want. Do I get th' same service whether I give ye two or two hundred in a month? Ye know there are times in th' winter when raidin' ain't possible, like right now fer instance. An also there are times when we have ta make a run for it an' can't be pickin up the stiffs." 

"I am well-aquainted with those facts. If you exceed three hundred sixty-five corpses in a year, Kroz will be willing to trade additional services or money for additional corpses if they are needed," Roger said.

"Three hundred sixty-five! Are ye daft? Make that a hundred fifty," Jack said.

"Two hundred fifty," Roger replied.

"A hundred seventy-five," Jack countered.

"Two hundred is my minimum," Roger said. "Adequately warding a camp and one or more ships is an expensive proposition." 

"Damn it! Ye had one hell o' a poker face when ye were alive, now yer not even playin' fair. Two hundred it is, but ye have to agree ta fix me arms master's hand pronto," Jack said.

"Done," Roger replied.

"Now what about them magic arrows?" Jack asked.

"Kroz can provide ten per year, free," Roger said.

"That wouldn't even be enough ta fill a quiver, make it forty. We're gettin' little enough out of ye as it is," Jack said.

"Twenty - ten per six months, but only for the first year, to help you get established," Roger said. You can purchase more with money or corpses if Kroz needs them. There are a number of other side deals that are possible as well. Advanced animations often require the cadavers of certain types of people. Had I not in life been efficient, dispassionate and unquestioning loyal, for instance, I could not have become a death of Mortaebius." 

"Damn it Roger, twenty fire arrows every year, and forty the first. Th' heat is really on me since I offended a lot of folks escapin' me execution this year. If ye 'ave useful sorceries, we can deal fer 'em. Healin' an' fire, bein' th' most useful things I can think of at th' moment. If ye think ye got an interestin' item, then give us a show, an' maybe we'll work somethin' out if we can afford to." 

"Done, but you will provide the unenchanted arrows," Roger said.

"Deal. Arzeal likes 'is own arrows better anyway," Jack replied. "What about a leech?" 

"You will have to recruit a leech yourself. You may side deal with Kroz for mundane medicines compounded in his laboratory if you wish," Roger said.

"All right, now we're gettin' somewhere. What about ye, Roger, what can ye do for me?" Jack asked.

"I can do anything I did in life, but I cannot work in the light of the sun, captain," Roger said.

"No sun? I don't see why not, ye're lookin' mighty pale ta me, Roger. It looks like ye could use a tan," Jack chuckled. 

"All right ye're going ta protect me from wizardly spyin' an' help keep me mundane spy problem to a minimum with yer own wisdom an' th' necromancer's magic. Ye're going ta give me a quiver o' fire arrows every year an' two quivers of 'em this year, an ye're going ta sell me other magics ye have fer a reasonable price. What about if I go over 200 cadavers in a year an' you could use 'em. How much are ye willing to pay for 'em? 

"One gold per corpse," Roger said.

"One gold!? Is that all a man's life is worth these days, a single gold piece?" Jack asked. 

"If the price is too high, then Kroz will be less likely to buy your product. You and I both know you can have a man killed in any large city for a gold Domain." Roger said.

"But a domain isn't even really all gold," Jack said.

"True, but it is what we usually mean by a gold piece," Roger said. "If a corpse is especially large or in mint condition with no broken bones, we may give you more for it, perhaps even a gold imperial. Corpses that can be used in advanced animations will be worth considerably more, perhaps a gold dragon or even several dragons." 

"What do ye need ta have fer a special price?" Jack asked.

"Look for exceptional skill at arms or thieving abilities, people who have made a habit of evil deeds in life, unquestioningly loyal warriors who follow the orders of men of little conscience, and people who make an art of complaining. Any of these traits if possessed in good measure will increase the value of the cadaver," Roger said.

Captain Red Jack jotted a few notes in one of his log books. "Aye, I'll keep that in mind. One thing though, if we get one o' these special corpses before we have filled out th' quota o' 200, we still get ta sell 'im at th' good price, not give 'im away fer free. Otherwise I'm not goin' ta even try ta figure out who might be o' special use to ye," Jack said.

"Agreed. Corpses usable for advanced animations will be dealt for separately from those usable only as mundane undeads. If you give us a corpse you think should work for an advanced animation, however, and you are wrong, we will expect a refund one and a half times the original price," Roger said.

"One and a half! But how do I know you'd be tellin' the truth?" Jack asked.

"You will have to trust us, but you will likely know when you give us a corpse with dubious credentials. Since advanced animations are so time-consuming, Kroz does not wish to waste his time on cadavers that will not work out. If you stand to loose if you give us a bad corpse, I am sure you will seldom give us one. If you know you have a corpse that might be usable for advanced animations, but you are unsure, tell us, and we will charge you only a single gold over the original price as a refund. It is possible to check the credentials using divinations and speaking with the dead, but it is not worth the magic involved unless the odds are reasonably good. 

Now, how do ye propose to pick up th' corpses. I can't be having a pile o' smelly stiffs hangin' around me ships fer long," Jack said.

"Kroz and I have put together a map. It includes the sites of shipwrecks and river battles as well as graveyards near the river Augustana and her navigable tributaries. These will serve as drop points where Kroz can pick up the bodies. He will check in with me periodically and we will make arrangements on where any new cadavers will be turned over. The exchange must always take place at night," Roger said.

"Aye, then I'll need mage lights fer me ships and such like so we can run at night," Jack said.

"We will equip your ships with strong red spotlights for that purpose. Moreover we will provide you and your officers with mage lights that can be opened to expose white light or closed partway so that light is channeled through a red crystal or shut off completely," Roger said.

"That'll come in handy fer other times as well. Ye drive a hard bargain Roger Death, 'an ye got a poker face I can see through, but it ain't much help ta see inta yer skull. Do I have ta sign me name in blood somewhere?" 

The terms of the agreement will be recorded and you will receive a copy, but signatures might identify the signers, therefore a simple handshake with death should do the job. Roger held out his boney hand. 

Captain Red Jack looked at Roger's hand. "One more thing. As a part of are deal, I want me wench ta visit now an' again. I know she's an apprentice an' all that, but I want ta see her when we make are exchanges 'an fer visits now an' again. Another thing, Roger, I want ye ta help me intimidate me recruits when they need intimidatin'," Jack said.

"Done. You shall see Rapina during most exchanges of corpses and you may invite her to stay for short periods now and again. She will have to keep up with her studies, however, so you will have to work out the details with her and she with Kroz. I will serve you as I always did, following your orders as long as they do not contradict the wishes of Kroz or Mortaebius. If you wish me to help you in the management of the recruits, I will do so," Roger said.

Let's shake on it then. Captain Red Jack fearlessly grabbed Roger's hand and shook it. "It's a deal!" 

Roger shook the captain's hand, "I am sure Mortaebius is pleased that you will be working with us, and I am satisfied to return to your side." Roger reached into his black robe and began handing Red Jack mage lights. The chains that held them were made of brass; the rods were of black, red and clear glass, and the sliders were tin. 

The captain handed lights to his officers then toyed with the light he had kept for himself. "This'll sure beat stumblin' around w' torches in th' rain." 

Rapina saw that, in spite of its diminutive size the new light Thane had given her was more powerful than the ones given to Jack. On the other hand, Rapina felt her light was overly strong and was glad she could adjust its power by moving the slider to cover more or less of the lighted crystal. 

As Roger handed Jack a copy of the map of the graveyards along the river Augustana, Jack made a show of looking between Rapina's magnificent breasts. "I see ye got a nice set o' lamps there too, wench." 

Rapina blushed. 

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This ends, The Jolly Roger Chapter 26 of The Chronicles of Rapina.
The story continues in, Chapter 27, In the Eyes of a Sword.

Copyright 2001 by Rapina