Chapter 25: Patron saint of thieves

I sighed and leaned back and away from the papers on the table. Jasmine smirked as she adjusted our sons clothing. I glared, “You had to make me agree to this. This is a lot of work and most is nonsense.”

She gave me a curtsy, “Yes your grace.”

I growled as Melody and Ash giggled and Jewel patted my shoulder. I sighed and bent to finish the court papers from my new duchy. I looked up when Tami knocked and opened the door. She grinned, “Morning your grace.”

Jasmine laughed as she pulled and pushed the children towards the front of the house and her waiting mother. I looked at Tami, “What do you want?”

Daniel had recently married a lovely merchant woman so Tami was on her own. She smiled as she crossed to look at what I was doing, “I have a job and thought you might want to help.”

I sat back, “Why me?”

She grinned, “It is that crooked merchant ship captain.”

I smiled, “Now you have my attention. He just sold plague clothes to one of the king’s shelters.”

She nodded, “And does not have a warehouse or office.”

I nodded, “He stays on one of his ships so he does not have to pay the custom tax.”

She leaned against the table, “I heard he only has a few deck hands on the ship he is living on.”

I glanced out the kitchen window, “You thinking of trying to steal his money while he is aboard and asleep?”

She grinned, “I got a pound of sleeping maggies and ground them into a fine powder.”

I grinned and looked at the papers on the table before pushing back and standing, “Lets go take a look.”

I glanced at the drakes as they flew into the room and Tami grinned and caught one. The rest went out the kitchen window and up into the air. I walked around the house and nodded to all the neighbors as the children splashed and played in the basins. Just a couple of days before a strange summer storm had appeared to only rain on the statues and filled the basins.

Tami kept looking at me and petting the drake she held while walking. I sighed, “Ask.”

She grinned, “When are you moving out to your duchy?”

I growled, “I like my house.”

She laughed and bumped my shoulder, “You know the city thieves have began to come by? They drop a coin in each basin before asking your blessing on whatever job they are planning.”

I looked at her and snorted, “That is silly.”

She smiled and lifted the drake to her shoulder, “But true. They are saying you are our patron saint.”

I shook my head and snorted again and she laughed. When we reached the docks I leaned against a building and looked out onto the pier. At the end was the ship with merchant Dickings. I grinned and glanced around before looking at Tami, “Go to the left and out to the end of the other pier. Take the skiff to the back of the merchant’s ship.”

She looked at me with wide eyes and I grinned and nodded to his ship, “He is on deck with his guards and a few merchants. Slip in and sprinkle the sleeping maggie powder on his pillow and bed and leave.”

She grinned and turned to slip into a crowd of sailors and vanished. I did not see her until she was almost to the end of the other pier and the skiff. The drakes shadowed her and hid while she took the skiff and quietly rowed across to the back of the large ship. I watched the group on deck while she slipped in and then she was back and rowing away.

She grinned as she swagger towards me and I chuckled, “Lets go eat and find someplace to wait.”

I sent one of the drakes home with a note for Jasmine and grinned when I got it back with another note that only said, “I am pregnant.”

Tami laughed and bumped my shoulder as I tucked the note away, “It will be another girl.”

I stuck my tongue out, “Careful or you will be cursed to only have girls.”

She grinned and we walked back to the docks. Once it grew dark we slipped out onto the pier with the skiff. We sat and watched the ship with a lantern lighting the merchant’s room. Finally the lantern went out and we waited another half hour before rowing to the back of the ship. Tami stood and peeked in the window before silently slipping in.

She appeared a few moments later and whispered, “The chest is to heavy.”

I sighed, “Find something to use as bags or pouches.”

She nodded and disappeared while I looked at the railing for the deck. She was back a couple of minutes later and handed out two silk bags. I set the bags in the bottom of the skiff and she was back a moment later with more. After a couple of dozen she climbed out and we rowed away and back to the other pier.

I helped her carry the bags away as we went to the Grinning Cat. She set the bags on the table and grinned, “Want your share?”

I smiled as I opened a bag and looked at the silver coins, “What are you going to do with the rest. She laughed as she gestured to Teresa, “I have a few people coming.”

I looked at her before sitting to wait, “What people?”

She grinned and pet the drake as it landed on her and chirped. I looked at the hand and mine snapped out and grabbed her wrist. She hissed as I turned her hand and pulled it closer to look at it. I let it go and gestured, “Let me see the other one.”

She held it out and I growled as I stood, “Time to go visit doctor Malcom.”

He was a new doctor in the city but everyone said he was very good.”

Tami stood, “Why?”

I began collecting the silk bags, “Because the coins were coated with a poison.”

By the time we reached the doctor’s house her hands were blistered and she was shaking. He pulled her to a basin and used a clear alcohol to wash her hands and arms before stripping her and putting her in a bed. It was not long before she was constantly shaking and had a high fever. I set the pouches beside the bed and walked out.