Chapter 9: Finding a Stolen Ship

I was feeling like shit and sitting in my small kitchen with a towel over my head as I breathed in the steam from a bowl of herbs and water. When someone began banging on my door I was tempted to just let them continue. When it did not let up I groaned and pulled the towel away and stood.

I walked through the house and yanked the door open, “WHAT!”

The merchant stepped back, “are you the thief taker?”

I almost slammed the door, “not today.”

I started to close the door when he stepped forward, “please I need help.”

I looked at him and he blurted, “someone stole my ship!”

I blinked, “how can anyone steal a ship? Just walk through the docks and you will find it.”

He shook his head, “I am Captain Trinadad. All my men were killed and left on the dock. I looked everywhere and at every slip.”

He took a breath, “find my ship and I will pay you ten gold pieces.”

Now that was tempting and I thought about it before sighing, “what is the name of your ship?”

He smiled faintly, “Strange Duck.”

I looked at him to see if he was serious and shook my head, “where can I find you?”

He smiled, “the Captains Tavern.”

I nodded and stepped back to close the door. I went to wash and dress before leaving and heading towards the docks. I started asking questions and got the same answers most of the time. Captain Trinadad was an arrogant ass and stingy beyond a fault. His crew had been liars, thieves and some said pirates.

It took me two hours to find the ship and when I did I had to shake my head. I headed for the Captains Tavern and walked in and looked around. Everything looked nice and well kept and all the men seemed well groomed. I crossed the room to the table Captain Trinadad sat at, “I found your ship.”

He grinned as he stood up, “excellent.”

When we were back on the dock where he had originally moored his ship he looked around and looked at me frowning. I gestured down into the water and he leaned forward before straightening, “they sank her!”

I shrugged, “it looks like it.”

He glared at me before spinning to walk away, “you are not getting anything for this!”

I watched him leave before walking to the end of the dock and sitting beside an old sailor mending a fishing net, “So did they cut holes or do something else to sink her?”

The old man grinned and absently tossed a bottle to me, “drink that, it will help with the sore throat and the headache.”

I looked at him as my head continued to throbbed and opened the bottle to smell. What I smelled was not rum or even alcohol, it almost smelled like a sweet herb tea. I took a drink and sighed as it soothed its way down my throat. I handed to bottle back, “thanks.”

He nodded, “that time of year.”

He went back to the net but glanced down the dock, “was me and I wanted to sink a ship I would not damage it. I would probably open the bilge valves.”

I glanced at the ship before grinning, “want to buy a ship?”

He snorted, “get me a bill of sale and I might.”

I gestured to the bottle, “where can I get some of that?”

He gestured to a tiny shop just up the street, “Mother Sarah makes it.”

After a stop at the shop I headed to the harbor master’s office. I explained about the sunken ship and the deal with the captain. He told me to have another captain witness Captain Trinadad’s refusal to pay and he would grant me salvage rights at the docking slip. I walked into the Captains Tavern and across to Trinadad, “you owe me ten gold pieces.”

He snorted and leaned back, “I am not paying you for a ship underwater.”

I smiled, “you made the deal, ten gold pieces to find the ship, nothing was said about only if it was still afloat.”

He sneered, “I am not paying you shit.”

I glanced around at the few men at other tables, “anyone a ship’s captain?”

Several nodded and I smiled, “I will pay a gold crown to each of you if you tell the Harbor master what this sorry piece of shit just said.”

Trinadad snorted, “What is he going to do?”

I ignored him as two captains stood and led them out and we walked back to the harbor master. An hour later I was back at the dock above the sunken ship, the old fisherman had moved out onto the dock.

He smiled as he drank from his bottle, “you need to swim down and dig a hole under the side of the ship. When you make a tunnel push or pull the ropes through. Tie large barrels to half the ropes and pull each one down to the bottom edge of the ship.”

He smiled at me, “tie barrels to the ropes on the other side and pull them down. It should lift the ship so you can use more ropes and barrels until it breaks the surface, close the bilge and bail her out.”