Chapter 5

Antal studied the sheep in the pen as the laborers from Sile carried the last of the packaged cargo up the hill to their village storage house.

"Powers be damned sheep," Antal's boatman, Gyorgy, grumbled. "Can't we find something that doesn't smell like shit to bring all the way up here?" Antal snorted. Gyorgy was always grumbling about something.

"You'd bitch if they hung you with a new rope, Gyo," he laughed. "That's not the smell of shit, you scupper trout (a piece of shit); that's the smell of money. You know very well we got more for just the half-load of those four-legged shit factories then we did for the rest of this junk."

"Then why didn't we just fill up with sheep and not bother with the rest?" he asked. "I already have to clean crap out of one half of the boat; doing it for the other half isn't much worse."

"All of it was pre-ordered," Antal answered. "I'm not going to drop anybody's cargo that I've already promised to deliver even if it does mean making a silver or two less on the trip. Wouldn't be right. Before you ask: yes, I took some pre-orders for the next trip, but I'm thinking about bringing two boats next time."

"Will that be safe?" Gyorgy asked with a frown. "I've heard the Herceg himself is coming down to see what the problem is with the shipping revenues. That could mean extra patrols."

"Maybe," Antal admitted. "But I think it'll be safe enough with just two. No more, though. Besides if we bring too much in at one time, the profit will go down.

"The Herceg is still just a child, really," he continued. "Hasn't even reached his majority yet. It is true he couldn't be any dumber than the present Customs Master. Stupid bastard is squeezing even harder now that fewer ships are moving through Eregli. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw it stop completely in the next couple of weeks. The old Herceg would have seen right away where the problem actually lies but this young one... ? Well, nothing for that now."

"What would happen if he did and the Customs Master was replaced and the port tax came down to an actual one-in-ten?" Gyorgy asked.

"We might have to find ourselves legitimate employment, my friend," Antal laughed slapping his long time friend on the back. "But I doubt we'll have to worry about that. Rumor has it someone close to the Herceg is really in charge of the whole scheme. I'm sure whoever it is has the Herceg-let under his thumb. Now, why don't we take a little of this ill-gotten gain and give just a little back to the locals? I understand there's a passable ale-house over that ridge bordering the swamp. Shall we have a bite and a drink or two?"

The ale-house looked more like a shack stuck on top of a rickety pier than a place of refreshment but then Sile was small and the locals weren't used to anything better. Most of the seating was outside on the deck but it was nice this late afternoon so it was pleasant even though there was a faint odor of swamp gas in the air. Antal leaned his boat pole up against an empty table before he and Gyorgy sat down. There was a crowd of what looked to be mostly men huddled around some sort of contraption next to the edge of the pier, although Antal couldn't tell what it was. A serving wench noticed their arrival and came over to their table.

"What'll it be, sirs?" she asked. Just then the anguished wail of a woman came from the direction of the huddled group accompanied by laughter ― nasty laughter.

"Ah, I'll have whatever the stew is today," Antal answered absently. "Excuse me. What the hell is going on over there? And who is making that dreadful racket?"

"Slave," the server said curtly through pursed lips. It was obvious she didn't like what was happening but was in no position to stop whatever it was.

"Are they fucking her to death over there?" Gyorgy asked looking a little disgusted. "Do they have to do that out here in public like a bunch of animals?"

"They're not fucking her," the server said sharply and turned to go. "I'll get your stew."

Suddenly the contraption went sproing! and a small bundle shot out from it and arched over the water to land with a splash. It was a catapult.

"Was that what the fuck I thought it was?" Gyorgy gasped his mouth hanging open. The wail turned to a shriek and seconds later there was a loud splash followed by a tremendous roar from the crowd. Without a word Antal grabbed his pole and strode quickly toward the commotion.

"What is going on here?" he said loudly when he'd reached the rear of the crowd.

The men quieted down and turned to look at him. He started to push his way through but they parted before him like wax from a flame. When he came to the end of the pier he saw a young woman being attacked by a multitude of the sharp-toothed eels found in the swamps. She was struggling valiantly towards a small bundle that was also being torn at. Before he could do anything she gave one last shriek and disappeared beneath the oily water. At almost the same time the little bundle was also pulled down and didn't resurface.

"What the fuck is going on here?" he asked again angrily.

"Just a little sporting event," one of the bigger more nasty looking men said nonchalantly. "We buy these bitches right after they've whelped for cheap. Toss the little bastard out there and bet whether the little slit goes in after it. We also take marks on which one goes down first. Care to make a wager? I've got three more to use up today."

"That's disgusting!" Antal spat. "By the Powers if you don't need them, just cut their throats and be done with it! This is beneath a real man!" he said scanning the crowd. Most appeared to be locals and for the most part they at least cast their eyes down and shuffled back away from the area.

"There's no call for that," the leader shouted. "I bought these bitches and their pups and I can do whatever the hell I want to with them!"

"I didn't say you couldn't," Antal replied his grip tightening on the boat pole. "What I said is that it's disgusting and pathetic. Play fit only for children who know no better, eunuchs or men with cocks so small they wouldn't know what to do with a real pussy even if that had the chance. Or maybe you do know what to do but can't because it's too short to get past the lips. You shouldn't take out your misfortune on these poor women or babies for Powers sake! Blame your needle-dicked father or your whore of a mother, but not them. They had no part in it."

"I think you need to learn some manners," the man hissed as he pulled a long sailor's knife from the sheath at his belt.

Most of the crowd had dispersed or at least drawn back except for Antal, Gyorgy, the man and four others. The other four looked and dressed enough like the first man Antal was fairly sure they were either related or worked closely together.

"Better men than you have tried," Antal laughed nastily. "But here I am still with manners that undoubtedly disgrace my mother. But what can be done? I appear to be un-learnable."

"I think with five against two you'll learn quickly, but it won't last long," the man barked.

Antal looked back over his shoulder at Gyorgy. "Two? You getting involved also, Gyo?"

"Wasn't planning on it," Gyorgy said leaning casually against a table cleaning a fingernail with a very long sharp knife. "There're only five of them. I don't want to get in your way so I figure I'd just stay here and make sure nobody sneaks around to stick you in the back."

Antal nodded with a grunt. "Just one against five," he said turning back. "That should make the odds almost even."

"Asshole," the man hissed. "Get 'em!" All five had knives out and rushed Antal at the same time.

Calmly Antal waited until they were almost upon him when suddenly he whipped up the boat pole and slashed it across their faces. Two dropped their knives and held their hands up to cover their bruised faces while the other three stopped their charge and stumbled back a step. Antal took a quick step to his left and drove the butt of his pole directly into the forehead of the one on the end. The man's head snapped back and from the indentation visible there was no doubt he was dead even as he slumped over backwards.

Moving quickly to his right Antal drove the other end into the face of the one on the far end there. This had been one of the men who had slapped his hands to his face so the copper tipped point didn't impact the forehead. Instead it crushed some finger bones and slid off target plunging into the eye and pushing through into the soft tissue of the brain. Antal cursed and yanked back on the pole but the corpse followed. Muttering another curse he yanked again while kicking the body in the chest. With a sickening plop! it came off and dropped to the deck.

Of the remaining three, one still had his hands over his face sobbing. Antal stepped forward and, bringing the pole butt up quickly, slammed it into the testicles of the man still holding a knife. He uttered a piercing wail and dropped to the deck like a stone, rolling onto his side. Without stopping Antal whipped the pole down and slammed it onto the head of the one holding his face. There was a sickening sound like the splitting of a melon and the fourth body dropped to the deck. Now there was just the leader and Antal facing each other.

"Mercy!" the man screamed throwing the knife away and dropping to his knees. "Mercy!"

"Mercy?" Antal barked harshly. "Why certainly I'll show you mercy. The same mercy you showed these women."

"Gyorgy," he called back over his shoulder. "I'll bet you a copper this piece of filth can't swim to the other side of the channel without being eaten first."

"What? Giving me the sucker bet?" Gyorgy complained. He walked up next to Antal, looked down and the man whose testicles had been crushed, placed his foot on his neck and with a grunt stomped down crushing the windpipe and snapping the neck.

"All those clothes he's wearing are going to drag him down long before the eels get to him. Tell you what," he said thoughtfully. "Strip him naked and I'll take that bet."

"You heard him," Antal ordered. "Strip 'em off."

"You can't send me out there naked!" the man screamed. "I'll die!"

"You might," Antal nodded in agreement. "But there's a slight chance you can make it. Stay here and you have no chance at all because I'm about to kill you."

"Shit, he almost made it," Gyorgy spat, reaching into his purse for a copper.

"Well, some of him almost made it," Antal chuckled, his palm out waiting for the small coin. "I think one of his legs and most of an arm were gone before they pulled him down."

"Yeah, but you didn't say he had to be whole when he reached the other side," Gyorgy grumbled.

"True," Antal admitted brightly. "Shall we get something to eat now? I'm hungry." They turned around and noticed the crowd of gamblers had vanished like smoke in the wind. They were, however, confronted by the aleman.

"What am I supposed to do with these?" he said waving at the bodies.

"Dump 'em in the swamp," Antal shrugged. "Your problem, not mine. However," he said pointing to the catapult, "that I want taken down to the end of the pier and burned. Because if you don't, when I get done with my meal I'm going to burn it myself and I wouldn't be surprised if the rest of the pier goes with it."

"Fine," the aleman grumbled. "But what are you going to do with your slaves? I sure as hell don't want them around here!"

"What slaves?" Antal said slowly. "I don't have any slaves here."

"Oh yes you do!" the aleman announced triumphantly. "You bested Mikos in a fair fight — well it wasn't fair but who's going to complain with it being five against one and all that. What's his is now yours by law and I want them scrawny bitches out of here."

"What law?" Antal protested.

"Our law!" the aleman replied forcefully.

"Shit! Show them to me," Antal groused. The aleman led them into a back room of the shack where three women clutching tiny babies to their chests were shackled against the wall. One with dirty blonde hair looked at him with pure hate; another, a tall brunette merely stared at them with no comprehension while a third, a tiny red-head stared at the floor rocking back and forth as if oblivious to her surroundings.

"Bastard, whore-son, mother-fucker!" the blonde screamed at him. "You'll not take us so easy, you sheep-shit, no-cock eunuch! Let me out of these and I'll gouge your eyes out!" she strained at her chains.

"I like that one," Gyorgy mused as the incredible outpouring of curses continued unabated. Even Antal was impressed; the woman never paused and never repeated herself and although he wasn't quite sure what some of the words meant, he felt fairly confident they weren't terms of endearment.

"Good. You can have her," Antal grunted.

"No fucking way," Gyorgy chuckled. "She's your problem." He paused for a moment and then said solemnly, "It's the law."

"Fuck you," Antal muttered which caused Gyorgy to laugh. Shaking his head and sighing he walked over and squatted next to the blonde.

"Please be quiet," he said calmly. Possibly from surprise, her mouth snapped shut and she glared at him. "Thank you. Now, are you still going to gouge my eyes out if I let you go or do I need to keep you chained up? I'd rather let you go but I also kind of like my eyes the way they are." She continued to glare at him until her curiosity finally got the better of her.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"Your new master, it would appear," he answered disgustedly.

"Where's the other shit-for-brains?" It was the first time he'd heard her repeat herself. Either she was running out of curses or she was distracted.

"He found out attacking someone he didn't know wasn't as good an idea as he thought it was," Antal grunted. "And now for some reason the locals here seem to think you belong to me."

"Really?" she asked, her eyes opening wide. He nodded and she fainted. Antal was just able to scoop up the baby before it rolled onto the floor. He looked down as the baby's head rolled listlessly back and forth before centering on his face.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" he complained to Gyorgy. "Here, take it," he said shoving it into his friend's hands.

"What the hell do I want with a baby?" Gyorgy whined but still took the bundle. "If I wanted babies I'd get a wife and not just fuck whores!"

"Shut up and take it for a minute," Antal grunted. He crouched down again and sharply patted the blonde's cheek. She groaned, her eyes blinked and suddenly they opened wide.