Katryn handed the book to Jace and told him to take it below and “out of the damaging sunlight”. She herself remained on deck and maintained a fixed smile until the constable was out of sight, then leaped down the hatch, very nearly landing on Jace.
“Where did you get this?” she asked, pulling the book out of Jace’s hands. “Who’d you get it from? Do they know you took it?”
“I didn’t take it,” Jace said. “Not on purpose. This madwoman with a sword threw it into my hands so she could fight off a man who was tracking her.”
“So that’s two people who’ll be after it,” Katryn said. “Damn! Well, I suppose that isn’t much more dire than one.”
“I don’t think he cared for the book either way,” Jace said. “Seemed like he was after her for crimes.”
“A lawman?”
“Didn’t seem like one,” Jace said.
“So… not necessarily crimes against a crown or state,” Kat said. “At least not one that can hold sway across the waters. Well… this is a little better. If the book’s rightful owner has other things to worry about, she might not track it here. For that matter, she might not even be the rightful owner. The last time I saw this book…”
“Wait… you’ve seen this book before?” Jace asked.
“Well, of course!” Katryn said. “It’s the other volume… I thought you knew that. I thought that was why you brought it back here.”
“You know I haven’t any letters in me.”
“Yes, but I thought you might have enough sense to know these letters when you saw them,” Katryn said. “They aren’t exactly a common script.”
“I didn’t look. I was just running to get away,” Jace said. “I didn’t even think of the book. When the constable nabbed me for stealing, I couldn’t very well tell him it wasn’t mine.”
“I suppose not,” Katryn said. “Anyway, when I last saw it, it was under glass in the home of the Duke of Loncrief, and I could barely see it for that weasely Montaldo fogging the glass up with his breath. The Duke’s price was too rich for his blood, much less mine. This all seems awfully provident, doesn’t it? And I can’t think of a time when Providence has been anything but awful to me.” She looked at Jace, her eyes narrowing a tad. “You’ve gotten to be pretty well-known around the docks.”
“I wasn’t trying to,” Jace said, shrinking back.
“It’s not a failing, but it will make it easy for your mad swordswoman to find you, if she survives her duel,” Katryn said. “I think it’s about time we made sail.”
“We don’t have a sail,” Loki interjected from up towards the bow, where he’d evidently been sitting among the barrels and crates of supplies stowed in the small hold.
“You know what I mean,” Katryn said. “Weigh anchor!”
“We don’t have one of those, either,” Loki said.
“Well… shove off, then!” Katryn said.
“Are you asking me to leave? My dear Kat, you know that’s quite impossible.”
“Make… ship… go… now,” she said.
“Oh, well, certainly,” Loki said. “Really, Kat, if you would just learn to say what you mean, we could avoid all manner of difficulties.”
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