Dragon Choir (32 page)

The crowd
raised their drinks and called the same, cheering and banging the
tables.

Kobb returned
to his seat, his charming smile a hazard for the unwary. “Thank you
for your work yesterday; every one of you. I know it wasn’t easy,
but we do make a potent team don’t you think?”

Kobb didn’t
wait for a reply, enjoying his own voice too much to stop. “As we
sit here with a feast before us, the Jandans are setting the armada
to hunt us down. Isn’t that just superb! This is what we should be
celebrating, though the recently freed would be awfully worried if
that was tonight’s theme. Slaves get terribly jumpy after a
breakout. We’ve all been there, every knock on the door is the
guard come to get you.”

Tikis drained
his wine. “How can this be known?”

Kobb furrowed
his brow. “Of course I know, I wouldn’t be so happy otherwise. I’d
be sipping on vinegar like you lot. Where is your faith? It’s
heartbreaking.”

“
This is more of your bluster,” accused Elrin. “Pelegrin and
Uighara might be in the belly of a serpent for all we
know.”

Kobb shook his
head in dismay at Delik. “See what you’ve done! Gone and soured the
new boy.”

Elrin wasn’t
having it, he had to keep Kobb on the point or he would digress
from any real information. “What proof do you have?”

Kobb huffed in
defence. “I have it on good authority. Fjhor here has a man in
Jando. Told me just before you got here. Pelegrin is going to lead
the charge. That’s nepotism for you. I thought they’d choose
someone with a touch more experience, but alas, I’ve already sent
their best to the bottom of the sea.”

“
How can Fjhor do that?” Elrin glanced at Fjhor who was
staring straight back at him. Fjhor’s tattoo rippled and Elrin had
to turn away.

“
Who knows? Ask him sometime.” Kobb shrugged his shoulders and
Prisella raised her head from Kobb’s shirt, then disappeared again,
camouflaged amongst the colourful frills. “Now, I think we should
talk about defeating the armada. First, we—”

Delik cut in
before Kobb could rattle on. “Does this involve you sinking
defenceless ships full of slaves?”

Kobb was about
to reply, but Jaspa held up his hand. Kobb was all too happy for
Jaspa to handle his son’s complaints. “Look, son, we had to sink a
ship and Jandan fighters had to die otherwise the citizens of Jando
will begin to like us rather than fear us. The Council can only do
so much without the people kicking them out. We want the dogs to
come after us with all of their might. We don’t want them to leave
a ship in their harbour. If we are to beat their armada and shut
down the slaving lanes at sea, this is our only chance. That
galleon was sunk by my order.”

Delik took the
news like a slap in the face. “There were slaves on board!”

“
An unfortunate sacrifice. Kobb must be seen as a ruthless
villain who will stop at nothing to damage Jandan property. Son,
the powers in Jando don’t care about the lives, they care about the
economic damage from declining growth in their supply of slaves.
Council propaganda will blame the selfish pirate Kobb for stealing
their free labour for his own personal gain. They will blame us for
killing their men. The people will demand retribution. The council
will have no choice but to send the armada. All this works in our
favour. Kobb is on our side. Think of the greater picture. We had
to bait the trap.”

“
How can we trust him?” asked Delik, exasperated.

“
I’m sure he trusts us even less.”

“
I couldn’t have put it better myself,” said Kobb. “I don’t
trust you a drop, but don’t take it to heart. I feel that way about
everybody. It’s a lifesaver when you’re in my trade.”

Delik and
Jaspa steamed at each other.

Kobb wasn’t
going to let a little family drama ruin his fanfare. “Come now, we
all want the same thing. It just so happens that we are going to do
it my way. Jaspa has been so very helpful. He’s quite a strategist
and his comrades are so loyal. Piracy is a different game to be
sure. Though, we are all rebels in our own way.”

Minni sucked
the flesh from a crushed crab leg and tossed the shell into a
basket. “What will you do with us after our great victory over the
Jandan armada? What worth are we then?”

“
Oh, I know you’ve got bigger plans than that. Old Kobb isn’t
going to feed you to the sharks, not when you’ve still got work to
do. Let us all be honest here, shall we. We are all using each
other. You want the Jandan fleet gone so the slave trade routes on
the sea are no more. I want the fleet gone so I can ply my trade
where I please. I have humble ambitions; I’m a merchant really.
You, on the other hand, are after something more complicated.
Overthrowing the Council of Jando and liberating all the slaves
will serve my interests too. It’s true; I don’t care for these
slaves as you do. One way or another we are all slaves. However, if
you overthrow the powers in Jando ... that would help me even more.
I can just imagine the wealthy Jandan elite, loading up their ships
in the middle of the night and taking flight from the city of
bones. The seas will be rich pickings, if you get what you
want.”

Kobb selected
an oyster and slurped it down. “So you must see that while I am not
as self righteous and morally superior as say, Delik, I am still
your only hope of destroying the armada.”

Tikis stopped
gnawing on a fish head and waved it around in an arc. “These ships
are not enough. These folk are not warriors. This battle is lost
already.”

“
A king keeps his treasures hidden, as do I. I have more ships
at sea and my associates have more still.”

“
More than the armada?” asked Minni.

Kobb wiped his
brow with a pink silk napkin. “See here, Minella. Do you expect me
to have every ship on display for your satisfaction?”

Jaspa
intervened, placing his hand on Minni’s to quieten her, his voice
calm against the rising frustration. “We don’t need more than the
Armada, we have a better strategy.”

Delik pushed
his plate away and dusted some crumbs from his lap. “Right then,
we’re listening.”

Jaspa grabbed
a whole crab from a platter. “This is the armada, heavy weapons
with strong defences. They have the biggest ships, their galleons
and frigates are strong, but we have shown they can be overcome by
speed and surprise.” He picked up a handful of scampi and dropped
them beside the crab. “This is us; our fleet is weaker, we are out
gunned. Our strength is in our flexibility.”

“
Really, Jaspa!” Kobb screwed up his nose. “Do you have to use
the food?”

“
As I said, our strength is our flexibility, we will use our
surroundings to our advantage.” Jaspa picked up the crab and placed
it on Minni’s plate. “Jando will mass from the south.” He picked up
a couple of scampi and confronted the crab. “A third of our fleet,
the fastest ships we have will await them just outside the Hoard
Islands. We will wait long enough for them to count our number then
we will retreat to the island channels. The best option for
Pelegrin is to split off a small force to pursue us and scout,”
Jaspa broke off two of the crab’s back legs. “We will lead them
into the channels and pin them where they cannot broadside us,
letting a ship or two escape to tell the tale.”

“
What if the whole armada pursues them from the start?” asked
Elrin.

Jaspa doused
Elrin with a cold stare, worse than any Delik had given. “I would
welcome that. If the whole armada entered the channels, they would
be split on six or more fronts, snaking their way through in
pursuit, sailing into our trap. Pelegrin is no fool. He was caught
by surprise and will be wary for a trap. “

“
So how will a trap work if he thinks it there?”

“
We show him it isn’t there. The Jandan ships we let go will
signal back to the armada that they were outflanked, not ambushed.
Pelegrin will send a force with superior numbers.” Jaspa tore off
one of the crab’s heavily built pincers. “We will retreat further
into the archipelago. If he is smart he will send more ships up the
east and west side of the archipelago, preventing our escape into
the open ocean, and stopping us from doubling back and flanking
them again.” Jaspa pulled off the two more crab legs.

“
Our ships will split up as they retreat, spreading out the
Jandan lines. Their communication will be fragmented between the
islands; the claw will be attacking without a brain. Pelegrin will
have guessed that our ships would continue to retreat, he’ll be
hoping we lead him to our hideout. He knows, as long as the hideout
is still here, Kobb will be replaced or worse still, the rebellion
will assume control of the Pirate fleet.”

“
Not bloody likely,” grumbled Delik.

“
Indeed,” said Kobb, sipping his wine.

“
We will continue to retreat through the channels, Pelegrin
will have to pursue us, or all is lost. He can’t risk the bulk of
the armada to an ambush in the channels. He will split his main
fleet again in two or three forces.”

Kobb drew his
sabre, polished steel gleaming in the lamplight. “May I?”

Jaspa gave a
nod and Kobb struck the crab’s last claw off and split the body
neatly in two, exposing the succulent flesh.

“
He will send forces along the east and west flank and maybe
another into the channels to reinforce the ships in pursuit.” Jaspa
moved the scampi along the table. “Kobb will lead them all the way
back to the open sea just south of the hideout. Here, some will
remain to block the channels, the rest will join our fleet and take
on the western flanking force. Once they are defeated we will turn
and take on the eastern force. It is the best use of our inferior
numbers.”

“
What about the ships in the channels?” asked Delik. “They
could just spill out the east and west channels and reinforce
either flank. They’ll route our fleet.”

“
That is exactly what they will try to do,” emphasised Jaspa.
“But we have concealed cannons all through the northern half of the
archipelago. Our men and women will defend these positions, we
rebels are better suited to combat on land.”

Kobb laughed.
“What you mean is, you’re as good as a barrel of kippers loose on
the deck.”

“
Try us in a fair fight at sea,” growled Tikis.

“
That’s rich, coming from you lot,” Kobb retorted. “Since when
have any of us started a fair fight? Best to keep you landlopers
doing what you’re good at.”

“
Kobb is right, Tikis. We have to play our advantages. We’ll
open fire, using treasure as shot. We might not sink their ships,
but they’ll be dead in the water, blocking up every
exit.”

“
What will you do about their poachers?” asked
Elrin.

“
The dogs won’t be a concern.” Jaspa’s annoyance chilled his
stony face again.

Elrin wasn’t
going to let a cold stare get in the way of a perfectly reasonable
question. “What will you do when they cast lightning bolts or
fireballs in your direction? They could have more elementalists
like Amber, set a strong wind in their sails and catch up with the
first retreat. The crippled ships might be moved with their
magic.”

Kobb puffed
out his chest. “I’ve got the best weather witches this side of the
Salroc. We’ll keep ahead of anything the bone suckers throw at
us.”

Elrin had
found a blind spot in Jaspa’s grand plan. “Amber, how many
elementalists do the Jandans have?”

Amber thought
about it and shrugged. She put up ten fingers and then tipped her
hands up and down like a balance scale.

Jaspa shook
his head and screwed up his face, like he was trying to get rid of
an irritating insect. “It changes nothing. They’re all pinned.
They’ll waste half their puff rushing the armada to get here before
the battle even starts.”

Amber nodded
in agreement and tipped her hands up and down again. Jaspa was
right, more or less.

A crack
emerged in Kobb’s confidence, an inch of worry crept across the
wall of his conviction. “What does she mean by that?”

Jaspa moved
fast to reassure him. “How many of these redeemers can weave the
elements like you?”

Amber giggled
holding up two scrunched fists.

Jaspa poured
more wine for Kobb and himself. “See, there’s nothing to worry
about. We’ve talked these things over already, Kobb. You know it
will work. You know what you will gain. I’ve not given you my only
son and our best generals to play with and let die.”

Delik wrapped
his knuckles on the table like a hammer. “What do you mean given?
Did you set up that meeting with Kobb? Have you been rigging this
thing the whole time?”

“
I suggested that Kobb should go to Rum Hill for a stop and
you did the rest my boy.”

“
Don’t boy me, ya lying old bastard!” Delik threw his seat
back and jumped across the table to attack his father. They rolled
on the floor, cursing and punching each other. Jaspa pinned Delik
then Delik slipped out, landing a punch in Jaspa’s
stomach.

Minni and
Tikis pulled them apart.

“
You mongrel! I’m not going to help you! What have you got us?
Kobb’s got you trapped and you lure us in just to pull your sorry
arse out. Kobb’ll bite you the first chance he gets. He’ll sit
himself on the throne of bones in Jando and we’ll all be just as
buggered. Your plans will kill us all. They killed Ma and Tisha.
Who knows where they have Shanda. Ash it! You’ll not have
me.”