“Why did you leave your ship?”
“Lost ship. I was in fight. Hurt. They left.”
“And they didn’t come find you?”
Johann snorted. “Pirates do not.”
It made sense, Cornelius thought. Except Johann looked oddly angry when he said that, as if he was upset by being left. As if he had been a pirate and had been abandoned.
Valentin lifted his chin higher. “How did you become a pirate? There aren’t any airships in Austria. It’s a horribly backward country. Because I know you’re Austrian.”
“Yes, I am from Österreich . A small, simple village in the west, in the mountains. No airships. No food. I went into army at fourteen for stipend to family.”
Valentin recoiled in horror as Cornelius winced. “You’re an Austrian soldier ?”
“Yes, but I ran away. Become pirate. Better life. Better money for family.”
He spoke with such conviction, Cornelius almost believed it to be true.
Valentin clearly did not. “So what did you do as a fourteen-year-old pirate?”
“Sixteen. I was in the army two years. When I am pirate, I carry things. Cook. Cut people who say no boarding.”
Valentin’s countenance slipped from irritation to confusion. “Boarding? In an airship?”
“Yes.” He mimed swinging a rope over his head and tossing it in front of him. “Big rope, hook. I slide.”
“You threw a rope at a ship held aloft only by gas? You could kill everyone aboard.”
Johann’s grin was wicked. “If cargo is good, we do.”
Valentin turned back to Cornelius. “You condone this? You, and your bleeding heart that cannot stand to see so much as a sparrow downed?”
No, Cornelius didn’t. He bit his lip as he regarded Johann, hoping he was simply that good a liar with an imagination tainted by the horrors of war.
Johann’s expression gentled. His hand, which had fallen from Cornelius’s shoulder, returned. “I throw with care. I never miss.”
“This is exactly what I mean.” Valentin gestured between them. “You don’t know anything about him, Cornelius. What is going on?”
Cornelius didn’t know what to say. He had no truth to bend around, because he still didn’t know why he was so obsessed with Johann, not enough to tell Valentin, not enough to understand it himself. Had Johann actually been a pirate? Why had he not said so before? He kept his gaze away from Valentin, wishing he knew a way out of this conversation.
“He is a good lover,” Johann said, out of nowhere.
Cornelius stiffened, and Valentin snorted. “He is. But you don’t look like lovers to me.”
“Is not good to show love loud.” Johann gestured to the window facing the street. “People are angry. Arrest.”
Valentin rolled his eyes. “Please. We pay the police regularly. In any event, they’d never dare arrest Conny. Not unless they knew it was part of one of his games.”
Conny wanted to object to this depiction of his sexual debauchery, or at least Val pointing it out, but Johann spoke first. “People arrest Österreicher . Hate me, like you do.”
Valentin pursed his lips. “Fine. Kiss him now.”
Cornelius’s entire body blushed, flashing between cold terror and anticipation. “ Valentin .”
“Stop playing prude. You’re France’s greatest exhibitionist. With enough cocaine and absinthe, you’ve let men fuck you over tables. I’ve watched your public performance enough I can recognize you in an orgy by the dimple in your left ass cheek. You can’t object to a kiss in front of me. He can hardly either, as he did as much that first night.” Valentin looked at Johann and pointed at Cornelius. “Kiss him. Prove you’re lovers.”
Johann quite noticeably did not blush or shy away. He turned to Cornelius, waiting for permission.
Cornelius couldn’t give it. He’d worked hard to avoid this. He’d grown fond of Johann as a friend, a companion—true, they had difficulty communicating still, but the man was so easy to be around. Every time Cornelius had to leave him, all he thought
“Lost ship. I was in fight. Hurt. They left.”
“And they didn’t come find you?”
Johann snorted. “Pirates do not.”
It made sense, Cornelius thought. Except Johann looked oddly angry when he said that, as if he was upset by being left. As if he had been a pirate and had been abandoned.
Valentin lifted his chin higher. “How did you become a pirate? There aren’t any airships in Austria. It’s a horribly backward country. Because I know you’re Austrian.”
“Yes, I am from Österreich . A small, simple village in the west, in the mountains. No airships. No food. I went into army at fourteen for stipend to family.”
Valentin recoiled in horror as Cornelius winced. “You’re an Austrian soldier ?”
“Yes, but I ran away. Become pirate. Better life. Better money for family.”
He spoke with such conviction, Cornelius almost believed it to be true.
Valentin clearly did not. “So what did you do as a fourteen-year-old pirate?”
“Sixteen. I was in the army two years. When I am pirate, I carry things. Cook. Cut people who say no boarding.”
Valentin’s countenance slipped from irritation to confusion. “Boarding? In an airship?”
“Yes.” He mimed swinging a rope over his head and tossing it in front of him. “Big rope, hook. I slide.”
“You threw a rope at a ship held aloft only by gas? You could kill everyone aboard.”
Johann’s grin was wicked. “If cargo is good, we do.”
Valentin turned back to Cornelius. “You condone this? You, and your bleeding heart that cannot stand to see so much as a sparrow downed?”
No, Cornelius didn’t. He bit his lip as he regarded Johann, hoping he was simply that good a liar with an imagination tainted by the horrors of war.
Johann’s expression gentled. His hand, which had fallen from Cornelius’s shoulder, returned. “I throw with care. I never miss.”
“This is exactly what I mean.” Valentin gestured between them. “You don’t know anything about him, Cornelius. What is going on?”
Cornelius didn’t know what to say. He had no truth to bend around, because he still didn’t know why he was so obsessed with Johann, not enough to tell Valentin, not enough to understand it himself. Had Johann actually been a pirate? Why had he not said so before? He kept his gaze away from Valentin, wishing he knew a way out of this conversation.
“He is a good lover,” Johann said, out of nowhere.
Cornelius stiffened, and Valentin snorted. “He is. But you don’t look like lovers to me.”
“Is not good to show love loud.” Johann gestured to the window facing the street. “People are angry. Arrest.”
Valentin rolled his eyes. “Please. We pay the police regularly. In any event, they’d never dare arrest Conny. Not unless they knew it was part of one of his games.”
Conny wanted to object to this depiction of his sexual debauchery, or at least Val pointing it out, but Johann spoke first. “People arrest Österreicher . Hate me, like you do.”
Valentin pursed his lips. “Fine. Kiss him now.”
Cornelius’s entire body blushed, flashing between cold terror and anticipation. “ Valentin .”
“Stop playing prude. You’re France’s greatest exhibitionist. With enough cocaine and absinthe, you’ve let men fuck you over tables. I’ve watched your public performance enough I can recognize you in an orgy by the dimple in your left ass cheek. You can’t object to a kiss in front of me. He can hardly either, as he did as much that first night.” Valentin looked at Johann and pointed at Cornelius. “Kiss him. Prove you’re lovers.”
Johann quite noticeably did not blush or shy away. He turned to Cornelius, waiting for permission.
Cornelius couldn’t give it. He’d worked hard to avoid this. He’d grown fond of Johann as a friend, a companion—true, they had difficulty communicating still, but the man was so easy to be around. Every time Cornelius had to leave him, all he thought
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