know about Henry and the Akasa Stone, right?’
Devlan nodded. He already knew where this was going but he wasn’t going to let on. ‘I’ve heard things. I know he’s been looking for it.’
‘Yes, for a long time.’
‘Who hasn’t? No one is ever going to find that goddamn thing. I don’t care who the hell claims they’ve seen it.’
‘There’s one place nobody has looked.’
They stopped walking as they reached the seafront. Floyd began gazing out across the grey waves.
‘And now you want to find it?’ Devlan asked, although it was more of a statement.
Floyd smiled an impish, slimy grin as though he was so pleased to finally tell someone about the great plan in his brain. ‘Henry has invested so much hope in finding it. And if I were to find it before him… Oh sweet baby Jesus!’
‘I can imagine.’
‘It will finish him off, Devlan. Destroy him. And hopefully his stupid organisation will go down with him,’ Floyd said with a chillingly serious tone in his voice all of a sudden.
‘You know we have no hope of finding it.’
‘I know where to find it. Do you, Devlan? Come on, I know you know this town far better than I do. Tell me what you know.’
Devlan could start to feel Floyd’s resentment and determination bubbling away under his surface, as though he’d been keeping it dormant until the time was right for it to erupt once more. It was as though he’d been plotting for years on how he could possibly bring down Henry Maristow, but then it had to be expected after what had gone on between those two. On one hand, Devlan found it reassuring that Floyd still had a bit of go in him, but he wasn’t going to be swept into it all that easily just yet. Not until he’d properly assessed the nature of this bronco of an idea.
‘I have no idea where that stone is. Nobody does.’
‘Interesting,’ Floyd said smirking.
Under his shades, Devlan rolled his eyes. ‘Okay, what do you think you know?’
‘It sank with the Tatterdemalion .’
Devlan certainly didn’t need any further explanation about that matter. Every Harbourian knew the tale of the pirates who’d sailed that doomed vessel.
‘Your daddy told you this at bedtime, did he?’
Floyd laughed. ‘I missed out on the bedtime stories.’
‘Join the club.’
‘This one’s before your time, huh? You believe in the Akasa Stone but not the Tatterdemalion .’
Devlan felt Floyd’s small eyes trying to read him. ‘If anything, the other way round,’ he replied.
‘Seeing is believing?’
‘The Tatterdemalion sank two and a half centuries ago.’
‘I know…’
‘Do I really look that old?’ Devlan said dryly.
Floyd grinned back at him. Devlan always was so cagey.
‘Anyway, I just want you to find that ship for now. Are you in?’
Devlan pondered for a moment, stroking the coarse bristles on his chin. It all seemed straightforward: a couple of months at sea, perhaps he could even do some fishing again while he was out there. What could possibly go wrong? Apart from the fact that he’d be working for Floyd again, the same man whose schemes came with self-destruct mechanisms that blew up in their faces every time. The same guy that would see an iceberg straight ahead and put the throttle at full.
‘Yeah. I’m in.’
‘I know you know the right people, Devlan. Your old buddy Harp. But whoever you bring in, I’m asking you because you’re the only one I can trust with it.’
‘This is going to cost a lot,’ Devlan said, already his guts sinking with what he’d just agreed to.
‘Yes, yes, I know,’ Floyd said as he reached into his trench coat pocket and brought out a bundle of notes. ‘Here’s something to start on. Looks like you could do with a proper feed. And some new clothes too. I’m sure you were wearing those same clothes last time I saw you.’
A sweetener, Devlan thought. Because it all gets sour from now on. ‘I guess rat soup won’t be on the menu tonight,’ Devlan muttered so quietly
Devlan nodded. He already knew where this was going but he wasn’t going to let on. ‘I’ve heard things. I know he’s been looking for it.’
‘Yes, for a long time.’
‘Who hasn’t? No one is ever going to find that goddamn thing. I don’t care who the hell claims they’ve seen it.’
‘There’s one place nobody has looked.’
They stopped walking as they reached the seafront. Floyd began gazing out across the grey waves.
‘And now you want to find it?’ Devlan asked, although it was more of a statement.
Floyd smiled an impish, slimy grin as though he was so pleased to finally tell someone about the great plan in his brain. ‘Henry has invested so much hope in finding it. And if I were to find it before him… Oh sweet baby Jesus!’
‘I can imagine.’
‘It will finish him off, Devlan. Destroy him. And hopefully his stupid organisation will go down with him,’ Floyd said with a chillingly serious tone in his voice all of a sudden.
‘You know we have no hope of finding it.’
‘I know where to find it. Do you, Devlan? Come on, I know you know this town far better than I do. Tell me what you know.’
Devlan could start to feel Floyd’s resentment and determination bubbling away under his surface, as though he’d been keeping it dormant until the time was right for it to erupt once more. It was as though he’d been plotting for years on how he could possibly bring down Henry Maristow, but then it had to be expected after what had gone on between those two. On one hand, Devlan found it reassuring that Floyd still had a bit of go in him, but he wasn’t going to be swept into it all that easily just yet. Not until he’d properly assessed the nature of this bronco of an idea.
‘I have no idea where that stone is. Nobody does.’
‘Interesting,’ Floyd said smirking.
Under his shades, Devlan rolled his eyes. ‘Okay, what do you think you know?’
‘It sank with the Tatterdemalion .’
Devlan certainly didn’t need any further explanation about that matter. Every Harbourian knew the tale of the pirates who’d sailed that doomed vessel.
‘Your daddy told you this at bedtime, did he?’
Floyd laughed. ‘I missed out on the bedtime stories.’
‘Join the club.’
‘This one’s before your time, huh? You believe in the Akasa Stone but not the Tatterdemalion .’
Devlan felt Floyd’s small eyes trying to read him. ‘If anything, the other way round,’ he replied.
‘Seeing is believing?’
‘The Tatterdemalion sank two and a half centuries ago.’
‘I know…’
‘Do I really look that old?’ Devlan said dryly.
Floyd grinned back at him. Devlan always was so cagey.
‘Anyway, I just want you to find that ship for now. Are you in?’
Devlan pondered for a moment, stroking the coarse bristles on his chin. It all seemed straightforward: a couple of months at sea, perhaps he could even do some fishing again while he was out there. What could possibly go wrong? Apart from the fact that he’d be working for Floyd again, the same man whose schemes came with self-destruct mechanisms that blew up in their faces every time. The same guy that would see an iceberg straight ahead and put the throttle at full.
‘Yeah. I’m in.’
‘I know you know the right people, Devlan. Your old buddy Harp. But whoever you bring in, I’m asking you because you’re the only one I can trust with it.’
‘This is going to cost a lot,’ Devlan said, already his guts sinking with what he’d just agreed to.
‘Yes, yes, I know,’ Floyd said as he reached into his trench coat pocket and brought out a bundle of notes. ‘Here’s something to start on. Looks like you could do with a proper feed. And some new clothes too. I’m sure you were wearing those same clothes last time I saw you.’
A sweetener, Devlan thought. Because it all gets sour from now on. ‘I guess rat soup won’t be on the menu tonight,’ Devlan muttered so quietly
Similar Books
