ladyship’s guide and guard.”
“Ah—yes, sir.” The purser lifted the top sheet and looked at the one beneath—a plan of the cabins.
“In the circumstances, we’ll need to be as close to her ladyship’s rooms as possible.” Rafe’s tone brooked no argument. His hand passed over the purser’s board; a large-denomination gold coin fell onto the top list.
After a second’s hesitation, the board tipped. The coin slid off and disappeared; the purser glanced up, met Rafe’s gaze, then studied the cabin plan again. “Lady Congreve has booked the main stateroom. We can place you in the next cabin along on one side, and her guard in the cabin opposite. Getting to her ladyship’s cabin will mean passing both your doors. Will that suit?”
Rafe smiled charmingly. “Admirably.” He flicked the man another coin, which he deftly caught. Turning to the gangplank, Rafe saw Esme being assisted up it. “That’s her ladyship now.”
The instant Esme set foot on deck, cabin boys appeared and she, Loretta, and their maids were escorted below with all due ceremony. Leaving Hassan on watch, Rafe followed, but as soon as he’d confirmed the women were safely ensconced in their stateroom, he climbed up, not to the main deck where they’d boarded and Hassan stood on guard, but further up to the observation deck at the prow of the ship.
All the other passengers were still below, settling into their cabins. Rafe found a wooden chair, pulled it to the rail, and sat. He could see out between the wooden rails, but the high side of the boat largely hid him from view, and while he was seated it was difficult to tell that he was tall.
The sights and sounds of the river embraced him. He watched, but saw no sign of cultists near the ship, or anywhere on the docks, not even keeping watch over the docks and the boats putting in and out. Sloppy picket work on the cultists’ part; the Black Cobra wouldn’t be pleased.
He, on the other hand, was quietly delighted.
A heavy bell clanged, and with a flurry of activity from the crew, the
Uray Princep
‘s gangplank rattled aboard, theanchor chain clanked and groaned, then a rear sail was hoisted, and oars extended from the embankment side and pushed the heavy boat out into the current.
Rafe felt the river take hold. He scanned the shores as under the steady thrust of oars, the
Uray Princep
pushed steadily on, and the roofs of Buda slowly fell behind.
When the river mist obscured the town, he stood, stretched, then ambled around the upper deck, taking note of the various ladders and doors, then headed down the wooden stairs he’d come up.
The
Uray Princep
carried both passengers and goods. The boat had three decks above the waterline. The upper deck contained the passengers’ observation deck, which extended from the prow to the front of the centrally located raised bridge; other than the bridge which overlooked it, the observation deck was the highest part of the boat.
The next deck down was the main deck, half of which was given over to the passengers; Rafe found an elegantly appointed salon in the prow, with a narrow bar between it and the dining salon beyond, where cabin boys were setting tables with white cloths and cutlery.
From the clatter of pans and the smells issuing forth, the galley lay beyond the dining salon. Opposite the bar, the staircase, a solid, well-polished wooden stair, not a narrow ladder, led up to the observation deck and down to the passengers’ cabins.
Only the main deck had an outer walkway on which one could circle the ship. After chatting to the purser and confirming that the rear half of the main deck was the domain of the crew and out of bounds to passengers, Rafe returned to the stairs and went down to the cabin deck.
There, a single corridor ran down the boat’s center, from the main stateroom in the prow, the one Esme’s party now inhabited, to a door toward the rear of the vessel. Rafe strode down the dim corridor, hearing voices behind most
“Ah—yes, sir.” The purser lifted the top sheet and looked at the one beneath—a plan of the cabins.
“In the circumstances, we’ll need to be as close to her ladyship’s rooms as possible.” Rafe’s tone brooked no argument. His hand passed over the purser’s board; a large-denomination gold coin fell onto the top list.
After a second’s hesitation, the board tipped. The coin slid off and disappeared; the purser glanced up, met Rafe’s gaze, then studied the cabin plan again. “Lady Congreve has booked the main stateroom. We can place you in the next cabin along on one side, and her guard in the cabin opposite. Getting to her ladyship’s cabin will mean passing both your doors. Will that suit?”
Rafe smiled charmingly. “Admirably.” He flicked the man another coin, which he deftly caught. Turning to the gangplank, Rafe saw Esme being assisted up it. “That’s her ladyship now.”
The instant Esme set foot on deck, cabin boys appeared and she, Loretta, and their maids were escorted below with all due ceremony. Leaving Hassan on watch, Rafe followed, but as soon as he’d confirmed the women were safely ensconced in their stateroom, he climbed up, not to the main deck where they’d boarded and Hassan stood on guard, but further up to the observation deck at the prow of the ship.
All the other passengers were still below, settling into their cabins. Rafe found a wooden chair, pulled it to the rail, and sat. He could see out between the wooden rails, but the high side of the boat largely hid him from view, and while he was seated it was difficult to tell that he was tall.
The sights and sounds of the river embraced him. He watched, but saw no sign of cultists near the ship, or anywhere on the docks, not even keeping watch over the docks and the boats putting in and out. Sloppy picket work on the cultists’ part; the Black Cobra wouldn’t be pleased.
He, on the other hand, was quietly delighted.
A heavy bell clanged, and with a flurry of activity from the crew, the
Uray Princep
‘s gangplank rattled aboard, theanchor chain clanked and groaned, then a rear sail was hoisted, and oars extended from the embankment side and pushed the heavy boat out into the current.
Rafe felt the river take hold. He scanned the shores as under the steady thrust of oars, the
Uray Princep
pushed steadily on, and the roofs of Buda slowly fell behind.
When the river mist obscured the town, he stood, stretched, then ambled around the upper deck, taking note of the various ladders and doors, then headed down the wooden stairs he’d come up.
The
Uray Princep
carried both passengers and goods. The boat had three decks above the waterline. The upper deck contained the passengers’ observation deck, which extended from the prow to the front of the centrally located raised bridge; other than the bridge which overlooked it, the observation deck was the highest part of the boat.
The next deck down was the main deck, half of which was given over to the passengers; Rafe found an elegantly appointed salon in the prow, with a narrow bar between it and the dining salon beyond, where cabin boys were setting tables with white cloths and cutlery.
From the clatter of pans and the smells issuing forth, the galley lay beyond the dining salon. Opposite the bar, the staircase, a solid, well-polished wooden stair, not a narrow ladder, led up to the observation deck and down to the passengers’ cabins.
Only the main deck had an outer walkway on which one could circle the ship. After chatting to the purser and confirming that the rear half of the main deck was the domain of the crew and out of bounds to passengers, Rafe returned to the stairs and went down to the cabin deck.
There, a single corridor ran down the boat’s center, from the main stateroom in the prow, the one Esme’s party now inhabited, to a door toward the rear of the vessel. Rafe strode down the dim corridor, hearing voices behind most
Similar Books
