The Pirate's Legacy: New Horizons

Chapter 45: Desperate Wishes

Oh Henry Golomorth did not care much for The Surly Wench. Being the most reputable bar in Queen's Port did not necessarily mean his sort of good time would be there. Drink did not flow as quickly as it did in Pirata's heydays nor as cheaply. The women were harder to coax onto his lap. They wanted the guarantee of coin before they did anything. The wenches in Pirata loved the dance of words and kisses just as much as they loved the coin, but these uptight Tarymian lasses were no better than their noble-born superiors up in the castle. He should have gone to the more seedy bars tucked in the nooks and crannies of Queen's Port, but maybe after his meeting was finished, he could leave for one.

No, he'd definitely go for one.

Oh Henry held a full mug in one gloved hand and waited impatiently for a wench to decide whether or not to get on his lap when Michael Turnbull and the queen of Tarym slipped into The Surly Wench. Michael pushed off his hood, but she kept hers on. She may not be recognized in the barroom, but her cloaked female presence still stuck out among the ladies of the night roaming the place. Oh Henry was impressed by the way she ignored the looks directed at her. When the queen smiled at him as she settled on a stool between him and Michael, Oh Henry couldn't help the warmth that started in his belly and trickled through his veins.

"Sorry, dearie," he told the fickle wench hovering around him. "You missed your chance, now skimp off, will you?" The wench scowled at him. She flitted away with a toss of her auburn curls. Oh Henry felt the briefest space of regret as she swayed away from him toward a group of drunken card players. He sighed and turned to face the queen and Dread Robin's first mate. "Glad to see some familiar faces!" he said loudly above the buzzing voices and raucous laughter in the room. He tipped his head to Em. "Your Majesty."

"Please, dispense with the formality," Em muttered, but teasingly she gave him her hand. He obliged by jauntily taking the thin fingers and pressing a kiss on the back. "I am glad we were able to meet on such short notice, Oh Henry," she said. When she withdrew her hand, she waited for him to take a drink before surreptitiously wiping the back on her cloak. She caught the bartender's eye and shook her head. Oh Henry noticed her hand go immediately toward her stomach. On her other side, Michael ordered a drink.

" 'Tis not a problem meeting with a woman as lovely as you," Oh Henry said with a wink. "The messenger was the problem, but I set him straight with a tongue lashing."

"Yes, I heard he caught you at a bad time this morning." Em's mouth twitched. The messenger had not only caught Oh Henry in bed with a prostitute, but the pirate captain had a hangover from hell as well. "Unfortunately, I can't linger for a drink. We have a ferry waiting for us." She straightened her back, and dove into the heart of the matter for the meeting. "Oh Henry, my harbormaster tells me that you've asked for provisions to be delivered to you in a week's time. Is there anything in particular for which you are stocking up?"

Oh Henry took a swig from his mug, adding froth on top of his mustache. He shrugged as he licked it away. "What can I say? I'm getting Long Tom in a week, and I thought that would be a nice opportunity to head out to open sea."

"Wait," said Michael, speaking up for the first time. He leaned forward over the bar top so that he could see Oh Henry. "Why have I not heard of this?"

"Perhaps you should stop hanging around the castle," Oh Henry said bitingly. "I'm the captain of my ship so what I say goes. I don't need to answer to you."

"What will happen to Dread Robin and his crew?" Michael demanded. "I doubt he'd be readily marooned on Peralta. He'd be driven mad from being landlocked while he waited for his ship." He caught Em's eye and added, "No offense."

Em pursed her lips. "I can spare him accommodations in the city or in the castle," she said. "If anything, I could lend Dread Robin a ship to use as he wishes until his ship is finished."