Corvus (Stars and Sails, Book 1)

Forty (Part 2 of 2)

The floor creaked as Holden approached the guest room. He undid his cufflinks and pocketed them, then let his suspenders hang off his shoulders. He entered the guest room while unbuttoning his shirt. Mr. Cardozo sat in a wooden chair. His leg was folded over the other, the tops of his grey socks exposed and the hems of his pants rolled up like he had been wading in the ocean. His face was lit by the hot coals of the chafing dish. Holden took off his shirt and hung it by the hook on the guest room door. His bare chest felt the heat of the coals instantly. He held his elbows tight at his side and cringed inwardly at the sight of the cautery irons, burning bright red in the coals.

Cardozo lifted a red iron from the heat. It smoldered like the sun. It looked familiar, like a part of Holden that he didn't like to know existed. His fingers felt clammy. His limbs shook viciously. This time they were like a cyclone, spinning in circles and trembling. Cardozo dipped the iron back into the heat. "Give them a few minutes to heat up."

Holden didn't step any closer. He could still remember the pain he felt when he had burned the first numbers off himself. It hurt for weeks afterward. "It's on my side," he said. He lifted his arms and turned, revealing the mark he'd had since he was a child.

Kraz

5525

No matter how many layers of skin the iron burned off, he would always remember the numbers. He would rather keep them locked away in his mind than knowing that someone else could take them from him. Joshua Holden would never be taken advantage of again, not like Mr. Wagner had taken advantage of him. Not like Amelia Rose had taken advantage of him. Not like his father or this town or Aiden Payne had. He didn't ask for any of this, but some nights he found himself staring at the plumes of light bouncing off the ceiling and wondering how much of this was his own fault. "We'll do two numbers today," Cardozo said. "Then I expect my three thousand octans before I leave tonight."

"Three thousand?"

Cardozo crossed his arms. "If I'm too expensive, then maybe your little maid will burn your secret tattoo off and help you clean up your messes."

"No, no. It will have to do. I have the money." Holden shook his head. He sat on the ottoman at the foot of the bed. It was covered in red-wine velveteen. Holden buried his face in his hands.

"Speaking of messes," Cardozo trailed off, rearranging the irons in the coals again. An ember hopped out from the chafing dish and landed on the damp drop cloth on the floor. He stomped it out.

"Are you talking about my wife?"

"Mmm?" Cardozo's lip tilted the smallest bit, only hinting at a smirk. "I see I've said something that's reminded you of her. How is she?"

"What do you think?"

"Oh," The irons burned brighter, orange like the lit end of a cigar. "So, let me ask you a question. It's been bugging me since I saw you at the Harvest Festival."

"Were you in town that day?" Holden asked.

"I had other business that I cannot discuss," he said. "But I happened to see you and the lady."

"That's interesting, we spent only two dances together."

"Why marry her?" He asked. "You clearly had more than a few options. She's more attractive than many of the other girls, but granted she's odd-looking, her mouth is—well, it's got the funniest shape to it. And her nose—have you seen anything like that? She's bizarre."

"It wasn't about her appearance," Holden said quickly. "I suspected that marrying her might be useful."

"That's awfully romantic of you," Cardozo shook his head and dug around his pocket for a little tin of chewing tobacco.

Holden shrugged. "I'm not the romantic type."

"What if I told you that I'll arrange you a bit of time off from your job so that you can find your runaway wife?"

Holden's cheek twitched. "I honestly don't know if I want to see her.."

"I'll get you a whole month of time off—no repercussions. When you get back everyone will think you were in Trinity Gorge. Working." He maintained eye contact while spitting. He continued chewing the tobacco, his lips pursed.

"And what do you think I'd do with her once I find her?"

"Well you can't divorce her—you don't have any good reasons, I'm sure."

"The marriage was never consummated," Holden said.

Cardozo chuckled while moving the irons about, he looked closely at a particularly dim one and moved it into the middle of the dish. "That's quite the bold claim to make. Do you have any proof?" He gave Holden a moment to attempt a solution. "That's what I thought."

Holden folded his arms over his bare chest. "You obviously have an idea, so just tell me."

"Kill her."

Holden stood up. "What? I'm not doing that!"

"Hm." He licked the sharp of his teeth. "I forgot what a coward you were—you can't even burn off your own goddamn tattoos. Now I come back and you're letting your wife treat you like a show horse. I won't kill her for you. I don't need to leave the desert for a paycheck."

Holden stuttered out a noise of acknowledgment, the only thing he could say. He didn't know how to kill anyone and he didn't know if he actually could. He slowed his breathing and found his words again. "How much—for that month? How much will you charge me?"

"10,000 octans." Cardozo tossed his tobacco into the spittoon. "Come on, the irons are ready," he said before Holden had a chance to think about the price.

He nodded.

"Step on up. Nice and close," Cardozo reached behind him and took a thick length of rope off the desk. "And gnaw on that." He threw it. Holden caught it and placed it between his teeth. The dread rose higher like bile in his throat. He stepped towards Cardozo and watched him out of the corner of his eye.

Cardozo wrapped his gloved hand around the handle of the iron and lifted it out of the chafing dish. Then he knocked it against the side and let the remaining coals shower off. "This ought to bite a bit." Cardozo grinned, teeth clicking against the chewing tobacco. He jabbed the scalding iron into Joshua Holden's side. The metal and fire tore into his flesh like teeth.

Holden spit out the rope and wailed.