“I see you haven’t decided to take care of your little liability yet,” he said as soon as they came close. He looked over her coolly, but this time he seemed less hostile. More bemused, and perhaps a bit curious.
“I find that I enjoy her company a great deal,” Sean said. “You have no idea what it’s like to have a companion who isn’t always asking for things.”
“That’s certainly true,” Valzar said, and he gave a rusty laugh that startled her. “My women tend to be fairly high maintenance. Always some new jewel or toy. Speaking of toys, I think you’ll enjoy the boat. I had some special modifications made in the interests of meeting your needs.”
Together they stepped into the boat, Sean turning to help Sandra. It wasn’t large, but still bigger than she’d expected. There was a wide, flat deck broken by a cockpit that thrust up out of it, sort of like a small house. They walked over to the hatch and she stepped in, stumbling at first.
Valzar and Sean caught her at the same time, their strong hands pulling at the fabric of her blouse and nearly choking her.
“You need to be careful,” Valzar said, his tone low and silky. “It doesn’t have steps; it’s more of a ladder. You’ll do better to go down backwards.”
She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and slowly climbed down into the darkened interior of the ship’s cabin. Her eyes took a moment to adjust, and then she was able to see around her. It was lovely.
Everything was done in natural woods and brass.
She was in a small galley, everything tucked away neatly against one wall. A little table curved against another wall. The men joined her, and she shuffled forward uncertainly. It was cramped with all of them in the same small space.
“Go on through the door,” Valzar said, nodding to an opening just past the table. She opened the door before her and stepped into another room, this one dominated by a king-size bed.
Small doors flanked either side of the cabin.
“The head is through there,” Valzar said, nodding toward one of them. “This will be your room.
There’s another small one behind the galley, where the crew sleeps. I’ve stocked it with everything you’ll need, and I’m sure you’ll be very comfortable.”
“What’s that other door lead to?” she asked, and then bit her tongue. The last thing she should be doing was opening conversations with Valzar. The man was a snake, and he would swallow her whole given half the chance. She knew it instinctively.
“That’s the communications room,” he said. “Normally it would be another sleeping cabin, but I’ve had it converted. You will not be in that room.”
“Please don’t take that tone with her,” Sean said in a cool voice. “You’re a good friend Valzar, but you’re overstepping your boundaries here.”
Valzar bristled at his tone.
Sandra pressed back against the wall, wishing herself invisible. They were like two large, caged cats, both filled with coiled tension and seeming to take up far more space than was available in the small cabin. The moment passed, and Valzar nodded his head at Sean.
“I see how it is,” he said. “You’ve made your choices. I’ll respect them. Just don’t forget that I warned you.”
“I won’t forget,” Sean said, his voice equally chilly. “You’ve done many things for me, but this is something I choose to do for myself.”
“I’m sorry,” Valzar said. “I’d hoped we could go back into business together, but I can see now that that isn’t going to happen. I won’t allow her to destroy me, too.”
“I don’t plan on destroying anyone,” she said suddenly, and then clapped one hand across her mouth.
She’d done it again. Why the hell couldn’t she keep her mouth shut? Both men looked at her, startled.
“I’m just trying to stay alive and make my way in the world like anyone else. Destroying either of you isn’t part of my plan. I have no idea how I’d go about it for one thing. Heck, I don’t think I’d want to. At least not in Sean’s case.”
They looked at her a moment longer, then turned away.
“Wait for us here,” Sean said, as if she hadn’t spoken. “Valzar and I need to go over the communications equipment.”
She nodded her head, feeling as if it was all some surreal dream. They treated her as if she didn’t exist in her own right, as if she weren’t a full human being capable of making her own choices.
Neither of them seemed to realize she was more than a doll.
It was extremely frustrating.
The men disappeared behind the door, Valzar having keyed in a series of numbers to the small, electronic lock. She turned, surveying the room once more. This time she noticed more details.
There was an inlaid headboard with shelves at the top of the bed, seemingly built right into the structure of the boat. There were several small portholes lining the cabin walls, barely large enough to let in the light, but it would be enough to let the inhabitants tell if it were light or dark.
Behind her, flanking the opposite wall from the bathroom, were drawers and what appeared to be a small closet, all made of the same smooth, highly-polished wood that most of the interior featured. She opened on of the drawers, and was only slightly surprised to find it already full of women’s clothing. She pulled out a lacy black bra and checked the size.
They’d definitely been ordered for her, she noted. Valzar and Sean were nothing if not thorough.
She turned and left the cabin, feeling a bit rebellious. She passed quickly through the galley and then climbed up the ladder-like stairs. On the deck were two large, tough-looking men in suits similar to
Valzar’s. One of them nodded his head at her, his eyes drifting down her body in an appreciative if distant manner. She didn’t bother saying anything to them. They were there to keep her from running away, she understood that. She wondered if they would also be the crewmembers. It seemed odd, as they were hardly dressed for sailing.
The boat rocked slightly as someone stepped on board, and she turned to see a small, scrawny man with a scar running across his cheek hopping over to the deck. He carried a black rucksack and wore only a pair of shorts. The two men in suits bristled.
“Don’t worry,” he said, nodding at them in a friendly manner. “Valzar sent me. I’m one of the new crewmembers. The other’s on his way.”
The suits still looked skeptical, as did Sandra. This man hardly looked strong enough to work, let alone run a sailboat as big as this one.