Jupiter's Glory Book 2: The Pirates and the Priests by Adam Carter

Author:Adam Carter [Carter, Adam]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-11-09T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

When Sturgeon had agreed to board the Jupiter’s Glory it was with a mind to seizing the sword-ship. Captain Danton had told him to be careful if he decided to attack the two fools who ran the ship, but Sturgeon had never once in his life been careful. However, with the man Hawthorn off in another part of the ship with the girl, even Sturgeon would not risk putting his plans into motion. So instead he had been taken into a room furnished with benches and several hard-wearing plants which needed little water. There was a carpet of thin grass which was likely artificial and a rockery complete with water gushing down it. There was even a small wooden bridge spanning what was probably meant to symbolise a river, all set against a backdrop of one gigantic window, looking out onto space.

Sturgeon had seen such places on spacecraft before, especially military ones. They were areas where the crew could re-humanise themselves, where they could forget they were faceless drones wasting their lives far away from anyone who gave a damn about them. Sturgeon had never seen the use for such places, but since Arowana had brought him there he assumed she had thought it cosier than a windowless meeting room.

The worst part of her hostess routine, however, was the insipid tea she insisted on pouring him.

“No, thank you,” he said when she offered him another cup. She had actually produced a genuine china tea set, with a tiny spoon for the sugar.

“Are you sure?” Arowana asked. “How about another biscuit?”

“I live in space, Arowana. I’m sick of biscuits. And your tea tastes like you’re boiling socks in that teapot.”

“I’m glad to learn you know what boiling socks tastes like,” she replied snidely. “Let’s not kid ourselves here, Sturgeon. You’re not here because we want to get to know each other.”

“Yeah, about that. Why am I here? You want help rescuing your friend. Just reminds me why friends are a liability.”

“I’m not in the habit of dealing with pirates, Sturgeon, so I’m far from thrilled with this idea. Just tell me plainly what you want in exchange for your help.”

“You mean you want to hire us to make a bombing run on Themisto or something?”

“If for one minute you thought you’d survive that, you would have done it already. A show will do, or a distraction.”

“So you want us to either pretend to lose against you, or to have the entire Themistonian military focusing on us while you sneak down there?”

“Yes.”

“At least you have the guts to say that to my face.” He sipped his tea and grimaced, not knowing why he was even bothering to be polite. Setting the cup aside, he wondered where that runt girl and Hawthorn had got to. “How long does it take to get someone something to eat?”

“You’re talking about Hart? That depends how little she’s eaten in all her time with you.”

Sturgeon sensed both Hawthorn and Arowana were furious with him for his treatment of the girl.

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