He can't pass up the big payoff

Brenan's mind whirled as he considered his options. The sum of money that Ambrose had mentioned would pay his ship's expenses for over a month of exploration. On the other hand, he had a raw crew sailing a new vessel for the first time. This might not be the best time to attempt slipping into a secluded harbor under the noses of the Veertor coastguard and rendezvous with a party or parties that he had never met.

"What do you say Brenan" Ambrose leaned close to Brenan with a confident smirk on his face "Fortune favors the bold."

"I'd like to do it, Ambrose. But I'll need to know some more details, like where and when I'm going to make landfall." Brenan had the satisfaction of seeing Ambrose struggle for words; he clearly had not expected Brenan to take the risk of losing his ship on its very first run. Brenan smiled with the same lack of sincerity that he felt from the rat faced merchant and waited for his response. Now it was up to Ambrose to decide if Brenan was foolhardy or just very good at his job.

"What's to guarantee that you won't take off with the freight and sell it at the next island?" Asked Ambrose suddenly suspicious "Do you have any collateral you can offer me before I load these luxuries into your hold." Brenan grabbed the small man by the heavy brocade of his embroidered vest and pulled his face close enough so he could smell the Reddust that permeated the merchants clothes. Out of the corner of his eyes Brenan saw two large men stand and move towards where he sat with Ambrose so he knew he'd have to make this quick.

"You'd have my word and reputation as a captain, Walter." He pushed the frightened man back away from him and released his grip. "My …” Brenan stressed the word “…word means something around these parts. If you expect me to risk my ship to smuggle your goods into Veertor, than you'd better treat me with the respect I deserve." The two goons were standing by Brenan's side now and part of him looked forward to the nasty brawl which would result if either of them so much as touched him. He might well lose, but at least he knew where he stood in a fist fight.

"It’s fine lads," Ambrose assured his two henchmen "Brenan and I were just getting to know each other." As the two men returned to their seats, Ambrose turned back to Brenan and continued "I didn't mean to impinge upon your honor, but a merchant can't be too careful, you know?" Brenan continued to stare at the man and after a nervous sip from his wine glass; the merchant looked up at him. "I like you Brenan, and I think you've got the balls to pull this off. So OK! Let’s talk about how we can make this work. But if I’m going to load thousands of silver worth of merchandise on your ship, you’ll have to wait until it’s delivered to be paid." Brenan considered the possibility that the men on Veertor would try to Welch on the payment, but if the merchandise was in his hold he felt confident that he would get his pay. After some more haggling, Brenan and Ambrose agreed on 800 Cryn silver, a case of wine and one of the rounds of cheese as the price for his services.

Ambrose pulled out nautical map and showed Brenan where the midnight rendezvous was scheduled for; it was a small bay on the south side of Veertor about fifty miles up the coast from the capital.

"Your best bet is to get there on the new Buffalo moon, it will be darker then and the tides will be running higher." The plan made sense; it was simple but took advantage of the conditions and locale. Brenan's main worry was whether he could get together a crew . Counting the days off on his fingers Brenan decided glumly that they probably would not.

"Is there something wrong?" Asked Ambrose as he saw Brenan counting. "Surely your schooner can make the trip in ten days. If not, you'll have to wait for next month; my men on Veertor only wait on the two darkest nights each month. I can't guarantee you the load either; if a more seasoned captain shows up, no offense, I'm going to go with them."

"No, problem Walter" Brenan enjoyed calling the man by his first name, just because he could see it bothered Ambrose. "If you can get the goods loaded by the day after tomorrow I'll have plenty of time to make the run." He hoped he wasn't lying, if he returned to Ambrose with a full hold, his reputation as a captain would be worthless. Especially after how he made a big deal about how his word meant something in these islands.

He'd need to man his ship quickly now, no time to be real selective anymore. By the end of the run, Brenan would know more about whether he wanted to keep them on or not. He was most worried about if he could get Red to sign on or if he'd have to make the trip without a sailing master he could trust.

As Brenan headed for the door the well dressed man who had been arguing quietly with his companion stood and stepped into Brenan's path to the door.

"Can my brother and I have a word with you?" Asked the young man, he wore a fine sword and main guache at his belt, but Brenan didn't get the feeling he was beening threatened. His brother didn't appear to be armed at all although a leather satchel sat open in font of him and could easily contain a knife ar even flintlock that could ruin Brenan's day in a hurry.

"I'm in a bit of a hurry sir, how can I help you two gentlemen?" Asked Brenan more polite than usual; for some reason Brenan decided he liked the young men. They were a breath of fresh air after having to deal with Ambrose.