Sign him on.

"Mr. Michaels" interrupted Brenan as he started trying to explain yet another of his projects "would you be interested in signing on as my gunnery officer?" Michaels rose to his feet and pulled his legs together straightening his back before extending his right hand to Brenan.

"I'd be much obliged, Captain." Brenan was a little startled by the formal response to his offer, but he took Michaels hand in his and shook it firmly.

"Would you like to see your new ship?" He asked the newest member of his crew, and was not surprised at Michael's prompt response.

"I am your servant, captain." As the men walked back to the ship Brenan broached the topic of Lantians with the gunner.

"Have you ever worked with Lantians?" Brenan asked his new gunner.

"Little or no good, Captain. Poor Bastards can't stay out of the water for more than a quarter of an hour or so before their lungs dry out. Although it would be useful to have some with us." Michaels stooped in the middle of the crowded street to open his duffle bag. I did have an idea for attaching an explosive device to the hull or rudder of a ship below the waterline to disable them without a fight." Brenan had to pull the man to his feet before he was trampled by the pressing throng.

"Show me latter, Mr. Michaels." Brenan said as he got Michaels moving again. "The men I'm talking about are half breed Lantian, not full blooded; they can breathe air just fine, but not water." Michaels nodded and thought a little before he asked.

"What about their hands, webbed hands don't work well for triggers." Brenan smiled as he assured the gunner that the brother's hands had only the slightest sign of webbing. When Michaels had paused for so long Brenan thought he might have a problem, but he realized that his gunner's brain was racing through his catalogue of ideas and seeing how they would work with these men.

As they approached the schooner, Brenan spotted the brothers swabbing down the deck, and he saw no sign at all of Sasha. Good he thought to himself, his warning seemed to carry some weight with both the Jones brothers and Sasha.

"Hey captain, you had someone looking for you." Kyle leaned over the gunwale to tell him as he approached. "Said it was important, so we told him to come back in a few hours."

"Who was it?" Brenan asked as he quickly guided Michaels up the gang plank. His eyes immediately swept the docks looking for signs of more Veer agents, seeing none didn't make him feel all that much better. All that told him is that whoever was watching him was better than most Veer agents.