Jalia Prevails (Book 5)

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Authors: John Booth
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to see Captain Toren and some of his crew bearing down on them. Hala and Nin were being pushed along behind the Captain, their hands pinioned behind their backs.
    “Lady Jalia,” Captain Gil Toren spat out a greeting, his eyes showing his anger behind his large black beard. “This one is yours, I believe?”
    Hala was unceremoniously pushed forward. Jalia grabbed the girl before she fell over the side.
    “She is the first person to pull a knife on me on my own boat and live to tell the tale,” Toren said, spittle flying through the air. “Keep her out of my sight for the rest of this voyage. If it wasn’t for your heroism I would have already thrown her overboard to feed the fishes.”
    “Her actions saved my life and that of the Lady Sila,” Jalia said in an icily calm voice. “No thanks to you when you cut the rope.”
    “She endangered the Steam Dragon. This boat is protected by magic, but it is not indestructible. She and Nin risked our lives to save yours.”
    “I very much doubt that a rope that thin risked the Steam Dragon,” Jalia retorted. “The worst you faced were a few scrapes on the hull if the mast had been dragged towards you. The rope would have broken long before the Dragon was at risk. And I would have cut it myself before that point.”
    “A captain’s word on his boat is law,” Captain Toren told her, his fists clenching against his side. “And a member of my crew risked the Dragon without seeking my permission. He is going to live to regret that.”
    As Jalia looked at Nin’s face she saw he was already regretting it. He looked as though he was going to wet himself. Before she could say anything more, Lady Sila interrupted the proceedings.
    “And I for one would never interfere with the Captain of a ship and his rule. Though I am grateful to these children for what they did, of course. Is there accommodation I can buy for Alin and myself? The best you have, naturally.”
    Captain Toren changed immediately into business mode. He gave Sila his most charming smile and rubbed his hands.
    “I’m afraid the situation in Slarn has forced us to raise prices steeply to make ends meet. We have a guest suite available next to Lady Sorn, but the price will be six pieces of gold, I’m afraid.”
    Jalia’s jaw dropped at the ridiculously high price. It made the rate they had been charged seem almost reasonable by comparison. However, Sila did not bat an eyelid. Alin Bredan arrived behind her, his leg properly splinted. He had been given a stick to walk with and seemed to be managing quite well with it.
    “Pay the good Captain, Alin,” Sila instructed and Alin reached into a moneybag on his belt and handed over six coins. The coins glinted as if newly minted and had the six islands of Telmar on one of their faces. Jalia recognized it as Association minted gold. There was nothing particularly special about that as they had mined a lot of gold. It was unusual to see it look so new. Most of it had been around for some time.
    The Captain weighed the gold in his hand and looked satisfied. He ordered one of his crew to escort his honored guests to their suite before he turned back to Jalia.
    “You have profited more than a little as a result of Nin’s actions,” Jalia pointed out. “Perhaps for another three or four pieces of gold, you could see your way clear to overlooking his trifling error. He is only a child, after all.”
    “You can’t buy him out of his punishment. He will have to answer to me and to the crew for his actions,” Captain Toren retorted and walked away. Nin, clearly terrified, was dragged away by two burly crewmen.
    “You have to save him,” Hala said, jumping up and down in frustration.
    “I have to get cleaned up first,” Jalia replied. “And I need time to think. What would you have me do, Hala? Kill all the crew, including his father to protect him from them?”
    “It isn’t fair,” Hala said, stomping her feet.
    “Life rarely is,” Jalia said. She led a

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