Part 39 (1/2)
Coins littered the floor at Lock's feet, and every now and then a skinny boy scurried to the center of the room and gathered the money into a cloth pouch.
I know that boy. Sparrow suddenly saw the missing pinky finger. The boy from the Lady Fire! What's he doing here?
Opal laughed, clapped her hands, and went to join the women closest to Lock. Sparrow grasped her arm. ”We have to get ready for our own performance, if we still work here, that is.”
”He's very good, Sparrow!”
”Come on!” Sparrow took Opal's wrist and dragged her to the tavern owner who grinned as he sold mugs of ale to several women.
”Sparrow! Opal! Business is better than ever!”
”You never told us you hired another dancer,” Sparrow said.
”Don't worry, you're certainly not replaced. He's going to dance an hour or so in the early evening then you girls have the rest of the night. I didn't think it was a good idea at first, but he said I didn't have to pay him for the first two weeks. He'd just take whatever he earned from the patrons. I never realized how much women would like to watch a man dance. Crazy, isn't it?”
”No crazier than the men who ogle us,” Opal said.
”The men don't seem to like it much,” Sparrow noted, smiling inwardly. Though she didn't like the idea of women l.u.s.ting after Lock, she had to admit she found some justice in his performance. Why shouldn't the village women enjoy the same entertainment as the men?
”They'll get over it.” The tavern owner waved his hand. ”It's only one short hour a few nights a week.”
Sparrow's eyes fixed on Lock as he moved. His gaze suddenly met hers and he winked. Sparrow tried to repress her smile, but only partially succeeded. There was no man like Lock. Anywhere.
The boy stepped out of the way as Lock spun, and Sparrow called to him. ”Janos! What are you doing here with Lock?”
The boy smiled. ”Sparrow! Good to see you.”
”What's going on?”
”Work. The pirate and me is business partners.”
Sparrow resisted the urge to laugh since the boy looked so serious. ”Business partners? I'm glad to see you're off the s.h.i.+p, at least.”
”Things ain't much better on dry land, I tell you. Was nearly hanged this mornin'.”
Sparrow looked horrified. ”Why?”
”Some men said I stole from them. Same old story.”
She sighed and folded her arms across her chest. ”Was it true?”
”I don't want to spread no rumors.”
”Janos, what are we going to do with you?” Sparrow ruffled his curly red hair. ”How did you and Lock end up together? How's your finger?”
”Don't hurt at all no more. The son-of-a-b.i.t.c.h-I mean Lock-got me out of the hangin'. Can't figure out why, but I won't complain about it.”
Sparrow glanced at Lock and half smiled. So he got Janos out of the hanging. Maybe he really has changed this time.
She hoped so because she knew she couldn't give him up again, no matter what.
Lock shoved damp hair from his eyes as he stepped into the kitchen where Sparrow waited for her turn to dance. Opal had claimed the tavern floor as soon as Lock finished, but not before tossing him a saucy wink.
”We made a killin'!” Janos grinned as he hurried to keep up with Lock's long strides. He peered into a sack full of coins.
”We?” Lock raised an eyebrow.
”Never thought women would throw money at a man just for screwin' air.”
”s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g air?”
”Sure. The way you dance, that's what it looks like. Speakin' of screwin', imagine how much you could make if you bedded them down...”
Lock shot the boy a look that said exactly what he thought of the idea. Janos gazed back at the money pouch. ”Just a thought.”
”So how much did you make?” Sparrow cast him a haughty look as she approached, a sheer veil draped over her body, scarcely concealing her pantaloons and beaded vest beneath.
He took the pouch from Janos then held out his hand.
”What?” The boy looked innocent.
”Empty your pockets.”
”But I didn't take nothin'.”
”I think I might tattoo that phrase across your face,” Lock muttered. ”Empty them. I didn't dance my a.s.s off so you could keep half the profits.”
”I didn't take nearly half,” Janos muttered, fis.h.i.+ng in his pockets and tossing into the pouch the coins he'd taken. ”And you said you'd pay me for working for you. I been crawling on my hands and knees for the past hour picking up coins.”
Sparrow peered in the pouch and Lock pulled the strings tightly, nearly catching her nose. She glared at him. ”That's not right. You make more than I do and you've only been here a night.”
”I can't help it if the men are stingier than the women. Besides, you get a fee from the owner, too.”
”Are you going to pay me or what?” Janos demanded. ”At least let me get something to eat. I'm starved.”
Lock glanced at the skinny boy and divided the money between them. ”You look like you could use it. Out of what I gave you, I want you to go to the market tomorrow and get some supplies for our camp.”
”Why should it come out of my share?”
”Don't you ever shut up? You're worse than a woman.”
”I resent that!” Sparrow lifted her chin.
”Sparrow, you know I didn't mean you.”
”I'm sure he meant it. He's obnoxious, ain't he?” Janos grinned at Sparrow before he stepped back into the main room to order food.
”He can be.” Sparrow folded her arms beneath her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Except for the cook who stood grumbling over his stew pot, they were alone in the kitchen. She placed a hand on Lock's bare chest. ”Janos told me what you did today. You saved him from being hanged.”