"Probably drowned."
Maybe that sounded plausible to Bartek, but Gossel would've kno
wn that was a lie. That room didn't set fire to itself.
"You have the Colonists now," Gossel continued. "Take them and be gone. We'll have more ready for you next week."
Bartek looked over the group. "We were promised ten, but I only see nine slaves."
"The girl--she released some of the prisoners who were supposed to be here."
"And was this before or after the snakes got her?"
Gossel stiffened, but continued on. "We grabbed a few others this morning. It should make no difference to you who we bring, as long as they're ready to serve."
As long as they're broken. That's what Gossel meant.
"We were promised ten," Bartek said. "Or do you want me to report to my commander that Keldan does not honor its commitments?"
Warden Gossel scuffed his boot on the sandy beach and in a quieter voice said, "The warden at the back, the larger man. You can have him."
Brogg. He was staring at the sand beneath his boots right now, with no idea of what Gossel had just done. By then, I'd gotten a better look at who the wardens had brought with them. Marjorie was here, and Clement, and three of the men who had helped me on the treadmill. I doubted that was a coincidence.
"He'll do," the sailor said of Brogg. "We'll add him to our ship's crew, along with the others."
"Fine." Gossel waved his arm forward, and the wardens continued escorting the Colonists toward the ship. On a signal from Bartek, once they were close enough to the ship, more sailors pounced upon Warden Brogg, quickly disarming him and dragging him alongside the beached ship toward the rest of the Colonists. Brogg struggled at first and cried for help, but no one responded. After a few loud threats by the sailors, he merely gave up and began to comply with whatever orders they were giving him. Gossel turned away when it happened, as if it bothered him to betray one of his own men. Funny that it hadn't also bothered him to betray nine of his own citizens.
I had Weevil's hand in mine again and we sat there, frozen in place, while the wardens finished their business at the beach. Then Gossel turned and ordered his remaining men to walk back to the Colony.
"You gave up one of our own?" a warden grumbled as he passed Gossel. "Will you give me up next week?"
"Keep complaining, and I might!" Gossel replied. "What else can I do? It's those grubs who caused this. I warned the governor not to take River People, I told her this could happen, but she said that the punishment had to be honored."
Punishment.
I remembered then. On the day I was stuck in the vinefruit tree, Gossel and Brogg had mentioned something about a punishment. In fact, now that I thought about it, Brogg had seemed angry that I'd overheard him. Perhaps that was the reason why he decided to take me with him. Otherwise, he might've passed me by. But whose punishment had he meant?
Gossel said, "When I get back to the Colony, I'll let Governor Felling know the terms of our agreement with Dulan must change. We cannot sustain these numbers for much longer."
Another warden spoke. "The governor already left the island."
Gossel's tone sharpened. "Why wasn't I informed?"
A cough, then the other warden said, "There was no time, sir. As soon as the waters calmed, she wanted to return to Keldan. She wants everyone in the Colony turned over to Dulan, and she'll start with a fresh group, and stricter rules."
My eyes narrowed and beside me, Weevil grunted with anger. Gossel asked, "What rules?"
"I don't know. She only said it was something that would keep her cemented in power for life. She's giving a speech tonight in Windywood."
I knew that town well. They hated my singing more than most of the surrounding villages, so I earned a lot of money there.
Gossel added something under his breath at that point. Hoping to hear it, Weevil stepped forward, but his foot slipped in some mud and he flailed for his balance. I grabbed his arm and held him steady.
"What was that?" a warden asked. "Those footsteps we saw earlier. It must be the grubs."
We held our breath while Gossel took a step into the dense underbrush. Then from the ship, Bartek called, "If you Keldanians don't have anywhere better to go, maybe you should join our crew too."
Gossel jerked back so fast, I doubted he even realized he'd dropped his hat. "What if it was them?" he grumbled. "We have enough problems waiting for us at the Colony. Let the grubs cause trouble here for once. Let's go."