“Definitely,” I said. “Get me some supper. I prefer to eat alone.”
His face twisted. “I’m not a servant.”
“Of course you are. Why do they give you shoes for their errands but not clothing for your freedom?”
He hunched down again. “Well, I’m not your servant.”
“None of my usual servants are here. You’ll have to do.”
“You might run away.”
“I’m starving,” I protested. “If I’m going to run, it’ll be after supper. Now go on.”
He wasn’t happy about it, but he obeyed and returned a few minutes later with a bowl of stew for each of us.
“Did you spit in mine?” I asked.
He looked offended. “No.”
“It’s what I would’ve done if you had spoken that way to me.”
He smiled sheepishly. “Well, maybe I did a little.”
I hid my own smile as I traded our bowls.
Fink was quiet for a moment as we ate, then said, “Do you think the men around here only consider me a servant boy?”
“Yes.”
“What if I came with you and Erick tomorrow?”
I shook my head. “If you can’t make it with the thieves, you’d never make it as a pirate.”
Fink straightened his back. “I’d be a fine pirate. I have talents these thieves don’t even know about.”
“Yeah? What?”
“I can fake tears. Watch.”
By the time I looked up, Fink already had tears streaming down his face. “It’s just not fair,” Fink cried. Literally, he did. “Maybe I’m young, but I deserve a chance.”
“You’re pathetic,” I said, chuckling.
Instantly, Fink was smiling again. He wiped his tears with the back of his hand, leaving streak marks on his dirty face. “I once got a whole meat pie from a woman by using that trick.”
“Try that with the pirates and they’ll hang you up until you stop acting like a baby.”
“No, seriously, Sage. I don’t use it often but when I do, it works.”
“Then may your talent for spontaneous tantrums earn you great glory and honor.”
Fink knew I’d insulted him but didn’t seem to care. Instead, he stirred his spoon around his bowl as he mumbled, “Erick said when you went to Libeth you killed a man. Is that true?”
“Whatever I did, he got a lot worse than he deserved,” I said softly. In my mind, I pictured Mott’s strained expression as I left. Not being able to follow me had to be torturing him.
“I didn’t think you were capable of something like that.”
“I’m not.” And yet it was inevitable that I’d have to destroy the pirates.