Thoroughly confused Dibbets incredulously states "Yeh what now? Tha bastard were a birdy? What tha fecks he want wi' Hinsin then?"
"Now that, I'm not so sure of. I know he's had naught good to say about 'Handsome' since I got the hat, and even before. Mayhap he saw a chance to get a rival out of the way? He wanted to be First, after all. Now, though, best be checking on the treasure--make sure he hasn't walked off with anything."
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Kaul's lantern jaw hangs like a tavern sign in the wind as Jimmer reveals the duplicity;
"The Grackle!? That fecker o' a pecker! Stone the crows..."
The thugs surprise is quickly replaced with a scarred scowl;
"Hur... What's he want with us? Thought we was on parley terms with that damn bird.."
Dingus rolls his eyes at the revelation.
"We need to start just killing everyone we run across so they don't keep coming back to bother us".
Kaul mugs a mako grin at Dingus' suggestion;
"Hur. No argument from me matey. Gunboat diplomacy!"
At the mention of treasure, the Groom's eyes subtly shift back and forth as if to see what he might have overlooked.
"Aye, we didn't end up crossing blades with him last time. That almost makes him a friend for this group. But that also don't mean I trust him."
The crew finds nothing else amiss on the dry docked ship.
"I'll grant that we were thinking to turn him in for the reward...five hundred sails, as I recall...but he might have had some thoughts about cheating us as well. Groom, you and Kaul want to go ashore--see if you can find Hinsin? He's a fool and a popinjay, so if you find him I'd be more than pleased if he happened to choose another ship to sail on, hey? At the moment, though, he's a loose end, and I'm not overfond of those."
"Popinjay. Hinson. Sounds like visits to the brothels and bars. Beats scrubbing barnacles. the Groom turns to Kaul and his axe. "Come along and look useful about those loose ends...and bring your hook-handed friend."
Belinna looks excited. "Brothel... That's it! A couple of us started the night at the Birdhouse. They've got great mixed drinks. I favor the Cuckoo's Cup. Anyway, Jim Stork showed up later and was friendlier than usual with Hinsin. They took off shortly thereafter, but I do recall Stork telling Hinsin that he knew an exclusive brothel just outside of town on some little grotto or bay."
Kaul nods dutifully, rubbing his still wounded leg absent-mindedly;
"Hur... Will do Skipper."
He mulls the coming action with The Groom, then leans into his Captain with a quizzical look;
"Hur... When you say "choose another ship" yer meaning a rowboat tae the Boneyard right?"
The thug flashes a belligerent leer, hoping his inclination for coming violence is correct.
Dibbs bristles a bit at Jim's cold dismissiveness of Hinsin, but doesn't raise voice to it. Instead he shakes his head and grumbles "Feckin domestic issues..." running back over the Grackles' somewhat eventful cohabitation with themselves... mostly the tete a tete where the bird had guano on his digits.
"Brothel seems likely fer Hinsin, an iffin Storky pulled em out it's either they gots intae trouble togetherlike, or..." letting his mates fill in the gaps on the last pregnant chad of a statement.
"No, mate. He was fine in the position we found him in, and mayhap he'll get himself a better berth. I've got nothing against him.
"Just outside of town...say, I'm thinking I know where he might have ended up. Wasn't the Siren interested in men like him? And he's even a bard. Yes, I think our Hinsin may have found that better berth, hey?"
Kaul looks a little crestfallen at the belaying of potential bloodshed.
"Hur. So we leave 'im to the Siren? Or do ye want Kauly to send 'er a message that our crew ain't for pickins?"
"Have tae see to it regardless... Siren dinnae take em willin... an ye dinnae want tae be a Cap'n that's feckin happy tae jus let 'is first mate get shaved off ye."
"Good point, mate. I'll go with you two--see if we can't pry something loose."
"You go ahead, Captain. I can handle things here. I'm sure Cobb has plenty to keep us busy and out of trouble," Belinna says.
Kaul nods, then shakes his head, then nods again as he listens to Dibbs, then Jimmer;
"Right. So nay tae loppin' the bird. Aye tae loppin' The Siren. Nay tae loppin Hinsin? Aye?"
"You have the right of it, Bos'n, with one small addition, and I think you know the one I'm thinking of."
"Less Belinna knows the name o' that brothel I reckons we needs tae put nose to ground at tha Birdhouse and rustle some of the skirts looking for a steer." grunting as he forces his stunty legs to begin propelling his weathered torso town-wards. He grimaces and squints eyes at the vista ahead of them... wondering exactly what outhouse he'll half drown in for the day's festivities.
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"By the sounds of things, it is both your mates are adrift, despite how you feel about one. Aye, let's rattle the Birdhouse and move on from there."
For a small settlement, Plumetown has a disproportionate number of taverns, hostels, gambling houses and several brothels to entertain those waiting consultation with the Seers of Mount Keeba. Lili's Massage Parlor is a popular brothel as is the Lava Room and the Blue Plume, but each of those are within the small town's limits. As for nearby inlets, the only one he knows is Aegis Bay where once you tangled with the many-limbed Motley Man, the Siren's living statues and a raft of undeath.
the Groom continues once they are on their way and away from the rest of the crew. "But if the trail leads out of town, there are no brothels, exclusive or otherwise, outside of town. Kinda defeats the purpose, having a bunch of drunken sailors tripping through the jungle looking for your place. But what IS out of town is the small isolated inlet where we fought the Motley Man and his stitched raft of corpses and made off with the Siren's payoff after smashing her statue-bearers. She seems the kind to bear a grudge."
Kaul shrugs his no-neck;
"Makes sense tae check in the inlet then sweep back an' shake up the knockin' shops? Hur."
Dibbs shrugs "I'll foller yer lead Groomy - iffin ye wants tae check tha bay first I see no 'arm tae it"
"I am ready. I'm happy the band is back together...this just feels right".
The longtime mates make their way through the quiet town where most sleep late with not much to do other than wait to be summoned by a bird-masked Caretaker. At the farside of town they find the familiar road which cuts through the jungle before turning back toward the coast. It is a bit of a hike, but well before noon the vegetation clears and the path ends at a white marble mansion above a rocky black beach.
To the Groom "Any sign o' steps onna dirt Groomy?"
Crossbow in hand, the Groom scans the road and its margins to see if two wayward sailors came this way.
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The wet loam at the edge of the jungle and loose black gravel path both prove easy surfaces for the Groom's trained eye to read. The path doesn't show much use, but there has been recent activity. In fact, he sees that two sets of boots came this way last night. One dragging his steps slightly as if he were moderately drunk. The tracks lead to the marble villa.
The Groom straightens up and points at the front doors. "One of thems was overly drunk. They walked in the front door like they were invited. Somehow I get sense we are the ones really being invited. "
Kaul leers and pats his axe handle;
"Hur. Want me tae climb up top? Have a looksee like? Or just break our way in..."
"I'm liking this not much, mates. As you say, the Siren seems one to bear grudges. I can't see why; we only took the money and the statue she'd crafted, then set things up so that she and Yacoobe would blame each other for the loss. How much money did we get out of that? I've forgotten." He shrugs. "Ah, well. Perhaps she'll be in a forgiving mood, hey? Let's just go in the front door like we're civilized folk."
He stops. "Ah, one more thing. If she's aught like the creatures we fought at the Aerie, her song will addle our brains. Kaul, you and me need to plug our ears with something." The Taldan cuts a couple of pieces off of the hem of his shirt, rolls them up, and puts them in his ears.
Kaul spits and grumbles and stuffs his own battered ears with damp rag from Jimmer's shirt;
"Feck her mood. I say lop 'er... eh Lopper?"
The thug then looks quizzically at his axe, pulling it close to his clogged ear;
the Groom turns to Dibbits and Dingus, "Should I tell them I got magics for that?"
When they approach the front door, the Groom will lay a wet hand upon their heads and cast Protection form Evil on each. "Is this what you have been up to while I was gone?"
The white marble gleams brightly in contrast to the black volcanic stone around it giving the Siren's villa a somewhat classical look. It is quite massive and blocky though. It looks to be two-stories high and featureless on the sides and back. There aren't even any windows. The roof is a mansard style with red ceramic tiles. The front however, although a flat, windowless expanse bar the great double doors, is covered in intricate carvings of coast and jungle. Every leaf and wave and cloud magnificently shaped from the dazzling marble. The longer one looks though, the more one feels a bit unsettled as fierce tigers and snakes and sharks are spotted amongst the stone leaves and coral. All the hidden animals seem to stare at the viewer with predatory hunger.
Contented with the display, Dibbets just winks and shakes his head at the Groom's query. He quickly turns from playful to business like as they approach though, taking comfort in calling on his Skylord's indifference to cloak him in a turgid layer of restless and solid air. At the sight of the marble and hidden animals within he grows more dour "Wi' our luck that feckin things goan try an eat us afore we gets too far... 'alf a mind tae let Kauly lop the details out afore we try an goes beneath it like."
"True, that. She did have a way with animating statues, as I remember."
"Dingus, any magic about? Besides ours, of course."
Kaul looks to the others, Lopper at the ready;
"Want me tae hack at them lot?"
The thug eyes the animal filled relief with a baleful stare.
Shaking his head but keeping his eyes on the awning "Nei yet... but keep an eye onnem." Dibbs begins the laborious task of moving up towards the door to establish if it's locked up or open to the public.
The great metal bound doors have woodpecker knockers and stylized swan handles to open them. They are locked.
Over his shoulder as he eyes the 'pecker knockers... heh... peckers... Dibbs calls "We usin Kauly's lockpick or Dingus one?"
"Let me know... but remember the ole Monkey claw only lets me use it once a day. Did we decide not to knock?
Kaul grunts a laugh;
"Hur. Ol' Lopps can get used a stack o' times a day!"
He looks to the others with axe raised...
"Not now, Kaul. Figure we go in friendly...after a fashion...and then cut our way out if need be. Any windows we might climb through?"
It is quite massive and blocky though. It looks to be two-stories high and featureless on the sides and back. There aren't even any windows. The roof is a mansard style with red ceramic tiles. The front however, although a flat, windowless expanse bar the great double doors, is covered in intricate carvings of coast and jungle.
"I think we knock, Knock, or Lop. Dingus' way has an element of surprise if we don't want to parley."