Page 30 of Mardon

“What’s the matter? Do you need me to carry you down on my back so you don’t fall?” he asked sarcastically.

“Cut the crap. I’m trying to tell you something. That’s why I came up here to talk to you. I didn’t want anyone else to hear.”

“Oh,” said Aaron, getting back into the crowded basket. “It must be important if you actually climbed the rigging to tell me.”

“It is important. The reason I don’t think we should board the French ship is because I’m not sure it isn’t a trap.”

“What do you mean?”

“Sister Emmaline isn’t who she pretends to be.”

“Really? Who is she?”

“Have you taken a good look at her face?”

“Nay, not really. She’s always looking at the ground and is very covered up. Why?”

“If you had looked at her face and if you had seen her silvery-blond hair under that damned wimple, you would have realized she is the woman in the painting.”

“Painting? What painting?” Aaron’s confused look suddenly changed to one of shock. His mouth opened wide. “The whore from the painting is now a nun?”

“Aye. Nay. Well, not yet. I mean, she’s only pretending to be.”

“Why?”

“I still haven’t quite figured that out yet.”

“What does this have to do with that French ship?”

“She was married to a Frenchman, remember? The one I killed?”

“Oh, that’s right. So you think they’re coming for revenge? We can fight them off without a problem.”

“Mayhap so, but I don’t want to encounter them until I find out more of why Emmaline joined our little mission.”

“It is odd that a nun wants to help us steal a treasure.”

“She’s not a nun I tell you.” Mardon sighed and looked out at the sea. “With her lust and the way she kisses, she’ll never be one.”

“Oh, you kissed her again. I see.” Aaron chuckled. “How was it? Kissing a nun, I mean?”

“Stop reminding me, because I’m trying to forget.”

“That bad, huh?”

“That good. I’m trying to forget the part that she is also trying to kill me. I have a suspicion that she is also the one who stole the ring and hid the bottle of poison in the stairs.”

“I don’t understand. Why would she want to kill you?”

“I don’t know that she really does, but neither do I know if she’s got an accomplice on this ship. After what happened with Noll and Wybert, I don’t want to take a chance. That’s why inviting more problems by going after that French ship might not be a wise move right now.”

“I agree,” said Aaron. “I think we should avoid it, and continue on to Canterbury.”

“Right.” Mardon nodded, realizing now that he was here, he also had to climb back down. His arm and leg ached just thinking about it. “I don’t know why you like climbing the rigging and being in this basket so much.”

Aaron chuckled at him. “Mayhap if you slept up here once in a while the way I do, you’d get used to it.”

“Hopefully, I won’t live that long.” He lifted his leg over the side of the basket, anxious to get back down to the helm where he belonged.