The hunter stooped out of sight again and then brought up a gear bag from the boat. “Because from where I’m standing, man, if you decide to be greedy, I think you just die.” He opened the gear bag, dug through it, and smiled, immensely pleased. “I’m sure this was Greft’s boat now. Look at this. Knife and whet-stone, all bundled nicely together. Could be a bigger tool, but it will still get the job done.” As he spoke, he took out both items and began to lay the knife against the stone in slow, leisurely licks, as if they both had all the time in the world.
Sedric stood very still. What was the man asking of him? Was the gleaming blade a threat? What did he mean, “you’ve got plenty”? Was he making a sexual proposition? He’d shown nothing but disdain for Sedric before this. But Jess would not be the first man he’d encountered who publicly despised him and privately desired him. He took a breath. He was hungry and thirsty and the dragon’s nagging anxiety scraped at his nerves and begged his attention. What was he willing to give Jess to ensure his survival? What would he give him to get him to help with Relpda?
Anything he wanted.
The thought chilled him, but he accepted it. “Just say what you want,” he said brusquely, the words tumbling out more abruptly than he intended.
Jess stopped whetting the knife and stared at him. Sedric drew himself up tall and crossed his arms on his chest. He met his gaze levelly. Jess cocked his head at him, and then brayed out a coarse laugh. “Not that. No. Not interested one bit in that. Are you stupid or stubborn?”
He waited for Sedric to respond. When he didn’t, Jess shook his head, his smile growing colder. He reached into his shirt, drew out a pouch, and opened it. As he tugged at the strings, he said, “Leftrin was stupid to think I was a fool. I know what happened. He saw a chance for money, and he thought that if he brought in his own people, he could make his deal direct and keep more of the split for himself. Well, I don’t work that way. No one cuts out Jess Torkef.” From the pouch, he took something the size of his palm. It was scarlet and ruby. He held it up between his thumb and forefinger and turned it to catch the light. It flashed in the sunlight. “Look familiar?” he asked Sedric mockingly and then laughed as first disbelief and then fury flushed Sedric’s face.