175 Boatman or Businessman?

"I would be happy to provide passage," Polymedes gulped. "My boat is always available."

Devrim narrowed his gaze. "Do you perchance know how the eagle carries passengers across the lake?"

The faun nodded slowly. "I do, actually. But she is busy with her hatchlings today. I cannot call her just now."

"Polymedes!" Phoca was angry. She did not know that he was the source of the carrier eagles. Their interactions had always been at the dock.

"I am sorry, my lady," Polymedes apologized. "But I do have many businesses. A faun has got to eat."

"Then we must go by boat: is that what you are saying?" Devrim asked for clarification.

"It is, good sir, but I promise my boats never sink. You will be quite safe," the faun swore with his hand in the air.

"I know we will be, because you are coming with us," Devrim gave a mischievous grin. The faun's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"N-no. I must watch the dock in case I have other customers in need of passage." Polymedes took several steps away, his legs bending backwards compared to the humans.

The Emperor quickly closed the gap between them. He placed his hand loosely on his sword. "You will take us, and you will not warn the gnomes that we are coming. You will not double-cross us because if you do, Junayd here will take you down personally."

The faun's eyes flicked to Junayd. His scowl made it quite clear that the man was not someone to mess with.

"And the ladies and I will sink your boats and destroy your dock," Phoca added.

Being bodily threatened was one thing, but the Selkie had hit Polymedes where it really hurt: his profit. "You may have full confidence, ladies and gentlefolk, that I will help you in any way I can. Believe it or not, I like you all and bear you no ill will. There will be no need to sink my boats." He gave Phoca a dirty look. "And if this ends up hurting Cafer, as I suspect it may, then I am happy for it."

"No one mentioned Cafer," Devrim narrowed his gaze.

"And now no one needs to." The faun winked, his cheery attitude quickly returning.

"I thought you did not take sides," Gandr pointed out.

Shrugging, the faun raised his eyebrows. "That gnome-that-shall-not-be-named brought a filthy little devil to my home. He deserves what he gets. I am only sad I will not be there to witness it myself."

"You have seen him recently—the gnome, I mean?" Devrim's voice betrayed his excitement. "Was a boy with him?"

"Yes, yes, and before you ask the human boy looked perfectly healthy." Polymedes would speak no more on the matter. "Now onto more important business. My fee..."

Devrim held up his hand. "I will pay you the same as last time, though I think you should not charge me at all. My last trip nearly ended fatally."

Polymedes wanted to argue about the cost of goods going up, but he could see that it was no use. "The horses cannot ride in the boat," he stated flatly.

"And they will not be," the Emperor confirmed.

The faun sighed. Business dealings or not, he knew that he was cornered. "Very well, the sooner we are off, the sooner I shall be rid of all of you."

The group packed up the things so that the pair would have supplies until Junayd could join them. Then Devrim, Gandr and Polymedes climbed from the dock and into the boat.

"We will take turns rowing," Devrim informed them.

"I do not row," the faun responded haughtily. Gandr pulled a knife from his belt and waved it carelessly in the air. "But today I will make an exception." Polymedes quickly took to the rowing bench.

"Glad we have that figured out," Gandr grinned. His smile quickly faded as they pushed off from the dock. Only some floating wood now stood between the gnome and drowning. He did not know how to swim and with his rocky interior, he was not even sure that he could. "You sure this boat will hold us up?" Gandr asked as they began to glide.

Nodding, Polymedes gave a reassuring grin. "It has not sunk yet, but then again I have never had a gnome riding in it."

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With the fresh rowers and the Selkies' help, the little boat made good time. The ladies helped the boat much further than they intended, and at last they needed to go. "We will check on Junayd before we head back to our rocks," Phoca promised.

"Thank you." Devrim smiled. "Goodbye!"

"We will be seeing you, Boatman," Phoca growled. There was a threat in her voice that made even her allies shiver.

"Yes, ma'am," the faun replied cheerily. "I hope to see you very soon." The Selkies departed and for a while the only sound was the quiet dipping of the oars in the water.

"Can you not make the boat move for us?" The Emperor asked between strokes. It was almost the end of his time and his arms were burning.

Polymedes shook his head. "I can only make it return to the dock on its own, which would be counterproductive just now. I think it is my turn." The two switched places and continued.

Just then the sky began to blacken. The blood in Devrim's veins froze. He knew what brought on the unnatural night, and the Emperor had really hoped to avoid it. Through the air came the haunting song. Devrim and Gandr plugged their ears, but strangely the faun just kept on rowing. Lights shone in the water and circled the watercraft as the song swelled to its climax. Finally a slim mermaid, with her shining tail and mesmerizing gold-rimmed eyes, peeked over the side of the boat.

She smiled briefly at them, but her eyes held daggers in them. "Did you not like our song?" she pouted.

"I am sorry Darya," Polymedes interrupted. "But there will be no fear today."

The mermaid snapped her head toward the faun. Her eyes, which had begun to glow, faded and looked almost sad. "We have a deal," she reminded the boatman.

The faun nodded, "I know, and I will make it up to you."

"Wait, you have a deal with the merfolk too?" the Emperor could not fathom the depth of Polymede's greed.

"It is only business," the faun responded casually.

"They nearly killed me!" Devrim looked at the merfolk who were all staring as they bobbed in the water like apples.

"And yet here you are. I can feel that you are angry. We have certainly met before." Darya gave a bright smile which showed her sharp teeth. She and the human were connected, so she had used magic on him at least once. "How do you plan to make it up to us?" the mermaid crossed her arms and stared at the faun. It was clear that they were not off the hook just yet.

Polymedes shifted awkwardly. "Well, I, uh..." he stammered.

"I know!" the Emperor announced. Devrim remembered his plan. He beckoned Darya near and began to whisper in her ear so that the faun could not hear. Darya's neutral expression changed from confused to amazed to amused all within the span of a minute.

"Are you sure you can do this?" the mermaid asked when Devrim finished.

"If you are willing, I will send word to direct you when the time comes," the grey-eyed man assured her.

Darya giggled and the other merfolk joined her. "You should have this man for a business partner, Polymedes. He can be quite persuasive."

With that, the merfolk created a current and quickly drove the boat to its destination. The faun wondered what the man had promised to get such positive results. As a businessman, Polymedes always wanted new trade secrets.