Huge Ajax's Arc

Chapter 232 of 619

In the morning Ajax called the crew to the hall. Grayson took the seat at his right. Chalam sat with the rod wrapped in cloth beside his cup. Marco, Asher, Rowan, Bran, and Elara took the long bench. Tucker leaned in the doorway with his thumbs in his belt. "We need rules," Ajax said. "The shelf qis a house now. A house needs a shape." Grayson set his hands flat on the wood. "How many sworn." "Twelve," Ajax said. "Plus me. Thirteen at the table when it's full." Tucker whistled once. "That's five more chairs to fill." "Five more men," Ajax said. "Sworn to the gate the way you are. Not hired. Not port men on wage. Sworn." "Where do they come from," Grayson said. It was not a question. "Marco reads every one at the gate. Chalam checks for marks. No one crosses the ward line until they clear both." Chalam nodded once. Marco set his palm on the table. "Agreed." Ajax went on. "The gate stays shut after dark. Two on the wall through the night. No man leaves the shelf without Grayson knowing. No man brings a stranger past the pine without me knowing." He continued, “Ten percent of all loot goes into the vault for Black Oak. The rest is evenly divided.” Grayson took each rule and set it down like a stone. He asked about wages and about who commanded when Ajax rode out. Ajax answered each one. Bran wrote the answers on a slate Chalam pushed to him. "Front gate," Grayson said. "Cody and his men aren't fighters. Bran can't stand there and cut stone both." "Two men," Ajax said. "Just for the gate. Fit. Willing to swing when told." Tucker straightened off the frame. "I know the port. I know who drinks quiet and who drinks loud. Send me down. I'll come back with two you can use." Ajax looked at him. Tucker had brought Rell in clean. He had brought the mason in clean. He had brought Bran in cleanest of all. "Go at first light," Ajax said. "Take Marco with you. Two men. Not port trash. Men who can fight if needed. Men who can hold a gate and take an order." "Done," Tucker said. He touched the flat gold at his chest. "Give me three days." "Two," Grayson said. Tucker smiled under the mustache. "Two." Ajax turned back to the table. He said the rest of it plain. Twelve sworn. One lieutenant at the gate. One healer in the hall. One wizard at the vault. The rest on the wall or the road. He said it once and did not say it again. No man argued. Grayson stood and closed the slate. "Rules stand." Tucker and Marco rode out before dawn. Ajax watched the gate shut behind them and felt the shape of the house settle. Twelve chairs, five still empty. Two of them would come back with Tucker and Marco by dusk on the second day.