It was dusk when the Bevrijder docked in Yarmouth, but there was much to do before she was ready to rest in the bay, so it was already dark outside when their boots hit the cobblestone streets of the port town. Captain Emerens remained behind, shut-in as he was, and his quartermaster tread quietly behind the men as they made their way into the streets. They numbered perhaps thirty or so there, but every time they docked they gained some men and they lost some. This time, Emile worried that they would lose more than they could make up for. The Bevrijder had taken some serious damage and it would be expensive to fix. When that happened, it came out of everybody's cut. To make matters worse, they had been nearly run down by the British Navy. They were carrying cargo that was known to be stolen, so they would have to go to other, less reliable markets to sell it which would require more time than a normal negotiation. That was why they had docked in Yarmouth, though.<br/><br/>Emile had been stationed in the British Isles two years ago for nearly a decade, during which time he had made many useful contacts. The man they were going to see would hopefully be able to help them unload some of the cargo, but they'd be taking a much smaller cut using him as a middleman. What was more, he wasn't expecting the company. Emile had chosen a few of the more loyal crew-mates to accompany him on that particular mission, hoping that if he could at least get something in the works then he could keep his men on the hook a while longer. This group included a lanky, Franco-Russian man who simply went by "Ivan". He was the only other crew member who spoke the Captain's native Dutch and would speak nothing else, though it seemed he understood other languages. Another member was an Italian woman who would not have been described as feminine named Allegra. She had a good half a foot on Emile and twice the muscle, and a square cut jaw that would fill a man with more envy than lust. Then there were Duncan, the Scotsman, and Niall, the Irishman. The two were always boisterous, laughing together or fighting. Still, they called the Bevrijder their home and they were good friends to Emile and the captain, who had nicknamed them the "twins".<br/><br/>Most of the crew dispersed after they entered town. Emile led his party onto the main thoroughfare and hailed a carriage. The five of them squeezed in, Emile in the middle with the Ivan on his left and Allegra on his right. Duncan and Niall sat across from them and were already chatting it up.<br/><br/>"Ey Niall," Duncan said, "why wasn't Jesus born in England?"<br/><br/>"Oh God, not this again." Niall said, but he was already chuckling with a big grin.<br/><br/>"But why, Niall?"<br/><br/>"Go on, tell me." Niall replied, shaking his head.<br/><br/>"Because God couldn't find three wise men, or a virgin!" Duncan laughed so hard he could barely finish the punchline. Niall shook his head and punched Duncan in the arm. Emile smiled and Allegra shook her head. Ivan was staring out the window, making far too much eye contact with strangers.<br/><br/>It was a long ride, but they soon arrived at the front door of Sir Albright's establishment. It was a bar, not quite upscale but certainly not bottom-of-the-rung. It looked like it was as busy as ever; there was a lot of noise coming from inside of the building. Emile led them through the front doors, and the scene within was even more exciting than he had anticipated. There was a buffet table, which the twins immediately broke for. Ivan sat at a table near the door and just watched the room. Allegra followed Emile as he waded through people and around furniture. There were chaise lounges and sofas where men and women had gathered to drink and consume opium. It would have been nice to join them if he was not on business, Emile thought. When he had lived in England before, his status would not have permitted it.<br/><br/>Finally he spotted Sir Albright and his madame seated at the bar. The two were engaged in conversation with another man, and Emile approached slowly. He caught the man's attention and his eyes popped with surprise, drawing him out of his conversation.<br/><br/>"Well if it isn't my old partner in crime." He said, leaning back with his elbows on the counter and his hands folded across his chest. "Sir Nicolas, it's been years. Please, regale me with tales of your exploits."<br/><br/>"Nothing too terribly exciting, I fear." Emile said, shaking the other man's hand. It was apparent that he had been drinking quite a bit. "Actually, I'm in a bit of a bind. I think you could help me out, and you could stand to profit from it."<br/><br/>"Well come, sit, tell me all about it. You and your...?" He gestured with perplexity at Allegra, who did not move to correct him. "Well anyway, you make yourself comfortable."<br/><br/>Emile sat at the bar and Sir Albright ordered them a round of drinks. Emile sipped his rum slowly. It was necessary to keep his wits about him while trying to negotiate.<br/><br/>"Thank you for hearing me out, old friend." Emile raised his flagon to the older merchant. "So let me be brief and spare your precious time. It seems I have come into some property that I cannot sell by normal means for certain reasons I cannot explain here; I'm certain you know the nature of the issue. I need a distributor who can find the right market for me. I'm willing to cut you thirty percent, if you find that agreeable."<br/><br/>"I see, I see." The older man said. He turned his head toward the bar and in a gesture that startled Emile, he knocked back his glass. He turned back to Emile, who was still wearing a stunned expression. His movements were loose and wild and he slurred in his speech. "I'm really sorry to tell you this, but it appears that I am under investigation for conducting similar transactions--of a purely legal nature, mind you, but the fact of the matter is that I cannot afford to take any more risks. I'm terribly sorry, truly I am."<br/><br/>The older man put a hand on Emile's shoulder to convey his sympathy, but then he reeled and scared Emile up onto his feet. Albright didn't vomit, but he seemed about to at any moment.<br/><br/>"It's fine, really." Emile replied, holding him up while his wife took his arm, "You should go lie down."<br/><br/>The older man nodded slightly and waved his hand about dismissively.<br/><br/>"Enjoy the party." He said as his wife led him off.<br/><br/>"Shit." Emile said, leaning back against the bar. Allegra was frowning too. They were going to need to think of something else.