“Ahoy there!” Jakob looked up. A man stood on an arrow-shaped platform at the prow of the galley, leaning out to wave wildly, as if trying to catch a friend’s attention in a public square. He had a soft, round face, a lot of flashing jewellery including a dangling diamond earring, and a floppy shock of curly golden hair. “I can only apologise for the whole ramming thing, but I find negotiations run smoothest following a strong statement of intent, don’t you?” He placed a limp hand on the front of a scarlet jacket heavy with gilded honours. “I am Duke Constans, et cetera, et cetera, and so on,
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