Greeting the sunrise, the Attis Beauty slowly returned to harbor, and Noa, who hadn't slept all night, stood at the ship's side with a mournful look on her face.
Lorraine walked over and stood with her hands behind her back toward her, and Noa leaned her head over and rested on Lorraine's arm.
She was very petite, even her stature was very un-Romean, and at five-foot-five or so she couldn't even reach Lorraine's shoulder, but could only lean on her arm.
Lorraine reached out and wrapped her in a hug so she could lean back more comfortably.
"Regret?"
"They're my people, Uncle Sam who secretly hid cheese for me when I was a kid, and Grandma Pida who always gave me shortbread. And then there's little Elren, who always said he wanted to be my exclusive musician, but I was too afraid to dance in a crowded place, and that's why he still hasn't played his guitar in the square ..."
Noa whispered, trying to hide her head, her voice becoming jarred and audible, but her joy and anger were missing.
"They're about to wander ..." she said, "Roma love to wander and they're afraid of wandering, and when we go to a new place, people will always treat us as witches, as thieves, as robbers, and we'll die ..."
Lorraine was speechless and knew that Noa didn't need him to talk.
Noya continued, "Captain, don't lie to Viscount Alfonso, will you ... Cousins tried to kill me, but Uncle Sam, Grandma Pieda, and Little Ellen, they never wanted to hurt me ... I was able to escape, and it was the Little Ellen reported it, Uncle Sam told him ..."
"We would not have cheated the Viscount. Honesty is the root of business, and once there is deception, business will not last."
"Really?" Noa's eyes lit up.
Lorraine laughed and rubbed her head, and White Ears chimed in to let Lorraine rub her little head together.
Lorraine teased the rounded chin of her white ears and said softly, "Noa, you must not question your captain in the future. Honesty is fundamental to navigation, and once there is deception, a sea vessel will be turned away from Nooton."
"Nootone is?"
"The grave of all seagoing ships, the heaven of all sailors." Lorraine pointed to her heart, "But she's not in heaven, she's here and wherever pansies bloom."
...
The ship docked, and the great plan of establishing a friendship with Viscount Alfonso was set in motion.
Noya returned to the Ministry of Romsala and waited as a witch for the Viscountess to beckon.
It's only temporary.
After the divination was over she would return to the ship, for it could not be done to banish the three cousins, and she could banish ... no more than herself.
There was no way Lorraine was going to leave her crew in harm's way, and in addition to making Hina work harder to protect her, she also forced her three cousins to swear a poisoned oath to the fate crystal ball.
Ridiculous and useful trick.
The Roma can believe in all the gods, but at heart they are atheists, and the only thing in the world they believe in is fate, and listen to it through crystal balls and tarot cards.
It's a lot like Lorraine.
Twice-born, he was also an atheist at heart, believing in Niord, one as a habit gifted to him by young Lorraine, the other as a remembrance of Helena.
Luckily, the roots of the ancestor's beliefs were basically remembrance, otherwise Lorraine didn't even know if she was considered a whaler, much less if she could inspire the power in her bloodline.
Everything was conducted in an organized manner.
Three days later, Noa sent word that Viscount Alfonso had returned. They would seek an audience with the Viscount and Viscountess at ten o'clock tomorrow to agree on the final details of the divination for the day after tomorrow.
Lorraine, who had gotten the news, smiled faintly, told Pierce to get his gown and the invincible cloisonné ready, finished his sailing journal early, turned out the lights, and settled down to sleep.
At nine o'clock the next morning, Lorraine and Pierce, in full dress, arrived early at the door of Viscount Alfonso's house, and, by virtue of the cloisonné opening, waited only half an hour to be received by the viscount.
The Viscount sat under a parasol in the grass, wearing only a vest and shirt, neither a tuxedo nor a wig.
The first thing he said when he saw Lorraine was, "Fine Oriental china has been exchanged for you for fifteen minutes, gentlemen, and you may speak freely before the time is up."
Lorraine wasted the fifteen minutes she had gotten in exchange for three hundred pounds without hesitation.
He would not have been able to convince Viscount Alfonso.
A black merchant, a family outcast, and an Englishman, Lorraine fits perfectly into the Spanish gentleman's mind as all that can be run and no favorites.
These conditions helped Lorraine for a moment, so much so that he spoke for fifteen minutes without Viscount Alfonso's eyes leaving the cloisonné teacup in his hand for even a second.
When Lorraine had finished at a pinch, Viscount Alfonso set down his teacup cherubically and smiled faintly.
"Mr. Eloquent England, I admit, you almost convinced me." He closed the lid and absentmindedly played with the ring on his hand, "Thirty percent of the profits ... of the Port of Belmeo is tempting. Later, as you grow, it can be upgraded to thirty percent of the profits of the Greater Basque Country, even with the future in mind."
"Unfortunately ..." he shook his head regretfully, "I am a nobleman. It is the interests of the Duke of Victoria that need to be considered first and foremost before the interests of the family are taken into account, the interests of His Majesty, the honorable King of Madrid."
"As you should see, Belle Mayo is an official harbor that accepts black merchants. We operate on the model of a black port and create a comfortable environment for black merchants, but we are not a black port, and I am not a landlord who relies on illegal profits to make a decent living. So ..."
Speaking of which, the butler came up and leaned over to Viscount Alfonso and whispered a few words in his ear.
The Basque dialect was obscure, but Lorraine could guess the content, which was nothing more than Noa had come.
Sure enough, after the butler finished speaking, the viscount smiled, stood up, and extended his hand to Lorraine.
"Fine Oriental china and Mr. England who is a good listener. You have given me a bright early afternoon and I wish you a happy day. However, there comes a time when even the most pleasant meetings come to an end ... now is the time."
Lorraine also stood up, smiled and shook Viscount Alfonso's hand in goodbye, watching him walk towards the mansion without the slightest intention of leaving.
The Viscount walked away for a moment and looked back disgruntled, "Mr. England, do you intend to ruin this rare and precious first meeting?"
"No, sir." Lorraine stood under the umbrella in shallow arrears, "I have one more word of farewell to say, and when I have finished, I will naturally leave."
"Oh?"
"Carmen. Xavier."
"What!"
"Carmen. Miss Xavier." Lorraine nodded to Viscount Alfonso, "I don't know if I've called the beautiful lady by the wrong name, as you know, the Spanish pronunciation is a bit awkward for an Englishman, so I can apologize if I've accidentally caused you any distress."
Viscount Alfonso narrowed his eyes, "Surprising Mr. England, it seems you are well prepared."
"As a fledgling young businessman, the only way to make up for it is to put in the hard work."
Both laughed at the same time.
The butler, who had waited a moment to find Mr. Alfonso talkative again, leaned over with difficulty, "My lord, Madame's guest ..."
Viscount Alfonso changed his face violently, and his face was as fierce as a man-eater: "Let those lowly, filthy Flamencos wait! Can't you see I'm entertaining guests? Get out!"