Fable

Fable watches from her position aloft in the mast as West and his crew enter Dern’s tavern. She investigates the Marigold’s cargo hold because “no currency [is] more valuable in the Narrows than information” (88). She finds a hidden pouch of feldspar and steals two brass buckles. Next, she sneaks into West’s quarters. Moving aside a rug, she reveals a black wave painted on the floor. This is her father’s crest, which means that the Marigold is actually a shadow ship, a vessel that “carried out tasks that their master didn’t want to be associated with, or worse, manipulated trade at ports” (93). She suspects that the crew will inevitably run afoul of the law, jeopardizing her chances of reaching Ceros. West hired two dockhands to keep an eye on his ship, but Fable evades them by swimming to the village.

The last time that Fable visited Dern’s gambit, she was with her father’s navigator, Clove. He taught her how to pickpocket at Saint’s request, and she implements his lessons by stealing a woman’s gold bracelet. Suddenly, Willa exits the gambit and is confronted by West. Fable watches from the shadows as Willa tearfully admits that she sold her dagger. Fable feels a rush of anger and humiliation when she realizes that the two are “more than shipmates” (101). West asks Willa to trust him, and she angrily retorts that she will when he “stop[s] treating [her] like the Waterside stray [he] used to steal food for” (101). Willa apologizes for her harsh words and leaves. West sees Fable and reminds her that he would be in serious trouble if his passenger were caught stealing. He tells her that she’s no longer welcome on his ship unless she does a favor for him, in which case he’ll give her passage to Ceros and 30 copper coins.

West gives the barefoot, threadbare Fable a pair of boots and a jacket to make her look more respectable before sending her into the gambit’s shop. He also gives her his golden ring to trade for the dagger, and Fable wonders why the blade is so important. When she enters the shop and picks up the dagger, the precious stones make beautiful sounds only she can hear. The gambit tells her that the blade was made in Bastian, which is where Fable’s mother learned about gems. Fable accidentally reveals how badly she needs the dagger, and she ends up giving the gambit 30 copper coins, West’s ring, the gold bracelet, and the two brass buckles in exchange for the knife and a dredging mallet. West thanks Fable, and she tells him that she is simply fulfilling their bargain. West and Fable go to the inn, where he pays for a room and supper for her. She presses her forehead against the wall between their rooms, lamenting that out of all the vessels she could have taken, she chose a shadow ship, “likely the most dangerous place in the Narrows” (113).

The next morning, Fable joins the crew for breakfast in the tavern. Paj points out that they agreed she would stay on the ship, and West insinuates that he knows about the prank he pulled with the copper coin. Auster soothes Paj with a touch, and Fable wonders if the two have a romantic relationship. A throng of traders, including West’s crew, go to the merchant’s house. While Hamish sells the goods they brought to the village, West meets with his trade partners, A cider merchant warns the helmsman, “[D]on’t think that what you did in Sowan isn’t gettin’ round. Rumors have been pouring in the last three days” (118). The helmsman pretends he doesn’t know what the merchant is referring to, but Fable notes the tension in the crew’s posture. West withdraws to talk to a man, and Paj distracts Willa from noticing. After seeing the crew exchange small gems for various goods, Fable realizes that they are running an unlicensed gem trade behind Saint’s back, which she deems “genius. And also, enormously stupid” (122). Fable smiles proudly when a gem merchant praises the pyre she found for West, but she’s baffled when the helmsman says that he won’t be returning to Jeval. Fable notices that some of the emeralds on the merchant’s table are fakes, and the experienced gem merchant is astonished to learn that he’s been cheated. West quickly leaves the merchant’s house and tells his crew to be ready to leave Dern by nightfall. Fable is confused by this sudden change of plans and West’s anger toward her.

As the crew returns to the Marigold, they’re intercepted by Zola, the helmsman of a rival trading ship called the Luna. Willa turns pale when Zola hints at the history between her and his stryker, Crane, who has gone missing. West calls Fable into his quarters and demands to know how she spotted the fake emeralds. She realizes that she’s made herself vulnerable because the “art of a gem sage was something you were born to” (131), and there are very few people with the skill. Saint accepted Fable’s mother into his crew because she was a gem sage. West tells Fable that her ignorance and poor choices will get him and his crew killed. Even though a storm is brewing, he decides to set sail so that he can drop her off in Ceros as soon as possible. West warns Fable, “Whatever you want from [Saint], you won’t get it” (133). She reveals that she knows the Marigold is one of Saint’s shadow ships, but Hamish interrupts their conversation to announce that they’re all aboard. The crew follows West’s orders and makes ready to sail, and Fable helps them. Zola watches from the dock as the Marigold begins its voyage to Ceros.

Fable joins Willa up on the mainmast, and they converse as they watch the approaching storm. Willa warns her, “Whatever you had to do to survive [on Jeval,] it will be worse in the Narrows. Harder” (138). West, Paj, Hamish, and Auster carry a crate onto the deck, and Willa’s eyes fill with tears when she sees that Crane is inside. Using her adze, she nails the lid back on the crate, and her crew members cast him into the sea. West returns Willa’s dagger to her. She thanks him and kisses his cheek, and Fable sees “a hundred secrets” and a “hundred stories” in the look they share (141). Fable is horrified by the murder and thinks the storm will punish them for the monstrous deed.

As Fable hurries to prepare the sails for the tempestuous winds, she nearly falls from the mast. West sees her predicament and shouts something she can’t hear over the wind. When Auster is thrown overboard, Paj immediately ties a rope around his waist and dives in after him. He manages to save Auster and sobs in relief after the others haul them back onto the deck. West threatens to drop Fable off at the nearest island unless she takes cover, and he holds her face in his hands. She feels a spark between them, and then the storm buffets her below deck. Alone in the cabin, Fable remembers how her mother, Isolde, loved storms.

Hours later, the storm has passed, and Fable emerges from the waterlogged cabin. Thinking about the love between Paj and Auster, she recalls her father’s rule against revealing who matters to her. One of the ship’s anchors is stuck in a coral reef, and Fable dives down to investigate despite West’s adamant protests. She revels in the dive because she loves being a dredger, and she soon has the anchor free. Willa chuckles and says, “I can’t decide if I like you or if I think you’re stupid” (157). However, West is angry with Fable, and she thinks that it’s best if she settles her debts and leaves the Marigold soon.