My dearest Constanza,
I have recently received intelligence of a most troubling
sort. One of our frigates, on patrol south of San Felipe, spotted
a fleut which had been partially demasted in a storm. Rather than
seeking aid, the vessel attempted to flee, but was rapidly overtaken and
boarded. Much to the captain’s surprise and horror, the cargo was
nothing less than human beings – slaves to be sold, apparently, in Crescent
lands!
Upon being informed of this I made inquiries with the
unfortunates who had been kept as cargo aboard, and had the captain and
crew put to the question. The crew turned out to be the usual motley
assortment of cutthroats and port scum from all over Théah, but
the Captain of the vessel and the great majority of the slaves we freed
were from the nation of Eisen, with only a sprinkling of Vesten and Ussuran
barbarians mixed in. Additional questioning indicated that the majority
of these men and women were taken in the city of Freiburg – ambushed when
unawares, they found themselves chained in the hold of a vessel when they
awoke. It appears that they were transferred to the vessel in which
we found them while at sea, perhaps off the coast of Avalon.
Most of the crew knew little – they were certainly
not paid to ask questions in this case, and were paid quite well (I shudder
to tell you their actual earnings – were some of our own sailors to discover
the money to be made we might not be able to crew our navy!) The
Captain eventually confessed that he had met with a vessel named Der
Zierlich, which transferred the slaves into his care. He did not
know the captain personally, but described him as a friendly, easy-going
Eisen man with long blonde hair, dressed in Vendel fashion, in his mid
thirties. He also admitted that he believes that the man owns a tavern
in Freiburg, and believes he owns more than one ship as well.
Though I am not a man who enjoys death, I signed the
warrants to hang him, and his entire crew, without a second thought.
I am sure that you are as shocked as I to discover
that this despicable and unholy trade still goes on. Unfortunately,
I have few resources available to deal with this problem at the moment
– the fleet must stay home to protect our own coast, and to harass the
Montaigne. Further, I hesitate to make this information public knowledge,
for fear that the Inquisition would use it as the excuse they have long
awaited to place Inquisitors aboard our ships on the pretext of “examining
the problem firsthand” or some such nonsense. I have arranged for
you and the Maris Stella to patrol the Trade Sea as far as Freiburg.
This mission is real, and is of great importance to Castille, though I
fear that you will make little enough from it, as there are few friendly
ports in the area to which you may take your prizes. But it is also
important that, if possible, you track down the Legion-spawned monsters
who would treat their fellow men as so much cargo to be bought and sold,
and bring the justice of Theus to them.
I do not know whether you have yet been informed, but
your cousin Juan is wintering in Freiburg, helping Lucas de Aldana establish
an embassy there. He may be able to provide some assistance in this
matter.
May Theus grant you good winds!
Enrique Orduño
