At Vila Island's port, following the signal flags from the harbor pilot, the Daddara ship sailed toward the second pier.
From this bustling port, one could still glimpse the shadow of the prosperous place it had been hundreds of years ago.
But the cries and sounds of whipping that carried through the port now and then made Sig's smile turn a little strained.
Once the gangplank was in place, one-eyed Sig swaggered down.
A well-mannered Vera customs scribe immediately stepped forward. "The Daddara merchant fleet... A merchant ship? Declare your cargo. Someone will come aboard to verify it, and if everything checks out, you can unload."
As he spoke, the scribe handed over a pen and a clipboard. Sig casually passed them to Baguta beside him, then grinned. Ignoring the other man's look of distaste, he put his iron-hooked left arm around the scribe's neck and spoke as if they were old friends. "It's all honest business here in Vera... What kind of cargo could we have? Fifty or sixty people, just worthless commoners. Not a single Longarm among them. Is it easy running a small business?"
As he spoke, he passed over a bag of "Token of Appreciation" with his right hand.
The scribe took the bag and weighed it in his hand, then glanced at Sig. "Sixty ordinary adult male humans. The entry fee is six hundred thousand Beli, and the broker's fee is one million eight hundred thousand. Pay over there... And hurry up with the unloading!"
"Sure thing!" Sig tapped the brim of his hat with his hook. Ignoring the other man's disdainful look, he patted him warmly on the back, then turned and shouted to the crew, "Get a move on!"
Baguta had already told Sig about this little "trick" for bribing the customs scribe.