VanCleef had never been a fool.
Hatred had simply clouded his judgment. Caught up in it all, he could not see many things clearly.
He had known nothing of Onyxia's plot because he had never realized that the Countess who held such sway in Stormwind City was actually Onyxia in disguise.
Nor had he known that Onyxia had been behind both the unpaid wages years ago and the later kidnapping of King Varian.
Only when Rick came to him that day and told him everything did he understand what had happened. Then he began investigating, because he trusted only the information he uncovered himself and his own judgment. As far as he was concerned, what Rick or Shawn said was not necessarily reliable.
He uncovered plenty of useful information. But only when Shawn and the others ambushed Onyxia in the royal palace in Stormwind City, forcing her to reveal her true form, did the news shock the world. That also helped VanCleef make sense of many things.
So when Shawn said those words, VanCleef did not react with the disbelief or shock they might have expected. Instead, he fell silent.
After a long while, he waved a hand, dismissing the Defias pirates gathered on the deck, then turned and entered the command room.
Vanessa immediately followed him inside.
Shawn smiled and followed as well, along with old Grian, Mathias Shaw, and Rick.
A man whose thoughts revolved entirely around revenge would hardly devote much care to his living quarters. Nor could a warship built to bombard Stormwind City be expected to offer luxurious amenities.
The command room was simple, almost spartan.
Shawn and the others had not come for a social visit, either.
There were stools and chairs in the command room, along with a desk set aside specifically for