5. The Punishment
Bruno spent the next few days doing his best at avoiding Raul. He still had to go to the tavern and work, but out there he was safe, just like when he was close to the shacks since a lot of adults were in the vicinity. The most problematic were the walks to and back from work. He had to make it past few dark alleys, and parts of the docks where there weren't that many people.
Thankfully he knew those parts of the city very well and could avoid the new kid for quite a long time, but not forever.
Viki showed up pretty quickly notifying him that she got the alcohol, but the father was still nowhere to be seen. Depending on the ship's route he could be out for months. There was nothing else Bruno could do, besides patiently waiting.
Overall It took a few weeks for him to return. During that period he had his ass beaten up only a few times, still refusing to share the money, and keeping his story straight. There was no money, there is no money, and there will be no money.
On the final day, he was in the alley at the back of the tavern, gutting a fish, when Viki showed up. She whistled to catch his attention.
- They just docked in the port. Your man headed straight to the closest tavern - she informed, coming closer.
- Ok. Now I will need a guy good with his fingers, and good with throwing knives. He also needs to know how to play cards or dice. Can you get me somebody like that?
- Sure, but why?
- I need him to play with Raul's father and cheat.
- To get all of his money? - a sly smirk appeared on her face.
- What? No! I need your guy to lose. He will bet the rum and will keep losing until he lost it all.
- That's stupid. Raul's father is a drunk! He will just drink it all on the spot!
- Not if you got me enough of it.
- We stole a whole crate, so you don't have to worry bout that - she said, contorting her lips.
- Ha, I knew you would steal it.
- So what? - she said it like she was challenging him to a fight.
Bruno smiled in response.
- Now I don't have to pay you, since you didn't buy it - he finished with a wink.
- You set me up!
- Of course, I did. I was not gonna waste my money on alcohol somebody else is going to drink. Now, enough with the bickering. I really need this done V.
- Ok. I will make it happen - she nodded.
- Good. Then you will have to make sure our sailor heads home safely, with the remaining of his rum.
- Why?
- Trust me. I make it worth your efforts in long term, but now you have to believe me.
She sighed.
- Is there anything else you want me to do, my lord? - she said not hiding the irony.
- Yep. In the morning empty a few bottles from the crate, and put them under Raul's pillow, or under whatever he sleeps on. Just make it easy to notice.
- Fine, but I need to ask, why? Again...
- You will see tomorrow if you hang around long enough. Raul is gonna have breakfast with us all in Mrs. Griselda's shack, so there will be your window. The dad will be half-dead, so he won't even notice.
- I'll do it.
- I know, and I will make your efforts worth it for you. You just need to wait.
Her expression changed. A shy smile crawled on her face, but she hid it by turning away from him.
- I need to go - she said and left.
Bruno stood for a while, looking at her vanishing behind a corner, then he got back to work, and did his best throughout the rest of the day. After he was done, he informed the owner he is not feeling well and needs a one day of break. Since this was his first time to ask for such a thing, Miss Sloan allowed it but wasn't happy.
The return to Mrs. Griselda's shack took a while, since he made a special effort to not get ambushed, which included taking a way longer route. When he reached his destination, all the kids were already gone.
- Where have you been?! - asked Mrs. Griselda standing in the door, clearly angry.
- Working - he answered, not losing his temper. - I had to clean up after some patrons.
- Hmpf - she snorted, and moved to let him enter.
He went in and immediately sat behind the table, to eat some thin soup surrounded by darkness, chased away only by the light from a single candle, resting in the middle of the otherwise clean table. He was hungry, so he finished everything, then thanked for the food, and returned home, to get some rest.
The next morning started very early, as it usually was the case in docks. People had to go to work, and they also had to wake up everybody else just to have this small feeling of victory in their miserable lives.
Bruno was used to this from way before he even got reincarnated. In his father's mansion, he was the last one to go to sleep, and the first one to wake up. There was just too much work to be done.
He went to Mrs. Griselda's shack to get breakfast. Everybody else, except Raul, showed themselves very soon. He came a bit later. They all ate, and then some of them left for work. They usually were cleaning up the chimneys of wealthier people, living in houses, and sometimes doing other things in port.
Raul was the last one because he was stalling and he clearly wanted to have a chat with Bruno. The boy had no other choice, but to go for it. He left Mrs. Griselda's shack, allowing his bully to follow him.
- You can't avoid me forever - said Raul, after they got far enough, so the caretaker wouldn't hear anything.
This comment picked up the attention of few people on the street, but they quickly ignored the situation, since it was just two kids.
- I told you, I don't have any money for you.
- Yeah. Do you think I'm stupid?! I'm not stupid. And you better get me those coins, boy!
He passed by Bruno, hitting him with his shoulder. He had to live for work, otherwise, he would be late, so there was not much time to antagonize his target anymore. Then a strange figure showed up among the few still around, on the streets.
- Raul?! What the hell is this?! - yelled the man holding an empty clay bottle with a handle.
The man was tall and well built. He was wearing long, dirty pants, and a shirt that used to be white... Probably. His features were similar to Raul's, and his hair was almost identical. He was walking towards the boys, stumbling, clearly still drunk, even after some sleep.
This scene made the whole street look at them.
- I don't know dad. Empty bottle?
- This was my rum, you stupid boy! Why was it under your pillow?! Did you drink it?!
- I didn't drink anything!
The father threw the bottle on the ground, and broke it, then grabbed his son by the collar and dragged him away from the street, deeper between the sacks, knowing some of them were abandoned so there were no people if he went deep enough.
Bruno discreetly kept following them, to see how it all will evolve.
- That was my rum, you stupid boy! Do you dare to take what's mine?! First I had to endure your whore mother, and now I have to live with a drunkard son?! - the father kept yelling.
- I didn't do anything! - Reul protested.
The father stopped and slapped him in the face.
- Don't lie to me, you son of a whore!
He slapped him again. Raul somehow managed to get himself out of his father's grasp. Bruno wasn't taking any chances, turned and left heading towards his shack, to avoid unnecessary confrontation, but the drama still went on.
Viki joined him out of the blue.
- Worked like a charm - she said.
- I told you it would. Now I need your guy, one who can throw knives.
- He is around... But why do you need somebody like that?
- You will see. I also will need you to steal something for me.
- Again? - she rolled her eyes. - What do you want?
- Books. I need books about alchemy and about botany. As many as you can get me.
- What?! Why?!
- Shh - he stopped, putting a left index finger over his lips, and grabbing her shoulder using the other hand. - Don't yell. If you want to struggle with pickpocketing throughout your whole life, then ignore me, but if you want to be rich, and live in a nice house, having nice clothes, and as much food as you can eat, then get me those books.
She sighed.
- I'll see what I can do.
- Thank you. Now, get that knife thrower to my home, I need to talk with him.
She shook her head and walked off. Bruno on the other hand resumed his walk home. After he reached his destination, he quickly rummaged through his father's belongings for some decent piece of cloth good enough to be turned into some bandages. It wasn't the cleanest thing in the world but would manage.
Then he sat by the table and waited for V to return. She came with a dirty boy, a bit older than her, with an ugly smirk on his face, and disheveled blonde hair.
- This is Fin. Fin, this is Bruno.
Fin nodded.
- Hi. Do you have a knife?
He pulled a haphazardly made blade out of his pocket.
- Good.
- Your friend got quite the beating. He is laying flat on the street - said Viki.
- I know. That's part of the plan. His father beat his mother to death, so I predicted this might happen.
- I know he beat you up a few times, but that's still quite harsh... I think he has a broken arm.
- Good.
- Good? Don't tell me, you wanted him dead?
- No. I wanted him badly beaten up - he explained, got up, and quickly looked around for a decent piece of wood. - But dead was also acceptable, although it wouldn't be the best outcome.
His statement shocked her a bit, meanwhile, he found some old scoop, quite straight.
- Ok. Now, this is what you two will do. I'm gonna go to Raul, and offer him some help. He will probably refuse, call me some names, and other not important stuff, but when I say the word 'knife', I want you Fin, to throw it at him. You need to miss, but barely. This means, you need to be close, but not too close, so he would notice you. Can you do that?
Fin shrugged his shoulders, as a cool kid would.
- Is that a yes? - Bruno turned to Viki.
- That's a yes. What about me? - she asked.
- You just look.
She rolled her eyes again. Then they left. Bruno quickly got ahead of them, but they followed him at a safe distance. He found Raul sitting on the ground, next to an abandoned shack, beaten to a pulp, and holding his left arm close to his chest. His nose was bleeding, and one eye was so swollen, that he couldn't open it.
There was nobody around to help, or even notice the kid.
Bruno kneeled next to him with a serious expression on his face. Raul jumped, groaning out of pain, scared, as he noticed a familiar face.
- I thought you would need help - said Bruno.
- Fuck off - mumbled Raul.
- Oh, don't be like that. I'm here to help.
- You are dead - his voice was weak, and he was about to pass out.
- I'm dead? Look at yourself. You couldn't squeeze me for a couple of coins for weeks, and you want me dead? How about I get you dead instead? How do you think your father found those bottles? Because I arranged the whole situation. Next time, he might beat you to death, like your mother.
Raul's only functioning eye shut open, and he tried to grab Bruno, but the pain was too much, and his face got all twisted by the sudden and strong unpleasant feeling.
- Or maybe I should ask one of my guys to stick a knife in your back? - Bruno continued, and then a knife flew through the air, and hit the shack's wooden wall, to get stuck there, right next to Raul's face.
The boy wiggled in fear, but he couldn't move too much. Bruno on the other hand remained calm and cold. Completely unmoved by flying weapon.
- See? There is still a different option for you, though. Work with me, and who knows, maybe soon you won't have to worry about your father anymore? How about we start with me fixing you a bit?
- You can kill my father? - Raul squeezed through your teeth.
- You want him dead?
- Yes.
- Good. Let's continue this talk later. Now bite on this - Bruno put the ladle in Rauls's mouth.
The boy bit on the wood, then Bruno helped him strengthen the broken arm.
- This might hurt a bit, but I need to check if the bone is in right place. If not, we will need to fix it. That will hurt a lot.
He then touched the hand, checking if the bone is broken or just fractured. He had some medical knowledge from his past life. Nothing much, just a bit that he read in books. Raul groaned in pain.
- It's fine. Give me that ladle. We need to immobilize the arm - he said and took the item out of the boy's mouth to use it while wrapping the pieces of cloth tightly around the limb.
Then he used the rest, to help as much as he could, and finally helped Raul get up. He took him back to his own shack, where they could further immobilize the limb, and the boy could get some rest.
Fin vanished after the job, but Viki remained there and followed Bruno to help him.