Fable

West proposes that they use the money they’ve saved up from two years of unlicensed gem trading to replace the sails and make up for their losses in the storm. The crew opposes this because this money was meant to be theirs after they freed themselves of their debt to Saint. Fable says that, if they take her on as a dredger, she has a way to replace the sails and acquire “enough copper to buy [themselves] out from under Saint in one trade” (239). When West adamantly refuses, she reveals that she’s Saint’s daughter and a gem sage. West already knew this, and he argues that her father will kill them all if anything happens to her.

West dismisses his crew so he can speak with Fable in private. He feels a measure of pride and gratitude toward Saint because he gave West another chance at life after his first employer turned out to be a bad person. As a result, he’s reluctant to go behind Saint’s back and make her part of his crew. Even though West doesn’t trust Fable, she trusts him because he helped her survive on Jeval. Eventually, he agrees to let her join his crew but tells her, “I can’t care about anyone else” (247).