J' role saw the captain nearly lash out, then just as quickly become smiling and cool. "The issue is worthy of a long debate over a good dinner. I suggest we postpone the matter until you are on my ship and we can dine together. But the decision stands. I cannot accept these people as payment…”
"Then I'll find another ship that does! And don't bother telling me the other t'skrang captains don't buy slaves. I've traveled up and down the Serpent for some time now."
"I wouldn't, because it doesn't matter. Not only will I not take these people as payment, but you will not be leaving with them." The slaves relaxed a bit, but J'role saw one of them smile. Mordom saw the smile too, and he slapped his eyeless hand against the back of the woman's head.
Two dozen swords suddenly came unsheathed with a sound like wind passing through metal chimes. The captain's blade was out and pointed at Mordom's chest before anyone realized it. "I trust you won't make me kill you. We've only recently painted the dock, and blood stains are so difficult." Her long jaw clacked twice, and a shiver ran over J'role's chest.
Mordom, Phlaren, and Slinsk all tensed. None moved, but in each of their bodies J'role saw readiness far an attack. Both groups stood off like this for a moment, bodies poised, each side ready for a fight, willing even to die to save face. Then Mordom said flatly,
"Very well."
He turned and walked away, leaving Phlaren and Slinsk stunned. Then they too walked off, leaving the slaves, who dropped to their knees and began weeping. The captain pulled out a dagger and cut their bonds.
"Where are you from?"
The woman answered. "A village, four miles from here. Up river. We were planting seeds. ."
"Yes," the captain said. "I can guess the rest. Well, you're too tired and ill-fed to travel back now. If you would honor me by traveling with us a few days, you'll rest and eat well, and then we'll deposit you up river."
"We have nothing to pay you with …"
"What? Have you not already given me enough? I was given the chance to do a good deed this day. In the eyes of Lochost I am now blessed. Please. Enough pain is enough.
Come aboard." With a flourish she indicated the two rows of sailors, all of their swords now sheathed, marking the entrance way to the ship.
"Thank you," they all said at once.
"And thank you, for accepting my invitation."
The former slaves stood and walked down the dock and entered the riverboat.
"We'll wait another hour," the captain shouted. "Double the lookouts. I don't want any surprises from that magician and his cohorts."
The sailors on the dock and on the riverboat sprang into action. J'role could not tell exactly what they were doing- there seemed to be a great deal of random movement-
but they seemed very happy.
Releana said, "I'd rather be on this ship than one that takes slaves as payment."
J 'role nodded. He would like to get to know the t'skrang better.
"But we've nothing to pay the captain.”
An idea came to J'role. He made the symbol of the city.
Releana looked confused. "We give her the city?" she asked.
J'role nodded, then picked up a clump of dirt, held it in his hands before her. He made the symbol of the city once mare, then pulled a portion of they clump of dirt away.
"A piece of the city," Releana said, thinking it through. "Oh. A piece of the reward. If we save the city, we will give the Breeton a piece of the reward." She paused and looked doubtful. "Captain Patrochian seems the hands-on sort. I don't know if she'd take passage on a promise … Then again, who knows? We can ask. I think it's a wonderful idea." She smiled at J'role.
J’role felt flattered. The sensation wrapped around- him like Comforting arms, and for a moment the thief magic retreated.
21
Charneale, the kaer's magician, took his mother away after she tried to kill J'role. No one saw her for many days.
His father remained at home, and no one came to visit. The two of them, Bevarden and J’role, sat in their home, both silent. At first Bevarden simply looked out beyond a place that did not exist. A few days later he began to cry on occasion, and held J'role close.
After that he began to stare at J'role strangely. J'role spent more and more time in his room.
J'role, Releana, and Bevarden waited a few moments on the dock while one of the sailors went to get the captain. Four other sailors remained behind, and J 'role thought their clothes even more startling close up. Scarves wrapped around their heads, baggy blouses and loose vests, pants that billowed around their thin legs. The colors were an eyesore of lightning blues, sunrise reds, sea of grass greens, and midday sun yellows. Although they had green scales for skin and long, sharp talons for fingers, their good natured smiles seemed perfectly at home on their reptilian features.
"You've never heard of the Breeton!" exclaimed a sailor named Voponis in response to Releana's question. He wore shiny yellow and scarlet clothes and a rapier at his side.
"Why, of all the t'skrang ships that sails the Serpent, there is none finer!"
"Then we'll be fortunate to secure passage on it."
"Him," the sailor corrected.
"Him?"
"Captain Patrochian calls the ship a 'him,' and so will you. Captain's choice, you know."
"No," Releana said with a smile, very interested. "I didn't know that."
"That's one of the rules. The sailing life is full of rules, as I'm sure you understand, you being a magician. When you live by the rules, the river carries you and you float."
"Stories say the Therans had air ships," said another sailor. "But what sport is that? Give me water roiling under me, a river as big as the Serpent. Then I'll show you moving!"
"When we stood at the lip of the river valley," Releana said, "we saw the Breeton fighting another ship …"
"The Restorii," said Voponis. "They don't want us setting up trade ties with the kingdom of Throal. Stupid fekas. They're afraid the dwarfs will get too much power now that the Therans are gone. But we need someone powerful if we want to trade. The dwarfs promised to help us."
"The captain knows people in Throal?" asked Releana.
"Indeed. We'll be meeting envoys from Throal a ways down the Serpent in a few days."
Releana turned back and smiled to J'role.
"Have you an interest in Throal?" asked the sailor.
"It is our destination."
"Then you are in luck!" cried Captain Patrochian as she slammed onto the boards of the dock, landing in the center of the group. She flashed her triangular white teeth in a broad grin, whipped off her hat and bowed low. "Captain Patrochian at your service," she exclaimed, then extended her long green hand to each one in turn.
"Releana," said Releana, bowing to match the captain.
As the captain put her hand out to J'role, J'role took it with a bow as well. Releana said,
"He cannot speak. I call him Grim."
At that all the sailors pulled back from J'role, and he thought for certain the creature in his head had pushed through the skin and suddenly appeared on his forehead. He touched his temple, but felt nothing.
"What is it?" asked Releana
"A …," began the captain, scrutinizing J'role's face. Then she smiled, forcing an ill notion from her thoughts. "Just a superstition …"
"A silent man brings silence for all," intoned Voponis. The other three sailors seemed to side squarely with him, and remained tense.
"We have customs about many things," said the captain.
She turned slightly to the other sailors. "We shouldn't take them all equally seriously."
Voponis looked as if he wanted to believe her but couldn't quite bring himself to do it.