Let’s take a leaf out of that bold savage’s book. It wants meat first and foremost. Very well. We send every trireme and warrior Chazen has to call on to round up every last one of these savages. We hold them captive on the islands closest to the beast. If the dragon comes, it can feast on them. The rocky end of the island sank beneath the turquoise waters, reaching out long fingers of many-coloured coral. In the open waters beyond, an undulating russet reef guided them into a calmer channel between two barren islets rising barely a handspan above the rippling waters.
Though there’s no telling where the dragon might go. Best make ready for its arrival anywhere in the domain. Tell the islanders to surrender their ducks and hens. Hunters will have to snare as many deer and forest hogs as they can. Will that sate its appetites? Or has it only got a taste for human flesh? Crude as they were, their palm-frond hats helped to baffle the punishing sun and the calm waters in the sheltered channel made for easier paddling. Kheda slowed and scooped up water to rinse his sticky hands and face and to wash some of the dust from his chest. Dev, take a turn steering.’
What of its other appetites? Risala must be right. It must be gems that savage gave it. Why does it want gems? Does that matter? Stick to the question at hand. How do we stop it devastating the domain? The gift seemed to placate it. Is that what we must do? Pour out what little wealth Chazen has just to keep the beast from causing mayhem?
He paddled on, curbing his longer stroke to match Risala’s determined efforts.
It has to be worth a try. Isn’t one life worth more than even the finest talisman gem? Then that’s another reason to take the battle to the remaining savages, to take back the jewels they have stolen. But can we do it without being eaten by the dragon ourselves?
Dev used the stern sweep to help drive the raft on and Kheda recalled the barbarian’s expertise in managing the ill-fated Amigal single-handed.
A scatter of irregular reefs demanded all their attention. Wider isles further off baffled the prevailing wind and the sun struck up a dazzling sheen from the water. They left the treacherous uncertainty of the corals and found themselves crossing a shallow stretch of sea rippling crystal clear over white sands. Invisible currents sent the carpets of sea grasses below swaying around the grazing turtles. The raft’s shadow crossed the path of a smaller turtle. It shied away, rolling over to show the pale under—
side of its mottled grey and brown shell as it flailed its scaly flippers.
The invaders scorned turtleshell and pearls when they looted. I suppose that means the dragon has no interest in such things. Is that ill fortune for Chazen or good luck? Do we lament that our own resources cannot save us or rejoice that we don’t have to squander the pearl harvest to buy off this monster? ‘There’s good eating on one of those,’ Dev remarked.
‘Got anything to catch it with besides magic?’ Risala looked at Kheda. ‘You’ve been rowing longer than anyone. You should take a turn at steering.’
‘How long have we been at this? How far have we come?’ Kheda tried to stand and discovered how cramped and stiff his legs were. His stumble almost overset the raft before he caught the stern oar and managed to recover his balance.
Dev muttered something derogatory under his breath as he settled himself to another stint of paddling. Risala shot the wizard a filthy look.
Kheda scanned the seas and islands ahead and a flash of white caught his eye. ‘What’s that?’ Dev and Risala both looked up.
‘Where?’ she queried.
‘What?’ he demanded.
‘Over there, past that easterly island.’ Kheda watched the wing of pale canvas disappear behind a clump of nut palms.
‘I see it.’ Dev let his paddle trail in the water. The boat reappeared on the other side of the islet. ‘Do you think it’s one of ours?’ Risala looked back at Kheda for reassurance. ‘We’ve never seen the invaders using sails.’
‘If it isn’t one of ours, it soon will be.’ Dev made sure his swords were secure in his belt before setting to with his paddle once again.
‘I don’t want any bloodshed,’ Kheda warned sharply. Not unless there’s nothing else for it.’
With a dragon in the islands, we don’t need the ill omen of Chazen blood spilled in Chazen waters by Chazen steel.
Chapter Eight
Kheda woke from a dream of sweating bodies entwined in velvet darkness to hear sunbirds singing cheerily outside his shuttered windows. Strong sun striped the wide bed. He threw off the embrace of the light quilt that had rebuffed the night’s breezes and pushed himself upright, stifling a rueful groan. It was barely sunrise when I first woke. I never meant to go back to sleep. Where’s Devi A soft footfall sounded in the bathing room beyond the door in the opposite wall.
‘Dev? Is that you?’ Kheda swung his feet to the floor.
‘It’s me.’ Risala appeared in the archway with an armful of towels. She was dressed in a modest cotton dress neither crisply new nor overly worn.
Unobtrusive, all the better for finding out just what the people here are making of the web of lies the three of us have spun for them, her own mouth shut, eyes and ears open.
His blood pulsed at an unbidden memory of her soft skin beneath his hand.
Was it you I was dreaming of? That dress is almost the same colour as your eyes.
‘Good morning.’ He managed a casual greeting as he eased past her to the bathing room. ‘You look rested.’ She surveyed his nakedness with the faintest of teasing smiles.
‘Why didn’t Dev wake me?’ Kheda took a moment for the urgency in his loins to fade before he relieved himself, returning, rather more composed, to the bedchamber.
‘I don’t know.’ Risala opened the shutters and Kheda crossed to the window.
He turned the ivory column on the sill so that the vane faced the sun and read the shadow’s mark across the swooping lines carved into the cylinder. ‘The morning’s half gone.’ He turned to shout peremptorily at the heavy outer door. ‘Dev! Breakfast and plenty of it!’
Risala perched on the edge of the bed as Kheda threw open a clothes chest and looked for trousers. Your lady wife is wearing green this morning.’
‘We need to show a united front, do we?’ Kheda glanced at her before pulling out an emerald pair of trews.
Risala nodded. ‘The Yellow Serpent’s rowers have been talking.’
‘We can hardly blame them for that. Anyway, a creature that size was hardly going to stay a secret for long.’ Kheda stepped into the trousers and pulled the drawstring tight. ‘They must have left a groove in the sea, they got us back here so fast. That deserves some praise.’ He leaned against the wall, arms folded across his bare chest. ‘At least we got back here quickly enough to prove that the hasty rumours of my death were exaggerated. What are people making of Itrac’s reactions to the Mist Dove’s first report?’
‘Hardly anyone knew what was going on.’ Risala wasn’t unsympathetic. ‘Just that she’d shut herself in her pavilion, barring her doors against all-comers. Thanks to Beyau and Jevin, her hysterics stayed safely behind those locked doors, and all her servants are loyal, they won’t betray her with gossip. As for the rumours . Risala shrugged. ‘There’s some speculation that she might have lost an early pregnancy.’ Let’s hope those loyal servants keep that from her ears.
‘There was no word of a dragon around the anchorage?’ Kheda persisted.
Risala took a moment to consider her reply. ‘There was rumour but it just wrong-footed everyone, especially when there was no word from Itrac. It’s incredible, after all. Who’d imagine we’d see a dragon in these reaches? Who’s heard of one outside a poet’s verses?’
She smiled faintly before continuing, wholly serious. ‘You’ve reappeared, which is good news even if the Yellow Serpent’s men have confirmed that the beast is real. That’s hardly good news, but at least your presence gives the people some reassurance and for the moment the dragon is still well over the horizon. Everyone’s waiting to see what you do, what orders you give. They’re all telling each other long and loud that there’s no point making any decisions until they know what’s afoot. Better to know where the dragon is, rather than head off blindly and run straight into its jaws. I don’t think they’re too keen to throw themselves on Daish mercy again.’