It occurred to Haplo that the dolphins might have told the girl things she hadn’t told him. He had no way of knowing, he’d been involved in meetings since then.
He forced himself to pause, to smile at the girl, seem glad to see her. “I’m going back to my lodge. Will you walk with me?”
Alake returned his smile—how easy it was to please her—and fell into step beside him, moving gracefully to the pleasing silvery sounds of the bells and beads she wore.
“Now,” he said, “tell me about the dolphins.”
“They don’t mean any harm, but they do like to stir up excitement and, of course, it’s difficult for them to understand how important it is for us to find a new seamoon. The dolphins can’t figure out why we want to live on land. They think we should live in the water, as they do. And then they’re really frightened of the dragon-snakes . . .”
Alake wasn’t looking at him while she talked. Her eyes were averted; her hands, he noted, were nervously twisting the rings on her fingers. She knows something, Haplo concluded grimly. Something she isn’t telling.
“Sorry, Alake,” he said, still smiling at her, “but I’m afraid I don’t find fish much of a threat.”
“But I thought . . . that is, we thought . . . Grundle and Devon agree . . . that if the dolphins talked to our people, they might say things. The dolphins, I mean. Things that would upset our parents and maybe cause more delays.”
“What things, Alake?” Haplo came to a halt. They were near his lodge, no one else was around. “What did the dolphins say?”
The girl opened her eyes wide. “Nothing!” she began, faltered, hung her head.
“Please don’t make me tell you.”
It was well she couldn’t see the expression on Haplo’s face. He drew a deep breath, controlled the impulse to seize the girl and shake the information out of her. He did take hold of her, but his touch was gentle, caressing.
“Tell me, Alake. The lives of your people could be at stake.”
“It doesn’t have anything to do with my people—”
“Alake.” Haplo’s grip on her tightened.
“They said terrible things about . . . about you!”
“What things?”
“That the dragon-snakes were evil, that you were evil. That you’re only using us.” Alake raised her head, her eyes flashed. “I don’t believe it! I don’t believe a word. Neither do Grundle and Devon. But if the dolphins were to tell my parents . . .”
Yes, Haplo thought, that would finish it. Of all the damn, fool, stupid things to happen! His grand design, about to be wrecked by a bunch of fish!
“Don’t worry,” she said quickly, seeing the dark expression on his face. “I have an idea.”
“What is it?” Haplo was only half-listening, trying to figure out how to solve this latest crisis.
“I thought,” Alake suggested shyly, “that I might tell the dolphins to go on ahead of us ... act as scouts. They’d like that. They love to feel important. I could say it was my father’s suggestion. ...”
Haplo considered. It would keep the fish from causing trouble. By the time the mensch reached Surunan, it would be too late for them to back out, no matter what the dolphins told them.
“That’s a good idea, Alake.”
Her face was radiant. It took so little effort to make her happy, would take so little. A voice, which sounded very much like the voice of his lord, spoke in Haplo’s ear.
You could get this girl to do anything you want. Be nice to her. Give her a few trinkets, whisper sweet things to her in the night, promise her marriage. She would become your slave, do anything for you, even die for you. And, when you’re finished, you can always cast her aside. After all, she is only a mensch.
The two were still standing outside his lodge. Haplo had his hands on the girl’s arms. Alake moved closer, pressing her body nearer. He had only to draw her inside his hut and she would be his. She’d been startled the first time, taken by surprise. But now she’d had time to dream about lying in his arms. Her fear had been subdued by desire.
And in addition to the pleasure she would give him, she would be useful, too. A spy on her parents, on the dwarves and the elves. She would report back to him every word, every thought. And he would ensure that what she knew, she’d keep to herself. Not that she was likely to betray him, but this would make it certain. . . .
He fully intended to go through with her seduction, was surprised to watch himself pat her on the arms, as if she were an obedient child.
“A good idea,” he repeated. “We don’t have a moment to lose. Why don’t you go take care of the dolphins right now?” He took a step backward, away from her.
“Is that what you want?” she asked him, her voice low and breathless.
“You said yourself how important this was, Alake. Who knows but that, even now, your father isn’t on his way to talk to the dolphins.”
“He isn’t,” she said, drooping. “He’s in the lodge, talking with Mother.”
“Then now’s a perfect time.”
“Yes,” she said, but she lingered a moment longer, perhaps hoping he’d change his mind.
She was young, lovely.
Haplo turned from her and entered his hut, flung himself on his pallet as if exhausted. He waited, unmoving, in the cool darkness until he heard her soft footfalls passing through the dust. She was hurt, but not nearly as hurt as she would have been.
“After all, since when do I need a mensch to help me? I work alone. And damn Alfred, anyway,” he added incongruously. “This time, I’ll finish him.” The sun-chasers arrived on schedule. Two stayed to take aboard Dumaka’s tribe. Others traveled around the shores of the seamoon, gathering up the remainder of the human population of Phondra.
Haplo was pleasantly surprised at the dispatch and efficiency of the humans, who managed to collect everyone on board the submersibles with a minimum of fuss and confusion. Looking around the deserted camp, he was reminded of how easily the Squatters had been able to pack up their belongings and move on.
“Our people used to be nomads,” Dumaka explained. “We traveled to different parts of Phondra, following the game, gathering fruits and vegetables. Such a life caused wars, however. Men always imagine that the antelope are fatter in another man’s portion of the jungle.
“Peace has come to us slowly, we have worked long and hard for it. I am saddened to think we may be forced to go back to war.” Delu came to him, put her arm around him. The two of them looked wistfully around their now-empty, all—but-deserted village.
“All will be well, Husband. We are together. Our people are together. The One who guides the waves is with us. We’ll carry peace in our hearts and offer it to these Sartan as our greatest gift.”
Hopefully, they’ll spit in your face, Haplo thought. His one worry was Alfred. Alfred would not only take these mensch into his home, he’d give them the shabby velvet coat off his back. But Haplo was coming to think Alfred wasn’t a typical Sartan. The Patryn expected better things of Samah. Once the humans were taken on board the submersibles, they shed only a few tears at leaving their homeland. Those tears soon dried in the excitement of the trip, the anticipation of a new and purportedly rich world. There was no sign of the dragon-snakes.
Haplo sailed on the largest of the submersibles with the chief and his family, friends, and members of the Coven. The sun-chaser was similar to the much smaller submersible he’d sailed in before, except that it boasted several levels.
They reached Gargan, found the dwarves packed and ready to go, but did not find the elves, to no one’s surprise. Even Haplo had made allowances for them to be late; his dire threat of leaving them behind had only been intended to prod them on.
“It’ll be chaos,” Yngvar predicted dourly. “But I’ve sent my best men to captain the vessel and thrown in the army to boot. We’ll have them here in time, if not on time.”
The elven contingent arrived only four cycles late; the submersibles moving slowly, rolling in the sea like overfed whales.