They reached a row of ramshackle warehouse buildings along a canal that emptied into Brenn's Bay, the bay itself visible only a stone's throw away between buildings, the masts of at least a dozen ships tilting gently just beyond the rooftops.
Effir dan-Mozan led them in through the doorway of one of the larger structures. Once through, Briony saw it was not a warehouse at alclass="underline" the first room was long and low, but the walls were covered with beautiful tapes¬tries in unfamiliar designs-birds and deer and trees of strange shape. A man even smaller and rounder than Effir stood in the center of the room, his arms spread wide, his bearded face stretched by a broad smile. "Ziya Dan-Mozan! You and your family grace my humble place of business!"
"You do me too much honor, Baddara," the merchant replied with a small bow.
"Come, come, I have saved the best room for you." Baddara took Dan-Mozan s hand and led him toward a door at the back of the room, gestic¬ulating broadly and talking rapidly of ships and the price of gawa. The rest of the merchant's household followed.
Briony had edged up beside Shaso. "Why is he speaking our language?"
"Because he is not Tuani," the old man growled. "He is from Sania, and they speak a different language there. On the southern continent, Xixian and Mihanni are the tongues everyone shares. Here it is yours."
They were led through a large room filled with tables, many of them oc¬cupied by men in both southern and northern dress, several of whom greeted Effir dan-Mozan with obvious respect; just as obvious was his easy
acceptance of their deference. Shaso, on the other hand, kept his head down, meeting no one's gaze, and Briony suddenly remembered that she, with her un-Tuani eyes, should most certainly be doing the same. Maddara led them to a private room whose walls were covered by more hangings, hunting scenes and boating scenes on shimmery fabrics done in a style Briony did not recognize. The little man shouted orders to several older bearded men who were clearly meant to serve the guests; then, after an¬other elaborate bow, he hurried out.
Although the room was theirs alone, Briony noticed with some irrita¬tion that the Tuani notion of propriety was still present: she and the other women were seated at one end of the table, the men at the other, with an empty seat between the groups on each side. Still, it was a chance to see something other than the inside walls of the hadar, and she did her best to enjoy the change. The tapestries at least were beautiful to look at, many of them ornately decorated with thread of what looked like real gold, all of them woven with elaborate attention to color and detail-in fact, the tap¬estries were so compelling that she did not notice for some time that the room had no windows. The woven pictures themselves seemed to look out onto scenes far more soothing and uplifting than anything she could have seen in this small seaport.
Baddara's servers brought in several courses, pieces of fruit with a creamy sauce for dipping, and bread, cheese, and salted meats. The women and men both drank wine, although Briony suspected from the separate pitchers and the weak character of what was in her cup that the women's was more heavily watered. Watered or not, the combination of wine and unusual freedom cheered her companions immensely, and although they spoke in low voices there seemed to be a greater than usual amount of joking and giggling between the women, especially Fanu and the other young ones.
Meanwhile, as the courses came and went, men both of Xand and Eion wandered in from the rooms outside to engage in what looked like re¬spectful audiences with Effir dan-Mozan, some clearly seafaring folk, others in the fine robes of merchants or bankers. Briony could see that although Shaso spoke to no one and did his best to be inconspicuous, he was listen¬ing carefully. She wondered how Dan-Mozan introduced him-as a rela¬tive? A stranger? Another merchant? And she wondered even more at what these men were saying. It was infuriating to have to sit here this way, amid this flock of ignored women, while important things about the state of the kingdom were doubtless being discussed.
If Shaso was paying close attention to the merchant's conversations, Dan-Mozans nephew was not. In fact, Talibo appeared more interested in Briony, watching her with a fixation that unnerved her. At first she did her best to avoid his gaze, looking away whenever she caught him glanc¬ing her direction, but after a while the liberty he was taking began to annoy her. He was a child, practically-a handsome, stupid child! What right did he have to stare at her, and even more important, why should she feel compelled to look away? It touched her on the memory of Hen-don Tolly humiliating her in front of her own court; it made the old in-jury sting all over again.
The next time she caught Tal looking at her she stared back coolly until at last it was the youth who looked away, his cheeks darkening with what she hoped was embarrassment or even shame.
Insolent boy. For a moment she found herself angry with everyone in the room, Shaso, Dan-Mozan, Idite, the other women, all of them. She was a princess, an Eddon! Why must she hide and skulk like a criminal? Why should she be grateful to people who were only doing their duty? If the Tollys were the active agents of her misfortune, all those who did not rise up against the usurpers and cast them out of Southmarch Castle, even these Tuani merchants, were their passive collaborators. They were all guilty!
Now she was the one feeling her face grow hot, and she stared down at her bowl, trying to compose herself. She should enjoy the meal- Baddara's kitchen was a good one, and many of the dishes were pleasura-bly unfamiliar-instead of brooding.
She took a deep breath and looked up again, composing herself, and found to her immense irritation that the merchant's nephew was looking at her again, his expression even more unreadable than before.
Gods curse him, anyway, she thought sourly, blocking him from view with her lifted cup. And curse all men, young or old. And curse the Tollys, of course- curse them a thousand times!
After the meal and their long walk back through town to the hadar, Briony was summoned to talk with Shaso and Effir dan-Mozan. She joined them in the courtyard garden where only a day before she had been trying to stick a real dagger-albeit with its blade wrapped in leather-into Shaso dan-Heza's ribs. She thought of the Yisti knives hidden beneath her bet! and felt a moment of guilt: Shaso had told her she should keep them with her. She hoped he would not ask to see them.
But where are you supposed to carry knives while wearing such ridiculous clothes-no belts, billowing sleeves…?
Shaso was standing, examining the quince tree as though he were an orchardman, but EfEr dan-Mozan levered his small, round body out of his chair to greet her.
"Thank you for joining us, Princess Briony. We learned many things today and we knew you would want to hear as soon as possible what was said."
"Thank you, Effr." She looked at Shaso, wondering if he had been less eager to share the information than the merchant was suggesting: he had the look of a man who had eaten something sour.
"First off, a company of soldiers from Southmarch have been asking questions in Landers Port. They do not seem to have learned anything use¬ful, however, and they moved on to other towns a day or two ago, so that will be some relief to you, I think."
"Yes. Yes, it is." The day's outing had made her realize how little she liked being out where people could see her, but she also knew she could not hide here in the merchant's house forever.
"Also," Dan-Mozan said, "everyone who has come from the south seems to agree that the autarch is pushing forward his shipbuilding at a great pace, which does make it seem as though he plans an attack on Hierosol. Most of the other nations in Xand are already pacified, and the strongest of those which resist him are in the mountainous regions to the south. There would be little use of a great navy there."