"The tragedy of a wasted youth," Azakar said.
"I think I'd rather swim to Dala Yar Arak," Faalken muttered.
"The ship carries a carnival, children," Dolanna told them. "It is supposed to be as festive as the troupe which it carries."
"That looks like it partied itself to death, Dolanna," Faalken grunted.
"Be that as it may, Renoit has agreed to interview us. This is our best chance, so do not do anything to ruin it for us."
"There goes my idea," Keritanima muttered to Tarrin in Sha'Kar. "I'd rather face my father's entire fleet than be seen on board that deck."
"I thought you said you knew Renoit," Miranda asked.
"I do, but you forget our ultimate objective. To pass as carnival performers and be able to move freely in Dala Yar Arak, we must be carnival performers. Renoit is going to place us within his carnival so that we may pass for real performers. Some of us already have skills and abilities that will make this easy. For others, it will not be quite so easy."
"I'm starting to like your idea, Kerri," Tarrin replied to her in Sha'Kar. "Should we sink it now, or sink it later?"
"I will have none of that," Dolanna told both of them, in almost flawless Sha'Kar. That made Tarrin gape. How had she learned so quickly?
"Magic," Keritanima told him when he gave Keritanima a curious look. "She used Sorcery."
"I didn't think we could do that."
"Well, I certainly don't know how she did it, and she won't tell me," the Wikuni said with a hostile look at Dolanna's back.
"Let us go aboard and meet Renoit's troupe," Dolanna announced.
Tarrin scratched at the skin on his wrist. The manacles were gone from his arms, locked in the elsewhere that the amulet provided. They were too loose on his human arms anyway. The itching was normal, just as common as the nagging pain that focused in those limbs and body parts that were most radically altered when he held human form. Hands and feet, ears, skull, and his spine. Actually his entire skeleton, for he was about a hand shorter when in human form than when in his normal form. The tattering of his trousers, where his claws snagged on them when he put them on, had brought the ragged end of each leg close to his ankle, so they at least didn't look too much out of place. But the shoes were another matter. Haley had conjured them using Druidic magic. One of Druidic magic's little unique tricks, the ability to summon or create objects made of natural materials, or which existed naturally. He had conjured leather shoes that fit perfectly to his human feet, a parting gift for the Were-cat. They felt wrong, after so many months walking around barefoot.
Walking up the gangplank with all their belongings, they stopped just on deck. The deck, thank all that was holy, wasn't painted. It was varnished to protect the wood from the seawater, but at least it looked normal. It was the only thing that looked normal on the ship. Moving about on it were men and women, some young, and all of them looking to be in fantastic physical condition, wearing plain, drab clothing and no shoes. Dolanna had once said that Renoit's performers doubled as the ship's crew. Judging by the ease with which two young humans moved through the rigging, walking confidently along narrow ropes and along spars, he didn't doubt it. Dolanna called to a young man with raven hair, telling him to go get Renoit, and the group stood there and waited.
Tarrin scrubbed vigorously at his scalp, where his cat ear usually would be. "Would you stop that? You look like you have fleas," Keritanima told him.
"It feels like someone glued my ears to my head," he replied, scratching harder. "And these nails just can't get the job done. I keep trying to extend my claws."
"That would be a neat trick," she said with a toothy grin.
The man that had to be Renoit arrived a moment later. He was a tall man, but the rotund roundness of his body told him that he was no performer. He was obese, but the way he moved said that he carried that weight lightly, easily, and that he was much stronger than one would think for such a large man. He was a man unfettered by his own weight. He wore a costume not too much unlike the garish uniform of the Wikuni captain, a blue waistcoat with a white vest and red shirt underneath, tan trousers tucked into black kneeboots, and a wide-brimmed with a large blue feather stuck into the brim. He carried a polished ebony cane in his left hand, a cane with an onyx pommel and brass bindings. "Ah, Dolanna," he said in a Shacean accent. "So good of you to come so quickly, yes. These are your companions?"
"Yes, Renoit," she said with a smile. "You already know Faalken," she said, motioning to him.
"A Knight. A good bodyguard and strongman you will make, my friend, yes. A carnival needs good strapping men to protect it."
"This is Azakar, another Knight," Dolanna said, stepping up to him.
"This is a man destined for the stage," Renoit said appreciatively. "Such arms. Such a chest! He could pick up the mast!"
"With help," Azakar said calmly.
They moved forward. "This is Miranda, an aide to her Highness."
"What do you do, my dear?" he asked immediately.
"What do you mean?" she replied.
"What can you do?" he asked again. "All who travel on this ship must contribute to the carnival."
"I'm very good with my hands," she said.
"Ah, but you have the body of a dancer," he said, looking her up and down deliberately. "You will dance for us, Miranda, yes, and many hearts will flutter with the swaying of your hips."
"As you know, her Highness travels with protection. Binter and Sisska provide that," Dolanna said, introducing the two Vendari, who were hidden behind illusions of large, imposing human bodyguards. "Because of the situation, these two you may not have, Renoit. Their duties prevent them from being too far from their charges."
"That, I can live with, yes," Renoit agreed. "But you can also serve the Dancer with your swords as well as the Princess."
"We would be honored to do so, Captain," Binter said in his deep voice.
"The honor is ours," Sisska agreed.
"This is Allia. I'm sure that she can excel in whatever task you give her," Dolanna said, motioning to the Selani.
"A Selani," he said in surprise. "A great honor it is to have you here, maiden, yes. Many skills you can show to my performers, and many things you can do to astound the audience."
"If Dolanna so orders it," Allia said tightly.
"I do so order it, Allia," the Sorceress said with hard eyes. "This is Tarrin. His worth to you will be more clear once we leave Dayise, and we can show you his true talents."
"Tall, slim. Good legs. This one is an acrobat, yes," Renoit said speculatively, looking at him.
"More than you realize, Renoit," Dolanna promised in a light voice, moving down the line. "This is Kerri. I think it would be best for her to be known so. Her longer name may incite worry among your crew."
"Quite so," he agreed, assessing her. "And what skills do you possess?"
"I can juggle and perform sleight of hand," she replied calmly.
"Jugglers I have, and there are no shortage of magicians here. No, your body cries out to move to the beat of a tamborine. You will dance for us, Kerri, and make men's knees turn to water."
"I will not," she said in sudden icy fury. "I will not abase myself in front of a crowd of lecherous-"
"Dancing is beauty, young Wikuni," Renoit cut her off. "Your beauty begs to be appreciated. You have the body of a dancer, and a crime it would be, yes, to deny it the chance to shine."
"Kerri," Dolanna said sharply. "You agreed-"
"I never agreed to being put on display," she seethed.
"We will talk about this later," Dolanna promised, giving the Wikuni a flat look, then she moved on to let Keritanima fume. "This is Dar. He may appear young, but he has a talent which no other performer can match."