never stabbed anyone before,” she whispered. “It’s not at all like fencing, is it?”
Gareth had his arm around her, pulling her against him, feeling her shake. In a few moments the shaking stopped.
“I’m all right. I think,” she said. “But maybe some brandy?” She drank it down as they heard the clatter of a dozen or more horses in the courtyard.
“That’ll be the King’s Guard,” she said. “I’ll have them take you to the
Steadfast,
and make sure your uncle knows where to go to say good-bye.”
“I best be going too,” Labala said, upending his mug. “I don’t need none of the kingsmen, but perhaps I better have myself hid out for a couple of days, since nobility takes shit like we did seriously.”
Gareth was looking intently at Labala. “You really like what you’re doing? Being a fortune-teller and all?”
Labala shrugged uncomfortably.
“Better’n heaving big bags of stuff around, I guess.”
“I know a ship,” Gareth said, “that’s looking for crew.”
“I dreamed, off and on, of going to sea, like my family used to do, before we got stuck here in Saros,” Labala said. “But I never had anybody stand good for me.”
“I’ll do that,” Gareth said.
“Mmmph,” Labala said. “That might be all right See some of the world and all. Gareth, I’ll go with you. Maybe we’ll have a chance to do some more foolery, like we used to.”
“Maybe,” Gareth said. “When we’re ashore, but not aboard ship.”
Labala shrugged indifference.
Gareth turned to Cosyra.
“I’m sorry.”
Cosyra made a face. “There’ll be other times for oysters.”
“You promise?”
“I promise,” she whispered, lips parting as she came to him.
• • •
From the
Mercantile Posting
:
The carrack Steadfast, 220 tons. Captai Luynes, cargo of trading goods, from North Basin, for Nalta Mouth and beyond, under sealed orders.
Six
The
Steadfast
sailed east-southeast, past Adrianople, Prim, Killis, other cities Gareth had traded with, into the tropics.
Gareth found a new pleasure — seeing friends enjoy something new, things that he’d already discovered: the constant tradewind that now was cooling, instead of freezing the sailors; the blue skies and rolling oceans; the taste of unfamiliar fish netted from the stern yard and grilled on a charcoal brazier and drenched in lime juice; floating coconuts fished up, split and their milk drunk, still unspoiled by the salt water; the warmth of the sun; the soft skies that welcomed a dreamy night watch.
Tom and Knoll learned shipboard routine readily. Labala seemed to have a little trouble at first, but his constant cheerfulness and enormous strength kept him from making enemies.
Gareth watched with amusement. The thought came that he needed but one other friend here to be utterly content, and that brought his mood crashing down.
Cosyra, just a friend? Of course not. He didn’t want to sleep with his other friends. But was just basic lust all of it?
He was afraid not, but he refused to countenance love. Love was an anchor, a millstone, that held you back, and tied you to staleness and the land.
Not that he had any particular reason to think that Cosyra was in love with
him,
of course. He knew lust wasn’t an exclusively male emotion.
But this made him brood further, about what he wasn’t sure. He tried to pay attention to his accounts, which, considering the hidden cargoes, was a little complicated. Gareth was more than happy to be called on deck by Captain Luynes.
He realized it must be a serious matter when Luynes told the deck officer he’d take the watch and took Gareth on up to the deserted stern castle.
“This man Labala,” he said without preamble. “You wanted me to sign him aboard.”
“Yes, sir. Is there anything the matter with him?”
“Other than he’s a godsdamned magician, nothing. Did you know he’s a spellcaster?”
“Yes,” Gareth admitted. “He told me he played about with some small pieces of
Gareth had his arm around her, pulling her against him, feeling her shake. In a few moments the shaking stopped.
“I’m all right. I think,” she said. “But maybe some brandy?” She drank it down as they heard the clatter of a dozen or more horses in the courtyard.
“That’ll be the King’s Guard,” she said. “I’ll have them take you to the
Steadfast,
and make sure your uncle knows where to go to say good-bye.”
“I best be going too,” Labala said, upending his mug. “I don’t need none of the kingsmen, but perhaps I better have myself hid out for a couple of days, since nobility takes shit like we did seriously.”
Gareth was looking intently at Labala. “You really like what you’re doing? Being a fortune-teller and all?”
Labala shrugged uncomfortably.
“Better’n heaving big bags of stuff around, I guess.”
“I know a ship,” Gareth said, “that’s looking for crew.”
“I dreamed, off and on, of going to sea, like my family used to do, before we got stuck here in Saros,” Labala said. “But I never had anybody stand good for me.”
“I’ll do that,” Gareth said.
“Mmmph,” Labala said. “That might be all right See some of the world and all. Gareth, I’ll go with you. Maybe we’ll have a chance to do some more foolery, like we used to.”
“Maybe,” Gareth said. “When we’re ashore, but not aboard ship.”
Labala shrugged indifference.
Gareth turned to Cosyra.
“I’m sorry.”
Cosyra made a face. “There’ll be other times for oysters.”
“You promise?”
“I promise,” she whispered, lips parting as she came to him.
• • •
From the
Mercantile Posting
:
The carrack Steadfast, 220 tons. Captai Luynes, cargo of trading goods, from North Basin, for Nalta Mouth and beyond, under sealed orders.
Six
The
Steadfast
sailed east-southeast, past Adrianople, Prim, Killis, other cities Gareth had traded with, into the tropics.
Gareth found a new pleasure — seeing friends enjoy something new, things that he’d already discovered: the constant tradewind that now was cooling, instead of freezing the sailors; the blue skies and rolling oceans; the taste of unfamiliar fish netted from the stern yard and grilled on a charcoal brazier and drenched in lime juice; floating coconuts fished up, split and their milk drunk, still unspoiled by the salt water; the warmth of the sun; the soft skies that welcomed a dreamy night watch.
Tom and Knoll learned shipboard routine readily. Labala seemed to have a little trouble at first, but his constant cheerfulness and enormous strength kept him from making enemies.
Gareth watched with amusement. The thought came that he needed but one other friend here to be utterly content, and that brought his mood crashing down.
Cosyra, just a friend? Of course not. He didn’t want to sleep with his other friends. But was just basic lust all of it?
He was afraid not, but he refused to countenance love. Love was an anchor, a millstone, that held you back, and tied you to staleness and the land.
Not that he had any particular reason to think that Cosyra was in love with
him,
of course. He knew lust wasn’t an exclusively male emotion.
But this made him brood further, about what he wasn’t sure. He tried to pay attention to his accounts, which, considering the hidden cargoes, was a little complicated. Gareth was more than happy to be called on deck by Captain Luynes.
He realized it must be a serious matter when Luynes told the deck officer he’d take the watch and took Gareth on up to the deserted stern castle.
“This man Labala,” he said without preamble. “You wanted me to sign him aboard.”
“Yes, sir. Is there anything the matter with him?”
“Other than he’s a godsdamned magician, nothing. Did you know he’s a spellcaster?”
“Yes,” Gareth admitted. “He told me he played about with some small pieces of
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