anointed Mishrah-Khote priest, you are by definition a fraud — and they do not anoint women.”
Reikos shook his head. “They would never deny a true miracle!”
“They care nothing for truth, nor for miracles. They only want to protect their own position, their wealth . I’ve known that since my mother died horribly, under their care.” Angry tears crowded her eyes; she turned away, staring unseeing out the porthole. “I know you are not from here, but you must know how things are.”
“Sian, Sian.” Reikos put his arm around her shoulder, his voice gentle. “Don’t be sad. It will be all right. It is a large and confusing thing, I can see that. But it is still a good thing.”
She shrugged him off. “It is certainly not . That man is targeting my family — he knew me by name. And I can’t even get Maleen to leave the islands. Everyone has gone mad.” Reikos continued to look at her, excited but stymied. “You as well — are you listening to me at all? How can you not see how threatening this is?”
Reikos spread his arms out in a gesture of helplessness. “Who am I to question a gift from the gods?”
“But the gods don’t give gifts! Not here! There have been no gods in Alizar for … ever!”
“Did one not wash up on your shores a year or two ago? We talked of this, remember? Sian, where else could such a gift have come from? What else can it mean? You have been chosen. You cannot withhold this gift from those who need you! Think of all the folk who suffer in this world. Think of all the children!”
Sian could not ignore the eager gleam in his eyes. He wasn’t concerned about sick children or suffering folk … he was too excited. Scheming already. A sensational new commodity fallen into his hands literally from heaven …
“What would you have me do?” Sian asked, her voice quiet.
“Mansur, of the Valiant, two berths down — a very wealthy man! — he has a crewman with the bloodpox …”
“No!” Sian surged to her feet. Wealth! She’d known it. “I thought you’d help me — I see I was wrong.” Eyes blurred with tears, she struggled with the door-latch, then wrestled it open.
“I want nothing more than to help you!” Reikos protested.
Sian ignored him as she stumbled to the gangway, nearly tripping as she hurried down to the street below. Reikos followed her as far as the rail, beseeching her to come back and just listen — but she had heard enough. He would sell her curse to the highest bidder! If she’d known how, she’d have given him his purple thumb back again, and twice as hard.
Sian was almost more angry with herself than at Reikos. She had badly misjudged him, blinded by the sweetness of their private relationship. Well, and his previously honest business dealings with her over the years.
How could he think to profit from her misfortune!
It was quite clear to her now why he had never married. He obviously had no understanding of women, beyond the gentle game of occasional dalliance. He certainly did not know how to listen.
No one did, it seemed. Not her daughter. Or her lover …
Madness. Everything had become madness. She had no choice left but to go home to the Eyot — to face Arouf alone. And why not? Really, why not? He was her husband! Her business partner all these years. Father of her daughters. Why should he, if anyone, not help her? Why should she so fear asking him to? Madness! Everywhere. Even in herself. Half the day remained. She should have gone there to begin with.
There was a boat yard nearby — Jennian’s. They had done repair work on her skiff not long ago, competently and at a fair price. She put her back to Fair Passage and headed off to rent a sailboat.
Jennian’s son, a strapping boy of twenty, was in the boat yard, sanding the boards of a small rowboat which sat up on blocks by the main warehouse. Sian thought his name was Andian, or was it Anther?
He looked up from his work at her approach. “Domina Kattë! What can I do
Reikos shook his head. “They would never deny a true miracle!”
“They care nothing for truth, nor for miracles. They only want to protect their own position, their wealth . I’ve known that since my mother died horribly, under their care.” Angry tears crowded her eyes; she turned away, staring unseeing out the porthole. “I know you are not from here, but you must know how things are.”
“Sian, Sian.” Reikos put his arm around her shoulder, his voice gentle. “Don’t be sad. It will be all right. It is a large and confusing thing, I can see that. But it is still a good thing.”
She shrugged him off. “It is certainly not . That man is targeting my family — he knew me by name. And I can’t even get Maleen to leave the islands. Everyone has gone mad.” Reikos continued to look at her, excited but stymied. “You as well — are you listening to me at all? How can you not see how threatening this is?”
Reikos spread his arms out in a gesture of helplessness. “Who am I to question a gift from the gods?”
“But the gods don’t give gifts! Not here! There have been no gods in Alizar for … ever!”
“Did one not wash up on your shores a year or two ago? We talked of this, remember? Sian, where else could such a gift have come from? What else can it mean? You have been chosen. You cannot withhold this gift from those who need you! Think of all the folk who suffer in this world. Think of all the children!”
Sian could not ignore the eager gleam in his eyes. He wasn’t concerned about sick children or suffering folk … he was too excited. Scheming already. A sensational new commodity fallen into his hands literally from heaven …
“What would you have me do?” Sian asked, her voice quiet.
“Mansur, of the Valiant, two berths down — a very wealthy man! — he has a crewman with the bloodpox …”
“No!” Sian surged to her feet. Wealth! She’d known it. “I thought you’d help me — I see I was wrong.” Eyes blurred with tears, she struggled with the door-latch, then wrestled it open.
“I want nothing more than to help you!” Reikos protested.
Sian ignored him as she stumbled to the gangway, nearly tripping as she hurried down to the street below. Reikos followed her as far as the rail, beseeching her to come back and just listen — but she had heard enough. He would sell her curse to the highest bidder! If she’d known how, she’d have given him his purple thumb back again, and twice as hard.
Sian was almost more angry with herself than at Reikos. She had badly misjudged him, blinded by the sweetness of their private relationship. Well, and his previously honest business dealings with her over the years.
How could he think to profit from her misfortune!
It was quite clear to her now why he had never married. He obviously had no understanding of women, beyond the gentle game of occasional dalliance. He certainly did not know how to listen.
No one did, it seemed. Not her daughter. Or her lover …
Madness. Everything had become madness. She had no choice left but to go home to the Eyot — to face Arouf alone. And why not? Really, why not? He was her husband! Her business partner all these years. Father of her daughters. Why should he, if anyone, not help her? Why should she so fear asking him to? Madness! Everywhere. Even in herself. Half the day remained. She should have gone there to begin with.
There was a boat yard nearby — Jennian’s. They had done repair work on her skiff not long ago, competently and at a fair price. She put her back to Fair Passage and headed off to rent a sailboat.
Jennian’s son, a strapping boy of twenty, was in the boat yard, sanding the boards of a small rowboat which sat up on blocks by the main warehouse. Sian thought his name was Andian, or was it Anther?
He looked up from his work at her approach. “Domina Kattë! What can I do
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