A Gathering Of Stones

6

The HourGong in the drumtower boomed twice as Maksim drove the dulic onto a ferry landing. He was the only one there, the to-ing and fro-ing of the morning was long finished. The ferryman was annoyed at being called from his afternoon nap and took his time winching the cable off the riverbottom where he had to leave it between trips so he wouldn’t tear the keels off the riverboats. He demanded a takk for his efforts, but accepted ten dugnas after several minutes of shouts and groans and beatings of his breast. It was too much, but Maksim didn’t feel like arguing any longer, he didn’t have the energy for it. He drove the dulic onto the flatboat and chocked the wheels while the ferryman whistled up his sons. A small boy who couldn’t have been more than five started beating on a gong to warn off ships and barges; the ferryman and the two older boys got busy at the windlass. With the clumsy craft groaning and complaining, the water boiling around it, shreds from the jeppu mats bumping about its side, the man and his sons wound the ferry across the south branch of the river, sweat turning their arms and shoulders to shining brass.

When they reached the other side, there were several riders with a small herd of sheep wanting passage into the city, so the ferryman’s sweat on the return trip wouldn’t be wasted. As the bargaining got noisy, then noisier, Maksim unchocked his wheels and drove onto the landing. He clucked the mules into a quicker walk and headed toward the Dhia Asatas which were lines of pale blue ink written on the paler blue of the sky.

III Korimenei

Under the prodding of her brother-in-eidolon Korimenei sailed south along the coast to the Jade King’s city, Jade Halimm. She was on her way to steal Frunzacoache from the spiritpouch of a Rushgaramuv shaman and take it to the Cave of the Chained God where her brother waited for her to touch him awake.

“No, no, no,” her brother screamed at her. The eidolon of the sleeping boy floated beside Korimenei as she leaned on the sill of her bedroom window and looked out across the busy harbor at Jade Halimm.

“Why?” She watched a Coaster from the north glide in and drop sails. “What’s wrong with taking a Merchanter to Bandrabahr, then a riverboat up to Dil Jorpashil? The Rushgaramuv pass the Lake on their way to wintering in the Dhia Asatas; it’ll be easy to pick them up there and follow them until I know enough to take the talisman. I’ll have to go more miles that way, but a well-found Merchanter can outpace a caravan in anything but a calm. I don’t get seasick, so it’s more comfortable than land travel. The most important thing is, it’s safer, Tre. I’m a woman traveling alone. I’m young and not hideous. Let me tell you what that means. I’m fair game, Tre. Anything on two legs that fancies his chances will have a grab at me.”

“Kori, listen to yourself. You sound like AuntNurse lecturing naughty girls on chastity and virginity. That’s not you.”

“You think I’m just being female? You haven’t been watching the past few days. Aaahl I was spoiled by Silili. I had the school back of me there. I’m not in school now and no one’s backing me but me. It makes a difference, Tre. A big difference. I went to the Market this morning. It was like I was running a gauntlet. Ailiki bit one man. I singed another who wouldn’t back off. I got pinched and fondled and squeezed and rubbed against. I spent an hour in the baths when I got back here and I still feel dirty. I want to go by ship, Trй, I want civilized surroundings, I want folk around me who know I’m not safe to mess with and who’ll leave me alone.”

“You’re not doing it right, that’s all. Don’t go out by yourself. Hire a guide, that’s what they’re for.”

“Dream on. Tre, all I have is the money Maksim gave me. It has to last until I can get to the cave and wake you. I can’t waste it on extras like guides.” She tried to see him more clearly, gave up after a minute. Foolish. It was just an image he was projecting, not him. She felt like crying. They’d been so close, once. He didn’t even sound like him any more. I’ve changed too, she thought. For a moment she rebelled against his demands; let him lay there, he was safe enough; let me get on with my life. She sighed and pushed the temptation away. He was her brother, her dearest. Well, he had been, and she owed something to that memory. “Another reason for going by ship. When you, count in everything you need for land travel, the sea is cheaper.”

“Not when you count in Amortis.”

“Who said anything about Amortis? You won’t let me near Cheonea.”

“Who said anything about Cheonea? I’m talking about Havi Kudush. That’s where her Temple is, that’s her ground, the well of her power, where she went when Settsimaksimin fell. By now she’s replaced what the Drinker of Souls stripped from her, but she hasn’t forgot it.”

“The well of her power, hmm. You sound like one of my teachers.”

“Kushundallian discoursing on the fundamentals of god-hood?”

“Right. You were watching?”

“You know I was. Stop dithering. If you go upriver from Bandrabahr, you pass through the heart of her ground. Do you think she’s forgot you, Kori? Do you think she doesn’t know who brought the Drinker of Souls to Cheonea? Do you think you can slip by her? Well?”

“No, I don’t think any of those things. You’ve made your point. What 1 don’t understand is why you let me come this far south. I could have gone north to Andurya Durat and been on my way by now.”

“Durat? Don’t be an idiot, Kori. It’d take you a year and a small fortune to get a pass to the Silk Road. No. Jade Halimm is the place to start if you need to travel the Road. You take a riverboat up the Wansheeri to Kapi Yuntipek; you get what you need there and take the Road to Jorpashil. It’s too late for caravans; you’ll have to travel by yourself. You can handle that, Kori; you know you can.”

“What if the passes are closed?”

“They aren’t. Not yet.”

“How do you know?”

“Trust me. I know. There’s been one storm in the mountains, it laid down three, four inches, but they’ve had rain since, so most of that snow is gone. You’ve got around a month before you’ll have trouble getting through.”

“So now you’re Kiykoyl tosNiak, weather wizard?”

“I see what I see.”

“That’s the fact, huh?”

“That’s the fact, yeh.”

“You weren’t around on the Mountain. I needed to talk to you, Tit.”

He didn’t answer. As he hadn’t answered then. She straightened. “It’s suppertime. catch Our Host, see what riverboats are in and when they’re leaving. With a little luck, I’ll be out of here tomorrow.”