The Usurper

53

“I am uneasy,” said Julian. “Why this delay?”

“Others wait, as well,” said Otto, looking about.

In the trading hall, where Julian, Otto, and Tuvo Ausonius waited, with their bolts of cloth and flat, lacquered boxes of jewels, were at least eleven other mercantile delegations, these, too, occupying benches arranged around large display tables.

One would be summoned from the trading hall, used for bulk trading, to the private, more exclusive selling chamber, the reception chamber, provided the preliminary ascertainments of abundance and quality, these made by agents, had been deemed satisfactory. This portion of the business had already been concluded satisfactorily, and our friends, and some others, were now waiting for an opportunity to bring their goods to the attention of buyers, presumably, in this case, the daughters of kings, selecting goods for a trousseau.

“Do you think we are taken seriously as gown-and-jewel merchants?” asked Tuvo Ausonius.

“Why not?” asked Julian.

“You would seem more in place on the bridge of an imperial cruiser,” said Tuvo, “and friend Ottonius might seem more at home on some leaf-strewn path in a dark forest, a bow in hand.”

“Rurik, then,” said Julian. “The house of the Farnichi is a great trading house.”

“Perhaps,” said Tuvo Ausonius.

“He even brought a slave with him,” said Julian.

“Doubtless as an accouterment to his disguise,” said Tuvo.

“Doubtless,” said Julian. “Still, some men are fond of their little beasts, and it is pleasant to have one at one’s feet.”

“I doubt that he would risk a valued slave in our desperate enterprise,” said Tuvo.

“One supposes he would not,” said Julian. “He is of the Farnichi, and the slave, as I understand it, was of the Calasalii. If so, she is fortunate not to have been thrown to dogs or wolves.”

“I know the slave,” said Otto. “Once, when she thought herself free, she tried to kill me.”

“Surely you are mistaken,” said Julian.

“No,” said Otto.

“In any event,” said Julian, “there is little point in worrying about that now, she now in a collar, and well at Rurik’s feet.”

“Do you not remember her, from Tangara?” asked Otto.

“From Tangara?” said Julian.

“From the wilderness camp,” said Otto.

“Surely she is not the one!” said Julian.

“You saw her, briefly,” said Otto.

“Yes!” said Tuvo Ausonius.

“She was soon marked and sold to Heruls,” said Otto.

“She is so different!” said Julian.

“Yes,” said Otto. “Now she is not only collared, but now knows herself collared.”

“I did not recognize her,” said Julian. “She is far more beautiful now.”

“Surely,” said Otto, “the collar does much for the beauty of a woman, in a thousand dimensions.”

“It is more than a collar,” said Julian.

“Of course,” said Otto. “It is the being of a slave.”

“She was the one, the assassin planted by Iaachus amongst slave girls?” said Julian.

“Yes,” said Otto.

“There was a knife,” said Tuvo Ausonius.

“Yes,” said Otto.

“Slaves fear even to touch a knife,” said Tuvo, “for fear of having their ears and nose cut off, and their hands.”

“At that time,” said Otto, “she naively thought herself free, thought to accomplish her act, and be rushed away to safety and wealth. Doubtless she grew disabused of this notion when she found the cattle bell of the Heruls chained about her neck.”

“It seems a shame to waste such a slave on Heruls,” said Julian.

“Perhaps she would be safer with them than the Farnichi,” said Tuvo Ausonius.

“I do not like the delay,” said Julian, looking about.

“Other mercantile delegations wait, too,” said Otto.

“Surely some have been admitted,” said Tuvo Ausonius.

“I am sure of it,” said Otto.

“You have wandered much about the compound,” said Julian.

“It seemed well to do so,” said Otto.

“Did you discover the housing of the princesses?” asked Julian.

“No,” said Otto.

“I thought not,” said Julian. “The princesses would be concealed, and guarded. Thus, there is little point to such peregrinations.”

“Perhaps there is more of interest in the compound than the princesses,” said Otto.

“What?” asked Julian.

“Let us not concern ourselves,” said Otto. “It is just a thought I have.”

“Is the ship ready for departure?” asked Julian.

“Yes,” said Otto.

“Somehow,” said Julian, “we must contact the princesses.”

“I fear there is little prospect of success,” said Tuvo Ausonius, “if we must fight our way free.”

“Subterfuge is in order,” said Julian. “There are slaves about, you have seen them. Drisriaks, like all strong men, are fond of slaves, and will have them. They particularly enjoy enslaving women of the empire. Supposedly they make excellent slaves. I wonder if they, in their silken, golden beds, know that. We will meet with the princesses, I trust privately. We carry with us collars, and tunics. We shall disguise the princesses as slaves, and conduct them to the ship, and make our departure. Of the hundreds of men in this compound, I suspect few would recognize the princesses, and fewer yet, in the guise of slaves.”

“It is a bold plan,” said Tuvo Ausonius, “but fraught with danger.”

“I trust the princesses, in their haughtiness and royal modesty, will approve of our plan,” said Otto.

“I have brought along soft cloths,” said Julian, “and a potion which, soaked into these cloths, might be applied perforce to the lovely visages of possibly reluctant princesses, producing almost immediately a state of unconsciousness. One need then only strip them and replace their doubtless splendidly concealing attire with a garb more suitable to slaves. We may then carry them, half naked, with collars on their necks, to the ship.”

“But we have not yet made contact with the princesses,” said Tuvo Ausonius. “And we have been here for days.”

“We must be patient,” said Julian.

“Surely you are apprehensive,” said Otto.

“Of course,” said Julian.

“Each of these other delegations were contacted, and invited here, by agents of Drisriaks,” said Otto. “I determined this by inquiry.”

“It is also clear, or seemingly so,” said Julian, “given the need for secrecy, and concealment, there has been little, if any, communication between such agents and Tenguthaxichai. A breaking of radio silence might soon cloud the sky with imperial ships. Thusly we pose as having been invited, a ruse which, if hazardous, appears vindicated, as we have not been challenged or molested. Our stay here has been, thus far, if trying, untroubled.”

“Look,” said Tuvo Ausonius, “one of the delegations is being summoned.”

“Good,” said Julian.

“Where is Rurik?” asked Otto.

“I have not seen him today,” said Julian.