After an hour, they were floating in tea and both feeling faintly sick from all the variations they’d tried. The best they could come up with was to make the tea stronger, add more honey and a few aromatic suik seeds. It still wasn’t delicious, but it wasn’t actively nauseating. “With our luck, it will be fair until Darshek,” Reji said, grimacing as he pushed the latest batch away, “and this will have been a waste of time.”
“It’s never a waste of time to find drugs that work,” Kei said. “Let me take this to Reis and Jera. They should be desperate enough to try anything.”
“I think I’ll keep the beasts on what we’re using, but add some more honey—they’re not so fussy. The main thing is to keep them drinking,” Reji said. “I’ll find you for lunch—is Arman going to join you?”
“He’s not allowed on deck in this weather,” Kei said firmly. “I’ll nail his feet to the floor if he tries to climb those wet stairs.”
Reji flicked his braid as he passed him. “You might have the hair for it, but he’s the one on the leash, I see.”
“As it should be,” Kei said with a grin. “Come find me later.”
Reji waved and left. Kei set the pot to boiling again, and made up a batch of the new formula for the tea.
“Oh, hello, Kei.”
He looked up and smiled at Neka. “Good morning—how are the patients?”
“Awful,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “Poor Reis. Neris and Meda don’t know what to do with him.”
“There’s not a lot they can do, but I believe the weather is going to improve, the captain said. You can take this to Jera, if you like. I hope this won’t make him as sick as the last batch.”
She took the teapot and sniffed at it suspiciously. “Doesn’t smell too bad. Is it nasty?”
“Not as much. He needs to drink it even if it is—he’ll feel better later. If he’s hungry and wants to eat, Cook is going to make up some meat broth. He can have that.” He collected his own pot and a mug. “Come on.”
The motion of the ship made it hard to keep their feet, and he had to grip Neka’s arm to keep her from falling. Finally they got to the deck where the Gifted had their berths. “I’ll call in and see Jera in a few minutes. Try to get him to sip this—anything he gets down will help.”
Meda opened the door at his knock. “Oh, gods, Kei, I was just coming to find you—I think he’s dying!”
“I think that’s unlikely,” Kei said calmly. The cabin smelled pretty ripe—it wouldn’t be helping Reis even if he weren’t seasick. He set the pot and mug down and came over to where Neris was wiping Reis’s face, looking as worried as his other lover was about their companion. “Didn’t get much sleep?”
Reis looked up at him with miserable eyes. “I want to die.”
“That’s a little different from actually being close to death, so I’ll take that as a good sign.” Reis really looked very poor though. “The weather’s improving, and I’ve adjusted the taste of the tea. Want to try it?”
Reis looked nauseated at the very thought, but Neris propped him up and Meda brought a cup over for him. Kei helped him sip it. “Well?”
“Yuck. But not so much,” he said with a wan look, leaning back against Neris again.
“Good. Drink that. You know, this room stinks. Meda, please open the porthole—fresh air is more important than a little rain.” While Reis drank the tea with much pulling of faces, Kei took his pulse and assessed his condition—his pulse was fast and his skin was too cool. “I think we need to try the pijn again, Reis. You need to get some sleep.”
Kei had already had this argument, so the response was expected, even tired as Reis clearly was. “It’s nasty and I don’t like being drugged.”
“No, but your body doesn’t like you being exhausted—and look at Meda and Neris. They need a rest too.”
Reis gripped his wrist. “Maybe if you stay with me, Kei. I think I can sleep if you stay.”
Over his head, Neris raised an eyebrow at Kei. “I’ve no objection, if you don’t mind.”
“All right. Let me go and see if Jera is all right. I’ll make no promise until I see him, and you need to drink another mug of tea while I’m gone,” he said sternly. Reis nodded, the relief he was feeling at the prospect of Kei’s return unmistakeable.
Kei had considerable doubts he would make a difference, but if his patient wanted something so simple, he wouldn’t deny it. Jera was sleeping, having had an entire mug of tea, Neka proudly reported. He could safely be left in her hands.
The only thing he had to do was find Arman and let him know where to find him. He made his way to the other end of the ship where the Rulers’ cabin was, and knocked on the door. Lord Meki answered. “Good morning, Kei. Is there a problem?”
“No, my lord. I just need a brief word with Arman.”
Arman was already on his feet and limping over. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Kei said, nearly sighing at his lover’s protectiveness. “Reis has asked me to stay with him this morning to help him get some rest, that’s all. I wanted you to know where I was.”
Arman frowned and ushered him back into the corridor, shutting the cabin door behind him. “Is that necessary, Kei? I don’t want them imposing on you. Why can’t Meda or Neris stay with him?”
“Because they’re as exhausted as he is and the minute I get back I’m going to chase them away to find some sleep. Reis is very ill. He needs the rest.”
“Then give him some pijn.”
Kei folded his arms. “Are you presuming to tell me how to treat my patients, general? Shall I plan your next battle for you?”
Arman held up a hand in apology. “I’m sorry, you’re quite right. Just remember your limits—I know what you’re like when you think you’re needed. Other people need you too, don’t forget.”
“I know. How goes it?”
He pulled a face. “I never realised how clever you were that you picked up our tongue so easily.”
“I had two months living with soldiers and my survival depended on it. If my incentive had only been flattering that poisonous snake you call sovereign, and I only had a week to do it, I don’t think I’d have been so good at it.”
“Perhaps not. Perhaps it’s your youth too. Never mind,” he said wearily. “I’d love some fresh air,” he added, giving Kei his most pathetic look.
“Too bad,” Kei said heartlessly. “If it stops raining and the ship stops rolling, you can come up later and not before.”
“You’re getting your own back for Utuk, aren’t you?”
Kei leaned over and kissed him. “Not at all. I hold no grudge against
you
for that.” He let himself enjoy holding Arman for a moment or two, then set him free. “I’ll find you later.
Below
deck, general, or I’ll want an explanation.”
“You’re a hard man. Some might accuse you of inflexibility.”
“So long as the same thing can’t be said of your leg, then yes, I am.”
Arman shook his head at the poor joke and then laid his hand on Kei’s arm. “Just don’t overdo it,” he said and then went back into the cabin.
Kei sighed and went back to Reis’s cabin. “All right, Meda, Neris, go find an empty room and get some sleep. I’m ordering you away until Reis wakes up.”
Although they each kissed Reis affectionately before they left and assured them they wouldn’t be far away, Kei sensed their relief—Meda was as pale as Reis, and Neris was frowning from an obvious headache. At least the air was fresher, and Reis, although he looked perfectly wretched, wasn’t actually vomiting. Kei was going to sit in a chair by the bunk, but Reis waved weakly at him, indicating Kei should sit on the bed itself so Reis could put his head on his lap. Rather glad Arman wasn’t here to lecture him about it, Kei readily obeyed.
Reis, he’d discovered, was a very tactile person, and took full advantage of having two lovers to satisfy his need to be touched. It didn’t surprise Kei at all Reis wanted to be in contact with him, and provided the mind-mover wasn’t being too depressed or angry, and Kei had a little time to prepare, he could easily bear it. Reis, only just a couple of months younger than Kei, had a rather simple, openhearted personality, rather child-like in his curious and affectionate, occasionally mischievous nature. Of course, that made him feel emotional blows more deeply, but it meant when he loved or formed a friendship, it was equally strongly felt. Kei had grown very fond of him, and all the Gifted. There was so little malice in them. It restored his faith in people.
Right now, all Kei detected was intense weariness, nausea and a little fear—probably because Reis was so sick he couldn’t imagine ever feeling well again. “The weather’s improving,” he said quietly, stroking Reis’ forehead. “As soon as we stop rolling, you’ll feel well again. It’ll be like magic.” Reis stared back, too miserable to care. “I want you to sleep,” Kei said gently, using the tone of voice he used with Arman to help him relax during sex—something he wouldn’t tell either man.
Reis clutched at his hand. “Never felt this sick. Why me?”
“Bad luck, I’m afraid. We don’t know what causes it, but if you drink that tea, you’ll suffer no permanent effect. In fact, you’ll feel perfectly well within a short time once the weather improves, I promise.”
“Talk to me. I like your voice.”
“What about?”
“Home? Or...Arman, maybe?”
“Same thing,” he said, joking—and then realised it was perfectly true. “If I tell you about my village, you have to try and sleep, all right?”
Reis nodded, and Kei did as he said he would, talking about his parents and his sister. It didn’t surprise him that Reis eased as he spoke—now Bikel had explained better how his gift worked, Kei used it consciously to help his patients, letting them feed from his calmer emotions which caused him no harm provided he didn’t overdo it. No chance of doing that with Arman and Reji around.
He kept his voice quiet, certain with the improving ship motion, Reis’s exhaustion and the tea, his patient would drop off quickly. So it proved to be, Reis still holding his hand as he fell asleep. Kei could leave now, but he didn’t want to disturb the man, and besides, it was a chance to make sure he and his lovers really did get some rest. He did lift his mental ‘voice’ and speak to Neka, checking Jera was also still asleep, and asking her to let Meda and Neris know Reis was fine.
He wasn’t tired, but the cabin was warm and the motion of the ship had a hypnotic effect on him, so he dozed lightly for several hours. When he woke properly, the light through the porthole was noticeably brighter and the ship was rolling far less. Reis was still fast asleep, still very pale.
Kei?
What, Neka?
Meda wants to know if they can come back in.
If they like. He’s asleep.
He felt Neka ‘nod’. Not long after, the cabin door opened and Neris walked in. Kei put his finger to his lips to signal silence and pantomimed they should change places. With great care, Neris slid under Reis and let Kei up. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “Meda’s on deck.”
“I’ll find her.”
As he left, Neris was smiling at Reis—the fire-shaper rarely smiled, as if Reis had stolen all his amiability, though he was as gentle a soul as either of his lovers. For some reason, he only felt able to express that side of himself to them. Kei responded to what he sensed and not what he saw. He liked Neris for his kind, if prickly, nature, and the tenderness he showed his lovers.
The weather was much improved and the sun shone brightly, looking set to quickly dry the puddles of rainwater left all over the deck. On the boats ahead and behind, sailors on deck mopped up the water, as they were beginning to do on his own ship. Arman would have his walk later. Meda was leaning on the rail. “Did you get any sleep?”
“Some. I’ll have some more later. How is he?”
“Asleep—tired, of course. He won’t be much use the rest of the day, I think. You should all get more sleep, if you can.”
“I might—I just wanted to be out in the air now. I don’t like being confined.” As Kei looked out at the sea, he saw a series of waterspouts rising, being made to dance like a fountain, and then he saw jijel dolphins playing in among them, leaping through the spouts. “Aren’t they pretty?” she sighed. “I love dolphins and whales.”
“Yes, they’re pretty, and so is your art.”
“Reis like my waterspouts. He likes
you
, Kei. He’s going to miss you when you go home.”
“I’ll miss him. I’ll miss you all. I’ll think of you often, I know.”
“There’s no ocean in Ai-Albon,” she said sadly. “I wouldn’t like to visit where there wasn’t water to play with. Big water, I mean. Not puddles.”
Kei smiled at the idea of one of her creations being lifted above the big waterhole in the village, and how the children would love it. “Perhaps I could come and visit you again one day.”
“Would you?” she asked, turning to him with a hopeful expression. “Oh, that would be wonderful. And Reis wouldn’t be so sad—but do you mean years and years away?”
“I hope not,” he said, not sure when he would ever come back to the city. “But I’ve just been gone for over half a year. My sister is sad too.”
“She would be. If I had you as a brother,” she said, putting her arm through Kei’s, “I would never let you out of my sight.”
“She didn’t have a lot of choice in the matter.”