Chenda and the Airship Brofman (38 page)

Chenda interrupted them by shouldering between them and grabbing each by the hand.

There are two men to the south of us, almost a mile away. They were heading away from us, but now they are moving parallel to us and heading the same way we are. I can't see them with my eyes, but I know they are there. I get the sense that they don't want to be seen, at least not yet. They are taking a rocky path – a secluded path that can't be seen from the road. There is a considerable amount of steel about them as well. What do we do?

Verdu made the double hiss to call Fenimore. “Just two you say? One of us should check it out.” Fenimore trotted up and Verdu explained what Chenda had seen.

“Sounds like scouts. I'll go pay them a visit. Let's see if they take a swipe at me,” Fenimore said as he turned away. Chenda grabbed his arm.

I'll keep my eye on you, but don't do anything stupid, please?

“Don't worry, angel. This is what
I'm
good at.”

Fenimore jogged ahead, due west, for about a mile, and then darted south. Chenda watched in her mind as the two men came closer to where Fenimore waited. Finally, the path of the two strangers intersected with Fenimore, where they stopped. Chenda held her breath. The three were close together for several minutes, then one came back along Fenimore's path. She prayed it was him. She focused on that single, moving column of human water, as the other two did not move, their water seeping into the earth.

To her relief, Fenimore appeared on the horizon, waiting for his companions to catch up. Although he seemed uninjured, he didn't look very happy.

Verdu looked equally stern when he finally spoke to Fenimore. “Well?”

“Scouts,” he said. “I think they had already spotted us, but they won't be reporting in now. We're going to have to be very cautious; they know what we look like. Well, at least they know Chenda.”

He pulled a small bundle of papers from his pocket. Most of it was bits of Tugrulian writing, which he handed to Verdu, but one was a sketch of Chenda. He held it up for them all to see.

She grabbed Fenimore's hand.
I know that picture of me! It was in the papers the morning I left Coal City.

“
It surely was brought here by the spies that followed us from the west. They have been dogging most of our steps for this whole journey,” Fenimore said. “They got to Taboda and must have someone, or probably several, inside the Resistance. We've been very lucky. The only place I know you are safe from spies is on the
Brofman
. I know I can trust everyone there.”

Chenda could see groupings of people up ahead.
Are we getting close to the town?

“
Yes. Another mile or so. Are you starting to see lots of people?” Verdu asked. She nodded. Verdu took the lead and said, “Fen, it's time to take up your spot in the back of the line. And it's time for you ladies to act like fine Tugrulian women.”

Chenda brimmed with stored power now, and she felt ready for anything. She focused on the people in and around the town ahead. Nivarta was surprisingly small. Most of the people she saw there were either patrolling the top of the city wall or were standing guard at the small harbor. There were only 100 or so people actually within the small town. There were more empty stone houses there than people. This troubled Chenda. Did the Tugrulian soldiers evacuate the town? Was this a trap? Were the Tugrulians the sort to get their citizens out of harm’s way if it were?

Chenda realized she was out of time to express her doubts; the small party approached the gates. A bored looking Tugrulian sentry approached Verdu, and began what sounded like a stock speech. Undoubtedly, the squat little man rattled it off to every visitor at the gates. The guard's mouth fell open when Verdu interrupted him. Verdu kept on talking and made a big show of rummaging through his pockets. He pulled out the wad of papers that Fenimore had taken from the scouts and pulled Chenda's picture out of the pile. He waved back in the direction from which he had come, and then started to point to the northeast vaguely.

The guard's eyes bulged with suppressed interest. He waved Verdu and his party through the gate and then ran into the guardhouse shouting excitedly. Verdu casually led his party through the gates. A few minutes later, well inside the city of Nivarta, Pranav Erato knocked on the door of Ma-Took the Pickler, who opened his entryway personally. Chenda realized this was her first visit into a real Tugrulian house. As she filed in with the rest of her group, Chenda's eyes looked everywhere at once. The entrance hall was broad but sparsely furnished. The few chairs and lone narrow table looked more like props than well used possessions. The room was a formal place used to transact business. No real living was done here.

Ma-Took said nothing, but led the group through the formal front room to an opening in the back wall. He turned sharply and led on, down a long flight of stairs cut directly into the stone floor. He opened a door at the bottom landing and gestured the line of people to go inside. The chamber within welcomed, cool and dim. Narrow skylights let slivers of day light bounce off a selection of soft looking cushions and rich, red Tugrulian carpets scattered around the room. The space was informal and welcoming. After Fenimore entered, Ma-Took firmly closed the door behind him. He turned to the assembled and smiled broadly, the first sign of emotion on his broad face.

He spoke pleasantly to Verdu as Ahy-Me pulled off her headscarf. He waved at the others to do the same; his gestures said
Make yourself at home
. Ahy-Me took Chenda and Candice by the elbow and guided them to a small circle of cushions on the floor in one corner of the room. They all sat.

“Dat Verdu - he is clever,” Ahy-Me said. “He tells dat guard, 'I meet your soldier friend and he say, I dink I see dis girl. He say me bring vord to da gate of Nivarta, den you pay me, yes?' Dat Verdu is so da trickster! Dat dumb guard take de bait.”

Ahy-Me looked longingly at Verdu. “You dink he need wife?” she asked casually.

Candice snorted and gave a sidelong glance at Chenda “Oh, I'd guess he IS interested in a wife, Ahy-Me. You should get right on that.”

“Vell, you ladies stay here. I go see about some arrangements. I come soon.” She sprang to her feet and shuffled over to where the men were talking, or in Fenimore's case, standing and listening, but not comprehending.

Chenda turned her attention to Candice. “That was mean, Professor.”

“What? What did I do but encourage the girl? Doesn't she deserve happiness as much as the next fellow? I saw that little exchange between you and Verdu today. It was clear, even from where I stood, what he was saying to you. Fenimore didn't like it much, I can tell you that.”

Candice tisked at the ongoing romantic shenanigans. “What are you thinking about all this?”

Candice pressed her finger to Chenda's elbow waiting for a reply, but the girl just looked at her friend with eyes wide, her thoughts frozen in confusion. Then her thoughts tumbled out in an angry rush.

The only thing I
can
think is that in about six hours, I have to do the impossible. The second worst that can happen is we all die. The worst is getting caught, which would be a killing blow to the all the groundwork we've laid here, and the Tugrulian people will continue to live lives of starvation and oppression. I'm splitting at the seams with pent up power already, so if you're asking me which of those two I want to pass love-notes to in study hall, I haven't had the time to give the matter any proper thought. And, by the way, to add to the distraction of it all, the gods think this little love triangle is HILARIOUS! So, please, cut me a little slack, and let's just keep focused on NOT dying!

Candice patted her irate friend soothingly on the arm. “Well,” Candice said, “take comfort in the notion that I now have something in common with the gods. I think it's hilarious, too.”

Ma-Took took great delight in formally meeting Chenda, and was a flamboyant host. He brought a fine selection of his pickled goods, and, while the group ate, he answered Chenda's many questions.

So, why are so many of the houses empty?

Verdu translated the answer, “When the port was closed, the local sailors, mostly fisherman and seaweed harvesters, couldn't work. Some were then conscripted, but others had to find another way to feed their families. No fishing, no food. So, they followed the fish they could go after. They went to stay with relatives who have access to some of the underground lakes. This latest action may just have killed this town. I have no one left to buy my pickles!"

That would be a shame, Ma-Took, you make wonderful pickled... what is this? It's delicious.

Verdu translated again for Ma-Took, “Pickled squid. Thank you for your compliment, Pramuc.”

Well, thank you for your hospitality. Without you, I would never have known how much I enjoy pickled squid.
Chenda smiled warmly, and Ma-Took was charmed. He didn't seem to mind that Chenda's thoughts came pre-translated into his head.

 
Ahy-Me said you had a pickling tub you might be willing to part with. May we see it?

“Of course, Pramuc. Whatever you need.”

Ma-Took led Chenda and the others out a small door behind a curtain on the back wall of the comfortable room. They entered what could only be called the pickling factory. The center of the space held rows of broad cutting tables, where various fish and fungi were cleaned, sorted and chopped. Giant wheeled buckets sat waiting to be filled at the tables and dumped into the monstrous pickling tubs that stood like soldiers around the perimeter of the huge room.

Candice spoke first. “You, sir, must make a LOT of pickles.”

Verdu replied for Ma-Took, “Yes, but none today. No fishermen, no fish to pickle. The Empire's ways are bad for business.” Ma-Took spit in disgust.  His eyes lingered over his idle factory.  It was obvious to the assembled that this man had a pickle calling, and it pained him to refrain from his life's work.

Chenda examined the pickling tubs closely. Each one was basically a large metal tube, about four feet wide and 12 feet tall, with a broad funnel at the bottom, and a large flat lid on the top held firmly in place by clamps. She looked over at Candice with a satisfied smile.

“This is perfect!” Candice exclaimed. “But how will we sneak this through town and into the water?”

Verdu, who had been translating for Ma-Took, conveyed the man's reply, “Not a problem. I have several that are already in my warehouse down on the dock. Any or all of them are at your disposal.”

“Well then,” Verdu said, “What are we waiting for?”

Pranav Erato instructed Ahy-Me to stay with Ma-Took while he escorted Chenda and her companions to the warehouse. Even though she had known for a while that Pranav Erato and Ahy-Me would be staying behind in Tugrulia, it still surprised her when the moment of separation arrived. She'd grown accustomed to the thickly accented banter of Ahy-Me, and her simple dependability. She loved this Tugrulian woman.

Chenda sobbed and embraced the round faced woman.
I miss you already.

“
Also, I miss you,” she replied placing her hands on the sides of Chenda's face in the traditional way.

For Chenda, letting go of Ahy-Me at the end of the blessing hurt. She feared that she may never see her friend again. Chenda sniffed and followed Verdu out the narrow door and into the darkness.

Chenda composed herself in the cool evening air, and adjusted her veil, hoping it would be for the last time. The pain of leaving Ahy-Me shifted Chenda's focus. Finally, she started to feel like she was heading toward home.

Verdu led Chenda through the shadows. It was just the two of them; Fenimore suggested they split up in order to attract less attention. Verdu went first on the theory that if Chenda didn't make it to the warehouse, there was no point in risking it with the others. Chenda keenly felt the pressure of the plan as they approached the immense gate to the warehouse piers. Twilight still lingered over the water as Chenda placed her hand against the gate locks and released a tiny stream of her power, turning the inner workings of the brass lock into powder and grit. Verdu pushed open the gate just enough to slip through.

Chenda pressed her back against a dark wall and used her power to search for soldiers. It was a bit more of a challenge on the pier to seek out the human shaped bags of water that indicated people, as the water below called out to her most loudly, but she found several. Six soldiers were patrolling through the warehouses and around the piers. Several dozen more lounged in a make-shift mess hall and barracks at the far end of the last pier.

Chenda pressed these thoughts to Verdu.

“Will there be a gap long enough for us to run down the pier into Ma-Took's building without being seen?” Verdu asked in a whisper.

Yes, very soon. The next soldier on patrol is really taking his time, so when the one we can see there turns the corner, we should make a break for it.

“Good. I hate waiting.”

After what seemed like an eternity, the guard turned the final corner and moved out of sight. Verdu and Chenda ran to Ma-Took's warehouse. Chenda broke the lock and pulled Verdu inside, just seconds before the next soldier on patrol turned to walk down the pier. There had been no time to spare. She took Verdu by the hand.