The Honorable Barbarian (11 page)

Kerin knew that maneuvering the
Benduan
through the crowded harbor and bringing the ship up neatly against a quay, single-handed, were beyond his strength and skill. With Nogiri at the tiller, he dropped the mizzen sail into its crutches. The ship slowed to a gradual halt. Soon a tug, propelled by eight naked brown paddlers, approached. A man in the stern shouted up.

"What say they?" Kerin asked the girl.

"They ask if you wish a tow."

"How much?"

A brief chaffer between Nogiri and the tugboat captain brought agreement. The
Benduan
was creeping towards a vacant quay when another craft, a galley bearing a score of paddlers, approached with swift strokes. With disciplined precision, it swung broadside to the
Benduan
, the paddlers on that side all lifting their paddles out of the way. When the two vessels gently bumped, a dozen Salimorese in fancy skirts and turbans scrambled aboard with swords of the serpentine, wavy-edged form that Kerin had seen on some of the pirates. Nogiri had told him it was called a
kris.

Unarmed, Kerin found himself backed against the deckhouse facing a semicircle of swords. The leader barked a command; a couple of boarders hauled Kerin forward. Others forced him to his knees; still others dug fingers into his hair, grown long since leaving home, and pulled his head forward.

Still another stood beside Kerin, kris in hand. Sighting on Kerin's neck, he raised his blade. Struggling, Kerin shouted in rudimentary Salimorese: "What do? I friend! I peaceful traveler!''

Nogiri was pulling at the arm of the man in command. At last that officer, distinguished by a golden medallion suspended by a chain against his bare chest, turned. The two argued, but the rush of words was too fast for Kerin.

At last the leader barked another command. The men holding Kerin let go; the headsman, looking disappointed, put away his sword. Nogiri explained:

"The harbor guard recognized this ship as Malgo's
Maneater
, which they have long pursued. They thought you a survivor of that crew."

The officer said: "A simple misunderstanding, foreigner; nought to get excited about. What befell Malgo?"

"I slew him in a duel," said Kerin, mentally thanking Jorian for training him in lying. "We wagered my life against freedom for me and the princess, and I won."

The leader looked quizzical. "It sounds not like that gang of cutthroats to let a captive depart, oaths or no oaths."

"He speaks the flawless truth," said Nogiri. "I was there."

The officer shrugged. "If Lord Vunambai's niece says so, it must be so. I am glad now that I did not summarily cut off your head."

"I am even gladder," growled Kerin.

Hours later, the
Benduan
was berthed and the customs and harbor dues paid. At Nogiri's suggestion, Kerin hired an off-duty harbor guard to watch the ship when he was away from it, to guard against pilferage.

"Now," said Nogiri, "let us forth to Lord Vunambai's house, as soon as we make ourselves presentable. Mine uncle is a fussy man."

An hour later, Kerin and Nogiri, dodging around waterbuffalo carts and an elephant ridden by two Salimorese, approached the estate of Nogiri's uncle. Kerin wore his best trousers and shirt but no jacket in this steamy, muggy climate. He insisted on stopping at a barber's for a haircut and a beard trim; his beard was at last reaching respectable proportions. Nogiri had donned an embroidered sarong that she found in the hold.

A porter sat half asleep against the outer gate of the grounds; a spear was leaning against the surrounding wall. Through the grillwork Kerin could see a fountain and colorful plantings, with a glimpse of a big house behind the palms. Flowers of scarlet, magenta, and purple blazed in the beds. The house looked to be a solid structure of stone and timber, whereas most dwellings in Kwatna were flimsy affairs of bamboo and palm fronds, larger versions of the hut that Pwana had built on Kinungung. Nogiri explained that earthquakes favored this construction.

The porter leaped to his feet and seized the spear, crying: "Mistress Nogiri! We all thought you slain!"

Kerin could not follow the ensuing rush of talk. At last Nogiri said: "Wait here, Master Kerin. Trojung has orders to admit no person unannounced. I will go in and explain."

The porter opened the gate, bowed Nogiri in, and followed her. Kerin waited outside, strolling up and down. Passers-by stared at him; naked children pointed and giggled.

Time passed; the sun declined until it touched the roofs among the palms. Kerin wondered what had gone wrong, when a cry of "Master Kerin!" from the street brought him about.

Nearby stood Janji, Captain Huvraka's witch-navigator. She was barefoot and clad as usual in nothing but the short Salimorese sarong. "How come you here?" she rasped.

"That's a long story," said Kerin. "I cannot tell you now, because I have an appointment within."

"Indeed? Know you Lord Vunambai?"

"In a manner of speaking."

Janji looked piercingly at Kerin. "Art still on your way to Kuromon?"

"Aye, if my Western gods permit."

"Novarian gods have no power in these purlieus," she said in a tone of menace. "You will never get to Kuromon. My powers tell me that if you try, you will surely perish. Better you should return forthwith to your own barbarian land!" Abruptly she turned and walked away.

"Watch out for that one!" tinkled Belinka from the air above Kerin's head. "Remember what her hantu told me on the other ship! She and her guild will do aught in their power to keep out knowledge of that new navigating device."

"Thankee, Belinka," said Kerin. "I'll try to be careful." An idea struck him. "Couldst follow the witch to see where she goes and report the tale to me?"

"But I cannot leave you unguarded—"

"We must take that chance. Her guild may try to make trouble. If you find out where they meet and pay them a visit unseen from time to time, you could give me timely warning."

"Nay, Master Kerin; that would leave you for too long helpless—"

It irked Kerin that she supposed him so incapable of taking care of himself. But, remembering his brother's admonition that "flattery will get you everywhere," he said:

"But Belinka darling, think! I cannot flit about the city awing and unseen with the speed of the wind, as you can. A timely warning were the surest precaution against a blade in the back. With your ease of movement and nimble wit, your scouting will make me safer than an Othomaean knight's defense of iron plate."

"Oh, very well," said Belinka. "Where will you be, so I can find you again?"

"I await reception by Lord Vunambai, who may load me with gold and honors. If he ask me to remain, I shall have to return to the ship for my gear. So after the witch, Belinka!"

"I go," said the sprite.

Kerin resumed his wait with growing unease. Surely, he thought, it should not take so long for Nogiri to tell her tale and for Lord Vunambai to arrange to receive her rescuer; unless, Kerin wondered, the uncle planned somegrand reception, with feasting and dancing. That would be nice, but Kerin did not really expect it.

He turned at the sound of motion. The porter stepped out of the gate, gripping his spear. After him came a pair of Salimorese wearing a livery of spangled vests above
^s
their skirts and armed with krises.

"Well?" said Kerin. "Am I to be escorted in?"

"Nay!" said the porter. "Lord Vunambai says: Go away!"

"What?"
Kerin's jaw sagged with astonishment.

"Go away! Get hence! Get out of sight!"

"What is matter?" asked Kerin. "I rescued his niece—"

"That is nought. He wants you not. So go!" The two behind Trojung the porter drew their swords.

Kerin looked the trio over. To try to force this issue would probably get him killed, even if he succeeded in taking one of the three with him. This was the sort of situation that Jorian had warned him to avoid at whatever cost to his pride. Kerin had traveled enough to have an idea of the troubles arising from getting into a fray in a foreign city, regardless of rights and wrongs. He fought down his anger and asked, in as level a voice as he could:

"Very well; could you gentlemen name me a place to eat?"

"What meanst?" said Trojung. "People eat in their houses."

By much repetition and fumbling with the language, Kerin learned that Kwatna had no such thing as a place serving ready-cooked meals for travelers. There were drink shops along the waterfront. If he made arrangements at one of these and bought the food himself, he might persuade the shopkeeper's wife to cook it for him.

An hour later, Kerin was sitting in a room behind the liquor counter of a dramshop, gingerly sampling the unfamiliar foods—a fish, a small bowl of rice, and some strange greens—that he had procured at the goodwife's direction. Belinka returned, saying:

"Oh, there you are, Master Kerin! I have searched all over."

"I'm sorry; I knew not how to get word to you. What didst learn?"

"But little. I followed Mistress Janji to her home, one of those little houses of bamboo and leaves of the palm.She shares it with a timid-seeming little man; but whether he be husband, lover, or servant I could not ascertain."

"Belike all three at once," said Kerin.

"We must be more careful to let each of us know where the other will be found. How fared you with the barbarian lord?"

"Alas!" Kerin told of his repulse. "Now will you please go back to Vunambai's house and see what has become of Princess Nogiri? You will find me, when I finish this much-needed repast, back at the ship."

An hour later, when Kerin was dozing on the deck of the
Benduan
, Belinka returned saying: "I searched that big house from roof to crypt but found no trace of your brown barbarian maid. Nor is she on the grounds. It is as if she had vanished from the earth."

"Crypt, eh?" responded Kerin. "Has the place underground chambers, as we often have in Novaria?"

"Aye. One such chamber seems a prison cell for disobedient servants. It held but one occupant, chained to the wall; but he was a burly man of middle years."

"Too cursed many mysteries," grumbled Kerin. "Could I but find an all-knowing seer or soothsayer. . . ."

"Master Kerin! Let yourself not be distracted from your proper goal! These Easterners do all sorts of ghastly things to one another, and 'tis not our business to interfere. You must get to Kuromon!"

Kerin bridled, then sighed resignedly. "I fear you are right, Belinka. But the day is gone, and our next step must await the morrow."

Next day, Kerin hunted down the harbor master. Yes, said this official, the two batten-sailed ships were from Kuromon. Yes, they would soon return thither. How soon? The harbor master shrugged and spread his hands.

"They will sail when the gods will,
tuan.
"

Kerin controlled his impatience. "Have you any idea of when that will be?"

Another shrug. "What mortal knows the thoughts of the gods?"

Kerin gave up and walked to the nearer of the two ships, of a kind that the Salimorese called a
jong.
The ship was even larger than he had expected, with four masts and a hull painted grass-green. A swarm of short, yellowskinned, flat-faced men crewed it. At first he seemed unable to communicate at all, and he had to fight down the rush of embarrassment that accosting strangers always gave him. At last they directed him by gestures to a ship's officer in a thin silken robe whereon scarlet flowers were embroidered, who identified himself as Second Mate Togaru. This man told Kerin in strangely accented Salimorese that they expected to sail in seven or eight days.

On the other jong they told him that they would not sail for at least a fortnight; so he returned to the first ship to engage passage to Koteiki, the main southern port of the Kuromon Empire. He accosted the first officer he saw and was referred to another who, Kerin learned, was Zummo the purser. Zummo quoted fares and said:

"Alone, or bringing a woman?"

"Alone, sir."

"Then I can put you in Number Eighteen. Your cabin mate will be the Reverend Tsemben."

"What kind of reverend is he?" asked Kerin.

"A priest of the goddess Jinterasa, returning from a tour of missionary duty to Salimor. You will find him a quiet roommate."

"I should like to see the cabin, please."

The officer summoned a deckhand to show Kerin the way. The sailor bowed to the officer, bowed again to Kerin, and led his passenger to the forward hatch and down the ladder.

On either side of the cabin deck were a score of cabins opening on a central corridor. Kerin tried out the rudimentary Kuromonian he had learned from Nogiri on the sailor. He learned that most of these cabins were occupied by Kuromonian merchants, each of whom had brought a stock of goods to Salimor to sell. Most of the merchants were then ashore; only a couple of flat yellow faces peered out of cabin doors as Kerin passed.The sailor opened the door of one cabin, which proved already lit within. The sailor bowed to Kerin and stood in the anticipatory stance of a man expecting a tip. Kerin gave him one of the smallest Salimorese copper coins and turned to the cabin. Failing to stoop low enough, he banged his head on the door lintel. While he was of but little over average height for Novarians, most Kuromonians were substantially shorter than he, and the spaces on the ship were proportioned accordingly.

Kerin found that shipboard spaces were compact to the point of being cramped, and those of the
Tukara Mora
were even more so than those he had already seen. The cabin had just room for two pallets, one taking up half the floor and the other, of the same size, on a shelf directly above it. Otherwise the furnishings consisted of a single stool, a small shelf jutting from the wall at one end of the pallets, pegs driven into the wall at an angle for hanging clothes, and a small bronze lamp suspended from above.

The cabin also had an inhabitant, a small, wrinkled, yellow-skinned, black-robed man, who sat cross-legged on the edge of the lower pallet with a scroll in his lap. The man looked up.

"Good-day, sir," said Kerin in hesitant Kuromonian. "The Reverend Tsemben?"