LE Modesitt Recluce 12 Wellspring of Chaos (v1.5)

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

How much gear?
Very little. Some clothes, a pack. No tools.
Hagen shook his head. Hate to see a man so down on his luck.
I ll be fine once I m away from Brysta.
We ll be here in port almost an eightday.
I ll stay on board. Give you an extra body to help load and unload.
The captain laughed. For that, I could even pay you bottom level.
I won t object. Kharl smiled. Later tonight?
I ll tell the deck watch to get me.
Thank you. Kharl nodded, then hurried down the pier. He had more than a few
loose ends he wanted to tie up, and he wanted to get back before Hagen had a
chance to change his mind, although he didn t think Hagen was that kind of
man. Still, he had a lot to do, including trying to do something for Jeka.
What he had in mind might not work& but it was all he had been able to come up
with, and he had to try.
On his way back to the walled hideout, Kharl stopped by the fountain and, when
no one was too close, washed up as he could, removing the worst of the dirt
and grime.
Still, for all his concerns about Jeka, she was not between the walls when
Kharl returned. He hoped she would not be too long in returning. In the
meantime, he rummaged through his pack until he found the old scissors. By
feel, he slowly trimmed his beard and mustache, making sure that it was
shorter and more rounded than it had been before.
Then he dressed in his spare tunic and trousers. He hoped that he could get
the dirt and soil out of the clothes he had been wearing, which he folded and
put into his pack.
Well& you re looking good. Jeka stood at the foot of the wall. Are you
going somewhere?
The ship I was waiting for is here.
Goin to miss you, Jeka said warily, her eyes avoiding Kharl s.
Despite the stench of the hidey-hole, and the dirt, Kharl realized he was
going to miss Jeka as well. I ll miss you, but& He shook his head. Can t
stay here. You know that. Sooner& later, Egen d find me.
You can go, be a cooper anywhere. Me& ? She spread her hands.
You were a weaver once, you said? Kharl asked.
It was a long time ago.
Were you good at it?
Light-fired good, Ma said. So did Hunat, but he had three sons and a daughter
there.
Page 85
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Kharl nodded to himself, then eased his fingers into the pouch he d replaced
around his neck and slipped out a silver. He handed it to her.
This might help.
You had silvers? Jeka looked at the coin. Had this, and you stayed here?
Know anyplace I d have been any safer? he asked. With Egen wanting my
head?
The trace of a smile crossed her lips. You got more alley-smarts than you let
on.
Come on& He pulled his pack into place and arranged the ragged cloak over
both tunic and pack. Then he picked up the staff.
Where we goin ?
To see a man. He s a good man. The only one who helped me and stood by me.
Who was still alive-but Kharl wasn t about to say that.
Why& ?
Kharl took her arm. We don t have that much time.
Jeka followed Kharl over the wall and out into the serviceway, clearly
reluctant, and then along the alleys and cross streets until they were in the
alley paralleling Crafters Lane-the alley on the south side, not the one on
the north that ran behind the cooperage. In time, they came to the rear door
of Gharan s shop.
Kharl glanced around, then drew back the ragged hooded cloak enough to reveal
his face and the better tunic underneath. He rapped on the door.
Amyla opened it. Her eyes widened.
Get Gharan. I won t be a moment.
After a long look at the cooper, Amyla stepped back, leaving the door slightly
ajar.
Gharan appeared instantly. Kharl& He looked down the alley, then back at the
cooper.
There s no one out here. Not now. You ve stood up for me, and you ve been
honest, Kharl said. I m leaving Brysta, but I have a favor to ask-not for
me.
Gharan looked from Kharl to Jeka, quizzically.
Jekat isn t Jekat, exactly. She s Jeka, and an orphan. She s also a good
weaver. Kharl fumbled at the pouch around his neck and under his undertunic,
then handed three silvers to Gharan. I ll pay you to try her as a helper or
an apprentice for two eightdays. You like what she does, then you keep her on.
You don t, at least try to find her a place.
Gharan looked to Jeka again. Where are you from?
Sagana.
Why didn t you stay there?
I couldn t. Hunat had three sons and a daughter, and the tariff farmer took
everything when Ma died, wanted to indenture me to a pleasure house.
Gharan winced, then looked at Kharl. Two eightdays trial. There is a
chance.
Say she s a distant cousin. Kharl turned to Jeka. You stay here now. You
don t need anything back there. He handed her two silvers. These are for
decent clothes for you. He straightened. I d better go.
He stepped back, leaving Jeka standing there with Gharan, then ducked back
along the alley, almost at a run, before anyone could say anything. He did not
slow down until he was several blocks away. He forced himself not to look
back.
He reached the pier where the Seastag was docked just after sunset. He stopped
to study the area around the ship, but saw no Watchmen. He slipped off the
ragged cloak and rolled it up, slipping it next to an unused bollard, then
straightened up and walked toward the Austran vessel.
The crewman at the top of the gangway watched as Kharl approached.
The cooper stopped at the foot of gangway. I m Kharl. Captain Hagen is
expecting me& He wasn t sure what else to say.
He told me. You re to come aboard and wait here on the quarterdeck.
Kharl walked up the gangway and stepped down onto the deck planks, although he
Page 86
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
saw nothing that resembled a quarterdeck.
The sailor on watch looked strangely at the ironbound staff.
Kharl did not offer to explain.
The sailor took a tin whistle and piped something. Shortly, Hagen appeared
with a muscular and blocky man who looked to be about Kharl s age.
Hagen smiled as he saw Kharl. You look somewhat better than this afternoon.
He turned to the other man. Furwyl& we re payin a debt and getting some
help. Kharl here s a cooper. Lost his consort and his family, then his
cooperage to the tariff farmer. Done a lot of good work for us in the past.
Working his way to Austra, as assistant to the carpenter. Doesn t do rigging,
but anything else you need him for. Furwyl smiled. He s a mite big to put up
there.
Furwyl is first mate, number two, Hagen said to Kharl. You answer him and
any of the other mates, like they were me. Mates are the ones with the vests,
or the jackets with the stripes on the sleeves.
Yes, ser.
I ll need a moment more with Kharl, Furwyl. Then you can get him squared away
in the fo c s le and take him down to the carpenter. I already told Tarkyn.
Yes, ser.
Oh, Furwyl& I think we d better change the shore leave while we re here. It s [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Archiwum