Another jaunt through the crowded streets of Chanan Harbor brought Aven and Bill to a neighborhood of single houses with wide, wrap-around verandas surrounded by iron fences. It was nowhere near as magnificent as the Magistrates mansion, but it was by no means uncomfortable. Bill grabbed a rope hanging by the fence and yanked on it, ringing a loud seabell. “Let me do all the talking,” he said as a man in servant’s clothes came onto the porch. “Is Chesai in today?”
“He is too busy to receive guests today, many apologies,” the servant said with a bow.
“I’m an old friend, he’d want to see me,” replied Bill.
“Many apologies, but he has asked not to be disturbed today. Good day,” said the servant, turning to leave.
“Tell him the big fish is here!” called Bill.
The servant halted. “Beg pardon?”
“Tell him the big fish is here. If he still doesn’t want to see me after that, I’ll leave,” Bill said.
The servant squinted at him and then slipped into the house. A few moments later the servant came out and opened the gate for them. “Many apologies for the wait. The Master is waiting in the office at the back of the house.”
In the office was a man shorter than Bill but just as wide. He sat at a desk piled high with papers and servants rushed in and out, taking some and dropping others off. A smile split across his face when Bill walked into the room. “Headless Bill,” he laughed, throwing his arms around Bill. “What are you doing in my part of the Raoin?”
“Work, what else?” Bill said, returning the hug and pulling back. “What’s all this?”
“Big inspection,” Chesai sighed. “The Prefect isn’t happy about customs revenues being down, so he’s coming down in person to inspect everything. Have to make sure everything is in order so the Magistrates can’t pin their cooked books on me.”
“Even as I’m seeing it, I can’t believe you’re behind a desk now,” Bill laughed.
“Not all of us can stay in the game. Who’s the kid?” Chesai asked.
“Aven. New member of Bills crew,” Aven replied.
“Anela’s kid,” said Bill.
Chesai squinted at Aven. “I can see it,” he nodded. “As much as I’d like to crack open a bottle and reminisce about our good old scars, I’ve got too much to do.”
“Which is why I’ll get right to the point,” Bill said, taking a seat. “I need information about a book about plant-based summons a certain someone keeps in a strong room in their basement.”
Chesai grinned. “Would that certain someone have recently had a party ruined?”
“I could tell you, but it will cost you,” Bill replied.
Chesai shook his head and raised his hand. “No need. What is it you need to know about this book?”
Bill looked over his shoulder at Aven. “What it looks like basically,” Aven said. “Size, shape, markings, what the writing on it looks like, that sort of thing.”
Chesai steepled his fingers and tapped them together. “Funny, most thieves know what they’re stealing and need my help getting to it. Strange days. I know a thing or two about hard to find books. I could ask some questions, but it won’t come cheap.”
“Would you take a shipload of rice for payment?” asked Bill.
“Oh no no, I wouldn’t know what to do with that,” said Chesai.
Bill shrugged and grinned. “Worth a shot.”
“No, what’s troubling me right now is a package I have sitting in an En Chitei Temple in Thetri Village across the river. It’s a lockbox about so big made of solid bronze” said Chesai, holding his hands apart. “I left it there for safe keeping, but now I need to go fetch it. The problem is, someone else is interested in it too and none of my men are reliable enough to pick it up themselves. So what I need is someone to bring my claim slip to the temple and bring it back safely.”
“Who’s interested in it?” asked Bill.
“Some of the local muscle caught wind of where I'm hiding it. I’d send my men to go get it, but they’re all too busy with this big inspection coming up,” said Chesai. “Which is why I’m so fortunate you turned up on my door.”
“What is it?” Bill asked.
“A lockbox,” answered Chesai.
“I don’t know what I expected,” laughed Bill. “We bring you your box, you get us information on the summons manual, deal?”
“Deal. See you soon,” said Chesai.
-
Aven and Bill made it back to the ship as the sun was setting over the water. Bill told the crew about the deal and went to bed. Some of the crew lingered into the night, playing cards by candlelight until they slunk off to their hammocks to sleep. The next morning the sun rose into a clear sky without a cloud to be seen. Bill yawned as he climbed up to the deck, not surprised to see Cai and Batro already up and about. “How’s the sale on the cargo going?” Bill asked, watching the screaming flocks of birds following the fishing boats out in the sea.
“Great,” said Cai cheerfully. “I have it on good authority that every purchasing agent on this wharf hates me. The second I offer a reasonable price they’ll take it just to be rid of me.”
Bill chuckled and pulled some stray hairs out of his face, blue scales on his neck flashing in the early sunlight. “Good. What about our return cargo?”
“Raw cotton. Bulky and light. It’ll make for a fast trip back to Ortan,” replied Cai
“That’s what I pay you for,” said Bill.
Cai snorted. “You haven’t paid me yet,” he said, watching Aven come up out of the ships hold, yawning and stretching. “I’m gambling on this big job of yours paying off.”
“Which ain’t looking good so far,” grumbled Batro.
“Don’t be like that,” laughed Cai clapping Batro on the back. “I’ve been in the game long enough to know that everything goes sideways once you leave port. Old Headless here has pulled worse turns out of the fire.”
“What odds are you offering on this trip?” Bill asked.
“I’ve got an option on nothing happens that a few of the crew have taken,” Cai said, scratching his scruffy chin. “Only one of the crew has money on failure, good sign of faith I think.”
“Great,” Aven yawned, adjusting his reversible clothes. “Why are we leaving this early?”
“I don’t trust horses. We’re walking to the temple. If we want to make the trip in one day, we have to leave at first light,” said Bill.
“Sure you don’t want me to come along?” asked Batro, puffing out his chest. “If there’s trouble you’re going to want someone by your side who isn’t scrawny as a twig.”
“Bad idea,” said Bill as Aven made a rude hand gesture behind his back. “Aven and I have been seen together already and I don’t want to explain where I picked you up. Oh, Cai,” he said, fishing a coin out of a pouch sewn into his cloak. “Put me down for a successful return, but injured.”
Cai snorted. “Can’t pull that on me. One uneventful trip and a self-inflicted knife wound later and you’ve won.”
“Can’t blame me for trying,” laughed Bill, sliding the coin back into his cloak. “Let’s get going,” Bill said, heading down the gangplank and onto the dock with Aven close behind.
When they were a respectable distance away Batro turned to Cai. “What are the odds on successful but injured?”
“Three to one,” replied Cai.
Batro pulled a handful of coins out of his pocket. “Six gatl on that.”
-
The rising sun brought the streets of Chanan Harbor to life. Carts drawn by people and horses rattled their way through the dirt streets and vendors called their wares. A few people stopped and asked Bill for a blessing, which he gladly gave. “So,” Aven said when they were clear of the crowded streets. “I’ve never been to En Chitei temple before. What should I be expecting?”
“Nothing much,” said Bill, glancing into the forest that rose up on either side of them. “Big stone building on a hill filled with people living lives of quiet contemplation and martial training. All we have to do is walk in, present our claim ticket and walk out again.”
Aven looked over his shoulder at the road behind them. “Do smugglers usually hide their goods in those temples?”
“If they’re smart,” Bill said, scanning the high branches of the trees around them. “The temples are built like fortresses, only those who have taken vows are allowed into the inner areas and a capable priest of En Chitei could tie you in a knot and hang you from the tallest tower.”
“What about you?” asked Aven, squinting into this distance.
Bill grinned and cracked his scarred knuckles. “I like to think I’d put up more of a fight. Hair on the back of your neck standing up?”
“Yeah, you too?” asked Aven, looking behind him again.
“I don’t have hair on my neck, but I do get the feeling we’re being watched,” said Bill. “Whoever’s got their eye on us is very good at hiding.”
“Should we bail?” whispered Aven.
“No no,” Bill said, shaking his hands. “We keep on going until someone confronts us.”
The pair walked on through the humid forest until they reached the bank of a lazily flowing river. A pair of docks sat on either side with a long rope strung between them. Floating at the dock was a large wooden barge hooked up to the long rope. A handful of people stood on the ferry and the ferryman called back as the two approached. “You two crossing?!”
“Please!” called Bill.
“I’ll always hold up for an Ezu!” the young man called. “But if both of you are coming on, I’m going to retie the guide rope!”
“We were just about to get underway!” shouted one of the passengers.
“You want the guide rope to break?” snapped the ferryman. “I won’t be responsible for an Ezu getting dumped into the river. Everyone off!”
After much grumbling and complaining the other passengers disembarked while the ferryman did his work. One young couple approached Bill shyly. “Ezu,” the woman said, bowing lightly along with the man. “Could we…trouble you for a blessing? We’re trying to have a baby,” she said, taking hold of the man’s hand.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
“I would be delighted,” said Bill with a wide smile. “Come with me to the riverbank. I’m afraid this is a private affair, my acolyte.”
“I understand completely,” Aven said with a deep bow. “If it pleases you Ezu, I will meditate in the shade.” With the three of them gone, Aven sat down by a tree trunk and took a good look at the people waiting at the dock. Apart from the couple, there was a messenger and a farmer with a mule-drawn cart of hay. No one that looked dangerous. Not that that meant anything. The scuff of shoes on dirt pulled his attention to the path. A lone woman walked down the path with a tall walking stick. She had dark skin and locks tied up in a bun behind her head. Her white dress hung down to her knees with an intricate green design on the hems and running up the middle. Panic jolted through Avens body when she cast her topaz-colored eyes over to him. It was the woman from the mansion that laid eyes on him.
“Hey!” she called out, running over to Aven before he could slink away. “Is there something wrong with the ferry?”
Aven coughed, looking over at the dock. “No, the ferryman is just retying the guide rope. I don’t think it should take much longer.”
“Good,” she said, shifting around the light pack on her back. “I want to make it to Thetri in good time. Have we met?” she asked, squinting at Aven.
“I do not think so, I have not been in Chanan Harbor for long,” he said, sweat building up on the back of his neck.
“Me too, I only just arrived a week ago,” she said, furrowing her brow.
Aven fought the urge to swallow. This wasn’t good. If she identified him in front of so many witnesses it would be impossible to hush up without a body count. “Perhaps we bumped into each other on the docks?” he said, taking a step back.
The woman frowned and looked him up and down. “No, I came in on Magistrate Tiyake’s private dock, it couldn’t be that. Oh, I know!” she said, tapping her staff on the ground in excitement. “Ezu!”
“Yes?” said Bill, walking up behind Aven, water dripping from his loincloth and the hem of his jacket. “Am I needed?”
“I saw you both at the Magistrates party yesterday,” she beamed, pointing at her face. “But we never got introduced. My name is Yazwa Imala.”
“Yazwa Imala,” Bill repeated with a shallow bow that Aven copied. “I am Ezu Endin and this is my acolyte, Atess. Praise the Eternal Waters for bringing us together.”
Yazwa was quiet for a moment with a searching look on her face. “And may they part us in good health!”
“Well done. Most foreigners have trouble remembering the correct responses, even in Gray,” Bill said with a smile as he rose from his bow.
“I’ve been practicing,” she smiled. “This is so lucky running into you out here. I wanted to meet you yesterday, but I never got a chance.”
“Not with all that commotion,” Bill said with a sidelong glance at Aven.
“I saw the intruder!” Yazwa said, pointing at her face. “He was hiding out in my room.”
Aven’s stomach did a flip. “I hope you weren’t harmed.”
“I was fine,” Yazwa said with a shake of her head. “He was more interested in running than fighting.”
“Have they caught the culprit?” inquired Bill.
“Not that I know of. He had a mask on so I didn’t get a look at his face,” she said, punching her fist into her palm. “If I wasn’t so surprised, I could have caught him. Didn’t expect him to jump out a window.”
Bill nodded sagely. “Desperate men will do desperate things.”
“Uh, yeah,” Yazwa said with a nervous chuckle, scratching her forearm. “So, uh, running into you is just great. I had something I wanted to ask you yesterday.”
“If it’s mine to give it’s yours,” Bill replied.
Yazwa craned her neck, looking at the crowd huddled around the dock. “What do you know,” she asked, lowering her voice. “About the Art of Purification?”
“Why do you need to know about that?” Aven blurted, cringing at himself.
“A good question,” said Bill. “If I remember right, the Art of Purification is forbidden by Atemzl. Please correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t you a follower of that faith?”
“You’re right,” Yazwa said with a forced laugh. “I come from Ibscaal. I’m not trying to learn the Art of Purification, I’m just trying to learn about it. To better recognize it if it should appear. Nothing more than research.”
“I see,” said Bill, stroking his beard. “I never learned it myself, but I have met a few who perform it.”
“Are any of them on this island?” Yazwa asked, leaning in. “I want to talk to one. For research.”
“Sadly no,” Bill said. “Most were Vathlanri and the rest live in the western reaches of the Raoin.”
Yazwas face fell and she leaned against her staff, muttering a word in a language Aven didn’t know. “Oh well, thank you, Ezu.”
“I’m sorry I could not be of more help,” replied Bill.
“We’re ready to go!” called the ferryman. “Ezu, would you like to board first?”
“I will cede that honor to the man with the donkey!” said Bill.
After a few minutes of shuffling, grumbling and cursing everyone was onboard the ferry. “Keep away from the edges and hold still,” called the ferryman, pushing the barge away from shore with a pole. Each push on the riverbed moved them further and further out. The current pulled the boat downstream and the guide rope went taut.
“If it’s shallow enough to pole across, we should have just swum it,” Aven said, sitting on the back of the barge with his feet in the water.
Bill sat down next to him and dangled his feet as well. “Can’t risk the claim ticket. I’m not worried about her,” he said, looking over at Yazwa at the front of the barge. “She’s a terrible liar and she’s after information about Purification, not the break-in.”
“That’s what I used to escape,” Aven whispered. “When she saw me, her eyes were glowing. Maybe she saw something that can identify me.”
“We’ll fight that battle when we come to it,” Bill said, clapping his hand on Aven’s shoulder.
“Bandits!” shouted the ferryman, pointing downstream.
Aven whirled around and followed the direction of his finger. At a distance downstream a rowboat made its way against the current towards the barge.
“Are you sure?” asked Yazwa.
“Yes!” cried the ferryman. “I’ve seen them on the river before. Everyone stay calm!”
“They’re not getting a thing!” bellowed the farmer, grabbing a pitchfork from his cart and pointing it downstream.
“No, they’ve got guns!” the ferryman said, voice cracking.
“Then get us to the other shore!” shouted the farmer.
“There’s no time!” said the ferryman. “They would just chase us down on land. Just stay calm and do what they say.”
As the rowboat slowly moved closer its inhabitants came into view. All had their heads and faces concealed by carts and two were rowing. One stood at the front of the boat waving a flintlock pistol around and shouting. “Stay where you are! Nobody move!”
Bill let out a sigh. “This might be the most piss-poor robbery I’ve ever seen.”
“I know, why didn’t they come from upstream? It would have been much faster,” Aven said, shaking his head.
The rowboat pulled up and the men inside grabbed the side of the ferry. “Nobody move, nobody move!” the man with the pistol said, pointing it at the passengers and waving it around. “Just put everything in this bag and nobody gets hurt!” he said, pulling a burlap sack out of his pocket and snapping it open. “All your money in here!” he said, stepping onto the barge and holding out the sack.
“Coward,” snarled the farmer, pulling a small purse out of his pocket.
“Shut up,” grunted the thief, moving on to the young couple.
“This is painful to watch,” whispered Aven as the thief moved from passenger to passenger with his bag.
“I know,” whispered Bill, rolling his eyes. “The pistol isn’t even cocked and he keeps turning his back to everyone. He’s not even checking for jewelry or anything else.”
“He didn’t even need to get out,” groaned Aven. “All he had to do was point his gun and tell everyone to toss their stuff into the boat. I’m embarrassed for him.”
“You two,” the thief said, pointing his pistol at Bill but not meeting his eyes. “Everything you have,”
“Young man,” Bill said, clasping his hands together. “Force may seem like the most natural thing in the world, but it must be wielded carefully.”
“Don’t give me a lecture!” the thief shouted, waving the gun. “Just give me your money and I’ll leave,”
Bill sighed. “Atess, give it to him.” Aven pulled a small purse from the pouch on his waist and tossed it into the bag. “I hope this pittance brings you to calmer shores.”
The thief turned away without saying anything else and jumped into the boat. The two men rowing pushed off and pulled their oars hard, zipping down the river and out of sight.
Once they were gone the ferryman picked up his pole and pushed the barge to the other end of the river. “Is anyone hurt?” he asked.
“No, just robbed,” snapped the farmer.
“Well, no one got hurt, that’s the important thing,” said the ferryman as the barge bumped into the shore. “Let me help you with that cart.”
“I’ll help you too,” said Bill.
Aven disembarked with the rest of the passengers while Bill, the ferryman and the farmer heaved the wagon onto shore. The couple held each other tightly and the messenger ran off ahead to get hold of a watchman. Yazwa sat down on the ground and took a deep breath. Against his better instincts Aven walked over and crouched down beside her. “How are you?”
“Fine, really,” she said breathlessly, topaz eyes wide. “Wow. A robbery, a real robbery. I actually got robbed at gunpoint.”
“It’s a frightening thing to go through,” Aven nodded.
“I wasn’t scared,” Yazwa said, twitchy smile crossing her face. “I mean I was, but I wasn’t. I wanted to crack that guy over the head,” she said, clenching her trembling hands into fists. “But uh, I uh, I thought better of it.”
“Good that you did,” Aven said, rising up to his feet. “Coins are easier to recover than blood.”
“I know I know,” Yazwa said frantically, jumping to her feet. “I didn’t want to fight. But I mean I could have. If it came to that.”
“How fortunate that it did not,” Aven smiled. “I must go check on my Ezu. Will you be fine on your own?”
“Yes, yes. Absolutely, thank you for asking,” she replied.
Aven broke away from her and reached the shore just as the cart of hay made it to dry land. “Is all well?”
“Not one piece of hay dropped,” replied Bill.
“But plenty of coin gone,” spat the farmer. “When I get back to Chanan Harbor I’m giving that wretched Magistrate a piece of my mind. I give him a third of my crops and he can’t even keep bandits away from the ferries!” he said, slapping the donkey on its hindquarters to get it moving, leaving Aven and Bill alone with the ferryman.
“So uh, good thing that went well, right?” asked the ferrymen.
“We were all very lucky,” Bill nodded. “But I do want to ask you something. Can we speak over by the trees so we don’t alarm the others?” he asked, pointing to a tall oak tree with branches spreading out over the river.
“Maybe I should, uh, check on them,” the ferryman said, taking a step towards the other passengers.
“They’re all fine,” Bill smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder and guiding him over to the thick tree trunk. “Are bandits common on this river?”
“We uh, we see them sometimes,” the ferryman replied.
“Strange, no one thought to warn me about bandits. But they’re common enough that you knew what they were and even what they were armed with when they were so far away,” Bill said, looming nearer to him.
“I uh,” he said, trying to step away from the tree, but Bill pushed him back. “I have a sense for danger?”
“It served you well today. Did it also tell you to shout that an Ezu was coming on board as many times as you could?” Bill said with a sharp smile. The ferryman opened his mouth to say something but Bill grabbed his throat and pinned him to the tree. “The biggest mistake was that they didn’t rob you.”
“Inside job,” Aven gasped, gaining a little respect for the amateur bandits. He glanced over his shoulder. The other passengers were still lying around on the riverbank. Bill’s body blocked any view of what was going on.
“One of two things is going to happen,” Bill said calmly while the ferryman tried to pry his fingers off his throat. “One, you’re going to keep pretending you had nothing to do with this and I drag you to a Magistrate to explain my suspicions. Two, you tell me everything that happened and I never speak of this robbery again,” Bill said, waiting until the ferryman stopped struggling. “Have you decided?”
The ferryman nodded and gasped for air when Bill released his throat. “Those were my cousins. We’re just trying to get some silver.”
“Why target me?” asked Bill.
“Someone paid us to,” the ferryman said, rubbing his throat. “Last night. Said that an Ezu and his acolyte would be using the ferry today. If we set up a robbery, he’d give us fifty gatl. Each. Come on, we couldn’t turn that down.”
“What did he look like?” Bill demanded.
“I don’t know, I didn’t see him. I swear!” he said, cowering when Bill scowled at him. “He talked to them, and they told me about the job. They said it was some rich guy. That’s all I know.”
Bill reached out and patted him on the shoulder. “We didn’t have this talk. I won’t speak of it again and you won’t speak of it again. You and your cousins are going to get paid and not bring this up to whoever’s paying you, got it?”
“Yeah, yeah. I understand. Completely,” the ferryman babbled as Aven and Bill walked away to the edge of the river.
“What’s this mean?” Aven asked.
“What do you think?” said Bill
“Someone trying to get a hold of the claim script?” Aven said, patting his pouch.
“Could be,” Bill said, looking out over the water. “But I doubt it. If it were me, I would have hired professionals for something like that, not amateurs.”
“But there was no time,” said Aven. “We picked up this job yesterday. Our mystery man didn’t have time to put together a solid crew. He was working with what he had.”
“Time,” mumbled Bill, stroking his beard. “This was a no-lose plan. If the bandits get the script, he has what he wants. If they don’t, he still gets what he wants,” he said, glancing up at the sun on its slow drift to the west. “With the time we lost on the robbery and the time the watch will take questioning us, there’s no way we can make it back to Chanan Harbor before nightfall. Whatever trap he’s going to spring, he'll spring it tonight.”