In Search of Spice (62 page)

“And further north?”

“As you go up the coast, you come to larger kingdoms, Sind, Guja and others, and then to the Mother River where man has been since time began. There are more people.”

“Wealthier people? Better trading?” Captain Larroche asked.

“Yes Captain, there is much trade there to Sung and to Havant.”

“Havant, we need to keep out of their way.”

“Yes Captain. They do not like other peoples trading where they trade.”

“Enough,” said Sara. “Taufik, I am convinced enough that I want to see your little kingdom, and we should see others. Let’s sail to Kalikut and the other city, then have a look at the mountains. If we find something good there, we can establish a trading post where the Havantines can’t interfere.”

“They claim the whole coast, Princess. They will find you, and they have a large trading post to the north where they have taken control of a kingdom with much crucifixion. They are hard, cruel people.”

“Crucifixion?” Mactravis asked.

“They tie the people to wood in the shape of a cross and leave them in the sun till they die. Not nice.”

“We will take that on board and make preparations.” Sara didn’t seem particularly bothered. “Right, if there are no further thoughts, let us take our leave of Kochin tomorrow and sail for Kalikut and the mountains.” A thought struck her. “Taufik, just how many kingdoms are there in Hind?”

“Who can count, Princess? More than a hundred, with a certainty. Maybe two hundred, but they change all the time. There are a few different peoples, and a few different religions, all divided into many kingdoms, often into empires. They rise and fall.”

“Are there many as big as Harrhein?”

Taufik showed his embarrassment. “Hind is huge, Princess. Most of them are bigger, some much bigger. I am sorry.”

“Never apologise for telling the truth.”

“This I have learnt. But in Kalikut I would be impaled!” His eyes twinkled.

Kalikut

T
he pilot waited by the wheel for a decision. Captain Larroche convened his officers, Sara amongst the last to arrive.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, your opinions please. The pilot says that it is not possible to anchor in the main current of the river, but we must tie up to wharf. He wants to charge us two tarens to go in or out of port and another two tarens for a week, just to tie up. Taufik, what’s a taren?”

“Tarens are part of the currency here, Captain. Sixteen silver tarens to one gold fanam and sixteen copper kasu to a taren. It is not very big, but it is still silver.” He shrugged. “If he asks for two tarens, then he probably has to pay one kasu to the government and the rest he keeps. Offer him one kasu for a week, and settle for three if we get a good place to tie up. A place that is secure and not too much traffic going past. Pay whatever is reasonable to be get in or out.”

“It’s actually reasonable to tie up here, sir,” said Brian, looking at the river. “There aren’t any suitable anchorages. Lot of movement.” Indeed, ships of all sizes were coming and going.

“It’s not a problem to guard the ship and stop anyone coming aboard,” Pat shocked everyone by volunteering an opinion. Clearly he was gaining confidence from his training.

“How quickly would we be able to depart?” Sara asked, looking at the wharves.

“That’s the question, isn’t it? The wind seems to be pretty steady down the main channel of the river, but we would still need a tow into it and the current. Taufik, are you sure we should come here?”

“Kalikut is known as the City of Spices, sir,” said Taufik, with the long suffering air of one who has made his point many times. “Here you will find all the spices available in Hind, and you will find wealthy merchants and all the information you could require.”

Captain Larroche sighed. “On your head be it, Taufik. Go and negotiate with him, see if you can get that spot there,” he pointed, “which is a little bit separate.”

He examined the shoreline, trying to see past the warehouses besides the wharfs. Seemed to be lots of onions, for there were lots of buildings with cupolas, onion shaped roofs. Masses of people again, and the water was filthy. People swarmed over the wharfs, loading and unloading ships and just coming and going. Despite the filthy water, kids were jumping off the wharfs and swimming in several places.

Taufik completed the transaction, the pilot shouting at the boat that brought him out, and Taufik told the Bosun to throw them a line. Shortly, they were being towed infinitely slowly towards a wharf, not the one that the Captain had wanted. Apparently that belonged to one of the factors who ran the harbour.

They moored the Queen Rose to several stone pillars on the wharf, with the Bosun personally checking each fender as it was positioned. As the ship docked, Pat and his Elite Royal Scouts dropped on to the wharf and spread out, going through the immediate area with care. Lieutenant Mactravis stationed Stiphleek and Boersma at the bottom of the gangplank, each armed with axes, just in time to deter an army of beggars that swept toward the ship like an inrushing tide. Wiwik grasped one by the arm, felt the muscle and shouted to Maru, in Belada.

“We will eat well here. This one feels tender, and so many of them, they won’t be missed.”

“Not now, wait till dark, but we can choose the best now,” replied Maru with a straight face.

The beggars melted away. Within five minutes the Queen Rose was the only ship in the docks without a besieging army as the word spread.

Before long, a local man, dressed in clean white robes and with a neat, white turban, approached the Spakka and spoke to them. Stiphleek came up the gangplank and called that a trader wished to speak with the Captain. Accordingly, he was ushered aboard and up to the poop deck, where he introduced himself as Mohammed Ashrafin, representing the Ashrafin house, Mappila traders and specialists in spices. Sara went to listen into the trade talk, to see if she could pick up any other information about the city.

The conversation was extremely long winded, without a mention of spice or trade, but Mohammed was happy to tell them all about himself and his family, while enquiring about Harrhein and their families. Captain Larroche did try offering some wines, but Mohammed explained he was a Mussulman, and could not drink alcohol. This required some explaining, and it transpired that he and his fellow traders had accepted the religion of one of their principle trading partners many years previously. No, this was not the Umayyads, though they were of course traders, but similar peoples like the Abbasid and especially the Sufi. Highly educated and civilised people, apparently. Mohammed pursed his lips and said nothing at the mention of Umayyads. Bishop Walters was called, who was delighted and fascinated by Mohammed’s description of his religion. He proclaimed it to be a branch of his own, which met strong disapproval from Mohammed, who explained that Walters’ religion was the same, but based on a prophet. Wicked priests proclaimed him the son of God, though actually he was just one of a line of prophets. The latest prophet, Mohammed, in whose honour he was named, had come to rectify this and ensure the purity of the religion. Mohammed would be pleased to take Walters to prayer and learn the errors of his way. Walters exploded with anger and was taken off to calm down by Perryn at the Captain’s intervention.

Sara asked about the rulers of Kalikut, and was told that he was called the Saamoothiri. He was not interested in trade, except for the taxes he levied, but more concerned with expanding his kingdom. Sara detected something odd about the way Mohammed spoke to her, but it wasn’t until he was unable to hide his distaste when Suzanne joined them that she realised he was reacting to their being women. Grasping the situation rapidly, she took Suzanne’s arm and led her away. Suzanne was quite put out.

Mohammed invited the Captain to his factory to view the spices there, making it very clear that the women were not invited. The Captain went with him, taking Taufik and Brian. Sara and Suzanne discussed the situation with Walters, who thought Mohammed’s reaction to women was something to do with his religion. This bothered the girls, and they went down the ladder to the main deck.

“We’re not going to stay somewhere they virtually ignore women,” said Sara disdainfully.

“We don’t know enough about this place,” mused Suzanne. “Why don’t we go for a walk? Let’s go shopping!”

“Ooh, yes! We need some money though. I’ll get some silver.”

“Will it be any good here? Won’t we need some local money? Tarns, or whatever they were.”

“I don’t know, but I bet Bai has some ideas. There she is, let’s see what she thinks. Bai! Come join us.”

Bai Ju was practising with her shuriken, little metal stars that she could throw accurately into a tiny target from twenty paces. She smiled, collected them from the target, and came to meet the girls, walking in the shadow of the mast without thinking. “What’s up, Princess? You seem pleased with yourself, are you planning some fun?”

“Yes! We’re going shopping? Want to come?”

“Oh, good idea. Just girls or do we want a man to carry things?”

“I think just girls, don’t you? And do you know how we could change silver for local money?”

“There will be a money lender in the docks, probably lots of them. They will change for us, or indeed any merchant will but a money lender should be cheaper.”

“I think we should bring a man,” said Suzanne.

“We’re going shopping, not dancing. They will be bored silly and try to speed us up. No, if it is just girls we’ll be better off.”

“No, we should bring a man. Not only can he carry goods, but look over there. That merchant has bodyguard. I think we should have one, or we will get silly trouble. And he can always carry what we buy. Not Pat though, he’s started getting difficult when we tell him what to do. All your fault, Ju, you are too easy on him.”

“Fine, let’s take Maciu then,” said Sara before Ju could reply.

“No,” said Bai Ju, “better to take Mara. He is the same size, looks impressive as well, but he has learnt the night stalker lessons well and will see more than Maciu. And he is scared of each of us, so will do what we say. Maciu will complain like Pat. You are too easy on him, Princess.” Her eyes twinkled.

Hinatea wasn’t pleased at being left behind, but accepted that she would need more in the way of clothing before wandering around the streets of Kalikut. Both Pat and Maciu tried to come, and sulked when ordered to stay behind. Wiwik managed to talk himself into the group on the grounds that two hands to carry shopping was better, but nearly changed his mind when Bai Ju insisted they wore shoes. Bai Ju collected two staffs for the men to carry, commenting that they hadn’t had enough training with them, but were at least able to hit somebody without dropping them.

They came down the gangplank, guarded by the two Spakka warriors, with Sara in the lead and the men trailing along behind. Stiphleek grinned ingratiatingly, while Boersma turned away. Esbech was there, looking surreptitious. Idly, Sara wondered what he was doing and resolved to check with Janis later. She was pretty certain it had been Esbech to smuggle the curry on board, and suspected he might be attempting another illicit feast.

“Andreas, if anybody buys local food without my permission, I will have you locked in the hold for a week, fed on rat. Raw rat. So make sure nobody buys any, won’t you?” She smiled sweetly while Esbech digested this, wordlessly seeking a suitable reply.

A few hundred paces down the wharf, the buildings gave way to a street thronging with traffic coming and going. Sara headed straight for it, her eyes flowing over the crowd. Most people were coolies, carrying sacks and boxes, with occasional merchants and sailors.

The coolies didn’t meet their eyes, but dropped their heads, while the sailors tended to ogle the girls when they thought they could. The merchants were interesting. Some ignored them totally, looking away occasionally with expressions of disgust. Others smiled and nodded at them. She noted that the ones that ignored them tended to be smartly dressed, all with a head covering, either a hat or a turban, and all with the entire body covered by white or black cloth, monochrome men. Some of the other merchants were freer with their clothing, the occasional bare legs, turbans much bigger and baggier or non-existent. And they had colour! Not just colour, but they happily showed their wealth with ostentatious jewellery, gold chains, brooches and rings.

The road was a short one, leading from a main road, with a steady stream of not just humanity but bullock trucks, heavy wooden wagons each drawn by a single white bull, with a hump on its shoulders, deep dewlap and massive dangling testicles. The drivers all stared at the girls with fascination and no embarrassment, while letting the bulls make their own way. There was a small market on the left of the intersection, and a number of booths beside the road. While most of these sold food and refreshments, others were clearly money lenders.

The girls headed towards them, and hesitated as merchants spotted them coming and called out to them, boiling out of their tents like ants protecting their nest. One fat fellow even laid a hand on Suzanne, trying to drag her towards his booth, by which time the merchants were no longer calling to the girls but insulting each other, screaming away in incomprehensible tongues. Suzanne and Sara shrank back, while Bai Ju stepped forward, but even she wasn’t certain what to do, hesitating with her hands inside her sleeves. Which meant on her weapons. A shrill voice cut through the babble as a woman came out of one of the booths and laid into the men, switching to Belada as she did so.