Jalia Prevails (Book 5) (10 page)

BOOK: Jalia Prevails (Book 5)
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“Just stay away from all of them,” she said, smirking as he staggered against the funnel and nearly fell. “I don’t want to find you suffocated under all that sagging fat.”

“These agreements are supposed to work both ways,” Daniel pointed out. Jalia had never pledged exclusivity to him and he doubted she ever would. It would be like caging a wild bird, ending who she was. She had to be free to choose and he knew it.

“No they don’t,” Jalia replied in a way suggesting that particular conversation could never be fruitfully pursued.

“I gather that we are going to make port tonight,” Daniel said, as once again he looked forward into the mists rising from the river. In a few hours, the heat of the sun would burn them away, but at that moment they severely limited visibility. “I thought this boat went straight to Slarn.”

“There is only the one river, Daniel. And this boat is going one way,” Jalia lectured in a superior voice. It had been her normal voice once upon a time, when she mixed exclusively among royalty and the richest people of Bagdor.

“You know what I mean.”

“There are two ports of call on the way. The first of those is Wegnar, which we will reach this evening. The Dragon stays there for one whole day leaving on the following dawn. According to the crew, we should pass the first of the Dragon’s two sister ships, err boats, or whatever they are, sometime in the afternoon.

“What about the second stop?”

“It will take another three days to reach Bretin where we shall stay moored for a day, followed by another four days of travel to Slarn.”

“That makes Slarn another ten days away for us, nine if you don’t count today?” Daniel asked, to make sure he had it right.

Jalia struggled with the sums in her head before she thought to change all the times to money whereupon the problem became easy.

“That’s right,” she announced. “The three boats on this route spend four days in Boathaven and five in Slarn, which means they are on a thirty three day round trip. Her sister ships are running eleven and twenty two days out of alignment with each other and never end up in the same dock together. Except in the winter months when they all hole up in Slarn. Is that clear enough?”

“I think I need to see a timetable, but I’ll take your word for it,” Daniel replied. His head spun as he tried to figure the sequence out.

“Have you wondered,” Jalia continued as her eyes took on a faraway look, “What it would be like if we set those ancient water gates at Slarn so that we could sale this boat all the way to Delbon? Can you imagine the King of Delbon’s surprise when we rode the Steam Dragon into the Royal Docks? They haven’t seen a boat of any kind for over a thousand years.”

“I seem to remember that King Ren al’Hey has put a price on your head for killing his guards,” Daniel reminded.

“Pfft! He’ll have forgotten about all that by now. That was over a year ago.” Jalia tone was full of derision.

“Just the same way that King Trep in Bagdor will have forgotten how you blackmailed him out of all that money?”

Jalia’s smiled faded. “Well no, he won’t, not in his case. But the man is a toad and his children are worse. Did I tell you about the time I left more than a few whip marks on his son’s bottom when he tried to rape me?”

“Many times,” Daniel said and sighed. “It’s a nice idea though. There must be towns we’ve never heard of along the route, between the Delbar Heights and the Northern Forest.”

“They must have been abandoned centuries ago, because I never heard of them in school,” Jalia said. “Too near the territory of your Fairie friends, I suspect. They don’t like humans to gather in large numbers in their forests.”

“Speaking of opening and closing certain gates,” Daniel said, leaning close to Jalia so he could whisper in her ear, “What have you done with a certain ring I had in my pocket when I healed Hala?”

“Ah!” Jalia said, looking more than a little embarrassed. “It’s all right, Daniel, I have it in my money bag.”

“You just thought it would be safer with you than with me?” Daniel asked as Jalia’s fingers scrambled in the small bag for the ring.

“You were unconscious and alone. It wouldn’t have been safe to leave it with you,” Jalia argued as she pulled the ring from the bag. She held it between thumb and forefinger, looking closely at the intricate carving on the coin shaped diamond that was the Great Seal of Slarn. No human could make such a thing now. She found it difficult to hand it back because it was such a special prize.

“Yes, it must have been wonderfully safe in your pocket as you clambered over to that shipwreck and swung between it and the Dragon on ropes. Far safer than staying locked up in a cabin with me,” Daniel teased.

The teasing did the trick, and Jalia finally passed the ring to him.

“There is no need for you to ever steal from me,” Daniel told her softly.

“There’s certainly never been any challenge in it,” Jalia agreed.

 

Captain Gil Toren met the man at the agreed place and time. It was a platform near the stern and the man was sitting down, completely hidden from view, even from the viewing platform on the funnel. It was noisy around the stern of the boat and their words would not carry more than a few feet. Such precautions were necessary as the Captain was playing a very dangerous game.

“Does Gally Sorn know that the prince is on board?” the man asked. Captain Toren did not turn to answer, but spoke while he stood looking out over the rear of the boat.

“I did not tell her. She may recognize him if they meet, but I would doubt it. Those two move in different circles.”

“Our two young heroes are trying to get their property back from Sorn. She didn’t ask you to keep anything safe for her, did she?” the man asked. He would have liked to watch the Captain’s face as he answered the question, but that would have made him visible.

“She has given me nothing. Unless you count the aching back I got from servicing her needs last night. The woman is insatiable.”

“My heart bleeds for you, Captain,” the man said dryly. “The things a spy must do for his city are great indeed. I could put in a word to get you a medal when this is all over, the
Order of the Rampant Cock
, perhaps?”

“If she ever finds out I am spying on her she will cut mine off and make me eat it before she kills me.”

“What of the swords?” the man asked.

“What about the swords?” the Captain asked. “The ones from the Swallow are perfectly safe in Hold One as far as I know. Should I check on them?”

“There will be no need for that, Captain,” the man said hastily. “Have you discovered how Sorn plans to double-cross the traders? That is your primary task in all this.”

“With only three of them left, she might well just take the swords and laugh in their faces. She has said nothing of her plans.”

“You must learn to pump her for information as you are pumping her in other ways. I have been told she responds well to flattery.”

“I have been told she cuts out the tongues of those who ask her unnecessary questions. I risk my life enough as it is.”

“You are well paid, I would remind you,” the man said dismissively. “Keep me informed if you see Sorn do anything unusual, or if she spends longer with someone than might be considered socially normal. We will meet here again at the agreed time.”

Captain Toren did not reply, but walked away as if he had become tired of watching the wake of his ship.

 

When Daniel and Jalia got back to their cabin, Hala was noticeable by her absence.

“I expect she has gone to nurse Nin,” Daniel said as he sat heavily on his bunk.

“Yes, or to do something we won’t want to know about with him,” Jalia replied. “We would make terrible parents, Daniel, because I really don’t care what they do.”

“I think you would make a great mother. We did all right with the last lot of children we were lumbered with.”

Jalia frowned as she wondered if those particular kids were all right.

“This boat is enormous,” Daniel said. “Gally Sorn could have hidden my dagger and your ring anywhere. Where do you think we should look?”

“The Captain’s cabin is the obvious place. The trouble is that it is below the bridge and relatively small. I got into Sorn’s suite from above because I could descent to it from the side of the boat. I’m much more likely to be discovered if I attempt the same route for the captain’s cabin because I would be going over right in front of the bridge.”

“Sorn might take them with her if she goes into Wegnar, once we have docked,” Daniel reasoned. “I think it would be better if we don’t try anything tonight and go into the town to look around instead.”

“Gambling?” Jalia asked, hopefully.

“You don’t need me for that.”

“We shall split up then,” Jalia said firmly and cheered by the prospect. “I shall go out to earn the money we need to live and you can go and do whatever it is you do, just so long as it does not involve employing the services of any big breasted women.”

Jalia pouted at Daniel. “It doesn’t, does it?”

Daniel threw his pillow at her and a short fight ensued. This led to other things.

“See, I told you that they are just the right size,” Daniel said a short time later.

 

The Steam Dragon’s horn sounded in a series of blasts, to be echoed by a set in almost the same beat from far in the distance. Daniel opened his eyes, trying to remember where he was. Jalia was draped over him, her head lolling on his chest. She appeared to be fast asleep.

As Daniel tried to get up, Jalia resisted and clung onto him, her fingernails biting like teeth into his flesh.

“That’s the Flying Kite, the Steam Dragon’s sister ship. We’ll miss it going past if we don’t get up,” Daniel said as he shook her.

“So, two boats are going to pass each other on a river. Is that worth getting dressed for? It’s all very well for men, you don’t leak afterwards.”

“Put a pair of Hala’s knickers on,” Daniel said unsympathetically as he finally managed to pry Jalia off him.

“The things I do for you,” Jalia complained as she dragged herself from the bunk. Despite her complaining, she dressed remarkably quickly and finished ahead of Daniel. “Come on then,” she chided, “Boys are either too fast or too slow. With you, I’ve got the worst of both worlds.”

Daniel grinned as he tied the last of his bootlaces and stood up. “They say that practice makes perfect.”

“Do that again? With you? In the same year?” Jalia asked in mock horror.

“Well no, of course not,” Daniel replied with equal horror in his voice. “I shan’t be ready again until at least next spring. Perhaps you could get the Captain or Don to tide you over.”

“Idiot,” Jalia said as she opened their cabin door.

 

Hala was rubbing more of Daniel’s ointment into Nin’s wounds when they heard the boat horns. Nin’s wounds were much better, though it looked as if his back would carry a scar from Yan’s first strike.

“You have to go,” Nin told her, lifting up onto his elbows and wincing.

“But I was just going to give you some more pain relief,” Hala said with a sly grin.

“You can come back afterwards. In fact, I insist on it. But don’t miss the passage of the boats. It’s a highlight of the journey and I’d be up on deck myself right now, if it didn’t hurt so much to move. I never tire of watching it, nor do the rest of the crew.”

“Will you be all right on your own?” Hala knew Nin needed help if he wanted to get up.

“I can do it myself if needs be.”

“Don’t you dare,” Hala said primly. “That’s my job now.”

“Go on, hurry up. The Steam Dragon will be receiving the message bag when the boats pass. That’s my favorite part,” Nin urged.

Hala left the room.

“You forgot your knickers,” Nin shouted out to a closing door.

 

Cara and Don were in the dining room finishing a late lunch when the horns sounded.

“Why doesn’t Jalia like me?” Cara asked plaintively.

“Possibly because you throw yourself wantonly at her man,” Don said in a philosophical manner.

“I do not,” Cara exclaimed in outrage. “I’ve not touched Daniel, well not often and not in that way at all, worse luck.”

BOOK: Jalia Prevails (Book 5)
12.91Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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