The Jongurian Mission (33 page)

Edgyn
looked back at them then stepped onto the pier. The rest of the men looked at one another nervously, then Halam, Rodden and Bryn followed, the others close behind.

* * * * *

They were in port no more than an hour before the Adjurian ship sailed in. Its two tall masts gave away its approach long before they could see it move into the bay, but even so, Leisu felt a premonition that something bad was going to occur when he saw them. There were no more than a dozen men aboard her, Leisu figured as he watched the ship, named
The
Comely Maiden
, glide into a berth along an empty pier beside them. Some of them scurried about pulling at the rigging and securing the sails, but most only stood at the railing and watched the docks grow closer. By the look of them they weren’t sailors. Most were well past middle age and a few had graying hair. Only one carried a weapon that Leisu could see; a mighty longsword that was sheathed at the belt of one of the more thick-set ones, muscle turned to fat no doubt. Several of the same men that had taken the ropes of Leisu’s ship now took those of this new visitor. Leisu wondered what a group of Adjurians could possibly be doing in Weiling as he walked down the gangplank of his ship and moved over to have a better look.

One of the Adjurians, a man with a bright black goatee, spoke a few words in Jongurian to one of the men that had assisted with the ropes, and he ran off toward the town.
Leisu sidled up to one of the dockworkers to get a better idea of what was happening.

“They want to see the imperial representative,” the man told Leisu after he asked what was said between the two men.

The imperial representative, what could they possibly want with him?
Leisu thought. Could these men be more than just some amazingly ignorant sailors who’d lost their way? Were these the very men that he and Grandon were discussing on the ship just an hour earlier, men coming to start up trade between the two nations once again? It was an intriguing thought, and one that would be good for the country, but it couldn’t have come at a worse time. Why did Grandon have to go out to explore the town now? He turned and began walking down the pier toward the large wooden staircase that would take him toward the imperial offices. He needed to find whoever was in charge of the emperor’s interests here and persuade him that these men must be gotten rid of quickly. But perhaps more importantly, he needed to find Grandon and get him back on the ship immediately.

The imperial office was the first large building just above the stairs from the pier.
The man that had carried the Adjurian’s message from the pier was just coming down the wooden porch steps when Leisu approached and walked up and in the front door without so much as knocking. He moved through the small entrance room to the main office, coming to stand in front of a large man with oily hair and ash marks all down his shirt from the pipe lodged between his lips. The man looked up from whatever paperwork he was doing and began to raise an arm in protest at Leisu’s sudden intrusion, but was cut off before he’d had the chance.

“There is right now a group of Adjurians on the dock who would seek an audience with you,” Leisu began, staring down at the man in his desk.
“These men must be dispatched with immediately.”

“And who are you to be telling me what to do?” the man asked angrily, sitting up as straight in his desk as his large belly would allow.

“My name is Leisu Tsao and I report directly to Zhou Lao.”

The man sank in his chair at the mention of the rebel leader’s name.
He stared at the far wall for a moment before answering. “Zhou wishes that these Adjurians be dispatched?”

“Get rid of them,” Leisu replied.
“I’m on important business of Zhou’s. I’ll be in port for another hour at the most, and can’t have these Adjurians about.”

“I will send them on their way immediately,” the man replied, rising from his chair.

“Good,” Leisu said and strode back to the door.

He emerged onto the small porch to see the Adjurians coming up the staircase and heading straight toward him.
He quickly walked down the steps, across the street, and into a narrow alley between two smaller buildings. He hung back and watched as three of the dockworkers led the Adjurians to the office, taking up positions on the porch when the men went inside. There were eight of them, all grown men and past their fighting years by the look of it, except one, who was just a boy.
What could he possibly be doing here?
Leisu thought.

Leisu’s thoughts turned back to the man in the office.
he had no idea who the man was, but he’d obviously known and feared the name of Zhou Lao. He knew that his master’s reach extended far, even into some of the northwest provinces, and it would seem that he had some influence in Weiling as well. Seeing him react the way he did, Leisu had no doubt that the man would get rid of the Adjurians as quickly as he could.

He straightened and looked around.
He had to find Grandon, get back to the ship, then pull out of this port and get to Bindao. He began to walk the wide streets of Weiling in search of the Adjurian. The townsfolk would really have something to talk about now. A ship full of Adjurians in port for the first time in twenty years, word of that would spread quickly. It was just as well, Leisu thought. Now anyone who happened to have seen Grandon earlier wouldn’t remember that he was separate from the others. All Adjurians would look the same to these fishermen, so it was well in a way that the ship had come when it did. Still, Leisu told himself, the sooner they were on their way the better.

***

Three of the Jongurian men led them up the wooden staircase to the buildings that Bryn had seen. If this was Weiling, then it wasn’t much, he thought. There were perhaps a dozen buildings, all laid out on flat boards over the uneven rocky boulders. The two closest to the staircase were two-storeys tall, while the others were only a single-storey high. The ground was worn and dusty on what passed for a road between the buildings. There were very few people around, only an old woman washing some clothes in a large wooden barrel and a middle-aged man sitting on a bench outside one of the buildings further down the road. The three Jongurians walked up the wooden porch steps that led into the first tall building after the staircase and opened the door, gesturing for them to enter.

Inside, the building was nearly as bare as the outside.
They walked into a small, empty room off of the porch, and they turned to look back at the Jongurians, who gestured for them to move into the larger room to the right. It contained a small table in the middle of the room with four chairs set into it, while along the side wall there were another five chairs, all covered with dust. The room was dominated by a large wooden desk, made from the same wood that everything else in Weiling was made of. A large man sat in it, a long pipe clamped tightly between his teeth. He had dark, oily black hair, a thin black mustache and several long hairs on his chin which dangled down, although there were not nearly enough to qualify it as a beard. He had the same small facial features as the other Jongurians, but whereas they were small of body, this man was large. He had massive arms and a belly which stretched out far in front of him. His shirt was a dark blue, though faded by the sun, and he wore an equally faded grey vest over it. Both were covered in ash from the pipe he smoked.

“Welcome,” he said in Adjurian when they
’d all squeezed into the room. “Please, have a seat.”

Halam, Edgyn, Pader, and Willem seated themselves at the table while Bryn, Rodden, Millen, and Iago took the chairs against the wall, wiping the dust off with their hands before sitting down.

“My name is Yuan Jibao and I represent the emperor here in Weiling. Now tell me, what to what do I owe the pleasure of an unexpected visit from an Adjurian ship,” the man said in a deep voice, the pipe bobbing up and down between his lips as he spoke.

The men seated at the table looked to one another.
After a moment, as if some silent agreement had been made as to who would represent them, Halam stood up.

“Sir, my name is Halam Fiske, and I’m a trade representative from the province of Tillatia.
Each of us,” he said, turning and putting his arms out to indicate everyone sitting behind him, “holds a position dealing with trade from a different province of Adjuria. We’ve been tasked by the king and royal council to let it be known to you that we wish to open up trade between our two great countries once again.”

Several
moments passed by in silence as Yuan seemed to weigh Halam’s words. Finally he spoke.

“I
t’s been more than twenty years and one long war since our two nations have traded, why do you come to us now?”

Halam put his fist on the table and looked down for a moment before addressing the man.
“For many years after the East-West war Adjuria had several internal problems which eventually led to a Civil–”

“Yes, we know about your war,” Yuan interrupted impatiently.
“What I want to know about is
trade
.

Halam seemed to tense up a moment at the sudden interruption.
“It’s been only recently that matters have come to a sufficient point where we feel we’re able to trade once again.”

“Nonsense,” Yuan replied.
“You’ve been needing to trade for some time now, if our reports are any indication. Much of your country’s population is living very poorly and has been for some time. You think that by reopening trade with us that this problem will be solved.”

Halam could tell this man was better informed about Adjuria than they were of Jonguria, and there was no point in trying to argue with him about his country’s situation.
“That’s right, sir.”

“Of course that’s right, it wasn’t a question.”
Seemingly satisfied that he’d gotten the upper hand in the discussion so far, Yuan leaned back in his chair, which creaked noisily under the strain. “Did you ever think
why
it was that we’ve never come to you, like you come to me today, begging for trade to be resumed.”

Halam thought for a few moments before speaking, not wanting to anger the man anymore than he already had.
“We thought that perhaps you no longer had a pressing need for our goods after such a long absence.”

“A pressing need?” Yuan laughed repeating the words.
“No, we have no pressing need. I will tell you sir, we’ve come to realize that we never had a need for your goods and are doing quite fine without them.”

Halam looked at the other men sitting at the table.
Pader rose to speak.

“Surely sir this cannot be the majority opinion of the imperial government.”

“I am the imperial government as far as you’re concerned,” Yuan said loudly, quickly jerking upright in his chair once again. “Who are you to presume to know my government’s opinions?”

“My name is Pader Brun from Culdovia, sir, and I don’t presume to know anything,” Pader said, standing up from the table to speak.

“Yes, that is good,” Yuan said, settling back in his chair somewhat. “None of you need presume anything about Jonguria. How could you possibly know anything about what goes on in this country? No Adjurian has stepped foot on Jongurian soil since the last of you packed up your camps and left the Baishur River and Bindao.”

“Sir,” Edgyn said as he got up from his chair and stood in front of the table.
“My name is Edgyn Thron from Portinia. Before the war I made countless voyages between our two countries, the holds of my ship overflowing with goods, goods which were highly appreciated at the time.” He looked down for a moment before meeting Yuan’s eyes. “With all due respect, sir, I cannot believe that there is no longer any demand for what Adjuria produces.”

“Have you Adjurians no sense?
Do your ears not work properly?” Yuan bellowed, rising from his chair. “I’ve just told you that we don’t want your goods. How can I make myself any more clear?”

Before Edgyn could respond, Willem stood up.
“You’ve made it very clear that you have no desire for us to be here or for our goods to be sent. We are sorry to have troubled you this morning and will be on our way. Thank you for your time.”

“That is the most sensible thing I’ve heard from your mouths today,” Yuan replied, sitting down again.

Pader and Edgyn began to voice their disagreement with Willem’s sudden declaration, but he silenced them with a sharp look.

“Let us head back to the ship gentlemen, our role here is done.”

He raised his arms up in a gesture for them to head out the door and back toward the wooden staircase leading to the pier.
Bryn took one final look over his shoulder at Yuan. He seemed to be clenching his teeth around his pipe stem harder than ever, his face growing red.

Once
back in the empty front room Edgyn and Pader let their discontent be known. “How could you just stop the negotiations like that?” Pader angrily asked Willem.

“You call that negotiations?
” Willem replied just as angrily, closing the door to Yuan’s office. “That was more like a chastisement. It was clear that he wanted nothing to do with us.”

“But we should have kept pressing.
I cannot believe that this man speaks for Jonguria when he says that he has no desire whatsoever for a renewal of trade,” Edgyn angrily said. “That makes no sense at all!”