Part 33 (1/2)
”Your boat is well fueled and provisioned?”
”We acquire all necessities en route. The jungle, Madame, may be viewed as the wise man's treasure trove.”
”What about the boat herself? Recently inspected? In good repair? Sound and riverworthy?”
”As worthy as a pious widow struggling to support her eight hungry children. As worthy as an itinerant holy man was.h.i.+ng the feet of the poor. As worthy as-”
”And the crew?”
”Consists of the captain and a stoker.”
”That's all? You have no mate? No other a.s.sistance?”
”And require none, Jhiv-Huze is proud to say. Look on the bright side, Madame-he always does. In the absence of a crew, your privacy is a.s.sured. May he a.s.sume that you have elected to travel downriver alone?”
”Alone?” She hesitated. His pinpoint pupils dotted richly bloodshot eyes whose brilliant vitreous sheen suddenly unnerved her. She pictured herself aboard a boat on the wide Ygah at night, alone with this outlandish character, a stoker, and a hold full of marukinutu. marukinutu. Every instinct screamed a warning. She couldn't afford cowardice, not if she wanted to win, and she did carry the pocket pistol, but nevertheless- Every instinct screamed a warning. She couldn't afford cowardice, not if she wanted to win, and she did carry the pocket pistol, but nevertheless- ”Madame travels in my company,” announced the voice of Girays v'Alisante.
She turned to find him right behind her, and the rush of relief actually brought a couple of tears to her eyes. She blinked them away and prayed that he had not seen. He would have every right to mock her without mercy. On the other hand, she reminded herself stoutly, she would would have gone ahead and traveled alone if necessary. She would have slept fully dressed, with the Khrennisov under her pillow-a.s.suming that she had a pillow-but she would indeed have gone ahead, alone. have gone ahead and traveled alone if necessary. She would have slept fully dressed, with the Khrennisov under her pillow-a.s.suming that she had a pillow-but she would indeed have gone ahead, alone.
”Decided to come along, then?” she inquired with a creditable affectation of nonchalance.
”I've had enough of wandering the wharf,” he told her easily. ”And so I've decided to take a chance on Jhiv-Huze here.”
”Excellent.” The captain nodded. ”Excellent. Jhiv-Huze congratulates you, sir. You and Madame may antic.i.p.ate a memorable journey.”
”No doubt. Then lead us to your vessel, Captain.”
”With the greatest of pride and pleasure. You will be astonished. This way.”
He led them along the wharf to a stand of worm-eaten pilings, blue-green with algae, home to an a.s.sortment of disintegrating derelicts seemingly abandoned to rot in peace.
”There she is. Jhiv-Huze's pride, his beauty, his delight.” The captain's broad gesture encompa.s.sed a filthy, rusty, antiquated tub with peeling paint and a dented smokestack. A tattered tricolored banner, denoting an independent operator, drooped from the staff. Faded lettering along the bow spelled out the vessel's name: Blind Cripple. Blind Cripple.
Luzelle's jaw dropped. She did not dare to meet Girays's eyes.
”She doesn't go in much for paint and pennants,” Jhiv-Huze confessed sentimentally. ”She isn't quite the fas.h.i.+onable belle. But she has the heart of a champion, the Cripple Cripple has, and she'll burst her sweet boiler to carry you safe to Jumo.” has, and she'll burst her sweet boiler to carry you safe to Jumo.”
”But how long will she take to do it? Can we hope to overtake the Water Sprite Water Sprite?”
”Overtake her? Rest a.s.sured, we'll leave that overblown, overloaded, glorified scow wallowing in our wake within the s.p.a.ce of hours. Depend on it.”
Luzelle drew a deep breath and compelled herself to request, ”Then allow us to board, Captain.”
”Mmm, yes. Madame will recall...” He rubbed his thumb and two fingers together expressively.
”Oh, certainly.” Her wallet produced five hundred New-rekkoes, which she handed over with a false air of confidence. Girays did likewise, and Captain Jhiv-Huze grandly motioned them on to the slippery, creaky gangplank.
The Blind Cripple Blind Cripple stank of rancid cooking oil, cheap cigars, old fish, and fresh excrement. A single whiff served notice that a slop bucket or chamber pot located somewhere below was emptied on an irregular basis at best. Luzelle's nose wrinkled. Courtesy just barely prevented her from pinching her nostrils. Her eyes encountered Girays's. One of his dark brows rose. Suddenly she discovered giggles bubbling at the back of her throat, and she suppressed them with an effort. There was nothing to laugh about, she told herself sternly. The stank of rancid cooking oil, cheap cigars, old fish, and fresh excrement. A single whiff served notice that a slop bucket or chamber pot located somewhere below was emptied on an irregular basis at best. Luzelle's nose wrinkled. Courtesy just barely prevented her from pinching her nostrils. Her eyes encountered Girays's. One of his dark brows rose. Suddenly she discovered giggles bubbling at the back of her throat, and she suppressed them with an effort. There was nothing to laugh about, she told herself sternly. The Blind Cripple Blind Cripple was disgusting and doubtless unhealthy- was disgusting and doubtless unhealthy- A sputter escaped her, and she turned it into a cough.
She would probably contract some dreadful disease aboard this floating pesthouse. The air alone would be enough to poison her over the course of-of- ”How many days to Jumo?” Luzelle inquired.
”From five to twelve, depending upon the weather, the condition of the river, and the disposition of the Nine Blessed Tribes,” Jhiv-Huze returned serenely.
”Oh.” Her merriment evaporated. Five days aboard the Blind Cripple Blind Cripple const.i.tuted serious hards.h.i.+p. Twice that was unthinkable. const.i.tuted serious hards.h.i.+p. Twice that was unthinkable.
”Considerable variation there,” Girays observed without visible concern. ”How would you evaluate the current condition of weather, river, and Blessed Tribesmen, Captain?”
”Weather favorable,” the other declared. ”Spring rains all but over, summer heat not yet set in. Prime flesh-borer season, but that shouldn't trouble us much aboard the Cripple. Cripple. The river is high and swift, the shoals well submerged. It isn't easy to run aground at this time of the year, and thus the The river is high and swift, the shoals well submerged. It isn't easy to run aground at this time of the year, and thus the Waterweed Waterweed's recent encounter with a sandbar above Flewn's Bend marks a rare triumph for her pilot-he's accomplished the nearly impossible. As for the disposition of the Blessed Tribesmen, that's not so easily gauged. Beyond question they're angered by recent events and, given the opportunity, won't hesitate to express their dissatisfaction. But opportunities are few between here and Ygah-Ta'ahri, thanks to the Grewzian presence. The offal-chomping gut-gobblers-that is to say, the stalwart sons of the Imperium-swarm like busy little grey bees along that stretch of the river, and to give them their due, they maintain good order. Below Ygah-Ta'ahri the Ypsinolo Falls force all vessels into the detour of the Ta'ahri Capillaries, whose complexity defies even Grewzian efficiency. There, where the channels are narrow and the jungle dense, the Blessed Tribesmen remain a force to be reckoned with. But Roupe Jhiv-Huze is ready to face them. His fortunes are fair, his star in the ascendant. Sir and Madame, you are privileged to enjoy his protection.”
”That was a most informative evaluation, Captain,” Girays remarked with apparent appreciation. He glanced at Luzelle, and his eyes spoke. Still time to back out. Still time to back out.
Never, she replied in silence. Aloud she requested, ”Will you show us to our quarters, Captain?”
”Below,” Jhiv-Huze directed amiably. ”Easily located. Madame need only follow her nose.”
”We want separate staterooms,” she announced.
”Staterooms?” He pondered. ”Madame will soon discover that we aboard the Cripple Cripple lead lives of extreme simplicity. The captain alone enjoys private quarters. Pa.s.sengers and crew sling hammocks where they find s.p.a.ce.” lead lives of extreme simplicity. The captain alone enjoys private quarters. Pa.s.sengers and crew sling hammocks where they find s.p.a.ce.”
”But surely you can't expect me to share accommodations with-I mean, you must see that it's quite impossible-”
”Madame may come to appreciate the s.p.a.cious airy comfort of the deck in the evening. Moonlight upon the river, the glory of the stars overhead, the kiss of the forest breezes upon your brow-”
”The kiss of countless mosquitoes upon every inch of exposed skin, the caress of torrential downpours-no, Captain.” Luzelle folded her arms. ”The deck won't do, and-”
”And Madame will doubtless wish to investigate alternatives,” the captain observed cheerily. ”The engine room, the bilge, the galley-the possibilities are manifold. Perhaps Madame will seek the advice of Oonuvu, who knows every inch of the Blind Cripple Blind Cripple.”
”Oonuvu?”
”The stoker. A splendid lad.”
”But-”
”And now Jhiv-Huze must set to work. Sir and Madame, you will find all that you require below. Come, let us cast off!” So saying, the captain paused above an open hatch to shout orders in Ygahri dialect down to an invisible subordinate, then turned away to begin wrestling with the gangplank.
”Do you mean to follow his suggestion?” Girays did not trouble to hide his amus.e.m.e.nt. ”If not, better decide quickly.”
”Nothing to decide,” she declared, and slipped neatly by him to descend the companionway to a verminous galley, which she pa.s.sed through without letting her eyes linger. Beyond the galley lay the blistering engine room, with its primitive boiler presided over by a muscular, sweat-gleaming Ygahri youth, perhaps fifteen years of age, clad in an abbreviated loincloth. He turned as she entered, and she caught the flash of slanted black eyes burning beneath a long fringe of tangled black hair. Oonuvu, without doubt. Luzelle essayed a polite tepid smile, which was not returned. The young stoker's devouring eyes narrowed. Setting his shovel aside, he squatted down on his haunches and studied her at expressionless length. Presently his hands began to slide back and forth along his thighs, streaking the coppery flesh with dark coal dust. Uneasiness stirred at the pit of her stomach. She should not have left Girays up on deck. Mistake. Bother Girays. I can look after myself. Bother Girays. I can look after myself. She turned and walked away. She turned and walked away.
Behind her she heard Oonuvu's voice, whispering in Ygahri. She did not understand a single word, and somehow felt that she did not want to.
The next door she opened disclosed a tiny closet containing a hammock, a padlocked oaken chest, a padlocked locker, and a table supporting an alcohol burner. The enclosed s.p.a.ce reeked of marukinutu. marukinutu. These were manifestly the captain's quarters, and she shut the door at once. These were manifestly the captain's quarters, and she shut the door at once.
Proceeding forward to the main cabin, she discovered dirt, evil odors, and half a dozen filthy hammocks. No washstand. No pillows, no sheets. No privacy. No feasible alternative. She set her bag down on the floor.
A creak alerted her, and she turned to find Oonuvu framed in the narrow doorway. He was leaning against the jamb, compact body motionless, coppery face still as a mask, unwinking slanted eyes fixed upon her.