Troubled Waters

by C. J. Cherryh

  RAJ’S LETTER TO JONES

  Dear Altair Jones;

  I am Sorry more than I can say for Causing you such a great Deal of Trouble. I can only say that I'll Never Be in your Way Again. Don't get mad at Tom—it wasn't any of it his Fault and he never had anything to do with the Lady. Please take care of Denny when I'm Gone.

  Raj

  RAJ’S LETTER TO MONDRAGON

  Dear Tom;

  I am a Bigger Fool than you ever thought I was. I've gone and got Both of us in Trouble. And you didn't even know what was going on. I was writing Poems to m'sera Marina Kamat—she's the girl, not some girl in a boat, I didn't dare tell you because of what happened—anyway she thought they was Coming From You. She had me into House Kamat, and she talked at me—I thought she knew it was me, and she was so Nice, so Sweet, she gave me supper and she kissed me—it was Dark before I knew it, and she gave me a Note—I read it and then I figured out she Thought it was You, not me, that wrote the Poems. That's in love with her. And I didn't know what to Do—she promised me she'd see about sponserring me into the College, God, I want that almost as much as I love her—

  And All I had to do was keep writing Poems and making like they came from You. I could see her and talk to her—I might get to be in the College, even, get to be a real Doctor.

  But I knew it wasn't Right. And—I asked a friend for some Advice, he told me if she ever found Out she'd be Real Angry, as much with you as me, and that isn't Right At All. It isn't Honorable. I can't Live like that.

  So I done my best to fix it. I sent a letter over to Kamat Telling the Truth. And I left this One for you, and one where Jones'll find it.

  Now I'm Going Away, so I can't Cause you any more Trouble. Seems I'm better at that than anything else. So at least you won't have to worry about what I'm going to get you into next, not any more. I'm sorry, Tom,— but Sorry don't buy too much and it don't fix anything, either. Just, please, keep Denny out of Danger when I'm gone, if you figure I've ever Done anything for you.

  Rigel Takahashi

  MEROVINGIAN SONGS

  PARTNERS

  Lyrics by Mercedes Lackey ©1987

  Music by C. J. Cherryh ©1987

  My mother worships money

  And my father worships work.

  My sister says that I'm a whore,

  My brother, I'm a sherk.

  With such a loving family

  There's no need to wonder why

  At sixteen I determined that

  I'd break away or die.

  Well, die is what I nearly did—

  Out singing for my cash;

  They threw a little money

  But they threw a lot of trash.

  I tried a little acting

  'Cause the bug was in my soul,

  But acting couldn't keep me fed;

  I starved and then I stole.

  Her name was Rif; she sang in bars;

  Her hat was full of coin,

  And she caught me quite red-handed

  With what I tried to purloin.

  She didn't call out for the law,

  She didn't make a fuss—

  "Rob from the rich to feed the poor—"

  And, partner, that means us.

  She taught me how to pick gitar

  And how to pick a lock.

  She taught me how to kill

  And where to bluff, and when to shock.

  But being partner to Rif

  Sometimes is a royal pain—

  A singer-thief; that's fine—But she's

  An undercover Jane!

  She's a crazy rabble-rouser

  And she wants to save the world.

  I think she'd challenge God himself

  With rebel flags unfurled.

  And I love her like my sister—(more!

  'Cause I hate my sister's guts.)

  But I'll be the first to tell you that

  I think my partner's nuts.

  So here we are out singing

  In some dark canalside dive—

  And all I want to do is somehow

  keep us both alive.

  Between the priests and blacklegs

  trying to send us both to hell—

  And the scrapes she gets us both into—Lord,

  The stories I could tell!

  She's a crazy rabble-rouser

  and she's out to change the world

  and with all she's dragged me into

  I'm surprised my hair ain't curled.

  But I wouldn't trade my partner Rif,

  not for anyone I know—I

  Sometimes think she might be right,

  but, Lord! don't tell her so!

  A SONG FOR MARINA

  Lyrics by Mercedes Lackey ©1987

  Music by C. J. Cherryh ©1987

  Look down on me, lady—

  Your window's so high,

  It's so hard to see you

  But still, I will try,

  It's dark by canalside,

  I know you won't see

  The one in the shadows—

  the shadow that's me.

  Look down on me, lady—

  Look down from above—

  Although you don't know me

  I'll tell you I love.

  I'll write of your beauty

  And watch you below

  I'll love you forever

  And you'll never know.

  Look down on me, lady—

  Oh won't you look down?

  For if I were a king

  I would give you my crown.

  But I'm just a poet—

  A fool at your feet—

  Look down on me, lady—

  Your smile is so sweet.

  Look down on me, lady—

  The stars in the skies

  Cannot hope to equal Y

  our ever-bright eyes.

  Alas, I've no fortune,

  No future, no clan—

  A look's all I'll get

  So I'll take what I can.

  INDEX TO THE CITY MAPS

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  JONES WAS MAD—

  C.J. CHERRYH invites you to enter the world of MEROVINGEN NIGHTS!

  Title

  In the twisting highways and byways of TROUBLED WATERS, you will encounter.

  Maps

  CHAPTER I

  CHAPTER II

  CHAPTER III

  CHAPTER IV

  CHAPTER V

  CHAPTER VI

  CHAPTER VII

  CHAPTER VIII

  CHAPTER IX

  CHAPTER X

  CHAPTER XI

  CHAPTER XII

  CHAPTER XIII

  CHAPTER XIV

  CHAPTER XV

  CHAPTER XVI

  CHAPTER XVII

  CHAPTER XVIII

  CHAPTER XIX

  EPILOGUE

  APPENDIX

  RAJ’S LETTER TO MARINA

  RAJ’S LETTER TO JONES

  RAJ’S LETTER TO MONDRAGON

  MEROVINGIAN SONGS

  A SONG FOR MARINA

  INDEX TO THE CITY MAPS