"You like?" Rutgers asked.
"Aye, friend, I do," McGee replied thickly. "I like that, too," he said, pointing at one of the barmaids. "Been just a bit past too long since I knew a pretty lass."
"I told you there would be women. Did I not?" He slapped the older man on the shoulder. "Drink up, man. Time for whoring later. There's ale to drink!" McGee didn't understand everything the man said, but didn't feel like he needed to. Just the promise of women later made his head spin. He downed the tankard and called for another, slapping the girl's ass as she brought it to him.
Rutgers laughed as the girl slapped McGee across the face. They then broke into a raucous drinking song. Neither cared that they were singing in two different languages.
One of Jeroen's men brought Tebrey's small bundle of personal items to him. He was followed closely by three teenaged boys rolling a wooden tub. They placed it in the center of the room and left. Tebrey could see that it was lined in a thin sheath of light hammered metal, possibly tin. It barely looked big enough to hold him.
A few minutes later, there was tentative knock on his door.
He walked over and opened it. Two young women stood in the hall holding large pails of water. As soon as he opened the door, they carried their steaming pails over to the tub and dumped them in. They smiled shyly at him as they left to get more water.
"That looks like it's going to take a while," he said to no one in particular.
He unbuckled his holster and checked his pistol and combat knife before slipping them under his pillow. The bed seemed comfortable enough, and free of insects. The whole room was clean and pleasant. Even the mental pressure of the city was muted here. He could finally relax a little.
He opened the window, but quickly shut it again. The air was no clearer on the second story, and he'd rather smell the hay and cedar of the room than the stench of sewage and unwashed humanity. He sat on the bed and brooded as the girls slowly filled the tub.
It had been almost six months since they had been stranded on Cedeforthy. In that time, seventy-five percent of the people under his care had died. That didn't bode well for the next six months. And then there was that thing – whatever it was – lurking in the ruined city. How could something still be there, alive, in the ruins? And even if something could survive there, how could it be similar to whatever had boarded the Kirov? He couldn't answer that question, and yet it seemed like it was the most important question he'd ever asked.
You'll be happier once you're clean, Hunter thought to him. I'll certainly be happier to have you clean. You stink.
Thanks, Tebrey thought back sardonically. I'm not flexible enough to do what you do. Sicko.
Bathe in streams? Hunter thought back with feigned innocence.
Sure that's what you do.
As soon as the tub was half full of water, he stripped and climbed in. He had to keep his knees bent up, but he fit, and even the lukewarm water was bliss. He closed his eyes and imagined he was far away.
Access to water had been a luxury when he was growing up in the orphanage. Valhalla was a cold methane world. The tunnels he'd grown up in were carved from the solid rock of the planet. Water was scarce; they'd used sonic showers. The military had used that as part of the recruitment pitch: all the showers you could want, with real water. They had lied a bit about that. Water on most ships was just as rationed as it had been on Valhalla.
Rhyr had been where he'd had his first real bath. The Rhyrhans liked to bathe in steaming natural springs. Tebrey had been expected to bath along with them. It had scared him at first. He'd never submerged himself in water, but he'd quickly grown to like it. He still missed those steaming waters.
"Sir?" A voice interrupted his reverie.
"Hmm?" He opened his eyes and saw that the two girls had come back. They had an armload of towels and a small jar that he assumed was soap.
"Milady said that you'd want soap, sire," the taller girl said. She held up the jar, and the other girl giggled.
"Thanks," he replied, reaching for the soap. He wasn't sure what the joke was. He just wanted to get clean and then get some hot food in him.
She kept it just out of reach with a grin. "That's what we are here for, sire." She shut his door and came over with the jar and a washcloth. "We were told to take care of you." She smiled seductively. "We'll take good care of you."
"Ah, uh, thanks." He squirmed uncomfortably in the tub. "I'd be happy to bathe myself. I'm used to that."
"We don't mind," the girl said, and paused. "Mistress wouldn't like it if we left you, sire."
Tebrey sighed. "Well, I wouldn't want you to get in trouble." They're probably older than I think they are.
Keep telling yourself that, Hunter thought from the stable.
Shut up, cat!
I'm just saying.
"You can stay, but I'll bathe myself, thanks," he said. "Call me Tebrey."
"Yes, my lord. My name is Marvi, and this wench is Surya." The two sat on the floor next to the tub so that their heads were about at the height of his. Marvi handed him the jar of soap and the washcloth. They both watched him bathe with frank admiration.
The soap was strong and smelled bad, but it was potent and did the job. He was careful to keep it away from his eyes. It left his skin tingling and stinging slightly, and he hated to think of what it would do to delicate tissues.
"Lord, he's as pale as you, Surya," Marvi said with wonder.
Tebrey looked over at them, only then noticing that the other girl was one of the pale people like they had seen in Renivee. That showed how tired he was. Despite many days of travel under the sun, his skin had refused to darken from its normal fair color. He had borne the brunt of quite a few jokes from Jeroen's men over that.
Guiltily, Tebrey asked if the others in his group would be able to bathe. He'd been so grateful for the reprieve from the noise, he'd forgotten to ask.
"Oh, yes, master. There's a public bath just across the street. I heard them saying that they would be going over there. Mistress saw them out."
"A public bath? For men and women both?" he asked, surprised.
"Yes, of course. It's the biggest one in the Empire outside of Bellejor. Hot water and everything," she said earnestly. "Being so close, Mistress lets us girls use it every week."
"You bathe every week, huh?"
"Yes, my lord, whether we need it or not."
He found he wasn't feeling quite as randy as he had been.
He couldn't imagine the scientists using a public bath. They had acted strangely during the trip when it came to bathing. He had no taboo against nudity, since clothes couldn't be worn under a spacesuit, and everyone got used to stripping and getting into their suits as fast as possible. No one paid attention to the nude body. What was there to see that they hadn't all seen before?
He'd expected a nudity taboo here, for some reason. The scientists had certainly been shocked at his casual nudity. I've got to stop projecting old Earth morality on these people, he thought. They've developed in isolation for hundreds of years. Who knows what they think about things?
"I'd like a bite to eat," he said as he finished. "And a towel or two." The water was beginning to cool, and he was a clean as he was going to get.
"I'll get you food, sire. What would you like?" Marvi asked.
"Meat, cheese, bread, and whatever looks good. I'm hungry."
"I'll be right back with it, my lord." She stood and hurried from the room.
Surya handed him a towel and politely turned as he stood and dried off. She was blushing. He quickly dressed in a pair of faded trousers that had the virtue of being reasonably clean. He'd washed them and packed them away a few days ago. They could use some soap, but were wearable.
"I'm dressed, Surya. Could you help me with something?" He sat on the edge of the bed.
She turned and came over close, and smiled shyly.
"Can you speak?" he asked. He spoke softly so as not to frighten her.
She shook her head.
>
"Can't, or won't?"
She looked away, and then shook her head again.
"I was hoping you could tell me something of your people," Tebrey said.
Her eyes filled with tears, and she moved away. She picked up the used towels and washcloth and placed them by the door. She was obviously distressed.
"I'm sorry, Surya. I won't ask you again if you don't want me to. I just thought you might talk to me when Marvi wasn't in the room. I've only met a few of your people. I'd like to know more about them. I won't tell anyone we spoke."
She came over to him and knelt down in front of him. Then she looked up and slowly opened her mouth. Tebrey knew then why the others had been hesitant to talk to him. He knew why Surya wouldn't talk. Sometime in the past, someone must have been angry with her for speaking her own language. She might have talked to him if she had been able to, but he would never know.
The end of her tongue had been cut off.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Bauval was worried about Tebrey.
They had left the city after resting for a few days. Tebrey hadn't come out of his room except to visit the stables and check on his cat. Bauval could tell that he was angry about something, but he didn't know what it was. He had thought that Tebrey would be happy to finally be on the road to the capitol, but he only answered with monosyllables and kept to himself.
The road to Bellejor was paved in thick grey flagstones, worn from the heavy traffic in and out of the capitol, and crowded. Many travelers were hurrying to reach their destinations before the storms and heat of high summer.
Tebrey walked at the back of the group. He had hardly spoken to anyone since that first night at the inn. Something had happened to him that first night, up in his room. Mason had tried to talk to him, but he'd sent her away. He ignored any attempt to get him to talk or participate in conversation. He'd taken all of his meals in private, if he'd eaten at all.
He's going to have to snap out of it, Bauval thought tiredly. He slowed down and let the others pass him, and then fell into step with the larger man. "Mind if I walk with you?"
"No."
"Anderson talked to us last night. He wants to detour from the road and explore another of the areas on the map."
Tebrey didn't reply.
"He wants to explore the one marked with that star-shape," Bauval said.
"So?"
"Well, what do you think?"
"About what?"
"Damn it, man, whatever happened to you, get over it. It couldn't have been that bad. We need you!"
Heads turned from up ahead.
"I'm not trying to be obtuse, Bauval. What is it that you want from me?"
"What do you think about taking another detour?"
"Go for it," Tebrey said.
"So you think it's a good idea?"
"No, I didn't say that. I said go for it. That's what I meant. If you want to go off chasing some damn mark on a map, that's your business. Don't think that you're going to include me in your mess. I'm done. From now on, my only goal is survival. I'm done caring about this planet or anybody on it."
They had stopped walking. Several of the other party members were gathered around as well. There were murmurs at his words.
"What happened to you back there?" Bauval asked. "This isn't like you. We need you, Tebrey. You're the only who can keep us together."
Tebrey turned away from him, but his other friends were gathered near, looking concerned. Even Jeroen was there, and Tebrey had said some nasty things to the young lord that night after seeing what had been done to Surya.
"I had a revelation," Tebrey said bitterly. "You want to know why the pale-skinned people won't talk to us?" He pinned each of them with a glare. "Because the locals cut their tongues out if they don't learn the local language quickly enough, or get caught talking in their own. It's sickening. I was alone with a serving girl from that inn. I kept asking her over and over to talk to me. That I just wanted to learn about her culture, just like we did back in the village. She finally broke down and showed me her tongue. She couldn't have spoken even if she wanted to, and I think she did want to. But what are we going to do if we ask someone to talk to us, and they do, and someone else doesn't like it and cuts their damn tongue out!"
"My god, Tebrey, we didn't know," Mason said. No one spoke for a moment.
"I can tell you that it is illegal to do," Jeroen said into the silence. "I tried to tell you so, that night. My father and uncle have fought for more rights for slaves. He has even whispered to me of the equality of all men and women, something I know that your people believe in. Please believe me when I say that if I knew who had hurt that girl, I would have had him impaled. I know it is an injustice that this thing was done to her, but surely your own people are not without crime?"
"No," Tebrey replied. As quickly as his anger had flared, it died. "We aren't without crime. We commit worse crimes than that, much worse. I've done worse. I guess I just felt guilty."
"Guilty for what?" Bauval asked. "You didn't hurt her!"
"I found her attractive. I wanted her to talk to me. I wanted to know her, and kept at her until I made her cry and show me why she couldn't talk. I could tell she was ashamed of what had been done to her. It made me ashamed to have hurt her when she'd already been through so much."
"She liked you, Hrothgar," Jeroen said. "She and her friend had worked out a way to talk with their hands, so I know. She liked you. I don't think she had any ill will toward you. She didn't understand why you were so angry. She thought she had done something wrong."
"What?" Tebrey exclaimed. "Why?"
"I told her she had done no ill. Once I discovered her injury, I gave her a little money to help when she buys her freedom. I told her that you were angry at the one that had done it to her. I think that made her happy."
"Thank you. I know I'm not thinking straight. I just got so angry. If I could have found the man who had done it, I would have killed him."
"As a man should," Jeroen said. "You look paler than normal, my friend. When did you last eat?"
"I don't remember," Tebrey replied miserably. "Now that the anger is worn off, I'm mostly just embarrassed at having been so upset."
"No one can think right on an empty stomach. I doubt you have eaten since the morning before we entered Vadodara. We'll pause at the next roadside tavern and all eat a good meal. Until then, come up to the wagons and get some jerky and bread. It will help."
"Tebrey," Bauval said as they starting walking again, "I know I should wait until you eat, but I really need to know what you really think about a detour."
"I think we shouldn't leave the road right now. I don't feel up to exploring any more ruins. Those last ones left me scared and exhausted. I think we were lucky to escape from that ruined city. I wouldn't bet on being able to do it again. I say we learn what we can in the capitol and go from there. I think we should stay in Bellejor through the summer, at the least."
"Thanks," Bauval said with a smile. "That's what Mason and I thought was best, too. We just wanted to know what you thought. Anderson may try to overrule us, but not you. Everyone listens to you."
"I hope they weren't listening to me make a fool of myself just then."
"You weren't as foolish as you might think. Having a strong sense of justice is something to be proud of, man."
"I suppose," he said.
"Tebrey, try not to take this the wrong way, but you really need to grow up. There is a lot of injustice in the universe. If there is one constant, it is that nature doesn't care what happens to us. As a biologist, I see this all the time. You've spent most of your life in the military or under its control; those state-run orphanages are basically military. You see things in black or white because of that, but people aren't like that. People do horrible things to one another. I'm sure that you have killed and maimed people – you said so yourself. I'm not saying that you would ever do anything like what was done to that poor girl, but I'm sure you've done horrible thing
s. War isn't pretty."
"Nothing much worse than nursemaiding a bunch of bickering scientists who act like children. That and trying to keep them alive despite their best efforts to get themselves killed," Tebrey grumbled. He ran his hand over his face. "I'm sorry, Bauval. I'm just tired and hungry, and I'm tired of being tired and hungry all the time. Somewhere out there, our species may be getting exterminated, and I'm stuck down here! I'm a fighter, and there is nothing for me to fight against. Doesn't it worry you?"
"It does, Tebrey. But I wouldn't have been able to do anything about it even if I wasn't here. This helplessness is what most people feel. I can sympathize with you, but you need to prioritize. Our first order of business was survival. You assured that. With nothing else to do, we are continuing with our original mission. You and the other marines are still protecting us, I suspect mostly out of duty. I'm glad to have you around; so are most of the others. I'm sorry if sometimes we don't think past the next interesting scientific anomaly."
"I'll try," Tebrey said again. "I got caught up in the despair. I'm just tired."
"There may be more to that than you think," Bauval said.
"What do you mean?"
"Your psionic abilities allow you to link with your neo-panther. But the most common ability of our species is empathy. I'm sure that you have an unusually high empathic index. I suspect that your mind was worn down by the press of thoughts in Vadodara. You connected with the girl in the inn, and when her mood crashed – for very good reasons – so did yours. I'm sure that in a city like that, despair is one of the strongest emotions. You'll need to be on guard against that when we reach the capitol. Don't let it get to you"
That night they stayed in another inn. This time Tebrey stayed in the common room with everyone else. He didn't want to be alone. He was also careful not to drink more than one tankard of ale. He needed to pull himself together. If they were ever going to make it off the planet, they were going to have to survive until rescued. His anger about what had happened in Vadodara had put everyone at risk.
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