Kalamaar
Fram decided to alter the locations of the evening stops, just in case Gidas had passed the information on to other bandit groups. Larc was driving the last wagon alone and doing very well. Fram was not his usual jovial self this morning. “You know that Jerrick and I will be fired when we return,” he stated.
“Why would Tulek fire you?” asked Alex. “We beat off a bandit attack and saved his cargo. We even got rid of a dishonest driver who had probably been setting up his caravans for years.”
“Well,” drawled the old driver, “there’s a small problem that you aren’t aware of. Ramor is married to Gidas’ sister. Ramor has always protected Gidas and I am sure this event will be no exception. When the dust settles, you can be sure that the death of Gidas will be our fault. You will be fortunate if Ramor doesn’t have you arrested for murder.”
They rode on in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Fram knew that he would not be able to secure another job at his age. Alex thought of the trouble he was bringing to the rest of the party. They soon camped for the night. This would be the last stop before Kalamaar. The boys skipped archery practice and helped set up the camp. Fram took over the cooking duties, as tonight would have been Gidas’s turn. Alex told the boys about his conversation with Fram and the mood around the campfire was quite sullen. Alex finally broke the silence. “Look, there is no reason for everyone to be fired or go to jail because of my actions. When we get back to Bordon, I will go see Tulek and take the responsibility for the death of Gidas. Ramor can take his wrath out on me and the rest of you should not be harassed.”
After several moments of silence, Oscar asked, “Alex why did you kill Gidas?”
Alex was stunned. “What do you mean? He was going to kill Larc.”
“Larc,” Oscar queried, “why was Gidas going to kill you?”
“What is this nonsense,” sighed Larc. “You know very well why he was going to kill me. I told him that I had found his note on the bandits.”
“Look,” Oscar stated, “the way I see it is this. If Gidas had not tried to kill Larc, Alex would not have killed him. If Larc had not found the note, Gidas would not have tried to kill Larc. If the bandits had not attacked us, Larc would not have found the note. Therefore, the bandits were responsible for the death of Gidas.”
“I follow you, Oscar,” Jerrick chimed in. “When we get back, we can say that we were attacked by bandits and managed to kill them all. Unfortunately, Gidas was also killed.”
“Unfortunately?” retorted Alex.
“Very much so,” laughed Fram. “It would have been very fortunate had the bandits killed him, but I guess his death had to be unfortunate.”
“Don’t worry about a thing, Alex,” added Oscar. “I will personally make the report to Tulek when we get back.”
The boys took turns during the night standing guard and in the morning the caravan left for Kalamaar.
Kalamaar was a large walled city. Oscar had never seen anything so large. He was excited. He figured there must be many ways to make money in a city this size, and money was important to Oscar. The massive gates to the city were open and the caravan entered the city. Tulek’s shipment was going to a company called Sanchez Import Export Company and Fram knew the way by heart. Within a few minutes, Fram guided the caravan to an enormous building with the Sanchez sign on it. The building had four large double doors, compared to Tulek’s one.
A tall, slender man of middle years with black curly hair ordered the caravan to halt. Oscar leaped from the wagon and raced up to Fram’s wagon to see what was going to happen.
“Good afternoon, Fram,” greeted the slender man. “I see you are right on schedule again, three days late. I suppose you have the usual excuse.”
“Yes sir, Gomer,” Fram replied. “Customs delay again.”
“They’re hiring your guards pretty young these day,” noted Gomer.
“Best guards that I’ve ever ridden with, Gomer,” beamed Fram. “We were attacked two nights ago by six bandits and the boys got them all. One of our drivers foolishly got in the way though.”
“Impressive,” said Gomer. “If I recall, you’ve never had a good word for a guard. You must be getting old,” he laughed. “Anything missing?”
“Not a parcel,” stated Fram.
“Well, good then. Bring the wagons up to four, five and six. We’ll get you unloaded quickly.”
A young, swarthy man with black hair had been standing on the other side of Fram’s wagon listening to the report. He stepped forward and said, “So you’re Fram. I’ve heard my father mention the name several times. He said you know the road to Bordon better than any other Targa driver. I’m Juan Sanchez, the owner.”
“I’m pleased to meet you, Juan,” Fram said. “And flattered by your father’s remarks. I hope he is in good health.”
“Actually, he is not,” replied Juan. “That is why I am taking over the company. His health is no longer good enough to conduct the affairs of business. I have spent the last two weeks reviewing his ledgers and I have to tell you that I am not happy with the service I’m receiving from you. Every shipment from Bordon for the last year has been at least three days late. In addition, four of our shipments have been stolen between Balfour and Bordon. We cannot afford for these loses and delays to continue. When you return to Bordon please inform Tulek that if he cannot perform as he agreed to I will have no further need of his services. This is not meant as a slight to you, Fram, please do not take it as such.”
“I understand, Juan,” replied Fram. “I will deliver the message personally.”
Juan retreated to his office and Fram got the wagons to their proper docks. Oscar paraded around the building checking out the operation. He had been in Tulek’s shop many times and had thought it was big, but this was enormous. Each of the four doors had six docks. Sanchez could load or unload over twenty wagons at the same time. He knew how much traffic came from Bordon, so quite a bit of Sanchez’s business either came by sea or from further on up the coast. Oscar had no idea how much merchandise must be hauled around from one place to another. Small wonder that Tulek had the greatest house in Bordon. Sanchez’s house must be even larger. He had to be a very wealthy man, wealthy enough to take a gamble. Oscar smiled and headed for Juan’s office.
“Good afternoon, Mister Sanchez,” Oscar greeted. “I am Oscar Dalek and I have business proposition for you.”
“Well, Oscar,” Juan replied, “we are not formal here. You may call me Juan. So you have a proposition for me. Aren’t you a little young for business, Oscar?”
“No,” answered Oscar. “I am old enough to have gotten your caravan here safely and I’m old enough to recognize when you are being cheated.”
“Cheated?” Juan asked. “Who is cheating me?”
“I am also old enough to know when information is valuable,” stated Oscar.
“Very well,” Juan laughed, crinkling his black eyebrows. “What is your business proposition?”
“According to my calculations,” Oscar began, “you have lost over one hundred wagon days because of Tulek’s delays. That amounts to over thirty thousand crowns. In addition, you lost twelve wagons worth of cargo. Now, I don’t know how much the cargo was worth, but you do. The point is that you expect some losses and delays and you figure that into your costs. But these losses are excessive. You can stop them.”
“You have quite a head for business after all, young Oscar. How can I stop them?”
“You can enter into a contract with Dalek Shipping,” replied Oscar. “You will supply me with one wagon and the parts for two more wagons. I will deliver your goods from Balfour to Kalamaar at the rate of three wagons per month. I will also carry your exports to Bordon or Balfour in the same wagons. I will charge you the same rate that you are currently paying Tulek, but I will deduct one thousand crowns for each day that I am late. I do not anticipate losing any of your cargo, but as we both know, bandits do exist. I am prepared to pay for any cargo that is lost if my losses excee
d six wagons a year.”
“Impressive,” stated Juan. “If Tulek made me this offer, I would jump at it. No offense meant, Oscar, but I am not quite as thrilled hearing it from you. You ask for the wagons because you do not own any. You do not own any because you have no business. You do not have the finances to live up to your bargain and I think that you do not understand the business very well. I am dissatisfied with Tulek, but he has good drivers, good guards and the finances to back an offer like this. I’ll tell you what; you get Tulek to make the same offer and I will give you ten thousand crowns.”
“Tulek cannot make the same offer,” said Oscar, “because he is the cause of your losses.”
“What do you mean,” demanded Juan, “that he is the cause of my losses?”
“Tulek’s shipments are delayed for three days because he is suspected of smuggling and killing a customs inspector. My shipments would not be delayed. Tulek also delivers your cargo in two stages. First from Balfour to Bordon and then from Bordon to Kalamaar. I would deliver direct from Balfour to Kalamaar. As for Tulek’s good guards, they are in jail. They were put there by me and my associates and we are the guards on this shipment. As for Tulek’s good drivers, they will be working for me, including Fram.”
“You have thought this out rather well,” admitted Juan, “but you still do not have the financial resources to honor your contract. Tulek has been in this business for many years and he lost twelve wagon loads of my goods this year.”
“I also do not have the overhead that Tulek has,” smiled Oscar. “All of your payments will be profits after paying off my men. I will have sufficient money to hold up my end of the agreement.”
Juan frowned as he stared at the young man before him and Oscar decided it was time to close the deal. Oscar took out the map that Larc had found on the bandit and placed it on Juan’s desk. “This is the reason that you lost so much cargo. We took it off one of the bandits that we killed. It was given to him by Tulek’s driver who died. Tulek has been stuffing his pockets with more of your money than he should have.”
Juan looked at the map and Oscar could see the fury burning Juan’s dark eyes. “I will have the contract drawn up by tomorrow morning, Oscar. My men will load the wagon parts in a new wagon for you. You will have to supply your own horses. My agent in Balfour is Mick Gruther. You will make your first pickup in Balfour in three weeks. Tell Fram not to bother with the message for Tulek. Let him find out on his own. I will hold you to your contract, Oscar, so do not disappoint me.”
“Thank you, Juan,” acknowledged Oscar. “I will not let you down and soon I will have the financial resources that you spoke of.”
Juan laughed, “I’m sure you will, Oscar.”
Oscar went out and offered Fram and Jerrick jobs and they both accepted. The shipment back to Bordon would not be ready until morning, so the group decided to see the city.
The large, deep-water port fascinated Oscar. His hometown of Bordon did not have deep water and the fishing vessels were flat bottomed to allow them to navigate in the shallow waters. Kalamaar was a true seaport. He saw ships from Sordoa, Lanoir, and even the mysterious Isles of the Sea, but the vast majority of ships were Cordonian. Fram explained that Cordonia did not have a seaport on the Sordoan Sea and this had led to an ages-old conflict with Targa. Cordonia and Targa both claimed the area north of Targa and east of Cordonia. Targa claimed that Cordonia ended at the West Mountains and Cordonia claimed that Targa ended at the Tice River. The land north of the Tice River and east of the West Mountains became known as the Disputed Area.
Most shipping was conducted in the Sordoan Sea leaving Cordonia the option of either trading via land or braving the Horn of Lanoir. The Horn of Lanoir was a long peninsula extending southward from the continent and the location of the worst storms and seas known to sailors.
Oscar watched as workers unloaded one of the large Cordonian ships. He was amazed at the amount of cargo that a single ship could hold. Some day he promised himself he would own a great ship, but right now he would settle for Tulek’s house.
From the harbor, the group went to the market square. This was an enormous area of shops, stalls, and stands. The size of the market was greater than the entire town of Bordon. One could buy anything here. Oscar spent many hours perusing the wares, paying particular attention to what goods came from outside Cordonia. He saw spices and strange woods from the Isle of Grakus, which was located in the Sordoan Sea. He saw coconuts, dates, pottery and art from Sordoa, animal skins, horns and tusks from Lanoir. This one market was filled with opportunities for a shipper and he had heard that Kantor, the capital of Cordonia, had a market twice as large.
The group had dinner at a marketplace inn where they spent the night. In the morning they went to Sanchez’s warehouse where Oscar signed the contract. Alex had to drive the extra wagon and Oscar rode with Fram. The trip back to Bordon was uneventful. Oscar spent the entire week pumping Fram for information about shipping, Tulek’s contacts, travel in the kingdom, and possible problems that he should expect with his new business.
When they entered Bordon, Alex drove the new wagon behind Marta’s new home and tied up the spare horses. He then joined Jerrick in the middle wagon. Everyone was shouting greetings and questions, but the homecoming would have to wait until they delivered the cargo. The caravan entered Tulek’s and Ramor waved them to their docks. Ramor came over to Fram and asked, “Where is Gidas?”
Fram told him about the ambush and that Gidas had been killed during the attack. Ramor was livid. He smashed his fist several times into the side of the wagon and it was clear to all that Ramor was having a difficult time controlling his rage. He stormed off in the direction of Tulek’s office. Fram and Jerrick had not been paid their wages yet. It was customary to be paid at the end of a trip. Tulek had given Alex his pay in advance to ensure that they accepted the job.
Ramor came back from Tulek’s office a little more composed. He informed Alex, Larc, and Oscar that their services were no longer needed. He then asked Fram and Jerrick to accompany him to Tulek’s office.
“Fram,” Tulek began, “you were head of this caravan and you returned without our best driver. That is inexcusable. Had you kept the original guards out of trouble, you would have been protected by better than boys. Your conduct might be explained as a result of your old age, but I rather think it is the result of poor judgment. Tulek Shipping can no longer use your services. You are dismissed without pay. If you want your pay I would suggest that you go talk to the overpaid guards who accompanied you. Now, get out.”
Fram smiled, turned and left the office.
“Jerrick,” Tulek continued, “I can find no fault of yours in this mess. Ramor has told me that you have worked with Gidas and that you are a smart boy. I am considering you for the position of lead driver on the Bordon to Kalamaar run, but I need to be assured of your loyalty to the firm. I understand from Gidas that you know how to keep your mouth shut when necessary, but I need proof of your ability to follow orders without question. Here is your pay for the last trip. Go with Ramor and he will instruct you on what is necessary to secure the position of lead driver.”
Wordlessly, Jerrick turned and followed Ramor out of Tulek’s office and into Ramor’s. Ramor indicated that Jerrick should sit as he pulled out a piece of paper and began writing. Ramor scribbled furiously as he said, “You know, Jerrick, Gidas had a special place in this business. He had become quite wealthy before his accident and you can, too. That Sanchez is always cheating us on our rates, so we play a little game with him to recoup our losses. Here, sign this.”
Jerrick looked at the document he was being asked to sign. It was an affidavit attesting to the attack of Sanchez’s shipment. The part that bothered Jerrick was that it stated that the attack took place on the way back and that all of the wagons had been lost to the bandits. It stated that Jerrick had been the only known survivor, but that others of the party may have been in collusion with the bandits.
Jerrick sta
ted, “I can’t sign this. It is all a lie.”
“You will sign it if you wish to remained employed,” replied Ramor. “Don’t worry, you will be given extra compensation of say, 500 crowns, for your trouble. And there will be other opportunities for you to line your pockets. Gidas’s death has left a very fortunate opening for you.”
“And if I go to the authorities with this paper?” asked Jerrick.
“What of it?” answered Ramor. “I have merely filled in the paper as you told me the event happened. Of course, if you were to do that, I don’t think that you would live very long. Accidents do happen now and then.”
Jerrick threw the paper down and stormed out of the office. Out on the street, the rest of the party was waiting for him and he described the attempt to get him to fill Gidas’s place. Oscar gave Fram the hundred crowns that he should have been paid and they walked back to Marta’s.
The villagers were all excited to see their boys return and makeshift tables had been set up in the field for a celebration. Everyone had questions for the boys. They wanted to know about the horses, wagon, Fram and Jerrick. The tales of the bandit attack and Kalamaar enthralled them. Everyone congratulated Oscar on his new business. The atmosphere was very festive.
Alex had a chance to look at Marta’s new house. It was quite large for a town house and Marta’s face beamed with pride and thanks as she showed it. Alex announced that they would have a day of rest and then the villagers would leave to found their new village. Everyone celebrated and with pride looked back at what they had accomplished since coming to Bordon.
A few hours later Larc’s mother, Charlene, and the Inspector, Reese, made an announcement. They had planned to get married in the spring, but they wanted their friends to join in the event, so they were having the wedding tomorrow. Marta announced that Charlene and Reese were going to share her new home until they found a place of their own, no matter how many years that took. All laughed and the partying resumed.
The next day was even more festive. The villagers had decorated the field for the marriage. Many of Reese’s friends from the stockade came to the event, as did many of the townspeople. It was a combination wedding and farewell to the villagers that so many of the townspeople had accepted as their own.
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