The Gift

by Bryan M. Litfin

  “I’m Anastasia of Edgeton,” she whispered. “It’s nice to meet you, Captain.”

  He stepped back and caught her eye, smiling. “That’s a name I haven’t heard in a while.”

  “Do you miss it?”

  “More than you know.”

  “Why are you so sweet to me, Teo?”

  He laughed. “Well, you are extremely lovable.”

  “I’m not. I’m all dirty, and my hair is chopped, and I haven’t shaved my legs in weeks. To top it off I’m wearing a filthy rag with holes in it.”

  “I can see that. It’s quite revealing. Not much left to the imagination.”

  Ana opened her mouth and crossed her arms over herself. “Teo, what are you saying? Look away if you can see anything!” Though she pretended to be shocked, she knew he could see the little smile on her lips.

  “Alright, I’ll look away.” Teo’s expression turned mischievous. “But later on I might peek when you’re not watching.”

  “You’re bad!” She swatted him.

  “Nah, I’m good,” he said with a grin.

  She nodded. “You are good, Captain.”

  For a moment an awkward silence hung between them, until Teo finally said, “Maybe we should get something to eat. I saw a firepit back at the beach, and I brought some supplies in my pack. Are there any rations on this island?”

  “Plenty, if you like sailors’ food.”

  “It’ll do. Let’s go have dinner and tell each other our stories.” He started to leave, then noticed Ana bending over. “Hey!” he exclaimed, seeing her chain for the first time in the thick lavender. “What’s that?”

  “There was an evil man on the island. He put it on me.”

  “Did he . . . hurt you?”

  “Yes, but he’s gone now.”

  Teo’s expression grew fierce. “Did he—”

  “No, it wasn’t like that.”

  Teo seemed reassured. He picked up the ball. “I’ll carry it for you until we can figure out how to take it off.” Ana retrieved her dagger and basket, then the two of them set off for the beach.

  Dinner that night was a banquet. Teo broke open a couple of storerooms that had been locked to Ana and found a cache of decent food reserved for some epicurean pirate captain, along with a bottle of excellent brandy. Earlier that day Ana had killed one of the many pheasants with Drake’s bow, so she decided to prepare an improvised coq au vin. After simmering the plump bird in red wine with onions, garlic, salt pork, and mushrooms, she seasoned the mixture with thyme, then served it over broad noodles. The wild asparagus made a tasty side dish, while the brandy was a perfect digestif. Teo and Ana laughed as they shared their feast around the campfire.

  After dinner, each told the other what had transpired since that awful day in the Manacho courtroom. Though Teo didn’t press Ana about her experience in the oubliette, she found herself wanting to tell him a little about it. She said she believed she wasn’t in that horrible place for more than a few hours.

  “Did you pass out?” Teo winced at the thought. The discussion clearly pained him.

  “Actually—” Ana paused before continuing. “The Pierced One visited me soon after I was put in.”

  “Iesus Christus came to you? You saw him?”

  “Yes. At first I thought it was Deu himself. He was so, um . . .” She sought the right word. “I guess you’d say glorious. Very benevolent and wise and powerful. I was sure I was seeing Deu until he reached out his hand. It was scarred, so I knew it was Iesus. He kept me in a safe place for a while. Then the evil man who lived on this island got me out of the shaft and brought me here.”

  Ana shuddered, prompting Teo to move closer to her as they sat by the fire. He slipped his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned her head against him. For a long while they stared at the campfire, satisfied by their full bellies and their shared closeness.

  Teo broke the silence. “Hey, guess what? I translated the whole Old Testament into the Chiveisian speech. In fact, I have it with me.”

  “The Sacred Writing? You mean I can read all of it now?”

  “The Old Testament, at least. We still have to find the New.”

  “We’ll find it, Teo. I know we will. Until then I can read the first part of Deu’s book.” Having only read excerpts of the scriptures, Ana experienced a sudden thrill at the idea of studying the entire Old Testament at her leisure. Though she wanted to get off the island, the fact that she and Teo could read the Sacred Writing together made the prospect of being marooned much less daunting. Ana resolved to read it as soon as she awoke in the morning. For now, though, she was too sleepy.

  Teo and Ana laid out their blankets on either side of the campfire. The crackling flames cast a ruddy glow on Teo’s face. They talked quietly as they drifted to sleep. Both agreed the day was one of the most joyous of their lives. They also decided that the bond they shared was too precious to let anything ever come between them again.

  A nightmare awoke Ana late in the night. The moon had gone down, but the stars glinted like ice crystals in the sky. She lay on her side facing the campfire, trying to shake off the effects of the bad dream. Though the flames had died to embers, their faint light offered some comfort. The black void at her back felt dangerous and scary.

  “You awake?” Teo asked quietly.

  Ana was startled by his whisper. She thought he was sleeping.

  “Yes. I often have nightmares now.”

  Teo was silent for a moment, then asked, “Are you afraid?”

  “Mm-hm,” Ana acknowledged.

  “Do you want me to come over by you?”

  The words brought a memory to Ana’s mind. Teo had asked her that question once before as they lay by a campfire in the Beyond. Ana had declined his offer then, though she wasn’t sure why. Was it fear of intimacy? Feminine modesty? Independence and self-reliance? Perhaps it was all those things. Now, however, Ana realized she had other desires.

  “Okay,” she murmured. She wanted Teo close. He came to her with his blankets.

  Nestled between Teo and the fire, Ana felt safe again. She remarked on how beautiful the stars were as they swept across the sky in a milky band. Teo agreed. Soon Ana began to grow drowsy.

  As she lay with her arm outside her blanket, Teo unexpectedly began to stroke her hand. Ana’s heartbeat shot into a rapid flutter. Though she and Teo had held hands before, and had even slept side by side, somehow this felt different. The sensation of Teo’s caress was tender and warm and even . . . arousing? The tips of his fingers tickled her hand, then her wrist, then up and down her forearm. She stole a sideways glance. Teo’s eyes were closed, and he looked as if he was asleep. She began to whisper, “Teo, what are you doing?” but caught herself, afraid to break the moment. His soft touch felt too good for her to do anything to disrupt it. Ana remained quiet and let him continue, until at last she fell asleep under the wheeling stars.

  The next morning Teo dulled eight pirate knives on the chain around Ana’s ankle but only succeeded in making a thin groove on one link. He picked up a rock and raised it above his head. Ana caught his arm.

  “Tried that already, Captain.” She winked at him, and he set the rock down.

  Suddenly Teo’s head swung around. He leaped to his feet and drew his sword in the same motion. Ana gasped as he dashed into the underbrush. She heard a squeal of terror.

  “Teo! Wait!”

  She picked up the stone ball and hurried after him. Teo had corralled Liber and was threatening him with his sword. “No, stop!” she cried. “I know him!”

  Teo lowered his weapon. “I heard him sneaking around in the bushes.”

  Ana went to the terrified man’s side. His eyes were closed, and he was mumbling to himself in an indecipherable monotone. “This is Liber,” Ana said, switching into the Talyano speech. “He’s my friend.” At those words Liber halted his muttering and opened his eyes.

  “What was he saying?”

  “He mumbles like that when he’s frightened. He’s h
armless, Teo. Be sweet to him.”

  Sheathing his sword, Teo thrust out his hand in greeting. Liber stared at it blankly. Teo took a closer look at the man, then leaned forward and put his hand on Liber’s shoulder with a smile. “Hello, Liber. Sorry for the scare. Can we be friends? I’m Teofil.”

  “Hi, Teofil,” Liber replied, still shaken.

  The threesome moved back to the open space along the beach. Liber seemed apprehensive. He clutched something to his chest in his giant fist.

  “What do you have there?” Teo asked. “Is it something important to you?”

  Liber glanced at him and nodded. “Gift for Stasia.”

  “I’m sure she would love it. Will you show it to us?”

  Ana and Teo approached Liber, who held out his fist, then relaxed his fingers. A beautifully carved object lay in his palm. It was made of olivewood, and one end had been shaped into the image of a bird taking flight.

  “A key,” Ana said. “It’s lovely. What’s it for?”

  Liber pointed at Ana’s ankle. “Like the bent one. But straight.”

  Ana felt her breath catch. “Oh, Liber!” she exclaimed as she looked into her friend’s innocent face.

  Teo took the key and knelt. It slipped easily into Ana’s padlock. With one twist, her chains fell off and she was free. She threw her arms around Liber, thanking him again and again. Teo laughed and clapped Liber on the back. The big man’s smile stretched from ear to ear inside his bushy beard.

  The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Ana had been marking the time by carving notches on a palm tree each evening. By her count she had been on the island twenty-three days. On the morning of the twenty-fourth, a sail was sighted on the horizon.

  “Get out of sight,” Teo instructed. Everyone scrambled for the woods. Ana marveled at her ability to run without encumbrance.

  The ship anchored a short distance away. A rowboat was lowered and began to come ashore. Teo told Ana and Liber to lie low and remain quiet. The pirates would probably pick up their supplies and leave. Teo studied the rowboat from his position in the bushes. Then, unexpectedly, he jumped up and started pointing.

  “It’s okay! I’d recognize that handsome rogue anywhere. It’s Marco! And look! There’s Vanita!”

  “What?” Ana was stunned. “Vanita? Where?” She craned her neck.

  “In front, see?”

  Ana gasped. “What happened to her hair?”

  Teo glanced at Ana. “You’ll have to ask her about that.” He started forward, and Ana followed close behind.

  The boat reached the shore, and the party of rowers disembarked. Teo and Ana stepped into the open. Vanita spotted Ana and rushed toward her, carrying a small leather valise.

  Ana analyzed her emotions. Though she knew Vanita had betrayed her, she couldn’t find it in her heart to be angry. Now, at the moment of their reunion, Ana felt nothing but joy at seeing her old friend. She lifted her arms for an embrace, but when Vanita drew near she fell prostrate and grabbed Ana’s ankles, crying and shaking.

  “Anastasia, will you forgive me? Will you please forgive me?”

  “Yes, Vanita, of course!”

  “When I read Teofil’s note that you might be alive, I hardly dared hope it was true!”

  “Deu protected me, and here I am.”

  “I wronged you horribly! I can only beg your mercy!” She groveled in the dirt.

  “What’s done is done. I’ve put the past behind me. Now stand up and hug me properly!”

  Vanita rose to her feet, pulling Ana close and holding her tight. She sniffled and whimpered but said nothing. Finally she let go and looked into Ana’s eyes. Her expression was earnest. “Do you hate me?”

  “Vanita, I said I’ve forgiven you, and I have.”

  Ana’s words made a visible impact on her friend. She brightened, and a smile came to her lips. “Then can I give you a special gift? I’ve been dreaming of a day like this ever since Teofil left to go find you. He’s not the only one who’s missed you all these weeks.”

  “Okay,” Ana replied. “Whatever you think.”

  Vanita asked Ana if she would meet her in one of the monastery’s courtyards in half an hour. When Ana agreed, Vanita picked up her valise and marched in that direction. The pirate captain trailed her with a bulky sack over his shoulder.

  Ana arrived at the courtyard at the appointed time. A cauldron of boiling water sat over a fire. Vanita stood beside it, smiling impishly.

  “Look what I made for you,” she said, gesturing to a water barrel. Vanita lifted the cauldron from the flames and dumped its contents into the barrel. Steam billowed from it as the hot and cold water mixed.

  “A bath!” Ana exclaimed.

  “And I brought your favorite soaps.” Vanita was giggling now, gleeful as a schoolgirl. “All the men are gone. Get in!”

  Ana didn’t need any further encouragement. She threw away her ragged shift and sank into the makeshift tub, submerging all but her face. The hot water filled the barrel to the brim, a delightful, soothing luxury. Vanita had brought many sweet-smelling lotions, soaps, shampoos, and even a razor. Whenever the bathwater grew lukewarm, Vanita freshened it from the cauldron. Ana stayed in the bath until her fingers were pruned and her skin was rosy.

  At last Vanita brought a thick towel and a little keg to step on. Ana stood up in the barrel, her body feeling soft and clean. As she swung her leg over the barrel’s rim to climb out, she felt Vanita’s finger touch her hip, lightly tracing her scar.

  “Anastasia . . . I am truly sorry.” Vanita’s voice trembled, and she cast her eyes down. “You aren’t defective. You’re beautiful.”

  “Actually,” Ana said, putting her hand on her friend’s shoulder, “I am defective. But Deu has made me beautiful again.”

  Teo stood on the deck of the Midnight Glider as the sun slipped below the ocean horizon. The light sparkled on the water like a million jewels, but Teo paid it no mind, for Ana was at his side, and she was far more lovely. Vanita had done Ana’s makeup to perfection and had cut her hair into a short style that elegantly framed her face. The golden rays of the sunset lay soft upon her delicate skin. Ana wore a gown of iridescent green with fitted sleeves and a deep neckline. Purple amethysts dangled from her ears. They were Ana’s favorite gemstone; now they were Teo’s too.

  Slipping his hand over hers on the ship’s rail, he said, “I missed you, Ana.”

  When she glanced at him and smiled, the sensuous shape of her lips nearly drove him insane. She noticed his sudden desire, and it caught her off guard. Blushing, she uttered a little laugh and seemed to forget what she was going to say.

  Teo filled the silence by reaching for an object in his pocket. “I, uh . . . I have something for you.”

  Ana arched her eyebrows and looked intrigued. When Teo withdrew his gift, she gasped.

  He held up the golden pendant of the Pierced One. Ana’s face shone. “Oh, Teo, you got it back! That means so much to me.”

  “Turn around. I’ll put it on you—again.”

  Ana spun to let Teo fasten it at the back of her neck, then faced him, flashing a radiant smile. The pendant rested against the caramel skin between her collarbones. Teo swallowed.

  “You look breathtaking,” he said.

  She eyed him with a coy expression. “You make me feel it.”

  He stepped toward her. She moved her body in a way that invited him closer. His arms encircled her waist. He could feel her trembling beneath his touch. Ana tilted her head and looked up at him. As her blue-green eyes met his, he sensed the intensity of her affection.

  “Teo?”

  “Yes?”

  “Will you do something for me?”

  “Anything you ask.”

  “It’s something I should have asked you long ago.”

  “Name it.”

  “Let’s find the holy book of Deu—you and me—together.”

  “Are you sure? As soon as we start looking for it, we’ll face opposition.”

  A smil
e turned up the corners of Ana’s mouth, but her words were spoken with deep sincerity. “Whatever we face, I want to face it with you.”

  CHAPTER

  14

  The room at Nikolo Borja’s palace was expensively furnished and decorated with fine art. Ornate draperies hung at the window. The Overseer might have imagined he was an esteemed guest, were he not tied to a chair with his wrists strapped to the armrests.

  The dark man known as the Iron Shield had brought him to the palace after shooting his horse out from under him. The Overseer had been given a little food, and at no time was he abused. Other than being confined to the chair, he had been well-treated. Yet the Iron Shield’s words on the road still haunted him: The horse’s suffering will soon be the least of your worries.

  A door opened across the room. The Iron Shield walked in, followed by a short, bald, very fat man whose extravagant attire made him look more like a fop than a gentleman. The Overseer knew it could only be Nikolo Borja himself. The man was as repulsive as descriptions had made him out to be.

  “Your hospitality is lacking,” the Overseer said, nodding toward his bonds.

  “That is because the Christiani are unwelcome in this land.”

  “Nevertheless, we have a right to be here.”

  Borja smiled and tucked his chin, making bulges ripple at his neck. “We shall see about that.”

  “Untie me, if you are the civilized ruler you pretend to be.”

  “Civilized?” Borja stared into the Overseer’s face. “What makes you think I wish to be viewed as civilized?” He scoffed and waved his hand. “No, priest, there is something I desire far more than that.”

  “To be unjust and oppressive?”

  Borja’s hand shot out and grabbed the Overseer by the neck. The Overseer struggled to breathe, but the tight fingers did not let go. Borja leaned close until the two men’s faces were almost touching.