“I think we had better lower the small boat now, the rendezvous is going to be sooner than we think. Antonius, you stay on board in case there is a fight. Demetrios, you come with me. Ibrahim, you have the ship, and if you try to run off with Europa again, I’ll hunt you down like a dog and feed you to the pigs.” But Gaius was smiling as he said it… if he didn’t trust Ibrahim, he would have brought him with him.
“Look, he is breaking the Galba flag also. I think he has seen our signal,” said Demetrios.
“Good. Skipper, you still have the code books Aulus had made up when we started?”
“Aye, sir!”
“Can we tell them we are coming dead in the water and putting a boat over to come to them, or words to that effect?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Signal in the air then, and join me in the small boat with rowers!” Gaius was excited and looking forward to reuniting with his cousin.
“Signal in the air from Europa, sir. She is coming dead in the water and putting a boat over to us,” cried Dionysius on Asia, looking up from the code scroll. Cybernetes, take in some sail and slow down, be ready to come dead in the water when their boat is about a hundred yards off.”
“Amazing. Fortuna has beamed her smile on us today, bringing our two ships to within a few miles of each other on a brilliantly clear day, in a gigantic expanse of ocean! On a cloudy day, we could have sailed past each other and not seem them. Send a reply that we are ready to receive them.”
A few hours later, Gaius and Demetrios were relaxing in the master’s cabin with Aulus and Dionysius, along with Wang Ming, having recounted their respective adventures. By no small coincidence, they had both chosen Jiaozhi as there next destination, the normal point of entry for foreign vessels into Hanaean waters.
“So the Africa got to go home early?” smiled Gaius, leaning back on his chair, hands behind his head.
“Yes. Hopefully we may break even, despite your ransom. I still can’t believe you not only bought off that pirate, but you sound as if you actually like him,” said Aulus quizzically.
“He would have been cheap at twice the price, considering he had the ship, the crew, and the gold and silver. And yes, he is actually a likable, interesting fellow. I hope you will have the chance to meet him when we dock at Jiaozhi.”
“I’ll have to think about it. What are his plans after that?”
“Leaving us, I guess… we haven’t talked about it much.”
“What is he going to do, set up another banditry and hijacking ring here in Asia?”
“He says he is out of that business. He wants to go back to shepherding, what he did as a boy in Arabia.” Gaius smiled at the incongruity, but he did believe the old man was at least half serious. “He is in his sixties, and I think he is getting tired. And eventually, in this business, someone double-crosses you. The incident with Hasdrubal weighed on him a lot, even though he saw it coming.”
“Well, that’s one bastard we won’t be seeing anymore. Feeding crows on a cross in Masira. I hope they don’t puke eating rotten meat like him.”
“Oh, I forgot to mention… that was Ibrahim’s doing,” said Gaius, slapping his thigh.
“How’s that?”
“He arranged for one of his minions to be conveniently left afloat near there, with a story about a shipwreck and a hijacked flotilla heading north. He set that up a long time in advance, and planted evidence in the master’s cabin in Asia. There, I guess,” he said, pointing to a patchwork repair over where the Roman marines had pried up the floorboards.
“My god, that is brilliant! And that was about what happened! But why?”
“He expected Hasdrubal to double-cross him. He figured that if he did, there was only one place for him to go, and he had to go by Masira to get there. From what you related, it worked brilliantly.”
“Well, I don’t care for his line of work, but I have to admire the way his mind works. Amazing.” Turning to Wang Ming, he said, “So Ming, this is our entry into your country. What do we have to do?”
“Inspection. No weapons, not allowed. Ballista take apart, put in box with swords. I put Emperor He seal on box. I seal money chests also, so no pilfer. They inspect everything else, any weapons they find they take. Then we get coastal pilot, go home.”
“Sounds good. Well, Gaius my cousin, I am sending you back before it gets dark, along with a boatswain to help you rig the sails lateen-style. See you in a few days!”
Wang Ming interrupted, his face darkening slightly. “Woman Si Hoar, I come boat, take her back ship.”
“Sure, you must mean Marcia Lucia. Yes, of course, she is your concubine.”
As the Europa’s crew watched the boat return from the Asia, Marcia came back on deck beside Antonius. She had changed from the ankle-length white tunic she had worn earlier to an orange silk Hanaean robe, bound by a wide red sash. Her long black hair, which had been free to blow in the wind, was now done up in a tight bun, pinned firmly in place. She stood primly, hands on the rail, and said not a word, her eyes, now cold, staring off in the distance. Antonius waited for her to speak, but for a long time she said nothing. Finally, she spoke, “I want to thank you, Antonius…,” her voice choked a bit. “I have truly enjoyed your company and I will treasure our long foolish talks for as long as I live.”
“Why, sure,” answered Antonius. “But… yer just changing ships to be with Wang Ming. When we get to Luoyang, maybe we can meet to talk from time to time there.”
“Yes, maybe.” But Antonius knew from her voice that she did not think this likely. More silence. “You have been a true friend, and you will be a great gift to some woman someday… if you can stop wasting your time on cheap lupae whores.” She smiled, but her blue eyes were brimming with tears.
Antonius wanted to hold her, to take away whatever hurt she was feeling, but he did not. “Tell Wang Ming ter take good care of you, or he can answer ter me! Remember, Fortuna favors the bold ones.”
“Boldness is denied me… I have to go now, my noble Antonius Aristides.” And she went back to her cabin, to await the inevitable.
Gaius and Demetrios clambered up the rope ladder lowered down to the boat, followed by Wang Ming. Gaius noted the concern in Antonius’ face and went to stand beside him. Marcia came out of her cabin, accompanied by Marcus, also clad in Hanaean robes. Marcia went to Wang Ming without a word, head bowed, as submissive to him as when Antonius had first met them in Alexandria. Antonius wanted to strangle the arrogant bastard, but this was not his affair. Marcus went to stand on the other side of him, hissing “Please, say nothing!”
Wang Ming, grim-faced, spoke a few angry-sounding words to Marcia, who kept her eyes downcast to the deck. She turned without a word and clambered very awkwardly down the rope ladders until the sailors could guide her into the craft. Then Wang Ming left without a word and descended into the boat with her. The sailors pushed off, took oars, and they were on their way back to the Asia.
Antonius sadly watched the boat grow smaller. Damn waste of a good woman on that bastard!
A few days later, Europa and Asia docked in Rinan in Jiaozhi. Aulus and Wang Ming came aboard to seal the containers holding the stowed heavy weapons and money. Then the local magistrates inspected the ship, accompanied by Wang Ming, but did not touch the boxes with the court seal.
After the magistrates had taken care of everything, Marcus took Marcia’s chest of belongings over to the Asia with Wang Ming. Aulus, Gaius and Antonius assembled in the master’s cabin with Demetrios, Ibrahim having already gone ashore. Antonius did not wait for the proprieties; he asked Aulus immediately, “How is Marcia?”
“I am sorry. She has stayed in her cabin with Ming since she came aboard. I haven’t seen her,” answered Aulus.
Antonius grunted, then half-listened as Gaius and Aulus discussed various details of the upcoming leg. As they were breaking up, Marcus returned.
“How is she?” asked Antonius.
“I didn’t see her,” answered Marcus, his f
ace angry. “Ming told me to leave the chest by the cabin door, the sailors would bring it in.”
Ibrahim did not disembark the Europa, but continued on to Tianjin, saying conditions were better for shepherding further north. Gaius and Antonius were not displeased, and continued to let him use the spacious master’s cabin.
For a month, they coasted easily along the Hanaean coastline, stopping briefly at Panyu and other smaller ports. Antonius had continued language lessons with Marcus, now the ship’s only translator. The subject of Wang Ming was the topic of their first get-together.
“He’s a pig. I said it once, and I’ll say it again,” said Marcus bitterly, spitting into the water overside.
“Can’t she leave him?” asked Antonius.
“No more than a slave can leave her master. It’s about the same. All the responsibilities of a wife, none of the benefits.”
“I hate ter see her have ter live like that.”
“As do I. But there’s nothing to be done. Let’s talk about something else.”
So they changed the subject, discussing han-yu, the Hanaean court and its protocols, Luoyang and his home in Liqian. The subject of Marcia and Wang Ming never came up again.
Finally, the ships rounded the Shandong Peninsula to dock at Tianjin on the mouth of the Hwang He River.
CHAPTER 37: PORT CALL IN TIANJIN
It was a cold drizzly October day, wrapped in fog that condensed on the ship’s rigging and dripped onto the deck. Dionysius had gone below after the last line went over, eager to get out of the chill damp, but Aulus remained on deck, peering down over the rail to catch his first glimpse of this strange new land, though he could barely see the bow from the quarterdeck. I am very much the stranger here, in a way I have never felt before. The waterfront was quiet, except for the restless slapping of the waves between the hull and the dark wood pilings… no more ships would be coming and going in this visibility, and the coolie stevedores preferred being inside near a meager fire.
Aulus shivered, then realized how long it had been since he had been cold…underway nine months across nine thousand miles of ocean, from the deserts of southern Egypt through the tropics off India to Palembang, and before that, two years shuttling between Alexandria and Myos Hormos with the fleet under construction. He hadn’t missed the cold, he decided, wrapping his cloak about himself as he turned to go back inside to the meeting in the master’s cabin.
The two captains Dionysius and Demetrios, Gaius, Antonius, and his newly-minted freedman and financial manager Lucius Parvus, were waiting inside, along with Wang Ming and four of the translators, Marcus, Marcellus Albus, Titus Porcius and Pontus Valens. Marcia was conspicuously absent. Aulus laid out their instructions.
“Fill up Asia and Europa here in Tianjin with as many Hanaean goods as the ships can carry, and use that excellent Hanaean iron as ballast. You can carry tons of it without taking up cargo space. Save about ten thousand sesterces in gold and silver for the return leg, in case you need repairs or have to bribe your way out of some port.
“I, Gaius, Antonius, Ming, Marcia and Marcus will depart for Luoyang by riverboat to conduct the diplomatic mission. Marcellus Albus, Titus Porcius and Pontus Valens will remain here as your translators, and Lucius Parvus, you will be in charge until our return. Wait for us until the Ides of April, no later. If we are not back, sail without us for Muziris, for the fall monsoon to Eudaemon Arabia. We will make our way back by Hanaean ship. If you have any of the reserve money left when you arrive, pick up as much frankincense as you can there. It is as cheap as dirt, doesn’t take much space, and brings a huge profit in Rome. Marcus and Marcia will be with us in Luoyang, but the other translators will remain here. There is some sort of postal system we may be able to use here, and if we can, I will be in touch.”
Lucius Parvus signed over to Dionysius and Demetrios several tons of gold and silver in sealed chests, worth ten million sesterces, for trading.
“If you buy wisely, you should be able to get back tenfold that amount when your goods hit the markets in Alexandria,” said Aulus, smiling. “Now onto the most important in-port briefing I have ever given you. A mistake on your part in following these instructions could result in the ships, funds and goods being seized, and the crew possibly executed or sold as slaves, including the captains. Do I have your attention?”
Asia’s translator Titus Porcius brought out some Hanaean documents, two on paper with an elaborate seal, and the rest on parallel strips of bamboo, bound together at the top and bottom of each strip and rolled up like a scroll. All were written vertically in the Hanaean script.
The paper documents bore the Hanaean emperor’s personal red stamp. Titus translated them aloud to the group: the documents identified them as guests in Ch’in at the Emperor’s personal invitation and under his protection, authorized to conduct business in compliance with Hanaean laws and customs. Each captain got a copy
Aulus warned the captains: “Make sure that you keep these secure, and make sure that your watch officers know where to find them if there are any problems with the authorities. These carry the full authority of Emperor He. Use them only if there appears to be trouble brewing with local authorities. Consult your translators. They will tell you when it may be necessary to show these papers and to whom.
“The bamboo strip documents are routine documents that authorize you to buy and sell goods, and exchange money as necessary. Local merchants will exchange silver and gold coins by weight for Chinese currency, if you show them this authorization. You can’t use our currency here to purchase anything.”
Titus held up a long stack of copper coins, strung together through a square hole in the middle. “This is their small currency. They call it something that sounds like ‘cash, about half a Roman penny each. Any silver coin, whether it is a shekel, denarius or drachma, will be exchanged for a thousand of these, give or take a little for weight. Gold coins will be exchanged for twenty-five of their silver coins, again by weight. Make sure the crews use only local coins while they are in port.”
The final two documents stated that there were sealed chests exempt from inspection by the Emperor’s orders.
Titus continued: “These sealed chests contain your weapons and ballistae parts. You are not to break the seal or open them until you are clear of Hanaean waters on the way back to Palembang. If they are found open, you will be in serious trouble. Perhaps fatal trouble that even the first document can’t get you out of.
Finally, Titus cautioned the captains: “Make sure your crews understand that order is paramount in this society. Fights, brawls, arguments with locals, and beating up prostitutes will not be tolerated. You are barbarians to them, and your lives are very cheap. Be polite!”
At the conclusion of the in-port brief, Aulus, Gaius, Antonius and Marcus departed for the inn at which they were staying, while Ming departed for the governor’s residence where he was staying with Marcia.
Antonius asked, “What happened to Marcia? Shouldn’t she have been at the meeting?”
Aulus replied, “Ming said she was not feeling well today. But frankly, I only saw her once or twice in passing, and she would not talk, except a polite hello.”
Marcus added “She didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to me, her own brother, when he took her. That bastard has her thoroughly under his thumb.”
The four concentrated on ascending the steeply inclined road that led up a hill away from the dockyard. The portly Aulus was getting winded, and the conversation lagged. Fortunately, their baggage had been delivered earlier.
After about half an hour, they reached the inn that Ming had reserved for them. Grey granite walls on the first floor, highly finished, wrapped all around with a dark wood porch, and the black timbers of the wood framed second floor gave it an air of elegant austerity. Its odd-shaped curving tiled red roof dripped foggy condensate. The whole structure seemed to have grown from the mountainside.
Marcus went inside to locate the innkeeper. They emerged togethe
r, and the smiling innkeeper clasped his hands in front of him inside the sleeves of his dark grey jumper, smiled broadly and bowed, saying something in han-yu. Marcus said, “He is pleased to have such honored guests grace his humble inn.”
Aulus returned the innkeeper’s smile with a rendition of the Hanaean salute and a respectful head nod, and asked Marcus to thank the innkeeper for his gracious hospitality. Another torrent of han-yu, and the innkeeper waved them to enter and led the way. Inside the first floor was a sitting area with folding dividers, some plain white and others painted with elaborate scenes. He motioned to the group to sit, left, and returned with a tray of cups and a bottle. He poured each of them a cup of white wine.
“You have never tasted anything like this, sir,” said Marcus to the group. “This wine is called mijiu, made from rice. You will find it quite delightful.”
They each held their cups up to the innkeeper in a toast. He again smiled and bowed, seeming quite flustered at the attention he was getting, and left them to their drinks.
“Innkeepers do not usually attract such attention from high-ranking guests, unless something goes wrong,” said Marcus. “He is quite enjoying himself.”
The wine was clear with a clean aftertaste, quite unlike any white wine made from grapes. They finished their drinks and Marcus escorted them upstairs to explain their accommodations.
Each man had a single spacious room on the second floor. Huge waxed paper windows admitted light but kept out the weather. Thick draperies could be drawn across them if the weather was cold, or they could be folded back and the windows rotated open to admit the breeze on warm days. Directly below the window was a massive bed, built into the floor.
“This is a kang, which you will find pleasant on cold nights. This bed is heated with a flue, and the ceramic face gives off heat for the entire room. You will find it most comfortable,” said Marcus.
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