Final Voyage of the Remora

by Richard S. Tuttle

  "What about the authorities?" asked Garth.

  "It is of no concern to them," replied Morro. "The soldiers have more important things to do, and the clerks would never soil their hands for someone else's benefit."

  "What about disease?" asked Tedi. "Surely, the government should be concerned about that."

  "They should be," agreed Morro, "but that is not the way it works in the Federation. The relatives are responsible for the burials. In fact, if the families leave a corpse to rot, they can be arrested for it."

  "Do you mean that this is not restricted to just Giza?" asked Garth.

  "No," Morro replied. "Most of the Federation cities are like this. As bad as Olansk was, it is a breath of fresh air compared to the rest."

  "Zinbar was not like this," commented Natia.

  "I have never made it as far as Zinbar," replied the elf. "I had planned on going there after Olansk, but the discovery of Aranak changed my plans. Neither Olansk nor Zinbar have reeducation facilities, so they are not essential to my needs."

  Garth glanced at the hooded elf again. "Are you planning on making contact with the thieves?" he asked.

  "I will have to," nodded Morro. "It would be considered in poor taste to contact my friends in the army without letting the locals know that I am in the city."

  "Then why the hood?" asked Tedi. "I thought you didn't want to be recognized."

  "I don't," answered Morro. "I will speak to the head thief, but most of the members will not know of my presence in the city. Should one of them see me, it will not be a problem as I will already have checked in."

  "How will we meet up with you?" asked Garth.

  "I will be sleeping in your room," chuckled the thief. "You will be staying in the Palace Keep Inn. It is the fanciest inn to be found in Giza, and it is near the Royal Palace. In fact, the inn used to be the Royal Palace before the new palace was built a hundred years ago. You should be able to find buyers for your trinkets there."

  "I guess I should wait in the common room for you to return?" asked Garth.

  "There is no need for that," smiled Morro. "I have friends who work at the Palace Keep. I will know what room you are in and will have a key that will fit the lock."

  "Why does that not give me a warm and comfortable feeling?" asked Garth. "You do realize that by alerting your friends to your interest in us, you will be making us a mark for those same friends?"

  "Quite the opposite," countered Morro. "By stating my interest in you, I am staking claim to you. None of the other thieves will bother you. I still hold my rank here in Giza, and they wouldn't dare step on my toes."

  "Impressive," noted Natia. "You must be an excellent thief."

  "I had some good teachers," snickered the elf. "This is where we part company. That is the Palace Keep," he said pointing to a large stone building. "I will be gone for most of the day, so don't wait for me."

  "Will you arrange for the supplies?" asked Garth.

  "You get the gold from selling those trinkets," replied Morro, "and I will arrange for the supplies. Charge as high a price as you can get away with because everything will be very expensive here."

  "What about horses?" asked Natia. "We could use some more to transport the rest of the group through the desert."

  "I will ask," sighed Morro, "but I am pretty sure that I already know the answer. The Federation is in dire need of horses for the army. I think that any horses for sale would immediately be taken by the army."

  "I wasn't necessarily thinking of purchasing them," grinned Natia.

  Morro chuckled as he looked at Natia in a new light. "I sense a kindred spirit in you," he said warmly, "but I should warn you. Horse stealing is a major infraction. I know some of the gate guards keep track of the number of horses people bring into the city. Should you try to leave Giza with more than you entered with, you may be surprised at the reception you get at the gate."

  Morro handed his reins to Natia and turned away from the group. Tedi glanced at the gypsy princess and saw a blank gaze on her face. He chuckled inwardly as he knew that she was digesting the elf's parting words and trying to find a way around them.

  Chapter 42

  Smell of the Sea

  Natia sat in the common room of the Palace Keep Inn in Giza with several of DeCardia's figurines proudly displayed on the table. The morning sun shone through the large windows of the extravagant inn, and the gypsy princess beamed in delight. She wore the fine gown that she had acquired in Zinbar, and she had chosen her table with care. It was impossible for any patron to enter or leave the common room without noticing the figurines, and many people stopped to ask about them. A few minutes earlier a matronly woman had inquired about the figurines, and Natia saw the woman returning with a portly man beside her. The man had a distinguished air about him, as if everyone around him should defer to his wisdom, and in fact, many of the other patrons nodded as he passed by them. Natia immediately sized the man up as being one who always got whatever he wanted, and his wife used her husband's power to get whatever she wanted. Natia grinned inwardly and tried to act as if she didn't see them coming.

  "What are these trinkets you have displayed here?" the man asked in an authoritative tone.

  Natia turned her head and gazed at the couple with a look of amazement on her face.

  "Trinkets?" she balked. "Surely, you were not referring to these works of DeCardia when you spoke?"

  "DeCardia?" the man echoed with a frown.

  "DeCardia," nodded Natia. "I am sure that a man of your caliber knows of the world-famous artist from Candanar, so I must assume that you didn't recognize these pieces as coming from his hands. Here, take a look," she offered as she handed one of the pieces to the man. "Once you see it close up, I am sure you will recognize his artistry. If you have any doubts about its authenticity, you will see his name carved on the bottom."

  The man immediately turned the figurine in his hands to inspect the signature. Several other people had gathered behind the couple to see what was going on, and some of them repeated the name of the artist, probably in a questioning sense, but the man with the figurine merely heard confirmation that others knew of the artist's name.

  "Exquisite, isn't it?" Natia asked the man. "No one else can produce such a magnificent piece."

  "It is beautiful," commented the man's wife. "That is why I wanted Julius to see them."

  The man shrugged and handed the piece back to Natia. "Well it is finely crafted," he said as if the figurine had no significant value. "How much do you want for it?"

  "Oh?" Natia said as if the question of selling one had never entered her mind. "I think you misunderstand. I am not here to sell these pieces. I am safeguarding them for Garth Shado."

  "Who?" frowned the man.

  "Garth Shado," repeated Natia. "He is the special agent for Sidney Mercado. We are taking these figurines to Despair. We nearly had them stolen from our room at the Aranak Dunes in Olansk, so now he requires one of us to keep them with us at all times. I was just admiring them in the sunlight."

  "Well," huffed the man as he took his wife's arm, "it sure looked as if you were selling them."

  The man turned away, and Natia grew suddenly anxious, wondering if she had played her position too strongly. The couple had not gone more than several paces when the woman halted and turned towards her husband. Natia could not hear the words, but her anxiety immediately fled, and a thin smile spread across her face. The couple turned around and walked back to the table. Natia looked up in surprise and smiled at them.

  "Why are you taking the figurines to Despair?" asked Julius.

  "To sell," answered Natia. "Garth figures that we will get the best price in Despair. I understand that those in the empire strongly desire the works of DeCardia. He has quite a following there."

  "So they are for sale then," concluded Julius. "How much do you want for one of them?"

  "Well," Natia hesitated.

  "Oh come on," scowled Julius. "A merchant lives to sell his merchandi
se. The sooner you get rid of it, the quicker you can be off to something else."

  "I couldn't agree more," frowned Natia, "but I should run it by Garth before I sell anything. I mean, I am permitted to sell, but I think he had particular customers in mind."

  Julius gazed at the pack on the floor next to Natia and then pointed to it. "You have plenty of figurines. Surely the sale of one of them will create no crisis. How much?"

  "I don't know," Natia said hesitantly. "Things are crazy in Zinbar these days. We were only there for two days, and DeCardia's prices increased five fold during our stay, and still people flocked to purchase more. At the rate his fame is spreading, we won't be able to get any more of his pieces. I think people are buying them before they are completed. Goodness knows what will happen to the price if something befalls the artist."

  Julius suddenly became very interested in the figurines. While he did not care much for art, he always sought profitable investments. If there was a strong market for the art in Despair, there was a tidy profit to be made by procuring a few pieces, not to mention the political favors he could collect for gifting some of them to the appropriate people.

  "If you were to sell all of the figurines," Julius proposed, "Garth Shado could head back right now to Zinbar and get some more. I am sure that Sidney Mercado would be very pleased by the extra profit."

  "Well," Natia said hesitantly, "I suppose you are right, but I would have to sell them all, and that is not likely to happen in Giza. At two hundred gold a piece, I don't think there are many people in Giza who could afford them."

  "Two hundred?" gasped one of the onlookers.

  "See what I mean," smiled Natia. "Only in Despair where the seat of power resides can such a transaction be accomplished."

  "Aerta is a full member of the Federation," scowled Julius. "Barouk is no better than us. I think you need mind your tongue, young woman."

  "I apologize," Natia said softly. "I did not mean to disparage the good people of Aerta, but you can see why Garth plans to sell them in Despair. Such rare pieces are bound to become status symbols, and that is what the Baroukans seem to like these days. Whether or not they are truly superior, they tend to think that they are."

  "Too much so," Julius gruffly agreed. "How many figurines do you have in that pack?"

  "I have dozens of them," Natia replied. "Garth bought out the entire stock of DeCardia. I do not think that made the other customers very happy. Perhaps that is why they are buying the pieces before they are even made."

  Julius nodded quietly, his eyes staring at the pack on the floor. "Dozens of figurines at two hundred gold apiece is a hefty sum of gold," he mused. "I am not sure that even I could afford such an investment."

  "I understand," smiled Natia. "Now you can see why we must go to Despair."

  Julius glowered at Natia's constant belittling of Giza, even it was merely by stating how much better the empire was. He was about to comment on it when a man behind him stepped up to the table.

  "Surely you will not buy them all, Judge Julius," the man said. "There are others of us here who would like a few of them."

  Natia cringed at the mention of the man's title. She had no idea who she had been talking to, and she suddenly wished she were somewhere else. It would be no small feat for the judge to have her arrested on some phony charge and confiscate the figurines. The judge, however, brightened at the other man's intrusion. He turned and glanced at the large crowd that had assembled in the common room to watch what was going on. He recognized many of the faces as belonging to the most prominent citizens of Giza, and not a one of them had stepped forward to say anything disparaging about DeCardia. It reinforced his desire to buy as many pieces as he could afford.

  "Certainly I would not want to deprive others of an opportunity," stated the judge, "but I was here first. Find out how many the others here want to purchase, and I will see if that leaves me enough for my purposes."

  * * *

  Tedi and Garth stood on the waterfront in the city of Giza. They gazed out across the Sea of Tears and it seemed as endless as the Sordoan Sea back home. As they stood watching the ships sail past, Morro silently joined them.

  "There is a lot of ship traffic," commented Tedi. "Much more than I ever remember seeing back home."

  "The Federation is centered around the Sea of Tears," replied Garth. "It only makes sense to make good use of it. Besides, I do not think they have to worry about bandits out there."

  "I wouldn't think so," agreed Tedi. "There are so many ships that one is always in sight of another. I guess they must be pretty good shipbuilders with their dependence on shipping."

  "I checked out the shipyards earlier," nodded Garth. "They are most impressive. There are thousands of men working to put more ships onto the Sea of Tears. I saw four ships that will probably be launched within the next couple of days. Oscar Dalek would enjoy seeing their operation."

  "That would be the only thing in this city that would impress Prince Oscar," Tedi noted. "I have never seen such misery in a time of peace before. These people cannot even feed their families. How are we going to get enough food to squirrel away in Aranak?"

  "It is more ominous than mere poverty and starvation," frowned Garth. "These people live in a constant state of fear. You can see it in their faces. I suspect by staying in the finest inns, we are not getting the true feel of these cities."

  "Yet they are determined to spread their misery to your homeland," stated Morro. "I do not understand it."

  "I think I do," replied Garth. "The misery of the common people is like honey to them. They believe that Balmak will come back to usher them into paradise someday, but that he won't return until the world is in such decrepit misery that everyone will shout his name in praise."

  "That is nonsense," retorted the elf. "While the temples of Balmak have grown considerably, I can't imagine anyone singing praise for their misery."

  "Not for the misery," corrected Garth, "but rather for the end of it. Kalina found some old texts before we left home. They prophesy a time when the entire world will wail in despair. Wars will engulf every nation, and brother will kill brother. The people will clamor in the streets for food, and those who have food will be slain by those who have none. Governments will collapse and anarchy will rule. Finally, when no one can stand the misery any longer, Balmak will return to usher in a new age. That new age will be one of constant peace and great prosperity for everyone, but only if the people fall before Balmak and worship him."

  "What happens if the people do not worship him?" asked Morro.

  "They will be destroyed," answered Garth.

  "I do not believe in such deities," shrugged Morro. "Let the fools worship who they will. It will not affect me."

  "It already is affecting you," countered Garth. "Look around at the world you live in. Do you think all this misery is pure happenstance?"

  "Are you saying that this despair is intentional?" questioned the elf.

  "I am," nodded Garth. "I have listened to the speeches given by K'san. It is clear to me that what they are preaching is closely tied to that old prophecy. I think whoever is behind all of this misery is a true believer in Balmak, and he is doing everything in his power to ensure that the world is in such a decrepit state that Balmak will be forced to return."

  "That is insane," scowled Morro. "What kind of god would wish such misery upon the people?"

  "Balmak may be spoken of as a god," answered Garth, "but he is quite the opposite."

  "You sound as if you believe in him," scoffed Morro.

  "I do not believe in him," corrected Garth, "but I know that he exists. In our land he is known as Alutar, the Great Demon. Do not doubt his power. He is responsible for what you call the Gloom."

  "And the Collapse of the Universes," added Tedi. "He is real Morro, and he is eternal, but he has a problem right now. He has been split in two by another eternal creature we call the Mage."

  "I am having trouble understanding this," admitted Morro. "If thi
s Mage can counteract whatever evil Balmak spews forth, why does he not cure the ills of the people?"

  "He is also having problems right now," sighed Garth as he saw Natia hurrying towards them. "We can discuss this further after we get back to Aranak. How did you make out getting the supplies we need?"

  "I have found people who are willing to sell us supplies," answered Morro, "but it is going to be very expensive."

  "How much will it cost, and how long will the supplies last?" asked Garth.

  "I chose items that will last a long time," answered Morro. "I figured whatever your men did not consume we could leave in Aranak in case we eventually rescue the elven children."

  "That is acceptable," agreed Garth, "but how long will my men be able to live off of it?"

  "Two months," answered Morro. "The cost will be two thousand in gold."

  Tedi whistled in surprise and Garth cringed.

  "That is robbery," frowned Garth.

  "I am dealing with thieves," shrugged Morro. "What did you expect?"

  "We have the money," offered Natia with a wide grin on her face. "I sold all the figurines for two hundred gold apiece. We can easily afford the supplies, but I wouldn't mind trying to use some of our profits to buy some horses."

  "Two hundred apiece?" gasped Garth. "Now that is truly robbery. Where did you find such a victim?"

  "Right in the common room," smiled Natia. "Judge Julius took most of them."

  "Judge Julius?" Morro echoed in awe. "He is known as Hanging Julius here in Giza. I think we should get out of town before he discovers what he has purchased."

  "I am more than ready to leave this place," agreed Garth. "Morro, I want you to get twice as many supplies if you can. Natia will supply the gold."

  "Twice as many?" balked the thief. "I do not think you understand the extent of the supplies I am talking about. As it is, we will have to walk back to the desert leading our horses just so they can carry what we are buying."