Passages

by Olan Thorensen

  “I saw the impressive fortifications as we entered the harbor,” said Mark. “Some of the work seems new.”

  Mustafa nodded. “We try to make Buldor as untasty a morsel as we can to discourage the Narthani from thinking they can absorb us. That’s another reason our ships have almost stopped raiding, especially around southern Landolin. We want to avoid antagonizing them. If we’re to eventually fall to the Narthani, we hope it will only be after they’ve conquered everyone else. And, naturally, we pray something stops them before that happens.”

  “I’m afraid, Adalan, that I’m fairly ignorant about the Narthani and what’s going on in this part of Anyar. There didn’t seem to be much concern about them where I lived in Frangel.”

  “That’s because Frangel is far from the center of the wars between Narthon and its neighbors. The Narthani think it’s their destiny to rule the entire planet. There is ongoing fighting between Narthon and the Fuomi, Iraquiniks, and Harrasedics. That brings me back to you and your fellow travelers. Do you know where Caedellium is located?”

  “I’ve seen world maps, and I know Caedellium is northwest of Landolin.”

  “It may be easier to talk over a map. Let’s you and I go to the table.”

  Adalan rose and walked over to a cabinet.

  Mark turned to Maghen and Heather and spoke to them in Frangelese and English. “He wants to show me things on a map.”

  As soon as the two men leaned over a table with a spread-out map of Anyar’s landmasses, Adalan began pointing out features and realms.

  “The map shows the approximate borders. They haven’t changed much, except for those bordering Narthon and its neighbors. Those fluctuate, depending on the results of battles. I don’t know what’s happening on Drilmar, but from what you and Adel tell me, you’ve heard little about Narthon and the wars. I suppose that’s not unexpected because until recently all the fighting stayed in Melosia, the largest continent. About eight years ago, the Narthani first moved out of Melosia by invading Rustal. They subjugated and still occupy that part of Ganolar, but it evidently proved a less desirable prize once they had it.

  “It was a major shock to western Anyar when the Narthani occupied the island of Caedellium a few years ago. It’s too remote and unimportant for the strategy to have been anything other than a first move either toward Landolin, whose kingdoms are relatively rich, or to outflank the Iraquiniks. It turned out Landolin was the immediate target.”

  Mustafa looked up from the map. “Here’s where it gets interesting, as far as concerns you, Kaldwel. The Caedelli rose up against the Narthani and, despite any reasonable expectations, defeated them and forced a withdrawal. Details about how the Caedelli accomplished this are sketchy, but from scattered reports and rumors that continue to leak out of the island, it seems that a man named Yozef Kolsko played an important role in the Narthani defeat.”

  “Kolsko?”

  “Yes, the other name that Adel says has caused you to attempt crossing most of the planet to get to Caedellium. As it happens, among the rumors is the persistent one that this Kolsko only arrived on Caedellium about six years ago and in an unusual manner. People found him naked on a beach, not knowing how he got there, and claiming to be from a place called Amerika.”

  Mark stared, his mind whirling with the implications.

  My God! Kolsko must be another survivor of the plane collision! Naked on a beach. Comes from Amerika.

  “I think you can see my interest in your story, Kaldwel. I’ll also let you know that my cousin wasn’t completely honest with you. People in most of the major ports on Ganolar know of the Narthani’s interest in finding out information about Amerika and Yozef Kolsko. I expect you were exceedingly fortunate that you didn’t tell other people in Iskadon your story before you spoke with Adel. Or, if you did reveal your interest in Amerika, Caedellium, and Yozef Kolsko, it was to people who hadn’t yet heard of the Narthani interests.”

  Mark felt a sheen of sweat on his forehead as he thought of how his family had slipped through the Narthani tentacles.

  “We traveled mainly in the southern interiors and stayed away from towns as much as possible. When we traveled by ship, we used smaller, more southern ports until we got to Iskadon.”

  Mustafa nodded. “Adel believes word about all of this might have only recently reached Iskadon, but he heard about the Narthani’s interests several times when he stopped in Bandapara on the way here.”

  Mark stroked his beard as a question arose in his thoughts. “So . . . even assuming Heather, I, and this Kolsko are all from Amerika, why exactly are you so interested in us and Caedellium?”

  Mustafa’s smile was an acknowledgment and not humor.

  “We come to the crux of Buldor’s problem.” He leaned back over the map. “The Narthani confirmed that their original interest in Caedellium was as a base to attack Landolin, although they evidently decided to go straight to the eventual prize, instead of making a second attempt at Caedellium. They landed armies on Amalor, the island kingdom off eastern Landolin. The Amalorese were unprepared and fell easily. Now, the Narthani seem to have developed an alliance of some sort with Jahmnor, the largest and most southern Landolin kingdom. Rumors are that the Narthani and the Jahmnorese are planning to attack Panhan or Munjor, but we haven’t heard of major fighting as yet.

  “Whatever is happening on Caedellium, it’s drawn the interest of other realms. The Fuomi are keeping a naval presence around the island, even though it’s far from Fuomon. We also know that several of the Landolin kingdoms and individual members of the Iraquinik Confederation established regular contacts with the Caedelli. I assume Adel’s cabin boy, Allyr, told you how the island’s people are organized?”

  Mark shrugged. “Only what he knows from what his mother told him. There doesn’t seem to be a central authority over the entire island, but a number of independent clans, so it surprises me that they were able to win. The Narthani must be experienced in warfare if they’ve been fighting their neighbors for as long as I hear they have.”

  “That’s where Kolsko seems to come into all this,” said Mustafa “He not only is supposed to have had a major role in defeating the Narthani, but he somehow managed to convince the clans to unite with him as the leader of the island.”

  Well, fuck me, thought Mark. This Kolsko must be a real pistol if what Adalan says is accurate. This could be an amazing turn of luck. If Kolsko is also a castaway, he’s got to want to have other people from home to talk with. Hell, maybe he knows more about the aliens.

  “Pardon, Adalan, but something is missing. If all this is true, is your interest in us only curiosity?”

  “No. Buldor’s position is becoming more precarious each year.” He looked at the map. “Our ships used to roam freely around Landolin, north along most of the Iraquinik coast, and occasionally as far east as Rumpas. We raided enough to support our people, but not so much as to cause the other realms, singularly or together, to attack Buldor. I was leading a five-ship raiding party along the northern Landolin coast when the Narthani offered to help us raid Caedellium under their protection. One can only assume they didn’t want the Caedelli to blame them at the time. This arrangement worked well for us for over a year. By the time I decided we should return to Buldor, our ships were loaded with loot and captives for slave markets in Sulako.”

  Mark kept his expression neutral, as the Buldorian calmly described plundering, killing, and enslaving. His previous elevated mood receded, as he reminded himself that his family’s and Heather’s position in Tortut was precarious and dependent on their host.

  “As you can imagine, Kaldwel, our raids on Caedellium put us in a delicate situation. The Narthani now control land nearer to Buldor than I thought would happen in my lifetime. If they subjugate all of Landolin, Buldor and the rest of Ganolar are doomed. Even before that happens, they will strangle Buldor because our ships couldn’t even be merchant vessels without Narthani approval. And as fast as our ships are, and our sailors the best in the world,
the sheer weight of numbers on the Narthani side would make armed resistance suicidal.

  “The only hope I see for Buldor’s independent future is that the combination of the Landolins, the Iraquiniks, and the Fuomi can somehow stop Narthon’s intentions for the western part of Anyar. Unfortunately, I don’t have much confidence in miracles.

  “What role Caedellium might play in all this, I can’t guess. But if the larger and more powerful realms are taking a strong interest in relations with the Caedelli, then I want Caedellium to at least not consider Buldor an enemy—which I realize is a difficult proposition, considering the raids we carried out on the island.

  “However, our council has been looking for a way to make a gesture to the Caedelli—something that would remind them that we both face the same threat. Whether it will make any difference, our council can’t say, but we’ve decided the effort is simple enough that we’ll lose nothing by trying. What we’ve lacked is an opportunity for someone to convey the message.

  “I was unclear what to do after talking with Adel, but now I’ve decided. He’ll take your party to Caedellium. If you and the small woman are from the same people as Kolsko, maybe it will ameliorate some of the animosity he feels toward Buldor.”

  Mark wasn’t sure what to say. The idea that they might reach Caedellium with one final sea voyage and not have to travel overland was almost too good to be true.

  “You’ll also take Allyr with you, along with his mother and sister. Adel took them into his service, instead of selling them to Sulakoan slave traders. You can ask my cousin why he did this if you’re curious. They’ve been well treated and are not the only Caedelli we captured in our raids who are still in Buldor. If at least neutral relations can be established between Buldor and Caedellium, I’m sure their return to Caedellium could be arranged.

  “I only ask that you convey a message to Yozef Kolsko,” said Mustafa. “Tell him we don’t consider the Caedelli our enemies, that the raids were purely practical and without any ill feelings toward them. Given current circumstances, we regret the raids and would be willing to discuss compensation at some later time. Also tell him that we hope the Caedelli realize the greater danger of the Narthani, and that past history is sometimes forgotten for the future good.”

  Good luck with that, thought Mark. He imagined the Caedelli wouldn’t be all that amenable to better relations with the Buldorians after the raids.

  “Thank you, Galmater Adalan, for your generous offer. I gratefully accept for all of us, and I will give the message to Kolsko, along with my impression of your sincerity. I don’t know how the message will be received, but my people have the saying that ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend.’”

  A little bullshit doesn’t hurt, thought Mark. If I do meet Kolsko, I’ll tell him I wouldn’t trust Mustafa Adalan as far as I could throw him. Well . . . maybe throw him on Earth. I could probably throw him a lot farther here. Still, it sounds like his argument is justified that the Narthani are the common overriding menace.

  Four days later, they once again left a port and headed to the open sea. The Wicked Woman showed signs of fresh repairs, new ropes and sails, and every available space crammed with water barrels and provisions.

  Mark stood next to Adel Adalan and waited quietly, while the captain watched the ship clear the harbor. The Buldorians hadn’t shared details of the proposed voyage, brushing off questions. Mark had given up asking by the third day. Now, they were half a mile out when Mark asked, “All right, we’re on the way. Can you share the plan for getting to Caedellium?”

  Adel turned to Mark. “I don’t intend to make landfall until reaching Caedellium, unless forced to by storm damage or if we run out of food or water. We’ll skirt the Ilskin coast as far from Landolin as we can. The seas are much calmer between Landolin and Iraquinik, but there are too many warships in those waters where the Narthani made it a war zone.

  “There are also Narthani ships south of Landolin, but nowhere near as many. I hope to circle west of Landolin, then sail north to Caedellium. Rumors are that a few Fuomi ships are around the island, but we can outrun those if we have to.”

  The first leg of Adalan’s plan passed with two incidents. A Narthani frigate appeared out of a rain squall and signaled the Wicked Woman to heave to. Mark’s dismay at being caught after so many trials was allayed when Adalan demonstrated his ship’s speed, and the frigate gave up pursuing. Two days later, it was the captain’s turn to be concerned.

  “They’re Ilskins,” said Adalan as two ships, each slightly smaller than the Wicked Woman, paralleled her course. “Their language is closer to Buldorian than anything else, so our peoples probably have a common origin, but relationships have always been strained. They do a little raiding, but they don’t usually bother a Buldorian ship. They’re probably evaluating whether we’re worth trying to capture.”

  Adalan yelled at his crew, and the ship’s gun ports were opened and cannon run out. After another twenty tense minutes, the two Ilskin ships turned away.

  Several eventless sixdays followed—to Mark’s satisfaction. He figured he’d had enough excitement for many lifetimes. A milestone, of sorts, was reached when the Wicked Woman turned north, and Mark estimated that they had already exceeded the sailing distance of their first three ocean legs. Sixdays of swift sailing were interspersed with holding their position when the winds shifted and one whole sixday of sitting in the doldrums. Twice, they sailed through huge herds of “whales,” the enormous Anyar fish or animal. Mark didn’t know how to classify them.

  “The Great Ocean we’re on the edge of seems to have an endless supply of the things,” said Adalan, as he manned the wheel and managed to avoid most bumping encounters. “That’s fortunate because they’re the source of lantern oil for all of Anyar. Every realm has ships harvesting the oil.”

  Only once were they caught in a major storm, and the ship ran with the wind for two days. When the storm abated, they were within sight of the Landolin coast. Adalan turned the ship back north to avoid local traffic.

  More sixdays followed, and the travelers became almost numb from day after day of the same routine—with one exception. Caedelli lessons with Allyr continued, and the boy convinced his mother to join in. At first, her participation was minimal, as she sat without speaking. Then, one day, she corrected Allyr on a point of Caedelli grammar. The next day she commented half a dozen times. By the end of another sixday, she was leading the lessons and helping to watch Onya and Alys play together.

  Now that a full-time instructor was available who had no other duties, the Caedelli lessons became intensive—something that markedly sped up learning, drew the Kardyl family closer to Mark’s party, and relieved the boredom of the voyage.

  CHAPTER 42

  AT SEA AGAIN

  Captain’s Cabin, Wicked Woman, South of Caedellium

  “We’re getting close,” Adalan said to Mark as he pulled out a map and laid it on a small table in the captain’s cabin. “Here’s a map of Caedellium we took on one of our raids on the island. I can’t read Caedelli, but Allyr tells me it shows the clan names and borders. I don’t know how old it is or if anything has changed, but it gives the basic structure of the island.”

  Adalan leaned down and pointed with a forefinger. “We’re about two hundred miles south, somewhere off the map. If the wind holds, we should see land sometime tomorrow. As I told you, I want to put you off as fast as possible. I don’t intend to be confined to harbors or bays—I want as much sea room as possible because I don’t expect our presence will be welcome.

  “As soon as we spot the island, we’ll back off and circle to here.” He pointed to a province connected to the rest of the island by a narrow isthmus. “Allyr tells me this is Nyvaks Province. There are no major ports on the north side of the island and little if any trade traffic, so the only ships we might encounter should be Fuomi. They’ve patrolled these waters ever since the Caedelli drove the Narthani off Caedellium. They don’t keep a major naval force at the island
, but enough to discourage the Narthani and provide patrols out a few hundred miles. We’ll try to spot a village and have a longboat take you to within a few miles and drop you on the shore. Then we’ll be on our way back to Buldor.”

  “Captain, there’s something your cousin told me I should ask you about if I was curious. When you captured the Kardyls, they weren’t sold to the slavers. The impression I got was they were servants in your household, not slaves.”

  “It was Allyr who first caught my attention,” said Adalan. “When we got them on ship, the boy tried to protect his mother, even though he was only about five years old. I admired his courage, but it got me thinking. My wife miscarried before I left Buldor, and she had lost several earlier babies. I could tell Serwina was in early pregnancy. I had an instinct about the Kardyls, so I claimed the three of them for part of my share to keep the crew away from the mother. When I returned home, months later Serwina gave birth, and my wife and I adopted Serwina’s child as our own, so my wife would have a baby to care for. She insisted that Serwina and the other two children, Allyr and Onyla, stay as part of the household—which I was already considering because I’d become fond of Allyr.”

  “So . . . Serwina left her other child back in Buldor when she came with us,” Mark said slowly.

  Adalan frowned. “She doesn’t have another child. The one she gave birth to in Buldor is part of my family. Despite Mustafa’s idea to send the Kardyls home, they were still part of my household, so it was my final decision. I gave Serwina the choice of all or some of them going to Caedellium or staying in Buldor. She chose that all three would go.”

  Christ, thought Mark. Serwina left her other child in Buldor. It must have been a wrenching decision, but I guess I can understand why she did it. The child probably didn’t even consider her the mother if it was raised by Adel’s wife.