Princess Electra Book 4 School of Medicine
Page 31
Chapter 30
King's Lake in Fernland
Serafina, still disguised as an old woman with a cane and a slight limp, stood at the eastern edge of King's Lake. She was surprised both by the number of ships anchored there and by the level of activity on shore. Besides the Taz ships there were several ships that she recognized as frequent visitors to the port of Henge. Some were likely on their way south and might provide her a passage to Manoa.
She moved in closer to observe the activity on shore. Men were busy building living quarters all along the lakefront. Children played on the beach and in the shallow water. Women washed clothes together along a strip of lakefront and lay them out to dry on the grassy slopes. It looked more like a permanent settlement than temporary housing for shipbuilders.
Delphinia's barge sat half-completed on heavy timber scaffolding. The length and width were impressive in size. Huge piles of felled trees surrounded the barge and the sounds of hammers and saws filled the air. She saw Take's theater at the bottom of a gentle green slope and wondered how he had managed to make that a first priority. She moved slowly along the shore, taking mental pictures as she strolled.
A shore boat nudged onto the sand beside her and two sailors stepped out.
"Any ships bound for Manoa?" she asked.
"Manoa?" With a heavy accent the sailor repeated the only word he recognized. He pointed to a large ship anchored farther to the west.
Serafina nodded in acknowledgment and continued along the shore. As she passed the theatre she saw Shandor lounging at the back of the stage with his flask in hand. Since he did not seem to be hiding she supposed he had not been blamed for the destruction of the white powder. He watched her as she limped along the beach. She studied the lake-side theatre. It was not as big or as grand as the one old King Blackwell was building, but it was nicer than she would have predicted.
She looked to the north where the barge loomed over its scaffolding. She saw a young man she realized must be Prince Avor. He stood atop the scaffolding yelling orders to the workmen in a language that must have been Taz. He had grown much taller and more muscular since she had last seen him. He still favored Delphinia in facial features and coloring, but she could now see a marked resemblance to King Geoffrey as well.
She stopped at a boat that had been pulled ashore and turned into a makeshift market stall.
"Spices from Manoa?" the vendor sang out hopefully.
"Have you jasmine tea?" Serafina asked.
The man smiled and held up a tin. "Finally, someone who speaks a language I can understand. Who are these workmen? No one here understands me."
Serafina returned his smile. "You are up from Manoa?"
"Yes, and this stop was a waste of time for me. No one here has money to spend. We leave tonight and I will be glad to go. We have one more stop at Lands End, then it's all the way down to Manoa."
"Who would I see about passage to Manoa?"
The vendor's face lit up. "I could arrange that for you for a very modest fee. A gold coin would buy it and a very nice cabin thrown in." The man seemed to be studying the old woman's clothing, judging whether a gold piece was a possibility.
Serafina knew that a gold piece was twice the normal fare from Lands End and guessed that two silvers would be a fair price from King's Lake.
"I thought I might visit my cousin in Manoa. He has invited me to live with him. But I'm not sure I would like living there. He lives on an island not far from the harbor. A lonely place I'm told. What was the name of it? I can not seem to remember."
"There is an island called White Cliffs not far from Manoa. We used to stop off there to take on fertilizer but of late we do not."
"That may be the one. Why do you now pass it by?"
The vendor shrugged. "The old owners died and the young heir—he does not want any visitors. It is said he lives alone with an old servant who takes a boat into Manoa from time to time to buy supplies. No one knows much about the young heir except it is rumored he has a deformity of some kind. Is he your cousin?"
"No. My cousin is old, like me. Give me time and I will remember the name of his island. Perhaps it is not really an island, but just a thumb of land surrounded by water."
The vendor looked skeptical, wondering if the woman still had all her faculties.
"So...do you want me to inquire about passage to Manoa?"
Serafina seemed to be mulling it over. She took a gold coin from her pocket and the vendor's eyes locked on it.
"I suppose the gold coin would include my meals?"
"Yes, assuredly," the vendor replied with enthusiasm.
"And you would row me out to the ship?"
"Yes, yes, of course."
She pointed to the front row of spices. "Add those five spices and the tin of jasmine tea and we have an agreement."
The vendor looked again at Serafina's face and decided she not only had all her faculties—she was a very good negotiator.
"Will you be ready to board ship in an hour's time?" he asked.
"I will be ready," she replied. "I will give you the gold piece when I have seen my cabin aboard ship."
The vendor nodded as Serafina continued her stroll along King's Lake. She counted fifteen ships anchored in the lake and estimated the number of Taz People at five thousand. It was a large settlement bringing in a good bit of money in taxes and fees for King Geoffrey's coffers. If he cared to deplete his forests he could make a good deal more through the sale and shipment of timber. That would mean more money to pay soldiers if he decided to finance an army. Although neither Prince Blackwell nor King Geoffrey seemed inclined to war against one another she did not like the fact that this new wealth meant King Geoffrey could increase his army if he chose to do so.
After inspecting the new settlement and its ongoing construction she headed back to meet her Manoan vendor, who was already packing away the few spices he had left after setting hers aside. As they rowed out to board the ship bound for Manoa, Serafina mulled over the information the vendor had given her about White Cliffs Island and the seed of a plan took root in her mind.