Galatzi Trade

by Robin Roseau

  "Untie me, show me this home, and we'll see."

  She studied me, and I knew we were going to have continued troubles of this nature. But then she nodded, and I sagged in relief.

  I didn't wait. I turned around, giving her access to all her knots.

  It took time. She began by releasing my wrists from the back of my neck, but the knots were tight. I wished she would use a knife, but she worked carefully, and finally my arms were free. I pulled them over my head and clutched my hands to my chest, my arms aching and my shoulders screaming in relief.

  She turned me around and removed the cloak. Then she began work on the harness. It had been in place for days, and the knots were stubborn. But finally it was free. Then she looked at my wrists, still bound in front of me.

  "Are you going to forgive me?" she asked.

  "Is releasing me contingent on that forgiveness?"

  She sighed. "I don't know how to make you forgive me."

  "You can't, Sartine," I said. "But you can ask."

  "I-" she turned away.

  "How many times have you made me ask you for the simplest of things?" I asked her. "How many times in the last three weeks have I begged you for things I shouldn't ever have to ask anyone to do, because you made it so I couldn't do them myself? Do you require a relationship so uneven I must ask for absolutely everything, but you refuse to ask for anything? Is demanding me the only way you know? I have watched you with your people. I haven't seen you demand from them. Why do you demand from me?"

  "So many questions," she said. She turned back to me, but didn't lift her eyes towards mine before she began to release my hands. When she was done, she massaged my wrists for me. "They are our people."

  "Excuse me?"

  "You said 'your people'. They are 'our people'. Please, Cecilia."

  "There is something you have not allowed me to do for three weeks. I am going to do it now, and you are going to let me."

  "Oh?"

  "Yes." I pulled my hands from her and cupped the sides of her face with them, pulling her to me. I didn't press our lips together, but I looked into her startled eyes from only inches away.

  "Please, Cecilia," she said. "Our people."

  I brought my lips closer. "Our people," I said. I kissed one corner of her mouth then looked around briefly. "Our home." I kissed the other corner. Her arms wrapped around my waist. Then I pulled away a few inches and looked into her eyes. "We will see how well you court. Maybe it will become 'My Vendart', but you must give me more time for that." And then before she could respond, I pulled her into a deep, deep kiss.

  When we were done, we hugged tightly. "And forgiveness?" she asked. "Starting anew?"

  "There is a small price for that gift," I said.

  "Oh?"

  "Yes. I would like to see the rest of our shared home, and then please, oh please help ease my aches."

  "I shall," she said. "My galatzi prize. Tell me you are my galatzi prize."

  I held her tightly. "Are you also my galatzi prize?"

  "No," she said. "I am your vendart, whether you admit it or not."

  "If you had given me to your brother, what would he be to me?"

  "Ah. Until you accept his courtship and his bed, we do not have a word. But then you are his galatzi wife, and he is your wife."

  I did say it was the wrong word, didn't I? But she used the same word I translated as 'wife'.

  I pulled away. "We have a word." I taught her the English word 'suitor'. "It is somewhat archaic, as it implies gender roles that are best forgotten."

  "What roles?"

  "Man as suitor, man as pursuer, man as hunter."

  "And woman as prey."

  "Yes. Or other words I like even less. But suitor is not a bad word itself. May I use it?"

  "I would prefer 'vendart', but until you can bring yourself to use this word, I will accept this English substitute. I do not wish you to teach this word to anyone else."

  "Then I shall not."

  She was practically quivering with excitement, and I realized I was as well. She lifted one hand to her chest, then she took my hand and pulled it there, pressing my fingers in place to feel her heartbeat.

  "I know," I said.

  Then she watched me carefully, and I knew what she wanted. "Will you now show your galatzi prize her new home?"

  The smile filled her entire face, and she nodded.

  At that moment, she was delightful.

  Baths

  Our home in Indartha was lovely. The rooms were somewhat smaller than I was accustomed, and it was odd to see a fireplace in nearly every room, complete with all the related accouterments and a box of wood besides. In Sudden, the furniture had been ornate, but here in Indartha, the style seemed to be far simpler. But looking closer, I saw it was all very well constructed and sturdy, with tight seams and smooth operation. They used very little metal, as it was dear to them, but somehow the drawers pulled smoothly and closed tightly.

  I noticed this when Sartine showed me my own room, and we unpacked my few things. I had never in my life owned so few of my own things. She hadn't remotely taken all of my clothes, and I had a moment of anger over that, but I hid it from her, saying nothing.

  I believe she noticed anyway.

  "I wish you to dress in local styles," she said. "We will obtain more clothing for you."

  "I didn't say anything."

  "No, but your disappointment was bare."

  I was a poor diplomat.

  "This was intentional, Cecilia, but you will not feel neglected. It is my duty to care for you, and I brought your clothing more for the trip than to have here."

  "It's fine," I said. "They are only clothes, and the gown is the only piece that is truly expensive." I had already hung it up, and it had survived the trip just fine.

  "The gown is magic."

  "It is technology," I said. An English word. "Science and engineering. No magic. Nothing I do is magic, but it perhaps seems like it."

  "That is truly the green gown?"

  "I would show you, but I must lift its weights, and that will be more difficult here than in Sudden." I almost said, "at home", but I knew the words would hurt her.

  Perhaps not an entirely poor diplomat.

  "How old is this chest?" I asked as we closed the last drawer. It had not taken long to unpack.

  "Very old," she said. "I do not know exactly. It has always been here."

  "Oh."

  "You are disappointed? You wanted a new chest?"

  "No. It is very well made, and I wished to meet the person who fashioned it. But if it is that old, I find it unlikely that is possible."

  "No, but you could meet the family that made it. They are still here, passing this craft from parents to children. They continue to make furniture such as this."

  "Of this quality?"

  "Yes. I do not understand, though. The furniture in Sudden is much finer. Why are you excited about this furniture?"

  "The furniture in Sudden is fancier, but I would question whether it is built better. This chest," and I thunked the top of it, "would not pay for the ships that travel between stars, but if the ships were traveling between stars, anyway, then this chest would be a fair trade for my tablet. It would take a few similar pieces to also pay for the devices to lift the weights."

  "Really?"

  I nodded. "You understand it is easier to bring the small tablets than these large pieces of furniture, and so much of the value of this chest would actually go to the ship that carries it. But you could purchase several tablets for this chest, if it weren't so difficult to ship the chest so far across the skies."

  "This chest has value to your empire?"

  "No. The chest has no value to The Empire. But there are people living in The Empire who would covet this chest."

  "And so, we have not shown you a wonder."

  "Maybe a small wonder," I said.

  "I do not understand the value of this chest. Your empire can make anything."

  "A
h, but this chest is clearly crafted by hand, and that gives it value."

  "I do not understand. Cannot your empire build a better chest?"

  "What is better? A chest that is lighter and even more closely crafted by machine is more practical, but people do not always make the practical choice. They make the choice that gives them the most pleasure. This chest gives pleasure that a chest crafted by machines does not give."

  She smiled at that. "This chest gives you pleasure."

  "Yes, Sartine, this chest gives me pleasure. Your home gives me pleasure."

  "Our home."

  "In that sentence, it is your home that you share with me to make it our home."

  "Say it again though," she said. "Please."

  "Our home, Sartine." I gestured. "For now, my room."

  "For now?"

  "I believe there is another room you wish to see me claim instead."

  She laughed. "And you admit you will do so?"

  "I will give you every opportunity to convince me."

  She grinned. "I do not believe you will be difficult to convince."

  "There is an English phrase I am going to teach you," I said. Then I spoke the words, "playing hard to get". I made her repeat it until she had it, more or less.

  "But what does it mean?"

  So I told her. She took on a shocked expression; I couldn't tell if it were feigned. "You would play this game with me?"

  "I cannot be too easy for you," I said. "I must make you work for me."

  "Perhaps I am making a mistake, and I should make you work to please me."

  "You could choose to play that game, and we could see which of us is most stubborn, but is that the game you wish to play? I thought you wished the role of hunter."

  She put on another shocked expression, and I was sure this one was feigned, then her expression cleared and she nodded. "I believe I have already worked hard enough for you. I traveled all the way to Sudden and back for you, and I traded my little sister for you."

  "Perhaps you traveled to Sudden and back, and perhaps you traded your little sister. But I received no benefit from that trade. I barely even met her and did not even get to dance with her."

  "You would have liked to have danced with her?"

  "Of course I would have," I said. "I like to dance, and she seemed like a lovely girl." I lowered my eyes, suddenly embarrassed by my thought.

  "Tell me."

  "I do not believe it would be diplomatic to do so."

  "Oh no," she said. "Now you really must tell me."

  "It was an unkind thought."

  "About me?"

  "No."

  "My sister."

  "No, it was a kind thought about her, comparing her to someone else, and so an unkind thought about that person."

  "Ah." She said. "Hilopid is the third son, and he was somewhat spoiled by our mother."

  "Mordain is the youngest, and I imagine even more spoiled."

  "Ah, but on Mordain, being spoiled comes out as sweet. On Hilopid, it comes out as confrontational. He is learning the world does not work the way he thinks it works."

  "He would have been a poor fit for Margotain and a disaster for Chaladine," I observed.

  "At fifteen, he is an adult, but he is not yet grown up," Sartine said.

  "At fifteen, no one is grown up," I said. "Sartine, you have not mentioned your parents before, and I have not wanted to ask."

  "Gone. Five years."

  "I'm sorry."

  "Thank you."

  "Hilopid has two older brothers you have not mentioned, either."

  "You have not asked."

  "I have been entirely self-centered," I admitted. And I had, but it was, perhaps, understandable.

  "You have," she admitted with a grin. "Hilopid has one older brother, not two. I am eldest. Tiborid is two years younger, then a large gap to Hilopid, and a small gap to Mordain."

  "And Tiborid's older brother?"

  "Childbirth," she said. "He was given the name Leedano."

  "I am sorry."

  "He would have been two years my senior."

  And so I nodded.

  "Well," she said after a moment. "Does your tablet need the weights lifted?"

  I moved back to the dresser. We had devoted the top drawer for my electronics. I hadn't handled the tablet in three weeks, but when I woke it up, it told me it kept a half charge.

  "There are enough weights for a few hours," I said. "I would rather conserve them, as it may take me some time to decide how to lift the weights. Did you hope for a demonstration to-" I almost said, 'your village' but caught myself. "To our village tonight?"

  She smiled at the phrase I used, even though it had been a stumble. "I think perhaps if you wished to wait, then we could wait."

  I was pleased with her answer. Now that I had it back in my hands, I wasn't ready to run the batteries down when I could not charge them as readily as I would prefer. It would be easier once I found a good place for the solar charger.

  "I will need a good place in the sun, and it takes several hours of direct sunlight to lift the weights from empty to full."

  "And on cloudy days?"

  "The weights lift much more slowly than direct sunlight."

  "I have a place that gets sun in the morning. I will show you."

  She didn't show me the entire house; I did not see the other bedrooms, but we passed one, and she stopped at it, sighing.

  "You will miss her."

  "Yes."

  "I have not seen my little sister in person in fifteen years. I know the pain of separation." As soon as I said it, I knew I shouldn't have.

  "But-" she turned to me. "You went skiing together just a year or two ago."

  "That video is somewhat older than that," I said. "I will explain someday. I say only that I understand the pain of separation, but I also believe you will see her again."

  "Someday, perhaps."

  "Perhaps I should make you return me to Sudden so you could visit her."

  "No!" she exclaimed, her eyes flashing. "Um."

  I smiled. "I could change my mind after we arrived, and allow you to take me back again."

  "You know it doesn't work that way."

  "I suppose not. But Sartine, you will see your sister again. You have promised imperial doctors, and we will return to Sudden for that if nothing else."

  She smiled. "I suppose you're right."

  * * * *

  I had never visited a communal bath before. Sartine led the way, both of us carrying fresh clothing. "They will have everything else," she assured me. The villagers had broken up the party on the green sometime after we left, and so there were only a few about as we passed along the streets. Sartine called greetings to them, all the while maintaining possession of my arm.

  I thought it was sweet.

  We arrived at the baths and were greeted by a teenage girl of perhaps twelve. She stared at me from the moment we stepped inside.

  "Hello, Nalatine," Sartine said. "Is it busy?"

  "There is room, Vendart," she said. She continued to stare at me. "Does. Um."

  "Hello, Nalatine," I said. I held out my hand, and we clasped. "My name is Cecilia. I know it sounds unusual."

  She struggled with it, and so I said it slowly twice until she got it.

  "You sound funny," she said.

  "Everyone has an accent," I said.

  "No one here has an accent."

  I laughed. "You do. You have an accent of Indartha. The people of Sudden have an accent of Sudden. When I first arrived, I thought to call it a Talmonese accent, but then I met our vendart, and I realized there is more than one accent in Talmon. I have an accent of my home, Centos Four, and I probably always will."

  "But-" she paused. "This is how everyone I know talks."

  I cocked my head and played the sounds twice until I made out what she said, as she has spoken quickly.

  "Yes, but to my ears, it was very difficult to understand our vendart when first I heard her words, and I
had to have everything she said repeated so I could understand."

  "Oh." She looked disappointed. "I have an accent?"

  "Yes. We all do. It is just that our own accent sounds like no accent at all, to our own ears."

  "Oh," she said again. Finally she turned to Sartine. "Do you wish us to do your clothes?"

  "I will send everything, probably tomorrow," she said. And I realized that the baths were also the village laundry.

  "All right," she said. From underneath the counter, she pulled out two small baskets, one nestled inside the other, setting them on the counter, and then she dug through a drawer and found a piece of wood, setting it into the top basket. I saw it had Sartine's name on it. "Does Cecilia need her own basket?"

  "She will use mine, and when she comes alone, she will use my marker. Do not make a new marker for her." While she was speaking, she handed the girl several coins, which the girl put away.

  "Of course, Vendart," the girl said.

  Sartine put her clothes into the basket then gestured, and I added my change on top of hers. She added the marker on top of all of it and picked up the nestled baskets, handing them to me to carry before taking my arm to lead me deeper into the baths.

  We went through a doorway on the right then along a hallway until we turned left. Sartine reached for the door handle, but I said, "Wait."

  She turned to me. I gestured with my nose to the marker. "Feeling possessive of me."

  "Get used to it," she said with a smile. "Yes."

  "Perhaps I should throw this marker away and make one with my name for you to use."

  "Oh, I think not," she said. "You are the galatzi prize, and I am the vendart. Furthermore, you wish to be courted and intend to make me work for you. But if you wish to reconsider that choice, I will allow you to have your own marker."

  I laughed. "If I am unimpressed with your courting, I will demand my own marker."

  "Do you believe they will give you one after I have ordered you are to use mine?" Then she grinned. "Do you have any money to pay for a bath?"

  My eyes widened. I didn't have a single coin. Not one. I did, back in my desk in Sudden, but I hadn't thought to ask her to bring the pouch. I suddenly realized just how many things we had left behind.

  Her grin broadened. "You are dependent upon me for everything."

  That was an entirely uncomfortable realization. I had not been in a position like that in eighty years.