“Oh my,” he said, his eyes widening in surprise, “Now that is a rare prize.” He slowly lifted the shell off of Esther’s palm and held it up to a lantern. “This little gem,” he continued, “comes from a gastropod that we call a Laleh. These creatures are fairly isolated and it is incredibly rare to find a shell like this. It is a very good omen.”
Geoffrey’s guess that the shell brought good luck had been correct. Esther looked over at him and he gave her a teasing ‘I told you so’ look and smile. She returned it with a big smile of her own.
“It is traditional to wear such things around ones neck,” said the Satrap, pulling Esther’s attention away from Geoffrey, “I believe I have a necklace we can attach this to. If you let me keep it tonight, I will return it with the necklace tomorrow.”
“Thank you, that’s very kind,” said Esther, “How much would I owe you for the necklace?”
“It will be my gift to you,” the Satrap said to Esther, “Now come, Mrs. Hahn has finished preparing the room for you ladies. Mr. Hahn will lead the gentlemen to the tavern. Oluchi, if you would wait here, I will return in a moment and get you some bedding.”
Oluchi nodded.
Esther and Nkiru followed the Satrap through the right archway in the rear of the great room and down the short hall. He opened a door in the left wall and led them into a small room with two beds. A small table stood next to the door to the right at the foot of one of the beds. A large, hide wrapped package sat on the table.
“As you can see,” said the Satrap, “Mrs. Hahn has made up your room nicely. Also, I took the liberty of provisioning proper Hadiqan clothing for you, as your ancestry deserves. That Easterner garb is fine, but will identify you as foreigners. Some of it is in here,” the Satrap pointed at the package on the table, “and the rest I will pick up in the village tomorrow for the rest of your companions.”
“Thank you, Satrap, that is very kind of you,” said Esther.
“Well go ahead,” he said, smiling, “Open it up.”
Esther stepped over to the table and unwrapped the package’s hidebound exterior. Inside was a stack of clothing. Esther lifted the topmost item and held it up. It was a gorgeous two-piece outfit of the deepest shade of blue, with decorative gems on it. The top was little more than a halter top, but the bottom consisted of a long, flowing skirt and decorative sash. It reminded Esther of the bedlah’s worn by belly dancers she had read about. Though not as skimpy as the pictures of bedlah’s she had seen, it was definitely more revealing than she was comfortable with. Esther’s friend Marigold would have felt right at home in this outfit. She looked up at the Satrap with a raised eyebrow.
He laughed loudly and slapped his thigh. “That it is for formal events, celebrations, and gatherings. Everyone in the palace dresses up during festivities and you might need something like that when you get there. But here is something a little more fitting for everyday wear in Al Farnaka.” He pulled the next few items off the bundle and handed them to Esther and Nkiru.
Esther recognized them as traditional clothing worn by women in the larger cities of Hadiq. The outfit was called a ghagra choli and consisted of a long embroidered skirt—the ghagra—and a choli, which was a tightly fit, short sleeved blouse with a low neck. It was typically cropped to allow the lower back and stomach to breath in the hot Hadiqan climate. The last item was a dupatta. It was a large piece of cloth worn over the head and draped on the shoulders to lay down the front of the torso. It could be draped across the chest or even worn in the niqab fashion to veil ones face and upper body, leaving only the eyes exposed for travel in desert conditions. This dupatta didn’t seem to match the choli blouse very well, but Esther kept the thought to herself, not wanting to offend the Satrap.
“And this,” he said, holding up another outfit, “is for your journey across the desert.” It consisted of a light blue, long tunic, or kameez, that would almost reach Esther’s knees. Baggy grey trousers that tightened at the ankle called shalwar were worn with it. The kameez had short sleeves and a low neck in typical Hadiqan fashion. There were several sets of various colors in the pile of clothing and each came with a matching dupatta head covering. There was also a small bundle of Hadiqan women’s underclothes. They looked very similar to the two-piece Easterner undergarments, though they appeared to be made of a much lighter, almost silken material. Esther was eager to touch it to see what it felt like, but would be embarrassed to inspect them while the Satrap was there.
“Now, I’m sure you’re exhausted,” said the Satrap, “and I’d better go and get ready for bed myself.”
“Thank you, Satrap,” said Esther as she put the items of clothing back onto the pile and wrapped the hide around the bundle, “You must let us pay you for all of this.”
“No, this is my gift to you,” he said, waving his hand dismissively. “I wish you pleasant dreams and hope that you find the bedding comfortable.”
“I’m sure we will, Satrap. Thank you again,” said Esther.
The Satrap nodded, then turned and left. Esther closed and securely latched the door behind him.
- - -
Geoffrey followed Mr. Hahn and the others to the tavern in the village. It turned out to be a dingy, dimly lit, smoke-filled establishment full of drunks, or those who would soon be drunk. The barkeep didn’t look much better than his patron’s, but was able to show them to a couple of small rooms in the back. Fortunately, whoever was responsible for the rooms seemed to have better hygiene than the barkeep because the beds looked like they had clean linen.
That’s a relief, he thought, I was beginning to fear that I would have to delouse myself after sleeping here. Geoffrey and Mac took one room while Joel and Baird took the other. Geoffrey threw his bag on the bed, pulled off his shirt, and walked over to the wash basin. He poured water into it from the pitcher that sat on the counter, took a washcloth and washed his face, neck, chest and arms. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing. He dumped the water out the window and set the washbasin back on the counter.
“The washbasin is all yours Mac,” he said.
“Thanks, Geoffrey.”
Geoffrey pulled on a nightshirt that the Easterners had donated to him and climbed into bed. Again, he was very thankful that the bedding appeared to be clean. After Mac finished washing up, Geoffrey leaned over and blew out the lantern, then he lay back and thought about Esther.
Geoffrey had been startled when he first realized that he was attracted to her. It had come the first day they had met, when she had sat up on the table where they had laid her and told that old fool Comton that it wasn’t impossible to survive a fall like the one she had just experienced. She had used some sort of physics analysis that she had read about to calculate the jump. He had been genuinely worried when he had seen the bruising on her back, but she had shown no signs of internal injury and had healed rapidly. Her brazen attitude, lack of fear, and his sudden realization that she was female had sent an immediate tendril of affection and desire through his heart, snaring it more firmly than a harpoon. He found something about her compellingly irresistible—more than just her blossoming beauty and exotically angular eyes. Her keen mind and grace attracted him powerfully, more than he’d ever felt for a woman before.
Doubt began to creep into his mind as he thought about what had happened to her on the Ngozi. She had seemed indifferent to his attempts to go past mere friendship before, but now—after what had happened—anything more would most likely only cause her increased emotional pain and distress. Besides, she deserved someone closer to her own age—someone who was just entering the more adventurous years of life. Not someone who was looking to settle down. The trouble was, she was just so interesting to be around—always surprising him with some new facet of her being. At least she seemed interested in being his friend. That was better than nothing, he thought as he drifted off to sleep.
CHAPTER 22
Preparation
Every step we take gets us closer to Al Farnaka and saving the Ki
ng. When no one believes you, then the fate of the world really does ride upon your shoulders. It’s a terribly heavy burden to bear. I feel buoyed up though, as if the burden has been lightened somehow. I don’t know how or why, it just does…
Relief flooded through Esther as the sun peeked over the horizon and the first morning rays shone through the window of the guest room she and Nkiru were sharing. The constant nightmares had made the dark of night unpleasant. She felt exhausted and her heart still raced from the most recent nightmare that had ripped sleep away from her yet again. When she was awake, she seemed to deal with the awful memories much better, but during the night, all of the horrible things that had happened to her and the awful things she’d been forced to do came flooding back, as sharp and real as the moment that they occurred. It was almost as if she could still smell the acrid scent of gunpowder from the pistol as she shot a man, or feel Ikenna’s rough hands as he assaulted her. She could still hear Suraj’s echoing screams as he fell to his death.
She had waked screaming several times. Nkiru was there to comfort her yet again, and even Mrs. Hahn had come running, while Mr. Hahn and the Satrap waited outside to see what was wrong. When Esther told Mrs. Hahn about Ikenna and the nightmares, the old woman had sent the men back to bed without explanation and come back to hold Esther until she could fall asleep again.
Now the sun illuminated the little room and Esther could see Nkiru sleeping in the bed against the other wall. Mrs. Hahn was nowhere to be found, but there were cushions and bedding on the floor next to Esther’s bed. She felt horrible that Mrs. Hahn had slept on the floor the whole night. She got up and determined to find and thank her for the comfort that she had provided.
Esther pulled off her nightgown and grabbed the shalwar kameez tunic and trousers from the pile of clothing the Satrap had given them. She thought about wearing the ghagra choli, but if all went well, perhaps they would be able to begin their journey today and the tunic and trousers would be more fitting and much easier to travel in. She quietly put them on.
Esther had gotten used to the Easterner clothing with its thicker, sturdier fabric and straight bateau, or boat necklines. The Hadiqan clothing was very different. The low, sweetheart style necklines were much lower and broader than her Easterner clothing, or even Ardmorran styles, similar to a leaving her feeling a bit exposed—but the fabric felt as light and smooth as silk and she relished its touch against her skin. It would be infinitely more comfortable to wear in the Hadiqan desert heat than the Easterner garb. The baggy trousers breathed and felt like she wasn’t wearing anything at all. Maybe the Satrap was right—maybe her mother did come from Hadiq and Esther was just coming home. The clothing certainly made her feel that way.
Esther quickly pulled her hair back, strapped on her dagger, then grabbed the dupatta and draped it over her head, pulling it around her shoulders. She practiced pulling it up to cover her face and tucking it in on the other side in the Niqab style, leaving only her eyes exposed. It was often used like that when traveling to help protect the wearer’s face from the sand and sun. After securing it successfully, she took it off and draped it around her shoulders—from what she’d read, dupatta’s weren’t customarily worn on the head indoors.
She turned to the door and opened it, stepping quietly through. She shut it gently behind her, trying not to wake Nkiru. She walked along the hall and into the great room. Oluchi sat at the tables that had been pulled together for dinner the night before, also dressed in Hadiqan clothing consisting of a tunic and trousers. A simple pheta turban sat upon his head. He waved his hand in greeting and Esther waved back. He looked good in the Hadiqan garb. She didn’t walk over to where he was sitting, however, because she wanted to find Mrs. Han. Instead she turned right and walked through the other archway leading down another hall to the kitchen, where she thought Mrs. Hahn might be. Sure enough, both of the Hahn’s were busily preparing breakfast.
“Mrs. Hahn,” said Esther in Hadiqan as she stepped inside the fairly large kitchen, “I just wanted to thank—”
“No thanks are necessary,” Mrs. Hahn interrupted as she finished kneading some dough, “but I would accept your help in preparing the breakfast. You can hang your dupatta on the peg next to the door.”
“Of course,” replied Esther, smiling. Mrs. Hahn’s abrupt manner couldn’t fool her. She had shown her true character the night before when she’d sacrificed her own comfort and sleep to help comfort Esther. Esther removed the dupatta and hung it on the peg Mrs. Hahn had indicated, then crossed to the washbasin and washed her hands.
She spent the next hour in the kitchen with Mr. and Mrs. Hahn, helping them finish getting breakfast ready. It consisted mostly of breads and cheeses with various local fruits and vegetables added as well. The Satrap must have spent quite a bit of money on the food items. It wasn’t long before the air was filled with the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread.
The Satrap came in as they were just finishing up, a cheerful grin on his bearded face.
“Good morning,” he said. “Esther, that clothing looks marvelous on you.”
“Thank you,” she replied, dipping her head in acknowledgment. “It was very kind of you to give it to us.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” the Satrap asked, turning to Mrs. Hahn.
“I think we are about ready,” she said, “You could begin taking the trays out to the table.”
“Excellent.” He grabbed the nearest tray and pitcher of juice, turned, and stepped exuberantly out the door into the hall, heading toward the great room.
“Esther,” said Mrs. Hahn, “If you could grab the other tray and take it out, Mr. Hahn and I can get the rest.”
Esther nodded, wiping her hands on a towel. She pulled her dupatta off of the peg and hung it around the back of her neck, then grabbed the tray that Mrs. Hahn had indicated. It was full of breads and cheese. She followed in the Satrap’s wake, stepping into the great room where Geoffrey and the others who had stayed at the tavern sat talking with Oluchi, Nkiru, and the Satrap. She set the tray on the table.
“Wow, Esther,” said Baird, “Nice clothes.”
“Thank you Baird,” she said, “The Satrap was very generous and is provisioning us each with local clothing so that we won’t stand out as foreigners quite as much. Unfortunately,” she continued in a teasing tone of voice, “there isn’t much he can do about your pale complexions.”
Baird laughed. “I hadn’t thought about it before,” he said, “but it must be a little strange for you to be here where your natural skin color blends in with everyone else?”
“It’s a little different,” Esther acknowledged, “but it’s nice.”
Mr. and Mrs. Hahn walked in and set the remaining dishes on the table, then sat down.
Esther bowed her head while the Satrap gave thanks, then they all dug in. There were enough people in the room to create a comfortable din of conversation and laughter as they ate and the food was every bit as delicious as it smelled. She felt a particular satisfaction at knowing that she had helped prepare it with her own hands. Just as they were finishing eating, the Satrap knocked his fist on the table to get everyone’s attention.
“After we finish getting breakfast cleaned up,” he said, “I’ll take you down to the village marketplace to pick up the rest of the clothing I was able to procure for you. While there, you should be able to purchase the rest of the supplies you will need for your journey. Harappa is the closest city with a large enough population to support frequent visits by airships. It is a seven and a half day journey from here across the desert to the southwest. You could try for the town of Kalpi, which is only three and a half days along the coast to the southeast, but it isn’t much larger than Deyr, and chances are there won’t be any airships available there either. It would also take you away from Harappa. There is another large coastal city to the west which would allow you to avoid the desert, but it’s just as far away as the capital and would take a very long time to get there on foot and pac
k animal. You could try and wait for a merchant boat or coastal runner. They’re really just converted fishing boats that run up and down the coast trading simple goods, items, and food with the cities and towns. They are much cheaper to operate than airships, but obviously limited to the coastal cities and towns. They don’t keep any sort of schedule though and I have no idea when another might stop by, or which direction it might be going.”
“I think we should head straight to Harappa,” said Joel, “It’s a longer journey, but much more likely to yield useful results.” The others nodded their heads as well.
“Very well,” the Satrap said, “Mr. Hahn has talked to his nephew, Ajit, and he agreed to guide you, if you decided to go for Harappa like I thought you might. It is an arduous journey, but Ajit has made the trip many times and will be able to guide you safely.” The Satrap stood and walked around the table and over to Esther. “There is one other thing that I need to do.” He motioned for her to stand.
Esther pushed herself up out her chair and stood facing him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Laleh shell, now attached to a silver necklace. The silver shone brightly and the seashell had been polished and glimmered in the rays of the morning sunlight. Holding it up, he asked, “May I?”
Esther nodded, forcing herself not to anxiously grip the hilt of her dagger as he stepped behind her and fastened the necklace around her neck. The necklace and seashell rested on her chest and was almost the perfect length with only the pointed tip of the shell disappearing under her tunic to nestle between her breasts.
“So that you may always remember Deyr,” he said, stepping around in front of her again.
Esther stared down at the necklace. It was very beautiful and she felt very grateful to the Satrap, not only for the necklace, but for providing them with so much when he and the rest of Deyr obviously had so little. She rose on her toes and kissed him on his bearded cheek. “You must let us pay you for all of this,” she said.
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