Yan decided not to answer. Doubting himself, he now watched a bit more discreetly.
They came to the Gisland shortly before nightfall. There, a crowd of several dozen awaited the barge that would take them to the other bank. The river was wide, and surely deep, which explained why no one was trying to ford it. They dismounted their horses and stretched their legs.
“It’s a little different than the Mèche,” Yan told Léti.
“Pff,” Grigán condescended. “The Mèche is hardly a river at all. And even the Gisland here is nothing. You should see the Alt.”
“I would love to,” replied the Kaulien in a distant tone. “Someday, if I can.”
Corenn called the two young ones over to her.
“Look, there, to the south. You see those little lights? That’s Bénélia.”
“It’s a lot more beautiful from here,” said Léti. “All I can remember is the stench and the filthy streets. Nothing like Kaul!”
“How would you get to Berce before?” asked Yan. “I mean, if you didn’t take the barge?”
“We simply took a boat from Lorelia to Bénélia,” answered the Mother. “But not everyone could afford the crossing, especially if they had baggage. You have to pay the royal tax twice on all merchandise: once in each city. And the small-scale merchants would rather go a little further upstream and take a barge, here or even a few leagues further. From there, you travel by land to the Vélanèse River, cross, and then take another road to Lorelia. Which is what we’re going to do.”
“It must be a lot longer that way.”
“It’s also a lot less risky,” interrupted the warrior. “If I were one of the Züu, I would camp out on one of the Bénélian wharves and wait patiently for the opportunity to nab us. But they can’t monitor all the comings and goings of every barge.”
The boat they were waiting for was only halfway across, and it would be a while before it arrived. Yan decided to take advantage of the wait and explore the surroundings, but Grigán stopped him as soon as he turned to go.
“Where are you going?”
“Just for a walk.”
“Not a chance. You’re staying here.”
Yan froze, undecided. He had agreed to obey the warrior, but still, the man was pushing his luck a bit.
“I’m going too,” Léti announced defiantly.
“Perhaps that’s not such a good idea,” said Corenn. “These people here aren’t your friendly Kaulien villagers. I would be happier if you stayed.”
Put that way, Yan was prepared to give in. But Léti sensed that Yan was wavering and grabbed him by his arm before he could say another word.
“We’re just going for a little walk! Why don’t you learn to trust us a little?”
For a moment, Grigán and Corenn simply stood and watched as they walked away, unsure of what to do.
“In your opinion, would it be ‘undiplomatic’ for me to drag their asses back here?”
“I’m sure they would think so, Master Grigán. Perhaps it would be best to turn a blind eye on this little whim and save our authority for truly dangerous situations?”
“All right, I agree. But part of me almost hopes that something bad happens to them, just to put them in their place!”
The warrior couldn’t stand still, pacing as he stroked his mustache, apparently a nervous tic.
“Would you mind if I left you here alone for a moment with the horses?” he finally said. “I’m at least going to keep an eye on our charges, just to make sure everything’s all right.”
“Go, my friend,” she replied with a smile. “I’d expect nothing less from you.”
Grigán mumbled a thank you and hurried after the young ones.
How was it that he kept losing control of the situation like this?
Except for the inn a few hundred yards from the pier, a handful of boutiques spread out along the bank was the only attraction in the area. Léti, who simply wanted to prove her own freedom, was happy simply walking aimlessly, until Yan guided her toward the little market that had caught his attention. Though hardly interested at first, the young woman eventually had a great deal of fun.
Apart from the vegetables, fruits, fish, cheeses, breads, and diverse drinks, which were already strange enough and of questionable quality, there were also esoteric or religious talismans for sale; maps of the known and unknown world; peculiar objects whose forms, origins, and uses Yan and Léti didn’t recognize; diverse herbs and salves; small weapons...
Léti stopped in front of the weapons stand and examined each item with obvious desire. Yan waited silently at her side, hoping she wouldn’t try to buy something here. He was already worried enough about what Grigán would do to them when they got back.
The young woman took an interest in one item in particular. Yan realized that it was a bow. Curses, he was going to get in such trouble...
An old woman dressed in rags garbled something at them.
“I don’t understand,” Léti answered in a clear voice.
The crone raised her arms and eyes to the sky in a gesture of thanks. She was just as dirty as Old Vosder, Yan thought. He didn’t think that was possible.
“Some Kauls!” she mumbled in broken Kauli. “Some Kauls, I be sure of it.”
“We say Kauliens,” Léti responded dryly. “And ‘I am sure of it.’ Furthermore, we didn’t ask you for anything.”
Léti turned her back to the woman abruptly and directed her attention back to the market stall. Yan was going to do the same, but the old woman spoke to him directly, grabbing insistently at his sleeve.
“Do you want to know your future? For three tices, I give you all of tomorrow.”
Yan tried to break free as best he could. This woman had quite a grip. Why did this kind of thing always happen to him?
“No, thank you. That sort of thing doesn’t interest me.”
“But yes, Kaulien. It interest you. Everyone care for tomorrow.”
Léti curtly turned to face the pesky old woman. It seemed as though everyone was trying to order them around this evening. If it weren’t for her respect for elders, thanks to her education in the Matriarchy, she would already have told this pest exactly what she thought of her.
Yan tried in vain to brush her off without being impolite.
“No, no, really. Tomorrow doesn’t interest me.”
He realized that what he was saying was actually nonsense.
“But yes, Kaulien. Tomorrow is important for you. Give me three tices, and I will tell you your fortunes and misfortunes. When you be rich and when you will have your Union. When you have children and how long you will live.”
Yan thought about it for just an instant. He still had Grigán’s money; he took it out and began sorting it in his outstretched palm, when the old woman quickly grabbed three coins. He wasn’t sure, but didn’t she grab one coin that was a size larger than the others?
Léti shook her head, disapprovingly. The young man knew what she was thinking. Even so, the old woman had said something that actually did interest him: when you will have your Union.
“Good, good. Hand me object. One you carry often. One you have for long time.”
Yan considered it. What could he give her? At home, he had a pile of souvenirs and keepsakes, from his parents, Léti, and Norine, or ones he acquired on his own. Like his crossbow harpoon, for example. But here?
He made a mental list of all the things he had on him. And finally remembered. Hanging around his neck underneath his tunic, Léti’s seashell. The one she’d given him when they were only eight years old; the one he’d never been apart from since. The little blue queen moon that she’d given him as a token, perhaps nothing more than a kids’ game, but one he had always taken seriously.
Of course, he had changed the leather lace a few times, but since Léti gave him the shell, he had never let a day pass without it around his neck. It had become so natural he never even thought about it. Yes, if he had to pick an important object, it was that one.
She held it tightly in her hands, after taking a moment to examine it. Her eyes closed, and almost as if possessed by spirits, her head began to turn slowly back and forth in exaggerated movements. Yan realized how ridiculous the situation was, but it was too late to turn back now. And, in spite of it all, he was curious to hear what story she would tell him, false though it might be.
The crone emitted a long quavering moan that sounded either like she was suffering deeply or its opposite, as though she were letting out a sigh of relief. Then she opened her eyes.
“You be fisherman.”
Yan waited for her next revelation, before realizing that she was waiting for his confirmation. He nodded.
She smiled, all the while spinning her head around in circles like a carriage wheel.
“You want to do something. You don’t want to be...only a fisherman.”
Yan, not knowing what else to do, nodded again. The old woman let out a sort of strangled guffaw.
“You want woman badly, young man. Eh?”
The young Kaulien didn’t move an inch. He wanted to say yes, but he was afraid of Léti’s reaction.
The old fortune-teller sneered, almost mockingly.
“Now, I give you tomorrow.”
She closed her eyes, sighed, and began speaking in a deep, monotone voice.
“You marry the woman you want next year. She be village chief. You never fisherman. Travel a lot. Then you have many money. Very happy. Then two sons. Very strong. You be strong. Very happy. You live long time with woman. You want to know when you die?”
“No, not at all!”
Yan didn’t really want to know the possible date of his death, whether it be true or false. The old woman nodded.
“You are right. Not be good to know too strong things about tomorrow.”
She handed him back his queen moon. Then she turned and walked away with small steps, leaving Yan to unravel his feelings.
What nerve, to leave like that! “Not be good to know too strong things about tomorrow.” All right, then why did this old woman go around predicting people’s futures?
“That went well, you’re lucky.”
Yan turned toward Léti. Was she mocking him? No, she looked sincere. They left the weapons stall.
“Why do you say that?”
“She could have given you bad news, misfortune, sickness, death...She could have even put a date on everything. But she only talked about the good things, while staying vague. So you are lucky.”
“I didn’t think you believed in that sort of thing.”
“Oh yes, I certainly do...The heirs of Ji, my aunt...You know, it all makes me wonder if the impossible may be possible. But, in my opinion, we shouldn’t try to know our future. And she looked more like a beggar than a divinity.”
“What does your aunt have to do with the impossible?”
“Don’t worry about it. Maybe I’ll tell you someday.”
Yan frowned. For his part, he was largely disappointed with the fortune-teller, and he kept discovering that Léti and Corenn were hiding things from him. For now, he preferred not to dwell on it, knowing that it would only upset him.
“Do you think what she told me will come true? You think that my life will unfold like that?”
“Perhaps. It’s not too bad, as far as destinies go, right?”
“I’m not sure.”
“If only you could see your face right now! I was right, it’s better not to know.”
He kept quiet for a while. Seeing the serious look on her friend’s face, Léti picked up the conversation.
“Wouldn’t you be pleased with two sons? To travel? To be rich? Live a long, full life? Were you hoping she would tell you ‘You will be king, you will command armies, you are the savior from some forgotten prophecy, you will live a life full of adventures, and blah, blah, blah’? We aren’t living in a fairy tale.”
Despite her sarcastic remarks, Yan noticed that she had omitted his predicted Union for the coming year—probably on purpose.
“Of course, that would all be very nice...But I think she made it all up. What she said about the present, anyone could guess, and the rest, it’s just her imagination. And it makes me think that I would in fact be very lucky if it all turns out like that.”
They both dove back into their own thoughts. Curses, and what was more, he was making Léti sad. She really didn’t need that right now; he was being foolish.
They joined up with Corenn in silence, dragging their feet.
“And here we are, Aunt. See? There was no reason to worry.”
“It is only after the dog bites that you know it is rabid. I’m glad that it went well, but you should realize that things could have gone otherwise.”
“All right, perhaps. If you think so.”
“You shouldn’t use today’s experience as an argument for next time. Do you understand?”
“Yes, yes,” Léti admitted against her will. Her aunt always had something to add. Reasoning, giving in to secondary points, avoiding thorny subjects, but always having the last word, even if it was just to end up right back at the status quo. She could do all of this without lying, pressing, or even raising her voice. Léti knew this talent of her aunt’s quite well; she had seen it used many times while accompanying the Mother on her travels throughout Kaul. But still, even she was sometimes the victim of her aunt’s machinations, and her powerlessness to resist vexed her. Sometimes, she asked herself if her aunt wasn’t using her magic powers to sway the minds of her listeners. But that was unlikely.
“Where’s Grigán?”
“He shouldn’t be long now.”
Indeed, the warrior rejoined them quickly thereafter. He didn’t say a word.
The ferry was close to shore now, and travelers crowded the dock, guarded by three tall, burly men. Grigán led the small group to the waiting line. The ferry docked and the passengers spilled out, pushing their way through the crowd toward the inn or the road. Finally, they began boarding.
Watching each step of the process, Yan realized that you had to pay to cross the river. To think that with his own boat he would be on the other side with a few oar strokes! Then again, they would still have the problem of the horses...
“Master Grigán?”
The warrior and Corenn couldn’t help but smile at Yan’s use of this title.
Yan disregarded this and continued.
“I still have the money that belongs to you. Of course I’ll pay you back in full, but I’m afraid I don’t have enough to pay for the crossing.”
Corenn reassured him.
“Don’t worry. I have enough to take us all the way to Goran, if it came to that.”
“I’m pretty sure it would take me quite a while to pay back such a large amount.”
“We’ll work it out later.”
As a member of the Permanent Council, Corenn received one of the highest salaries in the Matriarchy. She couldn’t imagine herself running a young, honest fisherman into debt, especially one who would no doubt become a part of her family someday. It was simply inconceivable.
The line moved quickly, and it was soon their turn. Corenn exchanged a few words in Lorelien with one of the three dock guards, a few coins changed hands, and finally the little group could board the sizable barge.
Three crew members were bustling about carefully arranging packs, passengers, and goods, paying close attention to balance the load and guarantee stability. A fourth man was busy lighting oil lamps that hung from poles at each corner of the boat, as well as at random points along the deck.
“To my knowledge, this is t
he only ferry that makes night crossings,” announced Grigán. “Also, I think it’s one of the largest.”
Léti answered the man in black in a hushed voice.
“Doesn’t that make it all the more dangerous to take this one? I mean, won’t that make it easier for them to spot us?”
“No, no. There are thirty or so ferries for every three-or four-league stretch of water along the Gisland. Each one makes at least five or six crossings a day, I think. It would be impossible to monitor all the arrivals and departures, unless they had an army. The Züu won’t even try.”
“But that’s just a guess.”
“Yes. Do you have a better idea?”
“Unbelievable! You’re so insensitive, do you know that?”
“I don’t tolerate criticism, that’s all,” Grigán answered calmly.
That could very well be the warrior’s motto, Yan thought to himself.
Once all the travelers had boarded the barge and spread out on the deck, the ferrymen untied the mooring lines and pushed the boat away from shore by inches, using long wooden poles. A resounding “plop” brought the maneuver to a halt. A rather drunken passenger had lost his balance and gone for a swim in the cold river. Everyone roared with laughter, except for the captain, who delivered a lecture to his men and the suddenly sober victim, who was being helped back on board. Then they launched a second time.
“It’s almost a tradition for the ferrymen,” said Grigán. “I’ve even heard that now and then they organize some secret splash competition. I’ll bet they made a point of putting that fellow near the edge.”
“The Loreliens have some odd pastimes!” Yan exclaimed.
“Am I wrong, or don’t Kauliens amuse themselves by diving off of cliffs? That doesn’t seem much smarter to me.”
“That’s different. No one is forced to do it.”
“Oh, come on, Yan, I heard you laugh too,” Léti interrupted gleefully. “It wasn’t all that cruel.”
“You’re absolutely right,” Grigán went on. “There’s a popular prank in Romine where you release a red pig in heat inside a friend’s house. After blocking off all the exits, if possible...Needless to say, if the victim doesn’t give the prankster a real thrashing, he’s a true friend.”
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