Escape from the Drowned Planet

by Helena Puumala

  “Yarm mentioned, early today that he would like to travel with us into the mountains,” was the first thing Mikal said. “He said that there’s a route through to the Northern Plains, but that he has never travelled it, having preferred to take the sea route instead. He thinks that it’s time for him to check it out, and travelling part of the way with us is a good opportunity to do so.”

  “That would make four of us,” Kati mused. “Not a big number, but one more than the three we were thinking. From what little I have heard about crossing the land of the Wild Tribes, the better the more there are of us.”

  “Those could be exaggerated stories,” Mikal said. “I can’t really see why the tribesmen would give us a hard time. We’ll be carrying nothing particularly valuable, only our personal possessions and camping gear. I suppose that they’ll want some kind of payment from us, for passing through their lands, but surely that can be arranged.”

  “As long as they don’t want the fee for passage to be me,” Kati muttered. “That talkative woman in the Alehouse at RunningWater claimed that the Wild Tribes like to snatch outsider women—sort of like the desert louts were going to do to Chrys—and then marry them off to their Chiefs or other important men—as fifth or sixth wives.”

  “Don’t worry, Kati,” Mikal assured her with a grin. “No Wild Tribe Chieftain is going to marry you. Not as a first wife, nor as the tenth.”

  “As long as we can prevent it,” she replied, stretching her body in her chair. She was stiff from all the riding. “I expect that I’d make a lousy Chieftain’s wife. I’d probably try to poison my husband right after the wedding.”

  “That would serve the Chieftain about right,” Mikal commented lightly. “He’d be a fool to insist on a woman who wants nothing to do with him, after all.”

  “But seriously,” Kati said, “Yarm really does want to come along with us?”

  At Mikal’s nod she added;

  “That is good news. He’s a good sort and he’s capable. Plus it’ll make it easier, if we actually find the beacon and you manage to get us a ride to your home world, to say good-bye to Jocan. I’ve been worrying about that; here he has stuck with us for all this time and then we just leave him to his own devices, to make his own way in the world all by himself.”

  “Mind you, we’ll be leaving him with the remainder of the Kitfi fortune, Kati. He will be well provided for.”

  “True. However, money never makes up for friendship, family relationships, or love.”

  “Still, Jocan has not had any difficulty when it comes to making friends or finding lovers. He’ll make out fine, no matter what.”

  “I imagine you’re right. He does seem to fall on his feet, whatever happens. Nevertheless, I’ll feel better if he has someone like Yarm in his corner.”

  “What do your intuitive powers tell you about Jaymo?” Mikal asked, changing the subject. “Do we trust him? Can we leave the practical aspects of travel to him?”

  “I think so,” Kati replied slowly, letting the granda fill her in on its feeling about Jaymo. “He’s part of the herding community, I believe, and partakes in the shearing-season work, leaving his wife to look after the business at those times. He’s not greedy; he enjoys being able to provide a necessary service, and make a living that way. He’ll equip us with what we need, and do so for a fair price, although a fair price for what we require won’t be cheap.”

  “That’s hardly surprising—that it won’t be cheap, that is,” Mikal said. “We’ll go with him then, and let him deal with the problems involved. What else do we have to consider?”

  “Well, we’ll have to get Jocan to use that hair dye he has been hauling with him from Oasis City. It seems that every time I’ve mentioned the trip to the mountains while Jocan has been around, someone has made a point of warning him against being seen with that red hair in the Wild Tribal lands. There really must be something to that hair-colour business.”

  “Hm. Jaymo didn’t mention it. But I do agree that the topic has come up time and again in the last few days.”

  “Hah.” Kati made a face at Mikal. “Tomorrow when we go to Jaymo’s, he’ll have a bottle of hair dye on his desk, and he’ll advise us to get Jocan to dye his hair before we head into the Tribal lands. Want to bet?”

  “I’d be a fool to take that bet,” Mikal laughed, “so I won’t. We’ll take Chrys up on her offer to do the dyeing. She claims to be proficient at that; a part of her training, she said. And she’ll be glad to have a chance to do something for us, after what you did for her.”

  “It’ll give me an excuse to find out how she’s doing at Taxom’s House. Although she seems quite capable of handling herself in her own profession. She doesn’t seem to mind being a nightlady.”

  “While you, on the other hand,” said Mikal with a wink, “handle riding a Narra while tied to its back face down, with aplomb, but would likely knee every one of Chrys’ customers in the groin if ever any of them tried approaching you the way they approach her!”

  “So true. Each to her own, right?”

  Jocan and Nili came in, through Mikal and Jocan’s room.

  “I showed Jocan everything that you men need to know,” Nili said cheerily. “Unless there’s something else you need me for, right now, I will return to my duties. Please make use of the bathing and laundry facilities at your convenience. Our Restaurant and Alehouse are open, so if you want to check them out later this afternoon, go ahead. They’re easy to find.”

  “I think we walked by them on the street when we came here,” Jocan said.

  “Yeah, if you came from Jaymo’s you would have,” Nili agreed. “They’re in the front of the building.”

  “Well, then,” Kati said, standing up, giving her body another stretch and walking over to her pack. “If you all will excuse me, I guess I’ll sort laundry and head for the Women’s Bath. It’s going to be wonderful to be clean again.”

  *****

  The rituals of cleanliness taken care of, the three travellers wended their way to the Restaurant which, apparently, was run by more of Ula’s relatives, at least judging by the looks of the staff. There they were hailed by Yarm before they had a chance to sit down; he had cornered for himself a table for four by a window looking out on the streetscape, and invited them to join him.

  “I told Mari, the hostess, that you three would show up soon,” he said when all four had taken their seats. “Jaymo always recommends this Inn—for good reasons. And I didn’t think you would disregard his word; why would you? I imagine that you didn’t see any other inns on your walk through town. There aren’t very many of them, and the way the Narra travel when they head for Jaymo’s on their own, is a rather quiet route.”

  “So what are the good reasons why Jaymo recommends Ula’s Inn?” Kati asked curiously. “Besides the fact that it’s close to his business?”

  “Ula’s is one of the communally-owned businesses, just like Jaymo’s Stables are. Ula and her daughters work with the Narra-fibre after the shearing season, as much as time and the vagaries of the Inn-business permit. As a community enterprise the Inn has to be run according to the standards set by the Elders; therefore there is no question about getting fair value for your coin.

  “There are a couple of inns on the outskirts of the town, that are not a part of the system, but are run by folk who moved here from elsewhere and decided to try to make a living by Innkeeping. What you get for what you pay, can be a little more variable in those places. I’m not saying that customers are cheated—that sort of thing wouldn’t last long in GrassWater—but a person who wants to make a few extra coppers can cut corners many different ways. Like changing the sheets on the beds less often, or using less soap in the laundry than really is advisable.”

  “Hm,” muttered Kati. “I admit I’m fond of clean sheets and clean clothes, and I absolutely loved the abundance of scented soap and fluffy towels in the Women’s Bath.”

  “The men’s facilities were quite well supplied, too,” Mikal concurred.<
br />
  “I knew that you would appreciate that sort of a thing,” Yarm said with a smile. “Matto, Cay and Jess, on the other hand, are saving a few coppers by staying at Morog’s Inn at the edge of town. They won’t be nearly as well supplied with the bath luxuries as you are, but then, they won’t mind that. As long as they can get themselves and their clothes reasonably clean, and manage to dry their hair with Morog’s scanty towels, they’ll be content.”

  “Mikal mentioned to me this afternoon that you’re pretty well ready to return home, Yarm,” Kati commented, changing the subject. “I suppose that means that you’ve found out pretty well all you can about the Narra-fibre trade, at least for now?”

  “Yeah, this stay here in GrassWater should finish up my fact-finding.” Yarm looked from Kati to Mikal and then to Jocan. “I’m about ready to make my report to the Central Council of the Northern Plains. And that means that I’m ready to head home.”

  “The Northern Plains are on the other side of the mountains that we are heading for, aren’t they?” Jocan asked, instantly looking very alert.

  “Your information, Jocan, is correct.”

  Yarm leaned back to allow the serving boy to place a foaming mug of beer in front of him. The boy had the rest of their beer orders on his tray, and the conversation died down while he passed them around. They then went through the ritual of ordering food from the short menu the boy had memorized, a way of doing things that had become very familiar to Kati. When, finally, the server had left to take their order to the kitchen, the four of them resumed their conversation.

  “As I mentioned to Mikal this morning, I think that since you people are travelling into the mountains, to a destination which is, more or less, halfway between here and the Northern Plains, this is an excellent time for me to take that arduous, but no doubt interesting route home.” Yarm was drawing circles, with an index finger, into the water that the cold mugs had sweated onto the table. “I wouldn’t want to travel through the Lands of the Wild Tribes alone—that’s one reason why I’ve never attempted the trek before—but four people can huff and puff, and look formidable much more effectively than a single person can.”

  “Especially when three of the four have stunners,” Jocan said with a sly grin.

  “An advantage I would be a fool to discount,” Yarm agreed, smiling at the lad.

  “So there’s a trail through the mountains all the way to the Northern Plains, right?” asked Kati.

  “There is,” Yarm replied turning his attention to her. “It is not a high road these days, but it does follow what was a road in the pre-Disaster days. There are enough people living along it in the mountains that it is worth their while to keep all of it passable—even the smallest village can use the services of a peddler occasionally. There used to be large cities along the road before The Disaster, but there’s little left of them now. People left when food could no longer be brought in from what once was good farmland, but now is desert and grazing land. There is not enough arable land in the mountains to support many people; that’s why the region is sparsely populated at present.”

  “The place Mikal and I are looking for is supposed to have a temple,” Kati said. “Would that be an abandoned temple in an empty, or almost empty city, I wonder?”

  “From what information I have been able to gather over the years and what Mikal has told me about the approximate location of the place, I would make the guess that what you two are looking for is the Temple of the Morning Star of the Spring Equinox. It’s in an old city which has been mostly deserted, but there is a religious community in what remains of the place, devoted to the service of the Temple.”

  Kati turned to look at Mikal. “What do you think?” she asked.

  “You might want to consult your mental map,” he said, “But I would be very surprised if Yarm isn’t right. The name fits the parameters I was given, and the location, if my memory serves—and you can check this—tallies quite well with the information that we have.”

  “Wow.” Kati brushed a hand across her face. “We’ll check my map tonight but I expect you’re right. It seems almost unbelievable, to think that we’re actually within reach of our goal.”

  The arrival of their meal interrupted her train of thought. The server lay a heavy tray on the next, empty, table, and set their table with utensils, dishes and cloth napkins. Then he brought over the platters of meat and vegetables, and a basket of bread rolls still hot from the oven.

  “This is fantastic,” mumbled Jocan, stuffing a roll into his mouth, and eyeing the laden platters hungrily.

  “Looks like an awful lot of food for four people,” Kati said dubiously, snaring a tuber or two for herself.

  “It won’t be too much,” Jocan assured her. “Anything you can’t finish, just let me at it. I’ve been eating camp food long enough that I’ll have no trouble doing justice to this feast.”

  Kati laughed, and helped herself to as much from the platters as she figured that she could eat. Then she took a bread roll from the basket and lay it on the edge of her plate.

  “Okay, Jocan, I’ve got mine. As soon as Yarm and Mikal have taken as much as each of them wants, you’re on. I want to see how much you can shovel down into your gut this evening.”

  To her considerable amazement, by the time they were ready to move from the Restaurant to the Alehouse, where Yarm had made arrangements for Matto, Cay and Jess to meet them for an evening of conversation, there was not much on the platters except bones. Jocan had consumed a large meal, but the other men in the group had fed well, too. Kati, however had saved room for dessert, and had been rewarded with a marvellous berry pastry, covered in cream.

  “Women,” scoffed Jocan as he, Mikal, and Yarm waited while Kati ate the sweet concoction. “What’s with the sugary stuff anyway? The world ought to be made of meat and beer.”

  “Nonsense,” Kati objected, spooning up her dessert. “The berries in this pastry are exquisite. And the cream, I’m not quite sure what it’s sweetened with, but whatever it is, I’m impressed.”

  “It’s too bad you won’t be coming to the Northern Plains,” said Yarm. “The bees that pollinate our crops produce the best honey on this planet. You would love the dishes sweetened with it.”

  “Ah, honey,” Kati said, her eyes alight. “That’s good stuff even at the worst of times.”

  She turned to Mikal.

  “Is there honey where we are going?”

  He grinned at her. “Many different kinds. You will see.”

  *****

  “Jocan, do you have plans for the time after these two have quit this world, leaving the rest of us behind?” Yarm asked as the four of them walked across the lobby to the Alehouse.

  “A few options have presented themselves,” Jocan replied. “I had thought, at one time, of trying to get Captain Lomen to hire me on to The Seabird.”

  “That would be hard work,” Mikal commented as they made their way to the back of the tavern where Matto, Cay and Jess were holding seats for them against all incursions.

  “Yeah, I agree.” Jocan laughed. “And that made me think again, especially when Gerrard offered to hire me at his weaving shop. That seemed like a possibility, for a while, and might make sense again, at some later time.”

  The conversation broke up when they reached the three waiting for them, and took their chairs amid cheery greetings. Then a serving girl came by and asked for their drink orders, and more noise and confusion ensued. It was not until they had their beer mugs in front of them before Mikal was able to follow-up Yarm’s question.

  “So you came up with another idea after that, did you not?” he prompted Jocan while carefully tasting the beer he had ordered.

  “Yeah.” Jocan looked a touch sheepish. “Maybe it’s silly, but I realized that I like travelling. I like seeing new and different places. Not like you do, Mikal, travelling the universe, but here, on my own world. I never had any idea of how big it is and how much there is to see. And then seeing what Yarm is doing wit
h his life: journeying from place to place, learning about things that are going on in those places and making reports about all he has seen and learned, to his Council on the Northern Plains. Plus seeing how hungry a kid like Sany can be to see and experience the world, and how often people try their hardest to put up barriers to that kid actually doing it. It occurred to me that because I came on this trip with Kati and you, I am already a seasoned traveller and can handle myself in a lot of situations, and I am sure that I can earn my way wherever I go. So I think I’ll keep moving at least for a while after you two are gone; maybe I’ll go with Yarm to the Northern Plains, if he’ll let me tag along with him, and see what that part of this world looks like.”

  “If you want to travel with me, Jocan, you are most welcome.” Yarm smiled broadly and took a swig from his mug. “That’s why I asked about it. I was going to ask if you wanted to accompany me the rest of the way across the mountains and into lands familiar to me.”

  “Excellent!” Kati clapped her hands. “Now I can stop worrying about what happens to Jocan when Mikal and I desert him to continue with our pressing concerns! I was feeling pretty guilty, knowing that I could climb into a space craft and ride away, leaving Jocan stranded in some lonesome mountain town!”

  “He won’t be stranded,” said Yarm. “He is going to be leading an interesting life, count on that.”

  “Yeah, he’ll be living the gay old travelling life while some of us will be trotting from one herder settlement to another, trying to persuade them to sell their best Narra-fibre to our families’ spinning businesses,” grumbled Matto. “And I don’t know if there’s much hope of succeeding at that, considering that the fibre production seems to have plateaued while the demand is still rising.”

  “We have to try,” Cay sighed, “although, now that we’re here things do look much more difficult than they did when we talked about making the trip, at home. Chatting up people, it’s pretty clear that if more Narra are going to be raised, that’ll have to be done somewhere else than these grasslands. Our Innkeeper said that there is no way the communities will allow the herds to expand any more, because they know that if they do, the extra animals will destroy the grass, and without the grass all the Narra will die.”