The Eyes of Bel Nishani

Chapter 4

Chapter Two

Home to Giahn

Duvät Gok sighed and looked around as their envelope dissolved.

“Padmil,” Gento said. “Food’s good here.”

The translation bays rang with the sound of navigators coming and going. Chords chimed, customers chattered, spinners and lading crew called instructions and sang goods from place to place.

Kandät Enna had taken on extra cargo at their last stop, and while Arko, Bush and Topper helped unload it, Duvät Gok positioned himself at the back of the group, trying for invisibility. He needed to speak with the Faythans, but at every rest stop the same thing happened; the Uri’madu wouldn’t let him out of their sight. In a scant few hours they would head to Doch, then to Mecca before the final jump to Giahn itself, and by then it would be too late to take advantage of his foreknowledge of the nacrite. Or, worse still, Lucaät of Faytha might think he was being avoided.

A Hermes started toward him. Anxiety gripped his chest. What would a Hermes want with him? He tried to blend between the Rukh.

“Watch it, Gok,” Gento snarled.

Before he could reply, a soft voice at his elbow said, “Lord Duvät Gok?”

How had the Hermes gotten so close so quickly? She must have been waiting for them. The message must be from someone who knew their itinerary. The Explorers’ Guild? The Navigators’ Guild …? No, they had no reason to contact him …

She bowed. “I bear a message from Lord Lucaät of Faytha. It is a verbal message. Shall we engage here, or shall we adjourn somewhere more private?”

Duvät’s heart fell further.

As the Faythan’s name was mentioned, he felt Huldar of Leth’s cold glance. Gento jostled him again, and this time he was sure it was deliberate. Seconds earlier he had been trying to find a way to make this meeting happen, but now the initiative was lost, he dreaded it. It was Huldar’s fault. Everything was Huldar’s fault.

“The refectory?” the Hermes suggested.

Duvät Gok cleared his throat. “Yes, an alcove perhaps?”

The Hermes bowed and led the way. For a fleeting moment, Duvät considered escape. The amount of coin he owed Lucaät of Faytha was enormous. He could run from there, hide until he could bribe someone to take him to … anywhere really, but Gento and Cobar followed not too far behind and his hopes faded. If only he could have made plans – but there was no one to help, no one on his side. He sighed in resignation. One day, the scores would be evened, but today was not that day.

With a burst of noise and the smell of hot food, the refectory doors opened. He followed meekly as the Hermes led him through a line of navigators and spinners impatient for their turn at the counter. He bumped someone and the predatory green eyes of a Maatu glared coldly down into his.

“My apologies, Lord Maatu,” he stammered. The Shamkarun’s Mark on the navigator’s cheek seemed intimidatingly extensive. “The crowd …” he continued, but the navigator moved on.

Breathless Maatu, Duvät thought to himself, the way they look at you!

A gaggle of spinners laughed and joked nearby. A group of brightly clad Nhadu took their places at a long bench. Patrons carried trays of steaming dishes, or made their way through the crowd with drinks in hand. Except for the cold gaze his Rukhish babysitters had welded to his back, no one paid him any further attention.

The Hermes indicated a semi-circular nook at the back of the room, somewhat isolated from the main press of diners. “In here, Lord Duvät Gok?”

Duvät nodded agreement. What choice did he have?

The Hermes seated herself opposite. “Shall we begin?” she asked. “The message is direct. Lord Lucaät of Faytha awaits your reply.”

“What, he’s here?” Duvät imagined the squinty-eyed face of the moneylender.

The Hermes nodded. “Yes. He is standing by.”

“Very well. Go on,” Duvät said.

A tight screen closed around them and he swallowed nervously. This was definitely to be a private transaction. The Faythan had spent a good deal of coin to ensure it.

The Hermes’s face went blank. Her voice became a little deeper and took on a nasal Faythan accent.

“Ah, Duvät,” Lucaät said. “You neglected to tell me you were on your way home. How long have you been travelling now?”

“I … ah …”

“No matter. I have followed your movements as best I can. Your arrival on Giahn is a moment I anticipate with great relish! I shall be there to greet you, of course.”

“Of course.” Duvät closed his eyes and gathered his wits. The Faythan would no doubt want the promise of some actual coin before their negotiations could even begin. At least with Lind dead he would not have to pay her compensation. Perhaps he could use that amount as a starting offer? But his hopes were soon dashed.

“And before you start wasting our time with convoluted terms,” Lucaät said, “I have made a friend of the Explorers’ Guild’s paymaster. He will see that your entire wage is handed directly to me.”

“My what? My … entire wage?” Duvät spluttered. “But –”

“Ha! No buts, Gok. This amount merely covers the interest you owe. Be thankful you’ve got home in three years, not ten.”

“The interest? You never charged so much interest before!”

“Times have changed, it’s true.”

“But that’s not fair! What will I live on?”

“As if I care,” Lucaät said. “Sell your wife. Sell your house. You should try and pay before the interest rebuilds. That’s why they call it interest,” he chuckled. “Makes things more interesting for me.”

Duvät leaned toward the Hermes and whispered urgently, “But I have other things, much more valuable than coin. I know things. I –”

“Like what?”

He looked over his shoulder. The Rukh were standing not too far away. Their faces were stony. Because of the Hermes’s expert screen, they could not hear what was being said, but still, their proximity made him nervous. “Not here! I tried to tell you sooner,” he said. “I wanted to, but there was no chance! They wouldn’t leave me alone!”

“What, has your team become so fond of you?” Lucaät sniggered. “Have you and Shamkarun Huldar become lovers?”

“Listen! Please! This is no joking matter. What if I told you about the riches on the planet we just surveyed? Rare goods … very rare. What would that be worth?”

“Well, since the planet – Went I think they’re calling it: ridiculous name. Where Duvät Gok went broke!” Lucaät laughed. “Or where he went to hide … Ah, I’m too funny.”

The Hermes’s laugh was shrill, not at all like Lucaät’s. Duvät waited. Suddenly the laughter stopped. “The planet Went has been claimed for the Imperium, Gok,” Lucaät said. “What use are its riches to me?”

“Get in now with a mining offer,” Duvät suggested earnestly. “I would – if I could. You have friends within the Imperium. You have friends everywhere.”

“And just what will we be mining? And why the urgency? It will be a hundred years or more before your people sign off on the place.”

Duvät steeled himself. “What’s it worth for you to know?” he suggested levelly.

In the short silence that followed, he could almost feel Lucaät’s mind ticking over. The moneylender wouldn’t be able to resist the offer of insider knowledge. The promise of easy profits … This was what Duvät was betting on.

“All right, I’ll only take half your wage,” the Faythan said at last. “Make it good!”

“It’s worth more.”

“We’re getting nowhere,” Lucaät snapped.

“Fine.” Duvät said. “Take my coin. I’ll go to Brätan Gok, the head of our clan.”

“I know who Brätan Gok is!”

“It won’t matter if you take my wages,” Duvät continued smoothly. “I’ll be able to pay you twice over … at least!” At least, he emphasized to himself, careful, of course, that his mind was tightly sealed. If Lucaät could see him through the Hermes’s eyes, he’d also see his confidence.

Lucaät was quiet for a moment then asked, “Why are the Rukh tailing you?”

“They are concerned for my safety,” Duvät said. “The knowledge I have,” he paused. “If it got into the wrong hands …”

“Wrong hands!” Lucaät laughed. “What wrong hands? Mine?”

Duvät gave a derisive grunt. “Well, if you are not willing to negotiate sensibly, I’m sure Brätan Gok will be.” He shrugged. “I’ve tried to be reasonable, but it’s your loss. Do as you must. I’ll see you when we arrive on Giahn.”

“Now wait,” Lucaät said, and Duvät relaxed a little on the inside. The Breath was still with him. Even the presence of Cobar and Gento had been played to his advantage – and all this without a whisper yet of the Eyes of Bel Nishani. He spread his hands as if open to offers.

“You can keep your wages …”

“Go on,” said Duvät Gok.

“… and I’ll reduce your debt by half.”

Duvät shook his head. “I think you should be the one to pay me!” he said, and deep inside, he was already crowing his victory. “You have no idea what secrets I have,” he continued. “The coin I owe you? Just a note in the Chime. Think again, Lucaät. Perhaps we’ll speak again on Doch?”

“I’ll get to the truth one way or another, Gok,” Lucaät said nastily. “Deceive me and you’ll find me most unreasonable!”

“I have already found you most unreasonable, Lucaät of Faytha. Enjoy the rest of your day.” Duvät pushed back in his seat. “Thank you, Hermes. I trust –”

“Breathless Gok!” Lucaät snarled.

In the ensuing pause, Duvät strove to maintain an air of indifference. His haze might show some excitement, but that was not unreasonable given the magnitude of the knowledge he was about to impart.

“Yes?” he said at last. “I haven’t got all day. I’m hungry and tired.”

“Don’t push it!” Lucaät snapped. “This better not be mere gold. This better be far more than gold.”

“Oh, there’s gold there,” Duvät said, “and easily mined. Surface deposits of copper and silver as well.”

Lucaät seemed taken aback by this easy admission, and Duvät allowed himself a moment of pride for another piece well played. The Hermes’s face went blank for a moment, presumably as Lucaät broke contact for discussion with a third party. When it reanimated, Duvät almost smiled. He could tell from the Hermes’s posture that Lord Lucaät of Faytha was about to capitulate. Eventually, perhaps, the Faythan would find out that the Rukh were not an actual bodyguard, but by then, what would it matter? The information about the nacrite alone would be enough to make his creditor very happy indeed, and perhaps give him time to consider his options regarding the eyes.

Ah, yes, he thought. My fortunes are definitely improving.

When the negotiations were over, Duvät dismissed the Hermes with the traditional phrase, “I trust I need not ask for your discretion?”

The Hermes bowed. “It is my honor to serve.”

Duvät watched her depart. What a strange people they are, he thought. Each so alike they could hardly be told apart. And they never betrayed the messages they conveyed – utterly trustworthy.

“Come on, Gok,” Gento growled. “Fun’s over. I’m hungry.”

“Do they gossip when they get home – to their home planet – do you think?” Duvät looked up at the stone-faced Rukh. “Do they smile and joke about us then?”

“Get moving!” Cobar rumbled.

“Very well,” Duvät waved his hand forward. “Lead the way.”

Gento shook his head. “Maybe his wife’s forgiven him?” he said to Cobar.

“Would you?” Cobar rumbled dourly.

Gento shook his head again. Across the refectory the Uri’madu spilled through the doors. Huldar had his arm across Andel’s shoulders. Nachiel and Ronnin chuckled together. Even the healers seemed more light hearted than usual.

One day they’ll regret the way they’ve treated me. Duvät thought, and I’ll wipe those smiles from their faces!