Day the 5th of the Grain Moon

Year the 6th the Independent Alliance of Traders

From Detozi, Keeper of the Birds, Trehaug, to Kim, Cassarick

Has it escaped your tiny little brain that the message you received from Erek contained information about a special feed that may enhance the health and longevity of the pigeon stocks? 'Did it never occur to you that by attaching this information on an official matter to a bird already carrying a message, he was merely being more efficient? The idea that he and I share a personal correspondence is rather laughable, considering that we have never even met one another. If you wish to draw that missive to the attention of the Councils, oh, please do! It will give us all chance to discuss the sorry state of the coops at Cassarick, the death of over twenty promising squabs because a snake was able to enter your coops, and the rumours that squab has been on your family's menu with a peculiar frequency since you assumed your post. Detozi

CHAPTER TWELVE

Among Dragons

He couldn't believe she had done it. Just couldn't believe it. This woman was not the Alise Kincarron he had grown up with! She wasn't even the Alise Finbok he'd frequently dined with for the last five years. He wasn't sure where this domineering vixen had come from, but he'd be glad to see her depart. If it hadn't been so important for him to accompany her when she visited the dragons, he never would have allowed her to go this far.

He leaned on the railing beside her. To her left, the disgusting Captain Leftrin matched her posture, so close that he was practically touching her, while she spouted her infatuated nonsense about the dragons. Well, let her have a day or two of it. Angry as he felt toward her right now, he still dreaded the tasks that were before him. He'd go ashore with her and act as her secretary while she 'interviewed' the lumbering beasts down there. Soon enough, she'd realize what they were, and that would be the end of it. He thought of her inevitable disillusionment and almost felt sympathy for her. He'd been foolish even to argue with her earlier when she'd proposed her wild dream of accompanying the captain and the dragons on their trek upriver. He just should have nodded and agreed. He'd listened to what Trell and his wife had to say about the dragons. This adventure wasn't going to materialize as Alise had always imagined it. And when she came to him, a night or two hence, crestfallen and disappointed, he'd be ready to comfort her and find passage for the two of them back home. All he had to do was maintain his patience and wait. And not vomit as Leftrin slimed along after her.

He glanced across at them again. She was looking up at Leftrin and smiling. Was, she infatuated with that grizzled water rat? It didn't seem possible. Perhaps she construed the man's braying laugh and extravagant compliments as the epitome of rustic charm. After all, Alise had had few opportunities to sample social interchange with a wide variety of men. Maybe his very coarseness appealed to her. He knew her well enough to know that Hest was in no danger of losing her to anyone. Even if she was not happy with her husband, she was far too tightly laced even to consider betraying him. So let her flirt a bit, let her think she was being a woman of the world on this dismal journey. Though why she could possibly want to dally with an old walrus like Leftrin eluded him. How could he compare to the elegant Hest?

At the thought of Hest, his spirits sank again. Where was he now, what was he doing? Who was sharing his table and witty observations? What exotic port had attracted him, what extravagant and unusual cargo had he already purchased? He closed his eyes for a moment and could clearly imagine Hest loading his pipe after a fine meal in excellent accommodations. Would Hest even wonder what Sedric was enduring on his swamp boat journey up a mosquito-infested river? He probably did, and probably chortled with joy each time Sedric came to his mind. It stung even worse to imagine Hest sharing his amusement with Wollom and Jaff and the insidious Redding Cope. He imagined Cope doing one of his infuriating imitations. 'This is Sedric, enjoying the mosquitoes.' And then that pudgy little excuse for a man would slap himself and leap about and be rewarded with Hest's laughter. Even to imagine it was intolerable. He realized he was grinding his teeth and with an effort calmed his face. This whole misadventure was Hest's doing, and an entirely unreasonable punishment for the sin of simply speaking his mind. All he had wanted was for Hest to be a bit kinder to Alise. And for his troubles, he had not only been exiled by Hest but now was hijacked by Alise to accompany her even deeper into this uncivilized wasteland.

Unmindful of Sedric's displeasure, Alise was chattering away with the goat-man at her left elbow. For a moment, he let his mind follow her words. 'Look at her. The sun soaks right into her and shines back out of her. She's magnificent.'

Sedric made a mildly agreeable noise and let her dither on. The beach didn't merit the name. It was merely a slope of trampled and sun-baked mud that went down to the river's edge. Soon enough, he'd have to be out there, following Alise about and taking notes for her. Traipsing around the piles of dragon dung and river flotsam. Ruining his boots, most likely. As soon as the men finished tying up or whatever they were doing, Alise would want to go ashore. He'd probably best go into his 'room' and see about finding his tools.

'Yes. Yes, I was! You are absolutely glorious!' Alise shouted the words.

Sedric opened his eyes. Alise looked transported by joy. Beneath her multitude of freckles, her cheeks were flushed. She clasped her hands to her bosom as if to hold her thundering heart inside her chest. She turned to him, and he could see in her eyes that she had completely forgotten their earlier disagreement in  her excitement. Seemingly transfixed, she exclaimed, 'Sedric, she spoke to me! The blue dragon. She spoke to me!'

He let his eyes rove over the spectacle of reptilian creatures that sprawled or prowled on the muddy shore. 'Which blue one?' he asked her at last.

'The queen. The largest blue queen.' She sounded as if she could not get her breath. She lifted her voice again. 'May I come ashore and speak with you?'

'Queen? Do dragons have kings and queens?'

'The large blue female.' She sounded impatient with him. 'That one, there. Next to the girl with the broom.'

'Ah. And how do you know she's their queen?'

'Not their queen, a queen. All female dragons are queens. Just as female cats are queens. Now, please, hush! I can't hear her while you're talking!'

The creature was making a sound like a badly-tuned wind instrument but Alise seemed enchanted by its song. When the dragon ceased its mooing, Captain Leftrin seemed equally fascinated. 'Let's get you down there, then,' he said.

Alise was already in motion. She glanced back at him as she hurried toward the prow of the barge. 'Bring your notebook, please, Sedric. Bring everything you'll need to make a transcript of our conversation. Hurry!'

'Very well. I'll be right along.' His own heartbeat jumped a bit at the prospect of finally walking among the dragons. He hurried to the makeshift stall that Leftrin had put together for him. At least it had solved one of his problems. Within the four rough walls, he had a modicum of privacy, and access to all his luggage. He opened his wardrobe trunk and then pulled open one of the drawers. He'd prepared everything as carefully as he possibly could, hoping to provide for every contingency. He took out his lap-desk and sat down on his bed to open it. The 'bed' was little more than a raised plank with some semi-clean bedding to soften it, but it was a place to sit, and far better than the canvas sling they had cobbled together for him to sleep in.