In Search of Spice, page 42
“And why do you have a face like the world is about to end? I thought all was well in Pat land, with your clever little girl taking charge of you and Hinatea?” Suzanne delighted in Pat’s triad, particularly in the outrage engendered amongst the more conservative in the crew.
“She’s decided she knows more about Harrhein court uniform than I do and she’s getting it ready for me. I hate to think what it is going to look like.”
“She’s probably right,” said Suzanne, “as you know what to wear on a horse but you know absolutely nothing about court. Don’t worry, Pat. She wants to be proud of you, so she will do it. Go on now, and don’t worry.” She watched him disappear, and thought to herself, all the same, it might be an idea to proffer some advice. She knocked on Pat’s door.
Rat was washing when Pat climbed down to the platform, and became the surprised recipient of Pat’s woes. He had never heard Pat say so many words, and with endearing male sensitivity roared with laughter.
“Ah, Pat, thanks mate, I needed a good laugh. Been feeling a bit down! Seriously, mate, you go and buy a beer for any of the married men and ask them about married life and they’ll bend your ear for hours. Get used to it, ‘cos those two have you well under the thumb! When have you got to report back?”
Pat glowered at him. “She didn’t say.”
“Well, come down to the fo’c’sle and have a beer. Tell the Bosun all about it, she’ll put you right.”
“If you so much as hint at this to the Bosun, I swear I’ll kill you!”
“Well, you’d better come along and make sure I don’t! Come on, you’re clean enough and you’ve got no whiskers to shave anyway!”
Over the next hour, with Rat’s help, he worked out what he was going to say to Bai Ju and felt much better. He strode down the corridor to his cabin, when Bai Ju came out of Suzanne’s open door.
“Ah, good, there you are! Come here, quick, quick!” She dragged him into Suzanne’s room which was packed with women. “Now, stand still, don’t move.” And she began to strip his clothes off.
“Hey! Wait! What are you doing?”
“I said don’t move!” Looking around, he saw Sara, Maciu, Hinatea and Suzanne, equally naked, standing upright. Each had two Sung girls chittering away on either side of them, offering up bits of cloth and somehow fixing them around them. Two more girls descended on Pat, helping Bai Ju to take the last of his clothes off and subjecting him to the indignity of being measured.
“What’s going on?” he asked faintly.
Suzanne answered. “Your clever girl told me she wouldn’t be seen dead in the cloth they make the uniforms from, and said she would make them in silk for you. I asked for one too, and she is doing one for Sara as well. We are creating new unifomrs for Maciu and Hinatea. I designed them! Bai Ju sent to the Orchid for some seamstresses and cloth, and they will all be ready in time for supper!”
“We’ve only got an hour!”
“I know! Brilliant isn’t it - look at those girls go!”
Indeed the Sung seamstresses were already trying a uniform on Suzanne and checking it. Even Pat could see it looked better than her previous uniform.
Hinatea grinned at him as her uniform, a long dress, was held up to her. “Look, Pat! Isn’t it pretty. The same colour as the sea after a big storm. Very beautiful. Do I look beautiful?”
She did, and Pat was tongue tied looking at all the girls, while being dressed himself.
“Look at him!” said Sara to Suzanne in Harrheinian. “Doesn’t he look just like a dog being given a bath?”
Both Suzanne and Bai Ju laughed, which Suzanne cut off and stared at Bai Ju.
“You understood what she said?”
“Sure, I speak Harrhein perfectly. It’s Belada I have a bit of a problem with,” Bai Ju smiled. “The reason I came on this trip was to try and find out more about you people, and I learnt the language from some slaves before leaving. Come on, let’s get these uniforms finished.”
“But why didn’t you tell us?”
“I was still finding out about you. No time now, let’s get these uniforms finished and you will want to get your hair done as well. This one is a good with hair, let her do yours.” She indicated one of the seamstresses and diverted attention.
Captain Larroche looked up at the knock on the door. Brian stuck his head in.
“All present and ready for you, Sir.”
“Fine, I’ll be right there.”
Brian led him to the wardroom, and the opening door caused conversation within to come to a halt, and all came to their version of attention. A varied chorus along the lines of “Good Evening, Captain,” came from most of them, though the dwarf smith’s sounded more like a gargle.
“Yes, indeed, thank you all, delighted to see everyone here. Carry on, carry on, what wine do we have today, Sara?”
Sara had been appointed wine officer shortly after she became an officer, a duty she enjoyed immensely.
“I am afraid we have finished the red you liked, sir, but I found another I think you will appreciate. It’s from the same area and has a very similar taste.” She passed him a glass.
“Finished it? Shame - still, better than trading it away! Yes,” he tasted the wine and smacked his lips. “Excellent indeed! Why, I think it is better than the other one. Sara, when we get back to Port, I shall have you select the wines.”
“Thank you sir. Plenty of water to go under the bows, I think.”
“Maybe not so long after all. But come, take your places, Ladies and Gentlemen, and I shall explain. Good God! Pat, what are you wearing and where did you get it?”
“Oh, sorry sir, I knew it was wrong, but thought it would pass.” Pat reddened and desperately tried to straighten his immaculate uniform.
“Pass? It’s fantastic! First time I have seen you looking correct! Can’t be a ship’s uniform, fits you too well. Come here, lad.”
Blushing, Pat went over to the Captain who inspected him, feeling the material.
“Damn me, this is silk! Must be wonderfully cool in this heat! Where in the world did you get it?”
Seeing Pat was his usual self, incapable of speech when the centre of senior attention, Suzanne interjected.
“Sifu Sung Bai Ju was able to help, sir. She brought some seamstresses and silk over and made uniforms for herself and for us. Sara and I helped her with the correct design.”
“Damn good job. Don’t suppose there is any silk left over, is there?” Captain Larroche wondered at the uniforms on display, seriously impressed, both at the cut and the tailoring. “Best damn tailoring I ever saw.”
“I will bring the seamstresses to you in the morning, sir.” Bai Ju spoke in perfect Harrhein, causing stares from several of those present, but the Captain was too interested in the uniforms to notice.
“Capital! Capital! Very kind. Now, everyone take your seats please.” The Captain sat down, followed by everyone else. Brian had laid out the seating plan so the older and more senior were at one end, the junior at the far end, which included Pat, Hinatea and Bai Ju, to her disgust. She spotted the slight straight away. Now she was inspecting the cutlery, which was good silver. She was particularly taken by the engraving of the royal crest on each item. Pat prayed she wouldn’t test the quality by biting the handle. She did.
Brian tapped his glass with his knife, and everyone looked to the head of the table, where Captain Larroche stood.
“I am very pleased to report we have concluded our negotiations with the Sung, and we are mutually very pleased. Tomorrow we shall lash the two ships together and we will exchange our cargoes here at sea - which saves us harbour charges and rapacious taxation, you will be glad to hear.” He waited for the buzz of comment to die down.
“The trepang is to be exchanged for a cargo of tea, pepper and a new herb called clove. The trepang from Pahipi and Vitu Levu is far superior to any they have seen for several years, as the dhows trading practices are not very good at producing quality. We have done very well on this exchange, I think. They are also interested in the artefacts we have brought along. Harrheinian silver is in demand, and they want some of the bows and crossbows. But what excites them most is the pigs! They have their own pigs, smaller, more layers of fat and an inferior flavour, so we are trading all our pigs. They want us to bring as many boars as we can next time.
“Next time, I said. Because we have agreed to meet here again in six months. Bishop Walters agrees we shall be able to sail home and return here in four months, so this affords you all six weeks of shore leave, enough to go home and visit your families.”
This caused a stir of conversation and he looked round the table. Everyone was looking excited and talking about this, except for Sara who looked grim. He saw Pat whisper to her, and she shook her head.
“Damn,” he thought, “it is too soon for her to go back. That is a problem we need to sort.”
He tapped his glass again and the room fell quiet.
“So I give you a toast, to a successful voyage, shorter than expected, which makes us all rich!”
A cheer went up round the table and everyone drank, though the Captain noted Lieutenant Mactravis and Suzanne looking less than festive and throwing glances at Sara.
“Brian, you can tell the cook to start serving the meal.”
The food started to come through, and Wu Chen took the opportunity to ask a question down the table.
“Honoured Lady,” he spoke to Bai Ju in Belada. “I could not help but notice you spoke in the language of this ship earlier. How is it you are able to speak it so fast? Even with drugs, we magicians cannot learn a language so quickly.”
“So sorry, not so good in Belada. I come on this voyage on mission to find out more about the new slaves coming into the Empire. My Master was concerned. So I learn Harrhein before I leave. Have to learn Belada on Imperial Orchid.”
All eyes turned to her, and she smiled sweetly. Wu Chen was silenced by the words, ‘My Master’. This revealed more about her than his school had discovered in five hundred years.
“You speak Harrhein very well,” said Sara, “but what interests me is why you have chosen to reveal your ability to us, and tell us you came to spy on us.”
“Excuse please,” she said to Wu Chen, “I need reply in Harrhein.” She turned to Sara. “It is because of you, Princess. When you offered to buy back the slaves from Sung, rather than make empty threats, I knew you were a civilised person and your country would not be a threat to us. Also, I understood from Bishop Walters the distance between our countries is so vast there is nothing to worry about.”
Walters spluttered. “I never said anything to you! We have not spoken!”
“No, we have not,” she smiled at him. “I listened when you spoke with the cartographers.”
“But you weren’t there!”
“Oh, I was, but I am very good at coming and going without being seen.”
Suzanne decided this was enough, she could sense Bai Ju beginning to go defensive and didn’t want her back in her shell. She spoke to Takeo in Belada.
“I have heard the Sung refer to you as a Tokkaidan, Takeo. I take it Tokkaido is another country?”
“Yes,” he replied. “A small country, north of Sung and Cathay, islands. We are known as warriors.”
“Very good warriors,” affirmed Bai Ju. “Master smith, you should see his sword. Special way of making, you interest I think.”
The dwarf looked up from his meat which was disappearing at high speed. “Special way? Steel, huh? What is special about it?”
Takeo answered. “I pleased to show sword. Steel heated, beaten and folded one thousand times. Very hard. Cut through Sung swords. Very sharp. Carry two, short one and long one.”
“A thousand times? Must be more to it. Would be pleased to see your sword, please come to the forge tomorrow.” He returned to his food and called for more beer.
Sara called down the table. “Sir, will we be going directly back to Harrhein, or do you plan to stop anywhere on the way back?” The conversation stopped while the Captain took a moment to respond.
“The final leg of the voyage will be past the pearl islands of the Umayyad and of course Spakka, as well as other countries like Havant which are likely to be equally unfriendly. I wish to avoid them, and get the cargo home as quickly as possible So we shall go up the side of Hind, calling at the ports on the way, possibly do a little trading, and at the last city of Hind we shall put out to sea and sail home, far from shore and out of sight. We need to see what cargoes we can pick up in Hind, but we can go no further north than a city called Kadwad, after which there is a Havant trading station.”
“Thank you, sir.”
He considered her expression. “Is it too soon for you to return, Princess?”
“I don’t know sir, it is impossible to get news. But I am concerned about the situation in Harrhein, and my advisors told me to stay away for at least six months.”
“Hmmph. Would a trip away of nine months make more sense?”
“I would be happier, sir.”
“Well, pity Sung doesn’t have a city here. We’ll see if any of the countries in Hind are civilised, and, if so, you can stay and build an embassy and trading post. How does that sound?”
“Perfect, sir, and you would have news for me on your return.”
“Exactly. I am sure we can find a few crew to stay with you.”
“Never mind the crew, you will need a load more officers,” said Suzanne.
“The army will stay with the Princess,” said Lieutenant Mactravis flatly.
“Yes, I’m sure you will,” said Captain Larroche. “We’ll need to train up some more officers, and I’m sure the kai Viti and Spakka will stay with you, Princess, apart from the academy kids. You will have enough to keep you safe. Any thoughts on who should be promoted?”
“Why not Nils?” asked Pat, who was still irked at being promoted ahead of him.
“Not an option, Nils is a topsailsman and that’s all. Brilliant there, but nowhere else.” Brian spoke with confidence. “Josh has been with us long enough, sir, I’d like him to step up. Perhaps young Phil as well.”
“You will be without any female officers,” said Suzanne. “Shouldn’t you have at least one? Mattie is very capable and been a Bosun’s mate long enough.”
“Sure you don’t want to get back to the bright lights, Suzanne?” asked the Captain.
“My duty is with the Princess, sir,” said Suzanne.
“I will need all my recruits, their training has only just started,” said Bai Ju. “It would be dangerous for them to stop now.”
Brian looked at her and Pat. “So you will stay with the Princess, too, young Pat?”
“Hadn’t occurred to me not to, sir,” said Pat.
“I think, Princess,” said Bai Ju, “I will ask Captain Lim if I can have a couple of those girls, particularly the one who is good with hair. If we are going to be in a hot country for several months, it will be useful to have servants who understand civilised behaviour.”
“Brilliant idea, Bai,” said Suzanne with feeling. “The courtesans have a young man - do you think I could borrow him?”
“Do you mean Taman?” said Bai Ju with a smile.
“Yes, I think that is his name.”
Bai Ju laughed. “He is very special. I do not think you can persuade the Old Mother to let you have him!”
To Sara’s surprise, Suzanne turned slightly pink. She had never seen Suzanne show any embarrassment before, and was fascinated. She wasn’t the only one to notice, as Lieutenant Mactravis leaned forward with interest.
“What’s special about this Taman, then?”
“Oh, nothing really,” said Suzanne, to no avail, as Bai Ju answered with enthusiasm.
“He is from the south eastern tip of this continent, a place called Perak. They are very nice people there, live well, and don’t work too hard. Very much like sex. They take gold beads, small, hollow and with a grain of sand inside them so they rattle. With a special knife, they make a small incision in the skin at the head of the penis and insert the beads. This Taman has them all around the head of his penis, in a ring.” Bai Ju was talking to Mactravis with great pleasure, totally oblivious of Captain Larroche’s increasing horror. “It makes a noise when he makes love and is supposed to be very pleasurable for the ladies. Is this true, Suzanne?” She smiled demurely across the table.
“Yes, it is,” said Suzanne, not looking at the Captain.
“I don’t think Old Mother will give up Taman for anything, but I am sure she will let you have some gold beads and perhaps some of the men will have them fitted. Will you volunteer, Lieutenant Mactravis?”
Mactravis had been smiling broadly, but this wiped it off his face. “Ah, perhaps not, but I am sure Little would delight in being a test case.”
“No thank you,” said Suzanne. “Nothing could make up for his other habits!”
Everyone laughed at this, but Pat’s laugh was cut off when Bai Ju started looking at him contemplatively.
“Perhaps I’ll get Pat done. Might be fun if Tantric Master Suzanne recommends it.” She smiled innocently.
Hind
Lashing the ships together was a ticklish task, which had the Bosun bellowing. The capstans did the work of pulling the ships together, sweating sailors on each ship turning them, while the Bosun shouted at them to stop and start depending on the slack. The Sung had an equivalent of a Bosun doing the same job on the Imperial Orchid, almost identical to the Bosun, apart from the eyes, dark hair and an elaborate moustache. Sara and Suzanne had a fit of giggles, till quelled by a suspicious glare from the Bosun.
The Bosun did not allow anyone else to be involved, with her mates plus Nils and Pat overseeing sailors tying fenders along the side of the ship. These were big balls of old rope designed to stop the two ships from damaging each other. The Sung used identical fenders, perhaps slightly different tying of the balls, and Sara overhead Walters telling Perryn it was a remarkable example of how different cultures found identical solutions to a common problem. Taufik, standing by the wheel, remarked they had been around long enough for the idea to spread across the world from the Sung. Walters ignored him.
