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Authors: Dave Duncan
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the universe. He hated bloodshed. He still had nightmares about the battles he had fought, about the jetty on the holy island, about the night the pirates came, about Ov. Why him?
The sky was almost dark, the Dream God gleaming hazily •cross the south. The ends of the rings were concealed in mist,
only the crest of the arc showing. Down on the deck, the party was growing quieter. He must go back and join in. This fog was bad—good pirate weather—and Sapphire was advertising her presence across half a hemisphere. Tomiyano would set double watch this night.
Sorcerers—fakes.
But were they? All the magic he had seen or heard of he could now explain—with one exception. When he had so stupidly gone ashore at Aus and met with sorcerers, they had told him what he had said to Jja before he left Sapphire’s deck. When a sorcerer had come on board at Wal, he had known Brota’s name. In each case, that knowledge smelled like telepathy. Wallie could think of no other explanation. That was the only magic he could not rationalize away, and he had worried over that more than anything
else since Ov.
Sorcery... science. They were incompatible, were they not? Surely he need not fight both at once?
But no one could have heard what he had said to Jja that day.
And Jja had not gone ashore in Aus. He had asked. That had shown him how worried he was—that he could even doubt Jja.
So that was his worst problemi he was not quite certain.
No. That was not fee worst. There was another, hanging over him like the blade of a guillotine: Whose side was he on?
Then cool fingers slid around his ribs and linked up on his chest. A cheek was laid against his shoulder blade.
Jja was concerned about him. He had not tried to explain all his troubles to her, for she could never have understood them properly. She did not resent that, he was sure. She did what she could, offering wordless sympathy for unspoken pain, as now. He cherished it in silence for a moment.
“Thanji? Brotsu? Shota? Nnathansu?”
He twisted around and returned the embrace, pulling her tight and feeling her warmth against him through the thinness of cotton. “What are you babbling about, wench?” he asked gently. “Naming their firstborn, of course!” “Oh, my love,” Wallie whispered. “How I wish that it were
us!”
“Silly man!” she said, but in a tone no slave owner could have
resented. “What does it matter? I am much more married than Thana will ever be.”
And much more beautiful, he thought. Jja was no skinny wraith, no fashion model. She was tall and strong and deep,breasted and the most desirable woman in the World.
He told her so.
She purred.
“I was sent to fetch you, my lord Wallie,” she whispered, “for they are waiting.”
“For me?” he demanded. “Why?”
“For the wedding, of course.”
“What? Now? Tonight? But... what do I have to do?”
“Just say yes,” she said.
“Yes?”
“Yes!” Chuckling, she led him to the steps, and they picked their way down carefully in the dark.
No bridal gown, no bridesmaids, no orange blossoms? Nnanji and Thana were standing together, with Brota positioned behind Thana, and all of them facing Tomiyano. Obviously a ship’s captain could perform a marriage, as a captain could on Earth. Wallie stepped into position behind Nnanji, who had retrieved his kilt and DOW turned to welcome his mentor with a broad leer. The rest of the crew, the family, had gathered around, vague faces smiling and silent in the night.
The ceremony was unbelievably short and even more revolt,ingly one,sided than Wallie had expected in this sexist World.
“Lord Shonsu, do you permit your protege” to marry this woman?
“Yes.”
“Mistress Brota, do you permit your protege to marry this man?”
“Yes.” ^
“Adept Nnanji, swordsman of the fourth rank, do you take Thana, swordsman of the second rank, as your wife, promising to clothe and feed her, to feed her children, to teach them obedience to
The sky was almost dark, the Dream God gleaming hazily •cross the south. The ends of the rings were concealed in mist,
only the crest of the arc showing. Down on the deck, the party was growing quieter. He must go back and join in. This fog was bad—good pirate weather—and Sapphire was advertising her presence across half a hemisphere. Tomiyano would set double watch this night.
Sorcerers—fakes.
But were they? All the magic he had seen or heard of he could now explain—with one exception. When he had so stupidly gone ashore at Aus and met with sorcerers, they had told him what he had said to Jja before he left Sapphire’s deck. When a sorcerer had come on board at Wal, he had known Brota’s name. In each case, that knowledge smelled like telepathy. Wallie could think of no other explanation. That was the only magic he could not rationalize away, and he had worried over that more than anything
else since Ov.
Sorcery... science. They were incompatible, were they not? Surely he need not fight both at once?
But no one could have heard what he had said to Jja that day.
And Jja had not gone ashore in Aus. He had asked. That had shown him how worried he was—that he could even doubt Jja.
So that was his worst problemi he was not quite certain.
No. That was not fee worst. There was another, hanging over him like the blade of a guillotine: Whose side was he on?
Then cool fingers slid around his ribs and linked up on his chest. A cheek was laid against his shoulder blade.
Jja was concerned about him. He had not tried to explain all his troubles to her, for she could never have understood them properly. She did not resent that, he was sure. She did what she could, offering wordless sympathy for unspoken pain, as now. He cherished it in silence for a moment.
“Thanji? Brotsu? Shota? Nnathansu?”
He twisted around and returned the embrace, pulling her tight and feeling her warmth against him through the thinness of cotton. “What are you babbling about, wench?” he asked gently. “Naming their firstborn, of course!” “Oh, my love,” Wallie whispered. “How I wish that it were
us!”
“Silly man!” she said, but in a tone no slave owner could have
resented. “What does it matter? I am much more married than Thana will ever be.”
And much more beautiful, he thought. Jja was no skinny wraith, no fashion model. She was tall and strong and deep,breasted and the most desirable woman in the World.
He told her so.
She purred.
“I was sent to fetch you, my lord Wallie,” she whispered, “for they are waiting.”
“For me?” he demanded. “Why?”
“For the wedding, of course.”
“What? Now? Tonight? But... what do I have to do?”
“Just say yes,” she said.
“Yes?”
“Yes!” Chuckling, she led him to the steps, and they picked their way down carefully in the dark.
No bridal gown, no bridesmaids, no orange blossoms? Nnanji and Thana were standing together, with Brota positioned behind Thana, and all of them facing Tomiyano. Obviously a ship’s captain could perform a marriage, as a captain could on Earth. Wallie stepped into position behind Nnanji, who had retrieved his kilt and DOW turned to welcome his mentor with a broad leer. The rest of the crew, the family, had gathered around, vague faces smiling and silent in the night.
The ceremony was unbelievably short and even more revolt,ingly one,sided than Wallie had expected in this sexist World.
“Lord Shonsu, do you permit your protege” to marry this woman?
“Yes.”
“Mistress Brota, do you permit your protege to marry this man?”
“Yes.” ^
“Adept Nnanji, swordsman of the fourth rank, do you take Thana, swordsman of the second rank, as your wife, promising to clothe and feed her, to feed her children, to teach them obedience to
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