Flecks of Gold (32 page)

And as hard as I tried not to dwell on it, the possibility that either Verone or Sogran could be my father was never far from my mind. I wanted to find out the truth, but I was afraid of what that discovery would reveal. My thoughts veered away as they always did when I contemplated the troubling mystery of my parentage.

I heard steps behind me but didn’t look over as a figure leaned against the rail beside me. A warmth spread through my middle as I thought of another reason I didn’t want to leave Iberloah, but I slapped the feeling away, remembering that Breeohan wouldn’t have much time for odd alien friends when he was king and married to the queen of all evil, Avana. She would make sure of that.

The two of us stared at the dark water for several minutes before Breeohan spoke. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

“For which thing?” I asked, trying not to smile.

“For my crude behavior.”

“What, the arm pulling? Do you really think that was crude? I don’t think I’ll ever understand this country of yours.” I sighed.

Breeohan smiled at the water. “No, that’s not what I meant. I was referring to when I yelled at you . . . and for making things more difficult between you and Rafan.” Breeohan’s smile dropped away, and his face became brooding.

Me and Rafan? What was he talking about? “He’s your friend. I was just trying to avoid getting thrown off
this
boat, but thanks for apologizing. I’m sorry I yelled at you too, and I am grateful you pulled me out of the water.” The last part came out reluctantly.

Breeohan glanced over, smirking. “With such sincere and lavish gratitude to be had, I don’t know why I haven’t been rescuing beautiful young maidens more often.”

My breath caught on the word beautiful. Did he really think I was beautiful, or was he just being funny? He looked over quickly when he heard me gasp. “You didn’t rescue me.” I tried to say it as a retort, but it came out as a wimpy, rather breathy whisper.

Breeohan’s eyes, locked with mine, seemed suddenly intense. “I know,” he said.

I
t was awkward getting settled in the room with Rafan in the bunk below me and Breeohan on the floor. But a relatively soft bed, combined with my interrupted sleep from the night before and my Nature Channel moment with the crocodiles, brought sleep swiftly. When I woke again, a single candle showed that Rafan and Breeohan were gone. Lack of sunlight made it hard to judge the time. I got up and performed the cleaning lacing on myself, then walked up to the deck where the day’s brightness blinded me till my eyes adjusted. Looking around I saw Breeohan and Rafan talking quietly but venomously to each other. I was too far away to hear what they were saying but decided I’d better go break it up. They noticed me as I neared, and both their mouths snapped shut.

“You look lovely this morning, my lady, as usual,” Rafan said, stepping forward and kissing my hand. Breeohan said nothing, just stared stormily as Rafan tucked my hand under his elbow. I tried to pull it out again, but I felt Rafan’s hand tighten around mine, locking me in place.

“So what are you two arguing about?” I asked as I studied my bound hand and tried to devise a way to free it.

“Shipping. Breeohan thinks that certain families have too much power on the river, while I think that they have earned their right to higher prices,” Rafan said.

I looked at Breeohan for confirmation and could tell from the quickly covered look on his face that shipping was
not
what they had been arguing about. But I let it drop. “Did I miss breakfast? I was thinking of heading down for some food.” I gave another tug on my arm, but it was held fast.

“First meal was served two portions ago, but I know they will find you something if I ask. Let me escort you there,” Rafan said.

“No really, I’ll get it myself. It’s no problem.” I gave a no-nonsense yank to free myself.

Rafan just grabbed me again. “It is no problem at all. My discussion with Breeohan was getting dull anyway.”

Breeohan’s fists clenched, but he remained silent, so I let Rafan lead me to the galley. There Rafan made a few sharp and, I thought, somewhat rude commands to get me a bowl of lumpy stew.

Rafan sat to watch me eat, but I was hungry so I tried to ignore him and the taste of the food. Despite stuffing my face as fast as possible, I was still left with a sourness in my mouth and an irrational desire to scratch Rafan’s eyes out so I could rest from his single-minded attention. I knew most girls dreamed of someone as good-looking as Rafan mooning over their every move, but my experiences with Kelson and Joe were still too fresh in my mind. Mom and I seemed to have a talent for attracting bad apples.

As I set my empty bowl down, Rafan’s eyes caught mine. I furiously tried to come up with ways to ditch him on a small boat. My prospects were not looking good.

“You know, that is the first time I have seen you finish your food,” Rafan said with a flirtatious grin.

What do you say to that?
Apparently nothing, as Rafan continued.

“Can I assume this means your nervousness caused by my presence has receded a little?” My eyes went wide in surprise. “You don’t have to worry, Mary. I know you are a shy person. I won’t press this point any longer. Just know that I’m glad you’re losing some of that reserve.” Rafan suddenly scooted closer to me on the bench and moved his face to within an inch of mine. “Though I hope you won’t lose all those flutters.”

Too flustered to speak and afraid he might kiss me, I turned my face away quickly.

Rafan chuckled. “Still shy, I see. I can wait.”

As I studied the wood grain of the table, Rafan quietly left. The good news was that I was free of Rafan breathing down my neck, and I hadn’t even had to try. The bad news . . . my insides were broiling in confusion.

I climbed topside slowly, unsure if I would be left alone long, and undecided about if I wanted to be. It was moments like these that made me miss Mom the most. Talking with her had always seemed to make my confused thoughts click into place.

Breeohan stood by the rail, looking across the river, and I found myself heading to him before my brain remembered I’d craved solitude.

“Hey.” I leaned against the rail and looked to where Breeohan’s eyes were fixed. A crocodile’s head poked above the murky water. I shivered. “So what were you and Rafan really arguing about earlier?” I asked.

“You, of course,” he said simply.

“Me, of course? You make me sound like a force of destruction. ‘There was an argument? Well, of course it had to be about Mary, the source of all conflict, don’t ya know.’ ”

Breeohan’s mouth quirked, but his eyes were still troubled.

“You were arguing about letting me go with you to find my mother weren’t you?” I asked, my light mood vanishing.

“Yes and no.”

“What does that mean? Look, I don’t know exactly why the king decided to leave me behind before, but I’m here now. It would be silly to send me back now.”

“It would be for your own protection.”

“Don’t I have a right to decide what’s best for me?”

“Not when you’re ignorant of so much.”

“Of what, the culture? I’m just as ignorant there as here, and my ignorance there was making my stay even more dangerous than traveling to find my mother.”

“More dangerous than superstitious sailors throwing you overboard and crocodiles snapping at your limbs?”

“Okay, just as dangerous. But I would rather be doing something constructive than sitting on my behind since I seem to be in trouble no matter where I am anyway.”

“That’s certainly true.” Breeohan smiled wryly.

“Then we’re agreed,” I said triumphantly.

“No.”

“What? Come on, be reasonable.”

“I am being reasonable. It’s you who can’t see the whole picture. You’ll just be a liability if you come along with the search party,” he said.

That was the last straw. “Well, at least now I know what you think of me.” Ice dripped from my voice. I turned to leave, but Breeohan grabbed my arm before I could step away. “Let go,” I said, violently shrugging off his hand.

“That came out wrong. I didn’t mean you’re useless, I just meant . . . I can’t say,” he trailed off.

“Wow, that’s some apology. You should go into business.” I walked away before he could make me feel worse.

We reached the city of Tois at the sun’s last flare. The wooden dock was still crowded with workers, and it wasn’t long before the ship was roped securely and a plank bridge had been connected from the ship to the floating wooden walkway. I searched for Captain Hior’s ship and found it, tied closer to land. Only one man was visible on deck, and I decided to forego Rafan’s and Breeohan’s help in retrieving my backpack. I didn’t really want to be around either of them anyway.

As soon as the plank was in place, I jumped to the bridge and descended to the wharf.

Breeohan’s voice stopped me. “Wait, my lady, don’t go anywhere without Zephan Rafan and me, if you please,” he yelled. I considered several snotty quips, but with such a large audience around, I decided to keep quiet. Instead, I waited until the workers’ attention was back on their jobs and then pretended to trip while two men shielded me from Breeohan’s view. It took only an instant to activate the chameleon lacing. Then I stood and began to weave my way, unnoticed, toward Captain Hior’s boat.

I heard a curse behind me as Breeohan discovered my absence, but I ignored him as I analyzed which would be the most discrete way to board Hior’s ship. For time’s sake, I decided to chance the boarding plank as soon as the man on watch looked away. It wouldn’t take Breeohan long to figure out where I was going.

I threw a rock to the far side of the ship and scuttled up the plank as the lookout’s head turned. Then I flattened myself against the rail when he looked back. It was unnerving to have someone look so close to my exact spot and yet not see me. I waited with bated breath until he looked away. When he turned, I ran past him to the stairs.

The ship’s inner rooms were as empty of people as the deck, so I had no trouble getting to the kitchen, but my backpack wasn’t there. I searched the storage rooms with no luck, and even ventured into the sleeping area. The only place left to search was Captain Hior’s quarters. I had a strong feeling that my backpack was there, but I didn’t want to enter the nest of such a loathsome man.

I tried the door. It was locked, but before I could think of how to break in a yell sounded from inside. “Who is fiddling with my door? Either knock like a man or go away,” he bellowed.

My hand poised, undecided, then descended in a loud knock. I slid to the shadows just as Captain Hior opened the door, his miasmic odor sweeping out with the whoosh.

His lungs filled with what I could tell would be a loud roar, so I knocked him in the jaw three times in quick succession, and amazingly, he crumpled to the floor. His breath let out in a repulsive but noiseless blast. I gagged but stepped around him into the mother lode of disgusting aromas. My backpack lay in plain sight on the blackened floor. My clothes and books were strewn near it, but Ismaha’s map was unrolled on the captain’s food-encrusted desk. Something sticky smeared one edge, but I didn’t dare use the cleaning lacing in case it erased the ink too.

I settled with wiping if off as best I could with one of Hior’s cleaner looking shirts, then checked the bag’s front pockets. The granola bar and several pens were missing, and I couldn’t see my shoes anywhere.

A twitch of movement from the corner of my eye snapped my head toward the prone form of Captain Hior. He jerked again, and my eyes were drawn to his legs where I gazed in horror at my shoes on his feet. Who knew what kind of disgusting fungal cultures dwelled on those sausages? I yanked my sneakers off in anger and performed the cleaning lacing on them before stuffing them back in my bag. Then I jumped over Captain Hior to the hallway. I ran up the stairs and crouched in a recess until the thundering roar of Captain Hior’s voice brought the lookout streaking past me down the stairs. Then I sprinted over the boat, down the plank, and smack into Breeohan.

“Mary? I can hardly see you. Would you please release the chameleon lacing?” he said with clenched teeth.

“I don’t think that would be a good idea right now.” I slid to his other side so that he would shield me from Captain Hior.

Rafan came up to Breeohan just as an earsplitting blast erupted on the deck of Captain Hior’s ship. “Thief, there’s been a thief on my ship,” he yelled as he searched the dock below for someone suspicious.

“What’s going on?” Rafan asked. He didn’t seem to have noticed me yet.

“Just move casually,” Breeohan said to him.

Breeohan and Rafan began to stroll past the ship with me sandwiched in between.

“I thought you wanted us to get your pack,” Breeohan hissed.

“I was tired of being useless,” I snapped in a whisper.

Rafan jerked to a stop, so I grabbed his shirt to drag him back into motion. “Mary? What happened to you? I can’t see you very well.”

“I get that a lot,” I said.

“She decided to get her pack alone, despite agreeing to let us handle it.”

“My lady, you should have let us retrieve it for you,” Rafan said sternly.