In Search of Spice (53 page)

“Come,” said a voice in his ear and he realised the girl still gripped his spine, under his shirt. The slight pressure urged him aft and he went unresisting. Sara entering fighting grace had brought him to its edge, and the consequent extra vision and completeness of his awareness let him recognise the aura of this girl, the hard edges showing her ability, golden colours shot with red and black.

“I thought you one of the courtesans,” he said looking down at her.

She smiled sunnily. “So kind! You mean I beautiful?”

He laughed. “So why you interested in me?”

“My job is protect. You most dangerous on board ship. Must know more about you!”

“Me? I’m not dangerous. I’m just a kid.”

She dug him hard in the ribs. It hurt. “Don’t lie to me. I am your other half. I know you. I know you better than you know self.” She tossed her head. “Besides, I good listener, I hear your men talk. You very special archer. And you speak to animals.”

Pat felt bewildered. Her conversation flowed in strange directions.

“What do you mean, other half?” He decided on the safer route of ignoring her other comments. They came to a door which she opened and they went down a passageway. “You are also dangerous, I think. Not many can sneak up on me.”

“No. Only me. Because we are pair, you and I. But I trained, at monastery. You learn yourself, I think. No matter. I teach you, soon you too flow through walls.”

She opened another door and pushed him through. He found himself in a large room, with a pile of cushions for a bed. An odd room, on the one hand feminine, on the other dripping with weapons. He picked up a little metal star and studied the blades, feeling the sharpness. He noted darkness on a couple of points and avoided them.

“What is the poison?”

“Can be all sorts. Depend what I can get. Sometimes plant, sometimes animal, sometime rock. You not know poison, I think.”

“No, not needed. I hit what I aim at. How did you hear our men talk?”

“I swim over last night. Hide. Listen to you all talk. Learn. Heard your talk with Princess. Poor Pat. Girls not nice to you.”

“That was private!”

“I know now. But I needed to know.”

“How come Mot did not sense you?”

“What is mod?”

“My dog.”

“The animal? Like you, I know animal. Now, come, enough talk. Take off clothes!”

Pat turned from examining the weapons to find her naked, her clothes stacked neatly on a cushion, and now she pulled at his clothes.

“What are doing!” he gasped, feeling a surge of emotions rush through his body and unable to tear his eyes from her delicate breasts.

“I tell you. We pair. Destiny. Joined. Forever. You just not understand yet. We make love, then you know and understand.”

Feebly, he tried to push away her hands, but she ripped down his trousers and exposed his need.

Some hours later, Pat lay on the cushions, his head on her small breasts, feeling the muscles ripple in her body as she stroked his hair and crooned a low song. He didn’t know he could get this exhausted. Their lovemaking had gone into grace, both of them, a pair of minds linked, and she had shown him how to use it in different ways. He felt they had been making love for days, weeks.

“It is special, is it not? See how many ways you can use the void. Once you can touch it, we can learn other ways. This way we call tantric. You use it for shooting and stalking, I teach you how to use it for everything.” She stretched languorously as he rolled over and nibbled her breast.

“You must tell your Captain and your Princess you leave them. I take you back to Sung, we climb the mountain and visit the monastery. You meet the Sifu. He will teach you and me together. We make great things happen, you see.”

“Sung?” Pat murmured without thinking, then with some surprise, “You have still not told me your name.”

“I take new name now? Pat’s Shadow? Is good name?”

“No. What is your real name.”

“I am Bai Ju. They don’t give me family name, or maybe they call me Sung Bai Ju. Bai Ju mean white chrysanthemum. Is flower. Is flower of death!” She giggled. “But has many meanings. I like Pat’s Shadow better!”

“Bai Ju. I like it, nice name. What you mean, go to Sung? I cannot.”

“Why not?”

“I am protector of the princess. It is a duty.”

“You slept with her.” Pat yelped as Bai Ju pinched him. “Then she drop you. For other man, I bet. Yet you still want to stay with her?” She ground her thumb into his thigh and he screamed as she hit the nerve. “Or because she whisper “Ai lurve yu” in your ear! And now you see she can touch void too so you want her again!”

Pat laughed at her and caught her wrist as she moved to jab him again. He cleared his mind and slipped into the void, looking deep into her eyes and feeling her come with him. They suspended there for what seemed an eternity then slipped out again.

“You see?” he said. “We are called. Our future for now is with the Queen Rose. But I think we will go to Sung one day

Yes,” she said thoughtfully. “I wondered why Sung called me to ship. We will move world, you and me, my Pat. You will be first foreigner to come to Sung uncut. For I not let them cut you. You have nice cabin like this?”

“No, very small.”

“Hmmph. They not understand you important. Does dog sleep in cabin?”

“Sometimes. When she feels like it.”

“From now on when I feel like it. Dog is dirty?”

“No! She is very clean.”

“You sleep with dog and I get very angry, I warn you!” She giggled so he knew she was joking. “Come! Put on clothes, we go tell Captains and Princesses.”

“Why do you bloody women always think you can tell me what to do?” He complained half-heartedly, but did as she said.

To Pat’s astonishment the sun still rose through the sky, approaching midday. He thought it had been weeks. They found the Captains seated on cushions around a dining table, with Sara, discussing trade and treaties.

Bai Ju swept in imperiously, speaking in her broken Belada. “Lim, you send men to pack my things. I leave you now, go with this ship. Is my destiny, why I come. This man my other half. My future with him.”

Captain Lim bowed low, his head almost touching the floor. “Your wish, Flower Lady.”

“One day come back. I write letter for monastery. You take.”

She swept out again, sucking Pat with her in her wake.

Sara felt fury boiling up within her, and saw Captain Larroche sitting with his mouth open. She looked questioningly at Captain Lim. He spoke slowly.

“The Lady Sung Bai Ju is strange. She is not part of my command but I am very happy she chose to come on my ship.”

“What did she mean, other half?” Sara’s eyes narrowed.

“I do not know, Princess. She is special, nobody knows much about them. They come from the mountains, from a secret monastery where nobody can go. They are great fighters, and with her on my ship I fear nobody. Her very name indicates her rank, for it means the Lady of Death, a title which is given to few of them. It is a hundred years since one with that title came out of the mountains. She is the most dangerous person on my ship. Is the boy also dangerous? His eyes betray skill and death.”

“Yes,” said Captain Larroche with finality. “Best archer by far I have ever seen and a scout who disappears into the landscape.”

Captain Lim nodded. “They sound like a fine pair. Your worries will centre on trade with them on board to protect you. You seem to be taking half my ship, Captain Larroche! My best wizard insists on going with you, and the Tokkaidan also.”

“It is disturbing,” said Captain Larroche.

“Indeed. There is something in the future, rushing down on us. You heard the Flower Lady talk of destiny. As did the wizard.” He glanced at the Princess. “You are another one, Princess. A world changer. Pity us poor trading captains when ones such as you stride the world.”

Sara’s lips were tight, and she cried inside, ‘
Not another bloody woman for him! How many more? I am over him!
’ She nodded stiffly, curbing her emotions. “Hinatea’s reaction will be interesting. Shall we continue?”

Trade

B
ai Ju issued orders to the men sent by Captain Lim, in the singing language of Sung. She oversaw them packing her things, barking out more instructions. The brawny men were terrified of her and would not touch the weapons till she packed them tenderly away.

“All done here,” she said to Pat. “ Let’s go to your ship, I want to meet Mot properly, know she important to you. Things come later.”

“Fine, I’ll call a boat.”

“No, we swim. More fun.”

“What about sharks?”

“Even more fun!” She smiled brilliantly. “Come!” She led the way on to the deck and they went to the side away from the Queen Rose. She selected a point out of sight of anyone, and took Pat’s hand. She went into grace, and Pat found himself going with her. Time stood still and they swung over the side, Pat finding from grace that the wooden planks of the sides had protruding edges he could grasp and climb down. Before they reached the sea, Bai Ju sucked in her breath and dived. Pat followed suit, opening his eyes under water. He swam after her, down and under the ship.

Deep in grace it was no distance, they came up for air periodically, breathing out before reaching the surface, taking a breath and going down again like dolphins. The clear water revealed several sharks which sheared away from them, staying at the edge of their vision. One circled round behind them and Bai Ju twisted in the water to face it, while he followed suit, and the shark sheared off from their readiness. They came to the Queen Rose in no time, dived under the boat and came up on the far side. They scaled the side just as fast, using the anchor cable, and grinned at each other as they shook the water off. They relaxed in the sun to dry, out of sight of all in a corner above the poop deck. Neither wanted wet footsteps to give them away.

Pat noted with interest the white face had gone, realising it was make up. Without it, Bai Ju looked younger, still stunningly beautiful, but her skin was a smooth, delicate colour, not far off his own, perhaps a little darker and a little burst of freckles trickled across her nose. She stuck her tongue out at him.

Going back into grace, he slipped along the deck, his feet gliding silently. He glanced round the corner and came out as nobody was there. Not running, but moving fast they went forwards and found Mot curled up asleep in the sun by the pig pen.

She started when Pat laid a hand on her head, then raised her muzzle and licked his hand. He introduced her to Bai Ju and she wagged her tail. Bai Ju went down on all fours and met her eyes for a long moment, before leaning forward and hugging her, burying her face in Mot’s neck. When she came up, Pat noticed the shine of tears and hastily and wisely averted his gaze. Bai Ju pinched him anyway.

Pat led off to his tiny cabin, Bai Ju and Mot following behind. Mot delighting in falling into the old tracking pace.

Bai Ju was not impressed by the cabin and said so. She was all for going immediately to the Captain and demanding a bigger cabin. She was not happy to find out the chances of success.

“See what I sacrifice for you!”

“It was your choice.” In some ways an old head sat on his shoulders, but he was still not forgiven as Bai Ju threw him down and prepared to teach him more tantric, when the door flew open to reveal a furious Hinatea.

She stalked into the room, bristling, slammed the door shut and loomed over them. Mot whined and tried to get under the bed. Pat almost followed her. Bai Ju didn’t turn a hair, but turned away from Pat and sat cross legged, facing Hinatea. She said not a word, but the invitation was clear and Hinatea took it, sitting opposite her, also cross legged. The two girls studied each other, Bai Ju studying Hinatea’s aura with fascination. Both girls wore brief tunics, Bai Ju’s having barely dried out.

Pat gathered his thoughts, realising how he had forgotten about Hinatea while immersed in Bai Ju’s intoxicating presence. He did the bravest thing he had ever done. He spoke.

“I’m sorry,” he began.

Both girls snapped in unison “Quiet!”

“This does not concern you.” Hinatea spoke flatly, neither girl taking her eyes off the other.

Pat shrank down, like a mouse with two snakes over it. The girls were immobile, just looking at each other and it was wearing on his nerves. He could wait in ambush for two days without moving, but after less than five minutes, he started to move. Immediately, two hands shot out, one grabbing his arm, the other his leg. He subsided.

“Oro, my God, told me of you.” Hinatea stated after an eternity. “Say you priestess of living god. Strong god. You are his vicar.”

Bai Ju inclined her head. “Sung spoke of you also. He does not speak direct, let’s me try to understand. We want you. We need you.”

“Oro tell me not to fight you. But I not give him up.”

“We must become as one. It is written. Sung say Oro his friend.”

Two heads turned slowly and two pairs of black, obsidian, hard and empty eyes transfixed Pat’s soul.