The Hidden Fire (Book 2) by James R. Sanford Read Free Book Online

have been there myself, so that means
little.  If you wish to convince me, you must provide the page that is missing
from the rudders.  The one with the observations south of the line.  I find it
interesting that he says a compass will still point north, but latitude is not
marked on the map.  It’s said that there is no southern pole star, and
certainly no book of ephemeris exists for the southern hemisphere, so how did
he record the latitude of the islands?”
    “There
was a list of meridian stars,” Aiyan said.  He placed one finger on his
forehead.  “I have them all memorized.”
    Lyzuga
smiled slyly through his moustache.  “So no one can sail off without you.  Yes,
very clever if all this is true.”
    Kyric
shifted in his seat and stretched his leg, feeling the tingle of circulation
finally returning.  It had kept going numb all morning and they had to take a
rickshaw to the docks.
    “I
have one more item to show you,” Aiyan said, reaching into his vest pocket.
    He
produced a vial containing a fine brown powder.  He dumped it all onto the
coffee table and Kyric was struck by a startling scent, a wondrous fragrance
that filled his head and ran down the back of his throat.  Captain Lyzuga
leaned forward and breathed in deeply, his eyes narrowing to slits.  Aiyan took
a pinch of the powder and sprinkled it into the captain’s coffee.  Lyzuga
sipped cautiously.
    “By
the gods of my ancestors,” he stammered.  “I . . . I didn’t know.  I didn’t
have any idea.”  He took another sip.  “It’s amazing.  Everyone will want
this.”  He raised his voice.  “Lerica!  We’re going to be rich.”
    “Sure,
sure,” came the bored reply through the bulkhead.
    “Wait,”
said Lyzuga.  “How could I trade this without Baskillian vengeance coming down upon
me?  My life wouldn’t be worth a ducat if they suspected that I knew.”
    “Princess
Aerlyn would be willing to help you with that,” Aiyan said, “if you don’t mind
taking your cargo all the way to Aeva.  She can broker a deal on the quiet, so
that not even the buyers know it was you or your ship.”
    “And
her percentage would be . . .”
    “Nothing
at all, since we are paying you nothing for the voyage.  Except funding for
basic supplies, of course.”
    Lyzuga
stood and went to the porthole, staring out for a time.  Kyric found a spoon
and scooped a tiny bit of the spice into his own coffee.  It was unbelievably
good.  So good that it almost hurt when the taste began to fade.
    Lyzuga
turned back to them.  “I have this rule.  I never sail three thousand miles
into unknown waters with strangers.  I also have a contract to transport a load
of goods to a coffee plantation about three days sail down the east coast, and
I must take delivery of these tomorrow in any case.  So this is what I
propose:  The two of you come with us as my guests, and we will all get to know
one another a little.  It will take a day to unload Calico , during which
time we will enjoy the hospitality of the Dorigano family — gracious hosts, I
assure you.  The whole trip can be done in a week if the weather holds.  If all
goes well we can be on our way to the Spice Islands in ten days.”
    “Very
well,” said Aiyan.  “I admire your forehandedness, Captain.”
    Lyzuga bowed to the compliment.  “Since
we are now partners of a sort, you may call me Ellec.”
    Aiyan
and Kyric came aboard the next evening, after making their third and last visit
to the armorer and picking up their hardened corslets.  Aiyan had noticed a bin
stacked with what looked like crude helmets.  The armorer told him that they
were the split shells of the jejabe nut.  He explained that they were
once used by his tribe in a ritual dance that involved head-clubbing, but that
no one performed it anymore.
    “With
these we can strike to the head with full force in our practice,” Aiyan said. 
He bought two of them for a ducat apiece.
    Lerica
met them at the plank,