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He yawned again as he stepped through the hatchway. He was tired.
LXXVIII
Fourday had come, and gone, as had most of fiveday, and still the Seastag
remained tied at the Lord s Pier. Kharl and Tarkyn had spent the majority of
fiveday cleaning out and reorganizing the carpenter s shop, in an effort to
undo the effects of the thrown-together stacks and lengths of wood and the
hurriedly stowed tools required by the hasty reloading that had accompanied
the rush of leaving the dry dock.
Kharl slipped the black staff into the longer overhead bin, still thinking
about the passage in The Basis of Order. Why was it important to cast aside
such a useful tool as the staff? He did not doubt the book, but he did
question his own understanding of the words.  That should do it.
 Leastwise, gave us time to do it right  fore we set to sea, grumbled Tarkyn.
 When we set to sea. If we set to sea.
 You think we re waiting for cargo?
 At the Lord s Pier? More likely waiting for&  Tarkyn broke off and turned in
the stool.
Kawelt stood in the hatchway of the carpenter shop.  Kharl& got a visitor
here.
 Visitor? Kharl couldn t honestly think of anyone. Arthal? But his son
wouldn t have even known that his father served on a ship, let alone which
one, and Kharl doubted that Arthal would have cared, not given the way he d
left the cooperage.
 Second from the Southshield & 
Herana?
 You re not thinking of changing ships? asked Tarkyn.
 No. I don t know why she d& 
At the word  she Tarkyn laughed. Even Kawelt looked amused.
 Go on& We re done for the day.
Kharl slipped on his winter jacket and gloves and headed topside, where he
made his way to the quarterdeck. Herana and Ghart stood by the railing,
talking.
 & good man& carpenter and a fighter& a deck-stander& guess that s all right& 
 & doesn t talk much about himself& 
Both turned as Kharl neared.
 Carpenter, said Herana,  we re in port till tomorrow. Thought you might like
to join me for an ale. Ghart says you re not on the watch schedule until
tomorrow morning.
Kharl looked to Ghart.
 Still don t have that cargo, Ghart said.  Go have an ale. Just take a look
at the pier now and then.
 Yes, ser. Kharl nodded.
 See you later, Ghart, Herana said to the Seastag s second mate.
Kharl followed Herana down the gangway, then drew abreast of her on the pier.
He inclined his head to her. He wasn t quite sure what to call her, since he
was neither passenger nor a crewman under her.
 I was glad to see you came back, she said.  Somehow, I didn t see you as the
type that would have liked Vizyn.
 You were right, but I had to see.
 You don t like being a ship s carpenter?
 I like it. I m not certain it s what I should be doing.
 If you like it, and you re good& ?
Kharl laughed.  Once I was a cooper, and I was good at it, and I liked it.
But, for all that, things didn t turn out so well.
Herana turned toward the open doors of the Crimson Pitcher. Kharl followed her
inside. The tavern was half-empty, and they found a table in the far corner of
the main public room. As Kharl seated himself across from her, he couldn t
help but overhear words from a table nearby.
 & said the regulars being marched south& going to let Ilteron have Valmurl& 
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 & Lord Ghrant never was a fighter& 
A server appeared.
 Dark ale, Herana said.
 Lager. Pale ale if you don t have it, Kharl added.
 Three for each.
Kharl showed his coins, as did Herana.
 Be back in a moment.
 Ghart said you d had to leave Brysta. Was that what you meant by things not
turning out? Herana s voice showed interest, but was not insistent as she
looked at Kharl.
 Something like that. Kharl paused, then waited as the server set down two
mugs before handing over his coins. Once the woman left, he said,  Board
outside said two.
 Everything s getting dearer. All the taverns are asking more.
 Because of the fighting between Ghrant and Ilteron? What s Captain Harluk
going to do with the Southshield & if Ghrant and Ilteron start a battle here
in Valmurl?
 Steam off to where they re not fighting, suggested Herana.  Wait until
everything clears, then go back to carrying people and cargo where they want
to go. What else can he do?
 Not much, Kharl replied. He took a swallow of the pale ale. He would have
preferred lager, but he wasn t about to complain about what he couldn t get.
After another silence, Herana asked,  You think things will work out better
for you here?
 I don t know. Once I thought that anywhere would be better. Now& seems like
people are mostly the same everywhere. There s always someone&  Kharl shrugged
and shook his head.
 You see that on ships, too. Thought I d get away from that by going to sea,
she said.  Don t have as many folk, but they re the same.
 Why did you go to sea? Kharl asked.  Not that many women do.
 What was I going to do? Can t have children-consort near-on killed me when he
found out.
Kharl winced.  I m sorry.
 Don t be. Was a long time ago. Made it easier. My brother knew Harluk. He
carries a lot of passengers, especially in the summer. Helps to have some
women in the crew. Turned out I was good at it. She looked at Kharl.  You
have a consort?
 Not now. She was hung by Lord West for murder. She didn t do it&  Kharl gave
as brief a description as he could of what had happened.  & and that was how I
got to be a carpenter on the Seastag.
 Daresay you left out a lot.
Kharl nodded.
 Your sons& not real grateful, were they?
 Don t think young people ever are. They know better. I did, too, back when I
was their age.
 Is that what happened with your consort?
Kharl didn t understand the question.
Herana laughed& softly.  My problem. Everyone got consorted. So did I. Then I
discovered he didn t love me, just wanted children& sons.
 You couldn t have any. Kharl shook his head.  No& maybe I didn t want the
children enough. Was always trying to do more, bring in more coins, so that
we d have enough& 
 Were you in love with her? asked Herana.  Your consort?
The question was a shock. Kharl bit off a retort. Why was she asking? He
looked at her, but he didn t sense anything from Herana except concern, and
certainly there was no trace of chaos around her. Finally, he said,  At times&
I still miss her& 
 That s not the same.
It wasn t. Kharl knew that. He also wondered if that was why he tried not to
think about Charee much.  When we were younger& she was good-looking, not
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quite a beauty, but she turned heads. I thought I was in love& 
 Now you aren t sure?
 There s more than a few things I m not sure about these days, Kharl
admitted. He forced a grin.  Like why you re so interested in a carpenter
second.
 Because you re honest, and when you re not, you re trying to be& Not that [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]