The shopkeeper stepped closer and settled his fists on his lips. His tight leather breeches pulled at the lacings and forced his bulging stomach to hang in folds over his hands. His startlingly green shirt was richly embroidered at cuffs and neck but frayed along the edges as if it had come from among his own secondhand wares.
"I want no thieving wharf rats in my tent," he said. "Go elsewhere with your dirty hands."
Eliana watched him without appearing to shift her attention from the clothing; it was a survival technique she'd mastered as a child growing up on the docks. With a seemingly casual motion, she brushed back her stained overtunic so that the man could see she carried a money pouch.
Immediately the merchant's dark eyes took on a look of interest and cunning. "Ah," he said in tones falsely respectful, "and what would a lad like you be seeking to buy?"
Eliana met his look, eyes flashing. "I am looking for a decent coat," she said. "One suitable for a long sea voyage. And I'm not a lad."
Eliana almost smiled at the merchant's startled look. For she knew that he had thought her a boy and not a young woman. Her blacker-than-black hair was cropped short, and her skin was dark, tanned by exposure to wind and sun, and she wore the trousers and overtunic of a dockworker. Even her stance was that of a man. Her eyes, however, filled now with challenge, revealed the truth of her claim. The merchant's voice became patronizing.
"You've come to the right place, madam," he said with a covert glance toward her waist pouch. "My name is Harad, and I have here some of the finest new and used clothing in Ithkar."
Eliana glanced around the crowded enclosure. The only thing new she could detect was the smell of freshly salted fish. And she had brought that in with her.
Harad stepped around the table and lifted the coat Eliana had first touched, pressing it into her hands. "This garment is made of the best Warin wool," he said. "You can see there are few stains. It was owned previously by a highborn noble who parted with it only because of the changing styles. It's in top condition. A true bargain."
"It's worn thin and has a badly mended rip under one arm," Eliana said, tossing it back. "And judging from its odor, that nobleman must have worked in the horse staples." She ignored the merchant's feigned look of insult and glanced toward the brown cloak. She was drawn to it even though she had little use for such a loose, heavy wrap. Its. apparent richness might attract more trouble than it was worth in the dark corners of the docks.
The merchant caught her glance. He reached for the cloak. "Perhaps this is what you seek," he said, stopping his hand just before it touched the brown wrap. He hesitated for an instant, then pulled his hand back, frowning. Again Eliana was minded of magic but could think of no reason for the man's reluctance to touch the cloak. Had he laid an enhancing spell on it, surely he would not hesitate to hawk t in his best manner.
"I've no need for a nobleman's cape," she said.
"Ah," replied Harad, and he began pulling other garments from the pile, carefully avoiding the brown wool, furious, Eliana examined each of the offered coats carefully, paying no mind to Harad's sales pitch. Several of the garments, she was certain, were not quite what they seemed, but she could not prove they had been tampered with magically. She carefully set those aside and moved on to others. She needed a coat that was sturdy and warm, not flamboyant, but certainly not shabby if she was to succeed in her plans, this was not a time to allow herself to be cheated.
Her aged and ailing uncle had died just weeks before, leaving her the sole owner of their thriving fish dealership, while the business was not large, it had over the years Drovided her and her uncle with a decent profit. Eliana had managed to save much of her wages, all but what they needed to live on, and was now ready to seek her dream.
For as long as she could remember, Eliana had wanted to leave Ithkar to seek trade and adventure in the lands beyond the Western Sea. She planned to lease the fish business, or sell it if she must, and purchase a stock of trade goods! Then she would join the crew of the trading vessel Alakai or its upcoming exploratory voyage across the Western Sea Once there, she was sure she could achieve a large profit with her trade goods and return to Ithkar a wealthy woman Even if she lost everything, she would at least have had the adventure of trying. She thought that a suitable goal in itself.
The greatest difficulty now was to convince Captaic Sturming to take her on as crew. Women were sometimes taken on exploratory voyages as cooks or washerwomen, but Eliana had no intention of seeking her dream in the blinding steam of a washtub or the heat of a shipboard galley. She must find a way to convince the captain that she could be as valuable to his ship as any male member of his crew. She was too well known on the docks to successfully hide her sex for long. And besides, she did not wish to begin her great adventure with a lie. Not that lie, at any rate.
"You like the cloak, it seems. Why don't you try it on?"
The merchant's smooth voice pulled Eliana from her thoughts, and she found that she was again running her fingers over the brown woolen cape. She frowned, wondering again about magic, then dismissed the thought as impossible. No merchant this close to the temple precinct would dare dabble in spells to make his goods sell; the priests would surely find him out. Besides, while the cloak seemed strange, it did not have the feel of illegal magic.
She pulled it from the clothing pile, then shook it to release the wrinkles and held it up with both hands. The wool was good quality, still firmly woven, though the garment was made in one of the older styles. It was plain except for a small line of embroidery along the edge of the hood. The fine embroidery threads were only a shade darker than the cape itself, and in the dimness of the tent she had difficulty making out the pattern. A closer look showed it to be a line of small fish, swimming head to tail around the edge of the cape.
Eliana laughed at the symbol of her own profession and swirled the cape around to settle it on her shoulders. It felt more like silk than it did wool. When she hugged her arms around herself, the fabric clung sensuously to the shape of her shoulders and hips.
"Have you a glass?" she asked. Harad jerked his thumb toward a dark corner. Eliana walked there, then stared for a moment at her brown-wrapped figure. She frowned. In the glass she looked more a man than she had ever intended, even her face seemed somehow different. Shivering, she doffed the cape and tossed it back onto the pile.
Pointing to two of the coats she'd examined, she asked heir price. She dickered with the merchant, refusing his first three offers, countering with lower ones of her own. She had just decided to try the ploy of leaving without a purchase when Harad lowered the price yet further. He grabbed the brown cloak and thrust it into her hands.
"Take this as part of the bargain," he said. "It fits you, and I've no use for it here. It ... it was worn by a friend of nine who died recently, and the sight of it makes me sad. I’ll give it to you as a gift."
"No gift," Eliana said quickly. She was sure the man vas lying about his "friend," but the cape was still a fine garment. She could find some use for it. "I'll take the cape as part of the bargain."
"Done!" cried the merchant, and he stood rubbing his fingers together as he waited for her to count out her coppers.
When Eliana left the clothier's tent, the air had turned cool, and in a fit of good humor she swung the cape to her shoulders, carrying the coats she'd bought under her arm. The cloak was as warm as a living thing on her back. She caught people staring at her from time to time as she strode through the crowded fairgrounds and grinned when she realized that most of her admirers were women.
Perhaps the cloak was not such a useless thing after all she thought. She'd always found it more expedient to wear male clothing. There were few women in her profession and customers who believed her to be male took the bargaining more seriously. Besides, fish dealing, from the catch to salting and sale, was hard and dirty work; skirts and ribbons would have made it more so. Eliana had found also that strangers to the docks paid her less heed when they; thought her a bo
y; there were fewer times when she was forced to show how well she could protect herself.
As she approached the wooden stall where her fish dealership was located, Eliana saw two men just turning away. She broke into a run, not wishing to lose such prosperous-looking customers. Skidding to a stop before the men, she gasped in recognition and tried to catch her breath. One of the men was Captain Sturming of the Alakai, the other was his first mate.
"What's this, lad?" The captain laughed and put out a hand to steady her. His hand rested for a moment on the brown cape before it dropped back to his side. "Why are you darting across the docks like a fish in a feeding frenzy?"
Eliana was torn between her desire to beg the great sea captain for a place among his crew and her fear that by doing so now, she would ruin her chances forever. She decided on the safer course and pointed toward the stall.
"It . . . it's mine," she stammered. "The fish, they're ... I saw you looking inside." She cursed herself for a fool, unable to utter a single clear thought. The captain would surely turn away.
"Speak plainly, boy." The first mate scowled. "What do you want? The captain is a busy man." He moved to push her from their path.
Captain Sturming motioned him back. "I think the lad's trying to tell us he's the proprietor of the fish dealership, Talmont," he said. "And I'll wager he's not keen on losing customers." He turned back to Eliana and lifted a brow in question.
"Aye, Captain," she agreed quickly. "Please, pardon my rush. I was called away to the inner fairgrounds. If you are seeking fish, I can provide you with the freshest on the docks."
“I’m in need of both fresh fish and salted," said Sturming. “I've a crew to feed and a long voyage to provision."
“I’ve both in plenty," Eliana replied, and waved the men back to her stall. She breathed a sigh of relief when they followed. Inside the long narrow storage shed, barrels of salted fish stood in rows along the walls and in neat stacks across the floor. The salty tang of her wares permeated the air, even though the unshuttered windows allowed a constant breeze to pass through. She led the way to the back, where the daily catch was displayed.
“I see you keep your fresh fish iced," the captain said as he pressed his thumb onto the skin of one to test its firmness.
“That'll raise the price, Captain," mumbled the first mate.
“But it'll save your crew from many a sore belly," Eliana said quickly. “Fish poisoning is no small thing, as you know, Captain. You can see by the clear eyes that these fish are safe to eat."
“It takes little enough magic to keep the eyes of a fish clear," Talmont said. “How do we know your goods are not altered?"
“I give you my word," Eliana said, frowning at the insult. “And if that isn't good enough, call a priest and have the fish checked. The river fish were caught by my own hand, and the rest were purchased from only the most reputable deep-sea fishermen."
The captain lifted his hand to stop Talmont from speaking further. “Your word will do, lad. Anyone with eyes to see would know these fish are fresh." He lifted the lid of a salt-fish barrel to examine its contents. Grunting in approval, he turned back to Eliana.
“What would you take for the lot?" he asked.
“Fresh or salted?" Eliana tried to hide her excitement.
She had never sold her entire stock at one time before. It had always gone barrel by barrel or fish by fish.
“Both," said the captain. "Plus whatever more you can provide before my ship sails."
Eliana swallowed slowly, taking the time to calculate an offer that would be fair but still provide her with a goodly profit. Finally, she crossed her fingers beneath her cape and named a price to begin the bargaining.
"Done," said the captain.
Eliana blinked at the speed of his decision, then broke into a wide grin. This was, indeed, a day of good fortune. She thought of the additional trade goods she could purchase with this final sale.
"Captain, what of the fish dealer I brought you this morning?" Talmont cried. "His offer was far lower than this thieving youngster's."
Eliana spun around to confront him. To be accused of ill-using magic she would endure in silence, but to be called a thief in her own shop was more than she was willing to bear. As she moved, an edge of the cape lifted and brushed across the display table, knocking loose one of the biggest fish. The slippery creature slid from the iced pile and landed with a splat on Talmont's polished boots. Eliana gasped at what she had seen and felt happen and quickly folded the cape's front edge out of sight. Clutching the soft wool in her hands, she watched in horror as the seaman jumped back and cursed in anger. Beneath her fingers, the brown fabric twisted.
"Enough, Talmont," broke in Captain Sturming. "The offer is fair. Your friend of this morning was selling tainted goods, as any fool could see." He turned to Eliana. "Two of my crew will come for the fresh fish this afternoon, and the barrels of salted can be moved to the Alakai tomorrow. Is that satisfactory?"
Eliana nodded in agreement. She was eager now for the captain to leave. Some magic was at work in the cape, there was no question of it now, and she dare not let Captain Sturming think she dabbled in such things. He would never agree to take her on. The bunched fabric beneath her fingers felt like a hand trying to clasp her own.
"Will you join me for supper on the Alakai this evening, madam?" the captain continued. "I can have your price ready for you then."
Eliana's mouth dropped open, and she almost let go of the cloak's edge. The captain had recognized her for a woman, and a fumbling woman at that. He'd never hire her now. She glanced toward Talmont, who was irritably brushing fish scales from the front of his trousers. He certainly would not speak on her behalf. Talmont glanced up at her, pausing for a moment to stare at the front of her cape.
Miserably, Eliana nodded her agreement to the captain. At least she would get to go aboard the ship of her dreams, even if it was only for a few hours. Her day of good fortune had turned to salt.
"Good, then. I'll look for you at eventide," the captain said. "Come, Talmont, let us move on to that clothier Harad you spoke so highly of."
When the men had left, Eliana quickly dropped the cape's edge and fumbled with the neck clasp to remove it. The clasp was worn, and it caught several times before she got it open. Finally she had the garment off.
"Fine lot of good you are," she said as she tossed it across a salt-fish barrel. "The Alakai is the last ship of the season to make for the Western Isles. They'll never take me aboard now." She bent to retrieve the fish that had fallen. Been pushed was more like it, for she'd felt the cape move with a will of its own when it brushed against the fish. She had even seen the misty image of a man's hand just as it touched the fish, then later felt the hand's shape and warmth while she hid it from the two seamen. Eliana was disgusted that she'd fallen for the clothier's ruse; he must have known there was something wrong with the cape and gotten rid of it by passing it on to her. A "gift" indeed.
"I should take you right back to that thief," she said, and jumped back when a place on the cape's hood moved in response. She waited, frightened, but not enough so that she wished to call for help. She wanted no more entanglements this day, and she knew enough of magic to recognize that whatever was trapped in the cape could not escape without her help. If it could have, it would have, and long before now.
"What do you want?" she asked. "Who are you?"
Again the fabric moved, straining as if to reply. The vague shape of a lip formed, misted, disappeared again into the cloth. The place hung limp over the salt-encrusted rim of the barrel.
"Of course!" Eliana cried suddenly. "The salt is what brings you out. The fish was from the ocean waters and must still have had sea salt on its scales." Carefully, she readjusted the cape so that the place that had moved was resting on a small patch of brine. Immediately, the lips began to form again, then the teeth behind them. When a tongue appeared, she said, "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"
The lips moved stiffly
, and the tip of the tongue ran along the edge of the upper teeth. The thing's breath was stale, but not unpleasant. It cleared its throat and spoke.
"Let me out!"
"Not until I know what's going on," Eliana replied. "And maybe not even then. I've no wish to become embroiled in someone else's spells." She sat on the floor and settled back against the rough wooden leg of the fish table. "What are you?" she asked. "And how did you come to be trapped in this cape?"
"I am a man," said the mouth. "Marcus is my name. I placed myself in this cape three days ago when it appeared my life was endangered."
"I've been in danger many a time," Eliana said dryly, "but I never avoided it by hiding in my clothes."
"No?" said the mouth. "Then why do you wear men's clothing on that female body of yours?"
Eliana sat up straight, blushing when she remembered that the cloak had been wrapped around her shoulders, its hood draped over her hair. She could still feel the soft nap of the wool and the warmth of the cape's flowing folds.
“You are right," she said after a pause. "I do hide in my clothes. But only to avoid the trouble that can come of being a female working among men on the docks. I, at least, have sense enough to know how to escape my disguise." She grunted and leaned back against the post, arms wrapped around her upraised knees.
The lips were silent for a moment, pressed tightly together, and Eliana began to wonder if she had angered the trapped Marcus too far. Then, suddenly, he spoke again. "You, too, are right, fishwoman. I should have taken more care. Still, I don't know what else I could have done. I was in the clothier's shop, trying to determine if his goods had been tampered with, when—"
"Are you a wizard?" Eliana cried, panicked suddenly to think she might be holding such a dangerous person captive. This day could hold not only the end of her dream, but the end of her life if that were true.
Norton, Andre - Anthology Page 21
