Part 9 (1/2)

He tried to dump the rest of the broth overboardhis shrunken stomach was starting to protestbut she pushed it right back at him.

So the crew didn't want revenge on him, they just wanted to torture him for the joy of it. That was nice.

It's a very good thing I can't put curses on people or by now the whole crew would be writhing in agony. Or dying horribly. And in the throes of violent sea-sickness a man can think up some very horrible things indeed.

He knew that if it weren't for Flora's influence the crew would be even worse. How she kept them off him he didn't know.

Perhaps he should.

'You're not giving them...' he hesitated.

'Giving them bribes to leave you alone?' Flora shook her head, smiling. 'If I were then I'd not be getting much in return for my efforts, now would I? But no, I'm not doing that any more. I'm going to be an honest girl if it kills me. At least until I find out if I do have a family.'

She watched him look miserably into the cup of cooling broth and gave his shoulder a pat. 'Just drink it, Jimmy. You've got to get something down you or you really will be sick.'

He gave her a piteous look, but all she did was nod encouragingly. He squeezed his eyes shut and drank the last, lukewarm half. He knew it would come up again, but at least now it was comfortably warm. Flora would have waited until he drank it even if the stuff grew a skim of ice.

Then he thought about what she'd said. 'I am am sick,' he pointed out. sick,' he pointed out.

'You're not dying. But if you don't keep drinking water or broth, though, you actually might.'

Well, that was a pleasant thought.

Jimmy began to feel the broth dancing in his aching stomach and knew it wouldn't be long before the stuff made a break for it. He was too ashamed of his condition to encourage her presence at such times.

'Cook says if you can keep that down, and spend a while just looking at the horizon, so your senses can adjust, you just might get over this sickness. Some people do.' Then with a piteous look she added, 'And some people don't.'

'Maybe you should go below,' he suggested.

She looked at him askance, then nodded. 'It is getting cold out here.' Flora tucked a tendril of hair back under her enveloping shawl. 'I'll be back later with something else.'

'Oh, G.o.ds!' Jimmy groaned and rushed to the rail.

Flora hurried away; even then he managed to feel a mute animal grat.i.tude.

Jimmy willed himself to hold the content of his stomach down. He did as suggested and watched the horizon and soon noticed that the rise and fall of the s.h.i.+p was less distressing on his stomach when he could see the motion as well as feel it. He took slow, deep breaths and attempted another sip of broth.

Gradually he became aware that one of the other pa.s.sengers was watching him. The man was about thirty; of medium build, but standing with an easy balance that made some corner of Jimmy's mind say swordsman swordsman despite his dress; he was wearing dark clothes of good wool, but they'd seen hard use and were stained with salt. The sort of clothes might be worn by a travelling merchant in a small way of business, or by a s.h.i.+p's officer. despite his dress; he was wearing dark clothes of good wool, but they'd seen hard use and were stained with salt. The sort of clothes might be worn by a travelling merchant in a small way of business, or by a s.h.i.+p's officer.

But that belt has wear on it, Jimmy thought, glad of something to distract him from his wet, chill misery. Jimmy thought, glad of something to distract him from his wet, chill misery. Look at the way it's polished, and stretched a little. That's the attachment for a sword-sling Look at the way it's polished, and stretched a little. That's the attachment for a sword-sling.

Like Jimmy, the man kept himself to himself, though probably for different reasons, lending the occasional, very competent, hand to the sailors when the seas became unusually rough. Otherwise he spent his time either gazing out to sea or staring at the young thief. Jimmy was beginning to find it very annoying.

It also worried him. After separating from Flora in Krondor he'd retrieved his gold and turned a fair bit of it into silver and copper, much of which he'd secreted about his person. There were times he thought the stranger somehow knew that he was carrying well over a hundred and fifty in silver and gold even though it shouldn't have been obvious to anyone.

Unless that someone had seen him changing his gold to silver.

Certainly Jimmy didn't look rich; Flora had outfitted him from a used-clothing store, one where respectable shopkeepers and craftsmen went. True, there were a large number of pockets, but that was something common to all the boys Jimmy knew, town or Mocker. And having a lot of pockets didn't necessarily mean that each one was full of money. Even if, in his case, it was.

The only bright spot is that if he wants to rob me he'll have to do it here on deck in front of the captain and the crew, and Flora, when she's here.

It would take a good long time, too, because as one of the best pickpockets in Krondor he'd long known the value of spreading your valuables around. And with no less than twelve pockets, not including the ones he'd sewn himself, he'd had plenty of places to put his gold. Of course, if he ever fell overboard he'd sink like a stone, but you couldn't have everything. Besides, the way he was feeling right now the idea actually had some appeal.

Jimmy clung to the rail and slanted his eyes toward the stranger where the man squatted with his back against the mainmast. The man caught his glance and rose in a single graceful movement. As he approached the stranger took something from his belt pouch.

Jimmy tensed.

The man held out a strap of leather. 'Let's put this on you.' Without waiting for an answer he grabbed Jimmy's left wrist and fastened it on, then positioned it just so. 'I couldn't bear to watch you suffer any more, lad,' the fellow said. His voice was deep and mild.

Jimmy could feel something like a pebble pressing lightly into his wrist. He looked suspiciously at the stranger.

'Keep it just there and in a few hours your problem should be solved.'

'Is it magic?' Jimmy asked.

The man snorted. 'I don't think so,' he said. 'The trick of it was shown to me by an old Kes.h.i.+an sailor, and I'd bet my last silver he had nothing magical about him.' He held out his hand. 'My name is Jarvis Coe.'

Jimmy shook his hand weakly. 'If this works, Master Coe, I'll be eternally in your debt.' At that moment the s.h.i.+p rose, then fell steeply and so did Jimmy's stomach. When he turned around again Jarvis Coe was gone. He looked goggle-eyed at the bracelet. Doesn't seem to be working Doesn't seem to be working, he thought miserably, as he turned his eyes back to the horizon and contemplated another sip of broth. Maybe between staring at the horizon and the pebble on his wrist he just might survive the journey...

But it does work! Jimmy thought exultantly, an hour later. 'Oh, G.o.ds, it works!' he mumbled aloud. Jimmy thought exultantly, an hour later. 'Oh, G.o.ds, it works!' he mumbled aloud.

He looked down at his bowl. In it was some stew, the inevitable traveller's food, and there were beans and dried tomato and bits of salt fish floating around in it, and it didn't make him want to crawl groaning toward the leeward rail!

Even the wiggling thing that had dropped out of his hard biscuit when he tapped it on the table like everyone else didn't revolt him, and it would have back in Krondor. Now he just felt...

'Hungry,' he whispered to himself. 'It's been so long, I'd forgotten what it felt like!'

Flora was looking at him oddly. The pa.s.sengers took their meals at a table set up in the pa.s.sageway in front of the captain's cabin; he gave her a smile and saw her match it as he dipped his spoon into the bowl and methodically ate everything in it. That wasn't a big serving, and he felt stuffedno wonder, after three days of nothing but waterbut it stayed down.

Flora's hand jerked him awake just before he went face-down in the bowl.

'Come along, brother,' she said, helping him up.

When he came to under the coa.r.s.e brown blankets that covered his bunk, an inner sense told him he'd more than slept the clock around. That was no wonder either, since he'd no more been able to sleep than to eat.

If that's what feeling old is like, I hope I die young, he thought, shuddering. His clothes were damp and clammy as he pulled them on in the little box miscalled a cabin, but he was no stranger to that, and his feet almost danced as he headed down the pa.s.sageway and up the steep ladder-stairs to the deck, looking for his benefactor. He walked about watching the sailors work: it was always a pleasant activity watching someone else sweat.

Pleased as he was with the miracle of not being sea-sick, the whole world took on a rosier hue. The young thief decided that travel to Land's End just might be something to look forward to after all. He'd simply been startled by the Nightmaster's demand that he leave, that was it, and for a while he'd been worried because he wouldn't have anything or anybody familiar to fall back on. It wasn't fear he'd felt at all, he'd just been...taken by surprise.

Besides, he'd managed the rubes right handily when they'd made their way to Krondor; why would he have problems just because they'd stayed at home? This is going to be an adventure, by Ruthia! This is going to be an adventure, by Ruthia! he thought. he thought. I'll have some fine tales to tell when I get home I'll have some fine tales to tell when I get home.

That he looked forward to getting home before he'd even reached his destination brought a wry smile to his face. Jimmy could fool most people, but he never could fool himself. All right All right, he thought, so it's not something I would have chosen to do. But I've turned bad luck to good advantage before now. I don't see why this should be any different. so it's not something I would have chosen to do. But I've turned bad luck to good advantage before now. I don't see why this should be any different.

He looked about: still no sign of Coe and he'd been on deck for most of the morning by now.

'Where's that fellow who was propping up the main mast yesterday?' he asked a pa.s.sing sailor.