middle ground where they could maintain a truce. Most of that was located on the dance floor, but after the musicians had stopped playing, they had taken to mingling and walking around. Clelem, they knew, was watching them. Or rather: her.
They found themselves sitting on a couch, not too close together. From where he was sitting, Daniel saw the senator in his green robe, lying on a couch, sound asleep.
Rayko was rubbing a foot that hurt.
“Did someone step on it?” Daniel asked.
“Hrmf,” she replied. “No. Your shins are too hard.”
“Do you want me to-” He stopped mid-sentence.
“No. Not in your lifetime,” she snapped. After a moment, she looked at him. “What were you going to suggest?”
“Rub your foot for you.”
“I can rub my own foot, thank you very much,” she snorted. She slipped her foot in her shoe again. “And you should stop seeking every opportunity to touch me.”
Before Daniel could respond to that, a few guests came up to Rayko to say good night. She got up, Daniel did so as well but held back a bit. He still was the stranger here, the outsider.
Clelem came walking to them. “Ah, daughter. I see you did what I asked of you. Very very good. I hope you had a good evening, Mr. Zacharias?”
“It was a nice evening, Seigner, thank you. I should take my leave now, though,” Daniel said.
“I understand,” said Clelem, taking his daughter’s arm. “We will go and bid our guests a good evening.”
“Thank you, sir, for the invitation. And for the talk. I’ll go change and find my way out, sir.”
Clelem nodded. “Do tell my wife you are leaving, before that, Mr. Zacharias. It would be appreciated.”
“Certainly, sir. Miss Dandro ko Galem…” Daniel nodded and walked off to where he saw Ugidra, Clelem’s spouse, where he said goodbye to her. Then he went into the side room where Clelem had so unceremoniously shoved his daughter into his arms. He shook his head. That was behaviour of the man he had never expected. Just before he entered the next room, where his own clothes were, he heard his name.
“Mr. Zacharias.” It was Rayko’s voice.
Surprised he turned. “Miss Dandra ko Galem.”
She stood half in and half hidden behind the opening of the door, her hand resting against its frame. “I just wanted to tell you that it was nice to dance with you. I still hate you, but I thank you. It did save me from worse.”
This confused him. It probably showed from his face, because Rayko added: “No, this is not something my father told me to say. Have a good evening, sir.” Then she vanished back into the hall.
After changing, Daniel went through the hall quickly. He looked for Rayko, but only saw Warlem the poet standing with his parents. The young man winked and waved as Daniel passed.
On the way home, Daniel tried to figure out what had happened that evening, but fatigue and the drinks made that an impossible task.
26. Under sail again
Everyone was on board of the Pricosine, wondering what had happened to Daniel’s mind. He was arranging long sticks and pieces of sail, tying everything together with strings.
“Daniel, you are a good man, but you must have lost your marbles somewhere ashore,” Ulaman grumbled. “You are serious with this?”
“Yes. I am very serious. I tried this on the higher hills a few days ago, and it works. And it doesn’t even need much wind.”
Daniel had found information about an ancient tool of war on the planet. It was a war-kite. Using light rods and thin sails, and also a good description with images, he had gotten to work and came out of the experiment with a kite large and strong enough to lift him up in the air. The landing bit was something that still needed some work, but if this thing could help battling pirates, then that would be worth it.
He secured the contraption and walked over to the bridge, when Stroro came walking next to him.
“Daniel, tell me something. Is it true that you danced with the Seigner’s daughter at his party?”
Daniel stopped walking for a moment. News surely travelled fast here. “Yes. I danced with her.”
“And the mouse was there to see that?” Stroro’s face lit up at the mere thought and it became worse as Daniel nodded. “Man, you are a hero! Wait until the rest hears about that!”
“Stroro, wait-”
But the sailor was already off, spreading the latest news. Daniel groaned and went up to the bridge.
Ulaman was not far behind him. “We’re going out tomorrow, Daniel. Earlier if I can help it, but the tables are against us.” He patted the book that listed the tides and water flow around the harbour. “So you danced with the Seigner’s daughter…”
Daniel groaned.
The next day, early morning, everything was ready. They cast off, the sails were set. Gaguran, the mouse, had been on board to check with Ulaman on certain things. He had ignored Daniel in such a way that it was obvious to everyone. It made Daniel even more the hero than he already was and hated.
Luckily the crew was busy for the first leg of the journey, as they had to cross through strange currents and fickle winds. After that part there was a calm stretch ahead of them.
Three days into the journey, Daniel lay in the sunshine, shielded from the breeze. His skin had coloured well; all the blue had gone after the painted-on tan had gone.
“Daniel?”
He recognised Xandree’s voiced and opened an eye. “Hello. I’m awake.”
Xandree nodded and sat down on a stack of rope next to him. “How are you?”
“I feel good. Glad to be back here. On the ship, with the crew, away from…”
She nodded again. “I don’t want to worry over you, Daniel. You looked very bad in the hospital. I need some certainty that you are okay. And not in your body, but also in your head. Something bad happened.”
Xandree’s simple approach to psychology made Daniel feel good. He sat up and winked at her. “I’m okay, Xandree. Really. I appreciate your concern, though.”
Xandree smiled. “That is good. Remember that you can always talk to me.” She got up. “Also about that party.”
“Will you get away from here!” Daniel pretended wanting to slap her, and she quickly walked off, laughing loudly. When was he ever going to hear the last of that…
“Daniel, Ulaman wants you on the bridge,” Brinno told him in passing.
“Thank you,” Daniel said. He looked at the kite once more, then went to see Ulaman.
On the bridge, the captain told him that the next day they’d be reaching their first stop, a narrow land strip sticking out into the waters. “It will be a ferrying unload again, Daniel, and the area is known for its load of bandits, so I want you to be very careful. Nobody on the ship without checking credentials.”
Ulaman showed him three seals. “These are okay. People who can come aboard carry one of those. The rest can piss off for all I care.”
Daniel understood that this was serious business: Ulaman’s jaw usually tensed up if that was the case. “Do we bring down our landing platform?”
“No, thank the powers. They have their own platforms. Saves us a lot of work.”
Overnight the sails were taken down. The massive bulk of the ship had enough speed to cross the remaining distance and the next morning the Pricosine was moored to a large floating platform. Many boats waited to get a turn at hooking up. Daniel was amazed about the number he had to send off again as they did not have the right seals, or even none at all. He had his hands full and at the end of the day, as the Pricosine was sailing off again, he was really bushed.
