Melting Pot
August
8th, 4997, 9:00 am (Holy Terra calendar)
I am in awe at the immensity of this
spacestation.
Its engineers are powerful indeed to
keep it operating so many years after the Fall and under extreme
pressure from the Church to abandon it. Cumulus, a city in space.
We arrived here to met with Erian's
al-Malik patron. Our highly expensive berthing fees are being
paid by this wealthy noble, whose name I had best not record here.
We disembarked to discover a melting pot of people from planets
all over the Known Worlds. The bustle was almost as maddening
as that in the Istakhr Market. People hurried to and fro, desperate
to conduct their business and be off before rivals could find
them - or before their berthing fees grow too high.
Safe from monetary worry, we took our
time reaching the domed city. We wandered the hydroponic gardens
open to the vast night of space, lit only by rows of artificial
sunlight. Here, in this chill void, humankind has erected a safe
haven of light and life where even the flowers of Urth can find
rich soil.
Our patron resides in a rather lavish
apartment building fronted by the main avenue of the domed city.
There, we enjoyed a rich repast and comfortable rest. Such a relaxed
atmosphere has grown foreign to us after too many months spent
on rough worlds. But here we can let down our guard and enjoy
life.
I have just arisen from a good night's
rest (although day and night are governed here by the League's
clock, not by the rising or setting of the sun). Today, I will
visit the agora, rumored to host items unavailable on many worlds.
I hope to find an Obun meditation bowl, an item which has so far
eluded me in many markets.
9:00 pm
What an adventure! I am lucky to be
whole and with a full pouch of firebirds. Villainy walks freely
on Cumulus.
After finishing my journal entry of
the morning, I left for the agora. Since my comrades had not yet
arisen, I decided to spend the day exploring on my own. A mistake.
The first portion of the day was as
wonderful as I had hoped. I wandered many stalls, all makeshift
structures cuddled together in a network of hallways vast and
small. Some - the more expensive - hosted permanent structures
or staterooms, where the air is more pleasant and elbow room more
abundant.
But it was the smaller ones which interested
me, for they carried the most exotic goods. Of course, some of
these I avoided, such as those promising a taste of the dreaded
zhrii' ka'a lotus or even the addictive selchakah.
After a time of careful looking, I
finally found a merchant who sold Ur-Obun goods. He had two of
the bowls I was looking for! While I only purchased one, it seems
that when one finally finds what one seeks, it comes in abundance.
Much like the Pancreator's grace.
My purchase perhaps lulled my wariness.
With a smile on my face - too broad and idiotic - I turned into
a tighter passage, hoping for a shortcut back to the main thoroughfare.
It was here the ruffians waylaid me.
A rather large man stepped from an
alcove and blocked my way, glaring down at me evily. From behind
me, others gathered, chuckling low to themselves.
"What's in the bag, priest?"
the large one grunted.
I hesitated, revealing my fear. "It
it is simply a meditation device used by the Ven Lohji sect of
the Church, my son."
He obviously did not like the appellation
I had used to address him, and showed his displeasure with a swing
of his thick arm, knocking me forcefully into the wall. I clutched
my Obun bowl, desperate not to break it. How foolish! I would
have suffered broken bones before a broken bowl!
"Hand it over! Along with that
pouch!"
My mind raced, trying to figure what
stratagem I could use against them. I knew no theurgy which could
help me so quickly as I needed, and my skill in arms is rather
pitiful.
The large one reached his arm back
to strike again when he grunted in pain and toppled backwards,
pulled by his own arm. As his girth sank to the floor, his face
a mask of pain and rage, I saw Cardanzo behind him, clutching
the giant's wrist with his hand, twisting it enough to cause pain
and force the brute to follow Cardanzo's whim lest his arm be
dislocated in its socket.
I envied him his martial skill then,
embarrassed at my need for his aid. But this envy passed quickly,
replaced by my more rational relief at his arrival.
He pointed his heavy slug gun at the
giant's compatriots, who I now saw to be but striplings. Instead
of heeding his words to remain unmoving, they fled, quickly disappearing
into the crowd.
Cardanzo backed out of the alley, forcing
the brute to follow him, although not his without expelling some
nasty words. I followed quickly, thankful to be in an open arena
again.
Cardanzo bent down to whisper in the
brute's ear. I could not hear what was said, but the fellow nodded
quickly. Cardanzo released him and the man picked himself up from
the ground and walked away at a fast pace.
I was astonished. "Why did you
let him go? He'll only rob from another!"
"Of course he will, Alustro,"
Cardanzo replied, holstering his weapon, "He is a member
of the local thieves' guild. Arresting him will only bring retribution
on us from his fellows. Releasing him will allow us a degree of
freedom from their kind."
"I don't understand. How is such
crime allowed to run so rampant?"
"Cumulus follows different rules
than most worlds, Alustro. The League has its hands full just
keeping it in one piece. It cannot police it in addition."
"Then where are the priests? Cannot
the Church lend some moral enforcement?"
"Ah, would you allow this? That
bowl you so proudly bought is not exactly legal on Holy Terra."
I flushed with embarrassment. "How
long have you followed me?"
"Not long. When I realized where
you had gone, I knew you would need some help. But do not take
that as an insult. Even I am wary walking these halls alone. Now
that you are here, we are both better off for it."
I smiled at his transparent attempt
to ease my ego. Cardanzo was a good friend, and loyal to all of
his lady's chosen entourage. As we walked back through the agora,
I asked: "How did you know about those ruffian's guild allegiances?
Have you been here before?"
"Not to Cumulus, no," he
replied. "But I've seen it's like. Before I took service
with Erian's family, I was a legionnaire in the Li Halan forces.
I was stationed for a while on the Hagia, a spacestation in the
Rampart system. Even on a Li Halan-controlled station, I saw the
corruption that finds its way into any long-term gathering of
people. Of course, the station's previous owners had been the
League."
"I didn't know you were in the
military. I assumed you had been trained at birth to be a house
guard."
Cardanzo smiled. "I am not so
well born to serve so close to the lords and ladies from such
an early age. I had to earn my way up. My father was a captain
in the fleet, and that's how I attained my officer's status. It
was my deeds in the Emperor Wars which gained me my service after
mustering out. I received an offer from Count Gijan Li Halan,
Erian's uncle. So, I entered the house forces and trained to guard
nobles. It's very different, you know. Guarding a person rather
than a ship. So many more things can go wrong. Assassins could
be anywhere. You've got to assume the worst of others."
I saw no remorse on his face as he
said this, although I cannot imagine living with such distrust.
"How do you keep from getting bitter? You always seem of
such good spirit, no matter what we go through."
"I've been through worse. The
only thing I can imagine that could really embitter me is if I
ever failed to protect my lady. Other than that, what else is
there? Injury? I've got scars everywhere. Loss of friends? I've
lost more friends during the war than most people can claim throughout
their lives. Loss of property? Not even an issue. No, there's
little left that I haven't lost. Best to count what one has and
be glad for it."
"What about love? Is there no
one who has ever won your heart?"
I said too much, for now a darkness
entered his eyes.
"More than one. All unfaithful
or dead. The dead ones hurt less."
I decided to change the subject and
pretended to become absorbed in a craft store we passed. He saw
through my attempt but played along anyway. As we walked on, I
asked him about some of the things he had seen, the places he
had been. I had hardly ever talked so deeply with him before;
we never really had the time together. His travels were far but
he rarely left the ships on which he served. What he saw of these
places he only knew by the visitors who came aboard.
"What of aliens? Surely you've
seen many of them?"
He smiled and chuckled. "There
was a Gannok engineer on the Hagia. The Li Halan hated him but
couldn't risk getting rid of him. He was the only League engineer
left who knew the ship, so he got away with an awful lot. He did
win the heart of the captain, however, when the Inquisition came
aboard to search for illegal goods rumored to have been left by
the previous owners.
"They spent weeks on board, searching
everyone's cabins. But before they got to the officer's quarters,
they were finally driven off. This Gannok - Kang Kang, I believe
his name was - he began playing pranks on the Avestites. They
started out small - rocks under the mattresses - but got worse
and worse as time went on. Things like filling their ka-oil cannisters
with perfume or replacing their wax candles with Brute fat.
"Then there were the cigars! The
head Inquisitors had found a box of proscribed Vorox cigars. Do
you know the kind? Grown from a tobacco-like plant on Vorox and
heavily intoxicating. Well, this priest confiscated the cigars
and no one knew what had become of them until the Gannok struck
again. Two friends of mine were on routine patrol when they heard
a small explosion from down a little-used corridor. Running to
investigate, they came across the Inquisitor, his face blackened
and burned, the butt of an exploding cigar still in his mouth!
"Well, he dropped the cigar quick
and tried to claim that his flamegun had misfired, but everyone
soon knew the full story. The next day, the ship was declared
clean and the Inquisition left. A party was held in Kang Kang's
honor, although he swore he had no idea what everybody was so
happy with him for."
"So the Gannok prankster trait
is not just a stereotype? They really do these things?"
"Well, you could never catch Kang
Kang at it, but yes, I'm sure it was him."
I looked ahead at the stall selling
alien crafts, the one with the sign showing mechanisms manufactured
by Gannok. "I had considered buying one of their toys, to
give to Ong. He likes wind-ups. But now I'm not so sure."
We eventually arrived back at our host's
apartments in time for dinner. When offered a fine Delphian pipe
after the meal, Cardanzo and I both declined.