"He also said he would take me back, whether I wanted him or not. If I'd be a good girl, know my place, and never argue, he might not have to discipline me. I suppose he meant more beatings."
"Anyone who can stop you from arguing, my dear ex, deserves a medal."
"Don't be nasty!"
"Sorry, my dear, I didn't mean that. You saved our hash this afternoon."
"And you saved mine yesterday, and I love you for it. Oh, Fergus, your arm's bleeding!"
Reith glanced at his right hand, down which a trickle of blood had run. "Just a scratch from that poor Krishnan devil I killed. We're in a hurry; it can wait till we get to Kubyab."
"You must let me clean—oh!" cried Alicia. "I have a simply divine idea!"
"What's that?"
"Warren's camp is empty. Let's ride back there so I can scoop up all my notes and things!"
"Good God, woman! We escape death by the skin of our teeth, and you want to dally to recover some sociological scribble! No!"
Alicia's lips tightened, her eyes flashed, and Reith feared she would fly into one of her rages. Instead, with a visible effort, she controlled herself. She guided her aya close to Reith's and caught his hand, looking up with little-girl appeal. Muddy, disheveled, and rain-streaked though she was, he still thought her the prettiest thing on two planets. She pleaded:
"But Fergus! It's only a little detour, and we have hours of daylight yet. And I want those notes more than anything— more than anything but one—in the world. I'll—I'll do anything you ask."
Marot cleared his throat. "My friend, I am willing to take the small additional risk. I know what the little Alicia suffers over the loss of research materials. Permit me to add my plea to hers."
"Suppose we run into armed men?"
"Then we can retreat. What is the English saying, nothing ventured, nothing obtained?"
"Okay; but if it lands us in the soup again, don't blame me." The party changed direction towards Foltz's camp. "It strikes mc we're in the soup already, in one way. Foltz's Krishnans have about cleaned us out of cash."
"When was that?" asked Marot.
"When we packed up, I looked for those bags of coins we had to pay the help, but they were gone. I've got a few karda in my money belt, but that wouldn't feed us for three days in a big city like Jazmurian. They got my good clothes, too. How about you two?"
Alicia said: "I left Warren with nothing in the world but the clothes you see."
"I was not carrying money," said Marot. "Will not that tessara around your neck get us credit on Novorecife?"
Reith held up the green rectangle of jadeoid, on which was inscribed his name and occupation in several Krishnan languages. "It might work in a real city like Mishé or Majbur; but I doubt if these Chilihagho yucks would trust it. They'd know nothing about Terran credit out here in the boonies."
Foltz's camp proved empty. Alicia found her papers; then she wanted to collect her clothes and other possessions. She took so long that Reith said:
"Lish! Foltz's gang may come back any minute. Come along!"
"Just one minute ...I can't find my ..."
"Come on Alicia! Aristide, help me collect her!"
"You must come, my dear," said Marot. "Otherwise we shall have to compel you again."
"Oh, damn you men!" she flared. Returning to the pack aya, she stowed a small bundle as well as her notes. "Pretending to be strong and heroic, and really being scared of your shadows! You've collected your things; why can't I have mine? Well, aren't you going to help me tie this stuff in place?"
"Such a gracious request!" murmured Reith, but he bent to the task. Then he was startled by an unearthly screech of fury from Alicia. She was looking at a table on which lay specimens wrapped in cloth. She darted to this table and snatched up a strip of azure goods, letting the fossil bone fall.
"No wonder I couldn't find my one decent dress!" she cried. "That son of a bitch cut it into strips to wrap his damned fossils! And out of sheer spite! I'll boil him in oil!"
Angrily wiping away a tear, she mounted her aya. During the long ride to Kubyab, she sulkily refused to speak to either companion.
VI - THE BARGE
When, hours later, the fugitives drew up at Sainian's ranch house, the clouds had begun to break. A few golden spears of late-afternoon sunlight pierced the western overcast. Sainian cried:
"By Qondyor's iron yard! Ye look like the survivors of a battle!"
"We are," said Reith.
"Herg rode in this afternoon, telling of a brabble of some sort amidst the rainstorm. He seemed confused as to who fought whom. Come ye in, get dry, eat, drink, and tell me all! The only fee I ask is a good story to bedazzle my copemates. Come in!"
"Master Reith is wounded, sir," said Alicia.
"A wound?" said Sainian. "Let me see ... Ah, I perceive that Terran blood be red, even as I've heard. Strange. Your cut reminds me of the scratch I got when I slew that shaihan-thief. Ilui! Fetch a poultice and a bandage. But first we must rid him of the mud. Babir! Fill the tubs!"
Sainian turned Reith and Marot over to the servant Babir, while Ilui took charge of Alicia. Babir led the men to a small room containing an enormous wooden tub, which he filled with bucketfulls of water.
"You go first, my friend!" said Marot. "No, no, I insist! You have had the more strenuous day."
Knowing that Marot would argue all night rather than yield a point of politeness, Reith let himself be persuaded. He lowered his tired body into the tub, wincing at the cold.
"At times like this," he said, "I miss the hot running water at Novo."
When Reith had bathed, and Marot had bandaged the minor wound, Reith said: "I don't like having you take a bath in used water, but if we ask Babir to empty it, that might take an hour."
"Think nothing!" said Marot, stepping boldly into the cold water. "In a little French hotel, when a family orders a bath, the papa bathes first, then the mama, then the children, all in the same water. No true Frenchman would be so extravagant as to pay for three full tubs when one will serve."
Babir put his head in, saying: "Be ye gentlemen finished? The squire asks if ye need raiment."
"All we own are those muddy work clothes we arrived in. We should certainly appreciate a loan," replied Reith.
"Then, quotha, ye shall be clad from his supply."
Laid out on the bed, they found two fine woollen suits. Each consisted of a pleated kilt and a pearl-gray sleeveless jacket with large brass buttons. One kilt was a sober blue; the other, gaudy with stripes of scarlet and gold. Reith would have preferred the blue; but he was compelled to adopt the other when the red-and-yellow could not be let out at the waist far enough to accommodate Marot's girth.
"Not bad," said Reith, surveying himself in a metal mirror. "Oh, Babir! Would your master mind if we rested an hour before joining him? We've had an exhausting day."
An hour later, clad in their new splendor, Reith and Marot followed Babir to the living room, where Sainian and a burly Krishnan waited. Their host said: "These be the Ertsuma whereof I told you. Maghou is the stout one; Reef, the lean. Sirs, this is my old friend and distant cousin, Captain Sarf bad-Dudán, of the barge Morkerád."
After amenities and a round of kvad, Reith asked: "Where does your ship run to, Captain?"
"Up the Zora to Kubyab, down the Zigros to Jazmurian. This is the head of navigation for vessels larger than a skiff. We make one regular stop, at Jeshang, and as many flag stops as requested."