She said: "Do you know what I wish, darling?"
"What?"
"That you and I had met way back, before either of us had experience of sex, and that we'd gotten married then, and that there'd been nobody but just us ever since. If you believe the books, that's how lots of people used to do it."
"A lovely idea, Lish. But of course, you might not have liked me as a shy, skinny kid with his nose in a book."
"I don't know about that. But I know I was a horrible person to live with. So you wouldn't have liked me, either."
"Maybe; maybe not. Unfortunately, life isn't like a reel of tape, which you can rewind and edit and play over again. I guess we have to act out our current segment of tape, and right now that means getting up for breakfast."
Reluctantly, she unwrapped her arms from around his bony torso and untangled her legs from his.
At breakfast, Reith said: "Our next job is to find a ship for Majbur. Can I leave you two to your own devices for a while?"
Marot: "I shall go look at the trains."
"Lish?"
"I'd like to go shopping, now that we're in funds."
"I don't advise it. This is a tough town for a woman to wander alone."
"Oh, fishfeathers! I've knocked around by myself all over the lands of the Triple Seas. Besides, we've fixed Lazdai's wagon."
"Just listen for a minute, sweetheart!" said Reith earnestly. "I promised not to order you around any more. So I did not say, thou shalt not shop! If you must, go ahead. But I'll be back in a couple of hours; and then, if you like, we can all go out to buy things together."
"Oh, all right. Then I'll work on my journal for a while."
Relieved at avoiding another confrontation with his headstrong amorex, Reith borrowed a scooter from Angur. The harbor master's office was in a cupola atop the customs building, whence that functionary could look out over the neighboring roofs to keep track of the ships that entered and left the harbor. Reith climbed the circular stair to his office and greeted the occupant:
"Hail, good Master Peyuz! Do you remember me, Fergus Reith?"
"Certes! How go your tours? Have ye brought a swarm of Ertsuma to gape at our sights, ogle our wenches, and finger our merchandise?"
"I have only two, which is hardly a swarm. We wish to book passage to Majbur forthwith. May I see the list of sailings?"
It transpired that the Kubitar, of Captain Gendu, left at noon the following day for Damovang, Majbur, and Darya. "A well-found ship, not above a year old," said the harbor master. Reith asked:
"Does any other ship, leaving soon, not put in at Damovang?"
"The next is the Garm, bound for Majbur and Reshr; but that sails not till twelve days hence."
Reith chewed his lip. At the moment he was inclined to propose remarriage to Alicia. This morning at the inn, she had been quite reasonable in following his advice. If she kept on improving ... But he had a feeling that to stop to visit her native friend, President Vizman of Qirib, would somehow upset the delicate relationship between them. On the other hand, a twelve-day delay would get them to Novo at a date uncomfortably close to the departure of the Juruá for Terra. With a sigh he decided on the Kubitar.
When Reith found the Kubitar's berth, he pushed up the gangboard amid a stream of longshoremen bent beneath bags and boxes. A towering captain, standing at the head of the plank directing stowage, looked sharply at Reith as he approached.
"Captain Gendu?" said Reith. "I am Fergus Reith, a Terran as you see. We are told you expect to sail at midday tomorrow."
"So we shall," growled Gendu, "if landlubbers get not in the way of our lading."
"I regret to trouble you, but have you accommodation for three passengers to Majbur?"
"Oh, that's a different story. Aye, we have, and welcome ye shall be. Chindor!" he shouted at his first officer. "Show this gentleman our passenger cabin." He turned back to his loading.
The passenger accommodations, which occupied the central part of the deckhouse aft of the captain's quarters, were a small compartment with four bunks. There were two on each side and ladders for reaching the upper berths. A door on each side opened on the deck.
"When do you expect to reach Majbur?" Reith asked the mate.
"If the winds hold fair, we can arrive in five and a half days, including the stop at Damovang."
"That's good time."
"Aye, but this be a new ship, with hull unfouled by growths marine and sails new and flat, not stretched into bags by wind and wave. For now, she's the swiftest merchantman on the Sadabao."
Reith paid for three passengers, promising to be on the pier well before sailing time.
Returning from the docks, Reith found Marot studying a wooden rail coach and took him to the ticket office in the station building. He said to the clerk:
"Here are the stubs of three tickets to Majbur, bought about a ten-day ago. We were on the train that was held up short of Kolsafid, and I wish a refund."
The clerk wagged his head. "That I cannot do, O Terran," he said in an arrogant tone. "The rules clearly say that, to obtain a refund, ye must apply within three days of the cancellation."
"What! But my friend here and I were abducted from that train and taken to Chilihagh. How in Hishkak could we apply for refunds from a prison cell in Jeshang?"
The Krishnan spread his hands. "That's your misfortune. Rules are rules, and we cannot make exceptions for every whim of chance."
Reith reddened. "Look here, young fellow!" he roared. "Know that I am Fergus Reith, planetary manager for the Magic Carpet Travel Agency. Doctor Marot is one of my tourists. It is ridiculous for the railroad to let a passenger be kidnapped from a train and then refuse to return his fare. What is your name?"
"I—You have no right to ask that," said the clerk, losing assurance.
"I shall find out, fear not. Who is the highest railroad official in this building?"
"The—the vice-president, Master Lazkar. But he sees none without appointment."
"He'll see me! Where is his office?"
"Really, good my masters, there's no need to roil the waters over this matter. If ye say a refund is in order, doubtless ye know whereof ye speak. How much paid ye?"
Leaving the station with money in his pockets, Reith smiled. "That's the sort of thing we sometimes have to do, Aristide. My trade calls for a thick skin and plenty of brass. I'm a shy, timid fellow at heart, but I've learned to act the blustering bully when necessary. The trick is to know when to bluster; one can be in my business for years and still not get the hang of it."
Reith paused to examine the sundial in the center of the square. "Let's collect Alicia and go shopping, to replace the stuff those damned cowboys stole."
They bought toothbrushes and razors. Alicia got a new sewing kit. Marot replaced the flute he had lost at Zora with a Krishnan instrument of similar form. All three obtained wide-brimmed straw hats like those they had seen at the ranch.
Their boots were disintegrating; but Krishnan footgear had to be made to order, and the handwork would take a ten-day. Alicia said: "On the ship, we'll go barefoot until we get to Majbur. But wouldn't it be nice if we could buy new underwear? I don't know about Aristide, but yours and mine are falling apart."