Pirates Of Gohar

Chapter 14

While they were putting the roof back together, Rhodina told Blade about her life and how she'd come to Shell Island. As he'd guessed, she was a Mythoran, and her life had been grim at best.

She was a prostitute, the daughter of a prostitute and the granddaughter of a small Goharan merchant exiled to Mythor for debt. She'd never known her grandfather, but knew the kind of man he'd been and what had happened to him.

«He got a shop back, and thought he'd do good for my mother and her brothers. Then there was a fight in the shop. A Goharan soldier got hurt. The judge said he was being kind when he took the shop away. Kind! Goharan kindness!» Rhodina spat on the sand at the thought.

Her grandfather never recovered from this new blow to his pride, his hopes, and his finances. His sons had to leave school and become common laborers. His daughter ended up a prostitute. Rhodina didn't know who her father was, other than that he must have been a near-giant.

«Mother was little. I was a big baby. She nearly died when I was born, and had to get work as a maid in a trader's house. A Mythoran. Lived seven years, and did good for me too.»

Rhodina's mother didn't do well enough for her daughter to keep the girl off the streets when she turned fourteen. She did leave her with a small amount of money and a vast hatred of Gohar, Goharans, and Goharan rule over Mythor.

«Don't say Mythorans always sweet and good,» she said wryly. «I no damn fool. But half our trouble is Goharans or fights with the bastards.»

«That's how you picked up some of your damage?» asked Blade.

She nodded. She'd been big for her age, so she was able to start dealing with the higher-paying customers that much sooner. She hadn't known what she was getting into at first, but she soon learned. She didn't go into details about the learning, and Blade didn't ask. Obviously there were more than a few sadists among the Goharan officers and nobles.

While recovering from one beating, she'd been cared for by a retired prostitute whose husband had been involved in the Mythoran conspiracy against Gohar. One night he'd simply disappeared, but after being interrogated, raped, and beaten, his wife was released. She'd promptly taken her husband's place among the rebels, and a few months later found herself nursing Rhodina. Even at seventeen Rhodina didn't need much persuasion to join the rebels.

For three years, Rhodina was one of the most trusted messengers for the Mythoran rebels. She went all over the city and its surrounding territory, even into the farming country far inland, along the frontier with the Maghri. Then she was arrested, fortunately on a mistaken charge of theft which had nothing to do with her work for the rebels. Apart from the routine rape and beating, she wasn't even interrogated. But she'd been arrested three times before, so as a four-time criminal she was sent to Shell Island.

«I was glad they didn't talk about the rebels,» she said. «If they started that, I'd be finished, one way or another. But Shell Island-not much better. You go just as sure here, even if slower.»

This was particularly true for women. There was only one woman for every four men among the prisoners on the island. Most of the women were quickly taken over by one of the stronger bands of prisoners, and rented out to the rest of the men. A few women found a single strong protector, and until he died or was murdered they enjoyed a halfway decent life. Those who refused either fate died quickly, from mass rape, beatings, or starvation.

«Don't know which would have happened to me,» said Rhodina. «One of them for sure. Somehow, I got to Shell Island wanting to be-well, not serving men any more. So I wouldn't go to any of the gangs.»

Fortunately she found a protector almost at once, a man she described as «big enough to take two regular men and knock 'em together.» In spite of his immense strength and vitality, he was as alone and even more despised than she was. This drew them together at first, and afterward she found that he was also kind to her.

«Don't know if he's like that to everybody. Prob'ly not. But woman who's alone like he is-she's different. I couldn't have done better.»

Rhodina's protector used his strength and skill in diving to bring in so much shell that he was able to bribe the guards into letting them live alone in this hut by the shore. The guards of Shell Island could be bribed into almost anything, except giving a prisoner a weapon or letting him escape. He'd gone out on a trip to a particularly dangerous reef ten days ago, and she hadn't heard anything from him or even about him since.

«Too damned long, he's gone,» she said. «And too damned much to happen to him. Not just the snakes and fish, but enemies he's got too.» So she hadn't been thinking too clearly or feeling too kindly toward the world when she found Blade asleep on the beach.

«All forgiven?» she asked, kissing him. It was a sisterly kiss, but holding the promise of something more if the right time ever came.

«All forgiven,» said Blade. «Now, is there anything for dinner? I'm afraid I'm hungry.»

Rhodina sighed. «'Fraid you'll just have to stay hungry. I was going to swim out-place I call Fishmonger's Reef, 'cause you can always get some fish there. But I found you, and-«

«All right, all right. It's my own fault that I'm going to bed hungry. No harm done, and I can help you fish tomorrow.»

«Thank you.»

By now it was getting dark. In spite of all the hours he'd slept under the influence of the drug, Blade found he was ready to sleep some more. He gave the newly repaired roof a final inspection, then said good night to Rhodina and lay down on the opposite side of the hut from her.

He was glad Rhodina hadn't asked for details of his crimes and sentence to Shell Island. Apparently his being on the island at all was in his favor, and his treatment of her was enough to make him trustworthy. That was good. He didn't want to have to tell her any elaborate lies, not when sooner or later he'd want to tell her the truth.

He'd want to do more than that, eventually. He'd want to ask her to escape with him and lead him to the rebels in Mythor. He still wanted to do his best for Harkrat and Elyana.

Blade was awake well before dawn, and found the wind blowing so hard he wondered if it would be safe to enter the water. The waves on the shore rumbled and boomed, and out on the reef they threw spray high in the air.

Rhodina came out of the shelter, to stand naked in the wind and look over Blade's shoulder. She laughed. «This wind's a teaser. Goes down by daylight, and water's all right by noon.»

She was right. By noon the wind was dead and the waves were dying. Rhodina brought out the fishing gear-a spear, two lines with hooks, a sack of bait, bone knives, knee and elbow pads for protection against the coral, and a deflated fish bladder.

«For holding up the fish, not us,» she said. «You can swim good?»

«See if I'm still with you when we get to the reef.»

They stripped off their clothes and plunged into the water.

Blade would have been ahead of Rhodina if he'd known the water better. They were neck and neck when they finally climbed out onto a ledge of dead coral. At low tide it was only a foot below the surface. A few yards away, the waves rolling in from deeper water splashed against the reef.

They spent the whole day there, dropping the baited hooks into the water, then standing by with the spear and knives to finish off anything which took the bait. They pulled in five fish, one of them weighing nearly twenty pounds. Rhodina seemed not to notice that all five were bleeding rather freely into the water.

«What about the sharks?»

«Oh, them. Don't come inside the reef on this tide. No way in for the big fish.»

Blade couldn't help remembering that people had been killed by sharks no more than four feet long, but decided there was no point in mentioning it. Also, he was more than hungry enough to risk a few sharks.

Toward midafternoon Blade saw one of the lines tighten much more violently than before. He grabbed it just before it pulled free from the chunk of coral where he'd tied it. Whatever was on the other end of the line promptly started to run away with the line, nearly pulling Blade into the water. It was obviously far larger than anything else he'd caught all day. Grimly he settled down to play the fish until he could land it safely, painfully aware of the line already gouging his fingers and palms as he manipulated it.

Blade's hands were beginning to bleed when the fish finally gave up the struggle and let him haul it in. It was nearly ten feet long, slim-bodied, with a broad tail and a three-foot bony spike jutting from its head. It reminded Blade of a Home Dimension swordfish. It also reminded him of Rhodina's words.

«The big ones never come inside the reef on this tide, eh?» he said with a smile.

She looked sharply at him, until she realized he was joking. «I told you what I knew. First time I've ever seen a brooga or anything like it in here by day. It's good eating though, enough for all of us. If… if…» She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her hands against her face. Then she said almost fiercely, «No if. He'll come back. I know it. He wasn't meant to die here.»

Blade took her hands gently in his. «And if he doesn't, I swear I'll find out how he died. If I can, I'll avenge his death. Even if I can't, I'll stay with you and protect you as well as he did.»

«Not easy-do as good work as he did. But-thank you.» She took a step forward, pulled her hands free, and put her arms around him. Her head drooped, until it was resting on his shoulder with her cheek against his. Blade put his arms around her, trying to keep his hands still. He was very much aware of the warmth of her body against his, the yielding firmness of her breasts, the smooth, salt-scented skin under his fingers, the graceful curve of her back down to the cleft between her buttocks

She laughed and murmured in his ear, «Why not?» As he realized what she meant, she gripped him by the shoulders and pulled herself up on tiptoe. He bent his knees until he was nearly squatting. Then he straightened up, sliding himself up between Rhodina's welcoming thighs.

They both gasped in the moment of joining. Then it was all they could do to keep moving and stay together and not fall down into the water all at once. Blade vaguely wished he could shift position, or let go altogether and run his hands over more of Rhodina, kiss her breasts, kiss some of her scars to show her once and for all that they didn't repel him, let her do the same to him, take him in her mouth-

But they couldn't do any of these things. They were joined and they had to stay joined. Even so, it was immensely satisfying, right through to the moment when Rhodina moaned and slumped half-conscious in Blade's arms. He staggered and tried desperately to keep his balance with her weight all on him, and then his own climax was coming and he lost the battle. They both went down with a splash, and the waves washed over and around them until they struggled up to a sitting position, laughing as they coughed and spat out mouthfuls of sea water.

Getting their catch to shore was hard work after their pleasure on the reef. Rhodina blew up the fish bladder as soon as she caught her breath, and that took care of the smaller fish. The brooga was another matter. It sank after death, and weighed a good eighty pounds. Blade wasn't going to abandon it, though, and not just because it was many days' good eating. That three-foot spike would be a useful weapon.

Eventually they used the fishing lines to tie the brooga to their belts. Then they stepped into the water and swam toward shore, with the big fish dangling between them. It was slow going, with the fish weighing them down. The wind was rising again, and several times Blade went under unexpectedly. Fortunately the same wind and waves gave them a badly needed extra push toward shore. Soon enough they reached shallow water, and after that it was easy. In a few more minutes they stepped out on dry land, Blade with the brooga slung over his shoulder and Rhodina carrying the bladder and its load of smaller fish.

They walked fast toward home, and as they came over the last sand dune Blade stopped abruptly. There was a faint yellow light shining from inside the shelter. Before he could warn Rhodina to be cautious, she let out a cry of delight.

«He's come back! I knew he would!»

Then she was running down the face of the dune toward the shelter. Blade realized she might be running headlong into danger. They didn't know who might be in the shelter. Yet he certainly wasn't going to abandon her now. He shifted the brooga to his left shoulder and drew his knife with his right hand. He was just about to run after Rhodina when a massive figure appeared at the entrance to the shelter.

«Khraishamo!» Rhodina screamed, dropping the fish as she dashed up to the man and threw herself into his arms.

Blade stopped. There was just enough light for him to be sure. Rhodina's lover and protector was the Pirate Folk chief Khraishamo, the same man he'd captured in the battle aboard Blue Swallow.

After a moment, Blade recovered. This meeting was good luck, and no doubt about it. If the seed he'd planted in Khraishamo's mind about escape from Shell Island had already taken root-

No. Better not hope for too much. Blade started down the slope toward where Khraishamo was now holding Rhodina close, murmuring small reassuring noises into her ear. He did not sheathe his knife.