Landfall by Baxter Stephen

Author:Baxter, Stephen
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Roadswell Editions
Published: 2015-03-02T16:00:00+00:00

VII

‘Brod! Brod son of Maryam! I am Khilli son of Elios! Come out here and meet me! Brod, you are a coward and a kidnapper and a rapist, and I will avenge my sister! …’

Once off the smack, Tripp was met by her patient officer from New Denver, and escorted back through the besieging army’s camp. But even from the harbour she could here Khilli’s bellows. Single-handed, armed only with a sword and spear, he was stalking beneath the walls of Port Wilson, and was yelling up his challenges and insults to Brod.

Tripp shook his head. ‘I can hardly believe it. One champion challenging another to single-handed combat? Are we really reduced to this?’

But Khilli’s challenge had the whole camp churned up, and Tripp could hear the roars of support, and the clatter of spears and musket-butts on shields. The Denver officer said, ‘It’s one way of getting it finished. Oh, madam Tripp – there are a couple of traders who said they wanted to speak with you.’

‘Traders?’

‘From Holle City. They said you knew them.’ He pointed to a small supply dump, where fresh horses waited, and two strangers dressed in heavy, concealing cloaks. The officer stuck out a hand. ‘Been interesting meeting you, madam. Travel carefully now.’

She shook his hand, uncertain. ‘Thank you, Lieutenant.’

Then, her samples pack and rucksack on her back, she walked warily towards the strangers. Even when she’d come close enough to touch them she still couldn’t see their faces within their heavy hoods. ‘So,’ she said. ‘Holle City?’

‘Of course not,’ the taller of the two hissed. He pushed back his hood just enough to let Tripp glimpse his face.

‘Brod. And Vala, I suppose. What’s going on?’

‘My mother was going to give Vala up to her father – and me. That’s what’s going on! As you knew very well, Tripp, as you went over to the Speaker’s yacht to broker the deal.’

‘I was hoping to stop the bloodshed -’

‘You could have told me.’

‘Evidently your own spies work well enough. And what about Khilli?’

‘What about him?’

‘Aren’t you going to respond to his challenge?’

‘Are you joking? I could take down that tractor-spawned brute, but his companions would rip me apart. No, ma’am, Khilli can wait.’

‘And I,’ Vala said from the shadows of her own cloak, ‘am not going back to the Navel. To be a Sapphire would have been dull enough. To be a failed Sapphire, returned in shame – not for me!’

‘Then what? What do you want of me?’

‘We’re coming with you,’ Brod said simply. ‘There’s nothing for us here. We’ll make a new life at the Pole - together.’

‘As simple as that?’

‘You owe us, Tripp,’ said Vala heavily.

‘I owe you nothing,’ Tripp snapped back. ‘And besides, don’t you think we’ll be pursued? Your father no doubt has spies riddling Port Wilson – and that brother of yours doesn’t strike me as the kind to give up easily.’

‘We’ll deal with that as it comes,’ said Brod.

‘Oh, will you? You’ve dealt with it all so well so far,

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