“For Maive, obviously,” he said as if shocked I hadn’t thought of this myself. “She invited you to our celebration.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Is this some Runam custom I’ve never heard of?”
“Custom?” He shook his head, still looking at me as if he thought I was daft. “Well, when asakainvites you to the Valrim Village Founding Festival, it’s just good manners to bring a gift. You’re the first outsider to ever be invited.”
“Is that so?” I raised a brow. “How many outsiders have been turned away from this festival?”
He laughed, seeing it as a joke, as intended. “Nice, Gilrox. But seriously.”
“Will she be expecting one?” I asked. “Would I be insulting her if I came without one?” I was genuinely confused by this, and more than a little alarmed.Thiswas why I should have just stuck to solitude: So. Many. Rules.
He tilted his head. “Have you never been invited to a party, Gilrox?”
“No,” I replied, as if this were beyond obvious. “Who would invitemeto a party?”
Pasek laughed. “Well, Maive. Obviously. The Durbok has a little of everything. You’ll find something perfect for her.”
Apparently, I needed a little more clarification, because I wasn’t grasping the concept. “So youalwaysbring a gift if you’re invited to a party?”
“Well, there’s nuance to it, for sure,” Pasek replied thoughtfully. “If it’s someone you’ve known forever, and it’s not a formal party, you don’t, I suppose. But I think Maive seesyou as a special guest. And I guess you don’thaveto, strictly speaking. It’s just a nice gesture.”
“What should I get her?” I asked, before I could stop myself. “Can I just bring her some fish?”Starsknew, I had lots of them.
“No.” The smile dropped off his face. “Do not bring her fish. She’s not the biggest fan of them.”
“I see.” How could she not like fish? “So, I must purchase something.”
“If you like her, yes.” He winked. “Maive likes the color purple.”
Damn him, Ididlike her. “Any particular shade?”
This time, Pasek threw back his head and really laughed. He clearly had no fear of me, despite my being considerably bigger and stronger than him. I wasn’t offended enough to smack him on the head for impertinence. For one thing, it might kill him, and Maive would not appreciate that. And for another, Pasek wasn’t a green mercenary disrespecting an elder. He was a man having some fun with another man. Somewhat like a friend. It was very strange. Mercenaries did not have friends. However, perhaps retired ones did.
“You’ll be fine with any shade,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “I’ll be heading out to the Durbok that day. He’s there for fourhiks, beginning when the sun’s at its peak.” Then, after giving me the coordinates to the trade location, Pasek said, “See you in eight days,” and strolled off toward the village, leaving me standing there with far too many thoughts in my head.
If I had known being retired would be this complicated, I might have kept being a mercenary.
Chapter
Nine
Know your merchant
I cast my line,watching the lure and hook arc far out over the low waves. The metal glinted in the sun before disappearing below the surface. The beach was spectacular in the morning. The sun turned the water into a glittery mass, like diamonds.
I’d had peace and quiet for the last eight days. During that time, I had swum these waters daily, and I had not seen a singlecalroidduring my underwater explorations. I was on the lookout for the creature that had seemed to stalk the Runams. If I saw one, I would let Maive know. A twisted part of mehopedto see one so I’d have an excuse to go to the village and see her. I wasn’t sure what was wrong with me. A glutton for punishment, perhaps.
I felt a twitch on my line and tugged it just enough for the hook to set. After nearly six weeks on Podnos-9, I could tell what type of fish was biting by the strength, weight, and movement of it. I knew what kind of fish liked what bait, and when to catch them. Different fish were active at different times of day.Learning their preferences and habits appeased the hunter in me and also filled my belly. And my time.
I reeled in what I called ared small-tooth. This one was too small to keep, but the larger ones were delicious roasted with some salt. I plucked out the hook and tossed the fish back, watching it wriggle off into the deeper water. Then, with a contented sigh, I sat on the sand and put down my pole. Nestled in the silvery sand was my mug. I picked it up and took a sip of the hot, white beverage made from brewing crushed roasted seeds the Runams had sent home with me after the Tregen incident. It tasted nutty and slightly sweet. The bread was long gone, but some of the more stable foods remained, like these seeds. The Runams had even included brewing instructions, which was thoughtful. There had also been some jams, a small packet of candies wrapped in waxed paper, and dried seaweed that rehydrated beautifully. If I could continue to trade with them, I would have delicious meals andnotburn out on fish.
Plus, I’d get to see Maive, and I would be seeing her soon enough at the Valrim Village Founding Festival, which was only a few days away now. There, I hoped to trade for more of these seeds. Whatever this beverage was, I loved it.
I glanced up at the sky, noted the time, and got up. Not long ago, I’d have checked one of my plethora of instruments, which I’d used relentlessly, to see the time in six different zones and calibrations. It was interesting how useless they’d become here. Galactic Standard had beenmystandard for most of my life. On Podnos-9, it was pointless, as this planet had its own day and night cycle and it did not align with GS. Most spacefaring, migratory people regularly used both GS and the time system on whatever planet or moon they happened to be on. But here, there was just the rise and set of the relatively small star that Podnos-9 spun around. It was nice to not need more than that. To take off all the devices and just live in my skin.
I gathered my fishing equipment. The enjoyable portion of the day was done. It was time to prepare to meet the Durbok. It wasn’t a chore I was looking forward to, but it needed to be done.
The sun was at its highest in the sky as I stepped off my shuttle. I’d parked less than a click from the precise coordinates Pasek had given me and would walk the short distance to whatever setup this merchant had. I was on guard. As I looked around at the hillside the Durbok had chosen, I noted the thick, hearty foliage. It was colder here, windier, and located near the edge of the habitable zone. It must have taken the Runam villagers fourhiksto walk here. I couldn’t understand why he chose this spot. It was very inconvenient for his customers.
