Method Six

Book Three: Scion

By Jessica Jay

Chapter Eighty-Five: Different Thinking

“My name is Ince Minot. This is Ariel Noble Pace, I have brought him with me so that we can better communicate.” Ince enunciated each word carefully, keeping his eyes trained on the leader before him. This wasn’t the first time Ariel had seen the young man in action, but it was a first in this particular setting. Ince couldn’t speak Tsugeokan well enough to go on his own, and that alone made what he was trying to do impossible.

Convince a Doka to let a foreigner take Trapesial’s Lura? He would have an easier time trying to force milk from a bull.

Translating his words for him with a smile and a tone he hoped would keep this new Doka from being insulted, Ariel shifted nervously. His room was decorated modestly, with a single red rug carpeting the floor and a study table perched in the center. He had three candles sitting in a pool of their own wax to one side of the room, and a bucket of water with a ladle in the other. It was simple, like the homes of most Doka, and Ariel was glad to finally be there. After a few days of asking around in Odessa, Doka Greer had finally tracked the Lura down. It was in the hands of Doka Cael of Cyria in the furthest east. So they had packed up yet again, taking to the road with a horse and cart finally. The journey was a thousand times easier, and Ariel vowed to never let them travel without at least one horse again.

Cyria was on the furthest shores of Devonmire. The city was built along the shifting sands of the ocean bearing its namesake. That was something he had missed about Tsugeoka, indeed. No other place in Devonmire had beaches like Mercy’s country. His mind drifted to the others, who were most likely frolicking in the water at that very moment.

“You show respect. That is surprising.” Cael smiled broadly, blissfully unaware of just who sat before him. Bowing his head just a bit, the ginger haired northerner smiled back. But it wasn’t Ince the Doka addressed next, Cael turned to Ariel. His lips were wider than most people’s, and seemed to flap open and shut as he spoke.

“He’s a good man, is he?” His slanted eyes searched Ariel, wanting to know from someone he could trust. It didn’t come easily to someone born under Trapesial of Mercy. There were a lot of questions in that one phrase. ‘Does he tell the truth?’ ‘Does he care about us?’ ‘Will he turn against me if I displease him?’

“Ince is a very good man.” Assuring confidently, there was no façade to cover those words. It was the truth, simply. Ariel had known Ince for a little over a year, and their rough beginning had dissolved slowly into something he would dare to call a friendship. “Ince saved my life and almost had to sacrifice his own because of it. He thinks differently.”

“Different thinkers are rare. Thank you for bringing him to me,” Cael said with a different expression. Turning back to Ince with a new light in his eyes, the northern man hadn’t moved since they started their independent conversation – no matter how frustrated it must have made him. That was something to be admired about him, he had a longsuffering personality that was on level with a god’s.

“Have you met my friends?” Cael smiled, glancing to Ariel and motioning for him to quickly translate. The blonde smiled, speaking to Ince though the ginger haired man refused to turn his attention from Cael.

“He wants to know if you’ve met the people who live in this village.”

Ince slowly shook his head, a gesture that needed no translation. “I haven’t.”

Cael paused for a long moment, sitting back with his hand pressed against his mouth. Ariel glanced to Ince, wondering if he looked a shade more pale or not. It was hard to tell, Ince never really let anything show on the outside, and Salus seemed to be the only one who could interpret his miniscule body language.

“Devonmire is like a family.” He started again, attempting to explain his feelings with something more than just words. “Do you see it?” He seemed anxious to have Ince understand his ideals, even without knowing what he would ask. Perhaps it was the allure of a captive audience. Didn’t every Tsugeokan just want the others to listen? If Devonmire would just listen…

Ariel translated it back to Ince, whose expression didn’t change. If he was confused or moved by the words he gave no sign, and Ariel shifted again, wondering. He had only passed out the one time, and Ulna had worried herself into a tizzy that she made the boy work too hard. Still, even if he hadn’t been doing any work, the way he sat still as stone made Ariel worry he would pass out again.

“The gods spoke to me.” And so he began, using small gestures to help convey what he was about to say. “They have revealed their will to me.” He translated, watching the camaraderie in Cael’s eyes drift slowly away.

Pausing for one grand moment in time, the Doka arched one bushy eyebrow at Ariel. Asking silent question, sceptical suspicion, is this boy well? Ariel gave a little shrug, motioning while keeping his arms at his sides and attempting to have his expression say: ‘Just listen to him!’

“Go on,” an expression whose tone and gestures didn’t need to be translated, and Ince nodded.

“When our Lord Trapesial ascended into the heavens, he left behind one single stone. Your Emerald Lura. This was a tradition passed down through generations of Tsugeokan Doka, to circulate the Lura throughout the country. Sharing it as your Lord would have seen fit.”

Cael’s eyes lit up, well-pleased to have someone so knowledgeable in his mother history before him. He didn’t need to know that Livi had stayed up all night before drilling Ince on facts and history.

“Now, a new time has come to pass. The gods would see themselves united – would see Devonmire united. And the first step lies in the Luras.” His finger pointing down on the table between them, the ginger haired man kept his eyes expertly trained to the Doka, who in turn glanced nervously about the room, in any direction but Ince’s.

It was difficult to repeat what he said, as Ariel himself was yet to be convinced of Ince’s words. What he did next brought the truth to a harsher light.

“I have here an order from Tenashi Tye, the High Priest of Devonmire.” Producing a leather bound packet of papers from inside his vest, Ince unwound the string holding it shut and gently pulled out one of the sealed letters. Two remained then, one for the King of Noellia… and the other… Ariel shuddered at the thought.

Despite the upsetting news Ince bore, Cael had to smile again at the consideration he showed. The letter to Tsugeoka’s Doka was written in their language and Ariel wouldn’t have to translate a word of it.

“You were right when you said he was a different thinker.” Cael breathed aloud, a bit perplexed as to what he should do next. Ince felt the need to clarify.

“I will ask you for the Emerald Lura, if you please.”

Swallowing against the way his throat seemed to tighten, he suddenly wished Ince had decided on Livi as a translator. His demeanour was the quintessence of deference, but what he asked was absolute audacity.

Cael swallowed as well and Ariel watched the lump in his throat bob up and down. They digested that in silence, staring at each other, and he couldn’t help noticing the flicker of betrayal in the Doka’s eyes. As if he had maliciously planned to bring Ince before him and cause him such discomfort.

“What will you do with them?”

“I don’t know.” Ince answered honestly, solemnly. “I feel that the gods are preparing to return.”

“And if they’re not?”

“A servant does not question the will of his master.” His answer seemed to close the matter, and Cael nodded.

“Even so, even so.”

“Would you like some time to pray about this?” Offering as if the time was his to give, he began to wrap his leather packet again. Cael folded his letter neatly, creasing the edges with his thumb along the table.

“I would like you to do something for me.” And when Ariel had this translated, Ince gave his first show of being a regular human with normal facial expressions of the entire meeting. Surprised, and anxious to have an answer, Ince agreed without knowing the terms.

“Familiarize yourself with the people in our city. Come back and tell me what you saw.” His request seemed dangerously simple, and Ariel spoke it word for word so Ince couldn’t be confused. Would that be the extent of this struggle? A simple report of the goings on in his city?

But if Ariel knew Tsugeokans… and he did… there was something more to this.

-x-x-

Pausing for only a moment, and that was all it took, Livi slapped her hand down on the page and crumpled the thin rice paper between her fingers. Ince bought her an entire packet of the pretty stationary, with leaves and dried blossoms worked into the mesh, and every time she attempted to write the whirling thoughts in her mind she found the words coming too fast.

Hurried, she couldn’t make it into sense on the paper. Ince would think she had lost her mind. They would all think the same. “But we know, don’t we Math?” Throwing the ball of paper at him, the little creature was knocked backward to the ground with one surprised shriek. Livi threw her pencil next and dropped her head against the paper, heaving a tired sigh.

How am I going to tell him? How in the world do I make this make sense? Her insides were all twisted around each other, her hands hurt from gripping the pencil so tightly, but she wasn’t ready to give up. Some careful thought was all she could self prescribe, but that had been days ago.

“Livi?” Palani interrupted, no unwelcome either, and she lifted her face to smile at the girl. Perching her elbows on the edge of the cart and gazing inside, she was half hidden by a pile of cushions, but waved when she garnered her friend’s attention.

“Ready to eat?”

“It is time already?” She took a short breath, standing and pausing just a moment to scoop Math up and deposit him on her shoulder. “Where’s Ince?”

“Not back yet.” She lingered near the cart, glancing between Livi descending and the food she had ready. Fish caught and cooked over an open fire with flat bread and leaks. Ince would love this. “Actually no one is here, except for you.”

Blinking herself out of her daze, registering that the normal sounds of Salus and Sawn bickering weren’t there, she held her breath. I’m getting too preoccupied with this… they’re going to start noticing.

They had parked themselves right outside the city limits, Ariel explaining that having Salus and Sawn – foreigners – running around the city would only make the people nervous. Nervous people would make the Doka uneasy, so they stayed out of sight, except that the two he had been most concerned with were now running amok.

“Salus said he didn’t want fish.” Palani tried to explain briefly, plucking one of the spits out of the ground and offering Livi the partially charred dinner. “Sawn went to make sure he didn’t cause trouble.”

“That’s trouble itself,” she thought aloud, and Palani laughed, nodding. Not that there was anything humorous in unleashing those two unto Cyria, but there was nothing else to do. Hopping up to sit on the ledge of their cart, Livi motioned Palani to join her.

“I wonder what they’re talking about.” She mused, taking thoughtful bites of her fish and watching smoke rise from their fire.

“The Lura, and politics, I’d have to say.” Livi hummed. “He’ll be at it all night until he gets his way.” Her words came out with a bitter edge she hadn’t intended. Quickly inserting a laugh and watching to see if Palani noticed, she held her breath again. ‘He’ll come no matter what you say.’ Major Lamb hadn’t meant his words to sting as much as they did.

Off in the distance, over the sound of the crackling flames, Livi could hear the waves of an ocean lapping to shore. This city was closer than any other to the furthest eastern beaches. In fact, compared to Cyria, people from Odessa would be considered inlanders.

“Mmm.” Palani bit off the triangular tip of her flat bread, using it to dip into a mushy stew of leaks. It looked disgusting, and Livi wondered if the girl was just pretending it tasted good for her sake, since the concoction had been her idea.

But I meant it for Ince…

Laying her skewered fish over her lap, Palani cleared her throat suddenly and Livi glanced her way. Fidgeting in her seat, she glanced up briefly and down again with wide eyes. Opening and closing her mouth anxiously, the girl looked so upset that Livi had to take pity on her. “What is it?”

“Livi… there’s something I want to tell you… it’s hard to say and I don’t think you’ll believe me.”

What a thought! She almost laughed. As if there’s anything I couldn’t believe now!

“If you only knew,” she laughed cynically. “Don’t force it out then. I can wait until you’re ready.”

“Really?” Her mouth hung open, and the tenseness that had been clinging to the little girl dissolved. Surprised that her friend wouldn’t try and push it out of her, she sat back, happy to have the reprieve. It wasn’t that Livi didn’t want to know, she was as curious as anyone would be. Too sympathetic, she hoped that when the time came for her to talk she would be shown the same courtesy.

-x-x-

Ince and Salus stood a safe distance away from the Cyria market. One hand cradling his elbow and the other tapping a fist against his chin, Ince stared thoughtfully. A scowl of concentration knitted over his face, and Salus could be sure he was thinking about what the Doka had said.

“So, what are you going to tell him you saw?”

The ginger haired man paused his tapping, turning his body to face his friend but keeping eyes on the busy market.

“I don’t know.”

“Tell him you saw that they all needed baths.” Indicating one such sullied person, he made a face. “They live by an ocean. You’d think it wouldn’t be hard.”

“Oh. Yes.” He laughed. “Dear Cael, I believe it is time you had your people bathe. I find them much too filthy.” Rolling his eyes, Ince turned his head with a look that made Salus laugh as well. He was working with a new problem to solve and that always put the northern man in a good mood. Salus remembered from school, once Ince had grown tired of the lessons they had practised, his humours would always rise when they started something new.

“They don’t look poor.” He shook his head. “When he asked me to do this I assumed he wanted me to observe some sort of paucity among them.”

“Well. Not many of them are wearing hats.” He tried to be helpful, squinting at them. More and more people were starting to glance in their direction, pointing and whispering, the entire market was starting to notice that they were being watched.

“It’s summer. Who wants to wear a hat in this heat?” Ince thought aloud, taking his comment into consideration. Salus smiled and shook his head. They had been standing there since Ince had asked him along, and he was sure that was because he felt guilty for leaving the dark haired man behind. Serves him right, he still hadn’t fully accepted it. I don’t see why Noble Pace got to go and not me. It had burned him up so that he couldn’t wait anymore and marched into the city to wait.

When Ince and Ariel finally emerged from Doka Cael’s house, Salus was more than eager to send the man away. No one needed his help to observe things and the dark haired man had spent the better half of his day trying to figure out how he could help Ince out more. He had helped out a lot so far. It was taking all of his willpower to stay interested in staring at a milling crowd of people.

Shifting restlessly and casting Ince a furtive glance, he tried to do it quietly.

“This is really boring.” He voiced, as if psychically knowing what his friend was thinking, and Salus winced. Nodding reluctantly as he felt all of his effort to keep still being wasted, he rubbed the back of his neck.

“I don’t get what that guy wants from you.”

“I don’t either.” He sighed. “We might need to go to a different part of town. This place is full of people who are shopping. They all obviously have money. The ones with nothing are probably the ones he wants me to see.”

“They’re plenty of those,” Salus snorted, catching Ince by the back of the head and directing him to a group of beggars sitting cross-legged along the sides of one building. His friend licked his lips, brow furrowing as his head took on a certain tilt he had when thinking.

Then he started towards them, cutting through the crowds without a word so that Salus had to jog to catch him.

“Are you going to talk to them?” He tried to say it quietly, but almost had to shout over the crowd. Reaching out and grabbing Ince by the arm, even that didn’t stop him, and Salus was dragged along behind. The yellowing paint on everything seemed whiter as he came closer, and he wondered if it was just the setting sun that made everything seem darker.

Stopping before one beggar, a young boy who sat perched in his mother’s lap, Ince knelt down. She was obviously blind, with white scales over her eyes, and Salus edged carefully away, standing directly behind Ince. Beggars always made him uncomfortable, one or two frequented the market in Gulling and even though everyone knew their names, Salus still got a funny taste in his mouth whenever he was around them.

The ginger haired man didn’t say anything, and the blind woman might have been entirely unaware of his perusal. Making a face that showed his discomfort, Salus tried to justify those actions somehow… was it polite to stare at a person when they can’t know you’re staring? Even if the leader of his or her town asked him to?

Pulling a fifty credit coin from his pocket, a shiny thing made of nickel and silver, Ince held it out for the boy and pressed it deliberately into his hand. It was a calm gesture, smooth, and when he stood Salus expected the answers to everything. It seemed like one of those simple things that Ince always understood before he could.

Still on his own train of thought, turning on his heel and marching away, Ince didn’t pay mind to Salus hurrying to follow. Coming through the crowd, even more eyes watching the strange duo that had been watching them, Ince stopped in almost the exact spot they had started in.

Quiet, arms crossed over his chest and foot tracing drawing in the dirt, Ince wasn’t saying anything to explain himself and Salus couldn’t wait any longer.

“So?”

“Hm?” He didn’t look up, and everything Salus had been working at disappeared suddenly.

“So! What’s the answer?”

“Oh – I don’t know.” There was a pause as the dark haired man worked his way through a wave of disbelief.

“What was that about then?!”

“He’s been staring at me this whole time.” Ince shrugged, squinting back out over the crowd in a way that made his mouth hang open. Salus took a sharp breath, a frustrated noise, and threw his hands in the air.

“You are so weird!”

-x-x-

“I’ll never forgive you!” Grinding her fists into either side of Salus’ head, Sawn’s shouts could be heard in every part of Cyria. Ince followed along behind, walking and listening to the steady creaking of the wagon wheels. Ariel and Palani drove it, while the rest opted to walk, more inclined to watch the amusing spectacle of the pretty priestess attacking the surly northern man.

“I’m sorry!” He shouted louder, trying to get away and roaring when she tugged his hair to keep him in place. Growing up with one terrible older brother had certainly given her a few bad habits.

“I didn’t realize he brought you with him.” Ince offered, knowing it wasn’t going to fix anything, and Sawn shot him a scalding glare.

“Don’t you make excuses.”

“I didn’t mean to forget you!”

“And you made Palani’s lunch go to waste! The entire lot of you!” Whirling around with a threatening finger, waiting to land on the first one to make eye contact, everyone looked away.

“The priestess should mind her tone,” Ariel said casually, apparently oblivious to the intense harm the she posed to his person. Except, knowing him, he had said it to sound exactly that way.

“My tone needs no minding.” She sniffed, sticking her nose in the air and flipping hair over her shoulder. Ariel gave a granting nod.

“Just as a boar needs no muzzle.”

“You watch your mouth!” Salus jumped in before Sawn could, stomping backwards with such wrath the horse became skittish. Ince caught him by the arm, giving a slight shake of his head and meaningful glance before focusing further ahead. A square house with wooden rafters sticking out the top, Doka Cael grew grapes there, and ones that had already ripened and fallen littered his front entrance.

He stood in the doorway, waving one long-fingered hand until Ince waved back and smiled. He had changed clothing since the last time they talked, and once more earlier that day. When Ince had returned without an answer, asking for more time, Cael had invited the troupe to stay in his house.

It was something a Tsugeokan was expected to do, and part of how their government worked. A Doka only came to his position by doing things for others. It was true that the most powerful man or woman in a city was also the one who gave away the most things. With every favour he had owed to him, Cael had grown in power, until he himself owed nothing to anyone and the entire city was in his debt indefinitely.

That was Tsugeokan politics.

“Welcome back!” He called in a delightful eastern accent. His smile was broad, and he waved his arms to a stable next to his house. On cue, a young man emerged and came to meet them, offering to take their horse and store the cart as Cael ushered all six young people into his home.

Familiar with the layout, Ince didn’t bother to kick off his shoes and followed the squat man as he led them to a short hallway. Speaking his native tongue and glancing to Ariel for help, he turned a latch to one of two doors and smiled expectantly.

Everyone turned to the blonde, though Palani or Livi could have translated just as easily.

“He said we can stay in there.” Glancing inside, the entire room was made of bedrolls, all pushed together with blankets folded in a corner. They all paused, awkward suddenly, and Ariel coughed.

“I left my bag on the cart.” He shifted to leave the crowd, squeezing out of the hall as Palani followed.

“I’ll help!”

“We all left our things there!” Salus shouted, suddenly hot on their heels. Ince smiled and shook his head. His friend was a bit to concerned for Palani’s safety where Ariel Noble Pace was involved. It didn’t take much more than that for Sawn to follow, grumbling about both boys being useless in a language Cael couldn’t understand but a tone he recognized.

Still holding the door, smiling, he hadn’t moved and Ince almost laughed when he turned back around. Thanking him sweetly, Livi was the first one to actually wander inside. Taking long steps to follow her, Ince grinned at the arrangement. He liked sleeping with a lot of people close-by. It had always been that way, but after Krimeon those feelings seemed to have intensified.

Worrying about being sent to separate rooms had been pointless.

Cael walked away, calling something Ince couldn’t understand. He watched the doorway carefully, narrowing his eyes on it and frowning for only a moment before turning around and catching Livi around the waist. Using the momentum to drag her, he threw himself over the bedrolls and laughed when they sunk into the cushions.

She gave a startled shriek, laughing along with him and just as hard and rolled onto her back beside him. Giggling off and on, staring up at the ceiling, they didn’t say anything for a long time. Not until their laughter died away entirely and a comfortable silent took its place did either one so much as turn to the other.

“Are you tired?”

Ince wrinkled his nose, wishing everyone would forget about his passing out. It was embarrassing.

“No.”

“Oh.” She laughed lightly, the sort of short chortle she added to the end of her nervous sentences. A sobering wind seemed to roll over them, and Ince sighed.

“I can’t find the answer.” He pressed his lips together, frowning and searching for her hand.

“Answer?”

“Cael told me to go see the people here.” He sucked air through his cheeks. “I watched them all day, but I still don’t know what he wanted me to see.”

Latching onto her hand, he smiled when she squeezed.

“All day?”

“Salus and I.” He nodded. “But there’s nothing really wrong with them. I mean, there were a few people who looked poor, and I saw someone get caught stealing, but it wasn’t any different from anything I’ve seen before.”

“Oh no?” He tone a bit reticent, she made a humming noise.

“I don’t know what he wanted me to see. I want to do this peacefully… but if there isn’t an answer to this…” Sighing again, he rolled his head to the side, watching Livi blinking at the ceiling.

“Maybe that’s all he wanted you to see.”

Eyebrows knitting together, he didn’t have to ask her to continue.

“People in Tsugeoka aren’t very different from people in Myst or Noellia. They’re all just people. He probably wants you to recognize that before he gives you something as important as the Lura.” She made a popping sound with her lips to end that thought, turning to him with a smile as his mouth hung open. Turning back to the ceiling, stunned, he licked his lips.

“You are so smart.”

She just gave a taciturn giggle. “Thank you.”

Oookay. So about this chapter, I wonder if anyone remebers anything from the second book? It might have been a long time ago that you read it for some people... but if you recall, the entire book took place in Tsugeoka so you got to learn a great deal about the culture. I like the way Tsugeoka's political system works but I have to say that I didn't come up with that off the top of my head. I learned about an island native culture while taking cultural anthropology courses that operated much like this. It's basically like how a mob works. The 'Mob Boss' does you a favour... and then you owe him. The more favours someone has owed to him the more powerful that person is. Ingenious! Also, Sawn is a bit of a Tsunadere character, n'est pas?