Richard Tuttle - Web of Deceit

“Normally couples meet out here for amorous reasons,” Rejji said. “The watcher is getting suspicious and we dare not call attention to ourselves. Let’s get some sleep and we can talk about this some more tomorrow.”

“Mistake shot a glance towards the watcher and scowled. “I hate being watched all of the time,” she whispered. “You find us a place to hide and make sure Bakhai is ready when we get the chance. I am not staying here much longer.”

Mistake rose and stormed into the women’s sleeping quarters. Rejji rose to find the watcher a few paces away from him. “She’s a fiery one alright,” he said.

“She just had a bad day,” commented Rejji. “I think she was embarrassed to tell me about it and afraid someone else would hear it too. She’ll be fine in the morning.”

“You are the Bursar’s boy, right?” asked the guard.

“Yes,” smiled Rejji, knowing that the guard already knew the answer to his question because of the pin on his tunic. “I enjoy working for him. He has taught me much already.”

“I heard you were a smart lad,” nodded the guard. “Any idea what the chances are of us getting more horses? Some of our stock is getting quite old.”

“Well,” Rejji said as his eyes darted around the room, “I shouldn’t be talking about the Bursar’s business. I mean, if he wanted it to be known that he was already checking prices on new stock, he would have probably announced it by now.”

“You’re a good lad,” chuckled the guard at he slapped Rejji on the back. “You sleep well now.”

Rejji smiled and nodded at the guard as he entered the men’s sleeping quarters and fell onto his mat. As he dozed off, he wondered whether information from the Bursar’s office was worth gold to anyone.

Rejji was one of the first to wake up the next morning. He hurried up to the kitchen and got a couple of plates of eggs and bread and scampered up to the Bursar’s office. Wicado was in his office humming and Rejji entered and placed the plates on the desk.

“You are up early this morning,” Wicado smiled. “What do you know about numbers?”

“I am good at numbers,” grinned Rejji.

“I don’t doubt that you are,” Wicado said as he started eating his morning meal. “I reviewed the clova flock with our lord yesterday evening. He was very impressed. Bakhai has worked wonders on them. Of course Rymaka beamed and took the credit. What did you say to Rymaka anyway? He has been coming in here several times a week with harebrained schemes to make money. Ducks, geese, even a fish farm. You name it and he has suggested it.”

“I had to get him away from the flock so Bakhai could cure them,” explained Rejji. “I told him that if he let Bakhai tend to the flock, he would have more time to devise profitable schemes for the estate. Was that wrong?”

“Not at all,” laughed the Bursar. “It was clever. I am not sure what to do with Bakhai now though. Now that Rymaka has been praised for the flock, I imagine he will spend more time there. It would not be good for Bakhai to stay there.”

“Perhaps he could work in the stables,” suggested Rejji. “Anything to do with animals would please him I think.”

“I will speak with Seneschal Trang about him before I leave,” declared Wicado. “I have to go to Khadoratung, the capital city. There are a series of meetings being held that are important to our clan. Whenever I go to Khadoratung, I take advantage of my time there to record prices in the marketplace. With this meeting schedule, I would have to stay additional days there this time to accomplish that and I do not like being away from here for too long. I am planning on taking you with me, but I must have assurances of your behavior. When we are there you will be seen as a representative of the Pikata clan and I will not stand for any embarrassment. Can you give me those assurances?”

“Certainly,” beamed Rejji. “I will be the model of good behavior. I can take care of the marketplace for you while you attend the meetings.”

“That is what I planned,” smiled the Bursar. “You will be on your own for three days. I will arrange a room at one of the inns and your meals will be included. We will travel by barge to get there and I have arranged for a traveling merchant to provide transportation back here. Go to the kitchen and get us some provisions to take with us. We shall leave when you return. Do not dally.”

“Yes, Sir,” grinned Rejji as he hurried out the door.

Rejji walked as fast as he could, as running in the mansion was frowned upon. He mentioned provisions for the trip to one of the kitchen staff and they seemed to know exactly what was required and how much of it. Rejji tossed the sack over his shoulder and hurried upstairs. Wicado was not in his office when Rejji got there, but he entered moments later and indicated they should go.

When they exited the mansion there was a carriage at the bottom of the steps waiting for them. Rejji marveled at the craftsmanship of the carriage and almost tripped getting into it. Wicado smiled and shook his head. Instead of heading for the road out of the estate, as Rejji thought they would, they proceeded around the mansion and took a road that Rejji had never been down. The road led through fields of vegetables and ended at the Khadora River.

There was a huge dock on the river and an even larger barge tied to it. The barge was loaded with crates of vegetables, but in the center of the barge was a structure similar to a large hut. The Bursar led the way to the structure and they entered it. The inside consisted of two large rooms and a ladder going upstairs. One room was a kitchen and the other was like a sitting room. Wicado indicated for Rejji to put the sack of provisions in the kitchen and then handed him a small bag and asked him to put it in the room upstairs.

Rejji climbed the ladder and saw a large room with bunks and a door to a smaller room. He opened the door and saw that the small room contained a bed, a chair, and a desk. He placed the bag on the desk and returned downstairs. Wicado was outside watching the bargemen cast off and Rejji hurried out to join him. Huge ropes that were looped over posts on the dock were removed and thrown onto the barge. The bargemen jumped onto the barge as it started moving downstream. Rejji watched as the river took the barge swiftly away and the fields of the Pikata estate grew distant.

The banks of the river alternated between forests and estates as Rejji made his way up to the bow and sat on a vegetable crate. The river was fairly narrow here although Rejji knew it was wide enough that he could not throw a stone across it. There was little other river traffic to be seen. They passed a few small fishing boats and a ferry that moved goods and people from one side of the river to the other.

One of the bargemen came forward and sat next to Rejji. The Bursar’s slave boy started a conversation with the bargeman and asked him question after question. The bargeman did not seem to mind and filled Rejji’s mind with tales of his escapades over the years. He described the trip they would be taking and what sights there would be to see. Around high sun, the bargemen left to get food and Rejji decided to eat as well. Rejji found the sack he had brought with him and fished around inside until he found some cheese and dried meat. He climbed the ladder to the sleeping quarters and found Wicado in his private room at the desk.

“I have brought you some food,” announced Rejji.

The Bursar turned and smiled at Rejji. “You are a good lad,” he said as he sliced the cheese in half. “I see you were grilling one of the bargemen up in the bow. Did he satisfy your curiosity?”

“Some,” grinned Rejji, “but I guess I have more curiosity than most.”