Paul Kater - Bactine

Huajo smiled. “I like this. And I am almost proud that you think I am the person to do this. Which, I have to add, I will gladly do. The things you told me are amazing, Mr. Zacharias, but they are so strange that they have to be true.” Huajo leaned back in his chair. “Is there a specific way you want to orchestrate this, Mr. Zacharias?”

Actually, Daniel had a plan for that. He started outlining it to Huajo, whose eyes were gleaming. The fat man had a few great ideas himself, which told Daniel that this man was not someone to cross. The tricks this man had up his sleeves were amazing, and he was certainly not showing all his cards, Daniel was certain of that.

They agreed on a moment that Huajo would go to Clelem, to offer his help. They worked out as many details as they could think of, as well as eventual changes and improvisations. They both knew that there would be things that could not be planned, but after their talk and scheming, the two men had a good feeling about it all.

“Before you leave, Mr. Zacharias, I think I have something that would be of service to you…” Huajo walked into his house, Daniel following him. The ship owner looked for something in a drawer of a large piece of furniture. “Ah… here it is.” He handed a ring to Daniel. It had a dull grey stone in it. “This is a convenient object for access to my house, sir. If you would take it, for the duration of this… operation, you would honour me. It will only open the door to the reception house, but it will give you easy access in case you are in need of a certain kind of shelter.”

Daniel took the ring. “Thank you, sir. I am… perplexed.” This was a level of trust he had not expected. He slipped the ring on his finger.

Huajo smiled. “So am I, but for other reasons.”

They shook hands, after which Daniel left the house and started his walk back to the house of Sygra. It was a slow way to move around, but he knew it was the safest way. Sygra had told him that hardly anyone would bother a preacher of Nahmyo, not even the people who followed that philosophy. Preachers usually addressed people.

The walker was glad when he finally reached the house of the senator again. Sygra had told him he would not attract any attention. “It is common knowledge that I follow the Litany, so it would make sense that there is a preacher walking in and out,” the senator had said. Sygra also had arranged it that Daniel’s ring would open the door without someone having to come.

The amounts of trust and friendship he was submerged in all of a sudden was amazing.

Daniel walked along the corridor, to the room he was told to consider his own for the time being, when he heard a soft sound from Rayko’s room. The door was open, so he looked into the room.

Rayko was sitting halfway up, a tonne of pillows in her back. She sat staring at a cup of something that was on a small table on her bed.

“Are you okay?” Daniel asked.

Slowly Rayko looked up. There was surprise in her face. “Oh… I had not expected…” She smiled. “I am not well, preacher.”

Preacher? Daniel could hit himself. He was still in the Nahmyo preacher garb, and had not remembered that Rayko was following that philosophy. “I am-” he started to say as he came into the room. He stopped talking as he saw how she tried to lift a hand. “Do not strain yourself. You are still weak.” He sat down next to the bed, the hood far over his head. He whispered, hoping she would not recognise his voice while at the same time he felt bad about fooling her.

“I am hurting. Inside and outside,” Rayko said, slowly, and clearly with problems. “I don’t want to be a burden to the people here. Not even to…” she had to breathe a few times “that man who saved my life.”

“What is your bother with him?” Daniel asked, hoping he was not too obvious.

“He is so…” another moment to breathe “so… rough. Impolite.” Rayko closed her eyes and sighed. “I know I should not harbour these thoughts, preacher, but… he angers me. And I know I anger him. And still he risked his life for me. He could have died in that cellar with me.” Her words ended in a whisper.

Daniel gently took her hand. “The ways of people are never explicable, or understandable.” He did his best to make sense. He was sincere in a way he had never thought possible. “There are always motives beyond feelings. Actions that defy logic and emotion. Actions that transcend minds.”

Rayko sat silent for a while, then tried to reach Daniel’s hand with her other hand. She winced.

He reached out and touched her other hand. “Do not strain yourself.” He put the hand he held in her lap. “Drink up. And rest.” He got up again.

“Preacher?” she asked.

“Yes?”

“Will you come back and talk to me? It is important… it helps me. To make me feel better.”

“I only convey the words of Nahmyo,” Daniel said, with a smile. “And I will come back to you. But now you rest.”

“I will. Thank you, preacher.”

Daniel walked out of the room and quietly went into his own. There he changed into his remaining suit, which had suffered quite a bit from the experiences of the days before.

Huajo left the carriage that had brought him to Clelem’s house. He had made sure the man was at home by announcing his upcoming visit. Clelem had reacted a bit surprised about the call, but had invited his fellow ship owner over.

The fat man had some trouble getting in and out of the floater-carried basket. After was ordeal, he entered the reception building. Clelem himself was there to greet him, the way it was proper to do among equals.

“Dear friend,” Clelem said, “I must say I am still surprised about your announcement. Please, follow along to the house. My wife is looking forward to meeting you again.”

“Thank you, dear friend. It has been too long ago that I paid you a visit, especially in this testing time,” said Huajo. He noticed the quick glance of Clelem that betrayed caution.

“I take it that you have heard that our child has gone missing,” Clelem then said. “Yes. We are very worried about her. And even Warlem, our no-good son, seems to be at a loss about Rayko’s disappearing.”

They walked on to the large hall with the fountain. Ugidra was waiting, standing next to the basin. “Dear Seigner Dogom ko Tzuy, such a surprise, your visit,” she said as he greeted her.

“I wish the reason of my visit was a more cheerful one, dear lady,” Huajo said. “I have heard of the strange vanishing of your daughter, Rayko. I want to hear from you directly, dear friends, if there is any news concerning her.”

As they walked over to a couch, Ugidra shook her head slightly. “No, alas, there is no news. We have asked the police force to search, but they have not found any trace of her.”

Clelem sat on the couch, next to his wife, and said nothing. He just looked sad.

“And then the horrific explosion that happened in Skarak,” Huajo remarked. “It looks as if there is a plague going around lately.”

Clelem and Ugidra both acknowledged having heard of the explosion. “Many dead there, I have heard,” said Clelem, holding a cup of tea. “It is such a shame.”

“I know,” Huajo said. “I want you to know, that if there is anything I can do for you to find your daughter back, you only have to ask. I have people, I have ships and I have connections. Do not hesitate.”

Ugidra thanked him abundantly, even though offering was all he had done so far. Clelem nodded and at that moment the mouse came in. Gaguran walked up to his boss and whispered something.

“I hope you can excuse me, dear friend,” he said and walked off with his serving man. A few minutes later Clelem returned, seemingly relieved about something.