Side Quest: Merchants of the Silk Road
It took the better part of a month before I was up and about. Elizabeth had Mo and Zheng in hysterics most nights as she told them about the schedule Izzy had written up. When she got to the part about making me take shifts on my own ship the two of them had her repeat that part of the story about five times before they’d let her move on. Unfortunately for me, Mo took the idea and ran with it.
Once I could sleep through the night and bend down to pick something up with only a mild amount of cursing, he became a little bitch about waking me up and making me go on walks with him in the morning where he would espouse the wonders of temple living and, when I got there, all the things we would do together. I would steer him back by Zheng’s tent and tell him to go spend his energy between her legs and let me be. He usually readily agreed and then I’d spend the rest of the day fielding Zheng’s meetings and business operations as she screamed in pleasure in the background due to whatever Mo was doing to her.
Elizabeth and I spent our days cleaning and airing out the ship. We took inventory of everything left over from Bermuda and everything I picked up in Greenland and Calais. There were some items we could restock on here in the compound but there were also markets in nearby villages where we could procure what the Greenland villagers needed. Zheng paired Elizabeth up with a guard who took her around to the markets to get what we needed.
“Think they’ll like these?” Elizabeth showed off her latest purchases as her guard and his wife lounged over by the sacks of rice I’d ordered. “Zhao said they are well made.” She gestured to her guard. He must be Zhao. I picked up the packages of dyed silks and agreed with Zhao. The material was well made.
“Yes. We could definitely get a good price for this. Especially if we trade this in France. I wouldn’t go back to Calais but there are southern ports that are just as good. If we choose to do Tangiers –”
“Not for trade, Captain. I mean for these to be gifts.”
“That’s nice. For who?” I handed her back the material. She’d made many many friends here. Besides being cute and wonderful, she was an absolute shark in the gambling arena and this was turning into a natural environment for her. As she learned their languages, they brought her into more circles. She’d sprint away as soon as I released her from her daily chores and I wouldn’t see her till late at night as she stumbled in high and drunk and shaking her bags of winnings. I felt like I ought to be more responsible with her but I’d taught her to throw a punch and her guards, like this Zhao, kept an eye on her.
“For Isabelle and Catherine. I found a nice carving of a frog for John Henry. Look.” She picked up a small frog with ridges down its back that made a xylophone type noise when you ran a stick along it. It was cute. “And they call this a turkey berry plant. I thought Isabelle would enjoy it. Please tell me you remember them.”
“I remember. I remember.” She was never going to forgive me. “I’m sure they will love these, Izzy especially. I don’t know what Catherine likes.”
The girl sighed. “Catherine doesn’t know what Catherine likes either. She was brought up never to have a feeling or a thought about anything so she’d be more acceptable to whoever agreed to marry her.” I’d never heard Elizabeth say such a critical thing. Elizabeth looked up like she’d been caught stealing. “I didn’t mean that! I meant –”
“It’s okay, Elizabeth. We can love people even if they aren’t perfect. Catherine will learn what she likes in time. When you are never given choices you learn never to make choices or commit. Even to a favorite food or color. It’s just easier.”
Elizabeth nodded, understanding perfectly. “She loves John Henry.” Even here, hundreds of years from Catherine, Elizabeth had difficulty feeling safe criticizing her friend/sister/mistress. “I think it’s the only time she ever realized she wanted to experience strong emotion.” Elizabeth stroked the fine silks she’d bought for her friend. “She’ll like this, I’m certain.”
Now that I was up and moving, most of my day was consumed with making plans with Zheng. This was one of the more profitable compounds we had put together. My time away combined with this injury recovery time had created a backlog. While Mo and Elizabeth became BFFs and he taught her all manner of curse words in all manner of languages and crowed as she emptied the pockets of the pirates around her, Zheng and I toured storehouses and cargo holds and made our lists and agendas. When the season changed and I judged the conditions ideal (both of the sea and of myself) we began unloading the Try Your Luck’s hold and packing every available space with crates of pepper.
“Captain, perhaps I should have asked earlier, but what are we doing?” Elizabeth watched as a trunk of expensive reticella lace we bought off an Italian merchant in Calais was transferred to our tent. Zheng would keep it all under guard while we were away.
“We are going to take this shipment of pepper to Rome. They pay well for pepper. I’m thinking 3rd century? 4th? Do you have a preference?” I shouted a few orders to the men carrying casks of excellent French wine to be careful. I wanted to turn those bottles into pure profit in late 18th century America.
“We are not going to Greenland?”
“I’d like to repay Zheng for her hospitality before we go. If you want to stay here you are welcome to.” I went up to the men carrying a crate of tools meant for the Greenland villagers. I checked that it was all there and sent them on their way.
“Rome? I’d like to see Rome.”
“Then pack your things. We’ll learn Latin on the way.”
****
Elizabeth looked dynamite in her chiton and with her gladius stuck through her belt. She enjoyed the sandals that strapped up around her calves and the intricate hair sewing and braiding available in the city. She skipped around town with a gaggle of friends, completely at home in the diverse and bustling ancient city. She left for the bathhouses some mornings and I wouldn’t see her for a couple days.
This wasn’t my first time in Rome. I loved Rome. I set us up in my old apartment in the city center. Mostly I stayed in my Carthage villa when I came back this far but I wasn’t clear which of my timelines might be there now and this was easier.
After moving all the pepper we decided to stay for a few games…for a few holidays…for a few seasons.
****
Zheng was thrilled at our return and the influx of money and cargo and a return to business as usual. She and Mo threw a huge party for us after seeing the chests of gold and riches we brought back. Elizabeth was full of stories of her time in Rome. Zheng plied her with wine (that looked suspiciously like the wine bottles from Calais) and pressed her to tell about more stories of my antics. Zheng sat in Mo’s lap and he had a hand up her shirt, fondling her gently as she egged my first mate on. Their behavior was nothing new to us. In fact we were lucky it was just this small amount of groping.
“That’s when we discovered it wasn’t just wine in the wine. The Captain gave quite a show during the chariot races that evening. Personally charged after several of the horses herself.” Elizabeth delivered the line to her salivating audience and I sipped my drink. I’d been trashed that night and woken up in the stables. Truly a nightmare
“Ah, Elizabeth. I am so glad you have joined us.” Mo grinned. He was stoned out of his mind and did something under Zheng’s shirt to make her squeal. He laughed and pulled her close to kiss her. “I’m going to miss this.” He murmured to Zheng who spun around and straddled him. He’d told us when we docked he was planning to leave for the temple again. They’d been inseparable ever since.
“I’ve been thinking,” Zheng turned back around to face us, “When you go, what do you think about taking Elizabeth with you?” She looked the girl up and down. “It’d be nice to have a new member of the family. Would be nice to have a fresh little sister around here. This one is getting stale.”
“Little my ass. I’ve got you beat by a mile,” I grumbled and drank.
“Oh? You finally going to tell us how old you are? Because none of us is buying that ‘I’m closing in on my third century’ bullshit. You’ve been peddling that shit for centuries.” She flicked her ash at me and I swept it away, both of us laughing.
“Centuries, Captain?” Elizabeth looked between the three of us, questioning her reality.
“Wow. Izzy really told you nothing, did she?” We all laughed.
“You did keep mentioning how I shouldn’t bury you. Just to let you…be.” She glanced at my healed back. We all laughed again.
“Ugh, yes. It blows to dig yourself out of a grave. Dirt…everywhere,” Zheng groaned.
“Those heavy ass stones are damn hard to roll away.” Mo took another drink and shuddered.
“Swimming miles and miles to shore…rough.” I’d done that more times than I cared to admit.
“Elizabeth, we,” Mo gestured to the three of us, “went through a process. Death is no longer our friend. So what do you say? Want to join us?” He and Zheng looked at her with big smiles. Too big.
“You two are unbelievable.” I put my drink down and stood up to leave. “You know I wouldn’t let her go to the temple without me. I’d sail her there and never get out again.” This was their most blatant attempt yet. I was disgusted with the pair of them. “How about you tell her what she’d actually need to do to pass the trials!” I shouted back to them and went to my tent to lie down. What a pair of assholes.
Elizabeth came in a short while later and sat on her bed watching me angry stitch into the rose pink and yellow bodice. Despite the spite I infused into every stitch the piece was turning out beautifully, covered into a brocade of yellow leaves and flowers over the pink silk.
“Captain? You don’t want me in your family?” Her voice was heartbroken. I put my stitching down and went over to her.
“Stop.” I took her hands and made her look at me. “You are already my family. I don’t want them bullying you into a decision you would regret all because it’s some ploy of theirs to get me away from here.”
“So they didn’t really want me?”
Zheng and Mo could be some insensitive jerks at times. Their offer had been sincere. They adored Elizabeth as much as I did and wouldn’t have made the offer otherwise. Inviting a person into your life for what could literally be all of eternity was not an invitation extended lightly.
“They’d love to have you officially in our family. So would I.” I put my arm around her sunken shoulders. “This offer had more to do with killing two birds with one stone.”
“Do you regret your decision to go to the temple?”
“It’s never been a choice any of us could make.” The portal storms swept us all away and stranded us in that strange land. Our choices were live or die. Most died. “It’s my life though, I wouldn’t trade it.”
“If I did want to go to the temple, would you go with me?” She finally looked up at me.
“I’d sail you there myself.” I’d tell her everything she needed to do. I’d guide her as best I could and I’d be with her every step of the way till they tore me from her side. She was my first mate. She was my crew. I’d be there with her till the end. She smiled and I let her go and went back to my stitching. It was getting late.
“Why do they want you to go back there?” Elizabeth got up and readied for bed herself.
“They are afraid for me. They are afraid I’m not doing well here. The temple is a place I can rest.” Elizabeth stopped her nighttime routine at my answer. I cleared my throat and focused on the stitches. It was only too clear that she agreed wholeheartedly with their assessment. This branch of leaves could use another curl. I tacked it in to avoid looking at my first mate.
“Then why not go?” she yelled, exasperated. After everything she’d seen me go through on the journey to Greenland and in Calais and Rome, it must seem like utter foolishness to stay.
“I’m not ready to say that kind of goodbye. Are you?” I finished out the branch I was stitching. The bodice looked complete. I’d start on the skirt next. Elizabeth thought over the goodbyes changing allegiance over to this family would require.
“Perhaps not yet.” She climbed into bed but didn’t sleep. I kept stitching. If she ever did want to go I’d have a real conversation about it. Personally I hoped she never would. We’d been called sacrifices. That term followed us beyond the trials. We were sacrificed to the powers and we continued sacrificing in all corners of our lives afterwards.
****
When the Try Your Luck was loaded again for our next trip, 1100s England (Middle English lessons for Bessie this time), Mo was ready to depart as well. Zheng had him tied up in bed (hopefully metaphorically but I wasn’t about to ask) the past several days. He was on his ship now, following us out to the portal. Zheng didn’t see us off. She was typically despondent for a few weeks after Mo left. She wasn’t ready to commit to the temple either. They loved each other while they were together and had their own lives when they were apart. I’m not even clear whether they’d ever exchanged vows. To them, they were the highest powers around and their understanding of their relationship was satisfactory. No other rules applied. However, they tried not to share themselves with others while they were in the same location and time.
At the advent of the portal, Mo and I both lowered our sails. “Last chance, Elizabeth. What do you say? Jump off her ship and come along with me?” He beamed at her.
“Perhaps another time.” She smiled back at him.
“Anne?”
“You can’t have me yet.” I smiled to temper the words.
“Yet.” His words held that threat again, the same as they’d done when I first arrived. We both raised our sails again and raced off in our respective directions. Elizabeth might have wanted to talk but I did not. I spread a section of the rose pink skirt through a hoop and started considering the vine detailing I envisioned. She went below and rested as I navigated us along through the portal.
The water was choppy. It wanted me to follow Mo but it wasn’t willing to commit to going toe to toe with my intentions so it showed its displeasure in the rough water and sharp winds. My course was set, however, and I had no plans to change. We sailed on.
****
“England,” I grumbled. “Until they put that big ferris wheel thing in, just no thank you.”
“I think I agree, Captain.” Elizabeth had had a rough trip. Lots of stares. Lots of touching. Lots of assumptions. She had retreated to the ship behind one of my bigger guns and let me handle the trading. I’d had to stab a few vendors before finding a decent contact to conduct the trades. The latest war had wiped out all of my contacts and their sons. I’d gotten us out of there in record time.
“We will stick to the trade routes along the silk road from now on. This was just a good opportunity.” Our hold was full of treasure we could melt down and restamp into different currency, processed wool, and hundreds of pounds of flour we could peddle through Asia and the Middle East. There were also casks of sweet mead that I allowed Elizabeth to sample to ease her irritation.
“Let’s go back to Rome. I liked it there better.” She came up with dinner (or whatever meal it was) and I put my embroidery aside.
“We can do that. I have a place in Carthage. I was looking through my notes and think there’s a time we could slip in and get some good trading done.”
“Yes. Let’s do that.” She was drunk.
“I’m up for it if you are. I thought you wanted to get back to them.”
“Who?” She took another long drink.
“Not important. Go back to bed.”
“Yes, Captain.” She stumbled below. I picked the embroidery back up.
****
The portal in the Mediterranean was always a wild ride. It curled in on itself like a whirlpool and creatures became stuck and forgetful of who and what they were. Most times, like our previous trip to Rome, I’d sail to an Atlantic exit and navigate in on plain water to avoid the obstacles. Other times, like now, I was eager to sink my teeth into the challenge that was of what could only be described as a mythical obstacle course. Elizabeth stood fascinated by the creatures that leapt from beneath the waves and flew out of the sky to land on our rails. Lighting crackled in the distant mountaintops that could be seen through the portal's thin veil. Sleek shapes cut through the water next to us. I put a safety harness on Elizabeth after she almost went over the first time. I’d gone over the rails a few times in here myself and it was a bitch to get out.
The current swirled fast but I was game for it. I kept my exit in sight and shouted orders to my first mate and together we made it out within view of the north African coastline. Carthage was only a few hours away. On our return trip we would need to circle the Mediterranean and chase our entrance down, but that sounded fun now that I had company who grinned ear to ear as we took on challenges.
Villa Egret was easy to find. Much as I did when in view of Zheng’s compounds, I raised our colors and the patrolling ships escorted us into the villa’s small port.
“I think I like this even better than Rome, Captain!” Elizabeth shouted as we passed the stunning architecture along the shoreline.
“It’s one of my favorite places in the world.” I breathed in the Cartheginian air and smiled. It was good to be back. In my younger years I’d needed a home and Aurelia adopted me. In return I was heir to her villa, Villa Egret, her fortune, and her companionship. The woman had been widowed soon after my adoption and she used her widowhood status to her advantage, never ceding an inch of her power if it could be helped.
“Neptis! I am overjoyed to see you home again so soon.” Aurelia waved as she walked down to the docks. She was flanked by her servants and enslaved. I greeted them each by name as they arrived.
“Domina! You are gorgeous as ever.” I kissed her cheeks and listened to her laugh. It was a dark day when she passed from the world. I’d spread her ashes with care in the Mediterranean. That was many years from now. She wasn’t even using a cane yet. “Let me introduce you to Elizabeth, my first mate.”
“Ah welcome, Elizabeth.” Aurelia kissed her cheeks and held her hand. Aurelia’s skin was lighter than my first mate’s but as they turned and walked towards the household I noticed their hair had a similar texture, though my adopted grandmother’s was almost completely white. It was nice to see Elizabeth in a place she was more comfortable. England had been difficult.
We talked the pepper trade over dinner and Aurelia was already making lists of vendors in the forum for me to call on tomorrow. My goal was to diversify the contents of my hold. Zheng and I were looking for specialty items to intrigue traders, items we couldn’t acquire in the Pacific or during the 14th century.
I kept Elizabeth with me during negotiations this time. Our cargo was valuable enough here that our sex was easily forgiven. There were plenty of buyers willing to fill the Try Your Luck’s hold with all manner of delicacies. At the end of each day, I released Elizabeth to party with a new group of friends once our business was conducted and looked in on Villa Egret’s shipping industry and coast guard duties.
We stayed the rest of the season as I took care of the villa’s books and business, Zheng’s pepper trade, and Elizabeth’s penchant for tourism. She and Aurelia played cards or dice over breakfast and even suckered me into a few games. I relented and joined in if they plied me with enough honey and wine and promises that they wouldn’t beat me too badly. They were both full of lies and honey.
Aurelia cackled and scooped up her winnings this morning and kissed Elizabeth on the forehead, “Oh! I am going to miss you girls!” She went off and we heard her ordering her maid to prepare to walk with her to the forum to spend all the money she just won from me.
“We truly have to leave?” Elizabeth complained again.
“I can’t risk running into myself. I know I’m due back here soon. It’ll be alright. We’ve gotten enough here to satisfy Zheng for a good long stay.” I scooped this morning’s dice into a small sack and handed it over to her.
“When do we have to go back?” she asked.
“I figure tomorrow morning or the next.”
“No, when are we going back to them? To Catherine and Isabelle and John Henry.” She tied the small pouch to her belt.
“Whenever you like.”
“When do you usually return to Isabelle? Why do you return?”
“Lots of reasons. The 21st is the only era I can get some repairs done on my ship. So I’d combine family visits with repairs. I run businesses there as well and they need my attention just like all these other eras. Sometimes I just get lonely and want to see friendly faces and have a safe bed.” There were always reasons to go back to the 21st and always reasons to leave again.
“It’ll be nice to rest a little at the compound. Zhao’s wife is expecting again, did you know?” She talked a little more about her guard and his new family then took off into the city. I stayed around the villa today and double checked that the ship was ready for departure. I’d like to be on the water early tomorrow morning.
****
Elizabeth and I began making voyages along the southern coast of Asia, the northern African countries, and some of eastern Europe. We became almost as good a sailing team as Maui and I had been before our campaign in the Pacific unraveled our teamwork.
Elizabeth now knew the route to the portal by heart. She sailed us close. I took us in. Together, we made Zheng incredibly wealthy. It was a wonderful arrangement for everyone. I was feeling good. I was feeling strong. Sailing with a first mate who didn’t natter endlessly about who was captain, soap versus hand sanitizer, or whether monohulls could beat catamarans in a schoolyard fight, was a delight. So it was a complete shock to me when, on our return from India with a ship full of spices, Elizabeth declared, “Captain, it’s time to go back.”
“We are going back.” The sun was bright on the water, the ship was full of riches, we were headed back to the compound. “Should be to Zheng in a week.”
“Back to Catherine, John Henry, and Isabelle,” she clarified. That got my attention. “It’s time to turn the pages back to Greenland.”
“Let’s drop the cargo off with Zheng first and then we’ll figure that one out.”
“Yes, Captain," she agreed.
****
We were on our way to Italy, our hold loaded with lace and silk, when she brought it up again. “Captain, it’s time to go back.”
“Back where? Did we leave something?” We had made a killing on our last run through Istanbul. I was gleeful at how much gold we’d been able to make. Having Elizabeth on board meant I could nearly triple my productivity.
“Greenland, Captain. I miss my family. Catherine and John Henry are my family. Isabelle is yours. Did you forget them?”
“I didn’t forget. We’re just doing so well. Why do you want to go back now?"
“Just seems like time.”
“Okay. Let’s get through this sale. It’s going to be a good one. Then we can begin making arrangements for departure. Deal?”
“Deal.”
I wondered what was bothering her that she wanted to get back to them all of a sudden instead of enjoying Italy with me. We both loved Italian food. She’d told me after eating a prosciutto wrapped date that she’d seen the face of God. Couple that with our love of Italian wine and I had no clue why she wanted to return to Greenland. Last time we were in Italy she’d brought Zhao’s new baby a beautiful lace bonnet that made her older sisters very jealous.
****
Our haul of salt had netted us enough wealth along the coast of the Red Sea that the ship was riding low with goods, gold, and other valuables.
“Now, Captain. Now is the time we must be going.”
“Going where? I think if we head south around the Cape of Good Hope we could –”
“Greenland, Captain,” she interrupted. “When we return to Zheng we will say our farewells, and leave. It is time. I started keeping count after England. I believe it’s been over five years we've been away.”
Five years? That couldn’t be right. We’d just gotten here.
“For us, sure. Maybe. But for them…” I trailed off. “Let’s talk about it when we get back.”
“Yes, Captain.” She said the words but I knew that tone. I don’t think she was agreeing with me at all. Elizabeth went to water the forest she’d been growing in my galley and throughout her cabin and the spare cabin next to mine. She’d had to regrow the garden several times due to storms and attacks, this time it was looking lush though and we both enjoyed the quince and turkey berries.
Five years? Maybe. Elizabeth had changed substantially since the girl who’d boarded my ship in Bermuda – the terrible grief stabbed me out of the dark. I shoved it down. Five years…over five years, would it ever be enough time to forget that place? Elizabeth was a good deal stronger, confident, and skilled. Five or six years looked much better on her than it did on the amount of grief that continued to swamp me. Elizabeth had even developed a fashion sense. She loved her Roman sandals, French breeches, and Hanfu top, all cinched with a wide leather belt that held her favorite blades and dice. She still wore the hat Little Jean bought with her in the French country markets. Her hair hung in long thick twists and braids, accented with gold clips and jade beads along with a few beautiful small jewels she’d collected on our little side trip.
She looked great. I wondered what was bothering her all of a sudden.
****
Zheng was as rich as she’d ever been, even more so than when she was a warlord terrorizing western China. My old friend was ecstatic with all our success. With Elizabeth watching my back, I didn’t get nearly as beaten up when we were boarded and attacked -- still a little beaten up but nothing that required excessive recovery. And for sure nothing as bad as Charlie had inflicted on me. Elizabeth was also able to sail the attacker's ships back to Zheng, which added immensely to her fleet. Zheng was practically tap dancing each time we sailed into port.
Tonight there was a huge feast and party to celebrate our return. Elizabeth plied both me and Zheng with drinks and food and before long we were giddy and laughing and spilling stories about old times. Even Elizabeth had stories of old times to contribute. She loved retelling how Zheng mistook her for Izzy when she first arrived. Zheng and I laughed our drunken asses off over that one; it was a favorite.
“Captain!” Elizabeth interrupted our multilingual stories about capsizing in Jakarta, “let’s play a game and make a wager.”
“No! I’m bad at those,” I whined. Zheng nudged me over with her toe as I melted dramatically to the hard packed ground.
“Do it! I love to see you lose,” Zheng egged me on.
“What’s the game?” I told both of Elizabeth’s faces.
“High card wins. Look, there are just two cards, one low, one high.” She showed me the cards in her hand and indeed, the odds were exactly fifty/fifty. I could totally win. “You win, we can stay here longer. I win, we go back to Greenland tomorrow.”
“But we just got here!” I whined some more.
“What’s in Greenland?” Zheng slurred.
“Izzy is in Greenland. And someone else. And a baby.” I ticked off the people on my fingers.
“Babies in Greenland.” Zheng laughed and passed out.
“Fine. Fine. Fine.” I reached for a card and Elizabeth decked me across the face.