it,” Tess said pointedly, “when he gets back from visiting his dying father.” She shooed people away like flies. “Stop gawking. Haven’t you got anything better to do?”
But Kaab was a curiosity, now that the fight was over, and they would not depart. “Where you from, lady?” the voices came at her. “Where’d you get them clothes? What’ll you take for that stripy head rag? Who taught you to fight?”
It was the kind of situation Kaab always enjoyed, Xamanek help her. A new city, a new role. She could tell them anything, and they’d most likely believe it as not.
She lifted her head, trying to look like the carving of Xkawkaw on a temple gate, and announced: “I came on a great ship from the west, on the Road of the Wind. An old god taught me to fight, and I honor him by shedding my blood on your soil. Lord Ben, you have served me well. I give you leave to depart.”
She nodded imperiously at him. Much as he might like to, he would not attack her again; the glorious Tess would see to that. And indeed, she was rushing him off as quick as she could, berating him all the way.
Ixkaab Balam smiled. Her shoulder stung, but she’d had worse. It was a good first day in the new city.
Such a play-actor! her mother’s voice said fondly.
And the Riversiders parted to let her pass.
• • •
The Ink Pot was a very nice place. It was pretty clean, and not too crowded. There was a good fire going, and people were laughing and even singing in one corner of the room. Nobody seemed mad, and no one was looking at her. Lots of them were drinking things, mostly from pewter or earthenware mugs.
The boy who had guided her said, “I’ll have one with you, if you like.”
“All right,” said Micah.
“Where’s your brass?”
“In my pocket.”
“Give it to me, then.”
“Why?”
“So I can go get the drinks, you gubbins! What are you having?”
“I like hot cider,” Micah said. “But you can’t have my money. It’s mine.”
“They won’t give me drinks without money! Don’t be stingy. Didn’t I bring you here? This place is for poets, and I’m a geographer.”
“Don’t call names,” Micah said. He should at least be polite.
She looked around for someone selling drinks. She’d never actually been in a tavern by herself before, and Cousin Reuben always got the drinks.
“How much are they?” she asked the boy. When he told her, she nodded. She certainly had that much, and a little left over. “All right,” Micah said. “I’ll give you the money if you get the drinks.” It seemed fair—or at least, a price worth paying so she didn’t need to wade into the throng and figure it out herself. She counted out exactly the right amount, and watched her helper head towards the bar.
“Come on!”
The voice behind her was loud and startling. Micah whirled; but they weren’t shouting at her. Four young men sat at a round table, playing cards by candlelight in the low-roofed tavern, beer mugs at their elbows.
“Rafe, are you in or out?”
“I’m in.” The tallest and darkest of them put some silver on the table.
Wow! Micah thought. They were betting with real money. She and her cousins only played with acorns.
Drawn to the game, she edged closer to the table, standing behind the dark-haired one, Rafe. She could see his cards. Not a bad hand, but it was more important to know what the others held. He couldn’t bet against them if he didn’t know. Each player had one card showing faceup on the table. The others had a Sun, a Comet, and a Two of Beasts. Rafe had a five, so at least they knew that. The betting went round again, and then another set was dealt.
The boy who had guided her handed Micah her drink, but she hardly noticed. She was following the patterns of the cards. She pretty much had them when Rafe laid more silver on the table and said, “All right. Everyone show.”
They started laying their hands out, but she couldn’t stand it. “Fold! Fold! What are you, stupid?”
Everyone was looking at her again. But she hardly even cared. How could he be so dumb?
Rafe turned a sharp face to her, and said kindly, “It’s all right, young ’un; I’ve got a pair of Beasts, a pair of Crowns and a Celestial. They can’t beat that.”
“Yes they can! It’s so obvious!” She had that needing-to-pee feeling again, only it was needing to talk, to explain. “Look! He’s got a Celestial showing, and he’s got two cards down and he’s betting high. There are only twenty-two cards left undealt, and the chance of one of them being a Celestial is five in a hundred, so that guy clearly has one more in his hand, which means he’s got two and you lose!”
There was silence. Then, one by one, each man laid open his hand on the table.
“Holy Mother!”
She was right, of course. She always was. Her cousins wouldn’t even play her anymore unless she played blindfolded.
“What’s your name, son?” Rafe asked her, and she felt so sorry for him she didn’t even bother to tell him she wasn’t his son.
“Micah.”
“Just come to town, have you?” She wasn’t wearing a scholar’s robe. And her hair wasn’t even very long. But Rafe seemed to think she was one. “Well, Micah, would you like to join us for a hand or two?”
Five games later, Micah had a nice little pile of brass and silver in front of her. After the sixth, the other guys wanted to quit. “It’s all right,” Rafe told her. “We can go elsewhere. You’re not tired, are you, Micah?”
“No,” Micah said. This was fun. She’d already made four-sevenths of what she and Reuben had made all day selling turnips at the market.
“There’s usually a good game going at the Gilded Cockatrice. Rich boys, too. Do you play Constellations?”
“No. What’s that?”
“I’ll teach you later. It’s a fancy game, you’re right; not as much fun as Seven-Card Slap-up. We’ll go to the Blackbird’s Nest instead. Full of historians who don’t know a Celestial from a hole in their bum, and fancy themselves card sharps. Easy pickings. And if there isn’t a game going, we’ll get one up.”
They walked together through the twilight of the streets. Micah liked the way Rafe knew where he was going all the time. People just got out of his way.
In the Blackbird’s Nest, she bought them both drinks, because that was what you did when people guided you somewhere, and she had plenty of money, now. Rafe got a rum punch, and she got more hot cider, because it was the only thing she knew the name of that she liked.
Three
