Bra'anath doesn't get angry often, and when he does it is usually loud and furious. That is why Adric watched his every move this day with a kind of wary curiousity of the sort one uses when watching a freshly-caught shark that seems to have stopped struggling. You never know when it will move again and remove a fisherman's arm. "It is time to go," said Bra'anath mildly. There was a soft sigh from across the room and Adric was startled to see the Shenari sand painting on the far wall suddenly tilted badly. Apparently one of the nails holding it up had rusted through. Adric wasn't startled that Bra'anath had the power for the feat, but rather that the Guide seemed unaware of his action. During his rota with the Shenari, Bra'anath had never been able to focus his attention clearly enough to do such a thing without significant effort. Adric, as one of his tutors, was both pleased and disturbed by this turn of events. He nodded, and packed the last of their things quickly, taking care only with the last few fragile gifts. Walking through the streets of Mir, Bra'anath told Adric, "This country hides all its knowledge from all others. With magical walls too powerful for us to breach easily, nobody would dare go fishing for information here without skilled spies and a clear goal. Since they have decided that the leaders of the largest trading fleet in the MidSea don't even deserve a polite refusal, I see no reason to remain here. Nor to continue trading with the island." At those words, Adric couldn't suppress a whistle of surprise. Bra'anath's only response was an amused quirk of his lips. "We do not need their money nor their goods," the Guide replied by way of explanation. "And there is no need for us to waste energy on a society which has nothing of value to the Fleet, is there?" On the next tide, five Ka'Shari trading ships left port in Mir. One had not even finished unloading its cargo of grain, although the captain *did* return the monies he had taken in payment for the undelivered grain. Within 5 days, no Ka'Shari ship was willing to land in Mir without at least a 50% rise in prices for all its goods. As Bra'anath's temper cooled and the ocean breezes flitted through his hair, he noted that "Our trade is not a great portion of Mir's income. But given their demand for exotic spices, they'll miss some of our luxury goods within a couple of years. Let them learn from the consequences of their actions. When they ask politely, perhaps we can trade politely again." He also spent several days in the hold of his ship, restacking fabrics from Amo'trall, a chore he always hated, as a sort of penance for his rash actions. "I suppose the next place we need to try is Taltheran," he told the captain. That night, Adric had to work hard to contact his superior in the Shemaini. He was in East Torphan, and bridging the distance was an effort. He was also struggling to get a decent dry dock built where the local lord seems determined to show HIS superior how bad an idea it was in the first place while collecting all of the money he can. "Money, again!" said Adric. "That keeps destroying any benefit those people might have gained from the docks, doesn't it? Can *we* still use them? I know we need a place to build, but if this man wishes to drive us off, perhaps we need a *different* place to build? After all, we can still trade at their main port, to the North." "Aye, we might," he was told. "But repairs -- and a place to try some new designs -- are becoming more important. We should work on those. Soon." With a sigh, Adric released the contact. His superior was so much more skilled at the new technique that Adric knew he could be reached easily enough if there was something urgent. This message was sent through MyMail http://www.mymail.com.au ---------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send mail to celandra-off@phoenyx.net.
