Naamah's Curse - Jacqueline Carey [146]
I’d given well nigh the last of my coin to Unegen, and while I didn’t think the old fox had cheated me, it meant that Erdene was right, and the last item of great value I had was the Imperial jade seal.
It was a precious gift, and one that spoke of the great trust that Emperor Zhu had placed in me. I felt profoundly guilty at the notion of bartering it, although I would do it if necessary. At the same time, I was unsure if it would be as valuable as I needed it to be to Bhodistani traders going in the opposite direction from Ch’in. As an added difficulty, I would be facing a considerable language barrier.
As we made our way along the narrow trail, through gorges, along mountainsides, I weighed the matter, breathing the Breath of Wind’s Sigh to clear my head of the aching dizziness that came with the thin air.
Toward the end of the day, our path intersected with one of the great rivers that carved its way through the Abode of the Gods. We made camp alongside the river in a broad, shallow gorge, pounding tent-stakes into the loose scree and anchoring them with heavier stones. While there was still light, I fetched my satchel and took stock of my possessions once more, sitting cross-legged before my tent, laying each item out on the square cloth embroidered with bamboo.
A handful of coins, no more than a pittance.
An ivory-hilted dagger.
The Imperial medallion.
Arigh’s Tatar bow, superfluous now that I had my own yew-wood bow. The latter, I had no intentions of parting with. At some point, my survival might depend on it.
The last three items were dear to my heart for different reasons, and I would hate to part with any of them—but none of them would save my life.
A crystal bottle with a few drops of perfume.
My mother’s signet ring.
Reluctantly, I worked the blue-green jade bangle loose from my wrist and added it to the array.
“Dorje?” I called to him. “Would you be willing to counsel me?”
He came over cheerfully, squatting across from me. “Yes, of course. What is it?”
I pointed. “I’ve almost no coin left to me. Along with passage to Bhaktipur, I will need warmer clothes and blankets. These are the items I have to trade, but I do not know how to value them.”
Dorje clicked his tongue. “You should not trust a trader!”
“I am not trusting just any trader,” I said steadily. “I am trusting you. Will you not advise me?”
He cast a shrewd eye over my belongings, reached out and touched Arigh’s bow. “This you could easily trade for a blanket or clothing. It is the best Tatar workmanship, I can see. Such a bow is always of value and use.”
I nodded, grateful.
“This, maybe also.” He touched the dragon-hilted dagger. “It is very finely made. But you will not get full value for it. Or for this.” He indicated the jade bangle. “It is of peerless quality, but no one values jade as much as the Ch’in.”
So such a bangle was enough to provide Bao’s sister, Song, with a dowry, but not enough to buy me passage across the Abode of the Gods.
I sighed.
Dorje examined the signet ring, its seal etched with the twinned insignia of House Courcel and the Black Boar of the Cullach Gorrym. “I suspect this has value in your own country,” he said. “But it is not wrought in a pleasing manner to my eye, and is worth no more than its weight in gold.”
“Not enough?” I said glumly.
“No.” Dorje picked up the crystal bottle, tilting it this way and that. Its facets flashed in the lowering light. I stifled a protest when he drew the tight stopper, sniffing at its contents. The scent of Jehanne’s perfume brought a dreamy look to his face. “Does it possess some magical potency?” he asked. “Like the tonic Unegen spoke of?”
“No,” I murmured. “It just smells nice.”
He replaced the stopper carefully and set the bottle down. “I do not know, Moirin. It is very pretty, but I do not know what it is worth. Not passage through the Path of Heaven’s Spear.”
That left the Imperial medallion.
Dorje gave me an inquiring