Sanctuary - Lynn Abbey [150]
The steward yanked the reins and clapped his spurred heels against already bloodied flanks. His driven horse took off down toward the East Gate.
“He doesn’t like you,” Bec observed. “Good thing he doesn’t know your name.”
The string of carts was moving again. Cauvin distracted Flower with an ear scratch, lest she let out another froggin’ bray. “Just let him come looking for me.”
“You’ll get in trouble for fighting.”
“Not if he starts it.”
Bec shrank. The boy wasn’t a fighter. Even in the cradle he’d been all smiles—pick him up, put him down, feed him, or ignore him, as a baby Bec had taken it all in stride. As a result, the world was easier for him than it had ever been for Cauvin. That bothered Bec far more than it bothered Cauvin.
“Finish your story,” Cauvin suggested when the Enders had all passed and the boy’s mood hadn’t lifted.
“It’s not a very good story. Grandfather talked to people—the prince and his wife, she was one of the fish-folk. I can’t remember their names—”
“The prince was Kadakithis. Her name was Shupansea.”
“How do you know? Did Grandfather tell you the story already”
“I know, that’s all.” Cauvin didn’t want to get tangled up in the truth. “I must’ve heard the names somewhere.”
“They called him Kittycat, did you know that, too?”
“No,” Cauvin lied. “Never heard that before.”
“He took Grandfather’s advice and sent the fish-folk’s ships out to Scavengers Island to clear off the pirates. When they were done, they changed the island’s name to Inception, ‘cause it’s the first land between here and wherever the fish-folk came from—and went back to—and because it was supposed to be the start of Sanctuary’s glory. With the pirates gone and the Empire losing its war in the north—nobody was paying attention to the kingdom—Grandfather thought that Sanctuary could grow into a mighty place, maybe a kingdom of its own, because the fish-folk were rich, and they’d only sail into Sanctuary’s harbor, on account of their queen being the prince’s wife.”
“He got that froggin’ wrong.” Cauvin laughed. “It’s been downhill for Sanctuary since the fish.”
“That wasn’t Grandfather’s fault! Sanctuary would have become a mighty place if the gods had let it. But the gods wouldn’t let Grandfather finish what he’d started. The prince disappeared on the road to Ranke, and his wife went home with the fish. Then the storms came and wrecked all the big ships; and plague killed all the captains and sailors and navigators who knew where the fish-folk lived. Then, just when Grandfather had rebuilt the ships and was ready to send them out looking for the fish-folk, the Bloody Hand took over the palace. Grandfather sent the ships to Inception, ’cause he thought they’d be safer there, but he said he couldn’t watch the horizon and his back at the same time and no ships wanted to come to Sanctuary once the Hand was in charge—”
The boy hesitated … wary of Cauvin’s reaction and with good reason. Froggin’ sure, Cauvin usually walked away whenever the Hand got mentioned, but he let it slide this time, and Bec continued.
“Grandfather said he knew the Ilsigi king had put men on Inception Island, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it, and the Irrune … they won’t set foot in a boat, not even Arizak. So, now it’s still Inception Island, but it belongs to the Ilsigi king. The king’s ships control the strait between here and there. They keep pirates away from Inception and us, both—but they keep closer watch over ships that put in at Inception Island. The galleys come here for supplies, but everything else goes there. It’d be better for us if we held Inception Island again. Better for the Ilsig king if he held Sanctuary, instead. Grandfather doesn’t think the Ilsigis will try anything while Arizak’s alive, but he won’t live forever. His sons will have a choice to make … his sons and Sanctuary: the Empire or the kingdom.”
Cauvin had his eye on the gate where