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Part 22: A COMPACT
There were common infirmary facilities in Vaalhest, but Cad had quartered Wilde in an unused room in House Bounder’s quarters.
‘She had a bleed in her abdomen,’ Cad explained. ‘I’ve drained the cavity and stitched the internal wounds. She also had two fractured ribs; I’ve sedated her for now, she needs plenty of rest before she can be active again.’
Maira placed her hand on Wilde’s forehead – she was warm, but not feverish, and her unconsciousness seemed one less disturbed by pain.
‘We won’t leave until she’s ready,’ Maira said. ‘Cad, I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done for me.’ Cad smiled abashedly, hands in his pockets.
‘We’ve crewed together,’ he said. ‘It would be remiss of me not to. Now, onto other matters: how are you doing for dosage?’
‘I’ve still got several weeks’ worth,’ she replied. ‘Taking it every other day- Oh Thunder!’ she hissed. ‘I’ve been so busy, I forgot to take my last dose – I should get back to the ship, grab it-‘
‘No fear,’ Cad reassured her. ‘I keep some vials on hand – it’s common in Dimmer culture.’ He disappeared from the room, returning minutes later with a leather pouch.
‘Are you still using that ghastly medicine box?’ he asked. ‘I should lend you the use of this – I imagine it would be easier to remember, if you had this in your pocket the whole time.’
‘Easier to lose them and break them,’ Maira countered. ‘At least in my ghastly box they’re safe! No, better to forget occasionally than to run around with these on my person.’ She took the pouch and unfurled it, revealing three vials of deep red liquid. ‘Thank you, Cad,’ she said again.
She sat on the bed and uncorked the tube, staring at the medicine.
‘You look exhausted,’ Cad said. ‘I can tell you’re still keeping it bottled up – you need to talk to someone about this.’ Maira shot him a glare, tight-lipped and pale, before she swallowed the liquid, grimacing at its taste.
‘Never get used to that,’ she said. ‘I’m fine, Cad. Dad knew how I felt before I left and so did mom, and neither of them really properly accepted it – at least, not to my face. So I’m not putting my trust in any old stranger who’ll judge me before they know me.’
‘Ah.’ Cad paced the room, smiling knowingly. ‘That old argument. Well I put it to you thus, Captain: that if you refuse every old stranger who judges you prematurely, there’ll be no strangers to get to know you at all!’
‘And if I happen to like it like that?’ Maira asked, pouting. Cad sighed and shook his head.
‘I know for a fact that you don’t,’ he said. ‘Captain, I am going to be direct: you are so afraid of being hurt again that you push away anyone who might instead help you.’ He sat on the bed next to her and took her hand.
‘I cannot be what you need,’ he said. ‘But I am a doctor, and I like to think I am a good one at that; I will continue giving you the bitter pills we call truth, but it is up to you to take them for the curatives they are. They work taken daily, over a long time; they do not heal wounds overnight.’
Maira stared fixedly at the floor, feeling the anger rising within her. But she knew none of this was Cad’s fault, and this anger was entirely misdirected. She closed her eyes and sighed.
‘It hurts, you know?’ she said. ‘Here I feel almost normal – there are others who take this tincture, others like me. But out there, it’s impossible to find someone who’s living as I am. So many people – so many ships and ports and…’
‘Just know,’ Cad replied quietly, ‘you are not the only one. Take comfort in that!’ He squeezed her hand quickly and stood.
‘But we must be getting back,’ he said. ‘Dinner will not wait forever, and I am sure you would not mind me mixing up some more tincture of Venus for your travels.’ Maira wiped her eyes and stood.
‘No worries, Cad,’ she said, smiling wanly. ‘Despite all the food Sancho gave me, I could eat more.’
‘You need to keep up your strength, girl!’ Cad chided. ‘Tincture of Venus affects your body greatly, it takes a lot of energy to process those changes!’
‘I know, I know.’ Maira led the way, Cad following, the conversation fading off into the distance.
Maira and Cad were among the last to file into the large dining room – a long, high-ceilinged room with an ornate table, framed by dozens of high-backed chairs. Nevertheless, a space had been left for her in between Lance and Ham, a seat she gratefully took.
‘You okay?’ Ham whispered. ‘You and he were talking for a while.’ Maira nodded, but her attention was drawn – opposite her, an empty seat remained.
‘Who’s missing?’ she hissed, looking around – she did not recognise all the Cannibals here, and she had trouble picking out the faces she knew from House Bounder.
Cad waited until everyone else was assembled, glowering at a couple of pockets of convivial whispering until they were shushed by neighbouring family members; then he took his position at the head of the table, but did not yet sit.
‘Bounders!’ he announced, to cheers. ‘My beloved family – intelligent, fearsome, pragmatic – and of course our honoured guests-‘ and here he gestured to Maira, who coloured as dozens of eyes glanced towards her; ‘I have sat here for many years as father to this family. It always brings me light to sit here in your company, to see the strength of our bonds and power of a house united, a house that leaps as one.’
The cheering rose up again, but as an atmosphere of calm settled over them again it seemed Cad’s face had become clouded.
‘I regret,’ he continued, ‘that this will be the final family meal for many of us.’
Gasps and mutters percolated through the hall. Maira followed the flow of conversation, seeing the spots that it jumped: a cluster of women near the head of the table, including Isabella whose expression was stern but set; and farther down the table, Sancho, surrounded by a gang of young, grey-skinned Cannibals of ferocious appearance.
‘I am taking my leave of this place with the departure of the Fallen Star,’ Cad announced. ‘Some of my inner circle will be leaving with me – I know!’ He raised his voice above the hubbub, ‘you fear that we are leaving you leaderless at such a volatile time! You worry that we are fleeing out of fear! If you will be silent a few moments more, allow me to disabuse you of such notions!’
Silence descended. Nearly a hundred expectant eyes fixed upon him.
‘First: we are not leaving you leaderless. I wish to announce the succession of a new matriarch: Cousin Maria will take on leadership of the House here.’ There was a general succession of cheers, and at the head of the table Maira saw a young woman blushing under the attention and smiling shyly, as her compatriots clamoured around her. ‘Her own sister, Theresa, is also remaining – they will oversee operations here and continue to strike a true course for House Bounder in Vaalhest.
‘Secondly, I must welcome another guest – one who has promised to aid the house as if it were his own. He is an old hand with many decades of invaluable advice – and has counselled me these last nights on my own course. Needless to say, my trust in him, and his designs for our house, are total and complete. I hope you will greet him warmly, and treat him as the venerable ancestor to our own lineage that he is; please welcome Cynan of House Lies-in-Shadow as though he were one of our own!’
There were gasps as the door was thrown open, and from behind Cad, the weathered and spiny face of Cynan approached, a warm smile playing about his lips. The whispers ran down the table, and Maira glanced down to note that, yes, even Sancho had sat up to take notice.
‘I thought he was in the dungeon!’ Ham murmured. ‘How’d they manage to spring him?’
Maira did not respond. Her eyes were once again on Cad, who was clearing his throat to continue.
‘And now I must turn my attention to our image,’ he went on. ‘For you are all still thinking it: that this is an avenue of escape. That we are abandoning the fort before we meet our deaths.’
A chorus of ‘No!’ rose up. ‘We would never think that!’ Cad raised his hands, voices lowering on command.
‘I must meet this rumour before it has a chance to spread,’ he announced. ‘Because it would be wrong to think I impugn our house’s honour in this way! In truth, it is far worse: I have failed you as a father. Yes I have!’ he snapped over the denials that cried out in his direction. ‘The debacle with House Defender was in part my doing, an absence where my presence should have been felt to reassure others. In truth, I am too absorbed these days in my studies; I no longer wish to be drawn into house politics or typical power grabs. So I will take my leave aboard the Fallen Star alongside those who have given up their stakes in this house to remain by my side – my most devoted family, and those who wish for stranger and more varied shores!’ A ragged cheer went up from the two corners – Sancho’s and Isabella’s – and Cad looked with sincere affection at his sister. He returned his gaze to the room, where he now smiled proudly.
‘I hope my absence will leave you stronger,’ he said. ‘There are those who will miss my skills; but in academics there are some who have followed in my footsteps, and I fully expect the next fortress surgeon to be another Bounder. And in politicking, well… you are all insightful, charming, and conniving – you cannot help but best me in our ways, and so I ask of you: be better Bounders than I.’ He let his gaze linger on his family for a long moment. Then he cast down his eyes and laid his hands on the table.
‘Now let’s eat!’ he announced with a laugh, and he graciously made room for Maria at the head of the table. The new matriarch sat, trembling with pride and a little fear, but her friends at her shoulder cheered for her and she grinned a catlike grin as she raised her glass. Cynan moved to sit in her vacant seat, chatting cordially with Isabella; Maira glanced at him curiously, but her eyes moved to follow Cad as he approached. He sat down opposite her and nodded cordially.
‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘I am sorry for springing it on your crew; allow me to sit opposite you, that we may discuss the ship and my duties.’
While all around them hummed with the chatter of politics and changes, Maira ate. As she shoved half a loaf of bread – once again, thick with stew – into her mouth, she held out her hand expectantly. Cad cocked his head, staring at her quizzically.
‘Lift,’ Maira said, her mouth full. Cad furrowed his brow, before his eyes went wide in understanding.
‘The list, yes!’ He patted his pockets, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a neatly folded paper. ‘Here you go; the names of the family who will be joining me.’ Maira took it, eyes scanning it absently. She shrugged and swallowed.
‘Of these names, I’ve met Sancho-’ she indicated down the table, where the blond Cannibal was listening to those around him, an island of calm in the midst of animated chatter; ‘And I’ve met Isabella.’ Here she gestured up towards the head of the table, which Isabella sat just below, a matronly eye on the women who were now in charge. ‘Who else should I be aware of?’ Cad nodded as he listened and steepled his fingers, staring at the back of the paper absently.
‘Mauregatus, Amadeo, and Ashraf are close with Sancho,’ he said eventually. ‘You can see them there: Mauregatus and Ashraf are debating politics, Amadeo is the one who is listening more than he’s speaking.’
‘Who’s Pepin?’ Maira asked.
‘A young prospect. He’s the only youth who would be coming aboard, but he has his uses. You’ll find him of surpassing bravery and intelligence.’
‘And the girls?’
‘Marina and Amalia. My own children – though they are of age now. I am not as young as I look.’ Maira nodded, huffing a laugh at the attempt at a joke.
‘There’s some I can’t place here,’ she said. ‘Huaji, Taizu, and Tang?’
‘Prospects from Eyes-To-The-Soul,’ Cad explained. ‘They’re much more interested in politics than theology, though I half suspect this is a plot from Eyes to subvert House Bounder from within. They were always good at playing the long game.’
‘And when can I expect introductions?’
‘After the main course; we’ll take a turn about the room, chat with folks before Sancho serves dessert.’
‘Did Sancho make the dessert too?’ Maira asked with a wry smile. Cad nodded in return, utterly earnest.
‘He put a lot of work into it,’ he said. ‘He’d serve you well in the galley.’ Maira chuckled and mopped up the last of her stew with her bread. She raised her glass in a salute.
‘To our continuing partnership,’ she said. Cad returned the salute and both took a long draught of wine.
At length, the starter was cleared away to make room for the main course, and talk turned to lighter matters.