Chapter Twenty
After speaking with the other survivors, we took Diaya back to the Hall of Talons.
Two of them remembered the wolf figurehead without prompting, and a third remembered that the ship was a sloop.
Not surprising. Sloops were fast and more maneuverable than other ships.
Still, that narrowed things down a little.
“I'll send some men down to the docks and let you know what they find.” Diaya climbed out of the carriage. “I should know something by tomorrow.”
“Great, and thank you for your help today.” I reached out to shake his hand.
A soft growl came from behind me, reminding me of my promise to avoid touching Diaya. I jerked my hand back.
Diaya acted as if he hadn't noticed. “This is my case. So, technically, you were helping me. Which means I should thank you.”
“In that case, you're welcome.”
Jucai reached past me and shut the door. As I glared at him, he tapped the roof. I waved at Diaya apologetically as we rode away.
As soon as the Hall of Talons was out of sight, I leaned out the window to call up to the driver. “Take us to the wharf.”
“Yes, sir!” The driver took a turn.
I slid back in and sat down.
“We're going to the docks?” Jucai grinned.
“Yes, but just to look. Claw Mahdred is right about people being wary of us. I doubt we'd get anyone to talk. Still, I want to check the ships in port.”
“Do you think they'd be careless enough to anchor here?”
“No, but I'm going to check anyway.”
It was a quick ride to the wharf. Before we reached them, I advised our driver to make a slow pass along the docks. We wouldn't get out if we didn't have to. If the ship were there, they'd recognize Jucai, and I didn't want to scare them off.
The scent of fish and seaweed strengthened until Jucai wrinkled his nose. I chuckled.
“What is so amusing?” Jucai demanded.
“A sea king disgusted by sea smells.”
“Those are not sea smells. They are coastal odors. You can't smell anything underwater.”
“But I thought sea dragons could track people through the water by their scent?”
“That's not really smelling. Much like sharks, sea dragons have a second set of nostrils beneath their snouts. They are not for breathing. Water flows through them, full of tiny particles shed by living things. These secondary nostrils sense the particles, and we interpret it as a type of smell.” He scowled.
“Unlike this horrendous odor that I can smell right now.”
“We're passing the fish market. Fresh fish doesn't smell, but barrels of fish guts do. A lot.”
“Indeed.”
Then we came alongside the wharf. Off the wharf were the docks, and across the street from them were shops. Men were loading cargo into carts, merchants inspecting their shipments, and prostitutes strolled through it all.
I searched the ships for sloops with wolf figureheads. There were none. At least I'd tried. Now, we'd wait on the Talons. I leaned out the window again. “To the palace!”
“Yes, sir.”
As we turned up a street, Jucai asked, “Are those women so desperate for attention that they must come search the docks for lonely sailors?” Jucai frowned as we passed a couple of female prostitutes flirting with a group of sailors.
I snorted a laugh. “Those are prostitutes, Jucai.”
“I don't know that word.”
My eyes went wide. “You must have sex workers in Kansu.”
“You mean the men and women who perform sex for entertainment and offer to have sex with others for a fee?”
“Yes, that's called prostitution here.”
“Our prostitutes don't have to go looking for customers.”
“We have places where prostitutes wait for their clients to come to them as well. They're called brothels. But the docks and taverns are the only source of income for men and women whom the brothels won't take. As you said, the ships come in with lonely sailors.”
“Ah, I understand now. But wouldn't those men prefer to relax in a nice establishment and choose a partner from an assortment of prostitutes?”
“The merchants probably do, but the sailors can't afford it, Jucai.”
“Even our lowliest pleasure house is more inviting than this.”
“And even your lowliest pleasure house would be too costly for them.”
He grimaced. “And you disapprove of my slaves. At least they can afford a nice pleasure house.”
“You pay your slaves? Then they're not slaves.”
“We give them coins and other gifts in gratitude for their service when they leave. The amount they get depends on how well they served.”
It wasn't exactly employment, but it made me feel a little better about Jucai owning slaves.
“I'd wager these free men would rather live as they do than be your slave,” I said.
Jucai smirked. “That's only because they haven't been to my palace. There, they would never be lonely, worked to the point of exhaustion, or have to pay for sex.”
“But then, they would be prostitutes.”
“My slaves are not prostitutes! They serve out of gratitude for our protection.”
“And you pay them when they leave. So, are they paid workers or slaves?”
“They are slaves who we present with gifts out of gratitude.”
“So, they're paid when their service is over.”
“You keep saying that, but it's not payment. Payment implies an agreed-upon amount for a specified service. We give the slaves what we feel they deserve after they've provided a service that was not specified.”
“That is still a payment. At the very least, it's an incentive.” I shook my head. “Why are you arguing with me about this? It's more honorable to pay a man than to make him a slave.”
“Once again, our cultures differ. My people don't see slavery as you do. We treat our slaves differently and only take those willing to submit. They are a tribute given to my court in acknowledgment of all we do for our kingdom. As such, it is a great honor to own slaves. The more slaves a Sea Dragon court has, the more they are loved by their people.” He cocked his head at me.
“People on land must treat their slaves terribly for you to say that owning one is dishonorable. Are they? Is that why you were so horrified to find slaves in my palace?”
“The Dragon Kings have outlawed slavery in their kingdoms, but there are those who disobey that law. Many nomadic human tribes capture and enslave their enemies. They treat their slaves horribly, as possessions, not people. They have no rights and cannot refuse their masters anything. King Saric has sent me to free slaves before, and I’ve seen how they live.
People chained like dogs, starving, dirty, beaten.
Those who have been slaves for years lose all sense of self.
They become what they're treated as—animals.
So, yes, the atrocities I've seen have given me a different perspective on slavery, and because of them, I may have misjudged your court.”
“There is no 'may have' about it, Nadar.
You came to my court spouting talk of diplomacy.
You said you wouldn't judge, but that's all you've done.
I allowed it because you intrigued me, and that fascination has grown into fondness.
But I don't like this side of you, and I won't stand for it any longer.”
“I'm sorry. You're absolutely right. I won't share my opinions on slavery with you anymore.”
“You misunderstand me yet again. I want to know what you think, Nadar.
I enjoy our discussions. But before you form those opinions about my people and me, I'd like you to speak to me. If you feel the same afterward, then that is fair. But do not judge us without learning why we live as we do. Agreed?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will talk to you before forming my opinions.”
Jucai inclined his head. “Thank you. And I'm sorry that you have seen such terrible things, Nadar. Trust me when I say that I have seen far worse, and I understand what it can do to you.”
I knew what he'd seen—monsters eating his people. And I knew what he'd done—hunted and killed those monsters. Considering what he'd been through, I felt childish for using my experiences with other races to justify the way I judged him.
“Nadar.”
I looked up.
“Just because I have seen worse, it doesn't diminish your experiences. I only said that so you'd know that I understand how encountering monsters can make you see them in every shadow.” He took my hand. “But I am not a monster.”
“I know you're not, Jucai. You're the man who kills monsters.”
Jucai smiled, a hint of something tender in his eyes. “Thank you. Now, I would like to see the garden you told me about. The one with the fountain.”
Grinning, I leaned out the window. “Change of plans. Take us to Sahir Square.”
“Yes, sir!” the driver called back, and the jingle of reins announced our turn before we took it.