‘No one’s denying that you will get something in return,’ she replied, eyes narrowing, ‘and, in this case, what you are getting is whatever won’t be happening with regards to your cheek.’
That took a bit longer than I’d have thought.
‘Beyond the potential hazards of this trade, both before and after you hypothetically launch your boat,’ Togu said, ‘there is the matter of expenses.’
‘Expenses?’
‘Supplies? Food? Charts? These things we are in no certain supply of.’ He shrugged, taking a long puff of his pipe. ‘A difficult thing to ask.’
‘Ah, of course,’ Kataria said, folding her arms. ‘Forgive me, I should have asked the other king lizard with a house full of garbage.’
‘These,’ the king said, sweeping an arm about his collection, ‘are investments for when the humans return.’
‘So … this was a trading post.’
‘Was, yes,’ Togu said, nodding. ‘Not so long ago, in fact, which would account for your information.’ He eased back as far as he could without tipping over, groaning a smoky sigh. ‘They came from Toha, seeking trading routes. They had not expected to find partners, and we had not expected that we would enjoy their company. But, like all trade, this was driven by necessity.’
‘You seem to have everything you need,’ Kataria said, glancing over the crowding collection, ‘and more.’
‘I have many things, but nothing I need, no. The humans came with food, food we desperately needed. We found you in Teji’s jungles, yes? You saw.’
Lenk furrowed his brow at that. He had seen Teji’s jungles, and even through the fever that had swept over him, he could see things growing: greenery, leaves, wildlife. There looked to be no shortage of food. The moment he began to say this, however, Kataria spoke.
‘It’s a barren forest,’ she said, ‘lots of trees, but no fruit.’
‘No nothing,’ Togu replied. ‘Nothing but roots and tubers. Food for the moment, but not for the people.’ He shrugged. ‘Thus, when the humans came with fruits, meats, wines, grain to make the gohmns larger and more hardy … we traded. From there, we continued to trade. Our needs sated, we could take things we wanted: brandy, tobacco …’
And yet no one thought to trade for pants, Lenk thought sourly.
‘Don’t mistake me for a fool, my people for simpletons,’ Togu said. ‘I was not made leader because they didn’t know any better. I looked out for them, I learned the human language, the human ways.’ His face seemed to melt with the heat of his frown. ‘I learned they move on.
‘And, as I said, I am no fool. I knew you would have to leave, eventually, and I suppose my people did, too.’ He tried to offer a smile, but it was an expression with fragile legs, trembling under the weight that stood upon him. ‘But we wanted you to stay … if only so we could remember those times again.’
Lenk regarded the creature thoughtfully. He tried his hardest not to be suspicious, and indeed, Togu’s story gave him no ready cause to be distrusted. And yet …
Something in the creature’s eyes, perhaps: a little too intent to be reminiscent. Or maybe the long, slow pause that followed: a moment intended to reflect the severity of the memory, or a moment to gauge their reactions? He distrusted the lizard, but, for the life of him, he couldn’t really think why.
‘He’s a liar.’
Oh, right … that’s why.
Lenk wasn’t sure if the voice did have moods, but he suspected that none of them were of the kind to humour him. And so, he felt the cold creep over him with greater vigour, greater ferocity.
‘Surrounded by liars. Everywhere. He lies. They lie. You lie.’
Me, he tried to think through the freezing throb of his head, what do you—?
‘Listen. Listen to nothing else. Only to us. Only to ourselves. Realise.’
No, no more listening. This is supposed to be over. This is supposed to be—
‘THROUGH the lies! Do not be tricked! We cannot afford it! We need to stay! Need to fight! Need our sword! See through them! Do not listen! Do not trust!’
‘Not trust …’ he whispered, finding the words less reprehensible on his lips.
‘Something the matter, cousin?’ Togu asked.
‘What happened to them, King?’ The question sprang to Lenk’s lips easily, instinctually. ‘Where are they?’
‘What?’ Togu’s smile was crushed under his sudden frown. ‘Who?’
‘Lenk …’ Kataria placed a hand on his shoulder, but he could not feel it.
‘The humans,’ he said, ‘where are they now? Where did they go?’
‘They are’ – Togu’s lips trembled, searching for the words – ‘not here. They …’ He swallowed hard, a sudden fear in his eyes. ‘They are …’
‘Shi-i ah-ne-tange, Togu!’
The voice rang out through the hut like a thrown spear, its speaker following shortly through the front door. While it was impossible to slam a leather flap, the Gonwa that emerged, tall and limber with the ridges on his head flaring, certainly gave it his all.
Lenk could only guess at the thing’s gender, of course, and that came only from his booming voice as he shoved his way between the two companions, sparing a glare for both of them. With an arm long and lean like a javelin, he thrust a finger at Togu, using the other hand to pat at a satchel strung about his torso.
‘Ah-ne-ambe, Togu! Sakle-ah man-eh!’
Togu spared an indignant glare for the Gonwa, which quickly shifted to Bagagame as the littler lizardman came scurrying behind, gasping for air.
‘Bagagame!’ the king boomed. ‘Ah-dak-eh mah?’
Bagagame made a reply, his voice going far too rapidly to be discerned. In response, the Gonwa stepped up the tempo of his own voice, his ire flowing freely through his words. Togu tried to dominate them in speed and pitch both, roaring over them as they blended into a whirlwind of green limbs and bass rumbles.
‘Who’s the big one?’ Lenk asked, glancing sidelong at Kataria.
‘How am I supposed to know?’ she growled, fixing him with a very direct scowl. ‘What was that?’
‘What was what?’
‘That. What you just did.’
‘I asked him—’
‘You didn’t ask him anything.’
He strained to keep the shock beneath a stony visage hardened by denial. She couldn’t have heard, she can’t hear that, her ears aren’t that long … are they?
The argument between the lizardmen seemed to end in a thunderous roar as Togu shouted something and thrust a hand to the rear door. The Gonwa swung a scowl from him to the companions before nodding and stalking off to the back, Bagagame following with a nervous glance to Togu. The king himself hopped off of his throne and grunted at the two non-scaly creatures in the room.
‘Forgive the interruption,’ he said as he disappeared into the gloom. ‘This won’t take long.’