GOING BOSTAL
1. The Games People Play (part b)
Port Bostal was a major cityport on the Middle Sea, trading to other cities far and wide, over both land and sea. A steady flow of merchant ships and smaller pleasure craft constantly clogged the harbour, jockeying for docking rights, while the streets teemed with trading caravans and slave gangs.
Slaving was a somewhat ugly fact of life in the kingdom of Rune, but it was a generally accepted practice now – much more so than when slave markets had first started appearing in Port Bostal and other port cities like it, spurred by the influx of bonded slaves from the lands far to the east, across the Bili Ocean. Back then, there had been riots and civil unrest over the issue, and diplomatic relations between east and west had become difficult and strained.
It had taken an esteemed eastern philosopher to present the case for slaving in terms that no self-respecting westerner could reject:
As human populations grow and our cities grow more crowded, the people must by necessity spread further afield. The rural areas, where once we raised and tended our beasts of burden, then become areas of human habitation. Gradually, the human population's needs start to outstrip the capacity of the diminishing animal workforce. The equation is no longer balanced. An advanced society realises that the imbalance must be redressed – and that the only logical means to combat poverty and homelessness amongst the growing populace is to put the indolent to constructive occupation. An advanced and humanitarian society realises these things.
It was ironic, Darkling had always thought, that a treatise justifying the enslavement of other human beings would employ words like 'advanced' and 'humanitarian'. But those were the words that had stung the relatively younger kingdoms on the western shores of the Bili Ocean into accepting slavery – or, at the very least, to allow its practice in their lands.
The Slave Plaza near Port Bostal's pleasure district was an unmistakable indication of how ingrained the slave trade now was in western society. As the four travellers gathered around one of the job posting boards on the plaza's west side, the noise and the heat coming from behind them was almost overwhelming.
Auctioneers screamed at the top of their lungs as the newest 'lot' was ushered up onto the block. Prospective owners wandered through the pens, examining the limbs, teeth and, in some cases, the genitalia of the slaves going up for sale. Hawkers cried the virtues of their wares from the market stalls interspersed amidst the slave pens. And beneath it all, the constant thrum of human conversation rose and fell like the tide. A sea of humanity and not-so-humanity, the two separated by the waist-high iron railings of temporary, portable fencing.
The only question was, which was which? Who were the humans, and who were the animals?
Darkling shook his head, trying to drive away his brooding thoughts, and turned to Wolfson, who was examining one of the notices tacked to the pillar.
"Well?" Darkling asked, tugging at Kana's leash to make sure she wasn't drifting too far away. Places like this made him nervous. It wasn't as if he and Wolfson were legitimately Kana and Anna's owners – it was more like the two companions had inherited the girls, and being in the Slave Plaza wasn't helping Darkling's feelings of discomfort.
"It's a bust," Wolfson said, sighing. "Listen to this one: 'Feeling flat? Always getting the sharp end of the stick? Change your fortunes and sail the Middle Sea in search of glory! Visit the Blood Mongrels' recruiting centre on the Docks. A career on the Middle Sea awaits you. There's nothing accidental about it!'"
"Humpf," Darkling said. "Sounds like privateer work to me. And I never did get my sea legs."
"Me neither, and I don't plan to."
"I can think of a dozen better things to do than work as a mercenary, anyway," Darkling said, looking over the ads on his side of the pillar, then glancing at Wolfson. "Damn. There's nothing here that'll take us anywhere near Feldingford. Either that, or the jobs're offering long-term contracts that we don't want to be bound to."
"Wouldn't be the first time we've bailed on an unsavoury situation," Wolfson suggested, drawing Anna closer to his side and stroking her hair. She grinned up at him, wriggling with pleasure.
"Yeah, but I don't want to go into the situation figuring I'm going to want straight back out of it," Darkling grumbled, abruptly turning his gaze back to the jobs board. "Hmm. What about this one? 'Escorts needed for mule consignment leaving Port Bostal soon. Apply to Henry G at Ma Cross' Merchantile and Hauling.'"
"Nah," Wolfson said, dryly. "We have enough trouble getting our asses into gear, let alone someone else's."
"True enough," Darkling said, and sighed. "So what do we do, then? At this rate, we won't even have enough cash to get to Feldingford, let alone stay there long enough to poke around in the school library. We're down to what, ten shillings?"
"Eight," Wolfson corrected. "You forgot about this morning at the video parlour."
"Lambult's knees!" Darkling groaned. "Those places just bleed you dry!"
"There's nothing else for it," Wolfson said, easily. "We have to find something to keep us going. I can busk for a day or two while you keep looking. That should help pay for our meals and board, at the least."
"And what do you want me to do?" Darkling asked, grumpily.
"Scrounge around and see if you can find us some short-term work," Wolfson said. "Washing dishes, teaching schoolkids – it doesn't much matter. Take the girls with y—"
"No!" Anna chimed in, indignantly. "I want to stay with you, Oukami-sama!"
"You'll just get bored, Chiisai-chan," Wolfson said, patting her cheek indulgently.
"I can sing too!" Anna declared. She turned to Kana, who was hanging back behind Darkling, as usual. "Remember, Kana-chan?"
Kana blinked. "Remember what?"
"Those nights!" Anna said, impatiently. "Remember those nights when all that Master's men wanted to do was sit around being smelly and talking about smelly things? Kana-chan and I would put on a show for them," she said, proudly, looking to Wolfson expectantly. When he obviously didn't show the level of amazement she was expecting, she turned to Darkling, who was just staring at her, bemused.
"Um, Anna-chan, I don't think you're remem—" Kana attempted to protest, but Anna ignored her.
"Dum-dada-dum-dadadaaaaaa!" she trumpeted, before bursting into song with more enthusiasm than tunefulness:
"It's a lucky day today; I'm happy today.
Horoscope says something good will happen.
Hey, someone's asking her to go out!
I want to be like that – someone ask me out!"
Anna whirled and flounced, her skirt flaring up to provide a tantalising glimpse of her white panties. She kicked her legs, flashing the smooth flesh of her inner thighs, as her long brown hair whipped out behind her, trailing like a silken banner.
"Is after class a lot of fun?
Let's get together love!
Casual Romance Club!
By talking a lot, love is going to start—
Feel certain love begins now!
What is going to happen next?"
And with that, Anna fell to one knee, arms outstretched in the obligatory 'ta-da!' pose, her chest heaving prettily as she panted hard.
Kana just hid her face in her hands, as if wishing she were anywhere but here, as various passersby gawked at the strange little scene. Darkling looked on in a state of mind somewhere between incredulity and sheer horror at the rampant tunelessness of Anna's singing voice.
"Well, Oukami-sama?" Anna asked, expectantly, as she climbed back to her feet. "What did you think?"
"You're definitely one of a kind, Chiisai-chan," Wolfson said, and Anna beamed.
"So can I sing with you?" she persisted.
"Well..." Wolfson hedged. "The songs I have in mind are a bit more... melancholy than that one."
"Melancholy?" Anna lifted her head, then turned to look at Kana. "Kana-chan knows a melancholy song!"
"Anna-chan!" Kana squealed, protestingly.
"But you do," Anna said, plaintively. "It was a real show-stopper!" She turned to Darkling, eyes bright. "It made that old cyclops Sardul blubber like a baby!" Skipping over to Kana, she gave the older girl a shove. "Go on, Kana-chan!"
"But..." Kana protested, weakly. "But I..."
"Go on!" Anna insisted, nudging Kana and giving a significant nod in Darkling's direction.
"Um..." Kana raised her arms, looking around helplessly, then let them fall limply back to her sides. "All... all right," she murmured. And then, her cheeks flushing bright pink, Kana began to sing, almost inaudibly, in a pleasantly thin, slightly nasal voice:
"Two silhouettes against a drifting sky,
Both standing on the summit of the hill.
The wind is gently blowing, moving time so fast,
And yet the time is standing so still..."
She paused, hesitantly, looking from Wolfson to Anna, then back to Wolfson again, keeping her eyes conspicuously clear of Darkling. "Um... was that all right?" she asked, quietly.
"Keep going, Kana," Wolfson said, encouragingly.
"Yeah, you haven't even gotten to the good bit yet!" Anna said. "Wait till you hear it, Oukami-sama!"
Kana took a deep breath and launched into the next verse.
"Into the silence, I feel I want to cry.
I really want to cry my tears out loud.
Instead I quietly say that I'm okay
As I look upward into the floating clouds..."
Her voice slowly grew in volume and confidence as she continued to sing. Closing her eyes, she brought her slender white hands up and clasped them over her heart. Her expression was one of wistful longing as she turned her face up to the sky, and her voice coursed around the three members of her audience, enveloping them:
"And we open up the door that leads to the white season;
We're ready with two tickets in our hands.
And I don't need anything but to always—"
Abruptly, Kana broke off, opening her eyes and glancing awkwardly at Darkling. He just stared at her, entranced by the sweetness of her singing voice and riveted by the intensity of emotion that she'd channelled into her performance.
And, to be honest, incredibly turned on.
From somewhere close by, a few onlookers applauded politely. Darkling hadn't even realised they were watching. Kana's voice had blurred away everything else around them, leaving nothing but him... and her.
"That was... wonderful, Kana," Wolfson said, after a moment. "Simply beautiful."
Kana just lowered her eyes, letting her arms hang down in front of her and clasping her hands loosely together. "Thank you," she whispered.
"You liked it too, Kurai-sama, didn't you?" Anna prompted, looking at Darkling eagerly. He flushed instinctively at the unexpected question, and took an involuntary half-step backwards, feeling Kana's violet gaze lingering on him as well as Anna's expectant stare.
"It was... it was... nice," Darkling said, somewhat lamely. Anna just pursed her lips at him, her eyes narrowing. Then she whirled, hooking her arm through Wolfson's.
"So, what do you think, Oukami-sama? Can Kana-chan sing with you?"
"It's definitely possible..." Wolfson mused, stroking his goatee thoughtfully. He looked at Kana appraisingly for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. If you want to, of course, Kana."
"You're going to help, aren't you, Kana-chan?" Anna asked.
Kana hung her head a little, looking at Darkling from under her half-closed eyelids... but then she nodded, reluctantly. "Hai," she said, softly. "If... if I can help, then yes, of course."
"Then let's head back to the inn," Wolfson decided. "We'll rehearse this afternoon and work out a set. You can sing harmony, can't you, Kana?"
The expression in Kana's eyes was almost pained as she tore her gaze away from Darkling. "Hai," she murmured.
"Let's go, then!" Anna said, brightly. "I'm hungry!"
"You're always hungry, Chiisai-chan," Wolfson said, fondly.
"That's 'cause I'm a growing girl!" Anna told him, grabbing his elbow and snuggling up to his side as they started walking. With her, the leash was practically a formality.
"Girl?" Wolfson teased. "I thought you keep insisting you're an adult?"
"I am!" Anna insisted, sticking her tongue out at him.
Darkling watched his friend walk off, with Anna firmly attached to his side. Why... why was he feeling this way when he looked at them? What was the—
"Oniichan?"
"Huh?" Darkling jumped, turning in surprise to find Kana standing there at his side. "Oh. Kana?"
"You... you're not angry with me, are you?" she asked, reaching out hesitantly to take his hand in both of hers.
"Angry?" he asked, resisting the reflexive impulse to pull his hand out of her grasp. "Why would I be angry?"
"I... Maybe I should have asked you first, before I agreed to sing with Oukami-sama..." she said, quietly.
"That's not a problem," he told her, firmly. "I think it's a good thing that you're going to help him."
Her violet eyes widened slightly. "Really?"
"Yes, of course." Darkling hesitated for a moment, then forged ahead blindly. "And, Kana... I... I really liked your singing," he said. "You have a very pretty voice."
For some strange reason, she didn't look pleased by the words. If anything, she looked slightly upset by them. "Thank you," she mumbled, faintly. Her grip on his fingers faltered, and her hands fell away. She looked down at the paved ground, biting her lip again, her expression haunted.
"Come on," Darkling said, after a while. "We'll lose them if we don't hurry."
She nodded quietly. "Hai, oniichan."
Next: Today's special is...