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He grinned so that his audience could see the many jewels that studded his teeth She alone did not flinch "I do not intend to attack, only to safeguard this port A fair tithe paid to me by every merchant for each shipload will assure that no further disturbances plague you Does that not see the that he could understand the for the ax to fall The rain slackened as the storh
"What tithe will you demand?" Either she had taken his measure and decided that he respected e before him, or else she simply did not fear death "This port was founded by those on whom tithes laid heavy in the southern lands If you lay your hand upon us too harshly, who is to say on’t rise up against you in rebellion?"
"Then you will all die"
Broiped, sweat-drenched despite the cold Several of the lanced back toward the distant palisade, half concealed by buildings They knehat gri the dead in a e of the porch’s shelter to whisper into her ear, but she did not respond to hi
"Then who is to say on’t simply abandon this town, sail away come summer, and seek another site froarded her with curiosity "Are you not afraid that I ht kill you for your presuers flicked the lower edge of her veil, and he caught a glimpse of the hollow of her throat before the veil swayed back into place "Had you wished to kill us outright or break us down into slave pens, surely those of your soldiers who attacked us yesterday would already have done so You arewith us now because you have another plan in mind"
"What tithe would you consider a fair one, Riavka, daughter of Sarenha?"
She did not hesitate "One part in ten"
"One in six," he replied as quickly, "and you will create a council aovernor of arrison"
"So be it" She inclined her head to show her assent Behind her, the others hurriedly agreed
"That is not all," he went on "I wish to establish another trading port, like this one, along the coast where my own people dwell I have already chosen a harbor, in Moerin country, in the southern part of e from there to sea-lanes that lead as far west as Alba, south to Salia, and eastward to these countries Do any a you care to build such a port under ue, and he stae at this time of year, my lord The lands of the Eika are known to us by report as a rugged, inhospitable country Feish to settle there"
"Then, truly, I will pick soathered merchants reacted with such cohand had to suppress an odd urge to laugh, so learned from Alain, who had not been afraid to find pleasure in the foibles of huer of the two Hessi men "I will send my son and his household" In the sa a narrow channel and then breaks through, her words released the others fro at once, a clah over their noise
He lifted a hand, unsheathing his claws At once, the elders stuttered and gasped into silence
The alert rose again over the waters,the distant watery isles A cri whipped into life on one of the outer once, twice
He paced to the edge of the quay Water lapped at the wooden pilings, shushing and slurping to the rhythm of unseen waves Rain spattered the waters and stilled Wide-bellied knarrs laden with cargo lay along the quay Farther out on the bay, the sleek outlines of his oarships rested on unquiet waters, wreathed with fingers of mist
The surface of the bay eddied in a spot where neither ship nor reef had its place, the wake made by an unseen pod of merfolk, come to call
He turned to Tenth Son "Had you any warning of this?" Tenth Son gave a sharp lift of his chin, to signify "no"
A pair of glittering, ridged backs snaked above the water and vanished Tails slapped down The townsfolk yelped and skittered back, all but the veiled woly, took a step closer in order to see better She h her veil, and extended a hand, palh her skin