Ship of Magic

Jani Khuprus took a breath. “It seems to me,” she said ruefully, “That our problem is not so great a one as time cannot solve it. So my son must wait. It will not harm him.” She smiled with motherly tolerance from Ronica to Keffria. “I will speak to him most seriously. I shall tell him that his courtship cannot commence until your Malta has presented herself as a woman.” She paused, mentally calculating. “If that is this spring, then the wedding can be in summer.”

“Wedding? She will barely be fourteen!” Keffria cried out incredulously.

“She would be young,” Caolwn agreed. “And adaptable. For a Bingtown woman marrying into a Rain Wild family, that is advantageous.” She smiled and the fleshy protruberances on her face wobbled hideously at Keffria. “I was fifteen.”

Keffria drew a deep breath; she was not sure if she would shriek at them, or simply order them from the house. Her mother's hand fell on her arm and squeezed it. She managed to close her mouth.

“It is far too early for us to speak of a marriage,” Ronica said bluntly. “I have told you that Malta is fond of childish pranks. I fear this may be one of them, that she has not considered your son's courtship with the seriousness it deserves.” Ronica looked slowly from Caolwn to Jani. “There is no need for haste.”

“You speak as a Bingtown Trader,” Jani replied. “You live long lives and bear many children. We do not have the luxury of time. My son is almost twenty. Finally, he has discovered a woman he desires, and you tell us he must wait? Over a year?” She leaned back in her chair. “It will not do,” she said quietly.

“I will not force my child,” Keffria asserted.

Jani smiled knowingly. “My son does not believe it is a question of forcing anyone. And I believe my son.” She looked from one to the other. “Come, we are all women here. If she were as childish as you say, the dream-box would have revealed that to him.” When no one spoke, she went on in a dangerously soft voice, “The offer is handsome. You cannot be hoping for more, from anyone.”

“The offer is more than handsome, it is staggering,” Ronica replied swiftly. “But we are all women here. As such, we know that a woman's heart cannot be bought. All we ask is that you wait until Malta is a bit older, to be sure she knows her own mind.”

“Surely, if she has opened the dream-box and dreamed a shared dream, we can say she knows her own mind. Especially, it would seem, if she has had to defy both her mother and grandmother to do so.” Jani Khuprus' voice was losing its velvet courtesy.

“The act of a willful child should not be seen as the decision of a woman. I tell you, you must wait.” Ronica's voice was firm.

Jani Khuprus stood. “Blood or gold, the debt is owed,” she invoked. “The payment is due soon, Ronica Vestrit. And you have already been short with it once. By our contract, we can determine the coin of its payment.”

Ronica stood, to match herself against Jani. “There, in the cask by the door. There is your gold. I give it to you freely, the just payment on a debt owed.” She shook her head, wide and slow. “I will not, I will never, give you child or grandchild of mine, save that she goes by her own will. That is all I am saying to you, Jani Khuprus. And it shames us both that such a thing must be spoken aloud.”

“Do you say you will not honor your contract?” Jani demanded.

“Please!” Caolwn's voice was suddenly shrill. “Please,” she went on in a softer tone when all turned to her. “Let us recall who we are. And let us recall that we do have time. It is neither as short as some would believe it, nor as generous as others could wish, but we do have time. And we do have the hearts of two young people to consider.” Her slitted violet eyes flitted from one countenance to another, seeking cooperation. “I propose,” she said quietly, “a compromise. One that may spare all of us much grief. Jani Khuprus must accept your gold. This time. For she is as surely bound by what I and Ronica agreed, here in this same kitchen, as Ronica is ultimately bound by the contract itself. On that we all agree, do we not?”

Keffria held her breath, did not move, but no one seemed to be looking at her. Jani Khuprus was the first to nod, stiffly. The nod that eventually came from Ronica was more like a bowing of the head in defeat.