GODS AT THE CENTRE ( EDITING)

CHAPTER XX, EMMESO: AT WORLD'S END

It had rained the previous night. A cold torrent, more chilling than it was strong. Sky and sea had merged as water above met water below. The wetness that struck the deck came with a shiver that seemed to reach his bones.

Yet, the ships bore on as his sea wise captain with hands as gnarled as the riggings of the Alamarian Dawn had said.
"She has seen fire and storm in the Middle sea. Idem favours her. She would hold, all of them will hold. This is nothing." He had wondered if Alamarian Dawn's luck would extend to the Unknown Sea whose waters ran pewter, grey as an old man's beard. Not like the trusty blue waters of the Baldic.

And in the morning he found that they were still afloat. He had listened to the creaking of the ships at intervals in the night until he decided they were innocuous before going to sleep. He was reminded that though he had sailed the seas as a merchant, he was still a stranger to it, at least this one.

While he occupied his favourite spot on the deck near the first mast, leaning on the taffrail, Adain Orian came over.

He knew it was him by his enthusiastic footfall on deck even before he heard his loud voice.

"Can you see it? Ozara the land at the edge of the world looms?"

He snorted. At the horizon hung something too dark to be a cloud, land-Ozara the isle at the edge of the world. Where the Baldic met the Unknown.

Ozara had been in sight since morning. Since then Adain had repeated that same line a hundred times. He would admit, it had seemed novel at first when Adain had peered into the horizon there was something about it that struck him like the poem Aris recited at dinner, but after Adain repeated the same thing again and again, it lost its taste.

Leave poetry for the poets.

Adain handed him a cup of the green brew.

"Thank you." But he is a good person anyway. His smile seemed warm enough. There was nothing political about it, just as there was no pompous air in how he spoke to everyone like they were all old friends.

Adain had this nature that forced itself on you like a warm sun. He just shines on you whether you want it or not. His smile revealed his missing teeth at a corner. He would never say how he got them. "I bet more than I could chew." He had said with his characteristic humour.

Emmeso had seen him from a distance: at the Orian house where the old man frequently called him to sup. Adain was rarely around and when he was the air seemed to be animated with his chatter. His head rose like a black halo. He spent time combing it, oiling it.

At the Assembly, his corner would occasionally ring with laughter with something witty he had said.

"Five hundred thousand Alams! We are not removing shishi! Tell that to Amis' royal buttocks, we are not market women. How can we prize people like vegetables?" Adain had yelled out of decorum, clapping starling the Thigian delegates mid-speech. They were another batch set that arrived trying to negotiate the prices of the ransom. He had broken into laughter at the words "buttocks!"

The whole Assembly roared into laughter while the delegates looked lost.

And yet the Assembly had given in at last. Vaxes' ransom was set at 300 thousand. Amis gave up Hai without a struggle! That surprised everyone, even Ikan had not thought it would be that easy.

As for her remaining troops, she agreed to negotiate for them in person, but on neutral ground. That was understandable. Where? Ozara at the end of the world? It was remote, none of the nations had powers there and it was uninhabited. It was perfect.