The Drums

The man walked her into a corner in the innermost part of the city, where there were hens and goats strolling around in backyards and the commercial commotion slowly gave way to the edges of tropical countryside. There were trees, bearing ripening fruit that Serenica did not recognize.

She would have otherwise thought of this little tour as suspicious, but it was impossible to feel bad on one's first trip to Aja Vana.

Old wives were arguing about the cost of a dozen eggs as Serenica's new companion came to interrupt them.

"I don't mean to disturb the Mistress, but I've got a potential customer here," he said to the taller of the old ladies, his body language apologetic and clearly submitting to the older person with more authority. "She wants to sleep well without outside interventions."

"You keep that," the one called Mistress said to her friend and gave her a few coins more than the accurate price of the eggs. "My husband is baking tonight, I don't want there to be a hassle. This girl has trouble sleeping? What is the name of the man?"

"How do you know it's about a man, Mistress?" Serenica asked.

The lady shook her head, laughing. "It's always about a man when someone goes around walkin' in dreams that they don't rightfully belong to."

Serenica thought this sounded a bit biased, as she had indeed been the first one to barge into the dream of the prince and not the other way around. She didn't say anything, though. The old lady looked strong for her age.

"I would like something simple to keep under my pillow, if it's not too much to ask," she said.

"No, no, it's a reasonable request. Who wants to sleep with a huge crystal under the pillow? Come here."

Serenica visited a shack not so much unlike the one that homeless woman had died in and bought an amulet made of obsidian and the fangs of a snake.

"The fangs are there to scare people," the Mistress explained. "But now you must tell me - what has happened to your hand? It glows and the rest of your skin looks like you've been eating dirt."

Serenica became conscious of the last time she had washed herself. Those things seemed futile while on a ship, yet she knew her captain was probably scrubbing every inch of his skin clean with soap and perfume right now. "Oh. Your friend sold me a potion. I have not had the time to properly wash myself in weeks."

"Take a damn bath, girl, I can smell that someone has died on you recently. And use the potion, for the sake of all known gods. If it's what I think it is, you don't need to use a lot of it."

Serenica found the others in an inn very close to the port. She took a room all for herself and requested a tub, some water and and a lot of soap.

She relaxed in the hot water for a while, but her mind was full of feverish desires. There was a sunset ritual that took place on the first day of the month in Aja Vana. Some musicians would come out as the day was beginning to fade, and at dusk, the drums came with them. It was a signal for those who had a long voyage behind them, and for those who simply wanted to loosen up, a signal to party like beasts.

Serenica heard the drums through the wall, the rhythm pulsating in her bones as a mixture of all known artistic sensibilities. She did not want to miss this.

Someone came knocking on her door.

"Hold on!" she screamed and began to scrub herself.

Before long, she was clean again. She dried herself and after a short debate with herself applied some of the potion on her face and hands. She didn't like to reveal too much skin, but what parts from her were showing, would now glow.

She put on her clothes, opting for the green shirt to please Spade, brushed her hair a bit and opened the door.

Myorka was waiting for her with the Admiral looking utterly uninterested behind her.

"Here's a little something for the best healer on these seas," the bookkeeper said and gave Serenica a huge bottle of rum. "You're looking fantastic. Is that soap I smell?"

"You look good as well," Serenica said, truly meaning it.

Myorka had opted to fashionably reveal her hipbones and little else in a yellow dress. She was radiating harmonical beauty, her eyes had a healthy glimmer and if it hadn't been for her perfume, one could have smelled booze from her breath, as in her other hand there was another bottle, only half full.

"Are you ready?" the bookkeeper asked.

"Let's go," Serenica said.

The Admiral groaned. "Don't let them kill themselves. Come to me if you're still sober enough for a pipeful after a few hours."

Everyone was wearing their best garments around a long table that had been assembled near the docks. There was wine, rum and ale being served, but no grog, as grog was the drink of cheap men. Baskets of fruit were passed from hand to hand.

Serenica had never seen her men eat fruit so willingly.

The musicians passed them by, keeping in rhythm, earning well while doing so. People were practically throwing gold at them. It was the way things went down in Aja Vana.

Pouring herself a drink, some Raelian red wine, she spotted Spade in the crowd. He came to her, beaming and smiling.

"I can see you're enjoying yourself," he said. "Your skin looks so good."

"Thank you." Serenica took a sip.

"You should go to William. He can't stand me when I get drunk. You have a more reasonable personality."

Serenica wanted to stay, but she also wanted to kick off the night with a pipeful and the Admiral was such good company for that.

She met him in a dark alley. The first mate was reading a book, his pipe between his massive jaws, unlit.

"Glad you came while you're still in your senses," he said.

"Me too. Let's light it up."

Serenica prepared some tobacco.

They scratched a match and shared the fire.

As the smoke was absorbed in her mouth, Serenica knew something was wrong. Her throat began to feel swollen. It was hard to actually breathe. The sensations in her throat and tongue gradually increased and a terrible panic set in.

She was choking.

There was nothing wrong with the tobacco. It had to be the potion.

She slid the bottle into the hands of her friend.

"This," she managed to croak before it was too late to speak.