Through Darkest Zymurgia!

The journey up the Aram took us seven days, travelling in daylight and mooring at night. The Aram is a wide, powerful river, but without a skilled Aram pilot, which we lacked, even the Spaniel could not safely run the river at night. We passed innumerable smaller boats, swamping one or two that got too close to our cushion of foam, and I am afraid we did not stop to help them. On the 24th of Melee, at long last, we reached the Lake of Saco at the base of the Zymurgian plateau. Saco is several miles in diameter, and surrounded on three sides by dense beds of reeds. The cliffs of the Zymurgian plateau rise sheer from the water on the fourth side, stark and gray, and tufted along the top with dense greenery. In the middle of that side the cataract of the Aram plunges from a deep notch in the side of the plateau, thundering down into a cloud of mist. It is one of the few places in Seros where the rainbow can regularly be seen.

The Spaniel anchored on the western shore of the lake, not far from the base of the plateau. There is a small village nearby; the villagers keep the reeds cut back along a short stretch of shoreline, and that is where we came to rest. To rest! A poor word. After many days of peaceful inactivity, it was finally time to get to work.

The first task was guaranteeing easy access to the shore. Lumber was hauled laboriously from the hold, and under Captain Halvorsen's direction the crew soon had pilings sunk deep into the ooze of the lake bottom. Working neck deep in the water, or from the ship's boat, cross pieces and decking were added, and soon there was a simple but functional pier stretching from the ship to the shore. The Spaniel's gangplank was lowered, and there we were. As we would eat and sleep onboard, our basecamp was complete.

The next step was to make contact with the locals, an easy task as a large group of them had gathered along the shore to watch the men build the pier. Most were standing and openly staring; a few took their ease on the ground. This task naturally fell to me, as the only fluent speaker of Serosan on the expedition, though I'd no doubt that one or two of the sailors could translate in a pinch. The people of Seros have largely adopted the Seljurk faith; the modern Serosan tongue is heavily-accented Seljurk with many loan words and idioms from Old Serosan. It is an unpleasant language to Anglish ears, filled with hissing, glottal stops, and harsh gutturals that nearly tear one's throat out. I was not looking forward to speaking it for any length of time, and as luck would have it (and as I'd hoped), I didn't have to. No sooner had I set foot on the pier than a cry went up from the natives on the shore, and one young man leaped to his feet and stood waiting for me.

"Hakim effendi," he cried, eyes bright under his once-snowy headcloth, "Alil Aziz! You have returned!" Much to the sailors' surprise, he spoke a variety of Anglish.

"That I have, Cadbury, that I have. I trust your village has prospered since we last were here?"

"Indeed it has, Hakim Effendi. I am now a father, with two fine sons. And is the Carbuncle here as well?" I assented that he was, and Cadbury smiled broadly. "Come!" he said. "You must do honor to my poor dwelling." I gestured for Philpott to leave the Spaniel and join us, and Cadbury took my arm and led me down the path to the village.

Readers of my earlier publications will no doubt remember Cadbury as fondly as I do. We had picked him up, a young Phillipian gutter rat, as a translator on our previous expedition to Seros. Originally hired for a few days, he had eventually accompanied us for the rest of our journey, from the mouths of the Aram to this nameless village on the shore of the Lake of Saco. I learned most of my Serosan from him during that trip, including a number of expressions I later came to regret. As his name was quite difficult for us to pronounce, we had taken to calling him Cadbury, after one of the porters at the University.

I had had great hopes of finding him in the village; when we left after our short trip to the top of the plateau, he had stayed behind, being quite taken with one of the local girls. From his greeting, I gathered that his wooing had been successful.

As we walked, I asked, "How long did it take to win Fatima for yourself?"

His eyes flashed, as he replied, "Not long, Hakim Effendi, not long. It took longer to win over her father. I had to guide many more groups up and down the river before I could pay her bride-price." He laughed. "Seventeen goats and three oxen I had to pay for Fatima's hand. But once I had gathered them, he relented, and gave them as dowry. I am a wealthy man in this village, Hakim Effendi, and well-respected."

"And what of Ahmed?" Ahmed had been his rival for Fatima's favors.

"He was greatly angered, Hakim Effendi," Cadbury replied. "But there was little he could teach a student of the streets of Phillipi. He left in shame when Fatima and I were wed."

I could well imagine. Cadbury was a strongly built young man, and had had a rough upbringing in the poorest part of the Quarter of the Seljurks. He was also as quick and silent as a snake when threatened.

The walk to Cadbury's home was a lengthy one. The Serosans do not build on the fertile land near the shore of the Aram; every inch of arable land is cultivated. The homes are found in the barren sand and rock of the desert. The cultivated band around the Lake of Saco is wider than that along the Aram itself, and the walk was correspondingly longer. Cadbury and I continued to chat idly as we walked, while Philpott followed behind in great confusion, visibly impressed with my notoriety in the remote places of the world.

At last the fields ended, and the desert began; from there, it was but a few yards to the cluster of mud-brick huts that formed the village. Few people were evident as Cadbury lead us to one of the newer, more carefully built dwellings on the western edge of the village.

"Effendi," he said, looking from me to Philpott, "Please honor my humble dwelling with your presence." He bowed deeply before the door. I bowed in response, and so, at my nudging, did Philpott.

"May peace rest upon this dwelling and upon all who enter it," I replied in Cadbury's own language. He motioned us in with a sweeping gesture, and we entered, removing our hats.

The interior of Cadbury's hut was divided into several rooms, of which this was the main one. It was cramped and murky, having no opening to the outside but the door, and that was blocked by a white cloth. The floor was covered by a thin but brightly colored carpet. A low table stood in the middle, and Cadbury gestured us into places around it.

"Now," he said, "we shall take refreshment." He clapped his hands, and lovely Fatima, now shrouded in long robe and veil, entered with a tray. On the tray were three small ceramic cups and a plate with pieces of unleavened bread. The tray was offered to each of us in turn, and we each took a cup and a piece of bread. Then she vanished, having said nothing at all.

Philpott, thirsty from the walk, took a big drink from the cup. He was so startled that he nearly dropped the rest.

"My goodness!" he cried. "I had thought that the followers of Aziz were forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages." I took a sip myself, savoring the dark, yeasty fluid. It was as good as I had remembered.

"Cadbury," I said, "I have been remiss in my joy at finding you here. This is my colleague and friend, Dr. Thaddeus Philpott. Perhaps you could explain to him."

"Indeed, Hakim Effendi," Cadbury replied. "Philpott Hakim," he continued, "it is true that we who worship Aziz are forbidden wine and strong drink. But this is not wine, nor string drink, but the Water of Aziz, provided for our comfort. It has been drunk in this village since before Aziz was known here."

We sipped our beer and nibbled our bread in silence for a time. When we had finished, we set down our cups, and I said, "I thank you, my friend, for the generosity of your dwelling."

This fulfilled the necessary proprieties, and Cadbury was at last free to question us. He lost no time. Rubbing his hands together, he looked at me intently. "You are on an expedition, Hakim Effendi?"

"Of course, Cadbury; what else would bring me to the Lake of Saco? Now that I have found you, I hope you will join us."

He frowned, and said, "Alas, my friend, my days of travelling the river are over. This is my home now. Fatima fears the pretty girls of Phillipi; she wishes no rival."

"It is not a journey down the river that I have in mind, my friend. I have come to finish what I began when last we were together."

"It is as I thought," he cried. "You are returning to Zymurgia! Yes, Hakim Effendi, gladly I will come."

"Capital," I said. "We will also need someone from the village who can speak with the Zymurgians, to translate for us."

"There are many such," said Cadbury, "but why seek another? I have learned to speak with the traders. I speak their tongue as well as any in the village."

"Capital," I said again. "There is one other matter, Cadbury, in which you can be of great use to us."

"Name it, my friend."

"You have seen the vessel which brought us up the river. It is our base; it contains all of our supplies and equipment."

"Indeed, Hakim Effendi; what of it?"

"A man may come up the river, Cadbury, to try and take it away from us. This would end all of my hopes for the expedition. Perhaps you could send word to the villages down the river."

"He shall never see Phillipi again, Hakim Effendi! How shall we know him?" With his bright eyes and hawk nose, Cadbury could look quite fierce; I was filled with sympathy for the ousted Ahmed.

"As to that, he shall come asking for our vessel, the Sea-Spaniel, and for her captain, who is named Halvorsen. But I do not wish any harm to come to him." I took Cadbury by the hand. "It is of the utmost importance, Cadbury, that no harm come to him. Do not damage a single hair of his head. Rather, send word that he is to helped on his way."

Cadbury was understandably puzzled, as was Philpott. "Helped, Dr. Thintwhistle? I thought we wished to discourage the man."

"Helped," I said again, "and helped with great care. I wish him to arrive here, at the Lake of Saco, with no complaints regarding the attention he has received." I paused, smiling slightly. "Under no circumstances should he hold his helpers responsible for the accidental loss of his personal belongings. He must have no one to blame but himself."

Cadbury looked at me, and then began to laugh. "It shall be as you say, Hakim Effendi, just as you say. We shall not damage a hair of his head, and he will have only himself to blame for the loss of his belongings."

Philpott, still puzzled, turned to question me, but had no opportunity. Cadbury clapped twice, and Fatima returned, and he spoke softly to her. "Now," he said, "you must see my sons." Fine strapping boys they were, of two and one years of age, respectively, and we discussed no more business. Finally we rose to go. Cadbury accompanied us to the lake, and then took his leave, promising to send the messages to the neighboring villages, and also to return that evening.

"Why, what's going to happen this evening?" asked Philpott.

"Now that we are here," I said, "we must be about our business. Tonight our expedition team will have our first council of war. I suggest you get some rest in the meantime, as you'll get precious little for the forseeable future."

We paused at the top of the gangplank. "Oh," I said, "and would you inform Hodgins and Carbuncle? We will meet at seven o'clock in the lounge." With that, I took my own advice and sought the company of Bruno on the sundeck.