Jayne Castle [Jayne Ann Krentz] (3 page)

"Hardly surprising," he commented wryly. "Most properly brought up people don't approve of such

arrangements. Your aunt must be desperate for the Sand."

Kalena remembered her cover story. "My aunt is a fine Healer, Ridge, but she is almost out of the Sands

of Eurythmia. All the Healers in the Interlock valley are running low. There is no more to be had

anywhere at home or even here in Crosspurposes. Since Quintel's traders have not been successful in

bringing back fresh stores for many months, the Healers of the Interlock valley will have to stand in line

behind the Healers of the large towns for a portion once a shipment does get through. You know that."

"But your aunt has cleverly decided that if she sends you along as a trade wife, she'll at least be

guaranteed a portion of the cargo. I'll have to admit she's pretty sharp."

"My aunt is a highly intelligent woman, Ridge. She also has the talents of a natural Healer." Kalena spoke

a little sharply, somewhat affronted by what she sensed was criticism. She had no great love for Aunt

Olara, but Kalena was far too proud to allow others to criticize her only remaining relative. Whatever

else could be said about Olara, she was the Lady of the House of the Ice Harvest. As such she was

entitled to a certain show of deference from a mere bastard.

"I don't doubt your aunt's intelligence one bit. After all, she was smart enough to convince Quintel to sign

that contract. You do understand the terms of the agreement, don't you? You will be my wife for the

duration of the journey. When we return to Crosspurposes, you get a ten percent share of the total

cargo." Ridge smiled humorlessly. "That should be enough to make you a rich woman in the Interlock

valley."

"Thirty percent," Kalena said quietly.

Ridge looked down at her, his eyes narrowed. "What?"

"I am to receive thirty percent of the total cargo," she pointed out politely, thinking it hardly mattered as

she had absolutely no intention of going on the dangerous journey to the Heights of Variance. Her goal

was far more immediate, and when it was accomplished the trade marriage for which she had been

contracted would be automatically terminated. Aunt Olara had negotiated for the higher percentage

merely to ensure that Quintel believed Kalena's cover story.

"I've never heard of Quintel negotiating away thirty percent of any cargo, let alone a shipment of Sand.

Your aunt must be a remarkable woman."

"Oh, she is," Kalena said quite truthfully. "Where are we going?"

"To the trade baron's home. I stay with him when I'm going to be in town for a short while," Ridge

explained casually. "This time I'll only be here long enough to make preparations for the trip to

theVarianceMountains . Where's your luggage?"

"At the inn where I stayed last night."

"I'll send one of Quintel's servants to pick it up."

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Kalena took a deep breath, astounded by how easy it was going to be. Olara had interpreted the

auspicious omens correctly when she had gone into her Far Seeing trance two months ago. A strange

excitement gripped Kalena as she and Ridge stepped out into the warm sunlight, but she tried to keep her

voice calm as she said, "I was afraid you might be taken by surprise by the contract.

I knew it had been negotiated by Trade Baron Quintel in your absence."

Ridge shrugged. "I've been away for the past two months. There was some business in theTalonPass

that had to be handled. I knew Quintel was getting worried about the Sand trade, and it was hardly a

surprise to find out he wanted me to check out the situation as soon as I returned. There would have

been no time for me to find a suitable trade wife on my own, so it made sense for him to handle the

matter for me."

"Yes," Kalena agreed in a distant voice, "quite sensible." Well, at least she didn't have any persuading to

do. Ridge seemed quite content with the arrangement his employer had made, both for the trade marriage

and for herself as the trade wife.

Kalena gazed at the sights around her with great interest. She had only been in Crosspurposes for a

short time, and most of the sprawling, bustling town was still new to her. The distinctive pink stone that

had been used in most of the buildings seemed to give everything a warm glow. In the warm end of the

summer weather, the windows overlooking the streets were open to catch whatever breeze happened

past. Few of the buildings were more than two stories, although a couple went as high as four levels.

Crosspurposes had sprung up at the juncture of several important trading routes. Precious gems from

theTalonPass , medicinal herbs and the Sands of Eurythmia from the Heights of Variance, and lanti hides

and wool as well as grain from the plains of Antinomy all flowed through Crosspurposes and on to their

final destinations. The town had become wealthy as a result of its fortunate location, and that wealth

showed in the fine buildings, busy shops and well-dressed citizens.

The streets were active. Several carts pulled by the huge, flightless creetbirds rattled past with loads of

produce and market goods. People thronged the stone walkways, the women in colorful, short tunics and

trousers, the men in the more subdued shirts, pants and boots. Children bounced around or clung to their

parents. A few stray cotlies darted across the streets and disappeared into alleys in search of food. The

sight of the animals' long ears and wagging tails made Kalena smile wistfully. Her pet cotly had died the

year before, and Olara had refused to allow her to replace the small, furry beast. Perhaps her aunt had

sensed how attached Kalena had become to the animal. In Olara's mind, nothing must be allowed to

come between Kalena and her ultimate goal, least of all any sort of emotional attachment.

The thing was, Kalena thought, Olara had never realized just what Kalena's ultimate goal really was. It

wasn't the assassination Olara had planned for so many years. It was the new life she would gain for

herself afterward that kept Kalena so firmly fixed on her course of action. True, before now she had had

difficulty trying to imagine that new life in detail. Her own lack of knowledge about the lives of the almost

legendary freewomen she had heard rumors about kept Kalena's vision for her own future hidden in a

misty cloud, but she never doubted that it awaited her. She sensed instinctively that after she had

performed her duty to her House, her own future would become clear and vivid.

"Do you think Trade Baron Quintel will object to my staying in his house?" Kalena asked in a soft voice

as Ridge stopped in front of a massive, arched moonwood door. In another moment she would enter the

house of the man she had come to assassinate.

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"He'd better not," Ridge said flatly. "He's the one responsible for your being here, isn't he? He can damn

well put a roof over your head while we make the trip preparations." He reached up to rattle a heavy

metal doorknocker to the house of the man Kalena had been sent to kill.

As Ridge waited for one of Quintel's servants to open the door, he threw a sidelong glance to his

companion. What had Quintel done? he wondered. Finding out that he was expected to journey to the

Heights of Variance to discover what had happened to the lucrative Sand trade had not surprised him.

Learning that Quintel had negotiated a trade marriage for his Whip while he had been gone these last two

months did not surprise Ridge. But discovering that his short-term saddle wife was an innocent young

woman straight off some farm in the Interlock valley
did
surprise him.

Trade wives, by nature, tended to be tough, shrewd creatures who were inured to the social criticism

that was often their lot. Trade marriages were legal associations, but hardly socially acceptable among the

middle or upper classes. Even a farmer's daughter would normally be above this kind of arrangement.

The regrettable fact of business was that the Healers of theVarianceMountains would not deal with a

man. Healing was a skill that came from the Light end of the Spectrum, and as such it was the province of

women. Trading was the province of men. When Quintel had opened up the Sand routes he had been

forced to find a compromise; his answer was the concept of a trade marriage. With a little political pull,

Quintel had gotten the arrangements recognized in law. As an additional incentive for women to contract

such marriages, he gave trade wives on the Sand route a small percentage of the profits.

Women were involved in other trade activities, sometimes accompanying the traders as cooks and

sleeping pallet companions, but that sort of arrangement was not satisfactory to the Healers of the

Heights of Variance. They demanded that the women with whom they dealt be properly married,

although no one was sure why. The High Healers of theVarianceValley were, after all, unmarried women

themselves.

Ridge could see why Quintel had jumped at the chance of having a recognized Healer's niece along on

this trip. Surely the niece of a Healer would have a certain tendency toward the Talent herself. It ran in

families. Quintel was hoping that the High Healers of theVarianceValley , who had been refusing all trade

lately, might look favorably on dealing with a woman who could be presumed to have a touch of the

Talent. They certainly hadn't been favorably disposed toward any of the other women who had been sent

along on the trade caravans to deal with them in the past few months. Quintel's profits had been suffering

badly.

But even so, knowing what he did about the situation, Ridge had nevertheless found himself taken by

surprise when he had turned around in Hotch's office and looked at Kalena for the first time.

His first thought was that she had eyes the color of the precious green crystals that miners wrested from

the mountains near theTalonPass. Cool, ice green eyes that waited to be ignited into green flames by the

heat of a man. Ridge sucked in his breath as he realized that, with the aid of a trade marriage contract, he

was going to be the man who awakened Kalena. This situation was going to prove interesting.

Her eyes were not the only thing that had caught his attention. There was a sunset in her hair. A mass of

small, red-gold curls had been pulled back from her face and fell in a rich waterfall down her back to a

point well below her shoulders. Ridge found himself wanting to thread his fingers through those curls. He

wondered how they would look spread out on a pallet pillow

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Her face was not beautiful, but her clear, delicate features intrigued him. There was something striking

about her faintly slanting eyes, high cheekbones and firm, straight nose. She was of average height for a

woman. The top of her head would have just touched his jaw if she had been standing close enough to

do so. He could bend his own head and kiss her easily in such a position.

The long-sleeved, purple tunic she wore over yellow trousers was belted to reveal a small waist and

gently flaring, very feminine hips. Her breasts were full but delicate and sweetly curved. Ridge decided

that they would fill his hand pleasantly. He also sensed that, were she to realize just what he was thinking,

she would be shocked to the toes of her little velvet boots.

Ridge wondered just how much Aunt Olara had explained to her niece about a trade marriage. Kalena

seemed to be treating the whole thing as a purely business matter. For an unsophisticated farmer's

daughter who had probably never been out of the staid, conservative Interlock valley before in her life,

that was a little odd.

Perhaps she didn't realize just how long and lonely the nights could get on the long trail to the Heights of

Variance. Ah, well,there would be plenty of time to introduce his trade wife to the realities of business.

For the first time since he had learned of his next assignment, Ridge began to look forward to it with a

sense of anticipation. He was playing with that thought when the moonwood door to Quintel's mansion

swung silently open. He stepped aside politely to allow Kalena to enter.

Ridge watched her walk across the threshold, his golden eyes filled with cool appraisal. She might be a

farm girl, but she held herself with the dignity and grace of a Great House lady. He was a bastard, an

unclaimed son of a Great House that chose to ignore his existence. But it occurred to Ridge as he

followed Kalena through the door into the large hall that a man like himself, who was intent on founding

his own House, could do worse than ally himself with a farm girl who knew how to walk like a lady.

There would be plenty of time on the journey to the Heights of Variance to decide if Kalena might turn

out to be the woman who was destined to fit into the long-range future plans he had for

himself.

The man they called the Fire Whip discovered he was looking forward to the journey.

Two

Bythe stones, man," Quintel said, "at least admit a portion of the truth. I thought I did a fairly good job

playing matchmaker. You would have done a lot worse on your own and you know it."