Tallow (8 page)

Waterford could stand it no more. He went below deck to find some wine and a brief respite from his misgivings.

THE STORM BLEW ITSELF OUT
overnight. Up before dawn, Pillar and Tallow set about repairing the worst of the damage while Katina prepared breakfast. Quinn stayed hidden in her room, merely calling for cafe in a tremulous voice that stilled the moment Katina dumped a steaming mug at her bedside.

Despite the wind and rain, not much in the house or business was damaged. The workshop had suffered minor flooding, and one of the shutters had torn away from its hinges. A pile of debris had gathered outside the shop, but that was quickly swept away.

Over a late meal of dry bread, cheese and more cafe – a luxury Tallow was quite sure she could become accustomed to – Katina laid out her plans.

'Whether you like it or not,' she began, 'I'm going to be staying a while.' She glanced towards Quinn's room, a wry smile on her face. 'So we need to come up with a story as to why I'm here – one that will satisfy your neighbours.' She took a bite out of her bread. 'I've been thinking we should say that I'm a cousin or distant relative. Do you have any?'

Pillar nodded. 'In Jinoa. Though it's been years since I've seen them, you know, with the tensions between Serenissima and Jinoa being what they are. None of them has ever made the trip to Serenissima before.'

'Good,' said Katina. 'Then it will be more convincing. I don't have to pretend to have changed.'

'Why are you here, then?' asked Tallow, playing along.

Katina thought for a moment. 'We'll say I'm recently widowed and on my way to my husband's family in Kyprus. That way, when I come and go, we won't have to keep giving explanations.'

'You'll be going?'

'At some stage I'll have to, Tallow. I'm a Bond Rider, remember. I can't afford to stay out of the Limen for too long.'

Tallow stored away that piece of information for later. She was going to find out as much as she could about Bond Riders.

'Speaking of affording,' said Pillar, studying his hands closely. 'We have a small business, one that doesn't ...' He searched for the right words, his face reddening as he stumbled over them. 'I'm not sure how we can feed –'

'Stop right there.' Katina rose to her feet, looking for her satchel. Picking it up, she pulled out a small purse of coins. 'Here,' she said, tossing it to Pillar. 'I don't expect you to keep me. That wouldn't be right. I know how hard it is for you and I always pay my way. I think that ought to be enough.'

Pillar balanced the bulging pouch in the palm of his hand, his eyes widening at the weight. He kept jiggling it, reluctant to look inside; a disbelieving smile started to play upon his mouth.

'Don't toy with it! Open it,' urged Katina.

He finally upended the pouch on the table. At least two dozen silver lire and one gold ducat rolled onto the table. Tallow and Pillar's jaws dropped.

'I've never seen so much money,' said Tallow breathlessly.

'A ducat!' said Pillar. He picked it up and turned it over and over in wonder before biting down on it firmly. 'A real gold ducat!'

'Not so fast.' Katina snatched it out of Pillar's fingers. 'This one is for a specific purpose.'

'What's that?' said Pillar, not taking his eyes off the coin.

'The first thing you must do is take this, go to the Glassmakers Quartiere in the Canne Sestiere and order a pair of spectacles for Tallow. You're not to return until they're ready, either. They're to be made from premium-quality glass, so make sure you use the Vuranos, they have the best reputation and it's well deserved. For centuries, they've blown the finest, most durable glass, and they're discreet. Oh, and you're to ask for brown lenses. Pale, golden brown, like honey.'

'Spectacles!' exclaimed Tallow.

'Golden brown?' Pillar shook his head. 'What's all this about? Why waste a perfectly good ducat? Tallow doesn't need spectacles. His eyesight's fine! Anyway, if he does wear some, won't he just draw unwanted attention?'

'Not as much as she will if she doesn't have any. Spectacles are the perfect way to hide those eyes.'

'They are indeed,' said Pillar. 'I wish –' He grimaced.

'You could never have afforded such a luxury,' said Katina bluntly. 'Instead, to protect her, you've taught her to bury her head and ...'

'And to be ashamed of what she is,' finished Pillar.

Katina offered him no challenge. 'Spectacles may draw attention, yes – but not as much as a teenage boy who can't look anyone in the eye. What you and your mother have encouraged may have been necessary, but frankly it's also cruel.'

Pillar remained silent. Katina's accusations cut him deeply.

Katina watched him a moment longer and then reached over and looped her arm through Tallow's. 'Once we disguise those eyes, you won't know yourself.' She studied Tallow's face closely. 'Yes, the golden-brown hue will hide the silver best. We'll redo that mop of hair so it falls across your face differently – it's long enough to tie back. That should help too.'

Before anyone could argue, Katina released Tallow and plucked a few lire off the table and placed them in Pillar's palm. Then she gave him orders to purchase more food, bedding, clothes and other necessary items. Throwing the rest of the bread and cheese into a piece of cloth, she tied it in a bow and handed it to him. Pillar stood there dumbstruck, the cloth dangling from his large fingers.

'Well?' demanded Katina. 'What are you waiting for? Off you go.'

'What about my mother?'

Katina frowned. 'Well, I'm afraid you're just going to have to put aside your suspicions and trust me to care for her now, aren't you? Anyhow, Tallow will be here to make sure I do. Won't you, Tallow?' Pillar's eyes slid incredulously to Tallow's face. All he could focus on was the vivid imprint of Quinn's boot, the cut lip and bruised cheeks.

Sensing his ambivalence, Tallow spoke. 'I'll look after her, Pillar,' she said reassuringly. 'It's all right. Really.'

'See? That's settled. The sooner you go, the sooner you'll return,' said Katina and, before he could reply, she placed a hand in the small of his back and marched him down the stairs.

THE DOOR CLOSED BEHIND HIM
and the small bell chimed. Bewildered by Katina, the money and his tasks – never mind how quickly things were moving in his previously lumbering life – and worried how Quinn might react when she discovered he'd gone, Pillar stood on the fondamenta, gentle rain falling on his face. He watched his neighbours patching their broken windows and shutters; a few were on their rooftops, picking up plants and mending broken tiles. Others called out and he waved vaguely in return.

He looked back up at his house and workshop. There was no point worrying about Quinn, Tallow or the business today, or for the next few days for that matter. Katina would do what she wanted with whomever she wanted and, as for candlemaking, everyone would be busy repairing the damage left by the storm. They would stay home and burn their stocks of candles. But after that, they would need to replenish what they'd used. Then, even
his
candles would be in demand.

Fingering the coins in his pocket, Pillar wondered at how quickly circumstances altered. Once, sudden change had made him ache with despair and anxiety. This time, a sense of freedom welled inside him, something he'd rarely experienced in his forty long years. Change might be a good thing, after all. It was with a skip in his step that Pillar went to the nearest fermata and waited for a traghetto. He would attend to his tasks and get home as quickly as he could. There was work to do and, he thought as Katina's tawny hair and dark eyes flashed into his mind, more importantly, a Bond Rider to get to know.

IN THE MEANTIME, KATINA AND
Tallow cleared away breakfast. They worked in companionable silence for a while, Tallow sneaking glances at Katina out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't believe how, from one day to the next, her whole life had transformed – and this was only the beginning. Remembering the look on Pillar's face as Katina pushed him downstairs, she chuckled to herself. Hers wasn't the only life that was changing.

She stole a glimpse at Quinn's closed door. Quinn was so subdued: so angry and unable to act upon it. A part of her felt guilty about the cut Quinn had suffered at Katina's hands. But another part of her was glad that Quinn was at someone else's mercy. Tallow's cheeks reddened. It was such a disloyal sentiment; she shouldn't have those kinds of thoughts. Quinn was family, wasn't she? Not for the first time, she wondered what it would be like to have a different family, one that didn't include Quinn.

Then, something occurred to her. She recalled Katina's conversation with Signor Vincenzo at the taverna yesterday.

'Katina,' began Tallow hesitantly, putting away the last of the plates.

'Hmm?'

'There's something I've been meaning to ask you.'

'Well, don't stop now,' said Katina good-naturedly, wiping her hands on a cloth. 'What is it?'

'Yesterday, you told Signor Vincenzo that the foundling you were looking for had a family.' Tallow shuffled her feet, trying to find the right words. 'I ... I couldn't help wondering if that part was –'

'Oh,' said Katina, sitting down. 'I see. You were wondering if that was true.'

Tallow didn't speak. She just nodded and looked down at her hands.

'Tallow,' said Katina softly. 'It's all right, you can look at me. I know what you are and I won't turn away. You have to get out of this habit of lowering your head all the time – it makes people more curious than you realise – especially in a young man your age. All right, about your question. The fact is, I don't know of any specific family you might have.'

Tallow's shoulders visibly fell.

'I'm sorry,' said Katina quickly. 'I really am. My questions were just a ploy to extract some answers, a clue to your whereabouts – anything. I didn't mean to hurt you. Don't forget, I didn't expect you to be right
there,
listening to me.' Katina laughed. 'That was certainly a surprise.' Aware Tallow wasn't sharing her mirth, Katina reached over and took her by the hand. Tallow drew away, but Katina's grip was too firm.

'But Tallow, while I don't know any of your family myself, what you need to realise is that Estrattore all descend from the same root. Do you understand? Estrattore aren't like the Pillars and Quinns of this world, connected only by marriage and birth. Estrattore are connected by blood, birthright and by the power that they all share. You have a family all right, Tallow; you just have to find them.'

Tallow looked at Katina carefully. The Bond Rider wasn't simply telling her a story to placate her; she was telling the truth. Tallow could literally feel it; it flowed from the tips of Katina's fingers, along Tallow's arm and nestled in her heart. A smile tugged her lips and her spirit lightened.

Katina tightened her hold on Tallow's rough fingers and smiled. Tallow squeezed back, her eyes shyly locking on to Katina's. Without warning, Katina's soul opened up to her.

The long, aching years of Katina's existence – the early thrills of riding the Limen and discovering the limits of life itself, of endless energy – poured into Tallow. Her body shuddered as she shared Katina's resistance and confusion over making her Bond. Her muscles grew taut then slackened as she experienced the curious leeching that occurred every time the barrier between the Limen and Vista Mare was breached so Katina might recapture what she came to learn she'd lost – her friends and family who, unlike her, were susceptible to the passage of time.

Each time Katina left Vista Mare, the need to return home grew and so she nourished those urges, only to watch family and friends age and die. But when back in Vista Mare, the need to leave became more urgent. Life itself slowly leaked from Katina's bones. The depth of Katina's grief for her brother, Filippo, flowed between them as did her love for her fellow Bond Riders and her horse.

In her core, the very substance of Katina's Bond emerged. The blood she had sacrificed to the pledge stones, the huge rocks on the mainland upon which all Bonds were sworn, in order that her soul might be freed to fulfil a promise, no matter how long it took.