Zoran Chronicles Volume 1 A Dragon in Our Town (61 page)

            
While dancing with Hajime, Zdenka, thinking of the mermaids, Chika and Akira,
commented, “We know about your shinjutori, your tortured mermaids. How dare you
permanently clamp their legs together and force those awful fish tails on them and make
them search for your pearls? I think that is just terrible mistreatment of your young
women.”

            
Baron Hajime flushed. “How did you . . .” He didn’t finish his sentence and
Zdenka would not have answered his question anyway, though she knew what he wanted
to ask. He quickly regained his composure. “You misunderstand our shinjutori. Please
Archmage, allow me to explain.”

            
“I’m listening,” she said quietly.

            
“Our shinjutori, our mermaids, are perhaps the most important women on our
planet. As you have seen, we have nothing but a few scattered islands, yet our population
number in the millions. How can so many be fed and housed? Only by buying off-world
all of the commodities everyone else takes for granted can we possibly survive. We buy
grain, tools, clothing, wood, everything but what we can take from the sea. We have no
ores, no gems, no mines from which to extract gold and gemstones to trade. We have
only the pearls from the oysters. These lie deep under the waters of Asami. Originally,
men and women dove for them, but many could not swim either deep enough or hold
their breaths long enough and drowned. Oh so many, many have drowned diving for
pearls.”

            
“By selecting out the very best of our maidens, we have made them into
shinjutori, teaching each one to cast the Water Breathing spell. Their tails are absolutely
vital for them to be able to swim farther and faster and deeper than any of us. Honestly,
a shinjutori can swim probably more than twice as fast as the most ablest of swimmers.
The shinjutori hold a singular position of great honor and pride among our people,
because of their ceaseless work and donation and sacrifice, millions of Asami can live
and survive. We owe our shinjutori our total survival. Because of the pearls that they
find, we can purchase all the off-world things we need to survive.”

            
“Without the shinjutori, Asami would perish within a few years. We treat them
with our highest honor. So please do not think ill of us for wanting to survive.”

            
“I see. Well, I admit that I had not seen the bigger picture. Still, I think that you
ought to give those women some choice in the matter of whether or not they want to be
mermaids. Perhaps you ought to consider allowing them to retire after five or ten years
of pearl diving. Allow them to experience life the way the rest of your millions do.”

            
“Ah, Archmage, I will consider your suggestion. Perhaps, when we next meet, I
will have such news for you. It has been such a pleasure dancing with you. Your new
gown meets with my approval. You look just stunning in it. Zoran must be proud to have
such a beautiful wife and companion.”

            
After many more ‘Excuse me, can I have this next dance’ requests, Zoran
suggested that they cut in on his brother and new wife. “You talk to Damek and I’ll
sound out Brunhilda.” She agreed.

            
Soon, Zoran took the arms of lovely Brunhilda. He noticed that she too now wore
this latest of fashions. Her satin dress was emerald. “Congratulations, Brunhilda. Looks
like we are now neighbors. I love your new dress.”

            
“Thank you Baron. Neighbors, yes. I am amazed that your wife can keep up with
the latest fashions. After all Brn is
so
out of the way! Warlord country is
so
dismal, isn’t
it? Downright primitive by our standards.
So
uncivilized. We
owe
it to them to bring
civilization to them, don’t you agree?”

            
“Most certainly we do. I prefer peaceful means, however.” She didn’t respond, so
he continued. “How do you like my brother, Damek? You will, of course, be the power
behind him and support him when he becomes the baron, right.”

            
“Certainly, he is not a Duska, as
we
are. He knows so little about our ways. I
do
hope that you do not send your dragons to murder him like you did your brother
Radek.”

            
“My dragon friends are here only to help protect my Circle. For the record, I did
not send the dragons to murder Radek. He was with Kazimir as he and his army
murdered and slaughtered all of the free people of Sholov Province. Wars are nasty
affairs, completely unforgiving. I tried to talk Radek from following in Kazimir’s
footsteps, but he would not listen.”

            
She chose not to respond, but said, “Well, just so the record is straight between
us. If you send your dragons to attack Castle Dorumova, my father will send his entire
army from Dietmar to help defend us. Don’t get any wild ideas just because Damek is
not a Duska.”

            
“I wish no ill to my brother at this time. Besides, if you haven’t heard, I have
neither a fortress nor an army.”

            
“No, you have the dragons,” she replied, slightly envious, slightly testily.

            
Meanwhile, Zdenka was dancing with Damek. “You dance well, Damek. You
ought to come and visit your brother sometime. I know that he would really like to meet
you. Until recently, he didn’t even know that he had a brother.”

            
“Would he permit that? I mean, having Brunhilda and me come to Brn to visit? I
don’t want to be burned to death by your dragons as Radek was.”

            
“Of course you would be safe and welcome to come. Just expect far cruder
accommodations than you have at Castle Dorumova. I’ve only got the Archmage tower at
the moment.”

            
“So I have heard. I’m an old soldier, used to field conditions. I’ll manage. Say, can
I ask you something personal?”

            
“Sure, but I may not answer it,” she replied cautiously.

            
“You and I are rather in similar circumstances. I mean neither of us are Duska.
Have you found it hard to learn what is required of you as a baroness?” he asked what
was troubling him the most, Zdenka guessed.

            
“I knew nothing about Duskas, courts, barons or baronesses. Yes, it is a challenge
to learn enough fast enough. I rather imagine your position is far worse than mine. After
all, the baronesses here seem to be more worried about the latest fashions than ruling a
planet.”

            
He chuckled, “Aye, they certainly seem that way. Even Brunhilda was very
worried about wearing just the latest in fashion today. Yet, she knows what she is doing
with the Circle and all that. She is good with magic, though she is not an Archmage, like
yourself.”

            
“I understand. I am sorry that you were cheated out of your birthright to be both
a Duska and a Mage. Kazimir is not much of a father in my opinion,” she added.

            
She touched a sore spot with him. “That is true. He didn’t even know I existed
until he needed me for his token heir. Mom didn’t tell me that he was my father until I
was twenty-one. By then, it was too late for everything. Yet, if I do become baron, that is
something.”

            
“Yes, I do hope you do not then follow in Kazimir’s footsteps and be another
tyrant over our people,” Zdenka decided to probe into his intentions a bit.

            
On this, he was cagy. “I hope not to be a tyrant either.” Just then, another couple
broke in on them, desiring to dance with Damek and Brunhilda. Zoran gladly resumed
dancing with his wife once more.

            
At long last, and not too soon for Zdenka and Jarka, the dance ended. Once in
their rooms, Zoran and Bernard were needed to help the two women undress and
change into more comfortable attire. Without her asking, Zoran began giving her feet a
good massage. Bernard, seeing what Zoran did, followed suit.

            
A bit later, the twins returned from their shopping trip. Both were extremely
happy and had to show everyone their new mammoth sized gems. Zdenka’s comment hit
home to both. “Those are of such high quality that you could enchant them with all
manner of magical properties.” This had not occurred to either, and they both set off to
work up what spells they could infuse the gems with and how. “Dragons sure love gems,”
she said as the two turned in for the night.

            
Zoran had just gotten to sleep, when his Circle and inner senses forced him wide
awake. Someone was attempting once again to Shadow Walk to the area of his Circle.
No, it was Kazimir, he detected. As before, he found himself partially in the Shadows
observing, picking up on the man’s intention: to arrive on the street before his tower.
Just as Kazimir was about to arrive, Zoran moved towards him to drive him off. Again,
the Duska inner sense warned the Baron, who instantly fled for his life! Zoran’s eyes
closed and he again fell into a deep sleep.

            
Zoran noted Kazimir looked incredibly haggard and run down, when he arrived
for the morning council session. Try as he might, he could not figure out what the Baron
was attempting to do by coming to his tower so late at night. He brought no attacking
army or assassins with him. It made no sense to him, as did the day’s meeting. The rest
of the week was spent on mundane things, hardly worth having them all together, Zoran
thought. Like Zdenka, he began to long for the evening’s entertainments, carefully
arranged by Abigail.

            
That evening, Zoran escorted Zdenka to the fancy carriage, designed especially for
women wearing such wide dresses. Dozens of such carriages were in a line, waiting for
the guests. Tom and Abigail took many other couples with them to see the latest stage
play in the largest theater in Heddingham.

            
Zoran simply lifted Zdenka in and out of the carriage, for which she was grateful.
The play about farmers and their lives was interesting because both knew next to
nothing about the agrarians and their world.

            
This was repeated the next night, as the carriages took them all to the same
theater. This evening a forty member music group performed dozens of pieces for nearly
two hours. “Somehow, we just have to get musicians in our castle,” Zdenka insisted.
Zoran heartily agreed, though he knew not just how this could be done as yet.

            
Both Zdenka and Zoran looked forward to the next night’s affair, the ballet. For
ninety minutes, they watched enthralled as the dancers, men and women, walking,
prancing, and dancing on their toes told the story of a traveling musician and his trials
and tribulations. Knowing just how much these two loved the ballet, Abigail arranged
for the two of them to meet the main two dancers back stage after the performance. It is
hard to say who was more impressed, the young dancing couple or Zoran and Zdenka.
They chatted for nearly an hour, inquiring how they learned to dance on their toes.

            
Years and years of practice was the routine answer. However, Gail added, “For
novices who yet do not have the feet and ankles strengthened and who want to
experience ballet dancing, we know of a shoemaker who makes special boots. If you like,
I can send him to you.” Thus, the two returned home with a pair of these special boots to
try out in their bedroom later on.

            
The next evening, they were treated to a choral concert. The evening was divided
into three sections. First, an all-women’s choir sung for thirty minutes. Next, an all-boy’s
choir sang in their unusually high voices — nearly angelic was the common description.
Finally, a large mixed choir of some one hundred men and women sang four and eight
part songs. Leaving the theater Zdenka commented, “Wow! Wow! Wow!” Abigail was
quite pleased.

            
Back at their room after the concert, Zoran and Baron Leo finally had time for a
private conversation. After casting preventative spells, Zoran asked, “Observed any
special connections that you have with your Circle, Leo?”

            
“Other than my eyes changing? Sure glad that you alerted me to that one. Well, it
seems like I can sense things with it.” Zoran smiled, good lad. He spent an hour
outlining all of the “special connections” that he had so far discovered with his own
Circle.

            
For this information, Leo was exceedingly grateful, thanking him profusely. “I
owe you a big one, Zoran. Thanks! I’ll let you know if I discover anything else going on
with me and my new Circle.”