The Pearl Crucible - A Dardana Fenek Mystery - MAMA SOLENE - (part 3)

(Chapter 6, part 3)

I was out of Mama Solene’s so fast that I forgot to wait for Barsina to put on her sandals. I realized that she was hopping behind, trying to slip them on.

“It’s a stupid custom,” I said as she caught up. “Might as well make you go barefoot all the time, all the sense it makes.”

“If I were working in the fields, Miss, yes. That would be proper. This is proper for a handmaid.”

“Proper, proper, proper,” I muttered. “Always proper, dammit.”

“Miss,” she said, disapproving. “Proper is proper. And what, Miss, will you do?”

“Take this package where it belongs,” I said. “I have a laundry list of things I have to do, and this hot piece of whatsit is near the top.”

“What will Miss do about Miss Thelumene is what I worry about.”

“Maybe visiting Miss Fortunato will solve that problem,” I said. “One thing at a time.”

She fretted. “You’ve told me Miss Thelumene is dangerous.”

“I’m surrounded by dangers—ensign-captains, madams, Thelumenes—choose one and start.”

“Yes, Miss. I worry for you. This a serious case.”

“I worry for me, too. Let’s—” I put my hand to my forehead to shade my eyes as I looked at the clock tower. Not thirteen-forty, yet. “Let’s go—”

“La, Miss.”

I jumped at the voice behind me. “Narvi!”

The pickpocket grinned. “Miss gets my thanks for what you did yesterday. Militia was on my heels.”

“Irodiada, you gave me a turn. What did you do to piss them off?”

“A pretty lady had gems on her girdle, and I thought I’d take a few that she didn’t need. Ensign-Captain clapped eyes on me.” He shrugged. “I thought I’d lose them the quicker, but it was you that kept me out of a cell.”

“Save your neck, more like. Why haven’t they hanged you yet, man?”

He bowed with a flourish. “Lady’s grace, Lord’s blessing, Miss. I owe you.”

“You do at that,” I said. “Say, Narvi, I want you to find out about something for me.”

Practicality over “owing” made him purse his lips and step back. “About what?”

I pulled out the wanted poster and folded it to show only the text at the bottom. “See that name?”

“Yah,” he agreed, neutral. “I see it.”

“She’s aristoi, and she’s been in Aulis recently—she may still be here. Can you find out what you can about her?”

“Miss knows something about her already, maybe?”

“I know too much about her,” I said. “But I want to know why she’s here and if she’s gone, and I don’t want anyone to know I’m interested. Or that I exist.”

He read the name slowly, which was the speed he read everything. “Where would I find her, you think?”

“She’s advertising for a housegirl who ran off two and a half years ago and has the cash to do that and plenty more, including hiring a private executioner.”

“Hotels. Nice ones. Or relatives in the Green Quarter. Not an easy job for old Narvi,” he said, his right hand looking itchy.

“If you find out, then I’ll be grateful to you, yah?”

“Yah,” he said. “Retainer for bus fares, eh? And incidentals.”

I looked at Barsina, who produced four kvaras.

“It’s a start,” he said philosophically and slipped away into the quiet Night Market with a tip of his cap and a flick of his hood over his head.

“I can do more than one thing at a time,” I told her.

“As you say, Miss.”

“Let’s drop by Mardonios,” I said, my stomach growling, “and then off to the Green Quarter ourselves.”

( … This way to Chapter 6 part 2 … ) ( … This way to Chapter 7 part 1 … )