013 -- Andrew Leaves Home

Andrew stood at the foot of the pier in Kumar, suitcase and knapsack in hand. He'd been walking most of the morning, wandering up and down the waterfront in search of the Lydia. She was a brig registered out of Cimbria, a frequent runner of the coastal trade route, and had been hidden away at the far Eastern edge of the docks. Sarani's brother, Uncle Hamid, had recommended the brig's captain as a trustworthy man.

---

". . . since you've only got so much money to work with -- especially if books are going to cost as much as they're saying they will."

It was a few weeks before Andrew was to leave Kashi. Uncle Hamid had joined them earlier for dinner and had his feet planted on the table, his chair tilted back against the kitchen wall. The single lantern hanging from the ceiling threw a smoky shadow under his unorthodox posture. He was smoking a pipe, a practice that Andrew's mother detested but which she had been unsuccessful in driving from her older brother. The woody scent permeated the small house.

"I've no problem taking the boy as far as Kumar -- I'm headed that way by the end of the month anyway. The storms should let up soon, meaning this is the best time of the year to get your stuff moved by sea. With any luck I'll be able to pick up some of the heavier, metal stock -- you know, anvils, plows, that sort of junk -- for real cheap. Should turn a good bit a' cash by the time the year is out."

He took another long, satisfied draw on the pipe. The faint clunk of the pump handle signaled that Sati was outside, cleaning the dishes in the half-light of dusk.

"So yeah. Sarani, I've got no problems taking the boy. But I can't go with him any further than Kashi. My normal route ends there."

I hate it when they talk about me like I'm not even here.

"What I can do, though, is get him pointed in the right direction. Make sure that he's with someone he can trust, at least most of the way. Once he's in Cimbria he can take the train, and that's easy."

"Are you sure Hamid? Couldn't you go with him at least to Cimbria? It seems like such a long way for him travel by himself . . ."

Right here, people. I'm right here.

"Sarani, when I put him on the boat at Kumar, I may as well be going with him to Cimbria. I know all of the trader captains who go up and down the coast, I'll give them very exact instructions. Believe me, they know that if any harm comes to the boy, they'll have to answer to me."

Andrew didn't think that his uncle Hamid would prove much of a threat to anyone, much less the captain of a ship who was ruthless enough to harm his own passengers. Hamid always reminded him of a fat man not quite rich enough to maintain his girth. Even at his best, Andrew's uncle was a mediocre businessman and nearly worthless caretaker . . . regular "loans" from Sarani were the only thing keeping his business afloat. Andrew still remembered the last time Uncle Hamid had been in charge of watching him and his sister. They had lost Sati for almost two days.

"I'm glad to hear it, but I'm still nervous. There's no other way to get to the Academy?"

Uncle Hamid laughed. "Well, of course there are! There are all sorts of ways to get to the city. If money was no object, you could take an airship straight from Kumar to the center of Oberon and be there in three days. It'd cost ya more than I make in a year, though . . ." he laughed again. "Believe me, I been traveling all sorts of different ways, and this is the best way to do it for what you've got to spend."

I guess you're right . . . are you sure that he'll be able to figure it all out on his own? The train, and finding his way in the city, and everything like that?"

Thanks for the vote of confidence, mom.

"Oh, he'll have no problem with that. If I can figure it out, he'll do just fine. Besides, I'll teach him everything I know on the way to Kumar."

"Oh, would you do that, Hamid? I would feel so much better. He's never been outside of Kashi, I don't know what's waiting out there for him but I know enough to say that it isn't all friendly."

Hamid laughed again. It was beginning to annoy Andrew -- his laugh was too easily provoked, ripe almost to bursting with forced jollity.

"Oh, he'll be fine. School's likely to be the hardest part, right, boy?" Uncle Hamid removed his legs from the table and came down on all four legs of his chair with a loud thump so as to clap his nephew heartily on the back. Andrew changed his mind -- he would rather be unnoticed than to have any more of his uncle's affection bestowed upon him.

His mother laughed this time, a light musical laugh that Andrew did not hear often. "Actually, Andrew is there on scholarship." She laid an exultant accent on the last word, something that she'd been doing ever since she found out about the Academy's decision -- particularly around the other mothers of Kashi. "Aajay will probably be one of the brightest students there."

"Well I'm glad he got something from his uncle!"

Sarani laughed again at this. Uncle Hamid joined in, before turning and fixing Andrew with a gaze that was surprisingly intense. "He's quite a smart boy. We've all known it for years, watching him grow up . . ." Andrew had never seen his Uncle's eyes lit this way before. ". . . haven't we, Sarani?"

And just as suddenly as it had come, the burst of clarity passed from his uncle. He looked away from Andrew, eyes dull and lifeless. It had been so quick that Andrew was not even sure it had happened.

---

The Lydia was the only ship at this end of the docks. The pier was old and warped, creaking dangerously underfoot. A single spindly wooden crane was being used to unload large casks from the ship while a handful of men struggling gamely with the wooden block and tackle. Andrew liked the look of the Lydia -- in contrast to many of the more ornate vessels he had passed earlier, there was no figurehead under the bowsprit, just a simple five pointed star burned into the weathered timber. Lines were coiled neatly on deck, crisscrossing over the folded bulk of a sail being repaired. A low hum of conversation came from the tidy ship, calm and unhurried as the sailors worked at their jobs.

As Andrew approached the gang-plank, a sailor hailed him. "Oy there, you lookin' for somone?"

"Yeah, is captain Toggart around?"

---

Later that week, Andrew was in Kashi running another errand. Knowing that he was about to leave her for the next several years, Sarani seemed determined to prove her affection for Andrew by making him do as much work around the house and in town as possible. He didn't mind, though -- most of the errands were linked to his preparations for school, and as much an annoyance as they were, each one reminded him that soon he'd be leaving.

Almost every day he was finding himself with a new shirt, coat, stockings or other bit of Cimbrian-style clothing. Andrew knew that from the money his mother was spending she was recouping on her "investments" in Uncle Hamid's caravan business. This also explained the sudden drop in frequency of his visits . . .

Today's trip was not for Andrew, though -- he had been sent into town to fetch oranges, an item that had no relevance to his departure at all. He had just bought a half dozen when he heard the chanting.

They sounded like children, singing a looping sort of song that probably had dirty lyrics substituted for the usual words. He emerged from under the fruit stand's canopy back into the blazing sun and the song became clearer. Yep, definitely not a polite song. Do I remember that one? He turned to trudge home, bare feet stirring up hot dust from the street -- before realizing that he could hear someone screaming. A very familiar someone.

Stopping, he looked at the other people in the street. Customers and vendors, Cimbrian and Tel, stared back at him with blank faces from under their canopies. It was obvious now that a gang of children was tormenting someone, but no one moved from the shade.

Shit.

He turned and ran back to the fruit seller. "Hold these," he said, not giving the man a chance to respond as he thrust the oranges into his arms. Andrew sprinted back into the sun, racing down the street in the direction of the yelling.

". . . darkie, darkie, skin as brown as mud! Kick her in the shins and see her dirty blood!" a group of Cimbrian girls in school uniforms were chanting, standing in a circle around someone who Andrew was afraid he recognized. The girl being taunted was screaming obscenities at the top of her lungs, wielding them like a weapon to keep the circle at a safe distance. Still running, Andrew saw one of the girls get behind her and deliver a swift kick in the back. A great shout went up and the group closed in . . .

Sati took the unexpected attack well, though, and managed to stay upright. A particularly violent threat (Andrew's heart swelled with pride as he recognized it as an oath he had taught her) pushed the circle back at least temporarily. "Hey! HEY! STOP!" Andrew was screaming at the top of his lungs as he came up to the circle of girls.

Their heads swiveled almost in unison to stare at him as the chanting stopped. Andrew looked first to his sister to make sure she was okay. Besides a few scrapes and bruises she seemed to be okay, but Andrew was startled by the look of black hatred that she shot him. I'm here to help, why is she angry at me?

A few of the girls started to pull back, but the circle did not scatter. This surprised Andrew, because they were all several years younger than him, and at least a head shorter. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Another moment of hesitation -- and then one girl stepped towards him. Shorter even then the others, her round face was curled in a sneer of hatred. In a moment of surreal clarity, Andrew admired the floral pattern on the ribbon in her hair. It was quite pretty and obviously quite expensive.

"Fuck you, fucking darkie!" Andrew almost wanted to laugh, the racial slur sounded so ridiculous in her high-pitched squeal. He saw her begin to rear back, about to spit on him.

He hit her just as she had begun to exhale. Andrew was not particularly strong, but he outweighed the schoolgirl by at least fifteen kilograms. Her eyes opened in shock as his fist connected with her cheekbone, and shower of saliva sprayed over both of them from her open mouth as she went down. Andrew didn't give the girl a chance to get up, but kicked her twice in the stomach before stomping with his bare foot on her chest. He looked at the girl lying on the ground for a second before swiftly kicking her once more in the side of the head.

The circle of schoolgirls was staring at them open mouthed, frozen in shock. The girl on the ground was screaming -- a much more shrill, wordless, hacking scream than his sister. Andrew decided to make sure the message had been totally clear. "Don't you FUCK with her again." His voice cracked in the middle of the phrase, diluting its menace somewhat, but the circle of schoolgirls scattered leaving their ringleader screaming in the dirt.

Andrew looked around for Sati. She was standing behind him now, a look of searing hatred still etched on her face. This was still puzzling, but he didn't have time to deal with it right now. A Tel girl screaming might not attract any attention, but the Cimbrian girl's screams were sure to cause trouble.

"Come on! Let's go!"

Sati didn't move.

"Sati! We've got to get out of here. Come on!"

She still stared at him. Andrew gave up, grabbed her arm and started running, half dragging her behind him.

He ran aimlessly, just trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and the scene of the fight. Several side streets, a deserted lot, and one alley later, Andrew pulled up behind a warehouse, winded. He was glad Sati had followed him; now he had time to make sure she was unhurt.

"Hey, are you okay? They were -- argh!"

Andrew's sister was attacking him, pummeling his body with her smaller fists as hard as she could. "What?!? Stop it! Sati! Stop!" He managed to wrestle her down to the ground, pinning her arms back only with some difficulty. She was still glaring at him. "What is wrong with you?!?"

Finally she spoke, yelling back up into his face. "I could have handled that! Why did you have to come ruin it?"

"Sati, there were at least six or seven of them. They weren't just going to let you go! You were gonna be the one on the ground getting kicked."

"Why do you keep ruining my life?!? You steal everything! It's not fair!"

"What are you talking about?!?"

"Everyone likes you better! Andrew this, Andrew that . . . even the teachers like you! Well, I don't! I HATE you! I hate--"

Sati broke into violent sobs in mid-sentence, her body ceasing its struggle against Andrew's weight. He let her arms go, and watched her cry for a second unsure of what to do. Finally he helped her sit up, wrapping one of his arms around her bony shoulders. Sati's tears immediately soaked through his shirt, but he let her cry.

After a few minutes, Sati's wracking sobs subsided. Andrew didn't rush her, but instead let his sister pull away first. Still sniffling a little, she rubbed her eyes on her sleeves before speaking.

"I'm sorry. Thanks."

"Don't worry about it."

She looked at his sodden shoulder. "And sorry about your shirt."

"It's okay. We should keep moving, though . . . I don't think I want to be in town for the next few days after her parents find out." Andrew got to his feet, followed shortly by his sister, and began walking back down the alley.

"Where are we going?"

"You know that island? By the house?"

"Yeah." A pause. "Is that where you go when you go out walking? I've never been able to figure it out."

"Yeah."

They were now back out on the street, walking as casually as they could. Even with Sati's red eyes and Andrew's shoulder they got very few looks from anyone passing by. Most Cimbrians tried to act as if the Tel youth didn't exist, and right now Andrew was glad for it.

"Why did you hit her?" Sati asked after a few blocks of silence between them.

Andrew thought for a moment before replying with the obvious. "She's dangerous. They were going to beat you senseless."

"Not after you showed up. They were gonna leave."

"I'm not so sure. They didn't back down. That one girl was about to spit on me." Sati looked at her older brother. "I don't like getting spit on."

"You didn't have to hit her. And you definitely didn't have to kick her."

"Sati, that situation could have gone one of two ways. Either I broke their will to fight right there, or we were both coming out of that with broken bones." Sati looked skeptical, but Andrew continued. "That's why I went after the ringleader -- break her, and you destroy the group. She's the reason that they didn't run when I showed up."

"You still didn't need to kick her after she went down."

"You would just be having this fight over and over again every day until somebody ended up like that girl. Why prolong things? I had the opportunity to end it there and I did."

Sati was looking forward again. They continued along the road to the river in silence for several minutes before she spoke up. "Do you think she's okay?"

"Yeah. I might've broken her rib."

"Dammit, Jata, this is why I hate you. I can't even have a fucking fight to myself, you've gotta step in and take it all. You know that they hate me because of you?"

"What? Why?"

"You're too good. The teachers like you. Their parents would like you if you weren't brown. You beat their brothers and sisters for that scholarship . . . and guess who they take it out on? I can't even do anything to piss them off myself -- you stole all that, too."

Andrew had never considered this before. They kept walking.

"Sorry?" Andrew's apology sounded lame and he knew it.

"Shut up, Jata. Or Andrew. Or whatever the hell it is you go by these days. Why do you do that, anyway?"

"What?"

"Why do you use your Cimbrian name so much? You know they just assign them randomly when we start school, right?"

"Yeah, I know. Maybe I happen to like mine."

"Bullshit. After everything Cimbria has done to the Tel? Are you telling me that--"

Andrew cut her off. "It opens doors for me. A name like Ajatashatru is not going to get you very far. Do you think they would've accepted me to the academy under that name? Would the teachers ever give a passing grade to Ajatashatru? Not a chance in hell."

"Jata, it's like being one of them. It's like giving up who you are just so that--"

"Sati! We are one of them, remember? Mom is Tel but our dad definitely wasn't. It's not like I'm pretending--"

"Ha, fat lot of good that old dad's been doing us lately. Jata, we are not one of them. Take a look around -- the schools say we aren't, the government says we aren't, the church says we aren't, everybody! Those girls know we're not Cimbrian. Our dad might be a whitey but we're Tel and there's not a damn thing we can do about it."

Andrew frowned. He knew his sister was right, and kept walking in silence. They had almost reached gap in the riverbank where Andrew liked to cross to the island before he spoke again. "I'm weak when I use my Tel name."

"Sorry?"

"Ajatashatru. It's weaker than Andrew. If I'm Andrew I can do whatever I want. I can go to Oberon and to the academy, -- people respect me. I can change things. But if I'm Ajatashatru . . . I'm Tel. And Tel are weak."

"Weak? We're not weak!"

"Really? Sati, maybe YOU need to look around. Look at what Cimbria has done to the Tel. They came to take our country, and we couldn't even fight back! We didn't do anything to stop them!"

"There was the battle at Chirpa."

"Yeah, THAT went well -- and that was fifty years ago! What have we done since then?!?"

"Nothing, I know. And now instead of trying to change that you've adopted a Cimbrian name and are going to go study in Oberon at the academy. What, have you given up on us too?"

Andrew sighed. "Sati, if there was going to be a rebellion or a revolution or something, it would've happened already. We're going to their schools, we're being tried in their courts, we're serving in their military -- there's not going to be a Tel uprising, at least not here. There probably won't even be a Tel culture in another fifty years at the rate we're naturalizing. We'll all be living in those horrible brick houses and wearing those hot overcoats."

Sati was glaring at him again. "So what, Jata? You're just going to try and become a Cimbrian? We may stop being Tel but we'll never be accepted -- you know that."

Andrew glared back at her. "I never said that I was going to become a Cimbrian. Just because they won doesn't mean they aren't despicable. What it does mean, though, is that if I'm going to change anything I have to go learn from them. And that's why I'm Andrew."

Sati ducked under a low hanging branch. They were off the trail now, cutting through the underbrush towards the riverbank. "Does anyone else our age talk like this? Is this where we cross the river?"

---

Captain Toggart was surveying the loading process from the Lydia's small quarterdeck, an unlit cigar clamped between his teeth. He removed it briefly to greet Andrew before barking a brief order to the crew below. Andrew took the opportunity to take stock of the captain of the Lydia. He was an older man who would easily escape notice in a crowd if it were not for his large, bushy grey eyebrows. They came right down to the rims of his small, circular glasses and made his roughly shaven chin look practically clean by comparison.

"A' got Hamid's letter just t'other day. You an' the cabin boy'll be sharin' a hammock in the fo'c'sle. E's for'ard, jus' ask for Danny."

Andrew just nodded -- he was only reasonably sure that he'd understood the man, and he didn't really know what a fo'c'sle was. Captain Toggart smiled a tight, thin-lipped smile and gestured vaguely towards the bow of the ship. Andrew took this to mean he was dismissed and wandered back down to the deck, trying to look like he knew where he was going.

As he climbed back down the ladder onto the deck, a thin arm grabbed him. Andrew, startled at the sudden contact, turned to find a boy about his height but a few years younger grinning carelessly at him. "Ey, you're the passenger, right?"

"Yeah, that's me."

"I'm Danny. Cap'n Toggart always pretends like we've a bigger ship 'n we do, but really we hears everything ev'rbody says from about wherever you're at. Never been on a ship, huh?"

"Was it that easy to spot?"

Danny just laughed. "Nothin' t'be worried 'bout. C'mon, I'll shew you where we're at." And with this the gangly youth ran lightly forward and plunged through the open forward gangway.

Andrew made his own, slower way forward to the hatch, lowering himself, suitcase, and knapsack down the narrow ladder with some difficulty. He found himself half-stooping in a dim, cramped space that smelled of old wood, lantern oil, and sweat. Empty canvas hammocks were strung from the bulkheads on either side of him. After a moment of letting his eyes adjust, Andrew found Danny patiently waiting for him at the narrowest end of the cabin.

"On a bigger ship, I'd be bunked astern, but Lydia, she's not so big. Also, I'm not really a cabin boy, so t'all works out. We're all the way for'rard, right against the cable locker." He thumped the forward bulkhead with his hand, emphasizing the anchor cable contained behind it.

Andrew looked at the single hammock. "So we trade off? I sleep when you don't, and you sleep when I don't?"

"Yup." Danny grinned again. "Nice ta' see one who picks up quick. I'll stash your gear below." And before Andrew could protest, Danny had disappeared into the hold with his bags.

Alone in the cabin, Andrew found himself at a loss for what to do. He didn't want to get in the way on deck, but there was nothing in Kumar for him to go back for. Sighing, he turned to the hammock.

Might as well learn how to get in this thing without anyone around to laugh at me.

It only took him a few tries before he found himself hanging in comparative comfort from the thick wooden beams above him.

---

"So what are you going to do for the next couple days?"

Sati and Andrew were lying up on the tall rock at the center of the island, gradually drying off in the sun from their short swim.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you can't very well be seen around town. You just beat up a white girl. I imagine we'll have the prefect at our house by the time I get back. He might lock you up, and you'd miss your ship in Kumar. Not to mention every one of those girls' older brothers will be looking for you, and they might just kill you."

"Hmm." Andrew hadn't thought of this when he'd hit the girl. "Do you think they would actually put me in jail?"

"Weren't you just the one telling me to take these things seriously? I think you'd be lucky if the prefect found you first."

Andrew's stomach turned over uneasily. Things had just gotten even more complicated.

"I suppose I could just stay here. No one else knows about the island except you."

"What will you eat? Where will you sleep?"

"I'm not sure. There's a little cave at the bottom of this rock I could probably stay in."

"That'll be pretty cold tonight."

"I'm not sure what other options I have, if I have to stay hidden until Uncle Hamid and I leave."

They laid in silence for a few moments, Andrew contemplating the upcoming days of hunger he would have to endure.

"Here's what we'll do." Sati sat up. "I'll go home and tell mom what's happened. She can talk to Uncle Hamid and arrange for a different meeting spot."

"But how will I find out about it? You can't really come back here, as soon as you go home they'll be watching you."

"Tonight I'll put some food, a blanket, and your suitcase in the skiff, and then push it into the river. It should drift by and you can swim out and grab it. That way even if someone is following me they can't figure out where you are. I'll leave a note telling you where to meet Uncle Hamid."

Andrew thought through the plan. "As long as they don't have a boat with them, it should work."

"Yeah. If they do, I'll figure something else out. Jata, I had better get going -- who knows what is going on back home."

Andrew's sister moved to scale back down the rock.

"Sati . . . wait!"

She turned back to look at him. "What?"

"Are you gonna tell them?"

"Tell them what?"

"The test."

She looked away before heaving a frustrated sigh. "No, Jata, I'm not."

"Why not?" Andrew blurted, surprising himself with this question.

"Jata, I don't like you very much sometimes -- or even most of the time. But I hate the Cimbrians, and you're my brother."

"Thanks."

"For not telling them you cheated?"

"And for the food."

"You haven't got it yet, I could still change my mind." And Sati slid down the rock and was gone. "Hey! Can I borrow your island while you're gone?" she yelled up from below.

"Sure!" he yelled back. He listened to his sister run lightly through the woods. Gradually the sound faded away until he was alone.

---

Andrew gradually swam back to consciousness, his thoughts groggy and incoherent at first.

Why am I moving? Why is the hammock moving?

The cabin was awash with sounds that he had not heard before. The bulkheads were creaking on either side of him in rhythm with the gentle swing of his hammock. Finally the crash of a wave breaking against the Lydia's bows brought him fully awake. We're at sea!

Climbing out of his hammock as quickly and carefully as possible, Andrew hurried up the forward gangway onto deck. The Lydia had just rounded the point outside of Kumar's harbor and was gamely breaking through the tall ocean swell. The rigging hummed quietly in the stiff breeze that crossed the deck.

"Ha! Tole 'ya the first breaker'd wake 'im right up!" one of the sailors laughed good-naturedly.

Andrew took a deep breath of ocean air and smiled. The salty breeze smelled good to him.

Danny came up from behind him. "'S a good feeling, eh? If yer gonna look back, now's the time -- you'll not be seein' Tel for a good bit a' time, from what I hear."

Andrew looked back. Kumar was quickly disappearing behind the rocky point that formed its natural breakwater. "That's okay. Somehow I don't think I'll miss it."