Chapter Twenty Four: The Gypsy City

'We'll be arriving in less than an hour.' Yanel told the group. The four of them were sat on deck together eating more of the slightly spicy flat bread as a breakfast.

'Where are we arriving?' DG asked amiably. Her feelings towards being captured by gypsies were quite positive in spite of a lack of sleep. Cain was sat opposite her and every now and then their eyes met. DG was happy.

'Our home... But that is of little consequence, our leaders have matters to discuss. They may choose to tell you.'

'Matters?' Cain asked pointedly.

'I'm afraid they won't discuss them with me. Or with you. They are matters for people with the highest rank.'

'What does that mean?' DG asked.

'It means you.' Glitch said. He sounded concerned. Yanel nodded and then headed off towards the stern of the ship and his crew. For the first time DG noticed a long dark coloured metal dagger hanging on his hip, where it could easily reached in a pinch.

'They are all armed this morning.' Cain said in a low voice as he continued to eat nonchalantly. Glitch nodded and followed suit, making it appear that they were simply sharing a meal and placid conversation together.

'I noticed.' The Advisor said, his expression grim. 'I don't like this. I'm starting to feel a little less comfortable.'

'Especially as my pistol's been taken.' The Tin Man said bitterly. He had realised only a few moments before, his conversations with the Princess had taken precedent in mind until then.

'Mine too.' Cook said quietly.

'Here was I thinking they'd rescued us.' DG said mournfully. She felt a pang of guilt. She was responsible for them being here, she had plunged into the Reeds without thinking. She had also climbed willingly on board the ship, happy to be dry.

'They did. Better this than you drowned.' Cain told her firmly. 'Look- if they wanted us dead we'd be dead by now.'

'Hopefully we just go speak to who-ever and then we can get away. Find the magicians...' DG said turning wide blue eyes from Cain to Glitch.

'Hmmm...' Mused Glitch. 'We need to be careful. The Gypsies are not known to be fans of the crown.'

'People keep saying that.' DG said. 'Why? What has the Crown done to them?'

'There was an uprising. Long before the witches rule... When your Grandfather was on the throne. He approached the Gypsies for their support.' Glitch was gazing off into the middle distance as he spoke. 'They agreed with some conditions.'

'My Grandfather didn't agree?' DG asked the story was almost familiar; there had not been a lot of time for a history lesson in the last annual. But some things had been mentioned to her.

'Oh he did.' Said Cain wryly. 'And so did the Gypsies.'

'And the uprising was defeated.' Glitch told DG quietly but something in his voice gave away the end of the story.

'But he didn't keep his end of the bargain?'

'No he did not.' Cain said. 'Since then the Gypsies have caused problems. Skirmishes on the Reed/Clear line. Refusing to let us the Reeds to transport anything from the coast. Bad trade agreements. Sabotaging relations with the kingdoms beyond the seas... with the whole Inner Zone really.'

'Oh.' DG said. Two generations of betrayal and anger. Her heart sank, whatever the Ishlar-Nari wanted with her was not going a simple conversation.

(###)

'We're almost here.' DG addressed Cook, Cain and Glitch from over her shoulder. She was stood in the front of the ship focused on the coming camp. It was intimidating.

The ship had turned during the morning and was now sliding down a wide opening in the Reeds. At the end of the channel was a camp. Only it was a city really. At first DG had thought it was floating but then she realised that the buildings were both supported and raised up out of the water by wooden struts and planks. Like miles and miles of porch decking. The buildings were wooden too, a series low set cabins, stretching out to almost fill the horizon. As they drew closer DG saw that each section of the settlement was on a separate decked area and they were linked by bridges and jetties. And in the water around the city there were ships, maybe forty of them. All made of the same silver wood and flying coloured silk sails.

'It's beautiful.' DG breathed. She felt the others pressing in behind her gazing at the expanse of buildings. The city the fitted perfectly into the landscape.

'Where did they get the wood?' Cain asked Glitch his forehead wrinkled.

'Interesting question… I would hypothesise that it would grow nearer the coast. Or be farmed nearby and then moved by boat. Or possibly floated-'

'Can I get the highlights later?' Cain asked sardonically. Glitch froze for a moment before answer in a sickly sweet voice-

'Not enough sleep Tin Min?' The implication was enough for both Cain and DG to colour slightly and to then fall silent.

'Glitch, what do you think they are going to want to talk about?' DG asked the question that was filling up her mind completely.

'I have no idea Princess. All I know is this might have felt lovely and fluffy up until now… but I don't think it's going to stay that way.'

'Great.' DG said as the city before her got larger and larger with each passing second. She was feeling less and less safe in the care of the Ishlar-Nari. 'Glitch?'

'DG?'

'Can you give me a crash course in diplomacy?'

'Well the basics would take several hours to cover…' Worried the dark haired man.

'Cain, how far away is the city?' DG said her tone brisk.

'About 10 minutes.' The Tin Man told her.

'Glitch, can you give me a 10 minute crash course in Diplomacy please?'

The Advisor froze and it seemed like he was about to protest but then he grinned.

'Well like dance, it's all about rhythm…'

'Here we go again.' Cain said closing his eyes in despair.

(###)

They felt far more like prisoners once they were inside of the Gypsy settlement. The five of them had been walked down the jetty and straight into one of the low wooden buildings. It had a very plain interior, bare wooden walls and low wooden benches.

'Wow. They surely like brown.' Glitch had said as they entered the room. But no one had laughed. There had been no arguing with Yanel as he had told them firmly they were to follow Zses. They were all unarmed and lost in the middle of the Reed Lands. Despite having been rescued by the ship and its crew; now they were completely at their mercy.

So they were waiting. DG was sat with her feet up on the bench next to her, knees under her chin, thinking frantically. She had exhausted Glitch as a source of information on diplomacy and she had barely understood 80% of what he had said. He had been attempting to educate her in regards to Rhythms and Patterns in speech and how some conversations could be about two or three different topics at the same time. None of it made sense to the princess but she was running over the main elements of the lesson in her mind none the less. She knew very little about the Royal Family's finances and land holdings but she was pretty sure her parents would support a decision if it was sensible. If the gypsy leaders wanted repaying for two generations of bad treatment she would have to be careful about she went about it.

Cain in contrast was pacing. He had to keep moving because otherwise he was going to get violent. He wanted his gun. He missed it. There was a part of him missing without it on his person. Without it he was not as able to, as easily, defend DG or the others and that made him angry. To have had it stolen from him during the night, for that was the only way it could have gone missing, made him angry too. As did the fact that he was becoming more and more convinced that he, DG and the others had been drugged.

Accepting Yanel and his crew had seemed very easy last night. Agreeing to their wishes and trusting Sisara had been the most sensible choice then. Apparently. Now they seemed reckless and foolish. Not choices Cain would have made if he was fully in control of his senses. Plus they had all slept, some longer than others but all had slept. Both deeply and almost immediately after retiring. At first the Tin Man had thought this was because they were all exhausted from wading through the Reeds but now he was not sure.

Lyle Day was still tied up. His hands were bound and he was attached to a beam in the roof of the building. He had some slack to move around on but was choosing to remain sat and silent. He had not spoken a word since he had tried to convince the Tin Man and Advisor of his value to them. After that he had said nothing and this was becoming a theme. But really he was being ignored by the group. When DG had heard what he had done she had given him a wet eyed look that had made him begin to doubt himself. Or rather to strengthen the doubts he already had.

He knew acting the way he had was not honourable. But it was worth it for the payment. Both the money and not having a Royal Family… to live in an O.Z ruled by the people. That was his dream. But the events of the last few weeks did not feel like that dream. Jeb Cain, Captain Cain… he was a good man and did not deserve to be lying in a bed in Central City with a hole in his lung. It made Lyle wonder if the Magicians were doing the right thing. And then there was DG. She was not meant to have joined them. He was meant to stay with the General. That had been his task: to get close to Wyatt Cain and then to somehow lure him into a trap… But then the Princess had arrived and everything had changed. But even she wasn't what he had expected. She was real. Normal even. She laughed, joked and cooked food for the group. It was awful food but she tried hard when she made it. No airs and graces. No superior attitude. It was confusing. Even the way she was reacting to being captured by the Gypsies was not to scream and shout but to talk and to think. Like he would do…

For Lyle Day though, the worst part of his current situation was his best friend. Seb. The younger man was sat away from him now. Glaring at him. He was angry. Betrayed. And that was unlikely to go away. But even knowing he deserved it… Day still felt the sting of his friend's eyes on him.

There was creak as the door to the building was pushed open. Yanel strode in with Sisara and Tobias behind him. There was also a heavily built man with them who carried a sword on his hip that was both huge and incredibly sharp. Its edge glittered in the faint sunlight.

'It is time.' Yanel said gesturing DG to stand. As she did so Glitch followed her. But Yanel shook his head. 'No. Just the Princess.'

'She doesn't go anywhere with one of us.' Cain said. His voice betrayed everything. Anger, passion, protectiveness… It was all reflected in his body language as well: one hand reaching for a gun that wasn't there and the other clenched into a fist.

But a then thin noise, the huge sword being drawn and levelled at his throat stopped him taking the matter further. It was the first openly hostile act from the Gypsies but it was very real. The heavy nameless man had moved across the room very quickly and now his face showed no emotion. It seemed he would happily use the blade on the Tin Man.

'I'll be fine.' DG said quietly. Anything for Cain to get away from the sword, she thought, feverishly.

'She will.' Sisara said in a soothing voice addressed towards Cain, pleading in her deep dark eyes. Tobias gestured for DG to follow him as with a last look at Cain she did so. Sisara followed after. Slowly the sword was lowered and Cain's attacker and Yanel both backed out of the room.

The door shut with another creak.