Perilous Seas Read Free Page A

‘cause jotnar rank imps just barely above gnomes. Then the
part jotunn, like you. Fauns are quite well thought of, actually-probably
because they’re so pigheaded that they never know when they’re
beaten-and you’re almost jotunn size, so you rate just below pure jotunn.”
He waited, but got no comment. He worked more on the fish. “And then they
have their own levels. Tops are the Nordland-born, like Brual-”
    “And
Kani’s a third-generation southerner and hates himself for it. So? So
what are you getting at?”
    “Well,
I know a couple of guys decided to try you out. You did very well, too, but
Dirp is a third-generation exile, like Kani, and old Hagmad is a second, and
neither is much thought of as a fighter. Besides, they were just playing.”
    “It
didn’t feel like play,” Rap growled. “It bloody hurt!”
Ogi had scraped the griddle clean. He had no option but to hand Rap his platter
and meet his eye.
    “Tell
me the worst,” Rap said sourly. “I’ve lost my appetite
already. “
    Ogi
sighed. “You want them off your back? Well, then, you’ve got to
have a punch party with a full-blooded, Nordland-born jotunn. One of the good
ones. “
    “Oh,
great! I used to think Gathmor was bad--”
    “I’m
not finished. You’ve got to pick the quarrel, not him. Your fight, see?
And you’ve got to make him mad. Really mad! We can’t settle for
just a playful testing to see what’s in the uppity faun mongrel. You bait
him till he’s one man-eating, homicidal, kill-crazy jotunn, who really
wants to smash you. Then-no mercy! You beat him to a jelly. “
    “You
lost me right at the end there.”
    “I’m
serious, Rap. Eat up. More important-drink up! You’re new. They give new
boys time, but you’ve got your rower’s arms now. You’re
looking sort of ready, so you’re going to be measured soon. Today?
Tomorrow? Best to pick your own match, right? The important thing is to try for
the highest standing you can possibly hope to hold on to. In the end that’ll
mean a lot less pain and blood than if they’re all using you for practice
on the way up.”
    Rap
laid the platter aside and crossed his arms. “What’s your part in
this?”
    This
was where Ogi could give the kid some good news. He spoke with his mouth full. “Important!
I found out who Verg and that crazy Kani had picked out for you: Turbrok! Or
even Radrik! Gods! They’d have gotten you maimed or killed.”
    Rap
put his elbows on his knees and scowled sideways at his companion. “And
you won’t?”
    “Hope
not. This fish is delicious. Try it-you need the strength. No, I took over, and
you can trust me. Sure, I’ve been setting you up, Rap, I admit, but I
know what I’m doing. “ Well, he was three-fourths sure he did. “Setting
me up?”
    “Who
suggested you take the charming Wulli to the dance?” Rap straightened,
taut and furious. “You told me she wasn’t anyone’s girl! So
did she!”
    “Yes,
well, she would. They do, here. But what I said was right, so far as I know. No
engagements or understandings. How far have you got with her, by the way?”
    “Mind
your own Evil-begotten business!”
    “Awright!
But the previous dance she went to with Grindrog. He’s been at sea, so he
hasn’t squired any ladies since.”
    Rap
groaned. He had turned pale, understandably; in fact his face held a sort of
greenish tinge in the fire’s dancing glow. “So he’ll assume I’m
muscling in?”
    “Well,
you are, in the way things are done here. Grindrog never dropped her, you see.
His choice, never hers. And of course, she’s pure jotunn, and you’re
not. Mongrels aren’t allowed near-”
    “Bastard!
But I should’ve thought of that, at least. God of Liars! You did set me
up, you sneaky bunch of bastards! And I really don’t like her much. She’s
all `Yes, Rap,’ `No, Rap,’ without an original thought in her head.
“
    Wulli
was a mouth-wateringly sweet kid, about sixteen, with the sort of face and body
that the sailors