Chapter 10 The Best of Worlds
The future was in motion. It swirled from the east, the west, north and south. A Song ship, a vibrant coastal culture eager for new opportunities, a stagnant inland culture driven by greed, and a southern culture ready for change; all unknowing, waiting for something. As present becomes past, bringing the future closer, just so events unfolded, following the path of the ship from the east. Just as in battle, some die that others can live. In the best of worlds, some deaths save the lives of many others.
***
The Song ship slowed to a crawl. It got as close to the shore as Zahn, the captain, dared, seeking deep water close in. This was their third visit to the Haida, the first since the birth of the west coast alliance created by Fisheagle, himself far to the south. His words were on the minds of the Haida, as they awaited the ship carrying the trader.
Zahn was able to find the deep hollow next to shore where he had anchored before. It made for easy access to the land. He put the rudders over, and drifted deftly in, parallel to the landing. They had a plank long enough to reach the rocks next to them. They ran out the plank, and two sailors ran across with ropes to secure them close, but not too close, to the rocky shore. The crew cast woven bamboo fenders over the side to take the shock of the rocks, if waves threw the ship against them. Then the sailors on shore snugged the ship up tighter, leaving room for the rise and fall of the tides.
Zahn strode down the plank and greeted the Chief and Ts'aak. They exchanged pleasantries. The formalities out of the way, Ts'aak opened the negotiations.
"If you will come with me, we have our goods in the warehouse. I am quite interested in what you have brought." He smiled, quite genuinely.
Zahn was pleased with the goods furs, well cured and including the coveted Sea Otters; some copper ingots; and some Haida art works that Zahn had taken a chance on, and had proved very popular in the Song capital.
Ts'aak waited, silent, for the first offer.
"I have a variety of hard, long lasting tools, some beautiful fabrics..."
Ts'aak smiled. "I am very interested in your tools, depending on what they do. I am even more interested in an advisor, such as you left with the southern tribes, preferably one who can teach us how to make the hard metal for tools, and the tools themselves."
Zahn went pale, then a little red, no longer smiling. "Do you plan to ruin my trade then?"
Ts'aak laughed. "Of course not. As I said, I am interested in the tools you bring, but tools break, and it is many moons before you return. If we become dependent on your tools, which will change the way we work, and then they don't work any more, we will be left in an uncomfortable position. I'm sure that you see that."
Zahn was off balance. These people were astute traders, but this was a harder bargain than he was used to. He could spare one of his shipwrights, that could teach what they wanted, but he hated to do so. These savages knew exactly what they wanted, and it wouldimpact his trade. He thought about alternatives. His was a trader's mind, honed in the cutthroat Song markets. He would be able to pick up the four shipwrights he had left further south. They would have had enough of these primitives. So what if they learned to make iron, and work it. There were many, many other things that he could offer on future voyages. He would be better prepared next time.
"Very well. Your copper, as shown, for the use of one of my men for the time between now, and my next voyage."
Ts'aak bowed his acceptance of the deal. "Now, let's see these tools of yours."
The sailors had brought ashore samples of iron augers, hatchets, axes, pry bars, saws of various sizes, from one handed to long two man saws for planking. There were hammers and kegs of slivers of metal of various sizes. One of the Song demonstrated their use in joining two pieces of wood.
Ts'aak considered, then haggled with Zahn for a time. The slivers didn't impress him, but the other tools did. Finally, he offered their furs for a selection of the other tools. They agreed on the quantities of each, and moved on.
"We do have some artwork that we would trade for your fabrics, if they are acceptable..."
Zahn was feeling better. This was more what he was used to. "Let's inspect the goods, and reach agreement then."
Ts'aak smiled, and bowed his own concurrence.
***
Two weeks later the disease struck. It started with a mild illness, fever, headache, body pain, then spread across the skin as little bubbles that burgeoned and grew. People began to die by the hundreds. Those that survived this far began to have scabs form on the blisters that the bumps had become. Two thirds of the Haida died. Those that lived were scarred for life, some blinded in one or both eyes.
***
The Haida had taken all of the fabrics that Zahn had to trade. The Haida artwork was extraordinary, and reflected similarities to antique Song designs. That had make them very popular in the empire on the previous voyages, and the Haida had sensed a kindred artistic sense in the Song fabrics. Unknown to anyone, the disease had been hiding in the fabrics. Fortunately, Zahn had no more for trade as he worked his way south, down the coast. The outbreak was confined, for now, to the one village.
***
Unaware of the disaster unfolding behind him, Zahn took his ship south along the coast. He was eager to get to the village where he had invested four of his shipwrights to create a market for his remaining cargo of tools. Tools were heavy, so he hoped to unload the lot at Rivergrass. He was also eager to see if the southerners had collected a good quantity of sea otter pelts, and, with smelters built by his shipwrights, there should be a lot of copper in the proper ingots for best price in Shanghai. He also wanted to see the quality of the green stone they had spoken of. If it wasa new variety of jade, his fortune was made.
His anticipation made him pass by a couple of communities that he had traded with before on his way down the coast. He could always stop in on his next voyage. They did have some nice artwork.
Chapter 11 Return on Investment
The Song ship pulled in to the new wharf that Chen and Li had designed and had built while Zahn was gone. It stretched across the tidal flat to a deeper hole where the ship could tie up. They had also made wheeled carts that would help move the heavy tools down the boardwalk to the shore. Zahn felt like he was pulling in to a civilized port. He reflected that he was, in fact, bringing civilization to these people. It gave him a sense of pride that he had not expected. He was just a trader that had discovered new markets. He found himself looking forward to seeing the changes his shipwrights had wrought among these people, and the trade goods of course. Copper was rising in price at home, and the furs always did well when he brought them back. He knew that other traders had taken note of his last profitable voyage. This might be the last trip where he was the only one in this market. That was one reason why he had left the advisors, to establish good will for the future voyages. So long as he had first rights, he would profit greatly. His trader sense told him that there was great potential here. He could smell advantage!
He gave orders for the tools to be brought up and loaded into the carts. He could see the natives, and Li and Chen on the shore. He hoped that Wei and Zizhan would bring the second tribe along soon. This being his first Spring voyage, he could possibly make two more voyages before the winter weather confined him to local Empire trade, which was not nearly as profitable.
He had been able to purchase a compass with part of the proceeds of the last voyage. That would allow him to cut straight across the sea to home, instead of following the route way up North, and then down the coast, bucking that current. Coming here, he traveled with the currents. His first three voyages, he had had to sail back against those same currents. It was a long, slow voyage, but without the compass, he might have ended up anywhere if he just pointed across the sea. Once out of sight of land he had the stars, until there was a storm, or even just overcast. Then he had nothing to guide him, until now. Now, he could navigate straight home to Shanghai, his primary market for the goods he would bring back. Zahn was a happy man. All his plans were coming together.
Just as he stepped onto the plank He noticed that the coastal village now had a log palisade around it. It also appeared to have a drawbridge over a ditch, and a covered walk with firing ports.
Then he saw a line of three huge cargo canoes headed from upriver to the wharf. They were all loaded and sitting deep in the water. He maintained his composure, despite a powerful surge of glee. He would return with his holds full, by the look of things. He hurried, casually, down the plank to the wharf. He walked towards where the canoes were pulling in and tying up in a row.
Chen and Li were just starting out from shore. He saw Kiapelaneh waiting on shore to greet him. Zizhan and Wei climbed out of the lead cargo canoe, followed by Fisheagle, Hawk, and Midnight. There were dozens of other people in the canoes. He had a twinge of uneasiness. This was unusual.
It was still very easy for him to beam delightedly at the three from upriver. Zizhan translated.
"My good friends! Well met. I have brought the tools we discussed. I hope that my advisors have been worth their keep?"
Fisheagle, composed as always, spoke for all of them. Hawk and Midnight struggled to keep from laughing out loud. As it was, the corners of their mouths kept twitching up, and they seemed to be almost vibrating with what they were holding in.
"Indeed, wise Zahn. You are most welcome back, and your people have been of inestimable value to us. We would probably not be here to greet you, if they had not been here to share your ways of thinking, and doing. That said, we have much to compensate you, and to trade for tools." He smiled widely at Zahn, who suddenly had a memory of Ts'aak driving a hard bargain, not so long ago.
As their word sunk in, he put on his concerned look. "Why, what has happened?"
"We will tell you the story tonight at the feast. It is too long of a tale to tell before we conclude our business. It would be feasting time before we concluded our trade!"
Zahn shook his head. "A mighty tale then. Very well, to business."
He showed them the tools that he had shown to the Haida, plus tongs for handling hot metal, and others for removing the crucibles of molten metal from the ovens. The demonstration of the nails was greeted much more favorably, and he was glad that the Haida hadn't wanted any.
The natives seemed pleased. He also had about a hundred small kegs of saltpeter. Kiapelaneh shared that they had found a local source of the rock coal, and plenty of sulfur. Then they walked down the wharf to the canoes from Highwater.
The natives seemed pleased. He also had about a hundred small kegs of saltpeter. Kiapelaneh shared that they had found a local source of the rock coal, and plenty of sulfur. Then they walked down the wharf to the canoes from Highwater.
Protective tarps had been untied and pulled away to show their goods. The first canoe held furs from land mammals: fox, wolf, marten, fresh water otter, lynx, beaver, a few cougar, and bear. There were also some deer and moose hides, tanned with the hair on.
The second canoe held more of the same. The third held copper, in Song style ingots. There were also a few ingots of a much richer color, which Zahn knew instantly were gold. His men had told the natives that he would be interested.
Carts began arriving from the village. They held sea mammals: sea otter, seal, and sea lion. There were also more ingots of copper.
Zahn was dumbfounded. For a moment he didn't know what to do. These people could supply as much as he could carry. The profit would be beyond his previous imagination. The sea otter pelts alone would have paid for his voyage. He looked at the native leaders, and knew that they knew. His own men, that he had left here, were looking at him with doubt and concern in their eyes.
Then the River People unveiled a pile of rocks, some large, some small. Green rocks. Jade, and unlike any jade he had ever seen.
Zahn sat down on the edge of the wharf and put his head in his hands. He had to think. If he brought this load back, every trader on the coast of the Song dynasty would follow him wherever he went, for the rest of his life, to find out where he had gotten this load. The other side of the coin was that, if he didn't trade fairly with these people, they would never trade with him again. He could see it in their eyes. They knew!
He cast a glance at his advisors Wei, Li, Chen, and Zahn. They were all four looking at him with cold, hard eyes. They were awaiting his response.
Zahn was not a stupid man, he had the vision, and the willingness to take a chance that led him to explore uncharted waters. Neither was he a coward.
He suddenly saw clearly. There was a story here. They had alluded to it. He had to hear that story, before he did anything, or he might lose it all.
He stood, and faced them. "I think that I musthear this story behind this amazing feat. Clearly, you have surpassed my highest hopes for this voyage. Shall we go to your lodge, and let me hear the tale. We can talk about trade later."
His own men looked surprised. He couldn't read the natives, except that they looked more at ease, as if relieved. Zahn knew that he was walking a thin edge. He needed to know this story.
They all headed for the lodge. He ordered all of his men, except for three to stand watch on the ship and the tools, to come to the lodge with him. He still didn't know what this was, he just knew that it was deadly important to both the natives and his own men that had been here while he was gone.
When they got to the lodge, there were tables loaded with food. They were proper tables, although a bit taller than he was used to, with benches for everyone to sit on.
The lodge was packed. Zahn was led to a prime seat beside Fisheagle, with Midnight and Hawk on the other side. His shipwrights sat behind him.
An older woman strode confidently to the front of the crowd: Huckleberry, the Keeper of Stories from Highwater. Silence reigned in the hall. Zizahn, because he was still the most fluent in the People's language, skootched his seat forward, so that he could translate for Zahn.
Huckleberry began to tell the tale, of Hawk and Midnight, of the evil Shaman and his greed. She recalled the preparations for war, and honored the Song advisors. She spoke of the battles, the rescues, and the dead. Then of the reconstruction of the villages destroyed. She spoke of alliance forged and growing, honoring Fisheagle for his wisdom in that. She spoke of a vision, of people across the vast expanse of land, to the north, south, and east, joining together to build something greater than just tribes in the wilderness: a nation, an Alliance! Guided by a council of chiefs, based on their reverence for the land, the spirits of the land, and their ancestors, for the good of all the peoples that lived on Turtle Island, or whatever name they chose for this vast place they lived in, for every People had their own name for it. Trade would benefit all parties. Governance would benefit all the People. The land, it's spirits, and its People were the central concern of this new Alliance, and those who would help it were a part of it. Those who opposed it were doomed, for all of the forces of nature and the spirit world would be fighting with the People when that day came. The Alliance would be their voice and their mighty arm against their enemies, and none of those would survive the experience, so that the Alliance's Peoples could live in peace.
When she finished, there was a moment of reverent quiet, then someone started the ululating cry of defiance that had echoed over every victory of the past year. It built to almost deafening force, then faded like a spent wave returning to the sea.
Zahn sat still as a stone, his mind racing at the implications. This was an empire being born, and he was here to witness. Zizhan leaned forward again, and said, in his native tongue, "Chen, Li, Wei and I will not be returning with you. We have found a place of honor here, where we can be more than we ever believed possible. We thank you for that, but know that our allegiance has changed. Help these people, help us, and your rewards will outstrip your imagination. You will always be first, for the best items, at the best price. There is more to this place than meets the eye, and we don't yet know even how big it is."
Zahn was dumbfounded. Somehow, his simple trading voyages had changed the world for these people, and they had known what to do with that. Astute traders indeed! He knew that he needed time to process what he had heard, to understand where to go with this, and what to do next. The World had just changed, and he was there. What to do. There was no question in his mind that people who could do what these had done would forge their empire, or Alliance, as they called it.
His profit from what the People had brought would buy him ships, as well as goods, but he sensed their need for knowledge, above all. He could deliver that. Help them reach the level of technology and science that his own people had achieved. These minds would take that, and go further, perhaps, than even his own culture. One day, he might be taking knowledge in the opposite direction, benefiting his people as much as theirs.
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