Chapter 33: A Journey Sailing down the River
THE Saran River was a confluence of three separate rivers flowing from the Empire. Once this river entered Federation territory, its name became the Saran River. Within the Federation, its width expanded and its current slowed. The Saran River ran through the country from north to south, terminating in the sea that bordered the Federation’s southernmost region, the Callisto district. In the Empire, the river flowed fast, sluicing away at the soil and carrying nutrients with it. Its gentle speed in the Federation then allowed all that sediment to settle in the earth. In this way, the Saran River had transported great quantities of fertile soil to the Federation over many long years.
The harbor Ignacio had mentioned to Bertine consisted of a simple pier and a caretaker’s shack nearby. Bertine stood on the bank of the Saran River and watched it flow past for some time before calling out in the direction of the caretaker’s shack.
“Hello! Is anybody there?”
A man in his forties stepped outside, squinting hard at Bertine and Dorothée.
“Hello. I was told I can board a boat here,” Bertine said. “When does the next one set sail?”
“The boat sets sail once a week, but I think you misunderstand the situation,” the man replied bluntly to her. “Only men board it and there’s only one cabin for everyone. The boat doesn’t have any separate rooms for nobility or women.”
“Yes, I’m aware, thank you. So when does the next one arrive?” Bertine asked, unruffled.
“Midday, three days from today. Miss, are you sure you intend to board?”
“I am.”
“Even knowing you’ll be surrounded by filthy men?”
“I don’t mind.”
The man looked doubtfully at Bertine though he accepted her reservation for three passengers on the next boat. Once she returned home, she informed Diego that they would be heading to the Federation’s southernmost region via boat. Dorothée immediately voiced her concerns.
“My lady, we’ll have to prepare the appropriate clothing since there is only one cabin.”
“You’re right. Due to my height, I believe clothing made for smaller men should fit me. Dorothée, you’ll have to adjust it to my size once you buy it.”
“Leave it to me. I’ll ready everything quickly.”
✦ ✦ ✦
THREE days later, dressed in a shirt and trousers designed for men, Bertine arrived at the harbor via stagecoach. Two other passengers, both men, were already there. They stared at Bertine and her companions in surprise, muttering something about this being their first time seeing women board the boat.
“We won’t be causing anyone any trouble, so I hope the journey goes well,” Bertine said.
“We’ll be playin’ poker until we make port. Things tend to get rowdy, so we’d appreciate it if ya didn’t get angry when they do.”
“Of course. I would be happy to join in a hand or two myself if you’re amenable,” she smiled.
“Not a problem ’t all, missy. Looks like we’ll be makin’ a nice profit on this trip.”
Dorothée and Diego smiled ruefully listening to Bertine’s conversation. The men saw her servants’ expressions and assumed the two must be exasperated with their lady’s whims.
Then the boat finally arrived and docked. Bertine learned that a riverboat was very different from the boats in the Kingdom of San Luenne. The hull was shallow, making the boat quite wide. It looked like an oversized raft that somehow managed to maintain the appearance of a ship. A number of white triangular sails were attached to the two masts. The main cabin was a simple box-like structure.
Diego held out his hand and helped Bertine board the boat from the pier. Many hammocks were strung up from the ceiling beams inside the cabin. The space smelled strongly of tobacco and alcohol, traditionally masculine scents.
“Oh, my, they have hammocks instead of beds. I’ve always wanted to sleep in one,” Bertine said.
“There must be a trick to getting in and out of one, my lady.”
“Allow me to show you how it’s done.” Diego strode over to a hammock. First he lowered his torso into it then swung both legs on. “Reverse the order when you want to get out. You can also sit and then lie down, but this way is much safer until you get used to it.”
Bertine succeeded on her first try, but Dorothée tumbled to the floor on her attempt. The other passengers already aboard the boat snorted with laughter when they saw that.
“Dorothée, they’re laughing with you, not at you, so don’t mind them,” Bertine said.
“I know, I know. I’ll get the hang of it soon enough and show them.”
Before they could even decide where to store their luggage after boarding, poker games began all around them. Four groups, each consisting of three to six men, had set up collapsible tables to play. As Bertine surveyed her surroundings in interest, the two men who had been on the pier with them called out to her.
“Ya wanna play a hand, missy?”
“Could I?” she asked.
“Sure, sure. How ’bout we start you off with a low buy-in?”
“Thank you, how thoughtful of you.”
The men smirked at each other. Clearly, they were overjoyed at having a rich, sitting duck amongst them.
But sometime later, Bertine had amassed a mountain of large and small copper coins in front of her.
“Goddammit, you’ve been winning hands back to back.”
“I apologize. It seems Lady Luck is on my side,” Bertine grinned.
Listening to the exchange, a bearded man from another group spoke to her.
“Young lady, how about playing with us? Our buy-in’s a miiite high, though.”
“Gladly, and that won’t be a problem for me.”
That group only had small silver coins on their round table. The bearded man’s friend warned him.
“I ain’t so sure about invitin’ a noble to play with us. Wouldn’t want her father to challenge us to a duel or summat after.”
“Oh, my father would never do something so tasteless, especially when he was the one who taught me how to play poker,” Bertine assured them. “So he would be forced to reflect on his instruction if I lost.”
“Then I guess we don’t need to hold back, eh, young lady?”
Sometime later, Bertine once more amassed a mountain of coins, this time small silver ones.
“Ye’ve gotta be kiddin’! Ye sure ye ain’t cheatin’?”
“Of course not. You should know that very well just by looking. Where can I possibly hide cards?”
“W-Well, when ye put it like that, can’t say yer wrong…”
Bertine had anticipated such accusations, so she had rolled up her sleeves and taken off her coat with its pockets before she even started playing. Her shirt was a thin one and the pocket flaps on her trousers remained buttoned.
“I’ll have you know my father subjected me to an intense, grueling education since the age of five,” she told them.
“But yer pa’s a noble, ain’t he, missy?”
“Yes, in the Kingdom of San Luenne, but he absolutely loves poker.”
“Ah-ha. I never would’ve asked you to join us if I’d known ye were so good.”
“I feel the need to apologize for my winning streak,” Bertine said. “Never mind that this is my first trip on a riverboat. If any of you would be so kind as to tell me about the Callisto district’s local delicacies, I’d be more than happy to pay for all your drinks tonight.”
Her words created a buzz amongst all the passengers.
“You mean that, missy?”
“Hey! You haven’t even played her yet.”
“I’ll treat you all since I made so much money,” she vowed. “Please, drink to your hearts’ content. Is there a bar on board, by the way?”
“No, but look for the man wearing eyeglasses. He’s part of the ship’s crew and he’s in charge of the liquor. Ye can pay him!”
“Thanks in advance, little missy.”
After that, everyone clustered around Bertine and told her about all the delicious things she could find in Callisto.
“I’d like to know about foods besides grilled bumpfish and fried giant clam,” she said.
“Shoot, you already know about those?”
“Well, there’s pan-fried stickleback. It’s right tasty.”
“No, no, stickleback is best when it’s charcoal-roasted and seasoned with salt.”
“I myself enjoy oysters steamed in white wine.”
“Largemouth fish liver seasoned with salt and alcohol then steamed is the best snack for alcohol.”
“You’re all wrong. It’s gotta be clam stew, the one simmered in white wine and herbs. All that tender, juicy meat.”
Bertine smiled in satisfaction as she wrote everything down in her notebook. She had enjoyed playing poker and she had acquired valuable information. Her southern venture was off to a great start.
Dorothée and Diego had been watching the whole time with amused expressions. They approached her quietly now.
“My lady, that was very unkind of you.”
“She’s right. Not very mature of you to practically steal the shirts off these amateurs’ backs.”
“Shhh,” she hushed them. “It’s fine, Dorothée. I’m using all my winnings to repay them with alcohol. Besides, Diego, you know very well I am no novice.”
“No, you most definitely are not, my lady,” Diego replied in a no-nonsense tone.
Once she started learning how to play poker at the age of five, Bertine’s talent in the game progressed rapidly. By ten, she occasionally won against her father. By fifteen, she won half of their matches. By twenty, her win rate was 80 percent. And since then, she had become so skilled, she won most of her hands against him.
The secret to her success wasn’t anything unusual. If a hand was bad, her draws were unlucky, or someone was about to win big, she quickly conceded defeat when the stakes were low. Conversely, if she was confident of her hand, she went all in and won. After all, the main things her father had taught her were not to get greedy and not to leave a game to chance. But that was incredibly difficult for the average person to do.
“Bertine, you brat. Your calm playing style is unbefitting of someone your age.”
This was what the marquess would always gripe in frustration after a loss, despite being the one who taught her the trick to poker.
Thus, the ten-day river journey passed in an enjoyable blur, immersed in poker and conversations about the sea’s delicious bounties. Then the three of them arrived in the Callisto district.