CHAPTER 12 – BACK IN SAMARKAND
17:11 (Central Asia Time)
Wednesday, February 21, 61 B.C.E.
Yurkan’s family caravanserai, city of Samarkand
Sogdiana
Yurkan felt both joy and satisfaction as he led his caravan inside his family caravanserai, which he co-owned with his brother Hiram: he had just completed safely another long trip from Chang’an, and this without losing a single beast or suffering a single attack by bandits. As for his fears concerning General Huo Qing as he got close to Khotan, he had not needed to worry about Qing: an imperial army of 5,000 men had preceded his caravan and had promptly convinced Qing’s own soldiers to surrender him to the imperial army, following which Qing had been beheaded in view of his troops as an example, along with his principal officers. Yurkan had thus been able to conduct some proper business in Khotan this time, where he had made some profitable trading with caravans from India. Young Nauca had also found that stop in Khotan profitable, being able to acquire a sizeable stock of the Indian curry spice she appreciated so much and which she was promising to herself to sell in Tanais, once she could accompany Hiram’s next caravan heading West.
Yurkan felt more joy on seeing his wife Tansa come out of the family house at a run while shouting his name. Jumping off his horse, he ran to meet her, receiving her in his opened arms before kissing her passionately.
‘’By Ahura Mazda, those months away from you felt like eternity, my lovely Tansa!’’
‘’And I missed you horribly, Yurkan. I hope that your trip has not tired you too much?’’
‘’Not enough to prevent me from honoring you tonight. Is Hiram home or is he still traveling with his caravan?’’
‘’He has returned from his latest trip to Tanais a month ago. In fact, here he is, coming out of the house.’’
‘’Then, let me talk to him for a moment. I will return my attention back on you after that.’’
‘’Go ahead, my dear husband.’’ replied Tansa with a smirk. ‘’I know how important business talk is for you.’’
Jokingly patting his wife’s bum in reply, Yurkan then met his brother in the middle of the courtyard as his caravan split up to go to the various stalls still available. The two men exchanged solid forearm shakes and vigorous pats on the back before looking in each other’s eyes.
‘’So, how was your return trip to China?’’ asked first Hiram, making Yurkan smile.
‘’A bit agitated but also very profitable, Brother.’’ Said Yurkan, who then spent a few minutes describing how he and Nauca had helped and protected Lady Zu in Khotan and how Emperor Xuan had personally rewarded them. That story made Hiram open big eyes.
‘’Wow! You met the Emperor in person and was rewarded by him? I must say that my own return trip to and from Tanais was rather lackluster compared to your trip.’’
‘’And how did your trip to Tanais go?’’
Yurkan didn’t miss the way Hiram’s enthusiasm somewhat cooled down.
‘’It was rather uneventful but the business in Tanais was not as good as I hoped for.’’
‘’Oh? Why?’’
‘’Because a Roman delegation showed up in Tanais in the last few months and established a Roman trade counter there, complete with a garrison of about a hundred legionnaires. The Romans then started to levy some extra taxes of their own over the protests of the local Archon. We are still free to conduct trade in Tanais but those new Roman taxes are severely eating into our profit margins. The rumors and sayings about Roman infinite greed sure proved correct.’’
‘’Damn! Tanais was an important destination for us as a relay for our goods. Where do you think that we could go instead of Tanais, to avoid those Roman taxes?’’
‘’Frankly, I don’t know and I am not too optimistic, Brother: the Romans firmly control the whole area of the Pontus Euxinus and of the old Kingdom of Pontus. They have as well occupied Greece and Thracia a few decades ago. They are now said to be advancing in force eastward from Syria towards Parthia and Bactriana. If someone doesn’t stop soon those damn Romans, we are liable to see them here within a few years.’’
Yurkan mulled for a moment that information before an idea came to his mind.
‘’Maybe we should switch your caravan southward instead of westward and go into India. There are plenty of interesting goods there…and no Romans.’’
Hiram caressed his beard as he thought that over.
‘’That’s not a bad idea, actually. From India, we could also use ships to reach Africa to the West and Asia to the East and make exchanges with many new customers. However, those new trading routes could prove quite hazardous, especially if we have to risk ourselves at sea.’’
‘’Then, take Nauca with you as a caravan guard. She is also now one of our associates and has invested part of her gold into our business by buying two camels and large stocks of spices, silk and tea.’’
‘’Nauca is now one of our associates?’’ said Hiram, breaking into a happy grin. ‘’Good for her! That girl deserves to go far in life, even if her goals and motivations are not the same as ours. How did you manage to convince her to get into our business?’’
‘’I didn’t! She was the one who came to me and asked me my counsel about how to use her gold.’’
Yurkan then took a minute to tell Hiram about the conversation he had with Nauca in Chang’an, making Hiram look at Nauca, who was busy taking his saddle and bags off her horses.
‘’Decidedly, that girl will never stop surprising me with her level of maturity for her age. Many men I know who are much older than her would have simply spent their gold on wine and women.’’
‘’I know! She also amply proved to me that she has as well a heart of gold, with real compassion for others, on top of being most honest and dependable. We gained a good, useful associate with her, Hiram.’’
‘’True! Well, I better go tell our cook at the inn to put some extra pieces of meat on the fire for supper.’’
In the stables of the caravanserai, Nauca made sure that her two horses and two camels had ample feed and water, then worked for an hour with the other caravan members to store their precious merchandises inside the secure warehouse of the caravanserai. She was positively famished when she walked in the great hall of the inn with the others, their work done. She suddenly shouted out in joy at the sight of two men already sitting at a table.
‘’TIMUR! GORUDOS!’’
She then ran to them as the two men, equally happy to see her, got up from their benches to greet her with open arms. The three of them hugged each other for a long moment before they sat down at the table, where two covers had already been served for Timur and Gorudos. The latter didn’t waste any time into ordering a maid to bring food and drinks to Nauca, then smiled to her.
‘’So, how was your trip to China, Nauca?’’
‘’Most interesting and also profitable.’’ said Nauca before spending long minutes describing her trip to Chang’an, concentrating particularly on the Lady Zu Affair. The mention of a personal gift from Emperor Xuan made both men look at her with some disbelief.
‘’The Emperor of China gave you a gift, in his own palace?’’ said Gorudos. Without saying a word in reply, Nauca broke into a smile and took out of a haversack she was carrying via a strap passed across her chest the jade-decorated box containing her imperial gift and, putting the box on the table, opened it to expose its content to Timur and Gorudos. Timur nearly spilled his cup of wine at the sight of the set of jewels.
‘’Wow! Those would be worthy of a princess…but you are one, aren’t you, Nauca?’’
‘’Nice try, Timur! I see that you have something in mind for tonight, no?’’
‘’And why would I not be having ideas concerning you, Nauca?’’ replied Timur, grinning.
Nauca did not reply to that at once, being somewhat conflicted on that subject. She did like Timur very much, but she was afraid that he would ask her to marry him if she slept with him. However, her long-term projects excluded marriage for the next few years, at the least, and she didn’t want to risk a pregnancy just before going on another long trip. She thus gently took one of his hands and stared into his eyes.
‘’Timur, you know that I want to stay independent as much as possible, so that I could continue to travel around. We are friends, but I can’t promise more than that for the moment.’’
While disappointed, Timur was not surprised by her response: she had already told him many times before her departure for China about her desire to follow a free life, unencumbered by a family. Himself an ex-nomad, he could understand her wishes but still felt some hurt. Sighing heavily, he pressed in turn her hand.
‘’The day that you will be available, I will be there for you, Nauca.’’
Gorudos, who was much older than both Timur and Nauca, watched that exchange with an amused smile.
‘’Wow! Burning love in the open!’’
In response, both Nauca and Timur pulled out their tongues at him. They were still laughing together when Yurkan and Hiram came to their table and asked to speak with Nauca in private. The two male guards obliged and moved their food to another table, letting the two merchants sit opposite Nauca. Hiram spoke to her first.
‘’Nauca, Yurkan told me that you have become one of our associates and also told me why you did so. I perfectly understand your motives and can only applaud the way you are steering your life: it shows great maturity on your part. As both a caravan guard and an associate merchant, we are most happy to have you with us.’’
‘’Thank you, Hiram. When are you planning another trip to Tanais?’’
‘’Uh, normally I would wait a couple of months before leaving Samarkand, in order to avoid the worst of Winter, but I am still not sure anymore about my next destination. When I arrived in Tanais, I found that the Romans had established a commercial counter there, along with a small military garrison. Those Romans had also instituted new taxes on traded merchandises, despite the protests of the Archon. Those taxes in turn impacted heavily on the anticipated profits of my caravan and I ended up only a bit above breaking even point once back in Samarkand. I thus am still undecided about where my caravan will head on my next trip. However, Yurkan suggested to me that I go South, towards India, and I am strongly tempted to take his advice. If I go to India, would you accept to accompany my caravan there, Nauca?’’
Nauca did not have to think twice before answering Hiram. Getting up from her bench, she presented her right arm for a shake and spoke in a firm voice.
‘’You can count on me, Hiram. India it will be!’’