“Who taught you to speak it?” the pirate leader asked.
“My father.”
“What is his name and occupation?”
“His name is Henrik,” Hok said. “He is the captain of a trading ship.”
The pirate leader's eyebrows went up. He glanced around at his men. “Lower your qiangs!” he shouted. To Hok he said, “Remove your turban.”
Hok did as she was told. She felt the warmth of the rising sun wash over the brown stubble on her head.
The pirate leader nodded. He turned to the perimeter boats and made an announcement. “Crewmen of Vessel One, you will remain anchored here with all hands aboard. For you, it's business as usual. Crewmen of Vessel Two, go clean the bird droppings off yourselves and the boat and get back here on the double.” He looked at the men in his boat. “You three are coming with me. It appears we have a special delivery to make.”
“Aye, sir!” the men in all three boats responded.
The pirate leader turned to Hok. “Do you think you can follow us in your skiff—without the ramming this time?”
Hok felt her face begin to blush. “I can try.”
“Come on, then,” the pirate leader said. “I know someone who would very much like to see you.”
Two hours later, Hok found herself navigating awkwardly between an unbelievable number of boats. Everything from large seafaring junks to tiny one-person vessels bumped and banged against one another as they vied for limited dock space at the Jinan wharf.
Hok followed as close behind the pirate leader as she dared, trying not to ram him. She was both relieved and a little concerned when she saw him begin to steer toward an empty dock guarded by several large foreign men. It appeared to be a private dock with no other boats around, so docking there would be relatively easy. On the other hand, the foreigners guarding it all carried qiangs and every man was staring at her and Seh, pointing and talking. One of the men ran off the dock, onto the shore, and disappeared up a crowded street that ran parallel to the wharf.
The pirate leader eased his boat up to the far side of the dock and climbed up a short ladder while his men secured the vessel. He stepped onto the dock and motioned for Hok to tie up on the opposite side. As Hok neared, the pirate leader gave her simple directions to help her approach the dock broadside. It was difficult work for her, not only because she didn't know what she was doing but also because she was anxious. She couldn't stop thinking about what the pirate leader had said earlier about someone who would like to see her.
PawPaw's skiff bumped against one of the dock's massive support piers, and the pirate leader began to secure the skiff to the dock with several ropes. Her work complete, Hok gazed up at the pirate leader's face. He had removed his mask more than an hour ago, but this was the first time she had a chance to get a good look at him. She was surprised to see that he had a strong, very kind face.
When the pirate leader finished, he helped Hok climb onto the dock. Hok, in turn, leaned over the skiff to help Seh. The pirate leader shot her a quizzical look.
“He's blind,” Hok said. She glanced at Seh and saw his jaw tighten.
“You don't say?” the pirate leader said. “I would never have guessed. He appears so … comfortable. I'll help him out.”
The pirate leader leaned in front of Hok and reached for Seh's arm, but Seh jerked away. At the same time, Seh's snake poked its head out of his sleeve and hissed at the pirate.
The pirate leader jumped back. “What the devil?”
“I'll get out myself, thanks,” Seh said.
Hok watched the pirate leader's expression as Seh quickly climbed onto the dock unassisted and stood. The man was clearly impressed.
Seh's snake pulled its head back beneath his robe, and Seh glanced in Hok's direction. “Ready to go ashore?” he asked. “I am.”
“Just a moment,” Hok said. She got down on her hands and knees and reached into the skiff, grabbing her turban. She also removed the lid from the basket and took out one of the large floppy hats, plus a container of dried fruit. Hok replaced the lid and stood.
“Here,” Hok said, placing the hat over Seh's thick black hair. “It will help hide your identity, just in case.”
“It's better to be safe than sorry,” Seh said, pulling the rim down low over his eyes.
“Good thinking,” the pirate leader said.
Hok tied the turban back over her brown stubble and ran her eyes over PawPaw's skiff.
“It's a lovely craft, isn't it?” the pirate leader said. “Old, yet strong, as your ramming proved. My men will keep an eye on it for you, as well as your basket.”
“Thank you,” Hok said. She stretched and looked around, scanning the surrounding docks closely for the first time. There were many more large junks than she would have expected. They were still quite some distance from the sea. The boats were either being loaded or unloaded with untold quantities of merchandise. It was a trader's paradise. However, Hok's gaze didn't stay long on the junks with their large, fixed sails reinforced with bamboo. She was looking for her father's foreign-designed ship with its numerous masts and multiple billowing sails. Unfortunately, she couldn't match the image of the ship she had in her head with any of the vessels here.