Brass Skies vol 2 (Draft)

Hired Gun part 29

Peters stepped off the lifeboat almost as soon as it landed. High above him the Robert's Revenge turned and headed drifted back in an easterly direction. Peters had planned on taking this last leg of the trip alone in a lifeboat but neither the sisters nor Robert would hear of it. Instead, they decided to drop a few other crew to scout out to see if there were any other mercenaries for hire.

Peters however would not be part of that. Turning around briefly he picked up his duffle bag and slipped it over the shoulder before disappearing into the crowds.

Some of Peters' current shipmates, and even more from his former crew could not tell the difference between the various islanders, with their dark hair, dark eyes, and dark skin, but Peters himself did not share this confusion.  To Peters it was very obvious which islanders were native and which came from other lands. Subtle differences in the shape of the eyes, the shape of the cheekbones, and the color of the hair, and even the way they carried themselves all were quite evident if he paid enough attention. And if all else failed, he could rely on listening to the languages.

Within a short time he found an islander that was able to give him directions. A few hours and a ride on a small fishing boat later found Peters standing outside a small hut.

A short, greying man sat on the steps by the front door. He gave Peters an appraising look. "I would say you appear to be lost, young man, but your steps have purpose and direction to them. I must conclude you have some purpose in coming here," the old man spread his arms. His English was near perfect and with only the slightest accent. "What can this old man do for you?"

"That would depend," Peters replied with a slight bow. "Are you the man they call Satou Haruaki?"

That was a name I went by in my sailing days," the man nodded. "These days I more often simply go by Haru. I stopped using the clan name years ago. I take it you have business with me?"

"It is a pleasure to meet you Harusan," Peters bowed lightly. "I was told that you might be able to help me. I have been told you are both wise and know a great many people in many cities. I would like to learn about the customs of Nippon and to learn Nihongo. However, I cannot stay at any one place for long."

"Ah you are a sailor then," the old man smiled. "I can teach you some basics, and I will provide you with the names and what I remember of where to find them in many cities, but I can also teach you the questions to ask to find people willing to teach you. I will caution you, though, that Nihongo varies; much like English or Español, there are dialects so what you may learn one place may not help much in another."

Haru tilted his head slightly. "If I might ask, why do you wish so badly to learn about these things? My experience has shown that few of you show more than an idle curiosity, and I have none that would go to so much trouble to seek out a teacher."

"I have a crewmate, a woman," Peters hesitated. "She is one of the best fighters I have ever met. I know she hails from Nippon, but little of why she left. She always seems so angry, and she tries to keep herself distant."

The elder man waited patiently as Peters struggled to collect his thoughts. "I don't know that she will ever see me as a friend, or even that I can ever understand her. However, if I can learn these things, maybe I can at least avoid misunderstandings, and try and show she is respected. If I fail at that, at least, I will know I tried, and I might at least better speak or attempt to avoid offense with any other mercenary or merchant that hails from your country or whose family did."

"How long can you stay for?"

"Three days this time. I can be here early in the mornings if the weather holds."

"If you have only three days, let's not waste it. You can stay here. It would give us more time, which depending on how fast you learn will either mean little or a great deal. Regardless, my wife and I would enjoy the company."

The old man stood up and winked. "Besides, it would give the gossips in this town something to talk about. My reputation as a troublemaker has suffered as of late."