"And it's my duty to make it less boring." He bowed. "I recognize my responsibility. I'm at your service. Shall I get out the board?"
"No." She stood up. "I want to go on deck. I think I'm going to suffocate if I stay one more minute in this cabin."
"You could have called on me before this. I was waiting." He smiled. "Waiting for you seems to have become my life's vocation." He opened the door for her. "The sun is bright today. You should not stay out long."
She wanted the brightness. She drew the fresh salt air deep into her lungs and gazed contentedly at the sun's rays glancing off the blue of the sea. "I don't want to ever go in."
He took his burnoose from his head and plopped it on hers. "At least cover your head. That red hair is like a beacon, and you're attracting enough attention."
For the first time she noticed the glances she was receiving from the sailors. A little of her joy faded.
Kadar swiftly drew her to the rail and put himself between her and everyone else. "Look at the seagulls."
"How close are we to land?"
"You can see it on the horizon." He pointed. "That's Italy."
"Where the Pope lives."
"In Rome, yes."
"You went there last year to sell our silks."
He nodded. "Hard bargainers. I prefer dealing with the Spanish."
"I wanted to go with you. I wanted to see Rome and Naples. I wanted to see everything. You wouldn't take me."
"Perhaps I should have let you come." He grimaced. "As it happened, it all came down to the same thing anyway." His voice lowered. "If I had, I guarantee you wouldn't have been bored."
She felt the heat sting her cheeks. "You speak of coupling? I found it not so much. And one cannot couple for weeks at a time."
"One can but try," he murmured. "I think I know enough variations to keep us entertained for that length of time. Did I tell you that as a boy in Damascus I once worked in a house of pleasure?"
Her eyes widened. "No, you did not."
"I probably thought it unfitting for your virgin ears. But you're no longer a virgin, are you? So I can tell you of Jebra, who spent more time on her knees than she did her back. Or of the tight kiss that can bring more pleasure than--"
"I'm not interested in this."
"Of course you are. You have a great zest for life, and you're curious as a cat about everything around you. But so far you've only stood back and watched." He smiled. "As I did at the house of pleasure for the first few months. Then I decided if there was a skill to be learned, I should apprentice myself wholeheartedly to the task. I found there were many paths both bright and dark to explore."
Bright and dark?
"Ah, that intrigues you." His gaze focused intently on her face. "If you like, I could lead you a little way on the dark path. Not too deep, or one can become--"
"No." She pulled her gaze away and drew a steadying breath. "I told you I didn't want to hear this."
"But I feel it my duty to distract you. Skimming the dark waters holds a fascination for most people. Don't worry, I'd hold you afloat. I'd never let you be pulled down."
"Bright path, dark path. It sounds like Sinan."
"Oh, no. It was all dark when I was with Sinan. He believed only in the dark pleasures. Far darker than any I practiced in Jebra's house."
She searched desperately for a way to shift the subject. "What task has Sinan set for you?"
"I don't know. I only promised to come when he needed me."
"You don't know? You agreed blindly?"
