"If you pick the right barge. I was told to look for a family, young children, on a barge kept neat and tidy." The banks of the Silver River were low along here, just outside the city of Danalee, so it wasn't hard to approach the water. Kira stood looking upstream while Jason sat on the riverbank watching the water go by. She wondered how often he had ever done things like this, simply observing the world instead of being "linked" to lots of people yelling at each other.

The first barge that she saw going past had a group of young men visible topside and several kegs of whiskey tied on the top of the deckhouse. Kira didn't need the raucous shouts directed her way when they saw her to know that getting on that barge would be a really dumb thing to do.

The next barge that came past had an old man at the tiller and no one else visible. Many barges on the river had been riding the waters for decades, but this barge looked its age. Kira nodded to the man as the barge went past but that was all.

A third barge followed not far behind. Also not new, but neatly kept. A string of laundry flapped in the breeze, including a few diapers. Kira could see the small shape of an older child onboard, playing alongside his mother as she sewed, and the man at the tiller had the tired, respectable look of a hard-working father. Kira waved and called. "On the barge! Can you give us passage to Dorcastle?"

The woman looked at her and stood up. "Two of you? What do you offer?"

"Two Tiae crowns!"

"Not enough! Make it six!"

The barge drew steadily closer, riding the river current, as Kira yelled her reply. "Three!"

"Five."

"I'll pay four." She would have paid more, but acting too eager would have aroused suspicions.

"Four it is! Gabe! Swing us in near them! Mind the shoal."

The man guided the boat close to the riverbank as Kira and Jason hastily pulled off their boots and socks. Kira waded out into the river as far as she could, wishing that she'd remembered to roll up the legs of her trousers. Jason came behind, looking around as if fearing sharks.

The deck of the barge was only about half a lance above the river's surface. The woman tossed down a line and Kira grabbed it, hand-over-handing up until she reached the deck, then turning to help Jason.

Kira counted out the crowns and gave four to the woman. The woman looked them over, finally smiled, and pointed to the deck. "Have a seat."