Seafood and Stalkers

Nika and I talked about trivial subjects for the rest of the train ride. I say “we” talked, but it was mainly Nika rambling on about all the places I should visit while I nodded along and occasionally responded. My eyes were starting to get heavy when Nika stood up.

“This is our stop. You should get your bags now,” she said.

I checked my watch as we got out of the station. Forty minutes left until orientation started.

“How much longer is it to the university?” I asked.

“Ten minutes at worst.”

Huh, we were actually making good time. I’m not a fan of arriving early, but it sure beats being late.

As we walked back up into the blinding sunlight, I could finally see the center of the capital. Centuries-old buildings cobbled together with stucco, brick, terracotta, and who-knows- what-else populated the skyline. Vendors lined the sidewalks selling various foods and goods. Statues of important historical figures filled the streets. Nika pointed out the monuments to me with great enthusiasm, but there was only one historical object that captured my interest. It was a payphone, at the far end of a nearby street. I was surprised to find such an old-school piece of technology in working order, but considering how old the train station was, that actually made some sense. I had planned on calling back home when I landed, but my cell phone plan screwed me over when it refused to even work. I had some bills on me, but no change. I turned back to Nika. She was still rambling.

“—and that’s a statue of Belisarius, the greatest military commander in Mikla—”

“Hey, Nika,” I interrupted. “I haven’t had anything to eat all day, and I’m pretty hungry. I’m going to get some food. Do you want anything?” I offered. “It’s the least I could do after you helped me.” Might as well kill two birds with one stone.

“No, I…I’m fine.” I’d have believed her if I didn’t see the restrained expression on her face. She pursed her lips, and there was even a bit of drool sliding down her mouth.

“You sure?”

“I said I’m fine! You don’t need a reward for helping the less fortunate. That’s common sense!”

What was I, some kind of beggar? I had no idea if this was a Miklagardian social norm, an elite status posturing, or some strange quirk of her own.

I insisted. “Well, in Ustasia, it’s customary to return a favor to someone who’s helped us.”

She didn’t budge. In fact, for some reason, she seemed even more annoyed.I’d have to take a different approach.

“Oh well,“ I let out an exaggerated sigh, “I was looking forward to trying out some authentic Miklagardian cuisine, but I don’t even know where to start.. If only I had a real Miklagardian patriot to show me the best food in town, that would make my day!”

Nika gave me a bemused look before speaking, “You don’t have to be so dramatic. I suppose you have a point; it would be terrible if you managed to give yourself food poisoning right before your orientation.”

“Exactly! So what do you recommend?”

Nika guided me to a small stand selling fried fish. “Try this. It’s pretty popular around here.”

I approached the counter and made two orders, making sure to collect my change. I returned to Nika, and shoved a paper tray into her hand.

“I told you that you didn’t need to get me anything,” she complained.

“Hm..” I pretended to ponder. “Someone must have made a mistake. Either way, I can’t eat this all on my own, so it’s best that you have some. Wasting food is probably frowned upon here.”

“It's bad anywhere! And I heard you make an order for two trays!”

“That was the mistake.”

Nika sighed and reluctantly accepted the fish. With my mission accomplished, I dug in. The texture was light and crispy, and the inside was juicy. Either the food was exceptionally better than fast food back home, or my mother was right when she told me that hunger is the best seasoning. Before I could take my second bite, she suddenly grabbed my wrist and jerked my arm back. She looked shocked, her mouth slightly ajar.

“You didn’t get any sauce,” she muttered. “You’re eating fish without any sauce.”

“Is that a problem?” I asked her.

She didn’t answer. Instead, shoving her tray into my free hand. As I struggled to keep myself from fumbling it to the ground, Nika dashed back to the vendor and scooped up a couple of containers before quickly rushing back. She popped one open and doused the fish with it.

“This is garum sauce,” she explained as she grabbed her tray back from my hands. “We use it in countless Miklagardian dishes and traditionally pair it with fried fish. In my entire life, I’ve never seen anyone even think about eating fish without garum. The sauce is what makes the dish.”

“So, like ketchup and fries back home,” I mused. Carefully making sure not to stain my clothes with the sauce, I took a tepid bite. At first, there was nothing, but suddenly, an explosion of flavor burst onto my taste buds. “Hey, this is great! It’s rich but not too overpowering, and there’s a mild, but pleasant aftertaste. It’s got a good umami flavor.”

Nika stared blankly at me in confusion.

I elaborated. “Sorry, ‘umami’ means that it has a meaty, savory, almost broth-like taste to it.”

“So it’s salty.. Got it. Is that another weird Western term?” Nika asked in exasperation.

“Actually, no. It comes from—”

She cut me off. “It doesn’t matter. Just make sure to speak normally so people can actually understand you.”

I would have destroyed her with a witty comeback, but I was busy stuffing my mouth with fried fish. If all the food in Miklagardia tasted this good, my stay here would be more bearable than I thought. And with that, Nika and I ate together in relative silence, listening to the everyday commotion of the city streets.

I finished my meal and solemnly reflected on its heavenly flavor, when I noticed a figure peeking out from a nearby pillar. I didn’t think much of it until it hid as I looked toward its general direction. I became nervous. Did the local government already figure out that I was an espionage agent? I hadn’t even been here for a whole day, and my cover may have already been blown! Soon, in the best case I could be sent back home, but more likely, I’d be taken to a torture room, getting my teeth knocked out – or my brains blown out!

I took a deep breath. I had to calm down and be rational. Miklagardia is a fairly insular country, distrustful of outsiders; they’d probably want to keep tabs on any foreigner who entered the country. But to use a person, instead of a sophisticated method like satellite surveillance? That was beyond my ken. Maybe I was misinterpreting the whole thing. It could simply have been my own paranoia.

That hope was dashed when, after turning my head back to idly chat with Nika, the one figure behind the pillar suddenly became three. This situation was getting more dire by the minute. What had I done to provoke this constant surveillance? All I had done so far was get lost, spent some time with a local, and eat some fried fish. Was that criminal behavior? I did eat that fish without the sauce at first. No, that doesn’t make sense. The other two figures had only shown up after I talked with Nika. Was that it? Was this country so backwards and draconian that a man and a woman talking in public was grounds for arrest? I had no other options, so I confided in the only available person I could trust right now.

“I think I’m being followed. I just saw three people moving around behind that pillar over there. Is Miklagardia that wary of outsiders?” I asked Nika.

She took a glance and immediately groaned. “They’re not looking at you. They’re looking at me,” she explained before marching straight at our watchers. She was the one being monitored? Did the government view her as some sort of traitor for deigning to speak with a foreigner? That’s harsh. Still, better for her to get taken out by three murderous government officials than me.

Nika stopped right beside the pillar before screeching, “Melissa! I know you’re there! The rest of you too. Get out here!”

Three girls strolled sheepishly out from their hiding place. They were quite charming on first appearance. The government must think using cute girls is a good way to lower people’s guards. On closer inspection, I noticed that they all wore the same uniform as Nika. So, they were university students too. The feds must recruit pretty young.

Nika turned back to face me, pointing at the girls while speaking, “John, these are my friends.” She turned back to the girls. “What are you three even doing here?”

The one in front spoke up first, “Well, we heard a rumor that Nika was walking around town with a guy, and there was no way that could be true, so we had to see for ourselves.”

I spoke up. “A rumor? I didn’t even know Nika a couple hours ago. How could a rumor spread that quickly?” I asked as I briskly jogged over to meet everyone.

“News travels fast around here,” the girl said as she shrugged.

So that’s how it was. Miklagardia’s intelligence agencies didn’t need to use high-tech surveillance to gather information. Petty gossip worked just as well!