Mason moved closer to the statue.
"Don't touch it!" Tebrey said suddenly. He'd sensed a surge of something. It felt like exultation. Something was excited about them being near the statue, and it made Tebrey sick and dizzy. "We're very near to the source of the dread. It seems to emanate from the statue, or near it, anyway. Touching it could have consequences that we aren't prepared to deal with. Remember what I told you about the Kirov. You could awaken something."
Mason shuddered. "I wouldn't want to do that. I was trying to get a better look at the book in its... hands. It looks like there's writing on it. The writing seems familiar."
"Then I suggest recording it for future study. We have to get moving if we're going to be out of here before dark."
"Of course," Mason said. She didn't want to be here once the sun was down, either. She would have sworn that she'd seen shadows moving at the edges of the plaza that had nothing to do with the clouds.
They took a few minutes to record the plaza and the obscene statue, and then they headed back toward the gate. It was a long walk, and the temperature dropped sharply as the sun neared the horizon. They all kept looking back over their shoulders at the statue until it was obscured from view by the slope of the streets.
Tebrey and Hunter kept a close watch on the shadowed doorways, but nothing stirred in the dead city.
McGee cleared his throat loudly. "It's time to go."
No one paid any attention to him. They were too fascinated by the desiccated bodies.
"We need to go now if we're going to make it back in time," he said. "Doctor!"
"What?" Anderson looked up from the body he was examining. "I can't leave now. Go back and let the others know what we have found. I'm sure they will want to see this. We're going to have to spend a few days here exploring. The value of this place is too high to ignore."
"I'm sorry, Doctor. I can't let you do that," McGee said, unslinging his rifle.
Anderson stood and laughed in his face. "Really, Sergeant, I doubt you are going to shoot me if I don't comply. You don't have the balls. Just be a good little soldier and do as I say."
McGee could see the horror on the others' faces. He wasn't sure if it was directed at him or Anderson, and he didn't care.
"I'll not shoot you, Doctor, much as I may like to. But I'll do this." He shot the body next to Anderson, which burst into flame as the laser struck it.
Anderson cried out in horror and stamped out the flames before they could spread to the other bodies, but that one was destroyed.
"So help me, I'll blast every one of these things if you don't get moving. I've got my orders, and I'll not let you or anything else stop me from getting out of this place before night falls, and if you persist in this nonsense, I'll leave your ass here. And don't think that anyone will come looking for you."
"You're a madman!" Anderson shouted.
"Maybe so, Doctor," McGee said with a grim smile. "But I'm the one with the gun."
Tebrey stood with folded arms and watched the sun turn to blood as it dipped below the horizon.
Night was falling, and there were still two groups missing. He could feel the hunger of the thing entombed out there. He had no doubts now about why nothing lived in the small valley. Whatever lurked there under the plaza was like the thing that had attacked the Kirov. He didn't know if it came out and hunted at night, or if it was just sleeping there in stasis and was somehow able to reach out and absorb the life essence from all living things within kilometers of it. He didn't want to find out. He already felt weak and dizzy; looking around, he could see he wasn't the only one. They needed to get away from here.
"Corporal Cook, Private Stevens," he said.
"Yes, Commander?"
Behind him, the others were comparing notes on what they'd found. Each of them had found things as strange as his group had, although no one else had made it all the way to the center of the city. Most of the groups had found evidence of the bizarre tentacled species.
"Get everyone up and moving. Escort them back to Lord Jeroen's camp. Don't let anyone stray."
"What about you, sir?"
"I'm going to wait a little longer. Now move."
"You're not thinking about going back in there, are you, sir?" Corporal Cook asked.
Tebrey met her eyes. "Just get everyone back to the camp. I'm not going in there if I can help it, but I won't leave Christopher and McGee to whatever it is that's lurking in there. Go."
"Sir."
The sun went down, and twilight came quickly in the dry mountain air. The stars and moons were hidden behind the turbulent clouds. Hunter whimpered next to him. The drain and the dread from the center of the city grew stronger as darkness fell.
"You don't have to wait with me," Tebrey said softly.
That's a hell of a thing to say to me, Hunter replied.
"We're going to have to go in there."
Wait. Look!
Tebrey could now see lights moving through the ruins and had to keep himself from screaming at them to move faster. He could see that they were jogging now, really faster than was safe in the darkness. As he waited, the lights resolved into hand lamps held by the members of Christopher's and McGee's groups.
They came straggling in, the two marines shepherding them forward. McGee actually had his rifle out and wasn't quite pointing it at Anderson as they slowed to a walk once they exited the ruins. The archaeologist looked like he was about to spontaneously combust. His face was bright red in the light of his lamp, and he marched past Tebrey without a word.
"Sorry we're late, sir," Christopher said as they walked up; she was out of breath. "These kids – it's like trying to juggle in zero gee. You think you know where they are, and one of them has disappeared on you."
"Had a wee bit of trouble from the doc, sir," McGee said at the same time.
Tebrey flashed them both a strained smile. "I'm not surprised. I'm just happy that we can leave now."
"I was afraid you'd leave us," Christopher said.
"I'd leave them without a thought," Tebrey replied. "But I would have come after you and McGee."
"Glad you didn't have to, sir."
"Get them moving, Sergeant."
"With pleasure, sir," he replied. "All right people! Get off your asses and move! March! Now!" He had a good drill sergeant voice.
"I think you'll be interested to hear about what we found," Christopher said.
"I'm sure that will go for you as well," Tebrey replied.
As they walked up the valley to Jeroen's encampment, Tebrey turned for one last look at the city, shrouded now by the night. Some malevolent entity lurked in those ruins, and someday someone was going to have to go in there and deal with it.
He had a bad feeling it was going to have to be him.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
The forest gave way to rolling hills as the days went by. Villages became more frequent, as did traffic on the road. Most of the people they met were merchant caravans headed up into the mountains to trade for furs, but a few people were moving in the same direction as they were, toward the capitol.
"We'll make Vadodara later today," Jeroen said.
Tebrey nodded wearily. He was dirty and tired. They'd left the village of Renivee less than a month before, but it felt like an eternity of suffering had passed. The ruined city in the wilderness had left a mark upon each of them. The nights since visiting the ruins had been punctuated by the screams of those waking up from nightmares that they couldn't explain. Even Hunter felt it; his dreams echoed Tebrey's, and they weren't pleasant.
"Looking forward to an ale at the inn, my friend?"
"To be honest, Jeroen, I'd just be happy with a bath right now."
"Oh, you'll be able to get that, at the least."
"Okay, a bath and a bed," Tebrey said. "Why not go for it all."
"That and more, my friend," Jeroen said with a cryptic smile. "Cities are not to be wasted. You'll see."
The refugees were all weary of walking,
and tired of discussing things for which they had no answers. They had talked the question of the ruins to death. They were all looking forward to the comforts promised by the first Lyonan city they had ever visited.
The road curved around the city, and it was late afternoon before they could see the gate they would use. Other people joined them, moving along the same road. There was a steady traffic to and from the city. Most of the people had the look they had come know as Lyonan, dark and stocky. There were a few of the northern barbarians scattered through the throng of people, taller than the locals, with blond hair and fair skin. Several darker travelers were seen, as well, dressed in flowing silken robes. The babble of different languages was astounding.
Many people shied away from their group. Jeroen's guards were well-armed and formidable-looking, hardened by the ride from the village. Hunter was riding in one of the wagons, but he was still noticeable. He drew intense looks from a few people, but no one got too close. Tebrey could hear and sense the excitement of the people who knew the old legends. He heard the word for lawbringer many times.
"Is it always like this around a city?" Tebrey shouted to Jeroen as they approached the gate. The noise and stink of the crowd were oppressive.
"Oh, yes," he replied. "Isn't it wonderful? Of course, this is a small city compared to the capitol. Bellejor is easily five times this size. We'll be able to rest here for a few days. You'll like it. It is much more comfortable than a village or those small towns we traveled through."
"I'm not sure about how great it is. I didn't expect so many people in such a small space. I guess I've just gotten used to our little band and the open road."
"You'll be fine. There is an inn by the far eastern gate; we'll stay there."
"Will they have room for us all?"
"I had a man ride ahead this morning. Everything is taken care of."
"How far is the capitol from here?"
"A few weeks' travel, maybe less. The roads get better beyond Vadodara."
"That's a relief."
The crowd was densest around the gate, where city guards were inspecting travelers. Many people were turned back if they didn't have legitimate business in the city. Jeroen's papers allowed him and everyone with him passage within. It was the first time Tebrey had seen evidence of the Empire's bureaucracy. The village had seemed primitive, but the city felt more familiar, if uncomfortable.
"We wouldn't have gotten in otherwise, would we?"
"Well, you probably would have been arrested, looking as you do. I dare say that someone would have been interested in you. You'd fetch a good price in the arena."
Tebrey swallowed hard. That wasn't something he had even thought of. "Do we need to worry about slavers or thieves?"
"One needs to always be on guard against such people. I don't think they will trouble us as long as we are together. Keep a tight grip on your weapons, though. Many of these scum are so skilled that they can snatch a sword from your belt without you noticing."
"I suppose if I hurt anyone who tried, that would be okay?"
"I think that would be fine, but try not to kill them. The city magistrates here prefer to give thieves a fair trial before they hang them."
Tebrey wasn't sure if Jeroen was joking or not.
Mason was in heaven.
The mix of cultures in this one city was nothing short of amazing. She was going to have to revise her initial impression of the societal level of the Lyonan Empire. Here, near the capital, the people seemed much better clothed and fed than those in the villages. Even the beggars looked to be getting along well.
The darker people must be from across the ocean, she thought to herself excitedly. She knew that the other continent had been settled by people from the Middle East of Earth. She hadn't thought she would get a chance to see any of them. There had been a war between the Mohammedans and the Lyonan Empire two hundred years before, and that had resulted in the Empire almost falling. The capitol had even been occupied for fifty years. She doubted people from the other culture would talk to her, though. Their dominant religion didn't believe women had the same rights as men. She wouldn't have wanted to be alone with any of them, and they would never talk to a woman in public.
She sighed and turned her attention to the street vendors. Just about anything that could be imagined was for sale along that main road. She blushed terribly when a man tried to sell her a male companion; he was still extolling the slave's ability to pleasure a woman all night when their group turned a bend in the road and he was lost from sight. Mason had never imagined a place quite like Vadodara.
There were subtle differences in the language used, as well. Here, closer to the center of the Empire, the language was distinctly laced with elements of French. Given the relative technological states of the original settlers, it was probable that the French Canadian-descended settlers had held onto a higher level of technology for longer after the initial colonization period. That would have given them a marked advantage when establishing empires later.
Even though it stank, the sanitation wasn't that bad in the city. There were sewers under the street, and she could see an aqueduct in the distance. The smell was mostly just the press of so many unwashed people. Thank god the ascetics never caught on here, she thought. These people at least bathe sometimes.
Tebrey's head was hurting by the time their group reached the inn. The noise and stench of the city were unbelievable. His mental barriers, already weakened from the ruined city in the wilderness, were beginning to fail. The pressure of so many minds made him dizzy.
The inn's worn and faded sign had a picture of a black, armored horse carved upon it. Jeroen told them that the inn was the Iron Warhorse. Mason made a note of the characters used. She was still hoping to learn the written language before they reached Bellejor.
"You may want to have your cat keep his head down and stay in the wagon," Jeroen advised.
"I will. Where will the wagons be?"
"My drivers will move them into the stable barn and leave them there. The cat should be fine. I'll have one of my men take him a side of meat. He won't attack him, will he?"
"Not if your man identifies himself to him. Hunter will behave himself." Right? he added mentally.
Sure. When do I ever misbehave? Hunter replied, laughing. Be careful in there. You're not doing so well. I'll be able to help with the mental noise once I've eaten.
The inn was crowded to overflowing with the addition of their group. Only Tebrey stood out from the crowd. His size and fair complexion drew quite a few concerned looks, but he couldn't tell if anyone was going to be a problem yet.
Jeroen insisted on paying for everyone. Tebrey argued against having a private room for himself when he found out that everyone else had to sleep in the common room. He lost the argument. He had to admit that he was looking forward to a bath and a good night's sleep in a real bed, even if he did feel guilty about it. The way his head felt, he might not have made it through the night in the common room, anyway. In a room to himself, he'd be able to meditate a little and calm his raw nerves.
"Go on, Tebrey," Mason said to him. "You deserve some time to yourself. Go."
Tebrey nodded and made for the matron whom Jeroen had pointed out to him.
"The young master says you're to have the other private room we have reserved," the woman said to him as he came up to her. She was grey-haired and had hard lines around her eyes and mouth. She was probably younger than she looked. Most people he'd met on this planet were. She was barely chest high on him. "Do you want a bath first, or food?"
"A bath would be good," he said slowly. "Hot, if possible."
"Oh, we can scald ya red if you want, sire." She turned and headed up the stairs to the left of the common room. "Well, come along, then."
The stairwell was narrow and steep. There was a long line of closed doors in the upstairs.
"Third on the left, if you please," she directed.
The room was small, maybe three meters square. There w
as a low bed in the corner. He hoped that the bed was clean. He didn't fancy being bitten by mites or lice. He'd heard of such things from Mason and didn't care for the thought at all. There was a small chest at the foot of the bed, open and empty. A chamber pot stood in the corner. There was a small, shuttered window with warped panes of glass. A lit oil lamp stood on a box by the door.
He nodded. The room would be fine.
"I'll have the boys bring up the tub and your things from the stable. You need anything, my name's Nehru," she said, smiling, and winked at him.
"Thank you," he said, ignoring her innuendo. She was about as attractive as an old shoe, and didn't smell much better. "When will hot water be available?"
She sniffed. "It's on right now. We always keep the water ready; got the aqueduct running just across the way. I'll get the girls up here with the water as soon as the tub is in place. Will you be needing soap?"
"That would be nice, yes."
"Suit yourself," she said, and shrugged. "I'll have it brought up." With that, she turned and left the room.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Rutgers handed McGee another flagon of ale.
The common room was filled with people drinking. Most of McGee's party were missing from the room. He didn't care. He had been around them too much as it was. He had seen the same few faces for months. Now he was in a room with lots of people he didn't know, and he was quite content.
The two sergeants had found that they had a lot in common during the journey. McGee had even begun to learn a little of the language – enough to curse with, anyway. The two of them had worked out something of a pidgin to speak. Rutgers learned Normarish words faster than McGee could learn Lyonan. He was well into his third ale now and was trying to remember a drinking song he had learned years ago as a boy.
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