‘That wasn’t the present,’ she replied. ‘That begins now . . .’
Kwin leaned down. Then she kissed me.
I kissed her back. At first it was gentle. Our lips barely touched. Then it was a deeper kiss; soft and warm.
Finally it became fierce, and with that heat, the room faded away and nothing else mattered.
*
The following morning, straight after breakfast, I went to the practice floor. Ada had been taking my morning training, and now her absence hit me hard.
Tyron was alone, speaking wurdes of Nym to a lac. When I entered, he stopped patterning, glanced at my shaven head and frowned. He seemed about to say something, but instead he let out a sigh. Then he smiled.
‘I have one piece of good news,’ he said. ‘Thrym escaped the clutches of the Protector’s thugs, damaging several of them in the process.’
‘How did he do that?’ I asked. ‘I put him into the deep sleep.’
‘Ada built a fail-safe into him. If the danger to him was extreme, he could override that command. He escaped before he was taken out of the Wheel. It’s believed that he went down into the Commonality and rippedoff one of the gates to the deep sealed areas. If that’s the case, even the Protector’s Guard aren’t going to follow him down there: they’ll simply replace the gate and weld it shut.’
So perhaps Thrym was now down among the feral, dangerous lacs who had apparently turned to cannibalism. How would a sentient lac fare down there? I felt sorry for him, but at least he’d escaped his intended fate. Iwas pleased that he’d survived.
Tyron went over to the table. Next to the brass timer was something large covered with a green cloth. And next to that lay a book. On the spine it said: The Testimony of Math.
Tyron handed it to me. ‘This is your father’s account of his experiences in Arena 13. It begins with his training and ends just after his final contest with Hob, when he knows that his injuries will prevent him from everfighting again. I’m not giving you this, Leif, I’m just lending it to you. So read it, learn from it and take good care of it. Understand?’
I nodded. ‘Thanks. I will.’
I was looking forward to reading my father’s account and felt sure that it would be useful to me.
Tyron then turned and picked up the cloth. When he faced me again, he was holding a large metal object that gleamed in the torchlight. He held it out to me. ‘This was Math’s,’ he said quietly. ‘Your father gave it tome as a memento when he left Gindeen. You can wear it when you next face Hob. It will protect your head.’
It was a silver helmet in the shape of a wolf’s head; the helmet that my father had worn in combat against Hob.
‘If he chooses to wear a helmet, then so can you.’ Tyron pointed to the horizontal slit. ‘And this might make it harder for him to use his eyes to weaken you. Well, Leif, you’d best forget all that for now. We’re a longway from being ready to face Hob; we have a lot to do. Kwin’s gone off to work, and I’ve set Deinon some advanced patterning exercises, so this morning we two can concentrate on working with your new lac. I’mafraid it’s back to basics.’
We were going to miss Ada, I thought. The fight would go on, but things would be much more difficult now.
Suddenly I realized that Deinon should have been present. I didn’t think Tyron was aware of just how brilliant he was. Deinon was going to have to admit that he’d written the patterns for the lac that had helped me todefeat Palm.
I’d mention it to Tyron – just as soon as I’d spoken to Deinon.
INTERNMENT
A singleton is a djinni with only one self.
This is the lowest form.
But it is superior to the barbarian human in speed, strength and reflexes.
The Manual of Nym
‘Well, this is your new lac, Leif,’ Tyron said. ‘What do you think?’
It was clad in shiny new armour, but I knew that the patterns that informed it would be far inferior to those of Thrym. I would have to start from the beginning, using Ulum, developing the sound-code that I would useto communicate with it in Arena 13.
‘It certainly looks good,’ I replied, trying to put some enthusiasm into my voice.
‘Well, it’s not bad on the inside either. I think you might be pleasantly surprised.’
Just then there was a knock on the door. Tyron frowned; there was a strict rule that practice sessions were not to be disturbed, but he walked across to open it.
Over his shoulder, I saw that it was one of his servants, looking worried. He seemed to be passing on some bad news.
Tyron dismissed the man and beckoned me to the door. ‘It seems we’ve got a problem. The Protector’s Guard are here with an arrest warrant. They want to take you into custody.’
‘But they released us,’ I protested. ‘I thought we were to be allowed to carry on with our lives. Why me?’
‘Let’s hope it’s a mistake and the Protector hasn’t changed his mind,’ Tyron said. ‘Let’s go and find out. Unless they question you directly, let me do the talking.’
Four blue-jacketed guards and an officer were standing in the large reception room where Tyron received his business contacts and other visitors.
‘What is the meaning of this?’ Tyron demanded as he walked into the room ahead of me.
‘Here is the arrest warrant, sir,’ said the officer, handing Tyron a scroll of paper and nodding politely at him, though he stared at me with hostile eyes.
Tyron broke the wax seal, unfurled it and scanned the warrant quickly. ‘It gives no mention of any crime. What is Leif actually accused of?’
‘It is signed by the Protector under the emergency powers that he assumed at midnight. All Genthai or those of Genthai extraction living within the city are to be interned.’
‘This is news to me. Why are they being dealt with in this way?’
‘I cannot comment other than to say that the Genthai have proved to be hostile to the rule of law.’
‘But how can this possibly apply to my trainee?’ protested Tyron. ‘Leif is a law-abiding, hard-working young man who contributes to the economy of this city. He is an important member of my stable of combatants.Surely an exception could be made?’
‘I am only carrying out orders,’ said the officer, taking back the scroll.
Tyron turned towards me with an expression of resignation. ‘Go with them, Leif. I’ll try to get to the bottom of this and have you released as soon as possible.’
With that, I was marched out into the street. The sky was overcast and it was raining heavily. There was no wagon waiting outside this time. The officer strode at my side, with two of his men in front and two behind.
The streets were mostly deserted, but the Protector’s Guard were out in force, standing at all the major crossroads, armed with their deadly projectile weapons. My own escort had only clubs at their belts; the officercarried a sword, his right hand resting lightly on the hilt.
Judging by the direction we were taking, we were making for the Protector’s palace. I wondered if I was going to be questioned. And what had the Genthai done to justify the internment of innocent city dwellers?What did ‘hostile to the rule of law’ mean? Had they attacked the guard?
Then, in the distance, I saw smoke, and after a while the flicker of flames. Soon I had no doubts about their source.
The wooden barracks of the Protector’s Guard was burning.
We reached the grounds of the Protector’s palace. In the dark the previous night I’d not seen how truly spectacular they were, with ornamental trees and brilliant green grass, cut very short; the upkeep must have cost afortune.
This time I was taken round the side of the palace towards the buildings at its rear, all enclosed by a high stone wall. Squelching across a saturated lawn, we approached a large wooden gate, which stood open. We hadto move aside as a column of guards, riding three abreast, cantered out onto the broad cinder path. As they headed off towards the distant smoke, I was led into a large flagged courtyard, densely
packed with rank afterrank of armed guards.
The majority stood facing us, their faces grim, blue uniforms dark with rain. These were preparing to follow the horsemen to the barracks; others waited behind the walls, ready to defend the palace.
Directly ahead, set into a second stone wall, stood another wide double gate, this one metal. It was closed, and I glanced up and saw a dozen guards standing atop the wall, all carrying projectile weapons.
The officer beside me looked up at them and gestured towards the gate. Seconds later there was a grinding noise, and one side was dragged inwards, creating a narrow gap just wide enough for us to pass through insingle file.
The gate itself was about a foot thick, but the wall was well over six feet deep. It was a formidable defence.
We crossed a smaller inner courtyard towards a three-storey building. The windows of the top floor were barred. Was this used as a prison? I wondered. If Ada was still alive, she might be somewhere inside.
We went through an open doorway and I was marched down a long corridor, then up two flights of stone steps before we halted in front of a door. The officer produced a key and unlocked it, pulling it open. Withoutfurther ceremony, I was pushed inside and the door was locked behind me.
I glanced around my cell. It was very large – about twice as long as Arena 13 and perhaps slightly wider – with a wooden floor and a single narrow barred window, the only source of light.
I wasn’t alone. There were a dozen other prisoners sitting on the floor with their backs against the walls, all of them Genthai. There were only two sounds – a man groaning and the heavy rain thundering on the metalroof.
The man had obviously been badly beaten. His head was covered in blood and his face was swollen, his nose broken. The others stared at me silently. Most of them showed signs of ill-treatment: bruises, cuts and tornclothes.
I wondered if I’d been spared that because I was Tyron’s trainee. Looking around, I recognized only one of these Genthai: the attendant I sometimes exchanged nods with – the one with the facial tattoos. Heperformed menial work in the Wheel; he swept the floors, emptied the bins, cleaned the spittoons and the latrines.
He beckoned me over, so I went and sat down next to him.
‘You did well beating Hob,’ he said. ‘I’d have loved to see that. And what was attempted afterwards was very nearly successful. We could have been rid of that monster for ever.’
‘You know about that?’ I asked, surprised that the news had got out so quickly.
‘There’s little that escapes my attention, Leif. I clean up everybody’s muck, but I’m invisible to most and perfectly placed to see what’s going on. My name is Dentar,’ he said, offering me his hand.
‘I won, but afterwards everyone involved was imprisoned,’ I said bitterly. ‘I was released with a warning. I didn’t expect to be arrested again. I hope what we did hasn’t led to this . . .’ I gestured towards the otherprisoners.
‘No, this is because of something else – you needn’t feel guilty. You saw the barracks burning?’
I nodded.
‘Then you’ll know what’s happened. This is the beginning of the end for the Protector.’
Dentar’s words filled me with unease. If the Genthai won – what then? It might bring disaster to the whole of Midgard. With the Protector and his guard gone, what would follow?
After a while I began to realize that the worst thing about being a prisoner was boredom. Nobody talked; most of the men slept.
It was late afternoon when I heard shouting in the distance – though whether from inside or outside the building I couldn’t tell. I kept thinking over what had happened. If the Genthai were now attacking theProtector’s Guard, I didn’t give much for Tyron’s chances of getting me released.
Suddenly there were voices outside the door. We all turned as it opened and more prisoners were thrust in to join us. Then the door was closed with a bang.
These were also Genthai – although they looked different from those already in the room. They wore chain mail, which was splattered with blood, and they were soaking wet. They had clearly been fighting. Theywere warriors.
They swept the room with their eyes, finally fixing their stern gaze on Dentar and me.
‘I believe that you and the big man are already acquainted,’ Dentar said, nodding towards them.
One of them was big all right – he stood head and shoulders above the rest. I suddenly realized that it was Garrett.
He was almost as I remembered from the forest, though now his long hair was bunched up on top of his head and ended in a pigtail. As the Genthai warriors approached, Dentar and I got to our feet.
Garrett grinned at me. ‘Good to see you here, Leif. You couldn’t be in a better place. Now you’ll be able to play your part in what needs to be done!’
Before I could ask what he meant, he turned to Dentar. ‘Nice to see you too, Dent. Your last report on guard movements was really useful – the best one yet.’
‘How’s the battle going?’ Dentar asked.
I expected bad news. After all, these men had been captured. But I was soon proved wrong.
‘Couldn’t be better!’ Garrett said with a grin. ‘They took the bait and rushed reinforcements to defend the barracks. But that was a diversion. This is our real target. We want the Protector alive. We’ve a few questionsto put to him.’
His gaze settled on me again. ‘But these buildings will be difficult to take, Leif. This isn’t just wood we can burn or smash our way into. It could cost lives. We allowed ourselves to be captured, knowing there was agood chance that we’d be brought to the holding cells. Come here and look at this,’ he said, walking over to the narrow barred window. I followed him.
‘The outer gate is wood and will pose no problem, but the inner one could spell disaster. We need to break out and open that metal gate to let our lads in,’ he said, gesturing downwards.
The window gave a view of the inner courtyard and the high wall. There weren’t many guards immediately below, but there were still a dozen armed men on the wall. The heavy double gate was fastened with a longmetal bar that ran through a row of brackets. This would have to be lifted clear to open the gate fully.
I realized that those guards would have a clear shot at anyone crossing the courtyard from the building to the gate. It seemed hopeless.
Any attempt to open the gate would be suicidal.
THE BATTLE FOR THE GATE
Our first victory will be bloody,
But bloodier still will be the aftermath.
Amabramdata: the Genthai Book of Prophecy
‘Why not attack the front of the palace? Wouldn’t that be easier?’ I asked.
Garrett shook his head. ‘Those projectile weapons are the biggest threat to us. We’d have to cross the lawn; we’d be easy to cut down. They won’t expect us to attack the inner gate. It’s the most formidable part oftheir defences. It’ll take them by surprise!’
He turned away from the window, reached up into his hair and pulled out two thin paper tubes, one red, the other green.
‘This should do the trick!’ he said. ‘It wouldn’t help us with that gate, but this little lock should be no trouble.’ He nodded towards the cell door.
I was about to ask him what the coloured tubes were when he turned to face the other prisoners. The rain had finally eased to a light pattering on the roof and he hardly needed to raise his voice.
‘Some of you, I know, are in no fit state to help. But if any wish to join us, it’ll be appreciated. We’re going to get out of here and fight our way to the gate to let our brothers in. Stand up if you’re with us! This is a dayyou’ll tell your grandchildren about – one you’ll remember with pride! There’ll be no more Protector ruling Midgard after today. This whole land will belong to the Genthai.’
Garrett’s words filled me with foreboding. What about people such as Tyron who lived and worked in the city? What about the farmers? How would they fit into the new order?
Abo
ut seven of the Genthai came to their feet, including Dentar. One of them looked frail and too old to fight, another was bloody and battered and seemed unsteady on his feet, but their eyes were filled withdetermination.
‘Whether you feel able to help or not, sit as far away from the door as possible!’ Garrett instructed. ‘Turn your backs to it. Do it now!’
Apart from me and Garrett, everybody repositioned themselves as he’d indicated, including the two warriors who’d accompanied him.
He grinned at me. ‘You too, Leif. But not for a couple of moments. I’m waiting for the fun to begin. It shouldn’t be long now.’
We both stared out of the window. After a couple of minutes I realized that the attack was underway. Some of the guards on the wall were gesticulating to each other and pointing downwards. Then I heard shoutingand the clash of metal. The guards aimed their weapons and fired down into the outer courtyard. If the Genthai had managed to get through the first gate, they would be easy targets.
But these soldiers weren’t having it all their own way: I watched as one of them toppled from the wall with an arrow through his throat.
‘Right, Leif! Against the wall like the others!’ Garrett shouted.
I went to sit next to Dentar, but before turning round I glanced back to see what Garrett was doing. He tore two pieces from each of the coloured tubes and twisted them together. Then he squashed them against thelock before running towards us.
‘Cover your ears!’ he shouted.
The two mail-clad warriors cupped their hands over their ears. I copied them – and not a moment too soon.
I heard a dull boom, then felt a fierce blast of heat on my back. I turned to see that the door was hanging off its hinges, surrounded by a cloud of smoke. An acrid smell of burning filled my nostrils.
‘Right! Follow me!’ Garrett cried.
Moving very fast for a man his size, he leaped to his feet and ran towards the opening. I followed him, the two warriors slightly ahead of me and Dentar at my heels. Outside, a guard lay face down on the floor in apool of blood. Hardly pausing, Garrett snatched the sword from the dead man’s belt and raced along the corridor to the top of the stairs. Now he was armed, but what about the rest of us? I wondered. How many of theProtector’s Guard lay between us and the gate we must open?
Arena 13 #2 THE PREY Page 24
