Part of the reason Kanmi, to this day, had a desire to needle Sigrun was her unremittingly formal way of speaking in front of strangers. Around just the core team, the valkyrie’s speech relaxed. But when she said what he was thinking, just in that . . . irritating fashion . . . it made it hard not to disagree with her just for the sake of poking at her. Thus, he grimaced in mild irritation, and said, “Caetia’s right.” A dour glare at the valkyrie, who just lifted her eyebrows at him in return. “If we do bring the good doctor with us, which I think is a bad idea, she can’t be isolated from us.”
Livorus nodded, his expression faintly amused. “Did you intend to bring your sons with you?” he asked, seemingly tangentially.
“No,” Kanmi returned, immediately. “Too dangerous.”
“You’ve taken them to Judea, northern Europa, Raccia, and Chaldea in the last two years,” Trennus pointed out, amiably.
“Yes. All places where the worst that could happen was that a random djinni might break free and rampage, a bomb could go off, or someone might have a gun. Tawantinsuyu? They used to perform child sacrifices to their gods, and we could be talking about another entity being either fed, unleashed, or drained. I can protect them from spirits, lions, tigers, and bears. Earthquakes and acts of entities are outside my areas of expertise.”
Livorus nodded, still appearing faintly amused. “Your common sense, as always, is unstinting, Eshmunazar. And in which case, since I assume that Matrugena is bringing his beloved, then the answer becomes plain.”
Kanmi just stared for a moment at the propraetor, uncomprehending. Until he heard ben Maor stifle a chuckle. Then understanding hit, and Kanmi said, firmly, and without preamble, “No.”
Livorus raised his eyebrows. “No?”
“No, sir.” Kanmi put his hands on the table, suddenly infuriatingly aware of the fact that Lassair’s amusement was bubbling forth again. “I am not going to fawn on the good doctor.” He had to admit, the woman was beautiful, in her way, and certainly intelligent, and shared most of his fields of expertise. But all those factors would make the pretense that much more intolerable.
Sasaki, for her part, sat bolt upright in her chair, shaking her head in what certainly looked like distaste. “Surely, there must be another way?” she suggested, tentatively.
“It . . . could work,” Trennus said, his eyes narrowing. “We could put it out that you’d been writing to one another for a while. Like your long-term correspondence with Lady Erida.”
Kanmi sent Trennus a black glance. Erida had just gotten married a few months ago, and they continued to write to one another in spite of that. It was a very solid collegial relationship, and nothing more. “And then, what? I took it into my head to surprise her at the conference, we slipped off with her and the professor, and just happened to ward the hotel room to Tartarus and back?”
“Details.” Adam said, flicking a hand. “Can be worked out. Gives us an additional set of eyes, someone who hasn’t seen everything we’ve seen before, might not fall into the same mental patterns as the rest of us, and another mage. I’ll want to see what you can do, Dr. Sasaki, and see if you can at least fire a gun, but we’ll probably have a few weeks before we leave. These things never get arranged overnight. It’s a good working story, Esh. It lets us protect her, too. I’m not crazy about bringing a civilian in . . . but by drawing the Source Initiative’s attention, or by using her access to the facilities, we might get somewhere with this.”
Kanmi folded his arms across his chest, and thought, rapidly. His world suddenly felt like one of Dr. Sasaki’s seiches. All the water in it was rippling, and with no visible source of the disturbance. He didn’t see any way out, so his best bet was to accede as gracefully as possible, and wring concessions out of everyone. Trennus wasn’t the only person around the table who knew how to bargain, after all. “All right,” he said. “But this is against my better judgment. Dr. Sasaki? We say jump and you don’t ask questions. Not even how high, you understand?”
Adam snorted. “Esh? Coming from you, that might be the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Chapter XVI: Lines
Overview
Tawantinsuyu, or the “Land of the Four Quarters,” was an established empire when Rome and its Gallic and Gothic allies pushed forward with the exploration of the western hemisphere. The empire, at the time, spanned mainly the western coast of Caesaria Australis, and reached up into what the indigenous peoples of the region called the Anti mountains. . . sometimes corrupted into “Andes” by Gothic and Gallic tongues today. Regional kingdoms rose and fell for hundreds of years before the empire based at Cuzco came into existence in or around 1090 AC, and began, around 1360 AC, to expand, both by peaceful means and conquest, taking over other tribes, first in the region of Cuzco, and then further and further from their power base.
The empire was organized into four main governing regions—hence the name of the whole—and the chief ruler of the empire, or the Sapa Inca, decreed that the smaller kingdoms now ruled by his people could retain their traditional religious beliefs, but that they must also acknowledge, as supreme, the gods of Cuzco, including Inti, the sun god. This use of a formal state religion to bind the empire together, along with the general toleration of other gods, has been compared to Rome’s own policies.
Religion
The cults of Inti, Supay, and other state gods, as well as the hundreds, if not thousands, of mountain gods and nature spirits worshipped by the residents of Tawantinsuyu, were frequently venerated with human sacrifice. Children were drawn from villages across the empire, and brought to Cuzco. Some of the girls were groomed as wives for the Sapa Inca, and others were returned to their families. But many were fed the diet of nobles for a year, and then taken high into the mountains, and sacrificed there, to appease the god of this mountain, that volcano, the sun, the death god. . . the list was extensive. This was done, at least in part, sociologists believe, to maintain order and a sense of community within the empire. Everyone participated. Everyone’s child might be so ‘honored.’ Everyone shared in the honor, and in the loss.
Culture
In 1475 AC, the first ships from Novo Gaul and Nova Germania crept down along the coasts, past Nahautl, searching for the lands described by their southern neighbors as either impassable mountains, high deserts, and dense jungles. . . but with whom the Nahautl had trade relations, nevertheless. They found Tawantinsuyu, an empire of over twelve million people, where the nobles bound the heads of their children from birth to change the shape of their skulls into a more fashionable cone. Where gold and silver were worked, and where art and culture flourished, but where they had not developed the intricate writing system of their Nahautl and Quecha neighbors. The locals had, however, developed methods of mathematical calculation, such as the quipu, which was a series of knotted cords that served as a kind of abacus.
The Plague Years
Trade sprang up, but as the Romans, Gauls, and Goths set up small outposts, diseases promulgated. Tragically, smallpox spread between 1580 and 1590, but Roman hygiene practices limited the severity of the outbreak. As a result of the illness sweeping the empire, Rome stepped in to assist the local nobility and helped the army keep the peace during the plague period. Temples to Hygeia and Asclepius became centers for the treatment of the disease, and when the outbreak passed, these temples became centers for the teaching of medicine.
The University of Cuzco had its origin here, and remains the foremost center for the learning of medical practices in Caesaria Australis to this day. Tours of the plague cemeteries and old plague hospitals are available daily; call ahead for times and availability.
When the plague had burned itself out, the Sapa Inca of the era, Tupac Huayna, agreed to an alliance with Rome, the better to keep his northern and eastern borders intact. To that end, Tawantinsuyu became a subject kingdom under Roman protection, and paid taxes in order to retain Roman troops and fortifications along their borders. The traditional requirement that Roman gods be vene
rated alongside those of Cuzco was imposed, as was the equally traditional requirement that human sacrifices be ended.
There are those who accuse Rome of having taken advantage of Tawantinsuyu during a time of crisis and preying upon the Land of the Four Quarters like a vulture or a hyena. There is some validity to this perspective, but Rome did not deliberately set out to infect the indigenous population, and provided palliative care for the sick and the dying. The Empire helped maintain order, but has imposed little of its culture on Tawantinsuyu in the ensuing centuries. The result is a land that has remained little changed, culturally, from the fifteenth century until today. While there are Roman, Gothic, and Gallic temples here and there in Cuzco, these gods are worshipped alongside the native gods, and have not displaced them—precisely in the same way in which Roman and Hellene gods are worshipped in Nahautl, alongside native gods today.
Society Today
The current Sapa Inca—Emperor Sayri Cusi—is the supreme leader of his people, and the Roman governor has little real influence on affairs within Tawantinsuyu; his role is closer to that of an ambassador, or a praetor tasked with dealing with foreign affairs.
Because of the deliberately ‘hands-off’ policy of Rome towards Tawantinsuyu, technological adoption has taken place almost entirely at the whim of whichever Sapa Inca happens to be in power at any given time. Some areas of the country have ley-grids. Others have electrical grids, powered by geothermal power plants, courtesy of the abundant volcanism in the region. Travelers are advised to bring a full set of adapters for portable devices such as hair dryers and transistor radios, as the power system available in Cuzco or Machu Picchu may differ from one street to the next, and outside of the large cities, this is even more the case. Some areas have no power grid at all, as local nobles have opted to maintain a traditional lifestyle on their lands. Serfdom still exists in the outlying areas, and travelers are warned against ‘rescuing’ serfs, as this can lead to prosecution, fines, and even imprisonment.
Places to Go
The summer palace of the emperors remains located in Machu Picchu, a charming and beautiful city located high in the Anti mountains. Travelers are advised that the altitude may prove debilitating to those unused to it. Take care not to exercise too vigorously at first, and drink plenty of water.
The Lines of Nazca are a cultural artifact, and are periodically added to by the various indigenous shamans. They are visible from the sky, and ornithopter tours are offered daily. No trip to Tawantinsuyu is complete, without seeing this wonder of the western world.
—A Traveler’s Guide to Tawantinsuyu. Ymbfaran Press, Novo Trier, Nova Germania, 1951 AC.
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Maius 7, 1960 AC
It took the better part of three weeks to set up the travel authorizations and their cover story; the wheels of every bureaucracy tend to grind slowly, and state visits, as they’d learned over the course of their work with Livorus, did not simply happen overnight. Even their trips, which were, ostensibly, the scut-work for such a visit, couldn’t be arranged quickly.
Trennus and Lassair had started to cultivate the habit of visiting Adam and Sigrun once a week for dinner. This was part of Lassair’s effort to understand and engage with humans, and participate in things of the body more fully. On this particular dies Lunae, it was Adam’s turn to cook, and as such, it was shakshuka tonight, quick and easy, just eggs poached in tomato sauce with mild chili peppers and a dash of spices. He had never actually seen Lassair eat as much as the spirit had been in the past several weeks. . . or seen her maintain the same body for so long.
He considered Lassair for a moment as Sigrun was clearing the dishes. He’d gotten to an equilibrium point with the concept of spirits, in general; Lassair had saved his life, and every other member of the team’s. And she and Trennus, to all outwards appearances, seemed to make each other very happy. Adam was just . . . heavily disquieted, when he allowed himself to think about it, by the notion that well over half of Trennus’ soul technically belonged to Lassair at the moment. Trennus seemed to regard this as life-energy, but for Adam, the soul was a very different thing. It was, for him, immortal, something that would persist beyond the death of the body. Something separate from the mind and the body. Making choices that could affect that was incredibly dangerous, and Adam couldn’t conceive of doing the same. . . except, perhaps, for a damned good reason. Then again, Trennus seemed to think he had a reason. And watching Lassair bloom and become a person, instead of a shadow of flame, over the past few years. . . Adam had to consider that Trennus might be right.
At the moment, the spirit leaned against Trennus’ shoulder at the table, and had just sent a thought after Sigrun into the kitchen, Flamesower told me last week that I should not necessarily heal people when I find them injured. Do you agree, Stormborn?
“That would be a matter of perspective. I do not heal everyone I meet,” Sigrun replied, coming back in from the kitchen and standing in the doorway, tilting her head slightly. “For one thing, it hurts when I do it. For another, my gods teach self-reliance, whenever possible. If you always fix things for other people, they will come to rely on it, and will not help themselves. It weakens them. That is a reason why my gods do not offer many answers, I think. To force my people to learn, for themselves.” Adam had long noticed that even though Sigrun spoke of her people, she rarely included herself among them. Learn for themselves, not learn for ourselves. He’d asked her about it, once, and she’d looked away with a shrug. I am a tool in the hands of the gods, Adam. You know that.
I do not wish to weaken people, but I do wish to help them. Lassair shook her head, red hair bouncing loosely around her face.
“I’m mostly concerned about the energy loss. You can’t just heal and heal and heal, and not receive anything in return. That’s how you were almost destroyed originally.” Trennus’ voice was a little tense.
Sigrun headed back into the kitchen, calling over her shoulder, “I have had people decline healing before. They didn’t wish to become indebted to me, I think.”
I would not demand payment. The energy given would not substantially lessen me, and they would give back gratitude, which would help sustain me.
“Gratitude,” Adam said, “doesn’t last long, and I wouldn’t consider it a filling dish. Though, speaking of which, Lassair? I know you like food, but I’ve never seen you eat like this before.”
Lassair’s radiant happiness flooded through the room, and Adam had to take a moment to cough and shake it off. Lassair’s emotional broadcasts could be downright dizzying. Trennus shifted a little, stretching his long legs under the table, and looked a little embarrassed. “Ah, we’ve. . . I mean, I’ve been meaning to talk to you both about that,” he said. “Kanmi already knows, since he was there when Lassair, well, realized.”
Adam squinted at Trennus. “Realized what?”
That I am with child.
In the kitchen, Sigrun dropped something, with a shattering sound. Adam blinked, “I. . . what?”
We are going to have a child. I did not know that this was possible for me, but I am very glad that it is. Lassair found a morsel on her plate that she’d missed before, picked it up with her fingers, and ate it. I do not know how much food I should eat to sustain the child. Thus, I let the body tell me how much and when. This seems to be working.
Adam looked at her, and then at Trennus. He was not about to ask how this was possible. Trennus, for his part, cleared his throat. “That’s why she’s been staying manifested. We’re not going to let it impede the work, but I might have to call on Saraid for assistance that I don’t normally ask of her. . . or even strike bargains with other spirits.” He shifted a little, looking marginally uncomfortable. “For example, that fire absorption Lassair did, back in Nahautl. . . or even, really, healing people, since she has to go inside of them to do it. . . many of these abilities require her to demanifest.”
And I am not sure what will happen to the child if I cause this body not to
exist, Lassair said, lifting her hands. I do not know if I can reconstruct the baby as I do the body. Every time I reform the body, it is different, in some way or another.
It was true. Lassair was as malleable as flame. Her eyes were usually the only feature that stayed the same, from one form to the next. “Ah. . . so that’s why you needed the passport. And the travel arrangements.” Adam rubbed at his eyes. Getting her papers together had been a bureaucratic nightmare. She didn’t have a place of birth, an age, parents, any of it. He’d asked Tren why the man was suddenly bothering with it all after so many years of Lassair blithely de-manifesting for the long plane flights, but a phone call had come in before Tren had been able to reply, and they’d both been distracted. Now, Adam understood.
He sighed, stood, and went to go help Sigrun pick up what remained of a ceramic tureen, though she shooed him away with a mutter of, “If I cut myself, it hardly matters, Adam.” It reminded him, vividly, of the time he’d caught her, in this very kitchen, hovering three feet off the ground in order to reach the highest shelves in the cabinets. She’d looked as ashamed as a child caught with a hand in the cookie jar, using her god-born abilities for something other than combat. He’d laughed and hugged her. . . and asked her if she’d ever gone flying just for the pleasure of it. It was something as natural to her as breathing, he knew; she’d learned how to fly around the same time as she’d learned how to walk. But the blank expression on her face had clearly indicated to him that she had no idea what he was talking about. The whole conversation had, in fact, inspired him to take his flight lessons. He’d always wanted to be a pilot, and he was, for god’s sake, married to someone who could fly as if the earth’s gravity didn’t trammel her at all. He’d watched her slowly relax, and stop looking around to see who might notice her unsanctioned fun.
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