One Land, One Duke

by Emerson, Ru

  Jennifer grinned. “Well, at least you're not snarling it any more. But I do wish I had a silver ceri for every time you've said it. I'd be filthy rich."

  "Well, if I had a silver ceri for every time I've wondered where you came up with your questions—! Something out there smells simply wonderful. I have to admit, Jen, Robyn really is a good cook but I'm so glad to have real meat again."

  "Happens I agree. Honestly, do you mind trying to show me later what you've done? Maybe I can help you sort out your intelligence report—sorry, those words again, right?"

  "That makes better sense than fog-ball phone booth.” But Lialla chuckled. “Chris tried to explain that this afternoon; if anything, it made less sense when he finished. As to showing you—no, I don't object, I'm not going to try and keep it all to myself. I don't know if there's a way for you to work it without infecting yourself with Light, like I was; I don't know if you'd want to. I think it could be interesting, the way you Wield—with so much music—to see if this combination would respond to you."

  "I'm willing to give it a try. Perhaps there's a way to use Light from outside; you do with Thread, after all. If it doesn't work, it doesn't,” Jennifer said as she fought agonizingly aching knees and knotted thigh muscles, and got back to her feet. “Another thing, though: Want to help me show Chris how to use that thing Neri showed you for calming?"

  "Chris?” Lialla got to her feet with an ease Jennifer both admired and cursed; her knees felt as though someone had lit matches just under the kneecaps. “Chris actually wants—? Well—but why not, after all?"

  "You know Chris, interested in everything. Seems to think it would be good for the nights he can't sleep. I can't recall offhand when it's taken him more than thirty seconds to fall asleep, but—as you say, why not?"

  "Seconds—never mind. I don't know what those are, but having been around Chris, I think I can guess."

  * * * *

  Jennifer napped while food was being prepared; she woke long enough to eat, and afterward rubbed out Dahven's shoulders. When he reciprocated, she dozed off again.

  Afronsan's men had already gone off somewhere to sleep when she woke, a short time later, and one of Gyrdan's men was walking slowly around the cooking fire, only occasionally visible in its dying light. Aletto was stretched out on a silkcloth on the far side of the fire, so Robyn could work out the kinks in his leg. It was some indication of his growing self-confidence that he was able to let her do that for him while he lay with his head propped up on crossed forearms, talking to Dahven and the man Gyrdan had left in charge of the small company. Jennifer bent her knees cautiously, found them still sore but not nearly as bad, and went around the fire to join them.

  They were talking strategy and tactics once again, of course. She listened, hoping this time to possibly figure out what they intended to do, once they got near Duke's Fort. Some things made logical sense, like Aletto not wanting to throw a large number of men against a main gate reinforced against the possibility of attack (and why was it reinforced like that, she wondered, given Zelharri's remote location and the astonishingly low number of wars the country had faced?) Other things, like the way Gyrdan was breaking up his numbers, didn't make as much sense to her. Jadek probably knew how many were ranged against him, and he'd sure know once they came together in front of the Fort, after all.

  She moved off into the night. A tense-sounding argument about the numbers and loyalties of Jadek's guards faded as she walked past the wagon and toward the shelter.

  If Afronsan's men had taken it over—but apparently not, Lialla was there again or still. Chris and Edrith were with her now, and someone had brought out a blue light. It vaguely illuminated Edrith, flat on his back on a silkcloth some distance away, against the back wall, arms under the back of his head to elevate it; Chris was sitting behind Lialla, energetically rubbing out her shoulders and the sin-Duchess was bent forward over her crossed legs. Chris tugged and she came upright, head against the base of his throat, eyes closed and a look of pure bliss on her face.

  "Yo, lady,” Chris said as Jennifer leaned against the edge of the wall and looked down at them.

  "Not interrupting anything, am I?” The words were out before Jennifer remembered Lialla; but the woman opened one eye, her smile briefly widened and she let the eye close again.

  "If my uncle could see this,” she murmured. She tapped Chris's arm. “Not quite so hard, please."

  "Well, hey, you got steel bands for muscles, you know?” But he shifted to a more gentle kneading motion against both sides of her throat with his finger tips.

  "Mmmm. Better. You're not interrupting anything, Jen,” she added dryly. “No—what was it you said in Podhru, Chris—?"

  "Oh, jeez,” Chris implored, “forget that, will you? Honest, I was pulling the guy's chain, I wasn't trying to—well, you know.” He leaned forward to eye her accusingly. “You're pulling mine, too, aren't you?"

  Lialla laughed. “Got you. A question, though: I sorted out part of what you said, but a term evades me.” Even in the blue light, Jennifer could see Chris's color mounting; his fingers went still. “What is a ‘front lawn'?"

  "Oh, man?” Chris freed a hand and tapped the end of her nose. “You wait. You just wait. There's something else where I come from, called payback."

  "Sure,” Lialla replied with a grin. “If I were you, I wouldn't threaten the woman who's going to teach me how to use Thread. I could really pull your chain—"

  "Yah,” Chris scoffed as he went back to his massage. “Mess me up and who's gonna do your back for you? Who's gonna teach you the hip hop—?"

  "You have to ask yourself,” Jennifer said mildly, “if she wants to learn the hip hop."

  "Hey, why not? But we already have a commitment on the hang glider, right, Li?” He grinned widely. “Yo, Jen, wanna sign up, you can be my second fly girl?"

  "You have to ignore him,” Lialla said. She was spluttering in an effort to stifle giggles.

  "I think I'd really better. I don't believe I went through four years of college and three of law school to become somebody's fly girl. Sounds more like Meriyas's kind of thing. I mean, you know?” she added sarcastically. “On the other hand, if I get to watch you do the test flights, I'll tackle the glider."

  "You know,” Chris told Lialla seriously, “I like the woman in spite of herself. In spite of her deep and abiding trust in me, and my devotion to her better interests."

  "Name once—” Jennifer began.

  "Hey. Who separated the noble boy wonder from his blowsy barmaid so you could have a crack at him?"

  "Got that on my own, kid. You going to sit here and mouth all night,” Jennifer added, “or can we do some things here? If I understood any of that gabble around the fire, they want to be out of here at first light."

  "Disgusting,” Edrith said sleepily.

  "Forgot you were there,” Chris said.

  "Yeah. My stock in trade, remember?"

  "Not any more, it's not,” Chris said vigorously. “We got a deal, remember?"

  "Still might come in useful."

  "Deal,” Chris repeated firmly. “You still out on this Thread stuff?"

  "You try, I'll watch,” Edrith said. “It fries you, I'll know it wasn't a good idea."

  "My friend,” Chris replied sarcastically. Edrith rolled over onto his side and propped himself on one elbow.

  "Deal?” Jennifer asked as she eased down onto the edge of Lialla's silkcloth.

  "Got to keep all his fingers intact somehow, don't I? Keep him from looting the market out from under you and the noble boy wonder, too, right? So I figured it out, how to pay for the cabin up here, maybe another down by Podhru—the waves around Caro's place were absolutely primo, you know, and a surfboard wouldn't be too hard to come up with, either—and all like that. Now, all that would have to take money, even here. Even if I don't want to go Yup like Fedthyr and Evany and all those guys. So I figured, this place is a closed society, except Shesseran is starting to ease the gates open. We
ll, so there isn't much new outside stuff coming in yet. But there will be, don't you think? Just figuring how people are, why do things the hard way if there's a new and unproved way?"

  "Possibly,” Jennifer allowed cautiously.

  "Yeah, I know, it's not guaranteed, and I'm not trying for any kind of historical crossover any more, too damned confusing. All the same, just figuring people, and what stuff I got out of Caro. Now, I'll bet you the guys who first went into the Middle East and sold Cadillacs got damn rich, don't you?"

  "Uh, Chris, I don't think Cadillacs—"

  "No, I said no historical crossovers, right? Besides, if Caro has it pegged, it's way too early for any kinds of automobiles. Damn,” Chris added feelingly. “But how about the guy who came in here with, say, the telegraph? Or steam engines? Or—I don't know. Whatever's out there that's useful.” He came around from behind Lialla and sat, drawing his knees up and resting his chin on them. “For sure, I need to go find out, though. I can't just stay here and wait for it to come to me—whatever it is.” He laughed quietly. “Hey, Jen. Remember a zillion years ago, back at that grungy antique shop in the desert, when you said I should get my own life, let mom do her own thing? Who'd have figured on this?” Before Jennifer could answer, he shook his head and turned to Lialla. “All right, let's try this. What do I have to do?"

  * * * *

  It took time and all the patience Lialla and Jennifer could muster to deal with a frustrated Chris. He finally managed to access Thread, however, and once he'd done that, and learned how to regain a real perspective, he lost most of his reserve. He found the heavy, flat, broad and dully red Thread at once, which gave him confidence. To Jennifer's relief he handled the stuff with caution, and continued to listen to Lialla. When she tentatively suggested he try another, he nodded. The finding Thread was a little more difficult for him to separate from the rest until Jennifer gave him a vocal cue. He withdrew by himself some minutes later and sat, head and arms hanging between his knees, eyes closed.

  He finally shook himself and looked around. “Totally awesome. All that everywhere and you just—walk through it, don't even see it. Amazing."

  "Let me know if—when you want more of it,” Lialla said. Chris nodded.

  "Yeah. I might, if there's ever time. I just—you know, I watch you guys using it all the time, doing this stuff. Wanted to see what it was, mostly. Maybe you can show me how to do that rope, sometime. That could be useful.” He got to his feet and stretched until his back popped. “Whoa, Stiff City. C'mon, Eddie, let's go walk around some before we crawl in?"

  "Do I have a choice?” Edrith asked, but he was getting to his feet.

  "No. Besides, if they're gonna haul us out at that kind of hour—you know mom's line,” Chris added to Jennifer, “the only thing dawn's good for is starting wars and doing executions."

  Jennifer laughed. “No argument."

  Lialla turned to watch them go. “I know he'll need to eventually; I'll be sorry when he does go."

  "I know."

  "Well—about magic,” Lialla went on briskly. “Ready?"

  "New and Improved Thread?” Jennifer asked. “Sure. Try me."

  * * * *

  She couldn't work it; after an hour, she finally gave up trying and emerged from Thread hot, sweaty and utterly frustrated. “I should've known,” she said finally. “I can't hear anything. It's like—” She spread her hands in an angry shrug. “I can't work it at all. Maybe—oh, hell.” She was silent for a moment, finally looked up with a rueful smile. “Now I know how you felt."

  "Maddening,” Lialla agreed easily. “But I won't let you give up, either."

  "All right.” Jennifer ran a sweaty hand over a slick forehead. “I can take a challenge; give me something to do later on."

  "I have a feeling you won't lack for things,” Lialla said. “I imagine Dahven has plans for your future—"

  "Gathered that, did you?"

  "You're not too obvious, after all, are you? I heard you threatening that man on the Bez Road; I heard Dahven after they got you in our room at that inn. You'll do an excellent job of guarding each other's backs, won't you?"

  "I hope so. Even if Afronsan manages to oust the brothers from Sikkre, I don't know that that will be the end of things. There are some pretty raw feelings involved.” Jennifer shrugged. “That's well in the future, though. One thing at a time, all right? Let's get Aletto set up first."

  "When he is,” Lialla said calmly, “he'll need advocates, I'd think. And it could take time to return Sikkre to Dahven, Afronsan's way. Aletto will have you up to your ears in paper."

  "You're probably right,” Jennifer said gloomily. “After a few days in Sehfi, I think I'm going to find myself lusting after a word processor the way Chris does after a car.” And at Lialla's raised eyebrows, “Yeah, I know, those words again."

  "You and Chris. I sometimes wonder how I ever managed, when I understood all the words I heard."

  * * * *

  They rode well into Zelharri the next day, taking two short stops but only finishing for the day when it was nearly dark. Jennifer later remembered that day, and the following one, as blurs: an impression of blue sky occasionally crossed by thin, fast-moving clouds, warm air that seemed to drop to freezing as soon as the sun went down. Birds and small animals everywhere, once a deer standing motionless in shadow, watching as they passed.

  By the next afternoon, they were only an hour from Duke's Fort. They stopped, waited for dark.

  The early night hours were dark indeed: No moon, and most of the stars were muffled under thick cloud. It reminded Jennifer of their first night in Zelharri, walking in a line, hands outstretched so no one would run into a tree. Here, they led the horses, each person holding the tail of the animal before. It was an arrangement she didn't care for much; the hair was coarse, the smell of horse came straight back at her in reeking waves. Her own kept walking up almost on her heels, trying to nibble her shirt.

  For the moment, she welcomed the diversion; fighting off a suddenly too-friendly horse while waiting to be crushed under its feet was considerably better than thinking about the immediate future.

  She had been thinking of the confrontation with Jadek, though: She hadn't reckoned with the ride, once they found the road and set off to meet up with Gyrdan and his men. Galloping down a totally dark and—to her—unfamiliar road was one of the more terrifying experiences she'd ever gone through, and she was trembling all over when they finally stopped. Dahven, who'd stayed right beside her somehow, gripped her forearm and exclaimed aloud. Someone ahead shushed him with an urgent hiss.

  "Your hands are like ice,” Dahven whispered against her ear. “Are you all right?"

  "After that ride? If I survived that I must be immortal,” Jennifer whispered back. “Please tell me we're there."

  "Nearly. It's all right, though. Even I know this road; it's flat and level and utterly straight for a tremendous distance both sides of Sehfi."

  "God,” Jennifer murmured devoutly. Dahven freed her hand from the reins, drew it up to his lips and kissed it, then chafed a little blood into it while they waited. Robyn was suddenly at her other side, looming up in the darkness.

  "Everything all right?” she asked softly. “Aletto sent me back here, in case there's trouble at the gates. Do you mind?"

  "Of course not, Birdy. Where's Chris? I haven't seen him."

  Robyn sighed. “Where do you think? Right up front, of course. Lialla's up there, too, just behind some of the front men, Aletto couldn't convince her she'll just be in the way."

  "Maybe she won't. I—"

  "They're moving,” Robyn said. A moment later, Jennifer could hear it, too, and a moment after that, her horse jerked its head forward, tugging at the reins. Dahven let go her fingers and they set out.

  They went at a walk this time, fortunately for Jennifer's peace of mind. After a while, there were houses—a few in the trees to either side, then more right along the road. They passed a busy, well-lit inn from the opposite sid
e of the road, moved back to the now wider and paved surface. Houses and shops lined the road for a short distance on both sides, then vanished from the left; to the right, a wall rose. They came to a halt, and after a moment went on again; well to the left side of the road, off the pavement, hard against the trees. Jennifer felt as though someone had tightened steel bands down around her chest; the night air was chill and damp and tasted unpleasantly of wood smoke as it slid down her throat, but breathing was difficult anyway.

  They stopped once more; people in front of her were dismounting. Jennifer swallowed, eased out of the saddle, held onto the stirrup for balance while she drew out her bo. Dahven came around, touched her shoulder and leaned close. “I have to go; Aletto needs me. Will you be all right?"

  "I'm just fine.” Fortunately, her whisper sounded fine; if he was out with Aletto, the last thing he needed was to worry about her. She squeezed his fingers. “Scram.” He squeezed back and was gone.

  Someone took the horse from her. She turned to say something to Robyn, but Robyn wasn't there any more. Strange men everywhere—she wondered briefly how she could be certain they were all Aletto's and promptly forced herself to think about something else. Hands, she thought desperately. Boy, are they cold. She cupped them before her face, alternately scrubbing them together and blowing on them.

  "Jen?” The whisper could've been anyone; it startled her. Edrith leaned near enough that she could make out his features. “Li wants you. Can you?"

  "Anything except stand here,” she said.

  "I know. Waiting's grim."

  "You see Robyn?"

  "Just now. She's with Afronsan's bunch."

  "Good.” That was one of them reasonably safe—so long as Birdy didn't shapeshift.

  Edrith seemed to understand her worry. He patted her arm, kept his hand on it so he could lead her forward. “No one will bother her; Jadek will be too busy to think about her."

  "Hope so,” Jennifer said. Someone hissed a nervous, “Hush!” as they went by.