"My dear, do not cry for you will be at my side when I ascend." She offered her hand and Setimet kissed her ringed fingers. Another maidservant then slipped her great ring with the blue topaz and sapphires upon it on her finger and she then sat in the sedan chair.
"I am ready." She said. The windows were wide open and she could hear the distant cry of the fighting on the wall.
"When I emerge, the battle will stop. Do not fear." She commanded. The men servants lifted up her sedan chair and carried her solemnly out of her bedroom and through the palace halls toward the palace entrance of the temple of Nimnet.
Approaching the hall they heard noises of confusion and shouting.
"What is happening? Cover me! Where are my veils?" Demanded the queen. Setimet unfurled the long, delicate veils and handed them to the queen who draped them over her head.
"I cannot let these mortals see me as I am." She whispered. Taliat felt agitated. "What is it? What is going on?" She demanded.
"I do not know, Your Greatness." Said Bakku, fearfully.
"Well find out, then!" She shouted. Bakku hurried through the hall toward the throne room. The guards threw open the doors. Inside were two of the generals and other attendants and servants. They glowered at her.
"Guards! Close those doors! Let us go!" She commanded. They kept going, hurrying their step, though she was now becoming more agitated.
"Hurry up! The temple! I fear rebellion is erupting in my own house!" They hurried to the temple entrance. Bakku, who had the large key, a wide block of gold and jade, inserted this block into the hole in the door. They could hear the massive gears within click and creak and then the doors opened. The din of angry voices behind them steadily grew louder.
"Hurry!" She said. But when the doors opened, there was Ilim, standing there before them with his staff. The staff flared with white light.
"Your rule has ended, Queen Taliat. This night you will die." The queen was apoplectic. Ilim, here, standing before her! She was shaking. Behind him came racing the high priestess and her under-priestesses. She was screaming.
"Get away from her you demon! My queen! There was a being filled with light that broke him free, like a son of the gods, he was!"
"So kill him now! How did you let him get this far? Are you not a daughter of gods yourself? Kill him!" The queen screamed. The high priestess with a quick flick of her hand whipped out a cruel, curved knife and she swung it at Ilim, missing his throat by a hair's breadth as he lunged away from her. His staff grew bright with white, hot light and it burst into flame and then he was aglow with white fire. Unfazed, the high priestess lept upon him again to attack but when she touched him her skin was seared. She dropped the knife, screaming. He grabbed her arm and her body became engulfed in fire. She stood burning like a torch, her screams high-pitched and inhuman. She fell to the floor, writhing around and then finally stopped as the body blackened and the skin crackled. The queen tried to drive her men to push past him but the servants, now awakened from their enthrallment panicked at what they were seeing.
"He is Hec come down to us to punish us for abandoning him!" They cried and they left the queen in her sedan chair and fled.
"You! You!" She lifted herself from her seat. Her closest maidservants had stayed behind to protect her.
Ilim watched them and her carefully. He spoke no word. The queen slipped off her veil and Ilim was aghast at her appearance. She was a monstrous thing, a woman in shape and form but she looked like a reptilian creature with gleaming scaly skin and her eyes gleamed with amber fire. She laughed but it was a beastly sound, unnerving.
"Nothing can stop me. Not you, not your god. This is a battle of gods and I will win."
"Your uncle seems to think differently." Ilim finally recovered himself but he stood his ground with staff in hand. She stepped down from her chair.
"Cowards! All cowards. Except you, at least."
"Who will you sacrifice to Nimnet now? Who? For it will not be me any longer and the young girl you captured has escaped. And I have another thing for you. Understand this. Your boy lives. He lives. The one who was meant to be king by God Himself. Your boy by Khalit lives. And he will be king." Her face changed into ugly shades of blue and green at this, contorted with evil rage. She opened her mouth as if to shout something but then closed it. She hissed at him like a snake and suddenly she said something in Egian to the other priestesses and she and an under-priestess grabbed Setimet and dragged her through the doorway by her arms and hair.
"I will become a goddess! I have come too far for it to fail now!" She turned to the priestesses. "Take them all to the altar!" They grabbed the other maidservants and began dragging them down to the temple.
"Leave those women alone!" He shouted.
"They are my servants to do with as I please and they will help me ascend!" She then heaved the doors shut. Ilim ran from the room. He wandered the palace until he came to the throne room where courtiers and others were already gathering, some to take over power themselves if the siege failed, others to ingratiate themselves on whoever next ascended the throne. Within only a few hours the palace had fallen into chaos. If no decisive action was taken, chaos in the city streets would follow.
"Him there! Seize him!" Said one of the officials.
Ilim murmured a prayer and his staff again began to light afire and they backed away.
"The queen still lives and while she lives there will be no transfer of power. She has fled into the temple. Dark forces are at work with her. She must be stopped, for if she lives, her reign of terror will know no bounds. We must bring her to justice. She is a usurper! The rightful king comes!" Who he thought was the rightful king and who they thought was, he did not bother to probe. He just needed them on his side.
"Find the serpent woman and throw her outside to her fate. Who is with me?"
"I am with you. " It was Cardith. His attendant Jalon came up behind him.
"We are with you, for if she lives, her reign of terror will indeed grow."
"You men there, give the command and gather all our allies in the city. The Ainash are on our side. Gather them here and take a delegation and bring the high priest and his most trusted men and treat with Lord-Chieftain to let the new king in through the gate. Tell the men the siege is over and if he will show us mercy that the land is his and we will acknowledge him as lord and king over this land." Said Cardith and he dispatched men to carry out his commands.
"I wonder if it is too late for us now. It has been seven days. He has nearly undermined the wall." Said Cardith. Ilim shook his head.
"No, there is time. It is only too late for those who do not heed prophecy."
"Watch yourself and all this talk of prophecy! We will help you overthrow the tyrant queen. Not help you bring in some one we do not know to sit upon the throne." Another general said harshly. Ilim merely stared at him but said nothing. Cardith spoke.
"Where is the rat, Bakku? Find him and bring him here! He shall be put to death with her!"
"He is gone. Hiding like sewer rats always do when the light shines." Said Ilim.
. . .
The next hour things moved quickly as lightening. On the wall a great white flag was waved up and down.
"The queen's supporters have been subdued. The city is yours, Lord Teraht. You are king!" Said a general upon the wall. All of the city officials stood with him.
"Ah. So these dogs finally see reason?" Asked Teraht to one of his attendants after he gave the command to halt the offense.
"We should destroy them, sovereign! They disobeyed your word!"
"I know. But there is great political opportunity here, Duglush. Whosoever controls the capital of Hybron controls the world. I will spare them death but make them pay later when I sit on the red throne. That is a promise." He had his erdu-horn taken out again.
"Open the gate and bring out the usurper! If you bring her to me, I will not destroy you." Teraht commanded. They opened the battered gates and the army marched in. He command
ed that his warriors not harm or touch anyone in the city. Teraht brought out his flaming sword and lifted it high for all to see as his attendant drove his chariot. All at the wall saw the flaming sword and wondered at it in great fear and consternation.
"The Red King! The Red King" Shouted the Ainash. The high priest was also at the wall in a show of support to the new king. The new king, who was styled the Red King. No need of another red king. They already had one who fulfilled prophecy as far as they wanted.
. . .
Bakku grabbed his most prized possessions, throwing most of them in a bag. He could not leave by litter or caravan as all travel had stopped because of the siege but surely there was somewhere he could hide. He grabbed one more bag filled with with treasures and ladre and made his way to the palace gate. The concubines would have to fend for themselves. They were on their own as far as he was concerned. It was mayhem and amidst the change of power he had no friends. None among the Ainash now nor among the court of the new king. Or the queen. She had deserted him, turned on him! He felt lost, desperate. She had turned on him, his queen! She would use him now that Ilim was gone, she would kill him to ascend and he loved his own soul too much for that. Puzzled looks from denizens through closed shutters peeked out at him in his fancy silken robes and bags of ladre and jangling treasures, running through the streets. He kicked at a dog scavenging through the street, looking for a place to hide.
Death to Bakku! He never in his life thought he might find himself in such a position. The gods above and below, curse you all for leading me to this! Curse you all! Curse Airend-Ur for you have done nothing to help me or your people! Nothing and now I am here and my life in tatters but you will not defeat me or bend me to your will. I will survive and do what I will, regardless of your vague, so-called prophecies! He thought contemptuously.
Seeing a small crowd of people scavenging down the street he ducked down another street and found a house that looked empty. He pounded down the door and sat down, hiding behind the front door. When he'd caught his breath he looked around. Filthy people and their vermin-infested houses. He wondered whether he would have to be cleansed from lice or infectious sores for even being in such a place. If only he could find a way to get to Rhuctium. He could prosper there, grow and perhaps become wealthy again. He had many talents. He was high-born and educated. To Rhuctium he would go but he had to wait until the siege was over and hoped beyond hope that the siege did not last longer than a month or the thought would be too terrible to contemplate. A shame, what this great city has been reduced to! He cursed Airend-Ur. Why did you not warn us of this troublesome fate? Why did you not give the signs we needed? He took out a silver flask and drank some water. Someone crept into the back room. He heard whispering behind him outside the house. Somewhere a dog was barking. Shadows fell upon the dirt floor and a man with hollow eyes, in rags and broken down sandals appeared around the corner.
"Is this your house, man?" The man said nothing.
"Eh? Answer me! Is this your house? I need a place to stay. I will give you a coin for the night if you let me stay here." He said.
"This is not my house."
"Then what are you doing here? Get out before I throw you out." He heard the voices outside the front door growing louder and insistent. A face peered in at him from the open window. The man did not move but stared at him, his gaze was intense. Bakku began to perspire.
"The ones who lived here are gone."
"What a pity." Said Bakku. The man's expression suddenly changed into recognition which disturbed Bakku further.
"I know you." He said. Bakku looked at him in disbelief.
"That is impossible. I do not know you at all."
"But I know you." The man's demeanor began to take on a menacing turn.
"What in hell's name do you want from me, you piece of dung?"
"You come here and insult me after all the wicked deeds you have done. You disgusting sewer rat." The man spat. Bakku reached out a jeweled hand and tried to strike the man. That was a mistake. Others poured into the house, a great crowd of people. The man held Bakku's hand in an iron grip and he slowly pushed back Bakku's arm. Bakku had no strength against this man and he could feel the man's sour, fetid breath against his face, his eyes burning with hatred. Bakku's arm was held in a vice-like grip and he struggled in vain. The others crowded in around him.
"Your name is Bakku. You are the usurper queen's weasel. You killed many innocent people in her name. Many good people. Including the good people who once lived in this house." The man let Bakku's hand go and then tore off a piece of his robe and held it up.
"Look! He wears the royal colors of purple and blue. He sat in luxury doing the bidding of the Egian woman and now that her hour of judgment has come he runs and hides himself like a frightened baga pup! But justice will be dispensed tonight."
"No. . .no, wait! Do not do this. I can help you! What are you going to. . .no, please!" They descended upon him like hungry wolves. Bakku tried to run but there was no other door in the tiny house. The people became a mad and unreasoning mob and they seized him and dragged him out of the house into the street.
"There is no helper for you now!" Said a woman who spat on him. They began kicking him.
"Wait! Stop! If the city guard comes here, if they see us, they will stop us and we will never get our justice." Said the man.
"Help! Help me!" Bakku screamed, struggling to escape. One of the men took a knife and cut off another piece from his robe and gagged him with it.
"No one will help you. No one, but perhaps the unnamed one. Call out to him since you and the Egian woman worship him! Call to Shaitan, for he is your god!" Taunted the man.
"So what should we do? You cannot take our justice from us. Our revenge." Said the woman.
"I will not. The hole. There, no one will stop us and we will exact vengeance in the way we see fit." They stripped him naked and took his jewels and dragged him and beat him, forcing him to run before them. They forced him into one of the sewer tunnels. Then they held their tribunal. A few of the people found large sticks and tore up the rest of his robes and wound them around the sticks and lit them with fire.
"This man stood by and put his spies upon us to look for trouble where there was none. He stood by while my sons were impaled alive, while many innocent people were impaled alive, suffering upon the stakes like pigs for the roast. For how many hundreds of people did he oversee their executions and for what? For speaking against the Egian woman! Now she will die and so will her rat!" Said the first man. He held a torch in his hand, his hollow eyes haunted and filled with hatred.
"Blood for blood. Whoever kills the defenseless and the innocent shall be killed. Blood is avenged with blood." Said a woman.
"Blood for blood! Blood for blood!" The crowd chanted. They beat him mercilessly and drowned him in the filth of the sewer.
Later the corpse was found floating in a muddy ditch. A few dogs gathered and began fighting over it. The city guards did not know or recognize the body but they alerted the tenderers of the eternal fires. When the tenderers came with their litter they wondered if it would be wise to take the body, for if the siege wore on, the flesh would be needed. But when they took the body to the northern wall near the fires, the news spread that the siege was over. Vultures, eagles and other birds of prey, expecting to be glutted found the results paltry. They were flying high above or perched on the ramparts of the wall like beady-eyed ghouls. The eldest tenderer smiled grimly at the sight of them.
"Our friends expected a buffet feast. They are disappointed." The other men laughed. They'd seen the new armies and the new king entering the city only an hour ago. There was great relief to the tenderers over that. They took the body to the eldest, sagest tenderer. He studied it for some time.
"This man, I recognize him. His name is Bakku," he finally said.
"How can you know this? He is barely recognizable."
"I just know. In my soul. He was a wicked man. We will not wrap him
nor shall we bury him. Let it be known to those who knew him that he is dead. Curse him." The man took a machete from his work table on the ledge and he chopped off the head and sent for it to have it hung upon a stake and he wrote an inscription to be nailed to the top of the stake: Here lies Bakku na' Lafeh. The traitorous dog who sold the kingdom to the Egians.
"But are there not others who helped bring her in? Where are they?" Asked one of the young, new tenderers.
"We judge men as they come to us, as corpses. We have no power to bring anyone living to justice. That is not our place. Only a god can do that and the First One I sense, is on the move. Until then, we can only make a statement. No one shall care about this one for he cared for no one but himself. Others will eventually be punished for their wicked deeds. But that is out of our hands, brothers." Then he said the word and had the body thrown into the fires.
Chapter Forty-One
Whoever kills the defenseless and the innocent shall be killed. Blood is avenged with blood.
- An old tribal maxim
Jhis had surrendered.
Finally coming out to the wall himself Cardith noted that not only had the warriors and officials of the city but all the Golden Temple Guard and the Ainash had come out to support the new king. When he gave the word to surrender, there was no resistance. The white cloth flew and it was over. No one wanted death. Nor did they want the monster to continue in power. Teraht called a halt to the undermining of the wall and to the siege in general, climbed back into his chariot and lead his army into Jhis, holding the fearsome sword! Tens of thousands of Egian warriors and foreign mercenaries streamed into Jhis. Yet another foreign king had taken over the capital and therefore, the land.
Red World Trilogy Page 71
