Clearing the Web

by Cary J Lenehan

  Several days later, she had to admit that even she found it hard reading. It talks not only about magic, but also of physics and the connections between the two. It is a very thick book and very dry and makes me question everything I know.

  It talks about the tiny particles that the world was made of, and how these particles are mainly made of nothing. It talks not of the four, well-known, elements, but of many, many, more. It is very confusing. I will need to have a lot of time to sit down and seriously read it, with no interruptions and plenty of time to think.

  One book is a series of speculations on what might lie beyond the world itself. It called the world that we live on Vhast and describes the use of telescopes upon the moons and talked of using them to look at the planets in the sky.

  It contains many numbers and it talks about why Vhast and the other planets go around Kron, the sun, and even why that is similar to the flight of an arrow. It leads to us spending time on the roof pointing our small telescope around the sky on dark nights. We need a better one, if we can get it, to see all that is talked about in the book.

  “I think, my love, that if these books talk of other lands, and the Masters collected them, then they might not have wanted others to know about them. Of course, it could also mean that they were interested in them themselves and that might explain where the other Masters are. There are, after all, more of their diagrams in Dwarvenholme than there are likely places for them to connect to in the Land, unless there is more than one in each area.”

  Lakshmi

  Lakshmi had taken over an empty residence and workshop beside Harald’s house for her own workshop. I may be married to Harald, but there is not enough space for me to work in his house. With his charcoal and slag and dust, he makes my work untidy.

  We have plenty of spare buildings and I want a downstairs area where I can prepare and store my potions and another, upstairs and more private, where I can look after the women that are coming more and more to see me.

  Since I have come here, I have more experience with stopping pregnancies than in assisting with them, but I still know more than our other healers on the subject. The men who know physiking know little on the subject of childbirth and Ayesha has a lot more learning in caring for people after a battle than in helping women in labour.

  I will want help to deliver my own child…so Ayesha needs to learn more. From the expression on her face, I may have put her off childbirth forever. “I do not mind killing people, but I am not sure that I want much to do with the problems that you are describing. Please be trouble free.” Lakshmi smiled.

  Lakshmi even made sure that there was one large room set aside in the upstairs of her workshop for the priests. From my time in the slums of Pavitra Phāṭaka, even when everything goes well with a birth, there are far too many women who have problems. I know that some women tear badly and bleed and then die, or catch a fever after the birth and die, or die for one of many other reasons like poison of the blood. I do not want to be one of them.

  We have priests here, and Christopher and Theodule can make sure that they have a sanctified area set aside for if they are needed. The largest room upstairs was cleaned and painted, a pattern added to the floor and then consecrated, and Father Christopher proudly set up the icon of the Saints Cosmas and Damien on its wall. Now we not only have a healing chapel set aside, but it even has its own appropriate icon. I am sure that few villages can boast of that.

  As summer went by, she took others with her as she wandered around the hills looking for herbs to add to her store. I have even had Bilqĩs practicing her glassblowing. I may have a selection of slightly wobbly and often odd-coloured jars and bottles, but it does let me store the things that I have found and made. No longer am I confined to the few bottles that we have left over from the previous owners of Mousehole.

  They usually used the carpet to seek out the plants on the slopes of the valley and in the upper valley. On the first expedition into the upper valley to find out the resources there, she came back excited, waving some small branches. The plant had long leaves and was covered in blue flowers.

  “Rani, do you know what we have?” Rani shook her head. To her it is just a plant. She may be a more experienced alchemist than me, but she knows less about non-magical plants. “This is Gasparin, one of the best of hot spices, and we have hillsides of it. From the flowers and leaves, we have at least five different types. Do you realise how many merchants will want this? We will almost own the market outside the Caliphate. I was not able to find many seedpods, for some reason it is best picked in the early spring, but I have some samples in my bag.” See, her nose is reacting. Even the flowers and leaves waving in the air give off a sharp and spicy scent.

  “Also, we have the mountain pepper bushes.” She removed a small bag and emptied some small round berries on the table. “As well Aine will be glad to know, and Ayesha not glad at all, that we have Allah’s Curse.” Rani is still just looking blank.

  Lakshmi sighed. “It distils to one of the best spirits known, but one that it is easy to get addicted to, not like the way that Father Christopher was, but addicted nonetheless. Still, we would not have to worry about that seeing that we are the ones who will hold the supply. We will have so much more to offer merchants. You do not realise how good it is to go out and not just seek the red tansy to make potions to cause the women to miscarry.

  “You will want to know that we also have some tea. I have brought some small plants back for Giles to plant closer to us here and Ayesha will be glad to see that we even have kaf. We will need to work out a way to cultivate that as the bushes are very scattered.” She waved her arms around excitedly as she said this as if she were taking in the hills and mountains, the whole area where the plants were located.

  “Those stupid bandits could have made more money from the plants here than they ever did with their raids. No-one has touched any of this for many, many years and, unlike places that have had people around them all of the time, the plants are lush and not picked out.”

  “I even think that I have found some of the lichen that is called crotal dubh, although no one knows what that name means, it just comes to us from the past…but it is the only thing that yields a good black dye that does not fade, so we will even have our own supply of that if it tests true. Mind you, it grows very slowly, and we will never have a lot of it. The main thing is, once we can make cloth ourselves, we can die it black and not have it fade.”

  Astrid

  12th Secundus

  It is the night before Christmas and I am the first of the women to give birth. I suppose that is fair. I was the first to start freely fucking. I have made all of Lakshmi’s preparations and concerns unnecessary. According to Lakshmi, it was a quick and easy birth. I am not sure if I felt it like that, but she has seen more than me. I now have twin children, a boy and a girl.

  They were cleaned up and handed to her to give them suck while Ayesha brought Basil in. He looks relieved. He has been outside waiting nervously with the priests and Aziz listening to me yelling and swearing. I wonder what he thought. At least he now has a smile on his face and I am so elegant lying with a rug over my legs and naked except for my wedding necklace.

  She indicated each in turn as they lay cradled in her arms and sucking on a breast each. “Husband, meet Freya Astridsdottir, who shall be known, at least until she has established her own name, as ‘the Kitten’ and Georgiou Akritas. He is the one with the dark hair and scaly skin down his spine and she is the blonde.” She smiled broadly.

  “But that is my father’s name,” said Basil with an inane expression on his face.

  “Silly, did you think that I didn’t listen to you, of course it is. You are leaving your family behind for him and for me. Here is a reminder of them.” He leant down to tentatively touch the children and they kissed.

  “What is more,” Astrid smiled, “if she starts to get teeth like me as she g
rows older, then you will have to learn to nurse her.”

  Ayesha

  We have been worried, and now Hagar and Rani have returned to Mousehole on the carpet. They had been out on a sweep around the area. Excitedly they reported that Thord was on the way back home.

  “He is on his own and sends his greetings and says that he has many tales to tell about the return of the Dwarves. He wouldn’t share any of them with us, but he seems to be in very good spirits. He should be back here tomorrow night,” said Ayesha.

  Chapter XXXV

  Thord

  After he had been introduced to the new babies, Thord was greeted with a welcome dinner. “T’is is only fittin’ for Ambassador. It’s good to be back here with plenty to drink ’n’ smiling faces instead of t’camp food ’n’dour faces to be found in Dwarvenholme. I ha’missed Lãdi’s cookin’ so much.” He wouldn’t be drawn any further and said to wait until after they had all eaten and people could come out of the kitchen.

  After all had eaten, Thord was patting his stomach happily and asked everyone to gather around. “I’m used to lots of attention now,” There was a twinkle in his voice and a broad wink.

  When all had gathered, he started his tale. “T’Dwarves’re back in Dwarvenholme,” he said. Turning to the mages he said: “I’ve cautioned’em to stay clear of t’magic rooms, ’n’t’ey are now off limits. I told’em t’at we would be up to deal with’em soon. I t’ink it had better be very soon. Someone or another is bound to t’ink t’at t’ey can deal with’em.”

  He turned back to face everyone. “I ha’gathered’em up from all over T’Land ’n’made sure t’ere were as many delays as I could manage in gettin’ t’ere. I saw your tracks on t’way in, but I t’ink t’at we missed you by at least a month. T’others were too busy with rebuildin’ t’road as t’ey went,” he chuckled, “T’at was my idea, so t’at if’n any noticed your tracks t’ey forgot to mention it to t’others.”

  “When t’ey got t’ere t’ey quick went t’rough all of t’ rooms t’at you had seen and t’en began to explore t’ rest. T’ere was a whole nest of t’ose Moonshadow t’ings at t’ bottom of t’stairs ’n’several Dwarves were lost before t’ey were wiped out.”

  “T’ere were also all t’usual hazards ’n’creatures. I was right t’ough. T’ere’re also some good food animals. Most of ’em ha’now been rounded up ’n’re now t’base of herds. We found another treasure room as well lower down. It was far smaller t’an t’ one above, ’n’most of t’treasure had corroded or fallen to pieces, but with what you left ’n’it, t’Dwarves’re more t’an happy. All of t’ose who went first’re now wealthy. I guess t’at you brought more here.” He looked around at some of the jewellery being worn. “Yes, I see t’at you did.”

  “More Dwarves arrive every day. T’ other towns’ll soon only have half of t’eir people in t’em, but t’at is right. T’is is t’ most important of all of our places ’n’it should ha’ t’most people. T’Duke of t’North, Smasher Kharlsbane, wants to proclaim himself King, but his forces are currently outnumbered by t’rest, ’n’even a lot of his own people do not want him to rule us all.”

  “He cannot just make himself King, however, as I still ha’t’Crown ’n’without me giving it, t’ere can be no King. No Dwarf would accept him. T’ey ha’decided t’at t’ere shall be a Mayor of t’city, as t’ere would be under King anyway ’n’T’orgrim Baldursson was elected. He is an old Dwarf of ancient lineage ’n’, even if t’ey do not always agree with him, all of t’Dwarves from every area respect him. I gave him my approval,”

  “Dwarvenholme is full of light now. T’bats ’n’ t’creatures of evil’re gone. Dwarves claim shops ’n’start homes. T’forests outside of Dwarvenholme’re being slow cleared for timber. Having said t’at, Dwarvenholme a struggles to produce enough food for itself ’n’it is being shipped in ’n’t’is will happen for many years to come.”

  “T’ere is a part-Kharl at Mouthguard, Mellitus, you would have seen him Princess, who hops from foot to foot all of t’time as Dwarves pass t’rough his little garrison with goods ’n’ t’ey ha’ no interest in trade. I warned him t’ough, t’at if he charges t’Dwarves to pass from Dwarven lands to Dwarven lands, t’en we will build bridge below his fort ’n’ no-one’ll stay in his tavern. At least this way he gets t’ revenue from our stays ’n’ his people’re sellin’ as much food as t’ey can bring in.”

  “T’at is almost all of general interest. As your Ambassador,” he stood and bowed to everyone, “I’m enjoying myself. T’ey do not know how to treat me. I can say what I want ’n’I do. As those who found Dwarvenholme, I’ve made sure t’at t’voice of Mousehole is heard on equal footin’ with any Dwarven village.”

  After having said this, Thord began to answer questions and to talk more to individuals as the music and dancing started. It was a good night. Rani took him away to inspect the jewellery and gave him some arm bands that had been reserved from the treasure for him. They were of gold and undoubtedly ancient in make and each was a serpent that coiled around the arm. The eyes were small rubies and some mithril had been inlaid in very fine lines to better mark some of the features.

  “T’ese’ll impress when I get back,” he said, “but is t’ere a something t’at I can keep as wedding gift? My mother is finding me a bride. I should have something to give her to impress her family.” Rani let him dig among the jewellery until he found a piece that was too masculine for most of the women, but none of the men wanted.

  Chapter XXXVI

  Over the next few weeks Mousehole was introduced to Peggy Farmer and Bishal and Valentine Black. Both boys were born on the same day to their different mothers, resulting in a very proud father. They were followed by Aneurin ap Stefan and Bianca Fletcher and then the girls Khãtun and Bũrãn of the Dire Wolves.

  Anahita was in labour for over a day giving birth to Bũrãn and Kãhina was running backwards and forwards, trying to care for Khãtun, Hulagu and Anahita all at once. Bianca finally banned her from the birthing room and took over the shuttle, and then finally made her go to bed. She was awake again for the birth.

  Goditha

  27th Secundus

  After this was a small pause of a week before Melissa Mason was born. Why am I kept out of the birthing room? “Thou wanted to be the father,” said Robin to his sister. “They all wouldn’t let me in when Bianca was born, so it is only fair that the same doeth happen to thou. Thou canst a sit out here nervously as the rest of us do. Besides, I think that thy Parminder hates both thee and me at present.” In a way he is right, but it is so hard.

  My little one has been the only birth so far that needed the attendance of our priests, but they tell me that it is just because she is so young and small. Our lovely Melissa is, however, a healthy baby and Parminder is quick to recover. Can I love her more?

  Theodora

  After she had been to see Goditha, Parminder and their baby, Theodora casually asked Rani: “You have brothers, don’t you?”

  “Yes, I have two, why do you ask?”

  “Nothing, I will talk to you later. It is just an idea.”

  Lakshmi

  “I will be happier when some of our poppies are producing. We need something to make it easier for the mothers…and I am likely to be next to deliver.”

  We still don’t have the opium, but I am so relieved that young George Pitt was not only a trouble-free birth but also the fastest born of all the children so far.

  Theodule

  2nd Tertius

  It worries me that Ruth is having difficulty with the birth. She is a small woman anyway and getting old to have her first child. It was her choice to marry and to have children. Am I to be left a widower again as a result of this?

  Joshua and Jeremiah Cephalas are both a surprise and cause of rejoicing. Neither of us priests picked up two life forces, but the identical twins have mad
e my little teacher very happy.

  Christopher

  18th Tertius

  After Theodule’s experience, I think that we are also having twins, but this is not something I have practice at, so I am not mentioning it to Bianca.

  I was right. We have twins as well. Bianca has insisted on naming them Rosa and Francesco. “Rosa was like me in many ways,” she said, “but for luck our positions could have been reversed, and you married to her, or I could have died with her. She needs to be remembered and, like me she had no family to do it for her. Our baby will be forever a memorial to her. As for Francesco, he gave me a chance to be more than I was born to be. He is the one who brought me out of Freehold. If it had not been for him, we would never have met.”

  I suppose that it is just but, if we have more children, I would like the names of my parents to be passed on as well.

  9th Tertius

  The very next day the last mother to give birth was Verily. She was in so much pain during the labour that Basil had to call on several of the other fathers, for they were now all gathering for each new birth, just as the mothers were starting to do in the birthing room, to help him restrain the Hob from rushing in.

  It was made worse when Christopher was called in and Verily was rushed into the prepared room. It took some time, and they were all concerned as Verily’s cries grew louder and then stopped, almost in mid-call, but eventually however a beaming, but exhausted Christopher came back out.

  “She had some problems, but now, although she will be very tired and sore for a few days, they are all well. There must be something in the water here,” he continued. “Verily said that you had chosen Saglamruh for a name if it was a boy. Now go in and see her and think of a name for your second son.”