The women and the warlords coaaod-3

by Hugh Cook

  She felt a little thrill of power as Terzanagel sat. She remembered those years long ago, when she had been brought to Gendormargensis in chains and he had purchased her at auction. And had then tried to rape her. She had resisted, biting him – she wondered if he still had the scars. While he tried to think what to do with her, she had been kept locked up in a pitch-black cellar with only rats for company. In those hours of terror and darkness, she had sworn that she would kill him, slowly, if he ever came into her power.

  Now she had the opportunity. Terzanagel was expendable; she was sure Morgan Hearst would not object if she wanted to have the old man skinned alive. She could do the job herself, with a small, sharp knife. She could castrate him first…

  'It's been a long time,' said Terzangagel, speaking in Eparget.

  Hearing that familiar voice once more, hearing that familiar language, Yen Olass suffered unexpected pangs of homesickness. Terzanagel was her one and only link to so much which had once been dear to her. It all came back to her with a rush: her room in tooth 44 in Moon Stallion Strait, her humble little corner table in the Canoozerie, her balcony seat in the Hall of Heavenly Music, her horse Snut, her cat Lefrey, her dreamquilt and her seven-stringed klon.

  'It has been a long time,' said Yen Olass.

  Tears started at her eyes as, with a shock, she realized how often and how totally she had been displaced, suffering the loss of an entire way of life. She had been a child in her homeland of Monogail, a slave in Gendormargensis, a translator with an imperial army of invasion, a refugee in Penvash, a pioneer by Lake Armansis, an amber hunter in the Lesser Teeth – and now she was launched on her most dangerous venture yet, impersonating the Silent One of the Sisterhood.

  Her veil hid her tears.

  She wondered if Terzanagel was a potential traitor. No. He had broken imperial law by leaving the continent of Tameran, without permission; for that breach of law, his fellow text-masters would arrange his death no matter what pardons he obtained from any other quarter. Terzanagel had placed himself outside the protection of imperial law; he was committed to their own cause.

  T never thought to see you again,' said Terzanagel.

  'Or me you,' said Yen Olass, 'Tell me, what happened to Nuana Nanalako. Tell me all about it. Leave nothing out.’

  So Eldegen Terzanagel told the story of how he and Nuana had left Tameran, departing from Port Domax on a voyage south which was supposed to take them, eventually, to the Stepping Stone Islands, where he had planned to complete his researches into the life and works of that greatest of all poets of antiquity, Saba Yavendar.

  He spun her a lurid tale of piracy, shipwreck, mountain treks, dragons, nomad tribes, imprisonment, escape, capture, torture and slavery. Having lived through so many incredible events herself, Yen Olass could hardly doubt him. Terzanagel had last seen Nuana in Havanar a Asral, a seaport on the island of Asral in the Ocean of Cambria, east of the Inner Waters. She had been sold to a ship owner; he had been sold to a visiting wizard, who, delighted at his command of the High Speech of wizards, had employed him as a scribe.

  When the Swarms breached the defences of the Great Dyke, Drangsturm, and started their invasion of the lands to the north, the wizards had retreated from the castles they had occupied near Drangsturm. In the company of his master, Eldegen Terzanagel had fled to the Harvest Plains; on the journey, his master had died of cholera.

  After many vicissitides, Terzanagel had finished up on Stokos in the court of Lord Watashi, working as a scribe and translator.

  'And now,' said Terzanagel, winding up his long and weary talc, 'they want me on this adventure as a pair of eyes and ears. And you… if I may be so bold as to ask?’

  'The same,' said Yen Olass. 'This interview is now terminated.’

  It was fear which made her conclude their meeting so abruptly. She disliked talking about what she had to do. As the Silent One, she could review the readings of every oracle she could have brought before her. Now that Trest and Estar were established provinces of the empire, they had their usual complement of oracles. Few of these would have seen the Silent One in years, and none would have been personally acquainted with her – but any one of these intelligent young women might discover a mistake which would betray Yen Olass as an imposter.

  And then?

  Yen Olass could only imagine the kind of punishment which might befall a slave who impersonated the Silent One. If she got off lightly, they might let rats eat her breasts, then take her out and burn her alive. On the other hand, if they decided to be vindictive…

  Pushing such thoughts out of her mind, she turned her attention once more to the Indicators, the Casting Board and the Book of the Sisterhood, struggling to master delicacies of technique and interpretation which had once been second nature to her. It had indeed been a long time.

  ***

  That evening, Yen Olass slept alone for the second night in succession. She found it hard to get to sleep in her lonely bed. She yearned for Monogail. That, indeed, was part of the reason why she had filled her day with so much talk and work – it helped take her mind off the pain of separation.

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  After sailing some distance south, the good ship Ebonair turned east, on a course designed to take it to Iglis. Before getting there, they were intercepted. A sleek patrol boat overhauled them and challenged them. The Ebonair hove to and was boarded. The swaggering Collosnon intruders came to order promptly when Yen Olass emerged from her stateroom in the guise of the Silent One of the Sisterhhood, and, carrying off her role with an enviable degree of panache, called on them to obey her and do her bidding, in the name of the emperor.

  Soon the patrol vessel was on its way to Iglis to announce their imminent arrival; the Ebonair, rolling like a drunken pig in the heavy sea, trudged along in its wake, and had soon lost sight of the white-winged envoy.

  Yen Olass, thrilled with the ease at which she had handled this first encounter, began to toy with fantasies. What if Celadric was dead? What then? Would it be possible for her to continue this pretence and play her role for real? If Hearst's quest proved impossible, and the Rovac warrior returned to the Lesser Teeth empty-handed, could Yen Olass Ampadara step into the shoes of the Silent One and live out her days in state and power in Gendormargensis?

  The thought of her child Monogail recalled her to her senses. She had her own home to go back to, as soon as this madcap adventure was over – and the sooner the better. Now that her moments of madness were over, she coldly calculated her chances of surviving an extended stay in the Collosnon Empire, and found them worse than slim. In Trest and Estar, uncouth garrison provinces far removed from the imperial court, no doubt she could hold her own. But if she ever reached Gendormargensis, she would encounter people who, at the least, would know the Silent One by her voice.

  Then what about Meddon? And York? There was a slim chance that one of those formidable killers would remember the true voice of the Silent One. Or, alternatively, the voice from behind the veil might remind York of the oracle he had seen give a reading in Gendormargensis on the day that Lonth Denesk and Tonaganuk fought to the death. Or, considering that so many people passed through Gendormargensis at one time or another, it was possible that-

  Yen Olass realized she was not doing herself any good at all by trying to calculate the odds against success. She consoled herself with the thought that Hearst and Watashi were not fools; neither of them would put their heads inside a dragon's mouth unless there was at least a sporting chance that they would be able to withdraw before the jaws closed.

  Once more, Yen Olass turned her attention to the Indicators, the Casting Board and the Book.

  ***

  Arriving off Iglis, the Ebonair was delayed by plague. Warning flags cautioned them against going ashore; a hoarse-voiced signaller calling from the deck of a pilot cutter warned them that the surrounding countryside was in the grip of cholera. Watashi, speaking as the nominal leader of their party, stressed that their need was urgent; t
he reply was that orders banning all movement had been issued from Garabatoon, and could not be countermanded by Watashi, even though he claimed to speak in the name of the emperor.

  For three days they were anchored off Iglis. The text-master Eldegen Terzanagel treated them to a sepulchral rendition of the tale of the cholera epidemic which had claimed his master when he had been slave to a wizard; Morgan Hearst lamented the absence of his friend of many adventures, the healer Miphon, now in exile in Sung.

  Then they received landing permission. They could not enter Iglis, or take their ship up the Hollern River to Garabatoon, but they could come ashore on a deserted part of the coast, and transport would be arranged from there. Their route would take them through the countryside without bringing them into contact with any of the plague-stricken communities.

  This outcome had its attractions, at least for Yen Olass, as it spared her the danger of being identified as an imposter. On the other hand, these rigorous quarantine measures made it impossible for her to gather intelligence, which was her main task on this mission; she could not meet any oracles resident in Iglis to review their readings and to find out what the current concerns of the community were.

  When they landed, they were met by men with horses and ox-carts. They travelled with all possible speed toward Garabatoon, the town the Collosnon Empire had built on the site of Lorford. At nightfall, Yen Olass conferred with Hearst, Watashi and Eldegen Terzanagel. They agreed that if she felt they were under suspicion, she should feign sickness. Once they were immersed in the formal protocol which would attend their arrival in Garabatoon, it might be difficult for Yen Olass to meet with the others, but news that she had fallen sick would travel fast, warning them that they should abandon their mission and flee.

  Which left Yen Olass with at least one unanswered question: under such circumstances, how would she escape? When Hearst failed to come up with any satisfactory answer, she forced him to commit himself to several formidable oaths, guaranteeing that in the event of her death he would dedicate himself to Monogail and Mono-gail's future.

  ***

  On a day of wind and sunlight, the convoy entered Garabatoon. They were led by Watashi, who was playing himself; he was accompanied by Yen Olass, posing as the Silent One of the Sisterhood: Morgan Hearst and Eldegen Terzanagel, dressed in formal grey robes, were travelling as courtiers from Watashi's court. With them were twenty-six men. Some, Collosnon deserters who had been in the employ of Morgan Hearst for years, were passing themselves off as soldiers from Celadric's entourage; the others were dressed as what they actually were, soldiers and sailors from Stokos.

  They were met on the outskirts of Garabatoon and were told that a reception had been prepared for them. Messengers, breaking plague quarantine, had brought news of their impending arrival some days previously. After the reception, there would be a formal banquet; to celebrate their arrival, and to celebrate the fact that the plague had not spread to Garabatoon, there would be a river festival the next day.

  Yen Olass welcomed this news. Thanks to the festivities, no serious business would be discussed for at least two days. In that time, she should be able to interrogate at least some oracles, and learn whether anyone suspected Watashi of deceit. Naturally, Meddon and York would hesitate before handing over a substantial ransom to a stranger; if Yen Olass could achieve a good rapport with the oracles, and convince them that she, the Silent One, vouched for Watashi's good intentions, then anyone who consulted an oracle for guidance would probably get a reading indicating that it was best to hand over the ransom.

  With growing confidence, Yen Olass thought of the days ahead, and began to delight in the subtle challenge awaiting her. And quite apart from that, she was excited by the thought of a river festival. She hadn't seen one for years – for more than half a decade, in fact. She'd always loved river festivals, with their boating duels, horse-crossings, swimming races, archery contests, drums, trumpets, drinking, dancing and gambling.

  For at least two days, she would be the Silent One, which was almost as good as being empress. Maybe better.

  She wondered what she would get to eat that night. She supposed she could have whatever she wanted: she started thinking up lists of things to order. Would they have grapes? No, much too early in the year. What a pity. But someone could surely come up with a gaplax or two, if she really insisted. And insist she would.

  She should try and get hold of some nice clothes, too, so she could take a present back to Resbit. Something in silk. And some furs for Monogail, for the winter. And a new jacket. But how would the Silent One justify asking for children's clothes and a heavyweight jacket? She would have to ask Watashi to put it all on the list of things required as a ransom.

  Perhaps she should ask for a horse, too. Or at least a pony. But there was no decent pasture on the Lesser Teeth. So she would need some turf as well, maybe half a shipload. Or was that being too extravagant? No. They were ransoming off the Lord Emperor of Tameran, the great Celadric. The higher their demands, the more credibility they would gain. If their demands were too modest, their hosts might begin to suspect that the emperor was actually dead.

  That was logical. She decided to inform Watashi of this exquisite logic as soon as possible, and put in an order for a couple of horses, a shipload of turf, a case of the best silk, a wardrobe of leather clothes with fleece linings, a complete set of four-season furs in a child's size and an adult's size, a mirror, a dreamquilt, and a female lyre-cat to mate with Quelaquix. And some talking birds with bright feathers, if available.

  Why not?

  Opportunities like this only came once in a lifetime; it was best to make the most of them. Besides, she had given years of good service to the empire, as an oracle, and she had never been paid for any of her work, except when Lord Alagrace had tipped her; she was rightfully entitled to what she was asking for.

  Feeling more relaxed and cheerful than she had for days, Yen Olass began to look forward to the reception which was awaiting them.

  % $

  Castle Vaunting was no more; the great fortress built by wizards had been destroyed. Hearst claimed the damage had been done by a walking mountain. Yen Olass knew that was ridiculous – nevertheless, something had smashed the castle.

  The moat which had once been filled with fire had been buried for the most part, but the fire now forced its way up through pits, craters, and chasms which gashed Melross Hill at random. Scattered masonry, tottering fragments of walls and the stumps of ruined towers littered the landscape. The rains had washed away part of the hillside, making high-rising ruins out of some of the castle's dungeons. In places, the skull-bald rock of the hill itself poked through to the open air, revealing the dark mouths of caves and tunnels.

  This glorified rubbish dump was known as the castle scrag. Perched on the edge of the castle scrag was Castle Celadric, named to the greater glory of the reigning emperor. Compared to the ruins of the wizard fortress, it looked like a toy. A beautiful toy, because it had been built for height; Yen Olass counted thirty fluted spires. She knew that they had been built for a grim purpose: to be used as platforms for archers to shoot at the Neversh when those monsters made their incursions. In the town itself, other spires echoed those of the castle. To the south, the monsters of the Swarms commanded the lands, and worked steadily at the causeway designed to give them access to Estar. Once Hearst had got the ransom, taken it to the Lesser Teeth, negotiated with Draven to redeem Celadric's life and had negotiated with Celadric for control of the west of Argan, then the real battles would be only beginning.

  Remembering the five baby keflos she had killed on the flats near her home on Carawell, Yen Olass shuddered. She was glad that only men would be condemned to those epic battles of the future; with her part done, she would be able to go home and forget about such world-redeeming heroics. She had never yet seen one of the Neversh, and trusted that she never would.

  Castle Celadric, commanding Melross Hill, was built out of stone, but the town of Garabat
oon, down by the river, was built of logs. To the north, the forest had been felled, and the land brought under cultivation; the tallest vegetation was now hedges of sprite bamboo. Yen Olass wondered what had happened to the Melski – then turned her attention to other things, because they were approaching Garabatoon's High Hall, where the reception was to be held.

  Entering the high-gabled wooden hall, she found it was everything she could have desired. In contrast to the rather stark garrison town outside, the interior of the hall was lavishly decorated. Tapestries hung on the walls, and the entire ceiling was ablaze with flowers, cunningly entwined in fishing nets.

  At the far end of the hall, a chair was set up on a dais, like a throne. With a lordly confidence, Watashi strode forward and assumed the chair. Servants scurried forward, and, bowing and scraping, explained his error in tense whispers. Yen Olass already knew what he had done wrong. The chair was for the most senior guest present; the Silent One, as a member of Celadric's entourage, outranked any uitlander overlord like Watashi. Looking decidedly miffed, Watashi quit the chair for a lesser seat on one side of the hall. Yen Olass, a slight smile hidden behind her veil, stepped forward and seated herself in the place of honour.

  She studied the other members of their party. Morgan Hearst and Eldegen Terzanagel, their grey robes flowing, their heads cowled, their hands – and Hearst's hook hidden in their capacious sleeves as they walked forward with their arms folded, both looked like venerable scholars. And, indeed, they seemed to be absorbed in some deep and scholarly argument, almost oblivious to their surroundings. Yen Olass thought they were playing their roles perfectly. In fact, they were not playing at all – speaking to each other in the High Speech of wizards, they had become absorbed in a low-voiced but vigorous argument concerning the aetiology of the Swarms, and of the Skull of the Deep South which controlled those monsters.