Ravi sighed, and stood.
‘How can I help you?’ he said.
The Rahain woman smiled. ‘My name is Nyane, and I work on behalf of the Imperial City as a buyer. I am interested in high quality materials to improve the harbour walls, and if you are the only fifth-level mage around here, then I guess it will be you who will be working on the contract, if such a contract is agreed.’
‘Why?’ Ravi said. ‘Any old third or fourth-level can make bricks that’ll do fine in a harbour wall.’
‘My instructions state that the best mages available are to work on any imperial contract.’
Ravi frowned. ‘Will I be getting paid extra for it?’
‘I suppose that’s up to your employer.’
‘Then probably not,’ he said. ‘Fine. Whatever. I just do what I’m told.’
‘Quite. Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, Mage Ravi.’
‘Yeah, likewise, Nyane. Have a nice day and all that.’
She gave a polite smile, and retreated back across the planks. A few of the managers were glaring at him. He shrugged. What were they going to do? Fire him?
The sun was beginning to set when Ravi’s shift came to an end. Twenty-three and a half cart-loads had been sent up to the brick yard from his pit in that time, after he and his team of workers had sped ahead in an attempt to catch up on his lateness that morning.
He took a long shower, letting the water wash the layers of mud and clay out of his hair and off his skin. His clothes were saturated in sweat, but he kept a cupboard full of spare tunics, shirts and other garments in the mages’ locker room. The clay-pits laundered his clothes for a small fee, saving him the effort of trying to persuade Kerri to clean them for him.
He washed his hair and spent a good twenty minutes in front of the mirror, arranging his outfit and checking that he looked presentable. The other mages that worked in the pits came and went. A few said hello, but none of them were his friends. Half of them were too old to have any kind of social life anyway, and even the younger ones were dull. It was children that did that to them. As soon as you spawned, then that was it. Life over. Zip. A houseful of screaming kids to look forward to when you got home after work. What a nightmare.
His sister Yanin was waiting on the street for him when he stepped outside.
‘Hi, Ravi,’ she said. ‘How was your day?’
‘Shit.’
She kissed his cheek. ‘Never mind. Do you want to get a drink?’
‘Yeah.’
They strode back towards the seafront. Lamps on either side of the road lit their way, and they joined the promenade. Ravi took a deep breath. The air was sharp, and there was a slight chill, but the city was beautiful. The beach was busy, with people cooking on brick ovens, and children playing on the sand. The sea was reflecting the light from the thousands of lamps and fires burning throughout the city, and the sounds of life filled him with joy.
He remembered Arakhanah, and how damp, crowded and miserable life had been. Amatskouri felt like heaven in comparison. With a population a fraction of the size, and almost unlimited land in which to expand, Ravi’s new home felt compact and spacious at the same time. Wide canals and grand tenements lined the streets, while elegant public buildings adorned the city like jewels – libraries, the parliament, the harbour-front offices of trade.
They stopped at a seafront bar with a collection of outside tables.
‘Are you hungry?’ Yanin said as they sat.
‘Not really.’
‘You’re quiet tonight.’
‘Just thinking about the old country.’
‘Missing it?’
‘Yeah, right,’ he said. ‘I never want to see it again. It’s depressing.’
‘I know,’ she said. ‘Imagine how bad it must be for the rest of our family, stuck there.’
‘Not for long, hopefully.’
Her eyes lit up. ‘You have news?’
He looked away. ‘Nothing yet.’
‘Shit. I’m so worried about them.’
‘I’m doing everything I can,’ he said. ‘And it’s not cheap.’
‘I wasn’t blaming you,’ she said. ‘I know you’re spending all of your wages trying to smuggle them out. I appreciate it, I really do.’
He grimaced. His sister didn’t know the half of it.
A waitress arrived at the table.
‘Two beers,’ Yanin said.
‘Sure thing, guys,’ the waitress said. She gave the table a quick wipe and moved away.
‘I’ll get these,’ Yanin said.
‘Thanks,’ said Ravi, lighting a cigarette as he watched the waitress walk into the bar. Nice bum.
Yanin raised an eyebrow. ‘How’s Kerri?’
‘Fine, I guess. A bit complainy.’
‘Are you giving her much to complain about?’
‘No,’ he said, frowning. ‘She’s a natural nag. Nothing’s good enough for her.’
‘Come on, give the girl a break,’ she said. ‘You’re hard work.’
‘Me?’
‘Yes, dearest brother, you. I mean I love you, but I’d never want any of my friends to date you. You have a serious problem with commitment.’
He shrugged. ‘I don’t want my life to be restricted to one woman, not when there are so many beautiful ones out there. I told Kerri that when we started seeing each other. She’s being unrealistic if she expects me to change.’
‘Sometimes I wish you weren’t a mage,’ she said. ‘It’s warped all your relationships.’
‘Horseshit.’
‘No, listen. Each woman in this city has roughly a one in ten chance of picking up a spawning licence, and here you are, a fifth-level clay mage – one of the only people in Amatskouri who can get a licence any time they ask for it. Is it any wonder that you have so many girlfriends?’
He glared at her.
She laughed. ‘What? Did you think it was just your good looks and charm?’
‘As the sister of a mage,’ he said, ‘you can get a licence too, right? So where are all the men following you about, eh?’
‘Well,’ she said, ‘seeing as how I prefer girls, a lack of boys has never been a problem for me, but the difference between us is that I don’t announce the fact that I’m the sister of a mage to everyone I meet. I’ve seen you in action, it’s practically the first thing you tell girls, because you know it works. Well, with the gullible, anyway.’
‘Kerri can be a pain in the ass but she’s not gullible.’
‘No, you’re right,’ she said. ‘I think Kerri knows what she’s doing. She’s hoping you’ll settle down eventually.’
He smirked. ‘She might have a long wait.’
The waitress returned, and he smiled at her.
‘Thanks, babe,’ he said, picking up his beer. ‘This is perfect after an exhausting day in the pits.’
‘You work there, do you?’ the waitress said.
‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘I’m a clay mage.’
The waitress smiled back at him, and Yanin rolled her eyes.
Kerri hugged him the moment he stepped back into his apartment. He smiled, then noticed the expression on her face.
‘Where were you?’ she said.
‘Just meeting Yanin,’ he said. ‘Did I forget to tell you? What’s wrong?’
‘Some people came round.’
‘Who?’
‘They didn’t say who they were, but they had Arakhanah City accents.’
‘What did they want?’
‘To speak to you.’
He frowned. ‘I need a smoke.’
He walked through to the sitting room and sat down on a long leather settee. He opened a box on the low table and withdrew a stick of dreamweed as Kerri came and sat next to him.
‘What did they look like?’ he said.
‘Three men, one woman. They seemed angry that you weren’t in.’
Shit, he thought. Had they tracked down where he lived? He glanced at the balcony doors. They could be outside at that mo
ment. Had they watched him enter the tenement?
There was a knock at the door.
Kerri’s eyes went wide.
‘Stay here,’ he said. ‘I’ll deal with it.’
He stood, took a breath, and walked back to the front door. He opened it.
‘Ravibattanara,’ said the woman, ‘you’re late with your payments.’
Behind her stood three men, the woman’s hired muscle.
‘I can explain,’ he said.
‘I don’t give a shit about your reasons,’ the woman said. ‘I’m just here to tell you that you have ten days to pay me back in full, or there will be consequences.’
‘Are you threatening me?’
‘Yes. Quite clearly I am. And not just you. I know where your sister lives, and we can make life very difficult for your family back in Arakhanah.’
‘But I don’t have the money to pay you back in full,’ he said. ‘The people-smugglers stole everything that I gave them, which was pretty much all I had. I need more time.’
‘And I’m giving it to you,’ she smiled. ‘Like I said, you have ten days. Don’t waste them.’
They turned, and Ravi watched them descend the stairs in silence. He closed the door and took a long draw of dreamweed.
‘Should we tell a city warden?’ Kerri said from the sitting-room doorway.
‘No, it’ll be fine. Wait, were you listening?’
‘Did you really give all of your savings away?’
He brushed past her into the sitting-room and went over to a table where bottles of spirits were arranged in a row. He poured himself a gin and gulped it down.
‘Well,’ Kerri said, ‘did you?’
‘I was trying to get my family out.’
‘And on top of that,’ she said, ‘how much do you owe that woman?’
‘About forty thousand.’
Kerri paled. ‘I see. Well, I think I’ll go to bed now. Could you please sleep on the settee tonight?’
She walked off without waiting for a response. Ravi finished the dreamweed and stubbed it out in an ashtray. He picked up his glass and the bottle of gin and crossed the sitting-room to another door. He pushed it open with his foot and set the glass and bottle down onto his desk. He lit the lamp and closed the door. His tiny study was a windowless box, with just enough room for his desk, a chair and a bookcase against the back wall. It stank of stale smoke, and the edges of the books had a yellowish tinge to them.
He poured himself a gin then reached under the desk and picked up a locked box. He set it down onto the desk, and took a set of keys from a hook on the wall. He unlocked the box and opened it, gazing at the contents. Inside were eight objects that looked like black stones, each the size of a hen’s egg, but which had once been much larger lumps of coal. He picked up the smallest piece, the one he had been working on for the longest amount of time. He rolled it in his fingers, sensing the organic structure of the material, feeling just how close it was to becoming a diamond. He gripped it in the palm of his hand and concentrated, channelling a steady stream of power into it; compressing it further.
If he could do it, then the diamond would be enough to pay back most of his debts. If he could manage all eight, then he would be able to afford to get his family out of Arakhanah City and still be rich.
Ravi the diamond mage, he smiled. Now that would get the girls.
Chapter 4
Election Day
Amatskouri, Imperial Plateau – 7th Day, First Third Spring 524
Nyane woke up refreshed. She showered, put on her imperial uniform and went out onto the balcony of her hotel room with a cup of tea.
Her heart stirred as she gazed at the view. It was her first visit to Amatskouri, and she wished it was for longer. The hotel was on the banks of the river that ran through the middle of the city, before emptying into the Inner Sea a few hundred yards to Nyane’s left. On the other side of the river was the enormous Parliament House, the largest building in the city, and probably its most beautiful. Each morning when she had awoken, her first thought had been to come out onto the balcony so she could look at the white towers and perfect domes of the magnificent structure.
It seemed quieter than usual, and she looked down. The streets below were almost deserted, and then she remembered. It was election day – a public holiday in the city.
‘Dammit,’ she muttered. There would be no work for her to do that day. She disliked being idle, and sighed at the prospect of a day with nothing to do. She should have packed more books into her luggage. She had already read the few she had brought; the journey by carriage from Plateau City having devoured most of them. She gazed up at the sky. There were a few clouds, but it didn’t look like rain.
She went back into her room and changed into something less formal, then changed her mind and put her uniform back on. If she was going outside she would still be representing the empire, even if it was her day off. She brushed her hair and tied it up neatly.
The hotel dining-room was downstairs, so she descended the steps to the ground floor and sat at a table by the window. Within a minute a waiter was by her side.
‘Good morning, ma’am,’ he said. ‘Did you sleep well?’
‘I did, thank you.’
‘Are you requiring breakfast today?’
‘Yes, please.’
‘Very good, ma’am.’
He bowed and walked away towards the kitchens.
The dining-room was filled with tables, but most were empty. The few occupied ones had people from the Holdings sitting at them. As far as she knew, she was the only Rahain staying at the hotel. In fact, she hadn’t seen another Rahain in the city since she had arrived. It made her feel conspicuous, as if every eye was upon her, but in her job she was used to suppressing her natural self-consciousness.
A girl came round with a trolley of newspapers, and Nyane picked a Holdings-language edition. She gave a coin to the girl, and took a look at the headline.
Workers Party set for landslide!
She looked up as a steaming coffee pot was placed onto her table, along with a dish of light pastries and a bowl of fruit. The hotel served Holdings food, a fact which pleased Nyane. She couldn’t even bear to look at some of the things the Rakanese ate.
She sipped her coffee and glanced at the newspaper, eating toast smeared with chocolate paste. Her attention wandered, and she gazed out of the window. A few craft were on the river, the majority of them water-buses organised by the city to ferry citizens to their appointed voting stations. Canals intersected Amatskouri, allowing access to almost every district by boat.
‘Excuse me, ma’am,’ said a voice. ‘Might I join you?’
She looked up. It was a young Holdings woman, one she recognised from the staff of the Imperial Commission.
‘Good morning,’ Nyane said. ‘Sit. Have a coffee.’
‘Thank you, ma’am.’
The young woman sat, and Nyane poured her a cup. She watched as the Holdings woman stirred in several sugars.
‘Do you mind if I smoke?’ she said.
‘Of course not,’ Nyane said.
The woman lit a cigarette, a halo of smoke forming above the table.
‘Do you have plans for today, ma’am?’ she asked.
‘Not particularly,’ Nyane said. ‘I was thinking about perhaps going for a walk later.’
‘The commission would like to invite you to come along with us today, to observe the election.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes, ma’am. The ambassador thought you might be at a loose end.’
‘That was thoughtful of her,’ Nyane said. ‘I’d be delighted to accept.’
‘Splendid. If you like, I can accompany you to the commission once you’ve finished your breakfast.’
‘Oh, I think I’m quite finished.’
The young woman got to her feet. ‘Shall we?’
Nyane stood and they walked from the dining-room. She nodded to the receptionist in the entrance hall of the hotel, and they went
through the tall glass doors out onto the street.
‘Such a beautiful morning,’ Nyane said.
The young woman nodded.
‘Observing, you said,’ Nyane went on. ‘So what would that entail?’
‘Well, ma’am,’ the woman said as they began walking along the tree-lined street, keeping the riverbank to their left. ‘We shall be visiting a few voting stations, and attending the count later on. Of course, you don’t have to stay for that part. Election day in Amatskouri can go right through to dawn.’
A man spat on the ground in front of Nyane as she passed. She ignored it. Every day since she had arrived someone had given her a sour look, or muttered an unflattering comment, but she knew it was ignorance, rather than malice, that caused some in Amatskouri to hate people from Rahain. It hurt all the same, but there was nothing she could do about that. The only thing she could control was her reaction to it.
She glanced at the young Holdings woman, who was pretending not to have seen the man spit. Was it just her imagination, or was she picking up an edge of mistrust or even dislike from her? She hoped it was paranoia.
The shops along the riverside were all closed, but a few cafes remained open, playing host to crowds of Amatskouri citizens arguing about politics. From the colours of their pennants and badges, there seemed to be three main parties fighting for power, the blues, greens and reds. None of it meant anything to Nyane, who preferred the security and stability the Empress had created to the fractious bickering of democracy.
The silence between her and the young Holdings woman grew awkward.
‘Tell me,’ Nyane said, ‘have you served in Amatskouri long?’
‘Just over a year,’ she replied, keeping her gaze ahead. ‘I arrived at the beginning of five-twenty-three.’
‘And do you enjoy it?’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
Nyane nodded, then glanced away, in time to spot a young Rakanese woman scowl in her direction. She smiled, and kept walking.
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