The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

by N. K. Jemisin

  Just another fool caught praying to an outlawed god. This one happens to be a distant Arameri relationthey leave a few free to bring new blood into the clanso he was doubly doomed.

  H-he could I could not think. Monstrous. He could send the Stone away. Wish it into a volcano, or some frozen waste.

  Then one of us would simply be sent to retrieve it. But he wont defy Dekarta. Unless he sends the Stone properly, his lover will share his fate.

  In the pit, the man uttered a particularly loud moanas close to a wail as his warped mouth could manage. Tears filled my eyes, blurring the gray light.

  Shhh, Nahadoth said. I looked at him in surprise, but he was still gazing into the pit. Shhh. It will not be long. Im sorry.

  When Nahadoth saw my confusion, he gave me another of those strange smiles that I did not understand, or did not want to understand. But that was blindness on my part. I kept thinking that I knew him.

  I always hear their prayers, said the Nightlord, even if Im not allowed to answer.

  * * *

  We stood at the foot of the Pier, gazing down at the city half a mile below.

  I need to threaten someone, I said.

  I had not spoken since the oubliette. Nahadoth had accompanied me to the Pier, me meandering, him following. (The servants and highbloods gave us both a wide berth.) He said nothing now, though I felt him there beside me.

  The Minister of Mencheyev, a man named Gemd, who probably leads the alliance against Darr. Him.

  To threaten, you must have the power to cause harm, Nahadoth said.

  I shrugged. Ive been adopted into the Arameri. Gemd has already assumed I have such power.

  Beyond Sky, your right to command us ends. Dekarta will never give you permission to harm a nation which has not offended him.

  I said nothing.

  Nahadoth glanced at me, amused. I see. But a bluff wont hold this man long.

  It doesnt have to. I pushed away from the railing and turned to him. It only needs to hold him for four more days. And I can use your power beyond Sky if you let me. Will you?

  Nahadoth straightened as well, to my surprise lifting a hand to my face. He cupped my cheek, drew a thumb along the bottom curve of my lips. I will not lie: this made me think dangerous thoughts.

  You commanded me to kill tonight, he said.

  I swallowed. For mercy.

  Yes. That disturbing, alien look was in his eyes again, and finally I could name it: understanding. An almost human compassion, as if for that instant he actually thought and felt like one of us.

  You will never be Enefa, he said. But you have some of her strength. Do not be offended by the comparison, little pawn. I started, wondering again if he could read minds. I do not make it lightly.

  Then Nahadoth stepped back. He spread his arms wide, revealing the black void of his body, and waited.

  I stepped inside him and was enfolded in darkness. It might have been my imagination, but it seemed warmer this time.

  19

  Diamonds

  YOU ARE INSIGNIFICANT. One of millions, neither special nor unique. I did not ask for this ignominy, and I resent the comparison.

  Fine. I dont like you, either.

  * * *

  We appeared in a stately, brightly lit hall of white and gray marble, lined by narrow rectangular windows, under a chandelier. (If I had never seen Sky, I would have been impressed.) At both ends of the hall were double doors of polished dark wood; I assumed we faced the relevant set. From beyond the open windows I could hear merchants crying their wares, a baby fussing, a horses neigh, womens laughter. City life.

  No one was around, though the evening was young. I knew Nahadoth well enough by now to suspect that this was deliberate.

  I nodded toward the doors. Is Gemd alone?

  No. With him are a number of guards, colleagues, and advisors.

  Of course. Planning a war took teamwork. I scowled and then caught myself: I could not do this angry. My goal was delaypeace, for as long as possible. Anger would not help.

  Please try not to kill anyone, I murmured, as we walked toward the door. Nahadoth said nothing in response, but the hall grew dimmer, the flickering torchlit shadows sharpening to razor fineness. The air felt heavy.

  This my Arameri ancestors had learned, at the cost of their own blood and souls: the Nightlord cannot be controlled. He can only be unleashed. If Gemd forced me to call on Nahadoths power

  Best to pray that would not be necessary.

  I walked forward.

  The doors flung themselves open as I came to them, slamming against the opposite walls with an echoing racket that would bring half Gemds palace guard running if they had any competence. It made for a suitably stunning entrance as I strode through, greeted by a chorus of surprised shouts and curses. Men who had been seated around a wide, paper-cluttered table scrambled to their feet, some groping for weapons and others staring at me dumbly. Two of them wore deep-red cloaks that I recognized as Tok warrior attire. So that was one of the lands Menchey had allied with. At the head of this table sat a man of perhaps sixty years: richly dressed, salt-and-pepper-haired, with a face like flint and steel. He reminded me of Dekarta, though only in manner; the Mencheyev were High North people, too, and they looked more like Darre than Amn. He half-stood, then hovered where he was, more angry than surprised.

  I fixed my gaze on him, though I knew that Menchey, like Darr, was ruled more by its council than its chieftain. In many ways we were merely figureheads, he and I. But in this confrontation, he would be the key.

  Minister, I said, in Senmite. Greetings.

  His eyes narrowed. Youre that Darre bitch.

  One of many, yes.

  Gemd turned to one of his men and murmured something; the man hurried away. To supervise the guards and figure out how Id gotten in, no doubt. Then Gemd turned back, his look appraising and wary.

  Youre not among many now, he said slowly. Or are you? You couldnt have been foolish enough to come alone.

  I caught myself just before I would have looked around. Of course Nahadoth would choose not to appear. The Enefadeh had pledged to help me, after all, and having the Nightlord looming behind me like an overgrown shadow would have undermined what little authority I had in these mens eyes.

  But Nahadoth was there. I could feel him.

  I have come, I said. Not entirely alone. But then, no Arameri is ever fully alone, is she?

  One of his men, almost as richly dressed as Gemd, narrowed his eyes. Youre no Arameri, he said. They didnt even acknowledge you until these last few months.

  Is that why youve decided to form this alliance? I asked, stepping forward. A few of the men tensed, but most did not. I am not very intimidating. I cant see how that makes much sense. If Im so unimportant to the Arameri, then Darr is no threat.

  Darr is always a threat, growled another man. You man-eating harlots

  Enough, said Gemd, and the man subsided.

  Good; not wholly a figurehead, then.

  So this is not about the Arameri adopting me, then? I eyed the man Gemd had silenced. Ah, I see. This is about old grudges. The last war between our peoples was more generations back than any of us can count. Are Mencheyev memories so long?

  Darr claimed the Atir Plateau in that war, Gemd said quietly. You know we want it back.

  I knew, and I knew that was a stupid, stupid reason to start a war. The people who lived on the Atir didnt even speak the Mencheyev tongue anymore. None of this made any sense, and that was enough to make my temper rise.

  Who is it? I asked. Which of my cousins is pulling your strings? Relad? Scimina? Some sycophant of theirs? Who are you whoring for, Gemd, and how much have you charged to bend forward?

  Gemds jaw tightened but he said nothing. His men were not so well-trained; they bristled and glared daggers. Not all of them, though. I noted which ones looked uncomfortable, and knew that they were the ones through whom Scimina or another of my relatives had chosen to work.

  You are an uninvit
ed guest, Yeine-ennu, Gemd said. Lady Yeine, I should say. You are interrupting my business. Say what youve come to say, and then please leave.

  I inclined my head. Call off your plans to attack Darr.

  Gemd waited for a moment. Or?

  I shook my head. There is no alternative, Minister. Ive learned a great deal from my Arameri relatives these last few days, including the art of wielding absolute power. We do not give ultimatums. We give orders, and those are obeyed.

  The men turned to look at one another, their expressions ranging from fury to incredulity. Two kept their faces blank: the richly dressed man at Gemds side and Gemd himself. I could see calculation in their eyes.

  You dont have absolute power, said the man beside Gemd. He kept his tone neutral, a sign that he was uncertain. You havent even been named heir.

  True, I said. Only the Lord Dekarta holds total power over the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. Whether they thrive. Whether they falter. Whether they are obliterated and forgotten. Gemds brow tightened at that, not quite a frown. Grandfather has this power, but he may of course choose to delegate it to those of us in Sky who have his favor.

  I let them wonder whether I had earned that favor or not. It probably sounded like a sign of favor that I had been summoned to Sky and named a fullblood.

  Gemd glanced at the man beside him before saying, You must realize, Lady Yeine, that once plans have been set in motion, they can be difficult to stop. We will need time to discuss your order.

  Of course, I said. You have ten minutes. Ill wait.

  Oh for This was from another man, younger and bigger, one of the ones I had marked for an Arameri tool. He looked at me as if I were excrement on the bottom of his shoe. Minister, you cannot seriously be considering this ridiculous demand!

  Gemd glared at him, but the silent reprimand clearly had no impact. The younger man stepped away from the table and came toward me, his whole posture radiating menace. Every Darre woman is taught to deal with such behavior from men. It is an animal trick that they use, like dogs ruffling their fur and growling. Only rarely is there actual threat behind it, and a womans strength lies in discerning when the threat is real and when it is just hair and noise. For now the threat was not real, but that could change.

  He stopped before me and turned back to his fellows, pointing at me. Look at her! They probably had to call a scrivener just to confirm she came out of an Arameri cunt

  Rish! Gemd looked furious. Sit down.

  The manRishignored him and turned back to me, and abruptly the threat became real. I saw it in the way he positioned himself, angling his body to put his right hand near my right side. He meant to backhand me. I had an instant to decide whether to dodge or reach for my knife

  And in that sliver of time, I felt the power around me coalesce, malice-hard and sharp as crystal.

  * * *

  That this analogy occurred to me should have been a warning.

  * * *

  Rish swung. I held still, tense for the blow. Three inches from my face Rishs fist seemed to glance off something no one could seeand when it did, there was a high hard clacking sound, like stone striking stone.

  Rish drew his hand away, startled and perhaps puzzled by his failure to put me in my place. He looked at his fist, on which a patch of shining, faceted black had appeared about the knuckles. I was close enough to see the flesh around this patch blistering, beading with moisture like meat cooked over a flame. Except it was not burning, but freezing; I could feel the waft of cold air from where I stood. The effect was the same, however, and as the flesh withered and crisped away as if it had been charred, what appeared underneath was not raw flesh, but stone.

  I was surprised that Rish took so long to begin screaming.

  All the men in the room reacted to Rishs cry. One stumbled back from the table and nearly fell over a chair. Two others ran over to Rish to try and help him. Gemd moved to help as well, but some powerful preservative instinct must have risen in the well-dressed man beside him; he grabbed Gemd by the shoulder to halt him. That turned out to be wise, because the first of the men who reached Rishone of the Toksgrabbed Rishs wrist to see what was the matter.

  The black was spreading swiftly; nearly the whole hand was now a glittering lump of black crystal in the rough shape of a fist. Only the tips of Rishs fingers remained flesh, and they transformed even as I watched. Rish fought the Tok, maddened with agony, and the Tok grabbed Rishs fist in an effort to hold him still. Almost immediately he jerked away, as if the stone had been too cold to touchand then the Tok, too, stared at his palm, and the black blotch that was now spreading there.

  Not merely crystal, I realized, in the part of my mind that was not frozen in horror. The black substance was too pretty to be quartz, too flawless and clear in its faceting. The stone caught the light like diamond, because that was what their flesh had become. Black diamond, the rarest and most valuable of all.

  The Tok began to scream. So did several others of the men in the room.

  Through it all I remained still and kept my face impassive.

  * * *

  He shouldnt have tried to hit me. He deserved what he got. He shouldnt have tried to hit me.

  And the man who tried to help him? What did that one deserve?

  They are all my enemies, my peoples enemies. They should not have they should not Oh, gods. Gods.

  The Nightlord cannot be controlled, child. He can only be unleashed. And you asked him not to kill.

  * * *

  I could not show weakness.

  So while the two men flailed and screamed, I stepped around them and walked up to the table. Gemd looked at me, his mouth distorted with disgust and disbelief.

  I said, Take all the time you like to discuss my order. Then I turned to leave.

  W-wait. Gemd. I paused, not allowing my eyes to linger on the two men. Rish was almost half diamond now, the stone creeping over his arm and chest, down one leg and up the side of his neck. He lay on the floor, no longer screaming, though he still keened in a low, agonized voice. Perhaps his throat had turned to diamond already. The other man was reaching toward his comrades, begging for a sword so he could cut off his arm. A young fellowone of Gemds heirs, to judge by his featuresdrew his blade and edged close, but then another man grabbed him and hauled him back. Another wise decision; flecks of black no larger than a grain of sand sparkled on the floor around the two men. Bits of Rishs flesh, transformed and cast about by his flailing. As I watched, the Tok fell onto his good hand, and his thumb touched one of the flecks. It, too, began to change.

  Stop this, Gemd murmured.

  I did not start it.

  He cursed swiftly in his language. Stop it, gods damn you! What kind of monster are you?

  I could not help laughing. That there was no humor in it, only bitter self-loathing, would be lost on them.

  Im an Arameri, I said.

  One of the men behind us abruptly fell silent, and I turned. Not the Tok; he was still shrieking while blackness ate its way down his spine. The diamond had spread to encompass Rishs mouth and was consuming the whole lower half of his face. It seemed to have stopped on his torso, though it was working its way down his remaining leg. I suspected it would stop altogether once it had consumed the nonvital parts of his body, leaving him mutilated and perhaps mad, but alive. I had, after all, asked Nahadoth not to kill.

  I averted my eyes, lest I give myself away by throwing up.

  Understand this, I said. The horror in my heart had crept into my voice; it lent me a deeper timbre, and a hint of resonance, that I had not possessed before. If letting these men die will save my people, then they will die. I leaned forward, putting my hands on the table. If killing everyone in this room, everyone in this palace, will save my people, then know, Gemd: I will do it. You would, too, if you were me.

  He had been staring at Rish. Now his eyes jerked toward me, and I saw realization and loathing flicker through them. Was there a hint of self-loathing amid that hatred? Had he believed me w
hen Id said you would, too? Because he would. Anyone would, I understood now. There was nothing we mortals would not do when it came to protecting our loved ones.

  I would tell myself that for the rest of my life.

  Enough. I barely heard Gemd over the screams, but I saw his mouth move. Enough. Ill call off the attack.

  And disband the alliance?

  I can speak only for Menchey. There was something broken in his tone. He did not meet my eyes. The others may choose to continue.

  Then warn them, Minister Gemd. The next time Im forced to do this, two hundred will suffer instead of two. If they press the issue, two thousand. You chose this war, not I. I will not fight fairly.

  Gemd looked at me in mute hatred. I held his eyes awhile longer, then turned to the two men, one of whom still shuddered and whimpered on the floor. The other, Rish, seemed catatonic. I walked over to them. The glimmering, deadly black flecks did not harm me, though they crunched under my feet.

  Nahadoth could stop the magic, I was certain. He could probably even restore the men to wholenessbut Darrs safety depended on my ability to strike fear into Gemds heart.

  Finish it, I whispered.

  The black surged and consumed each of the men in seconds. Chill vapors rose around them as their final screams mingled with the sounds of flesh crackling and bone snapping, then all of it died away. In the mens place lay two enormous, faceted gems in the rough shape of huddled figures. Beautiful, and quite valuable, I guessed; if nothing else, their families would live well from henceforth. If the families chose to sell their loved ones remains.

  I passed between the diamonds on my way out. The guards who had come in behind me moved out of my way, some of them stumbling in their haste. The doors swung shut behind me, quietly this time. When they were closed, I stopped.