Wizard's Funeral (18 page)

In the early morning a flock of winged lions passed overhead. The caravanners panicked, thinking they might lose a camel or two, or even a child, but the lions were too intent on reaching somewhere - perhaps they were thirsty and heading for a distant lake - for there was no pause in the flapping of great tawny wings. Pass the maize bread. Golgath did as he was asked. Soldier stared at his friend. There was no sign of anxiety on his face. He looked pleasant and comfortable as he sat with their hosts around the fire, breaking their fast. Yun and Petra looked contented enough too. Soldier was puzzled. Had anything gone on? He had listened hard enough. Was he the only person here with a sense of probity? Perhaps in this world he was a prude, a prig, one to be looked upon and pitied, laughed at, sneered at. I had a dream last night, he said loudly. The others all stopped what they were doing and looked at him. I had a dream that - that the world had been turned on its head. They stared at him and chewed their bread thoughtfully. I had a dream that men and women did as they pleased. There was no right or wrong in matters of the heart. There was no such thing as romantic love. Only people enjoying the favours of people. Golgath raised his eyebrows then climbed to his feet. We ought to be getting on. Ill take the hobbles off the camels. You get our things. Yun and Petra threw sand on the fire and began to pack various cooking pots and utensils. The whole caravan was astir now, preparing to leave. Soon all was ready and it was time to part. Thank you for your hospitality. Thank you, Soldier - and you too, Golgath - for your company. I hope you find your wife soon. A lost wife. That is tragic. And I hope Guthrum returns to sanity soon. I hear they have run out of space on the trees and are hanging people from the sky. It was a hyperbole, but it expressed the state of things. The two groups went their separate ways. Soldier and Golgath were going west, the caravan east. A hot morning sun began its laborious climb up the sky. They rode in silence. Soldier desperately wanted to ask his friend how he had spent the night, but the same modesty which had prevented him taking advantage of a willing woman also stopped him from enquiring about the nights activities. By noon the pair of them had pulled hoods over their heads and had gone into their own separate kingdoms beneath the folds of their clothes. By evening it was too late. The raven made his own plans. His betrayal of Soldier had hurt him more deeply than he could have imagined. Coming as he did, from the gutter, the boy inside the bird had a different set of ethics to someone like Soldier. The boy had come from a dog-eat-dog childhood, where betrayals were common. You did what you had to do to survive. Every guttersnipe understood that. Loyalty was a luxury reserved for the rich and powerful. The raven thought he could get over his fall from grace easily, explain it away to himself, justify it but that was no longer possible. -Soldier saw things differently, and now that the raven was beginning to understand the outlander, it too was looking on such things as treachery in another way. He would never again contemplate betraying the knight. Soldier had saved his life by killing the snake. The raven would certainly have died if the cudgel had not struck the serpent and rendered it harmless. Of course, the black bird saw the knights shortcomings. Soldier was naive, slightly unstable, certainly a fool at times. To go chasing all over the known world for a female when there were plenty to be had in Guthrum was mad. There was work to be done here, to overthrow the usurper. If Soldier did not see that, the raven did, and it had decided to do something about it. He sneaked down into the dungeons and found the queens cell. Your majesty, Ive come to set you free, he whispered through the bars. Im going to pick the lock with my beak. The twins, Sando and Guido, came clanking in their chains to the cell door. The queens been moved, said Sando. Along with the old man. Theres just us in here now. The raven thought for a bit. What will you do if I let you out? Guido said, Spit in Humbolds eye. Stamp on his foot! cried Sando. Thatll do a lot a good. All right, said Guido, hows this. Out in the woods are rebels whove escaped from Zamerkand. Well persuade them to accompany us back to Bhantan, where well overthrow whoevers in power there now and then raise an army and come back here and kill Humbold. Kill him dead, said Sando. That sounds a bit better, but look, theres a whole horde of beast-people and Hannacks surrounding the city. Sando and Guido stared at the raven. Well have to think a bit more, Guido said. Maybe we can assassinate him, or something, Sando said at last. I know a man who can make a dark assassin out of a dead baby. Whod suspect a baby, said Guido. Dead babies are vicious. Theyve had their whole life stolen away from them. Dead babies have got no conscience. Theyd stab him in the eye when he bends over the cot. Bite him in the throat. Creep into his bedchamber and drop poison in his mouth. Push it up his nose. Into his ears. Other places. Scuttle across the floor when the guards rush in. Slide like a snail under the sofa. Creep out of a high window. Crawl along the gutter. Be hidden in a gargoyles gob when the wailing starts. Laugh like a brook when the search parties run through the gardens below. Get away before the bitterns boom in the marshes. Before the bullfrogs bark. Free as a bird. Free as a raven. The raven in question gave the equivalent of a birds sigh and shook his feathered head. Im not sure its such a good idea, letting you two out. Look, I suggest you escape down the canal to the sea. Stow away on a barge or something. Once there, go and see the Whin. Those half-giants wont fight for you - the Whin will only ever fight for themselves - but the invaders wont enter Whin territory. The Whin can be a formidable enemy if they think theyre threatened at all. Its only their presence which has prevented the beast-warriors and Hannacks from securing the end of the canal. Both the beast-people and the Hannacks have felt the hammers of the Huccaran half-giants before now and they didnt like it. Anyway, once youre in Whin territory, seek out a bird-person living there . . . A bird-person? said Sando. One of the invaders? No, not one of them. Her name is Kraaak. Shes a Hawk-woman whos lived in the quarry for nearly thirty years. Bird-people and beast-people dont get on too well, so shell be only too pleased to help you get to the woods where the remnants of the Carthagan and Guthrumite armies are hiding out. From there, youll be able to get back to Bhantan. I think the original plan was a sound one. Get your own country back, then think about what you can do to improve the situation here. Gotcha! Guido cried. Well do it! Theres a curfew, so dont get caught, explained the raven. Its late and therell be thieftakers in the streets. He picked the door lock with his talented beak, then the locks on the manacles which chained the twins to the walls of the dungeon. Leading the boys through a network of tunnels, he took them to a sewer. Once in the sewers the twins were able to find an outlet to the streets. It was night. The pair of them scuttled through the dank, cobbled alleys of the city. There was evidence of Humbolds harsh rule all around them. There were cages hanging from arches with half-dead people and corpses in them. Bodies swung like pendulums in the midnight air from gibbets. Here and there, a staring head on a spike. The watch patrolled the streets in gangs of ten, cudgels in their hands. At one point the royal pair had to enter a tower to escape the detection of thieftakers. They climbed to the top, curious to see what lay on the other side of the walls. They were amazed to see the number of watchfires burning outside the city. It seemed that half the worlds barbaric creatures were out there. Guido complained that the air was ripe with the smell of uncured hide. Its the tents, said Sando, theyre made of animal skins that havent been scraped. How clever you are, his brother replied. Yes, I am, arent I, agreed Sando. But, argued Guido, the people stink just as badly as their tents, youd think theyd wash, wouldnt you? Sando remarked, our mother always said, show a Hannack a bar of soap and hell eat it in ten seconds flat. Our mother always said, show a beast-person a bowl of water and hell float his boots in it, said Guido. She never said that that doesnt make sense! Yes she did! I never heard her. You never listen. Clever buttocks! Yes, I am. The twins left the tower and went back down to the streets. By sneaking through the shadows they eventually reached the wharves where the barges were moored.

Chapter Eighteen

It was a torpid day. The heat lay heavy on the edge of the lake, which seemed in truth to be a stagnant pond. There were no rivers running in and out of its waters. And there was very little rainfall in this region. It was as if the lake had spewed up from the underworld, a viscous, oozing flow of fluid as if from the belly of a wounded beast. The area smelled of dead weed and rotting fish. There was not even a breeze to turn the atmosphere over. Flies were everywhere and no birds to feed on them to keep their numbers down. Soldier and Golgath stamped on resolutely. By late afternoon they were utterly weary, being only halfway round the lake. Soldier said, Lets rest now and travel at night. It might be cooler in the dark hours. It might be. We can but try. A fire was lit, not for the warmth, but to keep wild beasts away. Soldier found a feverfew herb growing nearby and threw some into the flames to try to drive away the flies and mosquitoes. It was a trick taught him by Spagg and it seemed to work. Golgath put some slowburning wood on the flames, which would smoulder all day with a red glow, and hopefully drive away any wild creature who came nosing round. They did not bother to unravel their blankets. They simply lay on the shore and used their packs as pillows. Soon both were asleep. Instead of waking later, they slept until early dawn. In the grey light Soldier awoke and started up with a short cry. Around him and Golgath were bundles of stinking rags. Who had put them there? Was this a joke? Soldier scoured the hills behind with a keen eye. He could see nothing, no one. The landscape was empty of figures. The fire was still smoking, sending up a spiral curl into the warming morning air. Whats going on? said Golgath, who had now woken. Whats all this? I dont know. Ive just woken up myself. As they were speaking, one of the bundles of rags moved. Then another one. There were forms inside those heaps. One by one they stirred, sitting up. The nearest one stared directly at Soldier. His or her face was hideous: a mask of holes. Bits of flesh were hanging from the cheekbones, the lips had been eaten away, the eyes were two burning, feverish orbs in sunken pits. The creature spoke. The words were distorted by a speech impediment, caused no doubt by the fact that the mouth was ulcerated and, going by the rest of the persons face, there was probably something amiss with the tongue within. Thank you. Youre welcome, said Soldier, but for what? The fire. Wild animals. Leopards, They eat us. Golgath said, bluntly, I should have thought that a mercy. Youre lepers, arent you? Wouldnt you rather die a quick death? No, said another of the poor creatures, leprosy is a slow killer. We want to keep life as long as the next man or woman. To be torn apart by a beast, that is enough to frighten anyone. When the time comes, I shall throw myself from a high place. But not yet. Not yet. They explained to Soldier and Golgath that the two men were in the Land of the Lepers, the place to which all those suffering from the dread disease were banished. No one comes here, said the speaker. We were surprised to see your fire. Soldier said, We are seeking the fortress of Caliphat-the-Strong. Then your course is true. His land lies on the other side of the Lake of Langour. Soldier and Golgath naturally kept their distance from the rotting lepers. Some of them had dry leprosy, others wet leprosy, It was the latter who were the most contagious. Both sets left bits of their bodies where they had slept: the top of a finger here, the lobe of an ear there. They rose, helping each other to their feet, and trudged away, mindful of the fact that they should not approach two healthy men. Soldier felt great compassion for the lepers. His own problems seemed to shrink to insignificance beside theirs. They had to find food and good drinking water, remain out of reach of wild beasts, and lastly and most importantly, prevent themselves from falling into that deep pit of despair which awaits anyone with a terminal illness. As they travelled around that side of the lake, Soldier and Golgath met with many more of the lepers. Considering their plight, they were a respectful group. Soldier thought they should feel great bitterness for their condition, and that there must have been blame in their hearts, for surely they were bewitched in some way. Some evil or jealous person had called for the demon diseases to enter their bodies, to turn them from normal healthy people into walking corpses. Yet for the most part they seemed to accept their fate, and at least not rail at the world in general. Perhaps they harboured a secret hatred for the person or persons whom they felt responsible for their condition, but Soldier and Golgath were not amongst those. There was the odd exception. Once they were approached by a leper who seemed more than anxious to engage them, either physically or in conversation. Threatened with the sword, the creature went away, shouting unintelligible abuse, half-mad with melancholia and misery. It was a miracle to Soldier that the pair of them were not more resented. He expected at any moment to be stoned and subsequently robbed of his possessions. This did not happen. He was thankful. On the third night they built their fire as usual. Both men had been bitten beyond patience by insects, which left huge, red lumps on their skin. Sandflies had attacked their ankles and legs, mosquitoes and other aerial pests had gone for the soft targets - the neck, face and backs of the hands - and some unidentifiable wingless creatures had crawled up into their tunics and left their groins and bellies a mass of bumps. Once they tried walking in the shallows of the lake, slimy as the water was, but merely succeeded in becoming walking homes for leeches. They then had to stop, build a fire, and burn the leeches off with a red-hot twig. It was an unholy land, and it wasnt surprising to either of them that the lepers had been consigned to this foul region. Soldier woke as the ashen dawn crept over his face. Suddenly, he was alarmed to feel a sleeping form close to him, hugging his chest. A leper had come in the night and was sharing his blanket! Soldier leapt to his feet with a startled cry, wondering why the lepers skin felt so cold. Once he was up, however, he could see that the figure who shared his bed was no leper. It was like no man Soldier had ever seen before. Completely in black, with a flimsy, shapeless garment wrapped around its form, a gruesome face framed by a black hood, the creature rose to its feet and dusted itself off. It was at least three feet taller than Soldier, but its features were so horrible that Soldier could not get his thoughts to dwell on the height of the figure. His horror was unbounded. It sent his mind reeling in a dozen different directions at once, and froze his heart. What? said the figure in a voice that seemed to echo through invisible mountains, have you not seen Death before? Surely you have come across me in your dreams? Or your imagination? Death stared at Soldier with eyes that were deeper and blacker than caves in a ravaged cliff-face. His lips were chapped and twisted like the bark of an ancient tree. The skin on his face, if it could be termed such, was pitted and riddled with holes in and out of which parasites - perhaps worms or maggots - crawled. Never, breathed Soldier, gripped with a fear and loathing that locked every muscle in his body. I no, never. Death snorted. I am a warrior, not a poet. You should put the same question to the man over there. He has imagination in plenty. Why do you look so when you speak to me? I _ I _ anyone would. I never thought Id be looking into the face of Death. Not yet anyway. And why do you sleep? Again that impatient snort. I have to rest, the same as anyone else. Even the Creator rested after His labours. Spittle from his mouth fell onto the ground beneath, from whence sprang yellowish-green, sickly-looking plants, which withered almost as soon they reached ankle-height. Soldier looked at Golgath, who seemed not to have woken. He lay still on the other side of the fire. Another fear came to assail Soldiers fast-beating heart. Did you come for him? Have you taken my friend? Death glanced across the fire and shook his head. No, no. I come for one in the fortress of Caliphat-the-Strong. But, now that I have seen you, I recall that I am to come for you at midnight in two days time. It would save us both a lot of trouble if you would agree to come now. The journey here is tedious in the extreme. Im always having to come to this region for the damned lepers, curse them, they die like crane-flies. You-are-to-come-for-me? moaned Soldier, in a hollow voice. Who is it that kills me? No one kills you. Old age takes you. You have had your time, Mukara. Death looked about him. Its a bleak and unwholesome place, Mukara of Oliphat, and Im surprised to find a ruler of your standing wandering such a landscape with but a single retainer, when you are so near to your end. What possessed you to leave your sick bed? Who? cried Soldier. Who did you call me? Why, that who you are, which is the Sultan Mukara. Soldier laughed, unable to keep the hysteria out of his voice. Oh, thank the gods, you are mistaken. Im no sultan. My name is not Mukara. You have the wrong man. Deaths eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth so wide Soldier could see unspeakable horrors within: naked figures of men and women struggling, writhing in knots; kingdoms that had been wholly overcome by pestilence and plague; whole countries that had been devastated by war and famine. I never make mistakes, he snarled. Do I look elderly? Do I seem sick? cried Soldier, wildly. Death stared hard at him, his mouth now tight. My eyes are ancient and misty with the passing time. Besides, things in the real world are never as they seem. You are as you are. Tell me, if you are not Mukara, then who are you? Soldier realised that he was in a catch situation. My name is Soldier. Thats a profession, not a name. Whats your name, I - I - dont know. Ive forgotten. Then how do you know youre not Mukara of Oliphat? asked Death, reasonably. Because Mukara is of this world, and I am not. I come from another place, Where? I - I know not. Look, see my blue eyes? No - but Ive heard some birds and reptiles have blue eyes. But not men. Im not interested in your blue eyes. I see only in black and white. I am Death. You dont know who you are, or where you come from. Are you mad? You cannot conveniently forget who you are, simply to avoid dying. And what a life youve had! Executions without number. Men who offended you by farting or blowing their nose at the wrong time. Women who refused to sleep with you and wept for mercy. Children who annoyed you with their crying. And not just in ones and twos! Slaughtering your subjects by the thousand when they complained about taxes. Marching whole regiments of soldiers over the cliffs to their deaths, simply to prove there was no limit to your power. Youve kept me busy. But . . . Weve talked enough. Time to go. Any last words? I cant stand dying screams, and banality is beyond the pale. Go on, say something original. Soldier remained in horrified silence. Death sighed. Perhaps I can help. How about, This malady clings to me like a doting mistress and fornicates with my heart . . . Wait! cried Soldier, interrupting. You cant take me. Golgath there has not woken. With all this talking and shouting, he should have. Therefore I must be dreaming. I wont come with you. Im going to roll into the embers of the fire in my sleep. The pain will wake me up. You, begone from my presence. Death folded his arms. You cant escape me, you know. I shall come for you, in two days time, in Oliphat. By then youll have learned of your mistake. That is your hope. Now I must leave. Goodbye until we meet again. One last thing, Soldier said, vaguely recalling a nebulous shadow following the bones and hair of HoulluoH. Death stared. Yes? Didnt I see you at the wizards funeral? Death pursed his lips and then shook his head. No, that was my brother, Oblivion. A burning pain woke Soldier abruptly. He yelled and sat up and rubbed the back of his hand. In his sleep he must have flung out his arm, putting his hand in the embers of the fire. Whats the matter? asked Golgath. My hand. It went into the fire during sleep. You must sleep further away from the - curse the good Kist wolves. Soldier saw that Golgath was looking around the camp. There were marks in the dust, paw prints. More than two-dozen giant wolves had been circling them during the night, drawing ever closer. It seemed that something had frightened them off, just as they were about to fall on the sleeping pair, Golgath looked up, expecting to see a winged lion in the vicinity. I wonder what chased them away? Soldier, still rubbing the back of his hand, jumped to his feet. We must be on our way. Come, lets strike camp. Were near to our destination now. Golgath nodded. You must put some butter on that burn. Its the best thing for it. And a dry bandage. I know how to treat burns, replied Soldier, irritably. But I dont know where to get butter from, out in the middle of nowhere. After grubbing some roots from the ground and chewing them for the moisture and food content, the pair continued their march. At last they came to some high cliffs, where a narrow entrance cut vertically through the main face. This natural passageway was guarded by a score of well-armed men. They stopped the pair and asked them their business. Soldier informed the guards that they had come to join the army of Caliphat-the-Strong, that they were two seasoned warriors who were looking for a war. Seasoned, eh? said the big, scarred leader of the guards. He suddenly swung a short sword at Soldiers neck. Soldier skipped aside, avoided the blow and kicked the mans legs away from him in the same movement. The big warrior landed on his back in the dust, much to the merriment of his comrades. Seasoned, confirmed Soldier. With nothing but his pride injured the leader dusted himself off and said the two could proceed through the long, winding pass between the cliffs with an escort of five men. This they did. The passageway, no wider than an arms stretch on either side, snaked for a mile between two sheer rock faces. It was as if the cliffs had been sliced by some god with a blunt sword. Finally, they came out at the other end to find a deep valley about two miles long and a mile wide, again surrounded by cliff walls. Around the valley the limestone had been carved into cave-houses with decorative entrances. These houses were remarkable works of creativity, boasting bas-relief pillars at their portals and elegant arches in which were carved beasts, birds, fish and other symbols of fertility. The higher ones, those halfway up the cliff face, were connected to others and the ground by simple sweeping bridges of stone, or stairs