The Children of the Company (3 page)
Read The Children of the Company Online
Authors: Kage Baker
Tags: #General, #Fiction, #Science Fiction, #C429, #Extratorrents, #Kat
He was waiting by his altar fire when he heard the voices come echoing up the tunnel. The high priest’s was querulous, panicky.
“Stop! You must remove your sandals! No man may enter the presence of Almighty Enlil shod!”
“Enlil must learn to bear with this, and more.” The voice that replied sounded … untroubled. Amused. Atrahasis scowled. He stepped before the fire, throwing his biggest, blackest shadow on the wall.
Two men emerged from the tunnel into the pit: his high priest, and a stranger. They were followed by three more men, soldiers armed with spears. The high priest immediately prostrated himself, craning his head back to address Atrahasis’s shadow.
“O great god, Enna-aru the king has—”
“He’s not over there, priest,” said Enna-aru the king, for it was he. He turned and stared up at Atrahasis, looking straight at him.
Atrahasis blinked. He had never seen such a mortal.
Enna-aru had a face like his own—shrewd, cold, strong, handsome. He was well muscled, unlike the little doughballs over whom Atrahasis ruled. He wore fine garments, not the armor of war, but there was something martial in his bearing.
The high priest turned involuntarily, glimpsed Atrahasis and then threw himself down, wailing in terror. Enna-aru considered the wall of the pit. He
backed up a few paces, took a running leap, and vaulted to the edge, where he caught hold and pulled himself up. Not even breathing hard, he rose to his feet and looked Atrahasis in the eye. The two men were the same height.
backed up a few paces, took a running leap, and vaulted to the edge, where he caught hold and pulled himself up. Not even breathing hard, he rose to his feet and looked Atrahasis in the eye. The two men were the same height.
“You see?” said Enna-aru, and his voice, his voice was … powerful, somehow. “This is a false god. He is only a man, like me.”
Permission to fire
,
sir?
transmitted Security Technical Vidya. Atrahasis blinked again, the dreamlike moment shattered, and his brain engaged once more.
,
sir?
transmitted Security Technical Vidya. Atrahasis blinked again, the dreamlike moment shattered, and his brain engaged once more.
No! I will handle this. Stand by.
“I have chosen to
appear
as a man like you,” he told Enna-aru, with his most intimidating smile. “Rash mortal, why have you looked upon me? Do you not know that you will surely die?”
appear
as a man like you,” he told Enna-aru, with his most intimidating smile. “Rash mortal, why have you looked upon me? Do you not know that you will surely die?”
“No, actually, I don’t know that,” said Enna-aru, with a beautiful sneer. “Though it’s probable you have assassins concealed in here, waiting to get a shot off at me. You hidden ones, consider my archers in the pit below! If I am murdered, the great god Enlil will be stuck full of arrows. Therefore do not do this thing; for I have come to speak with the great god.”
Atrahasis took a deep breath. Had his heart just skipped a beat?
“It pleases me to speak with you, mortal king,” he said. “And so I will not annihilate you until after we have spoken. Come, we will drink wine in my garden.”
He had his finest vintage brought, in his wine service of gold chased with silver. The mortal man regarded them critically; looked at the couch carved of cedarwood, with its purple cushions trimmed in scarlet. And Enna-aru the king said:
“This is all as I expected it would be. You sit up here gorging yourself on the best of everything, don’t you? And down there in your city, they gnaw the crusts you throw them.”
“They only eat at all because I created the fields, and taught them how to grow barley,” said Atrahasis. He realized he sounded defensive, and made an effort to calm himself.
“Oh, please,” said Enna-aru the king. “I know better. Shall I tell you how I know?”
“If you like,” Atrahasis replied. Enna-aru leaned forward, took one of his cups, and poured wine.
“My land is eight days’ journey north of this place. It sits fair on the river, wide black fields, well watered; beyond are highlands good for grazing sheep. Long ago an escaped slave came there, with his wife and child.
“This slave had formerly lived in a city ruled over by a cruel and capricious god. The people there obeyed their lord in all things—they were afraid to do otherwise—but when a flood came and drowned them in their hundreds, that god stood by and smiled, and would not lift a finger to help them.
“The slave was one of those who survived the flood. He saw the god walking through the desolation, smiling at the bloated corpses of the dead, and saw that the god had mud on his sandals and on his robe where it trailed on the earth. He knew, then, that the god was only a man, only an evil man.
“Therefore he took his wife and child, and they fled by night. When they came to the good land, they settled, and the man made himself lord and master of wide acres. He had many children. In time, other slaves escaped and came to work for him. He was a good master to them. He fed them, he gave them land, but he never bid them worship him.
“And he passed down through his sons, and his sons’ sons, and all their children through the generations, the wisdom he had learned, which was: those who demand worship are frauds.”
And Enna-aru the king raised his eyes that were so like Atrahasis’s own, and winked. Atrahasis opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Composedly the king went on:
“That slave was my ancestor, O great god Enlil. The god he fled from was, I strongly suspect, your ancestor. And all my life, and all the lives of my forefathers, have been spent in preparation for this day, when I would walk into your city and tell your people the truth about you. Now it is done. Let us drink to the future.”
He lifted his cup and drank.
Atrahasis sat staring at him, wondering why his rage had died utterly into white ash. He felt like laughing.
“You’re wrong about one thing, you know,” he said. “That wasn’t my ancestor walking in the mud. That was me. I really am an immortal.”
Enna-aru the king yawned. He reached across to Atrahasis and pulled a golden coin from his ear, and held it up.
“I can do magic, too, you see? One of my court magicians showed me that trick. I suspect you have many more.”
The laughter came—Atrahasis couldn’t stop it, didn’t want to. He looked at Enna-aru and raised his own cup in salute.
“Great king, you are a man after my own heart. Dear, dear, what shall I do now that I am deposed?”
“Live off your own sweat for a change,” said Enna-aru the king.
“And if I oppose you?”
“I have an army in your city,” the king pointed out. “Your people loathe you so much they were dancing as we came in. I don’t think you want me to ask them what I ought to do with you. Your priests have seen you insulted; they depend on you for their livelihoods, so they might stand by you, but they know the truth about you now. You don’t stand much of a chance, I’m afraid.”
Atrahasis was delighted. “What’s a poor little false god to do, then?”
“Become a man,” said Enna-aru. “You know how to run this city, you understand its infrastructure. Rule it as my viceroy! It needn’t be an embarrassment for you, either; almost no one alive has ever seen you, so they won’t know you’re their former god. I can tell them you’re my brother. But if you abuse your power again, I will have you killed.”
“Oooh.” Atrahasis pretended to shiver. “How kind of you to spare my dignity. And what do you want in return?”
“The good of the people,” said Enna-aru gravely. “You must love them. Treat them as your children, not as beasts of burden.”
“Children, eh?” Atrahasis said. “But children are a dangerous proposition for a god, you know. Shall I tell you how the world was made?
“Tiamat the Mother and Apsu the Father begot between them elder gods, who proceeded to spawn generations of godlets. And what did these little monsters do, but rebel against their ancient parents? And, when the old couple determined to destroy their vicious brood, what did the ungrateful children do but fight back?
“The Father was killed; the Mother was killed, and a bright young thing named Marduk split her body into a dozen pieces and used it to create the rotting, stinking world in which we walk. There is no love in Heaven, my
mortal friend. Why then should it be any different on Earth? And therefore why should I hold my subjects as sons?”
mortal friend. Why then should it be any different on Earth? And therefore why should I hold my subjects as sons?”
“Because those stories are lies,” said Enna-aru the king.
“Are they? Are there then no gods?”
“Possibly,” said Enna-aru. “Possibly there
are
shining beings of infinite power and wisdom. But you are only a petty tyrant, and will soon be a dead one if you do not agree to my demands.”
are
shining beings of infinite power and wisdom. But you are only a petty tyrant, and will soon be a dead one if you do not agree to my demands.”
“Which makes you no less a petty tyrant, doesn’t it?” said Atrahasis.
“Perhaps,” said Enna-aru the king. “But I never claimed to be otherwise. And my people love me, o false god, because I am a good father to them. Soon, your people will love me, too. I am their servant, you see, rather than the other way around; it is my business to see that they have what they need to live. When they are threatened, it is my duty to protect them. And so must you.”
“I hear and obey, great king,” said Atrahasis, and made a mock bow. “How much of this pious claptrap do you actually believe, by the way?”
“None,” said Enna-aru the king. “But I intend to make it true.”
The army was quartered in Atrahasis’s city, and they did not plunder, and hardly raped at all. Enna-aru the king quartered himself in Atrahasis’s own temple, with his men-at-arms standing guard. Atrahasis gave him the guest bedroom and showed him where the clean towels were. Security Technical Vidya and his team stood down, and stood down, and wondered thereat.
Sir, how are we going to resolve the situation?
Leave that to me!
Atrahasis waved away the transmission as though it were a gnat whining in his ear. He sipped his kefir and watched, fondly, as Enna-aru the king methodically peeled figs. The mortal even ate with elegance. What an uncanny resemblance to himself!
I’m merely toying with him.
He
amuses me. When I grow bored with him, he’ll die
.
Atrahasis waved away the transmission as though it were a gnat whining in his ear. He sipped his kefir and watched, fondly, as Enna-aru the king methodically peeled figs. The mortal even ate with elegance. What an uncanny resemblance to himself!
I’m merely toying with him.
He
amuses me. When I grow bored with him, he’ll die
.
If you say so, sir
.
.
And it occurred to Atrahasis to wonder what his double looked like with a bloody spear in his hands; and he was disconcerted to note how much the image excited him. He cleared his throat.
“It occurs to me,” Atrahasis told the king, “that it would be best for my people if this power shift takes place quickly. You said something last night
about presenting me as your brother. I think the people would believe that; there is a certain resemblance between us, have you noticed?”
about presenting me as your brother. I think the people would believe that; there is a certain resemblance between us, have you noticed?”
“I had, yes,” said Enna-aru. “Useful, isn’t it?”
“Of course, I’ll probably have to have my priests executed,” said Atrahasis lightly. Enna-aru the king set down his cup, and gave him a long hard stare.
“Probably necessary,” he conceded at last. “They have grown fat off the fear of the people. And they are the most likely to plot against us. But you will kill them swiftly; no torture. They have only done your will, after all.”
“Then it is done,” said Atrahasis, and transmitted an order to Security Technical Vidya. “And so we are brothers! Let us send forth messengers to proclaim it in the streets; and then, later, let us appear and make a show of brotherhood. Shall we go hunting together? I have a private preserve outside the city. The wild bull and the gazelle roam there untroubled; and I have two swift chariots and the finest charioteers.”
“I wouldn’t have thought you were a hunting man,” said Enna-aru the king. “Though you seem to enjoy killing.”
“I kill only to cull my herds,” said Atrahasis swiftly. “You will see how green the park is, how fine and strong the beasts are. I have preserved them from indiscriminate slaughter by common men. Is this not also the work of a lord?”
So when Security Technical Vidya and his subordinates had washed the blood from their hands, they hitched swift horses to a pair of chariots, and sent them out with drivers to await the pleasure of the king.
And first went soldiers bearing the heads of the executed priests, that the people might see them and rejoice, which they did. And next went messengers crying aloud the news that Enna-aru the king had appointed his brother to be lord over them, and the people rejoiced about that, too. Finally Enna-aru the king and his new brother were driven forth in their chariots, in lordly progress through the streets. Atrahasis marveled at the grace and strength of the king, poised swaying in the jolting chariot. And Atrahasis caused Security Technicals to toss trinkets of gold, and the ornaments of the priests, to the cheering multitudes.
The Preserve of Enlil lay two miles from the city, fenced with high palings and wire specially hooked up to deliver a blast of Enlil’s wrath to would-be poachers. Was there a faint whiff of charred flesh on the air, as the chariots bore Atrahasis with Enna-aru the king to that place? But no corpses in view, at least.
Security Technical Rulon opened the gate, bowing low, and admitted them. They rode in and Atrahasis watched for the king’s reaction.
“Is this not fair, o king?” he demanded. “Look! A green paradise. You will see no scars here from plow or mattock, no ditches to stink, no trees hacked for firewood. No mortal intrusion at all. And see the wild cattle, there at the watering place? The water they drink is pure, untainted by anything men might do. They have never been hunted. Have I not done well, to set this place apart?”
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