The Silk Tree (32 page)

Marius still lived but would not last the morning without shade and rest. Nicander knew the cruelty of flogging on the two women was beyond him. Therefore there was only one course. ‘I want everyone to stay here today,’ he croaked. ‘I’m taking Meng Hsiang to look for water. If I’m not back by tomorrow then Arif’s in charge.’

He felt lightheaded and strangely calm as the camel stepped off. Was the vision of Dao Pa real or was it a dream? One way or another their problems would all be over before the end of the day.

He followed the crest for about a mile to where it divided. Confidently he kneed the camel to the right. Soon he could look down into the valley and there he would see the flat of the river bed and the unbearable glitter of moving water.

Meng Hsiang plodded forward patiently and they drew nearer – and then the whole valley opened up before him.

He searched eagerly – there was no sparkling water. No flat river bed. Only another drab bottomland.

Disappointment slammed in, followed by a dull and bitter resignation. Even Dao Pa had let him down. Did he turn back now or try another direction? He couldn’t bring himself to think about it.

Then something caught his eye: deep down and near the bottom. A series of dots.

They moved.

With a desperate intensity he stared down and made out a string of camels in a line, travelling slowly along.

He tried to yell with all his strength but it came out only as a harsh croak.

‘Go!’ he urged Meng Hsiang in an agony of hope. The animal reluctantly began to step and slide down the steep slope towards the camel train. They saw him and stopped.

‘Faster!’ he gasped but his camel had its own speed. They drew nearer and he could make out several men dressed in outlandish coloured tunics and turban-like headdresses, gaping at his approach.

Nearer still and his vision blurred with emotion. Then he was up with them nearly crying with relief. ‘Who are you? We need help, desperately, please!’

They looked at each other and shrugged, babbling something that had no meaning to him. ‘Please! Water – water! Please understand – we’re looking for Khotan and—’

‘Ai, ai! Khotan!’ they said, vigorously pointing back to where they’d come from.

Near delirious, Nicander tried to get off but slipped and tumbled. One of the men slid to the ground and hurried over. Nicander pointed to his mouth. ‘Water! Please – water!’

The man untied a small skin pouch and placed it to his lips.

Nicander drank then he fell back, wanting to weep with the emotion of it all but unable to.

The man looked down at him and with the utmost tenderness tried to ask him something.

‘There! Up there!’ Nicander managed, indicating over the crest. ‘More of us!’ He held up four fingers and gestured again.

‘Ha!’ The man snapped a rapid-fire command. A water skin was flung over one camel, another mounted. Twitched into motion, the animals angled up the dune.

Nicander slumped back – and the world dissolved to nothing.

‘Be buggered to you!’ Marius protested. ‘I’m not staying in this bed rotting for ever – we have to get going.’ He threw aside the threadbare cover.

‘Not until they say you’re ready,’ Nicander said wearily, pulling it back again.

‘Have you checked the silk eggs, Nico? I’ve got to know they’re safe.’

Reassured, he closed his eyes again.

The two men had been left at the lamasery as a deserving charity, poor travellers on a caravan that had been set upon by brigands and who’d made a desperate escape into the desert, arriving with little more than the clothes they wore.

Not daring to reveal the contents of Tai Yi’s chest in a strange place they had humbly accepted the hospitality of the lamasery. It was not a richly endowed one, however, and there had been pointed remarks about their future plans.

One vital piece of information they had gleaned was that Khotan was a major trading centre on the rim of the Great Desert. From here argosies set out for many destinations, especially Kashgar. Situated where the Kunlun range in the south curved up to meet the Tien Shan from the north, Kashgar was the transfer point for goods coming from the desert to the mountain crossings.

No one seemed to know exactly what lay beyond the mountains – India
was somewhere past them, in another direction was the land of horses that sweated blood. Yet another route, it was said, led to the home of the barbarous nomads.

As it happened, Kashgar fell in well with their story: that the journey to Ying Mei’s sick father’s bedside had been interrupted by their fleeing across the desert to escape marauders and now she wanted to resume it by going to Aksu the other way around – to do so, they’d have to pass through Kashgar. They still had their original documents to back up their tale.

Nicander did not want to vex Marius until he had regained his strength but he had much on his mind. He recalled Su’s worry that it was late in the season – did this apply to mountain travel too? And there was the fact that as Marius lay recovering, Su and the caravan was on their way here around the same desert edge. If they didn’t get to Kashgar before them, they’d meet somewhere along the route. And were Tai Yi and Ying Mei safe? They had been separated when the ladies were led away to a nunnery to recover. So many concerns … but at least they had been able to reward Arif for his loyalty with the gift of Meng Hsiang’s deposit.

There was every reason to be gone at the first opportunity. Nicander had heard that in these parts caravans were more frequent and the abbot had been quick to point out that one was on its way north in only a few days. But Marius—

A firm knock at the door broke into his thoughts. With a disapproving frown a monk informed him that they had visitors, but being female they could not enter the lamasery. Nicander gave a start: it could only be Ying Mei and Tai Yi.

He was escorted to the gate. Ying Mei stood outside wearing borrowed novice’s robes. Apart from the high colour of a sun-touched face she seemed none the worse for her ordeal. Tai Yi had not been so lucky and her swollen features obviously gave her pain.

Ying Mei gave a hesitant smile. ‘Tell me, how is Ah Wu?’

‘He’s on the mend. Complains all the time of lying still. We’ve been told he’s too weak to leave yet, so I worry we’re going to miss the next caravan.’

‘That’s why I came to talk to you. I’ve an idea to get us on the caravan. Why don’t we hire a camel or a horse just for him? When he’s better we can take turns on it.’

‘He won’t like it, but it’ll get us going.’

She hesitated. ‘Ah Yung – would you walk with me? There’s something I want to say to you.’

Tai Yi gave her mistress a sharp look.

‘This is private between Ah Yung and me, Tai Yi, please understand.’

Nicander’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be that she had similar feelings for him? Damn his monk’s disguise. Was she going to …?

They began walking; Tai Yi fell behind at a distance.

‘It’s … well, we’ve come through a horrible time and it was all of us together, wasn’t it?’ Her tone was stiff, unsure.

‘Yes, it was,’ he answered carefully.

‘And if it wasn’t for Marius we wouldn’t have …’

‘We owe him much.’

They walked further in an awkward silence.

‘Ah Yung.’

‘Yes?’

‘We’ve been good friends, haven’t we? I’ve learnt such a lot of Greek, about your country and … things. And you’ve come along a long way with your Chinese characters. You’ve a natural gift, do you know that?’

‘And it’s been a pleasure, always,’ he said softly.

She hesitated, then said so quietly he had to strain to hear, ‘I want you to know, Ah Yung, that I will never forget you as long as I live.’

‘And … and I also, Ying Mei. I will remember these times until the day I die.’

This caravan was far bigger than their last – a cavalcade of nearly a thousand camels and horses, stretching for miles. It was a rich one with not only the usual precious jade of Khotan but tons’ weight of finished silk goods, ivory and spices from India, carpets and tortoiseshell, ornaments and toys – and,
it was rumoured, quantities of musk which was known to be four times the value of gold, weight for weight.

So close to the great Kunluns there was no shortage of water run-off and horses were plentiful and easy to sustain; not just Marius but all four were able to go by horseback.

This was an official caravan. High-ranking bureaucrats from Khotan and Tibet were going north on diplomatic business and the escort was impressive, a column of Turghiz cavalry. There was also a promised oasis caravanserai every night – no tents for this caravan. And with the need to keep the dignitaries at their accustomed level, the rations and entertainment were of the highest order.

With such comforts, time passed congenially.

On their left the Kunlun range kept pace, snow-capped and majestic. After some days they began to change: to loftier, more complex jagged peaks – some said that for those with the courage, fabled India lay far beyond.

They continued following around the mountain’s flanks on the left and across the vast plain to their right, another white-tipped mountain range rose above the horizon.

The two gradually converged – and there ahead was Kashgar.

‘Not as if it’s a place I’d like to spend my days in,’ Marius muttered when they arrived. It was big, sprawling and had an air of hard trading and squalor.

As their caravan made its stately way through mean streets to the vast caravanserai, a chill squall flapped their clothing. From an unrelieved humid and grey sky, rain began falling and the streets soon ran with mud. Quite unprepared for a heavy downpour, they were quickly soaked and arrived at the caravanserai dripping.

‘How wonderful,’ laughed Ying Mei. ‘I feel like a child again!’

Although small, their cells were adequate in which to refresh after their journey but Marius wanted no time wasted. ‘We get together, ten minutes!’ he ordered.

It was more like half an hour as the ladies begged time to make themselves presentable.

When they were all assembled Marius got down to business. ‘This caravan moves out in two days – and we’re not going to be on it. Instead we’re going over the mountains!’

‘We know all this, Marius,’ Nicander said gruffly. ‘What we don’t know is where? I mean, it’s all very well saying we’re going across the mountains, but in what direction? We choose the wrong one and we’ll end up in India or some place the world hasn’t heard of.’

‘Simple! Like you said, we follow the silk. It’s eventually going to end up in Constantinople.’

‘Not so easy,’ Nicander came back heavily. ‘From here they’ve got camel trains going everywhere under the sun.’

‘We ask, bugger it!’

‘Ask what? “Are you going to Constantinople, sir?” Nobody here’s even heard of it!’

‘For fuck’s sake! We ask to go somewhere on the way, o’ course!’

‘Do you know any town on the way? You can’t, because the Sogdian’s keep very quiet about it. They don’t want any outsider connecting east and west and turning into a business rival, so they keep it all a great secret. No one else knows because they pass the silk between themselves. We’re stuck, Marius, admit it!’

‘Please try, gentlemen,’ Ying Mei pleaded. ‘I’ve heard camels can’t walk in snow. What do they have to carry the loads? If we can find a caravan without camels perhaps we can see if—’

‘No idea. You, Marius?’

He scratched his head. ‘Never really thought about it. Hannibal did well with his elephants but I’ve not seen many around here …’

Ying Mei looked blank at the foreign words.

‘I’ll explain later,’ Nicander said hastily. ‘Right now time’s short. Su’s caravan could be along at any time, and this one will be on its way soon.’

Marius lifted his chin and growled, ‘I’ve made a decision.’

‘And what’s that?’ Nicander said archly.

‘While the ladies and I go to the caravan master and tell him we’re stepping
off and need to settle up, you, Nico, will go around the caravanserai and, any way you like, find out about mountain caravans and stuff. Right?’

Nicander smiled wryly – all the blame would be his if he couldn’t find a way out.

He returned late with mixed news. ‘I made out I had a cargo needing to be shifted west and they all said the same thing – that it would be going through the Terek Davan Pass. Wouldn’t say where to, but at least we’ve got a direction.’

‘That’s wonderful, Ah Yung. But you also said bad news?’

‘We’re too late. The last freight has gone through and now the pass is closed by snow. Nothing now until the following travelling season, next year.’

‘Next year?’

‘About seven months to wait.’ He paused. ‘But I did hear from one of the cameleers that if they’ve got need to get hold of more carrying capacity, they hire a small crew on a temporary basis to follow on independently. This lot are Kyrgyz and while unreliable, know the mountains well. Could be they’re running for a little while longer …?’

Marius beamed. ‘We find ’em! Ask what they’ll take to get us through!’

‘Ah. Now there’s a problem.’

‘Bugger you, Nico. Always coming up with something as will queer things! What is it now?’

‘Our friends the Sogdians. Nobody’s saying, but it’s clear that if they’re keeping their whole system end to end a secret they’ll slit the throats of any who let through spies. And we look just that – a couple of western barbarians and their Chinese concubines.’

‘Ni
lao na
! I resent that!’ Tai Yi spluttered. ‘In front of the Lady Kuo, as well!’

‘Yes, yes. But look at this from our caravan master’s point of view. Is he going to risk taking on spies and having the Sogdians down on his neck? I don’t think so. We have to come up with a good story.’

Ying Mei gave a little smile. ‘What if I’m a Chinese princess who’s been taken with a lover. I flee from the palace but my father is so angry he vows
to slay me. I fly, but his vengeance follows me everywhere I go. In the end, accompanied only by my faithful attendant and two foreign slaves I find I have to seek exile in the only place he cannot reach – beyond the mountains.’

‘A disgraceful tale!’ remonstrated Tai Yi.

Nicander beamed. ‘That’s just the story we want! How can such as we be business spies? And it shows we have to move fast and secretly – well done, Ying Mei!’

Early the following morning Marius and Nicander hired two horses and headed towards the foot of the mountains.

They had a name and a place and quickly found the outlying compound. A modest collection of snug timber buildings, it had a bare pasture at the back with many horses and a few donkeys. Was this an operation that could cross those titanic snowy peaks and take them to the Western Lands?

They were met outside the largest building by a young man in red and black with ornate boots and tassels. He was not of any of the races of people Nicander had come across and his fierce, dark-tanned features had no trace of the oriental. He carried a whip which he passed from hand to hand as he snapped a question at them in a strange tongue.

Ignoring it, Nicander asked in Chinese, ‘We come to offer business. Who shall we speak with?’

‘In here!’ came a reply.

They entered a smoky room and sitting at a table was the most ancient old man he had ever seen. He barked something at them.

Taken aback by his vigour Nicander repeated what he had said.

‘Who are you to come here asking stupid questions?’ The man replied in near-faultless Chinese.

‘Are you still crossing the Terek Davan Pass?’

‘If I am?’

His heart skipped a beat. Dare he hope?

‘You were recommended by Kashgar to take a late freight. I’ve got one that has to get over before the end of the season. Can you do it?’

‘Why aren’t you using an agent?’

‘Because this is a special, I want to organise this myself.’

‘No.’

‘Why not? You’re crossing still, aren’t you?’

‘You’re new around here, stands out like a tree in a desert. The Sogdians have a hold on everything here, that’s why. Don’t want trouble with ’em, they spying me taking a freight away from them. See?’

‘I can understand that. But this isn’t cargo, it’s people. Let me explain …’

Before the man had chance to interrupt he launched into their story, telling of harrowing times fleeing unjust retribution, the constant fear, the trust they were putting in himself at that very moment.

‘… so all she asks is to be taken beyond the mountains until his wrath is spent. Surely you have enough pity in your heart? Your Sogdians wouldn’t care if you took just four across – they’re only being taken there into exile, it’s not as if you’re robbing them of freight.’

The man stroked his straggling beard then shook his head. ‘I’ve never taken travellers. It’s too hard on them who aren’t used to it. And a princess! No, this is not for me.’

Nicander, however, saw an opening for a commercial negotiation. Names were exchanged and within the hour a deal was done.

He, Yulduz, would take them for a fee and on conditions they dress as Kyrgyz and supply their own gear, which he specified. It would be a freight run, the usual when not hired by the Sogdians, which comprised goods needed by the mountain folk on the way up and taking theirs to sell down the other side. Therefore there’d be no fancy treatment as they’d enjoyed in a proper camel train.