2 - Blades of Mars (14 page)

 
          
 
He had found himself hunted by those he
regarded as his nation's greatest allies. For weeks he had eluded the guards
who sought him, but had eventually been cornered. He had fought well but had
finally been captured.

 
          
 
The guards had taken him to Mih-Sa-Voh.
where
I had first seen him.

 
          
 
It was a story to match my own - which I told
him at his request.

 
          
 
Soon we were flying over the vast plain which
I recognised at once from the weird, crimson ferns which covered it, undulating
slowly in the breeze like an endless ocean - the Crimson Plain.

 
          
 
I welcomed the sight for it meant we were
fairly close to the Calling Hills in which lay Vamal, City of the Green Mist,
home of the Bradhis of Karnala - and Shizala, my betrothed.

 
          
 
The Calling Hills were reached next morning
and it was no time before we had reached the valley where lay Vamal.

 
          
 
May heart leapt in joy as I saw again the tall
white buildings of Varnal. Here and there some of the buildings were of the
strange blue marble which is mined in the hills. Traceries of gold veined the
marble, causing the buildings to glitter in the sun. Pennants flew from the
towers. It was a simpler city than Mih-Sa-Voh, the
Jewelled
City
, and not so large, yet to me it was
infinitely more beautiful - and an infinitely more welcome sight!

 
          
 
We dropped down into the city square and
guards came forward at once, very alert, preparing to treat us as enemies.

 
          
 
The Bradhi Camak hurried down the steps of his
palace, Shizala following him.

 
          
 
Shizala!

 
          
 
She looked up and saw me. Our eyes met and
locked. We stood there with tears of joy coming to our eyes,
then
I was leaping from the cabin and hurrying forward to take her in my arms.

 
          
 
'What happened?' she asked. 'Oh, Michael Kane,
what happened? I did not know what to think when you disappeared the night
before the betrothal ceremony. I know you would not leave me of you own
volition. What happened?'

 
          
 
‘I will tell you soon,' I promised. 'But first
there are other things to discuss.' I turned to the Bradhi. 'Did you know that
Mishim Tep plans to march against Vamal?'

 
          
 
He nodded grimly, sorrowfully. 'The
declaration arrived by herald yesterday,' he said. ‘I cannot understand how
Bolig Fas Ogdai came to believe these perversions of the truth. He accuses me
and mine - and you, Michael Kane -of the most heinous deeds known to our
society. We were friends for many years, our fathers and forefathers were
friends. How could this be?'

 
          
 
'I will explain that, too,' I said. 'And now,
let us try to forget these problems - we are united once more.'

 
          
 
'Yes.' he agreed, trying to smile, 'this is a
day of joy -to see you both return together is more than I dared hope for.
Come, come - we shall have a meal and will talk and learn everything.'

 
          
 
Hand in hand, Shizala and I followed her
father and brother into the palace.

 
          
 
Soon the meal was prepared and I began to
talk, telling them of my return to earth, my journey back to Mars and my
adventures in the North. Damad then told of his adventures and we discussed
what had been happening in Varnal since we had left.

 
          
 
In spite of the black cloud of imminent war
that was forever present, we could not disguise our joy at being reunited and
the talk went on long into the night. The next day would bring two things - the
ceremony of betrothal between Shizala and
myself
,
necessary before a marriage could take place, and plans of war...

An Unwelcome Decision

 
          
 
'So HORGUHL has deceived Bolig Fas Ogdai as
she deceived his son,' said Carnak next morning.

 
          
 
'She has him totally in her power,' Darnad
said.

 
          
 
We were eating breakfast together - a rare
custom on Mars, but there was little time to waste.

 
          
 
'There must be some way of convincing the
Bradhi that she is
lying
,' Shizala said.

 
          
 
'You have not seen him,' I told her. 'We tried
to convince him, but he was hardly aware of what we said - he was like a man in
a dream. This war is her doing - not Bolig Fas Ogdai's.'

 
          
 
'The question remains,' said Damad, 'how can
we avert this war? I have no wish to shed the blood of my friends -and no wish
to see Vamal destroyed, for they would undoubtedly win.'

 
          
 
'There is only one way I can think of.' I
spoke softly. 'It is an unwelcome solution - but there seems nothing else for
it. If all else fails, someone must kill her. With the death of Horguhl will
come the death of her power over the Bradhi and his
subjects.
'

 
          
 
'Kill a woman!' Damad was shocked.

 
          
 
'I like the thought no more than do you,' I
said.

 
          
 
'You are right, Michael Kane.' Camak nodded.
'It must be our only chance. But who would take on such a repugnant task?'

 
          
 
'Since I reached the decision, then the onus
must be on me,' I murmured.

 
          
 
'Let us discuss this later,' said Bradhi Camak
hastily. ‘Now it is almost time for the betrothal ceremony in the throne room.
You and Shizala must prepare yourselves.'

 
          
 
I returned to my chamber and Shizala to hers.
There I found arranged a variety of accoutrements and clothing. In a short
while Damad arrived to show me how I must wear all this.

 
          
 
There was a harness made of finely beaten
links of gold and silver, studded with gems, and a sword that also shone with
jewels, with a matching dagger.

 
          
 
There was a thick cloak of dark blue lined
with rich scarlet. The cloak was decorated with delicate embroidery in yellow
and green thread depicting, symbolically, scenes from the history pf the
Karnala.

 
          
 
There
were
also a pair
of sandals of soft, shiny black leather that laced up to just below the knee.

 
          
 
Soon I was dressed in all this and Damad
stepped back admiring me.

 
          
 
'You make a fine sight,' he said. 'I am proud
to have you as a brother.'

 
          
 
There was no such term as
"brother-in-law" in the Martian vocabulary. When one married into a
family one automatically became of the same status as a blood relative
;.
I would become Camak's son and Damad's brother - their
brothers and cousins would become mine. It seemed strange that, by this logic,
Shizala would not only become my wife but also my sister and my niece! But that
was the custom of Mars and I would accept it.

 
          
 
Darnad led me to the throne room where a few
chosen courtiers awaited us. The throne room was not unlike that at the
Jewelled
City
, though simpler and less pretentious. On
the dais stood the Bradhi Camak in splendid robes of black fur, a circlet on
his head.

 
          
 
Like most of the important customs of Southern
Mars, the ceremony was short and yet impressive.

 
          
 
Camak announced that we were to be married and
we affirmed that it was our wish and the wish of no-one else that this should
be. He then asked if there was any objection to this marriage. There was none.

 
          
 
Camak concluded: 'Then let it be that my
daughter Shizala, the Bradhinaka, and my son, Michael Kane of Negalu, be wed
when it should please them after the period of ten days from this.'

 
          
 
And so I became engaged to that wonderful
girl.

 
          
 
There was nothing for it but to prepare for
the worst. On a balcony in a tower of the palace we looked down at the square
beneath as our pitifully depleted army began to assemble.

 
          
 
I had divested myself of the ceremonial robes
and was now clad in a simple warrior's harness, with a workman-like sword and
one of the somewhat inaccurate, air-powered pistols of the Karnala. Over my
shoulders was draped a cloak of dark green cloth.

 
          
 
I might remark, too, that I was beginning to
let my hair grow longer, in the fashion of the Southern Martians. Though this
custom is frowned on in our society to some extent, short hair on Mars is
conspicuous and one is inclined to be questioned about it. Thus, to conduct
myself as much as possible like my hosts - whom no-one could call unmanly! -I
was allowing my hair to flow! It was kept from my eyes, also in the Southern
Martian manner, by means; of a simple metal circlet. Mine was of gold and had
been a betrothal gift from Shizala. I stood now with my arm around her as we
looked into the square.

 
          
 
As chief Pukan-Nara of Kamala's warriors,
Damad was in the square, but Carnak was with us on the balcony.

 
          
 
'Have you been able to judge the strength of
Mishim Tep?' Camak asked me.

 
          
 
'I have,' I replied.
To some
extent, at least.
They must outnumber you five or six to one!'

 
          
 
'Our strongest ally turned against us! This
will mean the destruction of the South as we know it,' Shizala said wearily.
'For centuries the balance of power has been held by what we choose to call the
"benevolent nations," Mishim Tep and Karnala chief among them. This
war will weaken us to such an extent that the South will become prey to all
kinds of enemies.'

 
          
 
'Doubtless that is exactly what Horguhl is
hoping,' I pointed out. 'In the anarchy that must follow this war -and it
cannot matter to her who wins it - she will gain the power she lusts for. She
failed in her attempt to smash us by use of the Argzoon - now she tries this.
She does not give up easily.'

 
          
 
'She is a strange woman,' Shizala said. 'I
spent much time in her company - forcibly, of course, since I was her prisoner.
Sometimes she appears so innocent and bewildered, at other tunes she is a
monster! And that weird power of hers - that ability to make others do what she
chooses - it is inhuman.'

 
          
 
'It is not inhuman,' I said, 'since many must
have a similar power, though not so well developed. It is the use to which she
puts it that is perverted!'

 
          
 
'She seems to blame all Southern nations for
some crime committed against her,’ Shlzala said. 'Why is that?’

 
          
 
'Who can explain the motives of a sick mind?'
I said. 'She is insane - and if insanity were easily explained by logic, then
perhaps there would be no insanity!'

 
          
 
'This plan of yours,' said Shizala with a slight
shudder.
"The one to kill her.
How do you plan to
make the attempt?'

 
          
 
'It is so distasteful to me,' I said, 'that I
have not thought much about it. First we must wait until the main army of
Mishim Tep is on the march. I do not think that Horguhl will risk her own life
by riding with the army. She will remain behind. I would only - only kill her,
of course, in the last resort - that is, if I could find no other way of
convincing the Bradhi that she
lies
.
Or, better still, forcing her to admit that she has not told the
truth!'

 
          
 
'And when the
anny
is
on the march - what then?'

 
          
 
'I will enter Mishim Tep in secret.'

 
          
 
'How?'

 
          
 
'I will travel most of the distance by
airship, then stain my skin roughly the same colour as the men of Mishim Tep
entering the city as a mercenary. I believe there are bands ol mercenaries who
seek employment in Mishim Tep.'

 
          
 
'They are the Jelusa - cousins to the men of
Mishim Tep.’

 
          
 
'Then I shall become a Jelusa.'

 
          
 
'And what then?'

 
          
 
'Ask to speak with Horguhl
alone,
telling her I have secrets...'

 
          
 
'She will recognise you!'

 
          
 
'Is it not a custom amongst the Jelusa
mercenaries to mask themselves so that none shall know who has been hired?'

 
          
 
'It is.’

 
          
 
'Then I shall be masked.'

 
          
 
'And when - if your attempt succeeds - you are
alone with her?'

 
          
 
'I will try to kidnap her and get her to write
out the truth. Then I will imprison her and take the statement to the Bradhi of
Mishim Tep. If he still refuses to accept the truth I will show it to his
nobles. I am sure they will see it, not being directly under her spell . . . '
My voice tailed off as I saw Shizala's expression.

 
          
 
'It is a daring plan,' she said - 'but it is
almost bound to fail, my love.'

 
          
 
‘It is the only plan I have,’ I said, 'the
only one with the slimmest hope of succeeding.'

 
          
 
She frowned. 'I remember Telera Fas Ogdai once
telling me of an almost forgotten object which they have at Mih-Sa-Voh, m their
treasure house. It is a shield with a polished surface that transfixes anyone
who gazes into it.'

 
          
 
I was interested in the tale, since it seemed
to have affinities with our own tale of Perseus and the Gorgon -and, perhaps,
since our race is descended from that of Mars, that was the origin of our
legend. 'Go on,' I told my betrothed.

 
          
 
'Well, this shield has another property.
Anyone who looks into it is forced to speak the truth. It is something to do
with the mesmeric effect of the surface. I do not know the scientific
explanation, but it was probably designed by the Sheev or the Yaksha, and their
science was far ahead of my knowledge.'

 
          
 
'And mine, too,' I said.

 
          
 
'I think it is only a legend - an amusing
story Telem Fas Ogdai told to while away an hour.'

 
          
 
'It sounds unlikely,' I agreed - then
dismissed the thought from my mind. I could not afford to waste time on
speculation.