Beasts of Antares (20 page)

“...Not good enough,” said this young fellow. He spoke in a pleasant enough voice. He wore decent clothes, of a neat cut and of blue and gray, with gray trousers. I saw those trousers. At his side swung a rapier, and a main gauche would match it on the other, of that I felt sure. He looked lithe and Umber, with a handsome, keen face, and I sighed.

As I said, I’d been thinking as I ventured in here of Prince Tyfar...

I walked forward boldly into the light.

One or two of the group looked up as I appeared.

The woman — the girl — was there, this time dressed in dark blue, and a rapier swung at her side, too.

“Lahal,” I said cheerily. “I am sorry for my lateness. But there was some disorder, something about a man running down there. I trust you are well?”

I used no names.

Prince Tyfar gaped at me. Jaezila stared.

Then she smiled. “Lahal, Jak. We are pleased to see you.”

Chapter fourteen

I Amuse my Friends

As I was a member of the delegation with Prince Tyfar of Hamal there was no trouble about my leaving. He had with him two grave-faced men, high officials of the department in Hamal charged with voller procurement. Also he had Barkindrar the Bullet and Nath the Shaft. With Jaezila was her retainer, Kaldu. They merely nodded to me and smiled. They took their lead from their master and mistress. Anyway, we had been comrades together, blade comrades. There was much between us.

So we went down the steps and the furor continued as the guards hunted the fugitive. The wildest of rumors flew about.

As we walked together, Jaezila smiled. “You, I suppose, Jak the Sturr?”

“Aye, my lady, me. And my thanks—”

Prince Tyfar half turned, the epitome of a handsome young prince.

“You observed the skyship, Jak. Your opinion?”

“A fine craft, Prince.” I’d heard the others address him thusly, so that was one hurdle out of the way. He was here with the delegation officially from Hamal buying fliers. “She will serve admirably once she is completed.”

“My thought, exactly, except—”

I chanced a shaft. “The varter positions on the upper deck?”

“Precisely.”

A little technical discussion ensued, in which I was able to insert my oar from time to time. Tyfar was a right tearaway in that he’d chanced dropping me in it. But, I fancy, he had taken the measure of my mettle as I’d taken the measure of his down in the Moder, among other fraught places.

The big fellow with the hair and the plans appeared anxious to please. He was the manager, Nalgre Orndalt, and he heaved up a sigh just before we said the remberees.

“The ship will be only two weeks behind schedule, Prince. You can’t get the quality of workmanship like you used to. And I’d as lief be in the stands of the Jikhorkdun as working this afternoon.”

Rather sharply, Tyfar said, “You perhaps object to working for Hamalese paymasters?”

Nalgre Orndalt’s thick fingers clenched on the plans. The paper ridged and creased. Then, slowly, he said, “No, Prince. There are some, as you know, who... No, I do my work and take my wages, and leave politics to the queen.”

With her brilliant smile, Jaezila said, “Well, Nalgre, perhaps you could hasten the work. Improve on the two weeks?”

“I will try.” He did not say, “For you, my lady.” But the impression of his having said that remained. I did not wonder. Many men would move mountains for Jaezila. I did not think she would treat them like dirt beneath her sandals, but if she did they’d be grateful for the attention.

When we were safely outside the gates and walking slowly toward the lines where the zorcas were stabled, Tyfar said to the officials in his delegation, “I believe you expressed the desire to witness the games? There will still be some games left. Of the more barbarous kind.” His face expressed his distaste. He had told me he did not care for the Jikhorkdun in his native Hamal.

“Thank you, Prince.” The officials and their aides mounted up and rode off. We looked after them, waiting for them to leave. Kaldu, big-boned and powerful, his brown beard trimmed to a point, kept away from me. He would not look at me.

I moved to stand at his side. “Do not blame yourself, Kaldu. You did right—”

“But we left you to certain death—”

“The death was not certain. For I am here. Now, for the sake of Havil, cheer up! Your duty was to the lady Jaezila. You did right, and you would do the same again.”

He had forcibly taken Jaezila aboard the voller and lifted away to safety as I had been ringed with steel.

“Aye, Jak. Aye. I would do the same again.”

“Queyd-arn-tung!” I said, which means no more need be said on the subject.

And Kaldu passed a broad hand across his beard and smiled.

Then it was Tyfar’s turn to attempt to apologize for leaving me. In all the kafuffle of the attack he had not been in any position to contribute. I told him so, and added, “And now that you are here and I am here, in Hyrklana, we have a lot to do.”

“And Deb-Lu? And Hunch and Nodgen?”

I moved my hands. “I assume they are safe. They lifted away in good time.”

“I pray they are safe. I set much store by Deb-Lu-Quienyin. And as for Hunch and Nodgen—”

“Hunch, at least,” put in Jaezila, with her laugh, “would have trembled in his shoes up there.”

We all laughed. Even I laughed, for that seems the right thing to do when Hunch the Tryfant comes into the conversation. And he had been a good companion to us, with his comrade Nodgen...

I was not going to tell Tyfar or Jaezila that Quienyin and Hunch and Nodgen, and the Pachak twins, Fre-Da, had reached Vallia. Tyfar and Jaezila were Hamalese and thought I was working for mad Empress Thyllis as were they.

That was the explanation I gave them for my presence. As I expected, it worked like a charm. If you understand that I felt a twinge of guilt at telling that kind of untruth to two people for whom I entertained the highest respect, admiration and affection, you understand aright. But as with Rees and Chido, personal friendship beclouds the supposedly greater issues of patriotism. And I had already vowed that patriotism, for all the demeaning postures now understood by that word, would not be allowed to harm Tyfar or Jaezila.

Not while I lived, by Vox!

As we mounted up — I’ve no idea to whom the zorca I so airily made use of belonged — I thought if only these two were not Hamalese!

We had a deal of mileage to make up. Through downright cunning use of my supposed secret assignment from Empress Thyllis I was able to bypass most of the awkward questions. I let them understand I’d got out of that scrape back there in Absordur with the Vajikry-mad trylon by telling the truth. When I mentioned that infuriating game of Vajikry, Tyfar threw back his head and laughed uproariously.

“You, Jak! Vajikry! But you’re a Jikaida man.”

“Surely. I was hard put to it to survive.” Then I told them of the gambit I’d used to win free, whereat they laughed the louder.

I could see the funny side of it well enough, but I said, “It was a good laugh afterward. But at the time, and what with that oaf singing his damned dismal song, the “March of the Skeletons,” well, it wasn’t so—”

Jaezila interrupted swiftly, turning to me from her saddle. “Jak! We are thoughtless and cruel to laugh so!” And then she couldn’t stop bursting out with a snorting laugh she tried to stop and only made worse.

Comrades. Blade comrades! I warmed to them.

And their adventures had been a trifle fraught, also. They’d had a few fights and helter-skelterings of that kind winning free and reaching Hamal. Kregen offers unbounded opportunities for skull-bashing if you have a mind to that kind of frolic, which I have not. Then it was my turn to laugh as they described Jaezila’s surprise — her consternation — when she discovered the ninny she so put upon was a prince, a real live prince of Hamal.

“Ah, but Jaezila,” I said, “you should have seen him down the Moder. He was like a zhantil.”

“Oh, now, come, Jak, really—” protested Tyfar. But he gave a glance at the girl — the woman — who rode so straight and proudly at his side. And I, nodding to myself, fancied the future held prospects there that would have astonished just absolutely everybody when we were crossing the Dawn Lands.

“And the quest for vollers proved negative there,” they told me. “And we were ordered to speed up production in Hyrklana.”

I made a face. “But can you order another country like that? You know they do not like the Hamalese.”

Now it was Tyfar’s face which changed. He looked at once savage and dismayed. “I know. I deplore what we are doing with our army and air service. We attack, it seems, at the whim of the Empress Thyllis — may Havil forgive me if I speak out of turn, Jak. But I cannot much longer remain still. My father keeps his own counsel. But—”

“You know my opinion of Prince Nedfar,” I said. “He is a great man. He will always strive to walk the path of righteousness.” I did not use those exact and somewhat mawkish words; the sentiment remained true.

“Aye.” Tyfar’s eyebrows drew down and his forehead wrinkled. “Aye. I pray he does not run into trouble.”

“If the iron legions of Hamal are stopped,” said Jaezila, and she spoke on a breath, “what will Thyllis do then, d’you think?”

We didn’t know. But we all felt it would be something exceedingly dire.

I forbore to inquire who was going to do the stopping. Up in Vallia we had made a good beginning in that direction...

They asked me where I was staying, preparatory, I guessed, to inviting me to stay with them. I said I was living outside the walls, and doing very well. I did not particularize.

There were three or four small townships, not quite suburbs, outside the walls, and all at least two varter shots from the walls. This was a common-sense precaution. They assumed I was staying in one of these suburbs.

“We have been put up in regal fashion with Pallan Mahmud nal Yrmcelt,” said Tyfar. “He is the queen’s chief pallan.”

“Ord Mahmud,” I said, thinking.

Tyfar looked surprised. “Why, no. Orlan Mahmud. You have his name wrong. Beware, he is high in the queen’s favor.”

“I believe I have heard.” said Jaezila offhandedly, “that Orlan’s father’s name was Ord.”

I nodded and let it pass. Time flows, time flows...

It seemed to me he would not remember the descent of a slate slab and a scarlet breechclout. He might. If he did I fancied he would wish to forget. After all, at the time he had been involved with a group plotting the downfall of Queen Fahia. Perhaps, I surmised as we jogged along, perhaps Orlan Mahmud nal Yrmcelt was still opposed to the queen, and taking over his father’s position as chief pallan, sought-to work from within the establishment. It was a possibility.

Also, it was quite likely to be mere wishful thinking. Men as they grow older, on Kregen as on Earth, often change from being red-hot revolutionaries to straitlaced pillars of the community. The thought, the fact, is not new.

The games still proceeded and the beast roar of the crowd swelled over Huringa. Tyfar declared his throat was as dry as that infernal desert we had marched through together and so we reined in at a convenient hostelry and, dismounting, saw that the zorcas were led off by slaves. Then we sat around a table, with the retainers at a respectful distance.

This was nonsense for us, for we were all comrades-in-arms. But we had no wish, for our various reasons, to attract undue and unfavorable notice.

As we sipped the wine, for it was just time, I reflected that this was all very fine and wonderful; it brought me no nearer to securing a voller for the escape I planned.

Overjoyed though I was to meet up with Tyfar and Jaezila, I could not, must not, allow them to deflect me from my purpose in Huringa.

We had a deal to talk over. Prince Nedfar, Tyfar’s father, had reached Ruathytu safely. I was relieved to hear this. Tyfar, again, expressed his unease over the policies being followed by his country. Jaezila, her color up, her splendid eyes fierce, observed that, by Krun! Hamal trod a dangerous path. But she, like Tyfar, would not commit herself to any definite statement. They worked for Hamal, as I worked for Vallia. The thought saddened me.

My explanations, although lame in my ears, satisfied them when I said I would have to return to my quarters. We enjoyed a slap-up meal before the Jikhorkdun turned out and the taverns became choked with excited patrons discussing the details of the games. I gathered that the yellows had lost their place of preeminence, and the blues had, as I had told that guard, achieved the highest position.

Mentioning the lady Ariane nal Amklana, Tyfar said he had not seen or heard of her since entering Hyrklana. The lady Ariane had not, in our opinion, biased though we might be, turned out too well in the Moder. Much might be forgiven her, but Tyfar was too much the gentleman, the true noble, to dwell on that. She was, he said he had discovered, well-known in Huringa, visiting there from time to time. She was a vadni, the Vadni of Amklana, and her husband, like Queen Fahia’s husband, King Rogan, was a nonentity.

“I heard once — oh, a mere whisper — that King Rogan might seek to take the reins of government into his own hands.” I said this in the quiet expectancy of immediate and incredulous disbelief. My expectations were not disappointed.

“He is a nothing,” declared Tyfar. “Poor fellow.”

“It is true. I do not know where your whisper came from, Jak,” said Jaezila. “But it is surely false.”

“Aye. It was probably a pious hope. A wish that he might prove a better sovereign than fat Queen Fahia.”

No one outside our circle heard me, which was just as well.

Pleasant though it was to sit in the radiance of the declining suns and eat and drink and talk with my comrades, I had work to do. I stood up. Tyfar instantly stopped my attempts to pay the reckoning, with princely grace quietly insisting he would settle. I made an arrangement to meet them on the morrow, expressed my regrets I was called away and walked off. My twin shadows preceded me as I walked along, heading for the Jikhorkdun.

In that warren of evil and horror and high courage three other friends awaited — all unknowing — the chance of escape I trusted fervently I was bringing them.