Student of Kyme (9 page)

‘
So when are you going to invite me to dinner with the
Nagini?’ Chrysm asked.

Malakess
laughed. ‘You presume I can do that? They go their own way. It’s up
to them.’

‘
Oh, come on,’ Chrysm chided. ‘They like you. You could be our
advocate and impress upon the Nagini we are not the evil they fear.
I’ll make no secret of the fact it would be extremely good for me
if I could go home with the Nagini under my belt. They should join
the confederation of tribes.’

‘
They would say they have no need of it,’ Malakess said. ‘I
can’t put that kind of pressure on them, Chrysm. It’s up to you to
seduce them.’

Chrysm
pulled a wry face. ‘Perhaps that is the only route. Literally.’ He
regarded Malakess steadily. ‘You want things from me, Kess. Maybe
I’m prepared to trade for them.’

Malakess
rested his elbows on the table, his chin upon his bunched hands. ‘I
see. Now we get to the main course!’

Chrysm
was unabashed. He made a languid gesture with one hand. ‘There’s no
point in dissembling. You want our students and our endorsement. I
have persuasive power in the Hegemony. Many of them are unconcerned
with the Arts and consider it of minor consequence. I usually get
my own way, simply because nohar else is interested in my
aims.’

I was
surprised Chrysm spoke so openly in front of Huriel and me, even if
his fellow Gelaming were already aware of this situation. Chrysm
considered us of minor consequence too, it seemed. I caught
Huriel’s eye and he raised his eyebrows, took a drink of wine. I
sensed his frosty disapproval. It was insulting to imply the Sulh
could be bought.

‘
I will arrange a dinner,’ Malakess said at last. ‘The rest is
up to you.’

Huriel
sighed, shook his head once, almost imperceptibly, and reached for
the wine bottle. Chrysm ignored him, if he’d noticed the gesture,
and I have no doubt that he had. ‘Excellent, Kess!’ He nodded
towards me. ‘Make it an intimate affair. Bring your beautiful
protégé. I noticed tiahaar Haruah took a shine to him.’

That was
beyond propriety, but Malakess did not react badly. ‘Gesaril, what
do you think of that?’

‘
I can dance on my hind legs and balance a ball on my nose,’ I
said. I couldn’t resist it.

Chrysm
laughed. ‘That’s the spirit!’ he said. He raised his glass. ‘To
mutual success and satisfaction.’

For all
his brashness and sometimes inappropriate directness, Chrysm Luel
does have a certain appealing manner. He makes you feel included,
somehow, part of something important. I don’t think Huriel felt
that at all, but then Chrysm paid him little attention and clearly
considered him of little use other than providing accommodation
that might bring him nearer to the Nagini. Chrysm’s personal staff
would bring his luggage over to Huriel’s house tomorrow. The
Gelaming were being entertained by the phylarch, Poltenemy that
evening.

Once
business was concluded, as far as Chrysm was concerned, the
conversation turned to idle chat. Chrysm made us laugh a lot. He
was quite rude about some of other Hegemons, mimicking their speech
and actions. His coterie of artists and writers clearly delighted
in this and sucked up to him appallingly.

As the
hotel staff cleared away the remains of our meal, Chrysm turned to
me. ‘It would please me greatly if you’d show me around Kyme this
afternoon,’ he said.

I knew
immediately he had other things on his mind as well, and wasn’t
sure what to say. Should I accept? There was a huge obstacle I had
to jump over in my head and this might be the helping hand I
needed. ‘Well…’ I began.

‘
I’m sorry, I must deprive you,’ Malakess interrupted.
‘Gesaril has work to do today.’

‘
What about my sketches?’ Sabarah demanded. Everyhar ignored
him.

‘
Oh, have a heart, my friend,’ Chrysm said. ‘Give the har a
day off.’

Malakess
maintained his sweetness. ‘I wish I could, but you do want us to
make arrangements with the Nagini for you, don’t you?’

‘
You know I do,’ Chrysm said. He sighed and smiled at me. ‘A
pity. Oh well, another time. I expect to remain in Kyme for some
days.’ He stood up and bowed to Malakess. ‘Send me word when the
arrangements are confirmed. Will it be tonight?’

‘
I think perhaps tomorrow at the earliest,’ Malakess said.
‘Give me some time.’

‘
As you wish.’ Chrysm turned to Huriel. ‘My staff will bring
my effects to your house in the morning. I’ll be arriving myself
around lunch time. Thank you for your offer. I always feel more at
ease in private houses.’

‘
My pleasure,’ Huriel said tightly.

Chrysm
jerked his head to his sycophantic group and they trailed out of
the dining room after him.

‘
Pompous, conceited ass!’ Huriel declared. ‘Really, Kess, I
don’t know how you can stand pandering to him.’

‘
I can endure it if it provides a result,’ Malakess said.
‘Don’t let it get to you, Huriel.’

‘
Suggesting you give Gesaril to the Nagini, though… that was
outrageous, and an insult to both Sulh and Nagini, not to mention a
tremendous slur upon Gesaril himself.’

‘
It’s all right,’ I said, laying a hand on Huriel’s arm; the
flesh and bones were tense beneath my fingers. ‘I don’t mind. I’ll
do what’s necessary to help.’

‘
Not that, you won’t!’ Huriel said. ‘Don’t go near Chrysm
Luel, Gesaril. He’ll eat you up and spit out the bones.’

‘
Is that an order, father?’ I said sweetly.

‘
Yes,’ Huriel said. ‘It’s an order, son.’

I glanced
at Malakess. What did he think?

‘
Huriel’s right,’ Malakess said.

‘
What do you want me to do this afternoon?’ I asked
him.

‘
Nothing. I made that up to excuse you from his
company.’

‘
Oh.’

Malakess
turned to Huriel. ‘I thought I’d bring Haruah and a couple of his
hara to your place tonight. Is that all right?’

‘
Perfectly,’ Huriel said. ‘We’ll go back at once and inform
Rayzie and Ystayne. Do the Nagini have any special dietary
requirements?’

‘
I don’t know,’ Malakess said. ‘But I’ll go to the Academy and
find out. They’re staying there. One of their hara can come over to
you.’

‘
Excellent. He and my staff can go shopping.’ Huriel got to
his feet. ‘Come along, Gesaril.’ He was getting more like a father
or hostling at every passing moment.

‘
See you later,’ Malakess said. And that was that. No mention
of the previous evening, not a flicker of interest.

Despite
what had been said, or not said, at lunch, Sabarah turned up at
Huriel’s house late this afternoon. Everyhar was busy with
preparations for dinner, so I took the Gelaming out into the
garden. Here, I sat beneath an apple tree while he made dozens of
quick sketches. There were no lascivious undercurrents in Sabarah’s
behaviour. He really did just want to paint me. He frowned as he
worked, his arm moving quickly as he made bold sweeping strokes
with his charcoal. I asked him an inane question at one point and
he simply uttered: ‘sssh!’ He liked to work in silence, it
appeared. Eventually, he paused to smoke a cigarette and let me
look at his drawings.

I was
quite shocked by what I saw. I looked winsome, and very young. He
had captured pain within my eyes, pain that I thought I hid well.
It was discomforting that Sabarah had seen so much in me. ‘They are
wonderful pictures,’ I said. ‘I’m not sure if I look like that,
though. Can I keep one of them?’

‘
If you like,’ Sabarah said. He grinned. ‘Just one of those
sketches would sell for quite a lot in Immanion.’

‘
Thanks! I’ll get it framed, if I can, and hang it in my
room.’

‘
I’d like to do a series of pictures,’ Sabarah said. ‘I can
see you in a number of settings and moods. It would make a good
show for the spring.’

‘
I’m really not sure I could come to Immanion, though,’ I
said. ‘And you couldn’t keep coming here, surely?’

Sabarah
tapped ash from the end of his cigarette. ‘You don’t know about
sedim, do you?’

I shook
my head. ‘No, what is it?’

“
Not it, they,’ Sabarah replied. ‘They are a form of transport
that can cross into the ethers and carry you long distances in a
short space of time. That is how we travel. It is also through them
that we are able to excel at trade and other things.’

‘
That’s amazing,’ I said. ‘I’d like to try it.’

Sabarah
shrugged. ‘Well, perhaps we can arrange it. It’s clear your
guardians are very protective of you, and so they should be. You’d
perhaps need a chaperone.’

It’s
astounding how your first impressions of a har can change so much.
Sabarah was not half as pompous or presumptuous as I’d thought. He
seemed quite down to earth now, in fact. Sabarah mistook my silence
for something other than reflective thought. He smiled rather
sadly. ‘I know we Gelaming are not regarded in the best of lights
abroad, and sometimes hara like Chrysm do little to dispel the bad
reputation. Some question whether it is right to let him represent
our tribe. Chrysm is fairly young by Hegemony standards, second
generation like you.’

That was
another revelation. ‘It seemed to me at lunch you all adore him,’ I
said, wondering at once whether that was a wise thing to
say.

Sabarah
didn’t take offence, however. He smiled. ‘Well, let’s just say it’s
in our interests to keep him sweet. He’s responsible for all the
major shows in Immanion and his patronage can make the difference
between poverty and affluence. He’s not a bad har, but does tend to
put his foot in it. He’s not that adept at reading other hara, I’m
afraid. But then again…’ Sabarah smiled grimly. ‘Perhaps he is all
too adept.’

‘
Hmm, I wonder whether he should be let loose on the Nagini,
then.’

Sabarah
nodded. ‘I’ve wondered the same. Still, it won’t affect me, one way
or the other.’ He stubbed out his cigarette. ‘Shall we
continue?’

By the
end of the sitting, I felt that I’d begun to make a new friend.
Sabarah told me he’d like to make more sketches, in different
settings, and would begin work on the paintings once he returned to
Immanion. I agreed to meet him at his hotel the following day. We
could go to any number of locations around the town and the
surrounding countryside.

Now,
Sabarah has left and I’ve only got half an hour or so to get ready.
Time for another new set of clothes. I could get used to
this.

Lunilsday, Ardourmoon 23

I had
wondered whether Haruah would bring his son with him, but perhaps
he didn’t want to force his prophecy. He came with two friends
instead, both of whom knew enough Albish to be able to converse
fairly easily with us. It might be that younger Nagini were
sequestered away from adult company, with all its risks and perils.
I knew nothing of their tribal customs. We gathered in Huriel’s
sitting room for aperitifs and here Haruah drew me aside to give me
a gift. ‘I’m pleased to see you here,’ he said. ‘This is for
you.’

It was an
article wrapped in red silk and tied with a gold ribbon. I
unwrapped it carefully and found within a wooden carving of a
strange creature that appeared to be a beautiful har who was half
serpent. From the waist down he sat upon thick, reptilian coils.
‘Who is it?’ I asked.

‘
That is Nagarana,’ Haruah said. ‘He is the dehar of Nagini.
Keep him by you and he will listen to your prayers. Nagarana knows
no tribal boundaries. One day, he will sit beside Aruhani and his
brothers in the greatest fanes in the world.’

‘
Thank you,’ I said. ‘It’s a wonderful gift.’

Haruah
smiled widely. ‘Nagarana is similar to Aruhani in many ways, being
a dehar of aruna, birth and death, among other attributes. Talk to
him, my friend.’

I looked
into Haruah’s eyes. Like Sabarah, clearly he saw all too much of
me. I wasn’t very clever at hiding my inner self, it seemed. Still,
self centred contemplations must be put aside for tonight. It
hadn’t escaped me that Haruah saw Nagarana as a deity for all hara.
That didn’t speak of reclusiveness to me, and I certainly didn’t
pick up the slightest impression that the Nagini hid a desire for
world domination in a military sense. Perhaps I was too young and
naïve to talk of political things, but I felt comfortable with
Haruah, so spoke my mind. ‘The Gelaming are impatient to talk to
you. I expect you know that.’

‘
Oh yes.’

‘
Perhaps you should ask Chrysm to build a temple to Nagarana
in Immanion. He is desperate to please you.’

Haruah
laughed. ‘The temples to Nagarana will be built by ordinary hara,
not Hegemons, but your suggestion is amusing.’

There was
a comfortable silence for some moments as I examined the little
carving, then Haruah reached out and stroked my face. ‘Ah, poor
Gesaril. You were denied last night, were you not?’

I
couldn’t help but blush. ‘Hmm. I lack the sophisticated wiles of
older hara, I think. I give up, to be honest. I will become a
hermit.’