The Daylight War (117 page)

Such words might have got him killed in open court, but Ahmann could see his friend spoke from his heart, and could not fault him for that. ‘I make no claims to divine infallibility, Abban, mine or Kaji’s. You are
khaffit
because you are unable to see that the reasons for Kaji’s decree do not matter. What matters is your obedience and submission. Your sacrifice.’

He pointed to the cup. ‘Everam will not damn me to Nie’s abyss if I drink that, Abban, nor Kaji’s spirit grow restless. But remembering the lesson of the defeat at Rusk is well worth the sacrifice of couzi, just as remembering the betrayal of Kaji’s half brother is worth the taste of pig, no matter how succulent you claim it to be.’

Abban looked at him a moment, shrugged, and drank again. ‘The Par’chin is the man I knew, and he is not. I never felt for a moment he would harm me, or let harm come to me, but he was nonetheless … unsettling.’

‘The rumours are true?’ Jardir asked. ‘He has warded his flesh with ink?’

Abban nodded. ‘Much as you have with scars.’

Jardir shook his head. ‘My wards are made of my own flesh. I have not profaned the temple of my body with—’

‘Please,’ Abban said, holding up a hand to cut him off while rubbing his other hand against his temple. ‘My head hurts enough already.

‘The Par’chin did not spare his face, as you did,’ Abban continued, ‘but he was never handsome as you. I suppose even the Damajah has a limit to how much she will … sacrifice.’

Jardir felt his jaw tighten. ‘I have been most tolerant of you today, Abban, but there is a limit.’

Abban’s aura went cold, and he bowed as much as he could without rising. ‘I apologize, my friend. I meant no dishonour to you or your
Jiwah
Ka
.’

Jardir nodded, whisking a hand to dismiss the matter. ‘You once told me that if one of us were the Deliverer, it was the Par’chin. Do you still think it so?’

‘I do not know that there is such a thing as a Deliverer at all.’ Abban drank again. ‘But I have looked into the eyes of thousands of hagglers, and in all my years met only two men I judged to be true. One of them was the Par’chin, and the other, Ahmann, was you.

‘Ten years ago, our people were splintered. Weak. Unable to control even our own city. Great warriors, perhaps, but fools, also. Spending and spending, but never turning a profit. Our numbers were dwindling, women had no rights to speak of, and
khaffit
were beneath contempt.’ He held up his couzi cup. ‘Drinking couzi could get you executed.

‘You might have stolen the throne, but you brought wisdom to it. United our people and made them strong again. Fed the hungry. Gave women and
khaffit
paths to glory. Our people owe you a great debt. Would the Par’chin have done as well? Who can say?’

Jardir frowned. ‘So what would honourless Abban do? Is there profit in my fighting the Par’chin?’

‘What does it matter?’ Abban asked. ‘You and I both know you are going to accept his challenge.’

Jardir nodded. ‘It is
inevera
. But I would hear your counsel all the same.’

Abban sighed. ‘I wish the Par’chin had never made this challenge. I wish he had taken my advice and run to the ends of Ala and beyond. But I saw in his eyes he means to fight you,
Domin
Sharum
or no. If that is so, you are better off with a private battle over one held before all with untold thousands of bystanders ready to join the slaughter.’

‘This is why we have
Domin
Sharum
,
’ Jardir said. ‘For when wishes come to naught. I will go, and I will fight the Par’chin with all I have, and he me. One of us will walk away, and upon his shoulders rest the fate of humanity. Let Everam decide who it shall be.’

Jardir looked at Inevera as she lay waiting for him in their bedroom. They had not spent a night apart since they had reconciled, weeks ago. His other wives clamoured for his attention, but Inevera’s power over them was absolute, and none dared come to his pillow chamber uninvited.

Jardir could see the love and passion radiating from his wife, and steeled himself for what was to come. He could only hope she would forgive him.

‘The Par’chin is alive,’ he said, blurting the words and letting them hang in the air much as the
khaffit
had done.

Inevera straightened in an instant, her aura losing its warmth and invitation as she stared at him. ‘Impossible. You told me you put your spear between his eyes and left his body on the dunes.’

Jardir nodded. ‘That was all true, but it was the butt of the spear. He was alive when we dumped him on the dunes.’

‘He was
what
?!’ Inevera shouted so loudly Jardir wondered if even her sound-blocking
hora
magic could keep it from echoing throughout the palace. The anger in her aura was terrifying to behold, like looking over the edge of Nie’s abyss.

‘I told you I would not murder my friend,’ Jardir said. ‘I took the spear as you said, but had mercy on the Par’chin, leaving him alive to face the coming night on his feet that he might die a warrior’s death on
alagai
talons.’

‘Mercy?’ Inevera was incredulous. ‘The dice made clear you will not take your place until he is dead. How many thousands of lives will we pay for that “mercy”?’

‘Take my place?’ Jardir asked. The words tickled something in his memory, and he probed deeper with his crownsight. ‘Of course. The Par’chin.’

‘Eh?’ Inevera asked.

‘You lied to me when you said I was the only man with the potential to be the Deliverer. I had thought you hiding an heir, but it was the Par’chin, wasn’t it? Did the dice command I kill him at all, or was that simply you?’

She did not need to open her mouth for him to see it was so.

‘No matter,’ he said. ‘He is alive, and has challenged me to
Domin
Sharum
. I have already accepted.’

‘Have you gone mad?’ Inevera demanded. ‘You accepted without even letting me cast the dice?’

‘To the abyss with your dice!’ Jardir snapped. ‘It is
inevera
. Either I am the Deliverer, or I am not. The
alagai
hora
are no different from Abban’s tallies, tools for educated guessing.’

Inevera hissed, and he could see he had gone too far. She might lie to him about their meanings, but in her heart the dice were the voice of Everam.

‘And perhaps they were right,’ he conceded. ‘Perhaps the Par’chin
is
the Shar’Dama Ka. The
Sharum
in the Maze followed him without question when he first brandished the Spear of Kaji. A spear he bled and risked his life for. A spear he used to kill the most powerful demon Krasia had ever known, one that had brought short the lives of thousands of
dal’Sharum
. It was he that found the holy city of Kaji, not me.’

‘You are Kaji’s heir,’ Inevera said.

Jardir shrugged. ‘Kaji took Northern wives when he conquered the green lands. I have seen his blood run true in places like Deliverer’s Hollow. After three thousand years, the son of Jeph could be as much Kaji’s heir as I. Perhaps my part in Everam’s great plan is simply to bring the unified armies of Krasia to him, and then die.’

Inevera leapt from the bed, wrapping him in her arms. ‘No. I refuse to believe it.’ And she did. He could see her will preventing the very idea from taking hold. ‘It is you,’ she said. ‘It must be you.’

Jardir put his arms around her, nodding. ‘I think so, too. But I need to be
sure
. Can you understand that, my
Jiwah
Ka
? It must be true, or the blood at my feet is for nothing.’

‘T
ell me again how you know this isn’t a trap?’ Thamos asked as they left the contingent of Cutters and Wooden Soldiers behind to ride up the steep rock face. Behind the count
rode Leesha and Wonda, followed by Rojer and Amanvah,
with
Gared bringing up the rear. Renna rode at Arlen’s right, the
count, his left.

‘Your own scouts have confirmed there are only eight people up there, one a woman and one an old man,’ Arlen said.

‘There could be others in hiding,’ Thamos said. ‘The scouts also say they have a full company of men camped a mile to the south.’

Arlen pointed to the cliff face they approached. There was only one narrow path up the sheer slope, the rock bare and cold. ‘Where do you think these others might be hidden, Highness? Will they drop on us from the clouds?’

Thamos frowned, and Arlen realized he was costing the man too much face before Leesha, Gared, and the others. If this continued, he would become an increasing hindrance, if only to show his own strength.

‘I know Ahmann Jardir, Highness,’ Arlen said. ‘He would sooner throw himself off that cliff than violate
Domin
Sharum
.’

‘This is the same man stabbed you in the back, ay?’ Renna asked.

‘Figuratively,’ Arlen said, sparing her an annoyed glance. She grinned in the face of it, and he wanted to laugh. ‘In truth, he had the stones to look me in the eye.’

‘Makes it so much better,’ Renna muttered.

Arlen could see Thamos remained unconvinced. He sighed, lowering his voice. ‘You don’t need to risk yourself, Highness. There is still time for you to turn back and send Arther or Inquisitor Hayes in your stead.’

He of course wanted no such thing, but the challenge to the count’s courage worked where other tactics failed. Thamos straightened in his saddle, his aura becoming steady and confident once more.

‘We should all turn back,’ Leesha said. ‘This whole ritual is barbaric. A bunch of meaningless rules to give the illusion of civility to murder.’

‘Ent murder when the other man sees it coming and means to kill you, too,’ Arlen said. ‘And the rules have meaning. Seven witnesses, so all those affected by the outcome can see the truth of it. A remote location difficult to stage an ambush. A fight right before dusk, when all men set aside their differences and become brothers, to force peace on the witnesses when it is done.’

‘None of which makes it civilized,’ Leesha said.

‘Would you rather thousands die on the field?’ Arlen asked. ‘So long as men eat and shit and grow old and die …’

‘… we will never truly be civilized,’ Leesha finished, surprising him. ‘Don’t quote philosophers at me when you’re about to force your friends and family to watch you two try and kill each other.’

‘You don’t have to come, either,’ Arlen said. ‘Send Darsy Cutter if you ent got the stomach for it.’

‘Oh, shut it,’ Leesha snapped.

Jardir watched as the greenlanders ascended the slope. As Inevera foretold, they brought Leesha Paper, his daughter, and his new son-in-law with them, as well as the greenland prince who had laid claim to the Hollow Tribe. This was well. It would make things easier when the Par’chin was cast down, and despite Amanvah’s letter, he could not deny a flash of pleasure at the sight of Leesha after six weeks apart.