Golden Torc - 2 (7 page)

"There are always," the Queen interposed darkly, "ingrates."

"So Gomnol conceived the silver torcs, with their built-in psychoregulators. And shortly after that, the gray torcs, to be used by so-called nonlatent humans who could stand very lowlevel metapsychic involvement. A whole new world of fellowship was born! Beginning in Gomnol's time, when it became possible to mass-produce the gray torcs, well, produce them with relative speed, at any rate, we of the Tanu were able to seize the ascendancy on this world. The vile Firvulag, those shadow-siblings of ours, were no longer able to contend with us on a virtually equal footing. We had armies of loyal human grays to crush their superior numbers! We had human mothers to counter the vulgar fecundity of their coarse little women! We had the noble silvers, our operant allies-mental! And as time went on, many of the silvers were advanced to full citizenship and given gold."

This can be done without psychic injury torcexchange? Certainly cherished Elizabeth silvertorc removed without danger after gold in place.

"And think! The brilliant gray technicians have improved our economy by devising more efficient means of transport and goods production! Thanks to the mourned Lord of Animals, Kernonn, we have beasts to ride and beasts to haul and beasts to guard us from Firvulag depredation. And perhaps best of all... we have hybrid human champions in the Grand Combat." The King paused. He leaned across the table, upsetting his cup in the process, and took one of Elizabeth's hands. "And now, Tana's bounty surpasses itself. She has sent us you."

Queen Nontusvel seemed to radiate a lunar benevolence.

There was a different glow in the deep green eyes of Thagdal. Impervious and calm, Elizabeth repeated, "And now Tana has sent me. But in our own world, the gifts of God are often ambiguously given. You don't yet see me as I am, King Thagdal."

"But that will come, dearest Elizabeth! You shall go to the most noble of us all for your initiation into our ways, to the Prescient Lady Brede Shipspouse, she of the Two Faces and the poetry. Brede will teach you and you will teach her. And in good time you will go to Tasha-Bybar and then you will come to me. Dearest Elizabeth."

"Dearest Elizabeth," came Nontusvel's echo. Surely it was as full of goodwill as it had ever been.

"A toast!" bellowed Thagdal, leaping to his feet. His cup had been speedily righted and replenished.

"A toast!" the several hundred guests shouted back. The arbiter shook the chain of silence.

"To the Tanu race and the human race! In fellowship, in communion, in love!"

The feasters raised their great golden goblets. "Fellowship!

Communion! Love!"

"With an emphasis on the latter!" called out Aiken Drum. There was laughter and shouting and a great swallowing and spilling of wine, with many a soggy embrace and a sipping from lip to lip. The royal couple, inflamed by the drink and festivity, now clung to each other murmuring and snorting. A corps de ballet of human women and men, dressed alike in bold magpie leotards, appeared as music struck up and began to lead the throng in elaborate contredanse patterns. Elizabeth whispered to Bryan, "I'm going to have to leave you for a while. I must look into them while their inhibitions are down. If you like, I'll share the data with you later." She gave him a solemn moue, then closed her eyes and withdrew to some mental vantage point.

One of the female black and whiters tried to haul Bryan off his bench into the dance, where Aiken and Raimo were already whirling and leaping as though they had been doing the complex steps all their lives. Bryan shook his head to the invitation. He let the waiters fill his great cup again and again and tried to blot from his mind the realization of how it must be now with Mercy.

When he finally thought to examine the cup closely and discovered what the gold and jewels ensheathed, he was too drunk to care.

3

STEINIE DON'T DANCE WITH THEM DON'T. LOOK WHAT THEY do to Raimo my God.

Allright allright littleone calm keep on hiding the two of us don't give way don't fear.

They are stronger especially this DionketLordHealer I could never keep him out of us without Elizabethhelp. They don't like that friendshipwall but afraid offend her too early. O Jesus. That beautybitchslut Anear taking Raimo right there middlemob shame disgust fury hate... Steinie!

Calm calm shelterlove armsword bless Elizabeth. Atleast they no make Aiken dance their tune vice versa if anything. Not toy like Raimobooby.

Nor I Sukeylove if you help.

"Are you sure you won't take a turn with the dancers?" The Lady Riganone smiled at Stein and Sukey. The magpies were back importuning them. "Your two friends are having a marvelous time."

"No thank you, Lady," Stein said. The magpies minced away with reluctance.

Sukey helped herself to another of the spiced tournedos. "These are delicious, Lord Dionket." She spoke shyly to the deep-eyed Chief Healer, who sat opposite her. "Are they made from venison?"

"Why, no, Little Sister. Hipparion."

"Those adorable little horses?" Sukey cried in dismay. Lady Riganone tossed her head and laughed merrily. The pendants dangling from wires on her lavender and gold headdress clashed and pealed. "What else would we do with them? They're the most abundant meat source that we have, and the Goddess be thanked they're so delicious. Why, do you realize that those poor people up in the Hercynian Forest, in Finiah and those other places at the end of the world, must make do with pigs and tough old stags and even mastodons? We southerners are so lucky. There's really nothing to compare with a roast loin of hipparion, seasoned with garlic and a hint of thyme and perhaps a little of that new pepper, all brown and crackling on the outside and oozing blood within."

"Don't be squeamish, Sukey," Stein told her, dipping out another helping from a bowl of rich stew. "When in Rome, you know! I don't know what this is, but it's sure got flavor." Dionket poked a bony finger into the deep silver dish, then sucked meditatively. "Mmm... a promephitis ragout, dear warrior. I believe the Elder Earth equivalent for the little creature would be-" The mental picture flashed before Stein and Sukey.

"Skunk!" The Viking choked.

"Oh, there, there, Steinie," Lady Riganone exclaimed, radiating solicitude. "Did something go down the wrong pipe? Do take some wine for that coughing."

The Personage seated next to Dionket, a burly giant in a

short jerkin of blue and gold, said, "Try some of these hedgehogs

in burgundy to settle your tripes, Stein. Now there's a

dish to make your belly take notice! And you know what they

say about hedgehog." He leered and the mental image of the prickly pun was distressingly overstated.

Coolly, Sukey shoved the platter of odd little dainties far out of Stein's reach. "The warrior is recovering from an injury, Lord Imidol. He mustn't overindulge. In anything." Lady Riganone's fluting chuckles and her chapeau tinkled together. "Isn't she marvelous, Dionket? She'll be such an asset to your Guild of Redactors. But it was really very naughty of you to have reserved her from the bidding."

Mindsnap.

"What do you mean, Lady?" Stein asked.

"Have some more cherry brandy," the President of the Redactors urged. "Or would you prefer plum or raspberry?" He fingered his torc. Both Stein and Sukey were compelled to relax.

I couldn't help it Steinie he slipped through. O Elizabeth come back from there and help us before Stein finds out I won't be able to hold him!

Sukeywoman whatwhatWHAT dammit?

Steinie stop I can barely cover you if they perceive allthat inside they'll hurt you love O please calmrecedeflattentranquilize. Damn you ElizaMasterbeth come back from there!

Out in the middle of the floor, the arbiter bibendi was holding a length of glittering glass chain above his head and shaking it. The riotous dancing calmed and the music drained away. Revelers drifted back to their seats. Four Tanu ladies all but dragged the disheveled Raimo with them. Aiken Drum suffered no such indignity. He strutted back to his place at the High Table and sat carefully on the edge of his couch.

"Exalted Personages, most noble lords and ladies, and illustrious honorees!" cried the arbiter. "Pray silence! It is the hour for the contributions of the honored guests!" Cheers, cup-thumping, and a clatter of knives upon golden plates.

The aribter shook the chain again. "Two of our guests"

the silver torced exquisite bowed toward Bryan and Elizabeth "are exempted from show by command of Their Awful Majesties. And one other" he pointed at Raimo " has already made his talents known!"

The ladies at the low tables screamed with laughter. A number of them began pelting Raimo with bananas, stopping reluctantly as the chain of silence rang once again.

"We will hear from Sue-Gwen Davies!"

Sukey felt herself impelled toward the center of the room.

The soul within her was turned over and over helplessly by the examining psyches of the King and Queen and the other Personages. The Tanu were surprised at the deep barrier (for Elizabeth had returned to assist in the nick of time), but were disposed to be satisfied with the superficial revelations that were accessible to them. Dionket's mind spoke.

Dear little RedactorSister, apprentice comforthealer! Lend

us a small solace this night sing of ElderEarth of ancient parentland. Sukey's apprehension began to melt. Other minds all around her seemed to beg: Lull us.

Keeping her gaze on Stein, she sang a cradlesong in a small clear voice, first in Welsh and then in Standard English. After the first phrase, a single harpist accompanied her.

Holl amrantau'r ser ddywedant,

Ar hyd y nos.

Dyma'r ffordd i fro gogoniant,

Ar hyd y nos.

Golau arall yw tywyllwch,

I arddangos gwir brydferthwch,

Teulu'r nefoedd mewn tawelwch,

Ar hyd y nos.

Love, fear not if sad your dreaming,

All through the night.

In the mist bright stars are gleaming.

All through the night.

Joy will come to us at morning,

Life with sunrise hope adorning,

Though sad dreams may give dread warning.

All through the night.

Behind the words and music glowed the sheltering love of the caregiver. Her healing energy poured over the manchild to whom she had given rebirth, overflowed and spread in a great psychic pool throughout the hall. For a moment, the lullaby's softness quenched all the others' anxieties, soothed anger and lust, diminished grief and frenzy.

When the song was done the banqueters were silent. And then on an alien level of consciousness, which the torced humans could sense but not decipher, came a burst of declaration from many Tanu minds. It was cut off in full spate by the lofty voice of Dionket. The Lord Healer rose from his place at the High Table and held out his arms, forming a living tau of crimson and silver.

Mine. Reserved.

Sukey returned to her place, dazed, and sat down beside her husband. The arbiter bibendi shook his chain. "We will know the talents of Stein Oleson."

It was the Viking's turn to be drawn irresistibly from his seat. He stood with his head uncovered and glared at the exotic nobility lounging at the High Table, feeling their minds come tapping, prying, snooping. And the Queen's motherthought, more compassionate:

He should not have been torced alas the briefliving!

And then the King: Suffice unto the Combat. Skillplay! Two of the magpie dancemasters came bounding from the sidelines, carrying metal baskets full of fruit resembling large oranges. One pitched a bright globe overhand and it flew at Stein's head.

The bronze sword hissed from it scabbard, gripped in both the giant's hands. He smote the fruit neatly in two. King Thagdal roared with jovian delight. The men in black and white began flinging oranges at Stein as fast as they could. His sword flashed like a golden wheel. He spun and leaped, chopping the flying spheres to bits. The King pounded the table while tears of mirth ran into his splendid beard. The company of Tanu screeched and cheered.

The chain of silence sounded.

The arbiter gushed, "Oh, a fair show indeed by our newest warrior! Well done, Stein!"

Bid.

Again the burst of exotic mindspeech. This time Elizabeth was attuned to it. Without surprise, she heard Stein being auctioned off to the highest bidder as a likely gladiator in a contest called the Low Melee. Since the ex-driller was one of the most impressive physical specimens to have appeared in Exile within the past decade, the sports-crazed exotics drove the bidding to what was evidently an unprecedented level. They were bidding their personal services to the Crown, nominal owner of all exceptional time-travelers-offering their metafunctions, their material wealth, their torced and untorced human subjects.

Three hundred grays for the Royal Guard!

My garnet mine in the Pyrenees!

The renowned dancing woman Kanda-Kanda and all of her suite!

A hundred racing chalikos caparisoned in gold!

The death of Delbaeth.

The King cried aloud, "Hold!" He rose from his couch and glowered over the startled assemblage. Out in the middle of the floor, Stein stood still, the point of his great sword resting on the tiles.

"What person has dared this bid?" asked Thagdal with silken softness. "Who esteems the strength of this warrior so highly that he will rashly pledge the destruction of the Shape of Fire?" The crowd of banqueters held their tongues and minds.

"I do," said Aiken Drum.

There was a collective sigh, and a collective lancing out, and a mental gasp of stunned surprise as all of the mind-probes fell blunted. Thagdal began to laugh aloud and after a moment, so did Nontusvel and then all of the others. Reaction to the enormity rocked the hall.

Elizabeth came sliding into Aiken on the uniquely human mode.

What in the world?

Look Thaggymind yourself Elizababe fondest wish extirpation meanie FirvulagDelbaethShapeofFire. So bid.

For Steinie? Deranged clownAiken gaming with ourfriend's life?!

Elizadummybeth! I'd save Steinbuddyvulnerable. Tanu combatschool ferocitymindset recharge berserkerpsychoenergy irrevocably.