Scabbard's Song (7 page)

come. There is no need for your caution. There will be no ambuscade within these tents, the honour of the Red Pavilions will ensure that, sir. Whats all this? asked Kaff, his eyes narrowing and the hawk he had screwed on to his wrists fluttering her wings. I dont trust you. All what? Calling me General Kaff and all this smooth talk. Soldier said, It is time to talk peace. There has been enough killing. I am prepared to offer you open terms. We simply take off from where we left it, over a year ago. The Carthagans will remain as the mercenary troops which protect the outer walls of Zamerkand. The citizens of Zamerkand will throw open their gates again and the siege will end. No one but Humbold will be brought to book for any crimes. There will no executions, no imprisonments, only a demand for complete loyalty to the new Queen Layana and a return to the rule of law and the old court. Just like that? No conditions? Only one. Humbold must leave. We will allow him safe passage through our camp and will not pursue him into the wilderness. But go he must. He will give us his word such as it is that he will never return. He will also swear not to raise an army, nor join one, which has as its goal the defeat of Zamerkand. I very much doubt whether his word means much, but it would probably satisfy my captains . . . At that moment Soldier was interrupted by a shout from the walls of the city, and by another from his own watch-towers. A horde is coming! went up the cry. Beast-people! There was a sudden flurry amongst the two retinues accompanying the generals, though those two men themselves were curiously unruffled. Both were very experienced warriors and one thing they never indulged in was immediate panic. They took some moments to assess a situation before they gave orders or acted. Soldier was the first to speak. He called up to the nearest watchtower, Are they armed? Yes, General. How are they carrying their weapons? asked Kaff. Answer him, replied Soldier, when there was an indignant pause. Trailing them, General Generals. That is, they are not pricked for war. The swords are sheathed, the lances point to the earth. They come on at a leisurely pace, not urgent, but slow and deliberate. Their numbers? asked Soldier. Perhaps a thousand, said the man in the watchtower, experienced at gauging the size of an attacking force. Maybe a little more. I see them more clearly now. It is a single clan. The dog-heads. Soldier nodded. There is no cause for concern. This is a friend of mine, Wo. He has brought all the warriors in his tribe. It might be well to wait until he gets here before you give me your answer, General Kaff. I dont know why hes here, but I can guess. Will you wait? Certainly, if only for a flea-bitten dog-head. Kaffs expression turned harder. Im surprised at you, Soldier. I am your enemy, it is true, but you can have no greater foe than the dog-heads. Why, you have just finished slaughtering the flower of their youth beneath these very walls. Soldier did not answer this rebuke. Instead he sent up the word not to attack the dog-heads, but to allow them inside the camp. The Carthagans became nervous at this order and one or two captains arrived hot-foot to argue with their general, but he remained firm, telling them that if the beast-people were going to attack, they would have come with more clans than one, and with their allies, the Hannacks. We will admit them, he ordered. It was indeed Wo leading the warriors. He barked a greeting from a long way off and requested audience. Soldier called him in. Wo left his clan outside the confines of the tents, which eased the minds of the nervous captains. Ah, said Wo, dismounting and clasping the hand of Soldier. Forgive my lolling tongue, it was a thirsty ride. You would like water? Not unless my troops can drink too. Before I say anything else, I thank you for keeping your word. The carpenters have done well and the two great barns are nearing completion wonderful huge affairs, larger than ten ordinary barns. I am told the horkey boy has already placed a branch in the rafters, as is the custom with barn building in Guthrum. The seed corn has arrived, along with ploughs and two skilled farmers. All is well, my friend, and we are very pleased. I am glad for that. Farming is less glorious than hunting, but more satisfying in the end. Soldier ordered that waterskins should be taken out to the dog-clan warriors. To Kaffs disgust, Wo lapped at the water in the algae-green horse trough. Then, with droplets hanging from his jaw-hair, he nodded, taking in the scene around him. Have I arrived at a bad time? he asked Soldier. Or a good time? Is this the surrender of the city? It most certainly is not, growled Kaff. Good, because I have come here to solve my friends problem. General, he said to Soldier, you cannot march on Zamerkand with your Carthagan troops and oust the false king, but there is nothing which says you cannot use another army. My warriors are at your disposal. They are but eleven hundred in number . . . the guard in the watchtower heard this and nodded with great satisfaction . . . but under your guidance, for you know the city and its weaknesses, we may force an entry. Once inside I have told my warriors to kill only Imperial Guards and to leave the civilian citizens alone. He sighed. This will not be easy for them, for they are used to sacking a captured city, killing all its inhabitants, eating the babies, and setting fire to the libraries, palaces and places of learning. They enjoy a good bonfire, do my warriors. But they have agreed to follow my orders and will only pig-stick those in uniform. A book or two, may go missing, and end up on a camp fire, but for the most part the city will remain whole, and the populace untouched. This is a very generous offer, Wo, said Soldier. I am very touched. Touched in the head, growled Kaff. You must be insane if you think these animals will keep their word. I trust the oath of my friend here and would take it over yours, snapped Soldier. Now, will you convey my message to your leader? If he is to leave it must be tonight. He is allowed to take two people with him, three horses, and baggage. There must be no jewels or treasure. Only clothes, food and water. Otherwise we will attack in the morning. Kaff nodded and Soldier sensed resignation in the other generals expression. He hoped he was right. Soldier had no desire to attack the city and did not even know if he could manage to take it with so few warriors. After all, the beast-people and the Hannacks had besieged the city for a year without breaching its walls. It was true that Soldier did know where the weak spots were, and naturally he believed himself a better general than any within the ranks of the beast-people and Hannacks, but still the task was by no means an easy one. Better that Humbold should leave. The Red Pavilions were a-buzz with the news. The dog-heads were camped just two hundred yards from their own ochre tents! What a very strange state of affairs. Curious Carthagan soldiers wandered out to look across the short divide and were stared at by equally curious dog-warriors. The two had seen each other before, of course, but only in the heat of battle, and only bristling with iron and steel. Yet here they both were, two bitter enemy groups, wandering around quietly eyeing each other. It was a pity there were no children in either camp, or they would have probably met in the middle and played games together, oblivious of the fact that the grown-ups were wary. Children tended to do that, after insulting each other, and getting over the initial shyness of meeting with strangers. Soldier took Wo back to his tent. Before they got there something occurred to Soldier. I want you to meet my wife, he said, but should she react in a hostile way, I hope you will not be offended. My cousin, Vau, said Wo, nodding. I understand. But Layanas memory of that terrible attack, when her face was torn half away, had gone from her mind. She was surprised to see the dog-person, it was true, but there was no animosity in her. She offered food and drink, a place to sit and talk, and thanked Wo for helping her husband find his named sword. It was nothing, said Wo. I was pleased to be of service and that word from one such as myself who is disgusted by the servility of curs and mongrels and their kind when around humans . . . I understand. I never thought of it before, but you must find such behaviour in hounds quite contemptible. Wo shrugged. They are all-dogs, we are but part. Your use of language is excellent, Layana praised Wo. I had thought that dog-people, and all the beast-people, had difficulty with our tongue. I was with your husband some time. You know, we have good brains, and it did not take me long to gather a considerable vocabulary and learn to use the grammar. Yes, of course. Forgive me. My prejudices are showing. Its just that one of us would not learn as quickly. Wo shrugged and gave that lolling smile he used, as if to say, well, there you go, we are superior at some things. He and Layana talked some more. There was supper, of wild fowls and honey, with wine, tea and coffee, then Wo went back to his clan. Soldier gave the dog-men permission to camp and provided them with food and water. Many of the Carthagans, especially recruits newly arrived from their home country, remained curious. They wandered to the edge of their own camp and stared across at these men with the heads of dogs, sitting round their camp fires, erecting tents, and doing much the same chores as they did themselves. One young Carthagan asked a veteran soldier, Do they eat raw meat? Why, sometimes in emergencies, but mostly they eat it cooked. Cooked meat is easier to digest and they of course have human stomachs. And before you ask, yes, they eat vegetables too. And fish. And fowl. And bread. All the things you and I might eat. In most ways they are not so very different. But they howl. I have heard them howl. Yes, and they bark and yip and yelp. But they fight as well as any Carthagan, if a little recklessly. Its their recklessness which is their failing. They have little discipline and throw themselves at the enemy - which is usually us with abandon. We defeat them because they are an undisciplined horde, not for any reasons of superior fighting skills. They havent learned to be an army? No, and when they do, by the gods we must hone ourselves. While this conversation was taking place, things were happening in the city: momentous things. General Kaff had spoken to his Imperial Guard. He gauged their mood with their king. Kings and queens, tyrants and despots, had always run things in most countries. There was one small isle, a place called Hellest, where the people chose their king, changed him every three years, but such quirky government was not really approved of outside this one tiny state. For the most part kings were born and kings named their heirs and the people got what they were given. However, there were bad kings and there were not-so-bad kings, and Humbold was regarded as one of the former. He overused his power, decreed laws which were unpopular, executed with wild abandon, paid scant attention to good judgements in disputes between citizens, and the worst king-crime of all was attempting to have himself made a living god, absolute. These failings did not endear him to his troops. It was true he gave them special privileges over other citizens, paid them well, and let them do much as they liked in the taverns and inns of the town, but any king would have done as much. The old queen had given them all these favours. Thus when Kaff suggested they send him on his way, most of them agreed at once, and the others took only a little more time. None of them were looking forward to a long siege, with the famine, disease and confinement that sieges bring. When they learned that there would be no punishments, that they would retain all their rights and freedoms, that all they had to do was take one man - a recent upstart usurper - and send him packing why, soon the whole Imperial Guard was happy to march on the Palace of Birds and exile the king. Kaff confronted Humbold in his boudoir. The King was in his silk nightgown, clutching the Jewelled Sword of Kingship which he himself had had forged. I have the symbol of my office, he said to Kaff. You you traitor you must bow before it, bow before me. Kaff stepped forward and with his good hand snatched the sword from the old mans grasp. Time to go. Lucky for you, with your life. I could strike you down now and no one would weep. Not even these two . . . He spoke of the sisters who had been sharing the Kings bed. They saw which way the wind was blowing and gathered up their clothes and scuttled from the bedroom. Humbold stood with open mouth, watching them desert him. He had been betrayed. He had been betrayed by his own general and by his army. My friends! he groaned. Your friends? spat the general. Your minions. The game is over. Its time to go. You may take two servants with you . . . Kaff explained the terms. Humbold cried, But the Soldier will kill me the moment I step outside the walls. I had his wifes sister beheaded. He has given his word you will go unharmed. His word? wailed the King. What is that worth? Listen, said Kaff, I hate that man with all the force of my being, I loathe him to the very pit of my stomach, but I tell you his word is sacred. If he says you will not be harmed, then you may rest assured. For my part, Kaff stared out of the window of the palace while the ex-king fumbled with his clothes, pulling on his hose, I shall simply turn again to my waiting game. There will come a time when Soldier makes a mistake, either with his wife, with his army, or with the citizens of Zamerkand. I shall be there, ready to kill him when he does. He turned back again. And you, you puffed-up, paunchy old man, had better watch your back. Soldier will not kill you, but remember the twins, Sando and Guido? They are back, ruling the country of Bhantan. And they have sworn to have your head for past wrongs. I would keep looking over my shoulder, if I were you. The gates of the city were thrown open the next morning. Humbold left alone, on an ass, the only transport he could beg. He left with nothing, not even the two servants or slaves he was allowed. None would go with him. He was pelted with eggs, fruit and stones as he left, by a population who had come to hate him. Once outside, the Carthagan army protected him as far as the border to the Unknown Region. Soldier did not appear, neither did his wife Layana. They both felt they could not lay eyes on this despicable figure of a man, who had caused them so much pain. In the city of Bhantan, the king-twins heard of the release. They sent messengers to Soldier berating him for allowing Humbold his freedom and his life. Soldier replied to their notes explaining his reasons. They
replied to his replies, saying they did not understand but respected his decision, and that they would be sending out death squads to hunt Humbold down and despatch his life. They would not rest until they had his tongue and his eyes in two separate bottles, one by each of their bedsides. Princess Layana entered Zamerkand in triumph and was accepted as queen without question, she being next in line for the throne. There was no real opposition. Layana and Vandas parents had only two children, both of whom were childless, and apart from some very distant cousins there was no one else carrying the blood-right of the royal line. With Soldier, her husband, at her side most believed Queen Layana had everything she wanted. Her madness had been cured, her disfigurement had been magicked away. She was now a mature and beautiful woman with a noble warrior for her consort. Yet she was still without one thing which she sorely desired. Her memory. No one is comfortable without their memory, even those who have been told that their past is not a pleasant thing to behold and best left in the dark.