The Tower of Il Serrohe (14 page)

Nersite interrupted. “Don, you may wonder how she was so tall for one who was very much like the Pirallts. No one knows, but it’s my idea she seemed tall because of her character and standing among the Valle people. I don’t think they saw her as being so tall at first. But, to get back to Niddle-ai’s story…”

“
So, Teresa caused quite a stir as she made her way across the valley and up the narrow trail to the top of the Il Serrohe cliffs. The Valle’s residents’ curiosity was so aroused they followed by the hundreds. Only a weak challenge came from Soreye watch guards.

“‘
Get back you stinking little rats and bugs! You are wandering into forbidden territory!’ the guards shrieked, their bells jangling angrily, but no one paid any attention, and the guards did no more than throw a few rocks missing their mark by so much it was obviously no accident.

“
Of course, if things got desperate, everyone knew the Soreyes could slaughter the crowd once they reached the mesas that topped the cliffs. Word spread fast, and the tall curandera and her followers were met by the entire population of Soreyes once they reached the outskirts of the village.

“
The chief Soreye priest, no less, greeted her, his bells tolling a complex chord and a howling chant in the ancient tongue of the Soreyes. No one had a clue what it meant, but it didn’t sound friendly.

“
When he stopped, the Soreyes hooted and cheered, clattering their bells and stirring up a terrific odor. The Valle people were ready to call it quits after that, but the towering curandera seemed unimpressed and stood her ground.

“
She stepped forward and looked the chief priest nearly in the eye since he was the tallest of all Soreyes.

“‘
I am Teresa of Peralta, a village in another place of the Valle you do not know. But this you will know. If the Drowning Plague is a deliberate attempt on your part to terrorize and conquer the Valle people, you will suffer greatly for it.’

“
The chief priest twisted his thin lips into a deeper than normal sneer. ‘Goat shit! You’re just a tall, uppity Pirallt who has drunk too much corn beer. Do you come to us with lies and stupid threats because you wish to die in a spectacular way? We know nothing of this Drowning Plague and even if we did, you could do nothing about it. Do your curing and get out of here before you all die painfully. Our warriors are ready to practice on the real thing.’

“‘
So you deny causing the plague that has been associated with the eating of goat cheese you traded with the farmers in the Valle?’ Teresa showed no restraint in light of the priest’s very real threat.

“‘
Deny? Deny! I don’t have to deny or confirm anything to the likes of you. We don’t suffer any such disease, and we live on our goat cheese. If the people of the Valle are so feeble they cannot stomach a good sharp cheese, then we’re better off without them. But I’ll tell you this: if we were to deliberately exterminate the scum of the Valle, we would do it bare handed, not with some sheep shit plague. Some of you just can’t handle strong cheese.’

“
Teresa squinted as she assessed the priest and the acolytes clustered behind him. She scanned the crowd of Soreyes who met her gaze with cold hatred. There was no evidence of deception, no sense of lying from any of them.

“‘
I believe you,’ she said simply. The crowd behind her loudly murmured their disagreement. She swept around and gave them that same squinty-eyed look.

“
They quieted immediately.

“‘
If I sensed lying, I would say so. I have no fear of these tall snake-like beings.’

“
Taking that as a compliment, the priest softened his expression and nodded toward Teresa as she gazed at him.

“‘
You can all turn around and leave before we forget our manners and murder the lot of you,’ he announced.

“‘
Not yet,’ said Teresa. ‘You may not have intended harm, but there still may be a problem with the cheese. Perhaps it contains something new, or there is a new way for curing it, or someone handling the cheese-making hasn’t the experience of her elders. Who knows? If you will show me your goats, the people who make the cheese, and how they make it, perhaps we can clear up this problem.’

“
The priest’s look quickly returned to rage. ‘The only problem is you and your presence here! We do not entertain Valle guests in our village unless they arrive in slave cages! You will have to take this up with our chief; I am the chief priest and cannot decide such a thing.’ He turned to one of the acolytes, ordering him to bring the chief.

“‘
No need, Friar Fang!’ rang out a voice accompanied by low-pitched bells. The crowd of Soreyes parted and Deadeye, the chief, approached.  He regarded Teresa and the Valle crowd as he would a heaping platter of freshly grilled meat.

“‘
I have been informed of this intrusion. I think the good friar is too kind to suggest slavery. Though, perhaps, the stronger men and more attractive women of your herd can provide a healthy income for the Soreyes the next time we trade with those from the Far West. The rest of you can die.’

“
Teresa regarded Deadeye with the same lack of deference she had shown the chief priest, Friar Fang. ‘Are you ready for a war with the entire Valle over the matter of a little bad cheese?’ she asked smoothly.

“‘
We do not allow anyone free access to our village or our activities, particularly the making of goat cheese since it is one of our main sources of trade with the scum of the Valle. Should they discover how to make their own cheese, we will have to return to full-time slave trade.’

“‘
Would you get a hold of yourself and let me finish what I’m trying to say?’ Teresa asked as if she were addressing a naughty child.

“
Deadeye stood scowling and bit his lower lip savagely. His bells tinkled tentatively.

“‘
Thank you,’ she said. ‘I am not suggesting you open up your village to the entire Valle. I can look for myself. I personally have no knowledge of cheese-making, but as a curandera, I can spot an unhealthy situation. Besides, you want to keep trading cheese, don’t you? Right now, no one wants anything to do with your stinking goat cheese.’

“
At this the priest started to grumble.

“‘
If
any unhealthy situation exists,’ she continued quickly, not allowing any interruption. ‘Who knows, it may be something the people of the Valle are doing with the cheese once
they
get it. But I can’t know that until I start at the beginning. And that means you and your people. I will divulge no “clan secrets.”’

“‘
We aren’t a scurvy
clan
, and how can I trust anything you have said?’ the chief hissed.

“‘
Just as I can sense your honesty as well. Surely a wise one such as you can sense my truthfulness. Or are you that easily fooled?’

“
He cast a sideways look at the priest, the acolytes, and nearby Soreyes. He could not afford to admit to such a thing in front of them.

“‘
You’re right,’ he announced. ‘And so I will deny you any more access to our village and lands. In fact, you have already condemned yourself to slavery by coming this far with that rabble following you!’

“
At his signal, Soreye warriors swarmed forward grabbing Teresa and several of those immediately behind her. The rest started screaming and yelling while stampeding back down the narrow trail escaping not only the grasp of Soreye hands but their jeering bells.

“‘
Let them go!’ the chief shouted. ‘We will make our point with only the tall one and the more saleable of her companions.’

“
Teresa and the other captives were quickly bound with leather ropes and drug off to empty crates that conveniently waited at the edge of the village. Teresa did not fight back, but she managed to keep her feet under her and finally stopped the warriors from dragging her past Deadeye.

“‘
Wait! What will you accomplish by selling me as a slave? Don’t you realize you will lose the trade with the Valle and start a war over this? I’m not worth it and neither is your stupid pride. You
know
I’m not lying when I say you can trust me. You just want to show your people you can’t be fooled. You’re afraid to take a risk with me!’

“‘
Afraid?’ the chief roared. ‘Afraid? The only way I know what fear means is when I see it in the faces of the Valle people as they see us coming. Fear has no place among the Soreyes.’

“‘
Then you are fools. All of you! If you fear nothing, then you will be destroyed by the first thing that comes along that’s stronger and smarter than you.’

“‘
It hasn’t happened yet. And you’re certainly no stronger or smarter; otherwise, I would be
your
prisoner! Haw-haw-haw!’

“
The warriors on either side of Teresa redoubled their efforts, pulling her into a cage by herself while the others were put in fifteen cages by twos and threes, separating the men from the women. The cages were then carried to the central plaza of the village and pushed together in two concentric rings. Warriors were stationed around them while the Soreyes went on about their business.

“
Night came slowly on the Il Serrohe mesa.

“
Teresa’s cage was purposely placed in the outer ring with space all around that exceeded the reach of her long arms. Guards kept a particularly sharp eye on her.

“
However, they made a costly error: they failed to search her before they wrapped on the tough rawhide strips that secured her cage. Of course, the strips had been tied while the rawhide was still wet and, after several hours in the sun, they were like steel cables that had been twisted together.

“
The Soreyes did not realize a curandera must gather all sorts of herbs, plants, and even tree bark to make her potions. Doing that requires a small, sharp knife such as the one Pia and Pita had given her which was much like her own curandera’s knife back in the Rio Grande Valley. The problem was she could not cut the rawhide while two or three guards had their eyes on her.

“
She couldn’t get the others to create a diversion because she would have had to speak loud enough the guards would overhear. This world had a little magic, but even the modest magic Pia and Pita taught her would not cut Soreye rawhide; otherwise, they would have used some other means of securing the cages.

“
But she tried a Pirallt chant used for starting incense to burn without normal techniques. As she softly repeated the chant, she could see a bit of smoke escaping between the layers of rawhide, but little more.

“
After a while, one of the guards came near and smelled the air with great showmanship, ringing his bells loudly. ‘Hmm. It seems the curandera thinks her feeble chants can burn Soreye rawhide!’

“
The guards started laughing and the stench of their breath was enough to cause Teresa to reluctantly give up her chant. She was very upset with thoughts she would not return to her own valley at the end of this day, as she always had before. We do not understand why, but it was a great concern for her.

“
She meditated for a long time and, probably out of exhaustion, finally slept hoping that would allow her to think more clearly the next day.

“
The day passed with excruciating slowness as the sun baked the captives from one angle then another. The cages were designed with hardwood poles for bars slanting in to support the small roof that never provided sufficient shade for the bodies of the captives, no matter how they positioned themselves. They were not allowed a serious sunburn because that might affect their trading value, but neither were they spared the pain from awkward positions and moderate sunburn, either.

“
The next night was greeted with relief by the captives. All that day, Teresa hadn’t come up with a way she could put her knife to use. It had to be good because there would be only one chance. If she were sold into slavery and taken to the Far West, she might never get to the path to return to her own valley. She would die in this unknown place.

“
The moon was in its last quarter, leaving the night with deep shadows of absolute darkness. Teresa sat awake trying to think of
something
to do when—from the pits of dark—she glimpsed the flash of a fleeting grayness.

“
She sensed it to her left. Looking in that direction, she saw only the narrow passageway through which the cages had been brought the day before. Not wanting to draw the guards’ watchfulness, she peered about aimlessly, finally resting her eyes on the quarter moon.

“
A quick glance revealed the guards were also looking up at the moon. She stole another glance to her left. There it was, another flash of grayness! This time she recognized the shape of two slender figures which were swallowed quickly in the shadows along the boarded-up huts lining the plaza.

“
Pia and Pita!