The Python of Caspia

by Michael Green

Andy sensed that Staza wasn’t joking.

  Somni stared with wild eyes at Andy. “I’ll have the painters muse a space above your handsome face, before they give you to the sea—” Somni grunted as someone pushed past her. Her red crow cawed in complaint as it flapped its wings for balance.

  “You there!” Andy felt a hand grasp his arm.

  “Hey! He’s coming with me,” Quill interjected.

  Andy saw a sprightly face staring into his. This girl, with auburn hair and ocean blue eyes, grabbed his chin and stared deeply. “No no, Quill, this is the face!” She pushed his chin to the left and right to get a look at his profile.

  “Yes, we need him, just a moment.”

  Andy looked over his shoulder and saw Quill, Staza, and Somni. Quill ground his teeth, Staza’s brow raised in consternation, and Somni looked slighted by the assertive girl.

  “Guys?” Andy called out to them, before being pulled off the path.

  Andy followed along as well as he could. “Mind the serpent!” She dragged him around a massive, but unfinished mosaic of a sea serpent.

  “Arke! Leave the serpent!” The girl called out to a gangly boy sprawled out on the floor, putting pieces of colored stone and glass into place.

  “Why—who?” he stammered.

  “It’s our Archon, from the first coalition!”

  Arke kicked over a bucket of stones as he tried to catch up. “But Musi, the eyes are all wrong!” He caught up and tried to appraise Andy as they charged across a colonnade and then a plaza.

  “Damn the eyes! Everything else is right.”

  Musi and Arke led Andy in a rush through covered avenues, down narrow alleys, and even through a pavilion full of paintings.

  “Hey, hey!” Andy yelled, grinding to a halt.

  “What?” Musi snapped, stopping and looking back at him. “No time!”

  Andy ignored them and felt his jaw drop. Almost every painting was covered in the bright colors he had seen before. He felt an instant twinge of dizziness. Ignoring this, he approached a canvas.

  Musi grabbed one of his arms and pulled.

  The canvas featured a warrior garbed in glowing armor that shone with bright swirling metallic colors. He bore a sword reminiscent of the blade Andy summoned with the marble, only far more solid and defined in appearance. His eyes were silver.

  Andy saw the quicksilver colors weren’t being used to leave messages on these paintings. Instead, they were like any other color on the palette.

  Andy wanted to stay, but a hard pull from Musi knocked him off balance.

  “We can come back later,” she insisted.

  “It’s probably for the best if you just do what she says,” Arke said, with resigned embarrassment.

  Andy took another look before allowing himself to be dragged through the lengthy pavilion. There were dozens of paintings and sculptures. They all made his head spin and the swirl of shimmering quicksilver was almost blinding.

  Beyond the pavilion, they came upon an ornate building that reminded Andy of a museum or a bank. Diverging from their surface cousins, this structure was ribbed with titanic bones from something terrible, likely from the sea.

  The columns were heavily carved, spiraled tusks, and the building itself was made of a deep sea-green stone, polished smooth. The surface was veined with ebony and ivory that arced like lightning, playing across the surface. The rib bones bulged through the stone here and there, making the building feel primordial.

  A scaffolding was built above the tall entrance way. It allowed the artists access to the giant mosaic they were creating on the wall above and around the doors.

  The scene was mostly complete. Andy saw warriors in shining bronze armor with blazing violet eyes standing against beasts of chaotic shape. The monsters had sharp tentacles and purple, reaching limbs. Raking claws filled their side of the scene, and the artists had even torn rents into the structure to simulate the slashes of these claws. The beasts had deep, burning red eyes, but it was a red that was almost purple.

  Above the two warring factions, on the lintel space, stood a serene woman with her hands outstretched to both combatants, as if pleading for peace. She was flanked by much smaller, younger characters dressed like the people he had met today.

  Musi and Arke positioned Andy on a plinth and did a few quick sketches of his face. He looked up to the human side of the battle and saw that the most prominent figure was still unfinished.

  “Stand there and don’t move!” Musi called to him from up on the scaffold.

  “Sure.” Andy answered sarcastically, looking over his shoulder and hoping to see the others.

  “Hey!”

  Andy’s head popped back into position.

  “Stay that way.”

  He took a deep breath and tried to accept that this was happening. He knew it could be worse.

  “The eyes won’t be wrong, they just need to be solid silver, then you’ll see,” Musi commented.

  Andy watched them work. Cracking larger stones to get just the right shape, they placed a few at a time, before looking back at him, then at their sketches. They pulled a few stones out, disagreeing on color tone or angle.

  Andy tried to gauge how large the whole work was. At least forty feet across. He shook his head, trying to imagine these two arguing back and forth for the whole forty feet. It must have taken months.

  Between bouts of bickering, Musi stepped aside to grab another bucket. Andy took the chance to look at their progress. It was impressive for so short a time.

  He recognized the outline of his face.

  It looks like me, only—older, more rugged—facial hair—

  Andy’s eyebrow raised.

  It doesn’t look a thing like me—well, maybe in a decade.

  “Hello, handsome.”

  Andy was certain that someone was whispering into his ear from less than a step away.

  He turned and leaned away in fright but remembered that he was standing on a plinth a moment too late. He tripped backwards and tumbled to the ground.

  That has to be the third time today.

  He heard female laughter, at least two or three voices. He felt his face flush instantly, and his heart wanted to jump out of his chest. It had been too long a day.

  I don’t need to look up. They can wallow in my embarrassment, and I can take a nap.

  He took a moment to enjoy being on the floor. Let them wait for me, the laughing hens. He counted slowly to ten before looking up.

  There was the woman from the mosaic. Tall and trim, sheathed in a dress colored like sunset over a dark lake, deep orange flowing into somber navy. Her hair was ordered like falling waves over her shoulders, and it was held in place with ivory pins. She scowled at him, though her eyes seemed to smile. It made him think that she was either entertained, or considering a punishment for him. The sharp angles of her face focused even the smallest movement into an intense expression. To Andy, she was magnificent and terrifying.

  After a long moment Andy realized that he was staring stupidly. He tried to stand but stopped halfway up.

  “Letty?”

  Standing next to the magnificent woman was a familiar girl.

  “Is it you?”

  The familiar girl was cloaked in a gown of dark sea shells. Blue sprays of mesh covered her arms and throat, and her hair was adorned with hundreds of shining gemstones, which made her look like the night sky over a dark sea. She wore a vague look of reminiscence, but mostly seemed uncertain. He saw her eyes scrunch up at his prolonged appraisal; a very specific and familiar look of disdain played on her brow.

  “It is you! Letty, I can’t believe I found you!” He moved towards her, but two spear toting guards, more hulking armored lobsters, stepped forward to keep him back. He tried to push past them, but one elbowed him sharply.

  “Now, now!” The woman said, her voice flowing through the air, at once near, but then as if through the wind. “Hands to yourself, please.”

  Andy wrenched free from their grip, reach
ed into his pocket, and found the marble.

  Chapter 10

  The Sun and the Moon

  Stepping away from the armored guards, Andy freed the marble from his pocket. He wanted to fight. The lobster guards would be slow in their armor, and they certainly wouldn’t expect violence. At least, not from him.

  His eyes moved through the crowd. Sensing how outnumbered he was, Andy wondered if he could possibly defeat them.

  His glance caught on the woman. She had an expectant look on her face, as if she knew what he was thinking, but waited, simply to see what he would do.

  Finally, he looked at Letty. She didn’t know him. And worse, she didn’t look like herself. She’d even recoiled when he approached a moment ago.

  If she doesn’t know me, how can I get her out of here?

  He considered trying to carry her, though he knew it wouldn’t work.

  But why? Why does she look at me like a stranger? Is she ashamed of me around these people? Is it something else?

  Andy’s eyes began to water. Forgetting the lobster guards, he couldn’t force her to join him against her will. If she didn’t want to leave, there was nothing to do.

  He felt a pang of depression, and indecent questions formed in his mind.

  Does this absolve me? Am I free to return to Titus and Taptalles? Can I go home?

  The guards edged closer, suspicious, and with their weapons ready. The woman held out a hand, “Stay back. Let him make up his mind.”

  They obeyed.

  Andy felt his conscience sting as he looked with embarrassment at Letty. This isn’t what I expected. The Twister showed me something else—she was tied up and she— he stared at the magnificent woman —she was a snake.

  He shook his head and let out a sad breath before asking, “Am I free to go?”

  There were a few chuckles.

  The woman stepped past her guards; they put up their spears as she went. “What a question to ring through my courtyard. It hurts me to hear these words.” She was still ten feet away, but it sounded like she was right beside him.

  “I didn’t mean to offend—” Andy stammered.

  She laughed, “All ideas and all thoughts are permitted here. This is, in fact, the most liberated corner of existence.”

  She wasn’t answering him. He wondered if this is what Quill meant when he said not to ask questions.

  Andy didn’t want to upset her, and took care as he spoke, “When I turn to leave—to take the stairs out of here—”

  “My pupils will put up their arms and lament your early exit.” She stood at ease and looked away, “And I will find it quite rude.”

  Andy felt another sting. This isn’t going anything like I expected—it should have been blood and fighting, not this. Ashamed, he felt his mouth go slack.

  He loosened his grip on the marble and came out of his fighter’s stance. “I apologize for being rude. I expected—”

  “Never mind expectations, boy.” She interrupted, a few laughs rang out. “Will you stay for dinner? It’ll be ready in an hour. Musi and Arke still need you here,” she gestured at the almost forgotten mosaic. “It’s quite the likeness.” She gazed at him questioningly.

  Andy realized that she had asked him a question. “Uh—yes, I should stay for dinner. May I—” she had turned to leave, but stopped, the slightest irritation in her brow. Andy hurried through his question, “May I speak with Letty?”

  A few puzzled glances passed between those assembled.

  “No need to be confused, pupils. Our newest once had a slaver’s name. Her independent streak ran strong even then, and she reforged her old name into, ‘Letty.’” Her answer met with sounds of realization and a few conspiratorial whispers.

  She didn’t answer me—again, and how did she know that about Letty’s name?

  He opened his mouth to restate the question, but she turned on her heel and walked through the large doorways, her entourage jingled and clanged as they kept close behind.

  Musi and Arke spoke quietly with each other. Andy felt his head spin as he watched Letty leave with the rest, the extravagant gown and the glittering stones in her hair seeming at once alien, and yet, somehow fitting.

  Dinner in the snake-pit. Maybe I can catch Letty alone. She might be playing dumb for the crowd. She’ll know more than I do, and what was all that about slaver’s names?

  “Look this way, please!” Musi called down to him.

  He obeyed.

  “Say, Musi,” Andy called to their scaffold, “what did she mean by a slaver’s name?”

  Musi kept working, but answered all the same, “That’s what we were called above—no, no, the clear quartz—yes that one—Andy, pay attention.” Andy scowled. “When we are reborn as pupils in Caspia, we are gifted new names. Your friend from above will be called, Solstaci, though no one can guess her talent, it’s too soon.”

  Arke interrupted, “Solstaci seems a brooding sort, don’t you think?”

  Musi agreed, “Yes, she looks like the younger self of our Mistress. Like the minutes before the dawn, where our Mistress is blazing noon.”

  “Hmm,” Arke disagreed, “They are more like Moon and Sun.”

  Musi paused, almost dropping her handful of small stones.

  Andy wasn’t the least bit surprised to see her leap away from the mosaic, climb down the scaffold, and run for paper and pen.

  “Inspiration, inspiration!” She mumbled as the pen worked on the page.

  Arke hardly noticed when she abandoned her post beside him.

  “Yes!” She called out, finishing a quick sketch. She walked over to Andy, “want to see?”

  Andy nodded.

  She flashed the paper at him but then pulled it away, “Not until it’s finished!” She quickly folded the sketch and pocketed it, before climbing back up the scaffold.

  I’m in a strange place.

  That realization stayed with Andy as the minutes burned away. It felt like an hour must have passed before a gale of chiming filled the courtyard. He crouched, alarmed by the sound and grabbing for the marble. He looked back and forth trying to find the source. It felt like being in a forest full of cicadas, buzzing all at once, but instead of thousands of insects, this sounded like thousands of wind-chimes. Andy counted six distinct bursts, or waves of chiming, before it stopped.

  Musi and Arke climbed off their scaffold. Their progress was extraordinary, considering they were only two working across so much surface.

  “What the hell was that?” Andy asked them.

  The two shared a puzzled look.

  “No staring at each other like I’m an idiot, please. I know you heard it too.” Andy was sick of everyone treating him like a fool.

  Arke’s face lit up. “Ah, the chime!”

  “Yes! The chime!”

  Arke and Musi disagreed about taking Andy somewhere. “It’ll just take a moment,” Arke insisted.

  “Fine! But you’ll suffer the displeasure if we’re late for dinner.”

  “This way and quick.” Arke jogged down one of the covered walkways. “A rib is open for upkeep somewhere down here. I know it—Caston is working on them.”

  Musi laughed. “That fool—working on anything—what a joke.”

  “Yes, yes,” Arke agreed with a chuckle, before skidding to a halt, “here it is.”

  Andy stopped and saw that one of the supporting ribs that held the canopy was open. He looked inside and saw a network of small metal chimes, all shaped like wishbones.

  “Is this what made all that noise?”

  Arke nodded.

  Each chime was connected to the next by a fine filament. Arke reached into the rib and plucked a string. Hundreds of the metal chimes sounded at once.

  “Wow.” Andy paused and looked around at all the other ribs. “Are they all like this?”

  Arke looked away from the mechanisms, “No. What’s the ratio, Musi? I think one in every fifty is rigged like this. The rest of the ribs are hollow, to allow the sound to echo across Ca
spia. More are still going up, too.”

  “It’s a fool’s project,” Musi said, looking over her shoulder, and fretting about being late.

  Arke looked at Andy. “She’s just jealous that an oaf like Caston thought this up.”

  Musi snapped at him, “It’s more than that—this stupid toy is favored, more than—” she took a deep breath and tried to hold back sudden tears.

  Arke stood to comfort her. “It’s just the flavor of the week, Musi. The mosaic will be forever.”

  They left the opened rib and headed back down the path.

  Andy was baffled, but he tried to get his thoughts together before dinner.

  The young people here are called pupils. Do they each have a project? And what’s the point of the chimes? Is it just to call people to meals? Why is Musi so upset by them?

  He felt a burning need to figure it all out. Haven’t I already done enough damage? A sideways question might still be acceptable. I just need to know more before sitting down to eat with that woman. His skin crawled at the thought of her dissecting stare.

  “Your Mistress, what do we call her?”

  “She is called Pythia, though not to her face, at least not by anyone still living. We call her, Mistress.” Arke hesitated as he considered his next words, “I have to warn you, since you seem full of questions, be careful about asking anything. It is best to state what one is considering and hope for a pointed response.”

  Andy nodded. “Does Solstaci have a project yet?” He braced for an angry response.

  “You see—like that, don’t ask her a question like that.” Arke answered by not answering.

  Musi looked back at him, her face red from crying. “No, she doesn’t have a project. She isn’t even born yet!”

  Andy cringed and wanted to improve the situation, “But you’re almost finished with yours, Musi?”

  She scoffed, “I’ve finished hundreds—I’ve lost count!” She pointed at a glittering sea serpent climbing up a tower in a spiral, “I nearly died working on that one, well before Caston was born.”

  Arke nodded. “A masterful work. One of your best.”

  “And the tower itself was one of yours,” she replied.

  Andy’s eyes went wide at that. “You built that tower, Arke?”