The Habit of the Kingmaker

by J J Moriarty

  Eanno shook her head. Hyzou turned to Safia.

  “Will you be able to get me in touch with him?” Hyzou asked.

  Safia nodded.

  “I can try”, she said.

  “Ok then. We can try this”, Hyzou said.

  Eanno smiled

  “Thank you”, she said.

  “I did promise Aliya”, Hyzou said.

  “You must hurry”, Eanno said.

  “How long do we have?” Hyzou asked.

  “Less than a month”, Eanno said.

  “Less than a month? We won’t even get to CaSu in that time”, Safia said.

  “You will”, Eanno said.

  “How? CaSu is more than a thousand miles from here”, Safia said.

  “And where do you think here is?” Eanno asked.

  Safia looked around her.

  “Can you lead us there?” Hyzou asked.

  “It will take you three days”, Eanno said. “I’ll take you for the first day of your journey, which will be on those horses I’ve got waiting outside. I’ll lead you from the Cythet road, and you’ll come out just two days hard riding from CaSu. There I’ll leave you, and you’ll make your own way to the city.”

  Hyzou looked at Safia.

  “Do you feel ok freeriding?” Hyzou asked.

  Safia nodded.

  “We’re ready to go then. How long do we have to rest?” Hyzou asked.

  Eanno stood.

  “We leave in four hours”, Eanno said.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Hyzou looked over at Safia. He was impressed. Their horses may have been gifted to them by the gods, but even that couldn’t explain her balance and poise while freeriding.

  The roads around here were good, paved with brownstone and wide enough at times for several groups to pass one another. Hyzou didn’t even need to drive the horses, they made good time anyway. The roads were busy, but there was space enough for everyone. Everybody they passed was a Mujaden, which meant they must be near CaSu.

  Hyzou pulled his horse right in beside Safia’s.

  “My CaSuan is weak”, Hyzou said in CaSuan.

  Safia laughed aloud.

  “You even have the accent”, she said.

  “Sparrow taught me. He always used the accents”, Hyzou said.

  “This land has changed a lot”, Safia said.

  Hyzou looked at her.

  “Tell me about it. Tell me about CaSu”, Hyzou said.

  Safia breathed deeply.

  “It’s been eight years at least, since I came here last”, Safia said. “I could be wrong about things.”

  “You know more than I do”, Hyzou said.

  Safia shrugged. She barely bounced on the back of her horse and was well able to handle a conversation.

  “I’m Mujaden, so are most of those who live in CaSu”, Safia said.

  “I know”, Hyzou said.

  “Mujaden isn’t actually a Mujaden word”, Safia said.

  “What does that mean?” Hyzou asked.

  “CaSu is built along the banks of the Nehas-Sassam river. But there was a society that lived here before the Mujaden”, Safia said.

  “Really? I never knew”, Hyzou said.

  “The Dynartic peoples. They would always name their Emperor Dynartes, and they were the ones who called us Mujaden. In their language Mujaden means cow-man”, Safia said.

  “And the Mujaden, they’re ok with being known as cow-men?” Hyzou said.

  “Well, give it enough time and some names just stick. And the name was accurate back then. Because the Mujaden were not a settled people, they were nomads. Cow farmers, they followed their cattle around south of here on those vast grassy plains. It’s a long story, but it is very important to CaSuans. If you’re around for any of the celebrations, you’ll see them celebrate the Dynartic wars”, Safia said.

  “I’m guessing the Mujaden didn’t stay happily herding their cows down south of here forever”, Hyzou said.

  “No. There were wars. The stories I was raised with claimed that there were three, and in the third the Mujaden Kings wiped the Dynartic peoples from the face of the earth”, Safia said.

  Hyzou raised a brow.

  “But that’s probably not true, or so my tutor said. More than likely they just interbred, and Mujaden today is just a mix of the old Mujaden people and the old Dynartic peoples”, Safia said.

  “That makes a bit more sense”, Hyzou said.

  “You might be a bit shocked. CaSu takes some getting used to”, Safia asked.

  “I was born in a city you know. And I spent a year in Lamybla. Lamybla is pretty big”, Hyzou said.

  “It is, but not as big as CaSu. CaSu has about a million people in it”, Safia said.

  “A million people?” Hyzou said, incredulous.

  “It’s quite a sight”, Safia said.

  “What else will I be surprised by?” Hyzou said.

  “I’ve never been to Lamybla, so I can’t tell you what the differences are between Lamybla and CaSu”, Safia said.

  “Just from what you’ve learned”, Hyzou said.

  “Well, I was going to wait until we were closer to tell you this, but it will be better if we pretend for everyone but my father, that I’m a man”, Safia said.

  “You don’t look like a man though”, Hyzou said.

  “Please, you’re too charming Hyzou”, Safia said.

  Hyzou just stared at her.

  “Ok then. Humour isn’t your thing”, Safia said.

  “Why should we pretend you’re a man?” Hyzou asked.

  “Because CaSuans don’t really allow women to walk around alone”, Safia said.

  “They what?” Hyzou asked.

  “Slaves, and urchins. Sure they can walk around alone, but any woman of any standing must never be alone without male company”, Safia said.

  Hyzou raised his eyebrows.

  “That’s unbelievable. How do you get anything done?” Hyzou asked.

  “Women don’t. Or well, they do at home, but not out and about. When I was a child I was only allowed to leave the house six times a year”, Safia said.

  “You were what?” Hyzou said.

  “See, I said you’d find it different. You grew up in the River Cities. Things aren’t as regimented there”, Safia said.

  “So what did you do? If you never went outside”, Hyzou asked.

  “Inside, and in a private garden we had for ourselves too”, Safia said. “I lived with all the other female children of the Daborah family, and we had a tutor and a carer.”

  “And your parents?” Hyzou said.

  “I don’t know who my mother was. I saw my father regularly, but that was something only I got to do. Because my father…”

  Safia’s voice died, and her eyes glazed over.

  “Safia? Are you ok?” Hyzou asked.

  She snapped out of her daze.

  “Sorry. Yes, my father was the Patriarch, so I got to see him regularly. None of the other girls ever saw their fathers but for maybe once or twice a year”, Safia said.

  Hyzou looked at her.

  “I grew up in a house with my mother and father and sister”, Hyzou said.

  “You grew up in a family”, Safia said. “I grew up in a family.”

  “What’s the difference?” Hyzou said.

  “In CaSu, especially if you’re rich, you are merely an extension of your family”, Safia said. “You’re not an individual, but instead a manifestation in human form of your family name.”

  “That’s strange”, Hyzou said.

  “You asked me a day or two ago if I remembered where I was from. If I missed it. See I was born in CaSu, my blood is Mujaden. But I’m from neither. I’m from Daborah. That is my home”, Safia said.

  “I think I understand”, Hyzou said.

  “It’ll become clearer once you see it for yourself”, Safia said.

  “How did the Daborah family become so wealthy? Land? Livestock?” Hyzou asked.

  “Neither”, Safia said. “
They’re merchants. Have been for generations.”

  “What do they trade in?” Hyzou asked. “Bronze?”

  “Bronze is the main export of CaSu, but no. My family trade in money”, Safia said.

  “They what?” Hyzou asked.

  “They’re merchants who trade money”, Safia said.

  “They trade money for what?” Hyzou asked.

  “Money. It’s what they trade in. It’s all they trade in. They’re money-merchants”, Safia said.

  “I don’t understand”, Hyzou said.

  “They don’t really have money-merchants anywhere but in the Mountain Cities, of which CaSu is one”, Safia said.

  “I know CaSu is a Mountain City. There’s no need to patronise”, Hyzou said.

  Safia smiled.

  “Money-merchants need a big population to make money”, Safia said.

  “What do they do?” Hyzou asked.

  “People store their money with them”, Safia said.

  “So they’re a safe? And people pay them to keep their money safe?” Hyzou asked.

  “No, the Daborah family pay people to keep their money. You pay the family if you want to keep anything else in their vaults, but for money the Daborah family will pay you”, Safia said.

  “Then how do they make money?” Hyzou said. “You said they were rich.”

  “Usury”, Safia said.

  “What’s that?” Hyzou asked.

  “You said your father was a scribe?” Safia asked.

  “He was”, Hyzou said. “After he was a Servant of Qi.”

  Safia looked at him.

  “Your father was a Servant of Qi?” Safia said.

  “It’s a long story”, Hyzou said. “Explain usury first.”

  “Oh, well, your father, as a scribe, he would have had to have owned an oven, and clay tablets, and probably somewhere he could work and deal with customers. Right?” Safia asked.

  Hyzou shook his head.

  “He worked for King Imhotep as the Royal Court’s Chief Scribe”, Hyzou said.

  Safia rolled her eyes.

  “Ok then. If your father was a regular scribe, he would need all those things, right?” Safia said.

  “Yes, he would”, Hyzou said.

  “Now imagine someone who has the skills of a scribe, but none of the equipment. He also has no money to buy anything himself. He could go and work for another scribe, or some such, and hope to save enough to eventually buy one of his own. But that’ll take a lot of time, and he wants to set up now”, Safia said. “What does he do for the money?”

  “Well, he’d go around to all the Kyrios and High Citizens, and ask for patronage”, Hyzou said.

  “Patronage, I haven’t heard that word before. What does it mean in Piquea?” Safia asked.

  “Just like you described. A Kyrios or High Citizen pays for everything, and then is repaid once the craftsman makes the money back”, Hyzou said.

  “And does this Kyrios or High Citizen see any profit?” Safia asked.

  “Usually, yes. But mainly it’s their duty as Nobles”, Hyzou said.

  “Well usury is profiting from giving such money”, Safia said.

  Hyzou looked at her.

  “So wait, that’s all a money-merchant does?” Hyzou asked.

  “Yes. They will loan a sum to that scribe and he will pay back that sum and a little bit extra. That little bit extra, if you give out enough loans, will be enough to make a family rich”, Safia said.

  “You’d have to give money to a lot of people though?” Hyzou said.

  Safia nodded.

  “Thousands, tens of thousands. And not just lowly scribes, but Nobles and Kings too”, Safia said.

  “But to loan that much money you’d need so much of it yourself. Where do they get the… Oh, that’s why they pay to keep people’s money?” Hyzou asked.

  Safia nodded.

  “That’s ingenious”, Hyzou said.

  “It’s an old industry”, Safia said.

  “Not in Piquea. Not in Lamybla”, Hyzou said.

  Safia shrugged.

  “You can ask my father why that is. He’ll know”, Safia said.

  Hyzou looked at her.

  “So that’s where the Daborah family made their money?” Hyzou said.

  “Yes, they and one other major family, our competitors. The others are in other industries. Bronze, gold, livestock, rice, merchants. That kind of thing”, Safia said.

  “Interesting”, Hyzou said, and he looked back at the road.

  “Do you want to tell me about your father? The Servant of Qi”, Safia said.

  “Oh. Him, yes sure. He came from the depths of the mountains with his two brothers when they were but babies. They were raised in Uqing, and when it was realised that they had the Qi, they were trained by Sparrow, the three of them”, Hyzou said.

  “How did he end up a scribe?” Safia asked.

  “I’m not sure if you’d believe it. During the tail end of the Anarchy, he went south with his two brothers into the rainforest. On their journey back north, they were ambushed. One brother died, one escaped, and my father was left mortally wounded in the middle of nowhere. He crawled all the way to Piquea, some fifty miles, and when he got there he found an old friend”, Hyzou said.

  “Aliya”, Safia said.

  “She was the ambassador to Piquea in those days. My father was rescued by her, but made her promise to hide him. Especially from the Servants of Qi”, Hyzou said.

  “Why?” Safia asked.

  Hyzou sighed.

  “I don’t know. He might still be alive had he decided to reveal himself, like perhaps he should’ve. He made Aliya promise to hide me, and my sister too. We were, on no account, to be allowed to join the Servants. The two of us, we were supposed to have an ordinary life”, Hyzou said.

  “He died in the sack of Piquea?” Safia asked.

  “He did. Along with my sister, and my mother, and my betrothed”, Hyzou said.

  “I’m sorry”, Safia said.

  “It was five years ago”, Hyzou said. “It’s the past.”

  “Aliya never told me about him. What was his name?” Safia said.

  “Mygst. And she didn’t tell many because Sparrow wanted it to be that way. Even some of the older Servants don’t know that I’m the son of one that came before. Although apparently, I do look just like my father”, Hyzou said.

  “Is that where you got your powers?” Safia asked.

  “Sparrow thinks so. At least he left me something, something that wasn’t destroyed in the fire and bronze”, Hyzou said.

  Silence fell for a few more gallops.

  “Your sister, what was she like?” Safia asked.

  Hyzou flashed a smile over at her.

  “I don’t talk about her”, Hyzou said.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  They continued their quick pace through the rest of the day, and they made so much time that they could set up camp as soon as darkness fell. It was only winter, and they were far north, but Hyzou and Safia had both just come from years of living in Uqing. The night seemed balmy to them. No need for a fire to heat up two of the mountain’s children.

  They settled just off the road. As it was winter, all the streams and brooks were running low. A group of raggle-taggle fixers however were settled near the roadside just as they came to a stop, and in return for a handful of salt they let Hyzou and Safia water themselves and their horses in their giant tin bucket. That done, Hyzou and Safia brought the animals half a mile up the road and settled together, alone in the darkness.

  Using his Qi, Hyzou could sense that there was no one near them. The fixers were singing a song together and wouldn’t hear a stampede of bulls, let alone Hyzou and Safia talking. They were in complete privacy, with only the stars for lighting.

  “You know, I’ve been thinking a lot about why your Qi isn’t working for you”, Hyzou said.

  “Have you?” Safia asked.

  “Yes. How many times have you and I tried to find your Qi, o
nly for it to fail?” Hyzou said.

  “Eight times”, Safia said.

  “Eight times, and each time there’s the same problem. The problem is that there is no problem. You’re doing everything right, and you have a powerful Qi waiting to be discovered, but you never manage to find it”, Hyzou said.

  “What are you saying?” Safia said.

  “Have you found it before?” Hyzou asked.

  The light was weak, but Hyzou could still see Safia’s face.

  “Yes, I think so. At times it comes, but I’ve no control over when it comes”, Safia said.

  Hyzou nodded. He let silence fell.

  “Do you think it’s hopeless?” Safia asked.

  Hyzou looked at her.

  “Do you think it’s hopeless? That’s a better question”, Hyzou said.

  “Sometimes I do. Sometimes I doubt whether I’ll ever be able to use my Qi”, Safia said. “I’ve been training so long, and I haven’t gotten control of it yet. What’ll change?”

  Hyzou stood and began to stretch his shoulders.

  “Are you ok?” Safia asked.

  “I’m just a little stiff from the ride”, Hyzou said.

  “You haven’t found any answers, have you?” Safia asked.

  “To what?” Hyzou asked.

  “To why my Qi doesn’t work”, Safia said.

  “You know, I was worried about taking on my first proper pupil. If I’m honest, I thought all along that it would be a disaster”, Hyzou said.

  “Why?” Safia said.

  “Sparrow thinks it’s my age. I’m younger than the others in the Archai, and therefore I’m not as reflective as they are. I think he’s wrong. I think he misunderstands me, and the actions he thinks are rash. I do reflect, I reflect a lot. Once I find an answer that I know to be truth, I act as it requires me to. I’m not rash, I’m just not timid”, Hyzou said.

  “I don’t think you’re rash”, Safia said.

  Hyzou smiled.

  “Thank you, Safia”, Hyzou said.

  “What kind of things does he think you do that are rash?” Safia asked.

  “Like what I’m doing tonight”, Hyzou said.

  Safia frowned.

  “What are you doing tonight?” Safia said.

  “I figured it out. I know. I know you lied. To me, to Aliya. You lied to everyone”, Hyzou said.