by Martin Ash
Old Hisdra’s head swayed slowly back and forth upon her scrawny neck as she contemplated this. ‘That is how it appears at present, I grant you.’
‘And, insane or not, why should he be of interest to the Zan-Chassin or Khimmur? Feikermun may be considered a mad nabob in his own domain, but on an international scale that domain is small and of paltry significance. He commands a rabble - albeit a murderous one - not an army. His influence barely extends beyond Dhaout and its immediate environs, and any plans he may harbour for expansion are thwarted by the presence of his two opponents there.’
‘It is Feikermun’s interests that draw our attention, Dinbig. We believe that for some time now he has been engaged in illicit research.’
‘Research? Of what kind?’
‘Magic, in some form.’
I pondered this. ‘And has he met with any success?’
‘This is where our concern lies, but our precise knowledge is vague, as we have been unable to get close to him. We do know that limited magic has been his for some time. For instance, he is sensitive to the presence of magic and is able to employ limited but reasonably effective means to detect and negate its use against him. For that reason we have been unable to spy upon him from the Realms or with out-of-body techniques. Apart from this he has, until now, had no access to any but the most minor of rapturous effects.’
‘Until now?’
‘Firm evidence is lacking but we have good reason to suspect that Feikermun had made significant advances in recent months.It is possible that he is on the verge of achieving mastery of a major discipline.’
‘Has he a teacher?’
‘We do not know.’
I considered this. Zan-Chassin magic is unique to Khimmur, and its use has always been carefully monitored and controlled. Other magical forms exist elsewhere, but they are likewise jealously guarded. The Simbissikim priesthood of Kemahamek, for instance, has developed its own discipline, but like us the Simbissikim reveal their secrets only by degrees, and to candidates who have undergone long and arduous schooling. Similarly with the shamans of the tribes of the Endless Desert, of whom virtually nothing is known, for they resist all contact with the world beyond their sands. Renegade magicians crop up here and there, it is true, but they are infrequent and generally not particularly powerful, and tend to employ magic purely for their own ends.
Powerful magic has been known in the past. During the period of the Great Deadlock some one and a half centuries ago, the Hecran king Moshrazman III somehow mastered the secret of summoning vile Gneth. These monsters he then used to drive Kemahamek invaders from his soil, but later paid the price when the Gneth turned upon him and his troops, destroying them and reducing Hecra to a wasteland. Gneth roam Hecra in some number still, and men avoid the country, but the secret of their summoning has long been lost.
All magic is believed to have derived from mysterious Qol, known as Enchantment, which lies far to the east. Millennia ago beings with the powers of gods warred there and distorted the land and its very air with their magic. Men have been fearful of magic ever since. Enchantment strikes an even greater chill into men’s hearts than Hecra, and none go there - or, if they do, they do not return.
Magic, it can be seen, is a potent and unpredictable force, of apparently illimitable scope. Its spread outside the known disciplines, as well as its development within, has always been a matter of great concern. The idea of its having fallen into the hands of a madman like Feikermun hardly bore contemplating.
I said, ‘Are you suggesting a connection between Feikermun’s possible acquisition of the power and the appearance of this mysterious double of mine?’
Old Hisdra fixed me with a clear gaze. ‘We do not know, Dinbig. Certainly your situation must be judged worthy of investigation. Would you not agree?’
‘Quite so. I’m eager to get to the bottom of it.’
Hisdra nodded. She inclined her body forwards a little, and with two hands shakily lifted a blue faience bowl from a small table placed beside her chair.
‘Drink, Dinbig,’ she said, and brought the bowl to her lips. ‘It will restore depleted energies.’
Without great enthusiasm I took up a similar bowl which had been placed beside me. Steam rose from a greenish-brown liquid within. A pungent, earthy aroma reached my nostrils. It was a herbal concoction and I knew its taste to be foul, but I could not refuse her. I raised the bowl to my mouth and sipped. The brew scoured my palate and seemed to coat the inside of my gullet with fur as it slid down. I felt not the least bit invigorated, nor encouraged by the fact that most of the tea still remained to be drunk.
‘For some time we have wondered about placing an agent in Dhaout,’ old Hisdra said, setting down her bowl, ‘to try to ascertain the degree of Feikermun’s development - if he has any - and at the same time to keep check on his rivals, lest they entertain similar ambitions.’
I nodded slowly. ‘It’s perhaps wise, given the circumstances you’ve described. But immensely difficult. An agent would need to gain Feikermun’s trust, but Feikermun trusts no one and is as likely to execute a friend as an enemy. I would envy no one that task.’
‘Certainly it would require a person with unusual talents.’
‘What of this “Sermilio”, Sacred Mother?’ I asked. ‘Does the name mean anything to you?’
Hisdra picked up the paper which I had given her upon my arrival, and studied it for the second time. She shook her head. ‘Unknown to us.’
‘And his symbol?’
‘Again, unknown, though I shall check the archives, for it may be recorded there. Perhaps you will learn more today. But, as before, one is drawn to wonder whether it is purely coincidence that this missive should arrive, with all its apparent urgency, at the same time that you receive such unusual news from abroad.’
I nodded again, unhappy at the notion of a possible link, and tried to hide my disappointment that nothing more had been revealed. I sensed that Hisdra was studying me intently, and grew a trifle uncomfortable under her gaze.
I broached the question that had been worrying me since Inbuel’s visit. ‘Sacred Mother, do you or others known to you possess the means to project your physical selves, or a convincing image of your physical self, from one place to another?’
She paused before her reply. ‘There are secrets known to the highest Zan-Chassin adepts which I cannot reveal to you until the proper time - you know that, Dinbig. But if your question is “Have we created this other you?”, the answer is most manifestly “We have not”.’
‘But might others have done it?’
‘We are not so well versed in all magical forms as to be able to know precisely what can and cannot be achieved by others, though we wish it were otherwise. However, we do not know of any existing magical form that can accomplish such a feat — outside of Enchantment. But plainly it would be foolish for us to ignore what has happened.’ Her scrutiny of me was undiminished. ‘Dinbig, it is apposite, is it not, that this strange matter of your double and a connection with Feikermun of Selph, however tenuous, should arise just at this time?’
‘In what way, Sacred Mother?’
‘For the reasons I have just outlined.’
There was an inflection in her voice, a subtle but definite shift of tone that I could not miss. I stiffened slightly, abruptly aware that I was being addressed by a superior. A hollow feeling was beginning to form in my gut.
‘As I said,’ Hisdra continued, ‘we have for some time been considering the possibility of placing an agent close to Feikermun.’
The hollow feeling gaped abruptly to become a chasm which had opened beneath me and into which I found myself falling - a sensation that was becoming horribly familiar. I heard myself replying, ‘Sacred Mother, you are not saying—?’
‘You are under no duress, Dinbig’ - in a voice that made it plain that in fact I had little choice. ‘It is a thought, that is all. Were you to elect to further investigate this matter personally, you would almost certainly want
to travel to Dhaout, would you not? I do not see how you could do so otherwise. That being so, you might indeed wish to consider our interests and that of Khimmur in regard to Feikermun. We would place every possible assistance at your disposal, of course.’
Which would be next to nothing, I thought miserably. The power of the Zan-Chassin lies mainly in the ability to interact with the Realms beyond the corporeal and with the entities that inhabit them; effective intervention on the physical plane is limited - unless there were indeed great secrets that I had no inkling of. In this case it would be worse than limited: Hisdra had just admitted that Feikermun possessed the means to detect and even repel magic. I would be alone in Dhaout, then, surrounded by murderers, thieves and madmen. I would be far from home, without friends or allies when I most needed them. I felt suddenly horribly depressed.
But I was caught. I knew it. I should have seen it coming. I knew old Hisdra’s wiles, and her power. I respected her utterly, but was fully aware of what she was capable. She had been constructing her web quite openly before me, had even elicited my assistance. And still I had flown straight into it like a hapless insect, a winged ingenu.
I cursed silently, and fumed at myself. I could hardly decline the commission, no matter the politic manner in which it had been couched. Even so, I thought desperately for a way out.
‘I do have many commitments at the moment, Sacred Mother.’
‘I understand. As I said, you are under no duress. Drink more tea, Dinbig.’
We repeated the little ritual. Having replaced her bowl again, Hisdra linked her gnarled fingers in her lap and allowed a weighted silence to pass. Presently she said, ‘Dinbig, your advancement as a First Realm Initiate has been pleasing.’
‘It pleases me that you should find it so, Sacred Mother.’
‘We do see great potential in you.’
‘I am honoured.’
‘We would all like to see you rise to join the Hierarchy, and eventually the Council of Elders. We perceive tremendous ability in you, partly latent as yet, but with the proper training ...’
‘I strive always to be a shining example by which the Zan-Chassin may be pleased to be judged.’
‘The king himself takes a great interest in your progress.’
‘Then I am doubly honoured.’
‘You are keen to advance, aren’t you?’
‘Most decidedly, Sacred Mother.’
‘That is good.’
The silence resumed. Everything had now been said. The Chariness had brought the wind around, had caused it to blow at her beck. My plans for advancement were at stake, my progress both as a Zan-Chassin initiate and as a rising political star and advisor to the throne.
‘I will go, gladly, Sacred Mother.’
‘Excellent.’
I knew that I had already chosen to investigate the matter of my double anyway - I could do little else. And I acknowledged that a journey to Dhaout would almost certainly be required. I believe that the Chariness knew this too. But to spy upon Feikermun was something of a wholly different order. This was certain peril, and my stomach griped at the concept. As I have already said, I am not one to endanger myself unnecessarily. I have a love of life and of adventure, and if ahead of me the two appear to be engaged in discord I will endeavour to seek out a more amenable road.
Now all alternative roads had been blocked. I felt deeply uneasy with myself, filled with foreboding. I was unable to meet Hisdra’s gaze.
Swallowing drily I said, ‘I must make certain preparations before I depart. And I would like to interview Lord Mintral.’
‘Of course. I shall see to it that he is informed and will therefore expect you at Castle Beliss. When will you go to him?’
‘Tomorrow.’
‘Return here the following morning. We will have made our own preparations and conducted all possible research on your behalf. Everything that is known about Feikermun, and anything else deemed pertinent to your task, will be made available to you.’
‘Thank you, Sacred Mother.’
‘It is an intriguing thing, Dinbig, to be riding into another land, effectively in search of yourself. But, if your reports are accurate, it does raise certain problems. For instance, if your double has already suffered execution at Feikermun’s hands it will excite controversy to have you reappear suddenly in his midst. You will be seen as a ghost, or a demon. Feikermun, being what he is, will probably have you killed again immediately, which would be an unfortunate and premature curtailment of your mission. At the same time, your imitator - if he still lives - is unlikely to operate freely if aware that you are close by.’
I nodded. ‘I shall adopt a disguise.’
‘We will discuss this in greater detail upon your return from Castle Beliss. Why do you smile in such a grim way?’
‘I was simply contemplating the paradox, Sacred Mother. I’m to ride into another land in search of myself, but to do it I must pretend to be someone else.’
‘Ah, yes, that is fascinating indeed.’
Her face showed no emotion. I said, ‘I would request as a further precaution that a code be established, now, before I depart the catacombs. Thus when we next meet you will be in no doubt that it is I with whom you speak.’
‘Dinbig, an imitator may fool the flesh, but the soul-personality, externalized, has its own unique resonance. You need only exit your physical form so that we may identify you.’
‘Even so, I would feel further reassured.’
‘Do you have a suggestion?’
‘When I return I shall greet you, or whomsoever of the Hierarchy or Elders I encounter, with the words: “The mirror has been broken. The image was my own.” If I fail to use these words, be wary that I may not be what I seem.’
She nodded. ‘It is apt. All relevant persons will be informed.’
I felt suddenly a profound and almost paralysing fear. I was struck by the full force of what I was about to undertake. It seemed that something had been taken from me. The realization that, to others, I might no longer be deemed trustworthy, that no one could accept me for what I was, was shocking. I felt that I had lost control of my own existence. I was being manipulated from all angles. How might I be sure of myself, when no one else could? What was I? How could I know?
‘Is there something the matter, Dinbig?’
I shook my head. It was pointless to attempt to express the inexpressible. Our audience was over. I stood, feeling that I was still descending into the dark chasm that had opened beneath me. I bowed, and withdrew.
*
Most of the remainder of the day was spent attending to mundane matters, informing employees and associates of my impending absence, making the necessary arrangements for travel. In regard to my journey I was presented with a problem.
It was unsafe to travel long distances without a strong bodyguard, particularly outside my own country. Ordinarily, travelling as a Master Merchant with two, three or more wagons, I would take a guard of from three to a dozen men. But now I was not to be Ronbas Dinbig of Khimmur. To travel with men known to be Dinbig’s employees might attract the wrong kind of attention, might encourage persons to look a little more closely at me than they would normally have done, and perhaps see through my deception.
It was a vexing point, for I was reluctant to travel alone. Nor was I keen to employ strangers, effectively placing myself in the care of men I might not be able to trust. I considered taking Bris, with perhaps one or two others. We could masquerade as a band of peddlers, pilgrims or labourers seeking work. If Bris or the others were recognized and the association with Ronbas Dinbig made, they could explain that, following Dinbig’s incarceration or death, they were in the unhappy position of being obliged to seek employment abroad.
But no. Everything as yet was hearsay. I lacked firm evidence that the bogus Dinbig was dead, or even a wanted man. And, if either condition did apply, then Bris’s very association with him - with me - might place my trusty servant and the others in danger from Feikermun and hi
s thugs. On the other hand, if my double continued to operate freely, then the merest whisper that employees of mine were known to be in Anxau might be sufficient to drive him underground.
I gnawed upon the problem for much of the day. My sense of disorientation, of isolation, deepened. I cursed old Hisdra again. She was not the spider, I saw that now. Nor was I the hapless insect. I was in fact spider and fly and more; she had allowed me to trap myself in a web of my own construction. I had become all three, fly, spider, web, and she was something other, a mysterious force, a numen which hovered beyond. She saw and understood what I did not. She acted impersonally, for greater ends, ensuring that the three elements brought themselves together. And when they did they became transformed almost magically into a single entity which could do nothing except her bidding.
But it was pointless to blame Hisdra, or anyone. I was simply involved in a mystery I could not comprehend, which had begun to assume proportions far greater and more profound than I could have foreseen.