by Sarah Rayne
Most of them had actually been a bit relieved not to have been chosen to attend the banquet, because there were to be all manner of important people there, and it might have been difficult to know what to say to them. AnCine said it was easy, but the concubines did not think it was easy at all. It was all very well for AnCine, who had spent three nights in a row with Chaos, and who, moreover, had been all of fourteen when she was brought to the Saraigli, and could therefore be considered more worldly than most of them.
It had been quite a long time after the banquet had started (they had been able to hear the music and the revelries so they knew), that a complete stranger had stepped into the Saraigli and stood looking at them.
This was not something that anyone could ever remember happening before. The Saraigli was not a place where people simply stepped in. It was secret and safe; it was not kept locked because it did not need to be locked; everyone in Chaos’s service knew that it was death — and a slow, bad death — to enter the Saraigli illicitly.
And so the only people who came to it were Meirdreach and the Reachtaire and his servants. Chaos did not come, of course, he simply sent a message to Meirdreach that he would be wanting one of them for the night, and Meirdreach chose who would go, and whoever it was was escorted by two servants to the velvet-hung bedchamber.
But here was a slender, silk-clad figure standing just inside the door, looking at them with a small, friendly smile. The concubines glanced uneasily at one another, because they had no idea what to do. The intruder was very beautifully dressed, they could not help seeing that. The pale ivory gown was of the finest silk, and the tiny pearls were of a very high quality. They all knew the difference between good jewels and inferior ones, of course. They could not help wondering how ever the stranger had the courage to wear her hair in such a short, stark fashion, although most of them were already trying to visualise how the shape would look on their own hair. And they noted the sprinkling of silver stars, which was certainly something different and new, and something they might all like to copy, and also the carefully painted silver tips to the short hair. You might even use gold paint, or — this would be very daring — turquoise or emerald-green. They began to feel interested.
Rumour had understood instantly that these were Chaos’s sequestered women; his harem, the sheltered, pampered creatures, one or two of whom he would occasionally summon to his bed, but most of whom might never even see him. She thought that this rather odd custom of imprisoning pretty brainless creatures for random, unthinking sexual gratification, had originated in one of the Eastern lands, and she looked at the twenty or so concubines, and felt anger at the Lord of this Castle who had condemned them to such useless, narrow lives.
But this was almost surely where Chaos would have put Theodora, and so she moved purposefully forward.
‘Please do not be afraid,’ said Rumour in a low, urgent voice. ‘I do not wish any of you any harm.’ She saw them glance at one another, and understood that the making of decisions, the shouldering of responsibility was wholly outside their experience.
‘I shall not hurt you,’ said Rumour, trying again. ‘I understand that you are — are not permitted to receive guests, and I promise you that no one need know I was ever here.’ She studied them. ‘But I must take the child,’ she said. ‘The Princess.’ And saw fearful comprehension dawn in their eyes. ‘If she is here,’ said Rumour, glancing behind her at the half-closed door, ‘you must let me take her.’ And saw at once from their expressions that Theo was indeed here, and knew a rush of gratitude so vast that for a moment the room swam before her sight. She had been almost sure, she had been sure, but there had always been the faint chance that Theo was somewhere else entirely, shut away, used in some monstrous fashion …
The concubines did not know what to do. They withdrew a little, chattering anxiously. They did not want to call for Meirdreach; you never knew what Meirdreach might do, and in any case, she was probably spying on the banquet.
On the whole, they were rather inclined to believe that Rumour was a friend. Also, people who could think up such remarkable ways of dressing and wearing their hair ought not to be dismissed without a hearing. They reached this conclusion, and felt rather pleased with themselves, because it seemed to be very sensible. One or two of them said that Rumour might even be somebody extremely important, and therefore they would be glad, later, if they had obeyed her, although several said: no, they must be careful, she might be an enemy of Chaos after all. But since they had no idea what they should do if Rumour was an enemy, they found this point of view very worrying, and decided to ignore it.
And then, without the least warning, without anyone being aware of it, the inner doors to the sleeping chambers were pushed rather hesitantly open, and Theodora, the dear, pretty little creature they had all enjoyed dressing up and petting and devising games for, stood on the threshold, her dark eyes huge in her little pointed face, a trace of colour touching her high cheekbones.
Theodora said, in a whisper, ‘Rumour — I knew you would come!’ and straightaway launched herself across the room into Rumour’s arms.
*
Theo had known all along that someone would come to get her. Of course they would not leave her here inside the horrid Dark Realm, and of course they would somehow come in and rescue her. She had dreamt about it happening nearly every night, only sometimes the dreams had got muddled, and she had been glad to wake up, because they had been all about dreadful things happening in the Porphyry Palace, and about Mama and Papa being threatened and harmed, and the rest of the Amaranths in some dreadful danger.
But here was Rumour, her beautiful and dazzling Cousin Rumour, smiling at her with the remembered amusement, as if they might be sharing some kind of delightful secret, and here was one of Rumour’s marvellous, extravagant gowns. As Rumour’s arms closed about her, Theo could smell the beautiful expensive scents her cousin always used, and feel the silken brush of her skin. She would not cry, because it would have been very childish, and anyway, there would not be time for anything like that. But for the first time since the Fomoire had broken through the Gateway in the Well of Segais and carried her into the Dark Ireland, Theo began to feel safe.
The concubines were in a flurry of excitement, because hadn’t the decision been made for them, with the dear loving child clasped in her aunt’s arms, was it? Ah, her cousin — well, in any event, it was all very affecting.
They bustled about importantly, eager to help, and it all began to be rather exciting. The cousin must be offered refreshments before her journey, they said, remembering their manners; three of them running for the wine-flagons, two more for the little sweet cakes they had baked by themselves only the day before.
But Theo’s cousin said, no, they must not trouble themselves, because there was not really time for such things, and so the concubines next bethought themselves of warm clothes for the journey. Theodora could not possibly go out of the Saraigli clad only in her sleeping things, they said, shocked. They fetched the little store of things the child had used while she had been here, and they opened the cupboards where they hung their best gowns, and found her a warm, fur-lined cloak and the dearest little red boots.
Rumour, frantic to get Theo away before the necromancers burst out of the banqueting hall, but knowing they must pacify these pretty, frivolous creatures, accepted the cloaks and the slippers, and also the cambric shirts and breeches, which, said the concubines giggling behind their hands, had been left behind by the Reachtaire’s men, although they did not know how that had happened!
Rumour said, ‘You are extremely generous, and we will bid you farewell now,’ and the concubines at once looked alarmed, because they had not realised that the unknown lady would actually be leaving at once, and it would be quite dreadfully dangerous to go prowling along the corridors and the empty halls by night.
‘Why?’ said Rumour, who was wrapping Theo in the cloak and helping her to lace up the red boots.
The concubines glanced uneasily at one a
nother, and finally mustered up the courage to explain about the Draoicht Spiaire, the fearsome Enchantment of Spying that Chaos would by now have let loose to prowl the Castle. Rumour thought: so that is why he allowed me to go! That is why he did not order his minions to come in search of me after I left the banqueting hall! That is why I have been inside this place for the last half-hour without hearing Chaos’s servants, or Chaos himself, coming to find me! Chaos had known that the Spiaire was loose, or perhaps he had ordered it to be let loose. He knew it would find Rumour as she crept through the deserted halls and galleries of the Castle. This was a rather daunting thought, but they could not let it stop them. The Spiaire would have to be faced.
She looked round at the pretty, empty-headed creatures of the Saraigliy and said, very gently, ‘The Draoicht Spiaire is certainly a formidable thing to confront, but nevertheless it must be faced. And you have been more helpful than I had looked for. We cannot thank you sufficiently,’ she said, and Theo at once said:
‘You have all been so very kind, and I do wish you …’ She paused, unsure of the correct, the polite expression. ‘I do wish you all happiness,’ she said, and the concubines sighed, because the dear child had such pretty manners, and they would all miss her so much, they did not know what they would do when she had gone.
Rumour had been wondering, should she offer them something by way of thanks for their kindnesses to Theo? She had no jewels on her, which was probably the one thing they would appreciate. Was there something she could spin for them, something quick and easy but dazzling that would appeal to their light, shallow minds?
Stepping back, she lifted her hands, palms upwards, to harness power. ‘We have not very much time,’ she said, ‘but I think there is time for me to make you a small gift to show my gratitude for the way you have cared for my cousin.’ She smiled at them. ‘It will only be very little, because there is not time for anything more, but it would please me if you would accept it,’ said Rumour, and Theo gazed up at her admiringly, because this was her marvellous cousin, this was the famous Amaranth sorceress who had dined with the High Kings, and had dozens of lovers, and who could take her place at the high table when the Amaranths gave their splendid banquets, and make all the important people smile and relax and enjoy themselves. Theo was immensely proud of Rumour who was speaking in exactly the right way to these ladies, who were a bit silly but who had been kind to her.
Rumour had reached down a brief, rather garish Spell of Seduction, scarlet and gold phallus-shapes etched clearly against a pale swathe of gauze. She thought it was exactly the sort of colourful, slightly obvious thing that the concubines might like, and she coiled it into thin silken folds, and presented it to them.
‘With my heartfelt gratitude,’ she said, and the concubines thanked her, twittering excitedly over the unexpected gift, telling her how they would store it away carefully, and use it very often, and how no one should ever guess they had it.
‘As for the escape of Theodora,’ said Rumour, ‘I think if you simply say you woke up this morning and found she was gone, your story will be believed.’
The concubines had in fact been quite worried about this, but Rumour’s suggestion at once found favour. They said, very seriously, that they would all go to bed the minute she left, they would close their eyes very tightly, and they would pretend that they had not heard a thing.
‘You will be believed,’ said Rumour, with certainty, because no one could possibly suspect these empty-headed little creatures of any kind of intrigue.
She looked down at the expectant-eyed Theodora, and smiled. ‘Well, little one?’ she said. ‘Are you ready to brave the Droaicht Spiaire with me?’
But Theo would have braved anything in the whole world with Rumour at her side. She at once said, ‘Oh yes!’ and together they went through the doors and out into the vast Castle.
*
Theo had thought that the journey through the deserted Castle would be the most frightening thing you could imagine. She held Rumour’s hand, although she was careful not to hold it too tightly because of not letting Rumour know how frightened she really was.
It was important to show Rumour that she was not a silly baby, no better than the concubines. Theo thought she might have begun to get a bit impatient with the concubines if she had had to stay locked into the Saraigli for much longer. She explained this to Rumour as they walked cautiously through the Castle, not whispering, because whisperings were full of hisses and people could sometimes hear you very clearly indeed if you whispered and hissed, but speaking in an extra-quiet voice.
Rumour listened, and Theo, momentarily diverted, remembered that this had been one of Rumour’s best qualities: she listened to you, really listened, not just pretend or polite listening.
Rumour seemed to want to know all about the Saraigli. She asked quite a lot of questions, some of which Theo did not see the point of, but all of which she answered, because of not being a nuisance or impolite. She explained that they had come into the Dark Realm through the Moher Gateway, which had been quite frightening really on account of it being near to the Tanning Pit, but which you might, if you looked at it all sensibly, describe as a new experience, especially if you had not seen that part of Ireland before. Theo had not seen it, and she had been astonished at the dark beauty of the Moher Cliffs and at the dazzling splendour of the endless oceans that pounded and lashed Ireland’s west coast.
Rumour asked if Theo had been in the Saraigli for all of the time she had been here, and Theo said, ‘Oh yes,’ only that it had been dreadfully boring, on account of never seeing anyone except the concubines, and not being allowed even to go outside for a walk.
Rumour said, her voice carefully expressionless, ‘Did you not see Chaos or any of his servants at all?’ and Theo explained about Meirdreach, whom they had all giggled over, and about the Reachtaire, who sometimes came into the Saraigli with sugared fruits or little sweet buns for them all, and who was very fat and smooth-skinned and loved a little gossip with them all.
Rumour said, in a sympathetic voice, ‘Horridly boring,’ and Theo was glad that Rumour understood.
They had reached Rumour’s bedchamber now, and it was all safe and very nearly normal, and Theo was beginning to think that it was all turning into a very good adventure. The bedchamber was faintly scented with Rumour’s perfume, which Theo had noticed all Rumour’s bedchambers were. She had sometimes gone into Rumour’s bedchamber at the Porphyry Palace, after Rumour had gone back to her own Starlit Night Castle, just for the pleasure of being enfolded in Rumour’s beautiful, elusive fragrance and the lingering essences she always left, even when she had only been in a room for a few hours.
They managed to fold some things into a large bag shaped like a box, with tapestry patterns on the outside, and Rumour said they must be very careful indeed to take it with them, no matter what might threaten them, because there were some very precious things indeed inside. Theo touched the tapestry box-bag, and looked up at Rumour, because she had felt at once that there was something deeply magical inside it.
‘There is,’ said Rumour. ‘That is why we must take it out with us at all costs.’ She grinned at Theo. ‘I have brought that with me out of the Porphyry Palace, through Tiarna, and even out of the fortress of Almhuin,’ she said.
‘Almhuin?’ Theo had heard Almhuin mentioned in a general way.
Rumour said, ‘Andrew is at Almhuin, Theo,’ and saw the sudden pleasure in the child’s face.
‘Waiting for us?’
‘I hope so,’ said Rumour, and something that Theo had never seen shone in Rumour’s eyes for a moment. ‘Yes, I hope so.’
*
Theo thought the journey through the Castle began to be frightening as soon as they stepped out of Rumour’s bedchamber. The shadows crept forward at once, so that you could almost imagine they were alive and waiting for you. Theodora stared at them and came up with the word, ‘menacing’. The shadows were menacing, and the whole Castle was menacing; it crawled
and shivered with dark things you could not see, although you knew they were there, and it throbbed and hummed and whispered with secret, peering creatures. Theodora cautiously drew Rumour’s attention to this, and Rumour said at once, ‘Yes, I know. I hear it all. Don’t worry,’ and Theo was instantly comforted, because if Rumour could hear and feel the dark slithery things and say, ‘Don’t worry’, in that very ordinary voice, then probably there was not very much to worry about. Probably whatever the things were, Rumour could deal with them quite easily.
They moved onwards, hand in hand. Rumour was not the sort of person you would mind holding hands with at a moment like this, although Theo would not have done it with anyone else, because she would not have let anyone else know she was beginning to be very frightened indeed. But Rumour would understand all this.
There was a moment when all that they were hearing were whisperings and slitherings and rustlings, and then there was another, quite separate moment, when the sounds had coalesced into something very much more definite and something very sinister.
The scuttling of clawed feet.
Theo felt Rumour’s hand tighten about hers, and then — this was extremely odd — Rumour silently passed the square, tapestry-patterned bag to Theo, and slid the strap over Theo’s neck. Theo did not understand why Rumour had done this, but clearly it would not do to ask, and so she simply took the bag, which was not very heavy, and tried not to know that the clawed feet were quite close now.
They were quite near to the central hall. Theo could see the lights from the banqueting hall filtering up to them. The scuttling thing was still following them, chuckling, as if it knew they were within its reach, and as if it were relishing the knowledge. Whatever it was going to do to them when it caught them was something it would greatly enjoy …
To keep moving at Rumour’s side with the scuttling, clawed footed creature stalking them, was the worst thing Theo had ever had to do. She thought she was only able to do it because Rumour seemed to expect that she could.