by Джеффри Лорд
«Do you believe this?» asked Blade.
«Is it possible that it is-not so?»
«Many things are possible, for I have seen them since I left England,» said Blade. «But I have not seen enough of Kaldak to answer that question.» He didn't want to get into a full-scale discussion. For one thing, Kaldak probably had some punishment for questioning the Law's principles. For another thing, the less he said himself, the more freely Bairam would talk.
«I think the Law makes some difference,» said Bairam. «We eat better and we have found more living Oltec. But our women bear no more children than those of cities with a weaker Law.»
That answered one of Blade's questions-why there were so few children. Some lingering aftereffect of the war-radiation, chemicals, a plague-made men or women or both infertile. When you had to do most work by musclepower, a small and slowly-growing population was a very mixed blessing. When you had to do most of your fighting with muscle-powered weapons, it was an outright curse.
The Kaldakans despised those cities with a weak Law and the wretched Tribes with no Law at all, who lived by hunting and gathering in the forests. But they could not ignore them. The warriors of Kaldak were always meeting the warriors of Doimar and its allies in savage fights over new finds of Oltec in the ruined cities. Over the years these fights took their toll of Kaldak's best men. Even more warriors died in fights with the Tribes when they raided Kaldak's fields or herds or burned the fishermen's huts.
Other cities had strong Laws and were more or less friendly. Kaldak traded with some of them, and there was a whole street of merchants supported by this trade. They sold leather, metal, furs, bone implements, drinking cups, weapons, fire jewels-
«Fire jewels?» asked Blade. He hadn't heard the term before.
«You've seen my father's necklace, haven't you?» said Bairam. «That is made of fire jewels.»
Blade remembered Peython's necklace of small metal blocks strung on a leather thong. «Why are they called fire jewels?»
«Because they hold fire within them, they cannot be cut or worked like other kinds of jewels or metal things of the Oltec. If you cut into them, they burst with much bright blue light or melt with a sound like meat frying. If a man holds them too long, he feels as though he is being struck by lightning. Men have died from holding burning fire jewels. Do you know why this is so?»
«I do not,» said Blade, which was only partly the truth. «But I would very much like to look closely at some fire jewels.» That was a considerable understatement.
«Well, there is a merchant of fire jewels named Saorm, and indeed I was going to visit his house tomorrow,» said Bairam. He hesitated. «I was not going to ask you to come with me-you see, I have a rather special reason for going there-«
«Is it his wife or his daughter?»
«You are very clever, Blade. Yes, it is his daughter Geyrna.»
«And-you do not think her father approves?»
«I do not know. I think he would not keep away the chief's son, but Geyrna is only fifteen.» He shrugged. «We keep swearing to ourselves that next time we will tell him, but somehow we always forget.» He smiled. «Geyrna is very pretty. She has red hair, which is not common in the Land.»
«I see.» By now Blade understood enough about Kaldak to understand the sexual customs here. The Kaldakans didn't worry about nudity because they didn't worry about sexual fidelity. Any man could ask any woman for sex, and an adult woman could ask any man. A married woman needed only her husband's consent to have sex with another man, and an unmarried girl under seventeen needed only her father's permission. This leniency regarding sexual activity was the only way the Kaldakans had to make sure that all the fertile men and fertile women sooner or later got together and produced enough children to keep up the population of the city. If a woman bore a child to someone not her husband, it was still her husband's heir, but the actual father could also claim the honor of «Protector.» That way all of Kaldak's precious children had at least one father, and many of them had two.
Having sex with a young girl without her father's permission was not precisely a violation of the Law itself, but it was definitely frowned on. Saorm probably would not object to the chief's son becoming the father of his grandchild, but other people would certainly talk. Blade was quite sure Peython was quite tired of his son's doing things to make people talk. He was also sure that the chief would be happy if he kept Bairam out of Geyrna's bed, for he had not yet met her nor had a chance to approve of her.
If Blade tried to keep the young man away from Geyrna, however, Bairam wouldn't take him to the fire jewels. He suspected they were far more important to the future of Kaldak and the whole Dimension than one girl's virtue or what people would say. He also suspected that to obtain the fire jewels he would have to break the Law again. Blade recalled the old saying, «They can only hang you once,» and refused to worry.
«I'll come with you to Saorm's house,» said Blade. «After that I'll turn my back, if you'll do the same.»
«Thank you, Blade. I swear to do as you wish.»
They went to Saorm's house late in the morning, in the hope of finding the man out doing his shopping. He was a widower, and his daughter kept house for him.
They were lucky. The house was empty except for Geyrna and the slave who did the heavy work. The girl looked much older than fifteen, and she was not only beautiful but clearly delighted to see Bairam. In fact, she looked ready to tear his clothes off right in front of Blade. Bairam led her off to the back of the shop, the slave went out to draw water from the well, and Blade was left alone with the fire jewels.
They were all rectangular blocks of metal, three times as long as they were wide, with a small ring on one end. They came in a number of sizes, the smallest about three inches long and the largest nearly a foot. Blade studied them carefully. They might be what he suspected, but he'd need a piece of Oltec to prove it. He started looking.
Fortunately most prosperous houses in Kaldak had a piece of dead Oltec somewhere, as a kind of household totem. In a few minutes Blade found the merchant's piece, a pistol-shaped object with a hollow metal tube sticking out of the muzzle. Blade couldn't tell if it was a weapon or a tool but knew there should be a place for the «fire jewels» somewhere in it, if he was right. There was definitely a switch on the top.
He started poking and prying at the «pistol.» At last he felt something give. With his thumbnail he pried open a corroded metal cover on the handle, exposing a rectangular slot the exact size and shape of the smallest fire jewels. Blade snatched one off the table, held his breath, and tried to insert it into the slot.
It slipped easily into place.
Now Blade pointed the muzzle at the ceiling, then thumbed the switch forward. For a moment many years of dirt and corrosion resisted. Then the switch snapped forward.
With a shrill whine, the metal tube started to turn.
Blade let out a war-whoop of triumph and danced around the room, waving the tool until he collided with the table, which promptly fell over with a crash. Blade ignored the pain in his shins. He'd never had the sensation of holding in his hands the whole future of a Dimension before. He felt almost drunk with delight.
As he'd suspected, the fire jewels were miniature power storage cells, far beyond anything in Home Dimension technology. Inserted into «dead» Oltec, they could make it «live» again. The Kaldakans and the other cities of the Land would have more tools and weapons than they'd ever dreamed of. Then if they could find a way to recharge the power cells…
Yes, but how many of the fire jewels were there, and how many still held power? Blade realized that he didn't know, and the realization sobered him. So did the appearance of Bairam and Geyrna, drawn by the uproar he'd made. Both were stark naked, but they looked so contented that Blade knew he hadn't interrupted their lovemaking too soon. The girl smiled and shook her head so that her long dark red hair fell down over her bare shoulders. Then she saw what Blade was holding, and her smiled faded.
&nbs
p; «England-man Blade, that is-«Blade flipped the switch and the tool's whine filled the room. «That is-it was dead. Bairam! It was dead! Now it lives! But-«She didn't have the words for what she wanted to say. Bairam put an arm around her and comforted her, although his own face was twisting and his mouth hanging open.
«Bairam!» said Blade sharply. «Where is there a dead Oltec weapon I can have?»
«You can't have-the Law-«Bairam now seemed to be nearly as confused as Geyrna.
«I must see if I can make other dead Oltec live,» said Blade as patiently as he could. «It is most important to make the weapons live again-«
«Yes,» said Bairam, understanding dawning on his face. «If you make Oltec live again, then the Law must be changed. What you did to the great-hawk will be no breaking of the Law, not if there is more than enough live Oltec to go around. And you-«
«Will not have a death sentence hanging over my head,» finished Blade, grinning at the boy. Whatever faults Bairam might have, he certainly wasn't stupid. «Now where is an Oltec weapon?»
«In my rooms in my father's house,» said the boy. «I have two of them. One is not only dead but hurt. The other maybe you could make-live again.» He said the words as if he still couldn't quite believe them, then turned to the girl. «Geyrna, I must-«
At this moment Saorm the merchant walked in. He took one step into his shop, then stopped. Bairam bolted out the door, not bothering to put on his clothes. Geyrna knelt, murmuring «Oh, the Law protect us, the Law protect us.» Blade lifted the tool and turned it on. As he saw his household totem of dead Oltec coming to life, the man's eyes bulged until Blade thought they would fall out of his head. Blade scooped up a handful of the fire jewels, turned off the tool, and put it down by the fallen table. Then he followed Bairam out the door before Saorm could recover from his confusion.
Chapter 7
Although Bairam was running fast, Blade caught up with him before they were out of sight of Saorm's door. He seized the boy by the arm and whispered fiercely, «Slow down, you young idiot! If you run, everyone will notice you. We don't want that until we've tested the rifles.»
«Yes, but if we don't hurry, Geyrna's father will spread the word all over Kaldak. I think what you've done breaks the Law and-«
«If you hadn't bolted like a frightened munfan, we wouldn't have to worry about Saorm! We could have stayed and told him what we'd done. Then he might have kept his mouth shut. As it is-«Blade made a gesture of utter disgust.
The boy sighed. «I am sorry, Blade. But-I could not think as I should have. I-«
«I know. Well not much harm was done this time. But you're going to have to think first and then act, from now on. Do I have your word of honor on that?»
«Yes, Blade.»
They returned to Peython's tower without attracting any attention or hearing any unusual uproar behind them. Blade hoped that Saorm was on his knees along with his daughter, and would stay there for a while.
The two rifles in Bairam's rooms each had a slot in the butt, about the right size for one of the six-inch fire jewels. The slot of one rifle was a cracked and corroded mess. Blade scraped the other slot clean with a knife and dropped the fire jewel into place. Then he raised the rifle, mentally crossed his fingers, and pulled the trigger.
Fzzzzzzzttttt!
A beam of dazzling green light as thick as Blade's thumb lanced across the room. On the far wall a six-inch circle turned black. Smoke curled up and hot bits of stone sprayed the room. Blade fired again, the smoke made him cough, and now there was a hole in the wall several inches deep.
Blade turned to Bairam, who was trying not to look excited and almost succeeding. «The fire jewels in the Oltec must have lost power faster than the ones used as ornaments-«he began. Then he realized that Bairam was staring at him without understanding. Oh, well, time enough to explain electricity later. Right now they needed more experiments.
«We must have more of the fire jewels,» said Blade. «Do you know if there are any more in-«
«There's my father's necklace,» said Bairam eagerly. «I'm sure he wouldn't mind-«
«I'm sure he would mind,» said Blade, heading off the boy's enthusiasm. «Any others?»
Bairam shook his head, then said reluctantly. «You don't want me to go back to Saorm, do you?»
Blade nodded. «We need those fire jewels, Bairam. And you are a warrior of Kaldak.»
Blade's hint was enough. The boy pulled on some clothes and hurried out the door. A minute later he came back, much faster than he'd left. Right after him came Kareena.
She was wearing only knee-length trousers and a sword, and Blade thought her bare breasts were even lovelier than before. He also thought she was angrier than he'd ever seen her. Her face was an icy mask except for the eyes, which blazed like hot coals, and her voice shook.
«Blade, you are going to die. Brother, you deserve to, even though you probably won't. Our father is weak enough to think-«
«You will not speak of our father that way, Kareena,» snapped Bairam. He started to draw his sword, then remembered he wasn't wearing one. Blade cautiously shifted his position to where he could cover the open door with the rifle, without any danger of hitting Kareena or her brother.
«I will speak as I please, and you will not stop me. Not after throwing the Law into the pigsties with this Blade, giving him live Oltec a second time-«
«I did not give him live Oltec. He-«
«I will not believe you. You-«
«Kareena, only blood will wipe out what you just said. Let me get a sword and-«
«SHUT UP, BOTH OF YOU!»
Blade's roar silenced them as completely as if he'd shot them both dead. «Thank you,» he said. «Now, you are going to listen. Bairam, stop threatening your sister. She has only made a mistake. When she learns that, she will apologize. In the meantime I want no more talk of shedding her blood. I will break your arms before I let you touch her. Do you understand?»
«Yes, Blade,» said Bairam, unnaturally subdued.
«Good. Kareena, what I have done today may be so important that the meaning of the Law perhaps has to be changed. I have found a way to make dead Oltec live again.»
«You have-no! That is impossible.»
«It is not impossible, Kareena,» said Bairam quietly. «I have seen it myself. Look at the Oltec he holds. That is the dead piece which hung on my wall, isn't it?»
Kareena stepped closer and looked at the rifle in Blade's hands. «Yes. I–I recognize the marks.»
«And you knew it was dead?»
«Yes. By the Law, it was dead.»
«But Blade had made it live again. Take it from Blade, Kareena, and use it. You will see.»
Blade had doubts about the wisdom of letting someone in Kareena's mood have a live weapon, but he let her take the rifle. She raised it, aimed it out into the hall, and fired.
Fzzzzttttt!
Another bolt of green fire, this one just missing two servants passing with armloads of pots. They screamed, dropped their loads, and ran off down the hall.
Kareena stood with the rifle in her hands, shaking all over, eyes squeezed shut. Blade saw tears trickling out from under her eyelids, gently took the rifle from her, and handed it to Bairam. Then he took her in his arms and held her as he would have held a hurt child, although he was very conscious of the fine breasts pressing against his chest.
Kareena fought not to cry in front of Blade and her brother. Finally she stepped away from Blade and wiped her eyes with the back of one hand. Then she smiled. «I am sorry, Blade. For my anger and for my weakness. I do not know what you have done-it reaches deep into me. Now I wonder if indeed you are sent to Kaldak by the Sky Masters.»
The smile lit up her whole face. It could not make her thin features truly beautiful, but it made them enormously alive. For Blade that was more important than picture-book beauty. He smiled back. «Kareena, I did what I did because I have a busy mind and prying fingers. If I had not opened a new future for Kaldak when I start
ed prying into the Oltec, you might have had reason to attack me.»
«Perhaps. But…» Her smile faded.
«Don't torture yourself over what's past,» said Blade briskly. «And keep smiling. You look much better smiling than when you look as though you would geld me on the spot if you had a knife!»
Bairam laughed. «Kareena, will you now believe me when I say that? Blade, I've told her many times that she could have six husbands if she only smiled a little. But no-she will look like the spirit of plague!»
Kareena sighed. «Bairam, if you talked less I might believe you more. I know that you tell the truth half the time. But which half?»
Blade hated to break up this reconciliation between Kareena and her brother, but he knew time was short. «Kareena, Bairam, I think it would be wise if we got some beer, then sat down while you told me all about how the Land came to be the way it is. We must put everything that has happened today before your father Peython. Otherwise Saorm will spread tales all over Kaldak. Even if there is no panic, the tales may reach ears which should not hear them.
«Right now I do not know enough about this city and the Land to be sure I will not appear foolish before your father. I do not want to appear foolish before him. He is not the man to forgive that, I think.»
The other two agreed heartily. Servants brought the beer, Kareena poured out three cups, and Blade settled down to listen to the history of this Dimension. There were few surprises, but a lot of things he'd already known made more sense after listening to Bairam and Kareena.
This Dimension once had an advanced civilization. Its people were sometimes called the Sky Masters, because they had flown through the sky in great machines, and sometimes the Tower Builders, because of the towers in their cities.
Whatever they were called, they destroyed their civilization in a great war. Atomic and hydrogen bombs, lasers, radioactive dust, bacteria, chemicals, and exotic war machines were all used. Many cities were destroyed, and most of the rest made uninhabitable.
Only the people in the mountains and on the most remote farms survived the war. It left many of them sterile, and too many of the babies born were horrible mutations. After a few generations of ruthlessly killing the worst mutations, the human stock was almost back to normal. Those mutations which remained, such as the blue hair of Kareena and Bairam, were considered marks of honor. Other animals were less fortunate. Some of the animal mutations were useful, such as the munfans. Other were a menace, including the great-hawks and the giant rats.