by John F. Carr
Sirna laughed and said, "You mean my shoes are muddy."
"No. I mean your hands. Student Sirna, I happen to know that you were added to the Study Team only because you are the niece of that two-faced politician Hadron Tharn."
"I'm not his niece," Sirna replied. "My parents work for him."
"No difference. You were a political appointee, a pipsqueak version of Varnath Lala, and I stay clear of such. Then came the Battle of Phyrax, and you volunteered to stay at the Foundry when Varnath and Talgran both cut and run. Spoiled brat or not, I decided you had what it really took to be an outtime researcher. We're comrades now, veterans of Phyrax together, and what say we team up for a good bar-room brawl."
Sirna was stunned by this fairly accurate capsule description of herself; she was about to pull a Varnath Lala and lose her temper, when she burst out laughing. "Am I that easy to read?"
"For someone of my age and experience, yes. I doubt most of the other Study Team members will remember your name a week after you leave."
"Praise, Dralm, then!" she cried.
A moment later, the horses were clomping along the stone roadway of the Great King's Highway.
"Dralm Bless King Kalvan!" they both said in unison and then started laughing. "And bless the Great King's Highway," Sirna added.
"Did you know, Sirna, that Kalvan had half the Royal Army prisoners-of-war and displaced peasants working on this highway during the summer. Twenty-eight miles worth. It's what they'd call on Kalvan's Europo-American time-line a two-lane highway; not too impressive there, but a major engineering feat on Kalvan Prime. From what Captain-General Harmakros was telling me, Kalvan plans to run this road from Hostigos Town north along the Listra River and then west through
Nyklos and into Ulthor City at the Saltless Sea. He's had less success with the semaphore stations, which someday will reach Beshta. It may take him a lifetime, but these innovations of Kalvan's will change trade patterns like nothing this time-line has seen since Styphon first discovered the fireseed secret."
"You know Captain-General Harmakros!"
"Yes, I do. Met him at the One-Eyed Owl with Captain Ranthar. He's a quick wit and very down to earth. It's no surprise he's one of Kalvan's top generals; Harmakros would be a chief-of-staff or head constable on any time-line where talent took precedence over birth, and on quite a few where it doesn't—like this one! You may get an opportunity to meet him yourself tonight."
The horses were moving at a respectable trot now that they were on solid ground and Sirna began to see more farmhouses as they approached the outskirts of Hostigos Town. The fields were covered with small lakes of rainwater and she was surprised to see how peaceful everything looked despite the war. "It looks like the farmers managed to harvest most of the barley and corn this year."
"Again, you can thank Kalvan. He had his University artificers knocking-out primitive reapers through most of the summer. As a result, they had a bumper harvest throughout all of Hostigos and Sask, and reaped enough of a surplus to feed all of Nostor and Beshta, too."
"Why do I get the idea that you're pretty impressed with our Great King Kalvan?"
"Simple, Sirna, it's because I am. He is doing the kind of job here that I would like to think I would do under similar circumstances. He is doing a tough job and doing it well. And, he's the underdog of all underdogs."
"Most of the other Team members just think he's lucky, but you don't. Why is that?"
"Because, I am watching what Kalvan is doing, not what I think he is doing or my sociological theory tells me he is doing. And, from where I sit; he's doing a Dralm-damn good job. Look at Kalvan's army; there are more men under Hostigi colors than there are farming, smithing, and crafting. How is this possible in an agricultural pre-industrial economy? Easy. When there's work to be done, everyone pitches in—including Great King Kalvan. Did you know that Kalvan himself went into the fields this fall and helped pick corn for two solid weeks!
"The Hostigi economy, which would have been a disaster for a lesser man, became a triumph of public relations for Kalvan. You can Dralm-damned be sure that the soldiers quit their grumbling about 'serf's work' after that. I would just like to know how damn many of Styphon's House upperpriests were trampling through the ruined fields of Hos-Harphax!"
"Not a single one," Sirna responded, "nor upperpriests of Dralm either."
"Of course," Aranth said, "after all, priests have to keep their hands clean in this world as preparation for the next."
As they approached Hostigos Town, Sirna turned her horse to the side of the road to let a big canvas covered wagon go by in the opposite direction. Then they were over the slight rise and she could see Hostigos Town down a dip and spread over a series of rolling hills. Right below the Gap and Tarr-Hostigos was the Royal Army encampment, which looked to be about a quarter the size of the town.
"That's a big army camp," Sirna said. "It's more than doubled in size since last year."
"Sure it has. Kalvan had half the army working on this road, another quarter billeted all over Hos-Hostigos, and the rest drilling and marching. Now that it's almost winter he wants them where he can keep his eye on them. Other than the Army of Observation, which Captain-General Hestophes is commanding, the rest of the Royal Army is right here. Look at his defensive perimeter! He's got a series of earthworks all around with gun batteries, too."
"Hostigos Town looks to be growing as well," Sirna said, trying to divert their talk from things military, which she knew very little about, and cared even less.
"It has been growing almost weekly. When Kalvan first arrived over a year and a half ago, there were only about ten thousand people living in Hostigos Town, now the population's grown to over twenty-five thousand, not counting military personnel. It's hard to get a reliable census since there are so many transients."
"Why so fast?" Sirna found it interesting that the Team's military expert knew more about the Town of Hostigos than all the Study Team sociologists put together. Of course, the idea of mingling with actual
Hostigi was unthinkable, to the sociologists, and reeked of Outtime-Identification Syndrome. Sirna was beginning to think it was because they didn't want to confuse their theories with facts. Or, Styphon forbid, actually get to know the people they studied. Of course if they had to bug-out in a hurry, as Ranthar put it, it could hurt to have to leave friends behind. Still, she'd rather face that pain, than adopt the studied indifference of the University'professionals.'
"Because Hostigos Town—soon to-be City—is now the capital of a Great Kingdom and the headquarters for the largest standing army this time-line has ever known. It's a military boom town, engineered by King Kalvan and paid for by Styphon's House temple loot."
"What happens when Styphon's gold runs out?"
"Kalvan has a saying, which I learned from Harmakros, I will try to paraphrase, 'while gold can't always get you good soldiers, good soldiers can always get you gold.'"
"But doesn't that just make Kalvan a Great Pirate, rather than a Great King."
"Sorry, I was just being amusing at Kalvan's expense; though there is more truth to that maxim than the military layman would understand. I think if Styphon's House would just leave Kalvan alone the economy of Hos-Hostigos would take care of itself. Turn that University artificer crowd of his loose and you would see more action on the Street of Coopers than you see now on Army payday at the Street of Lamps."
Sirna was glad it was dark out so that Aranth wouldn't see her blush. There was little prostitution on Home Time-Line where Citizens had a chance to freely express their naturalistic impulses; Sirna found it a rather unseemly statement on the condition of women's rights on Kalvan's Time-Line. Not that she thought it was her duty to personally lash out at any male who appeared to disregard those rights as Varnath Lala did.
A few moments later they trotted off the Great King's Highway, which in town turned into the single lane of Tigos Road. They passed one of the new roads, Princess Demia's Street, and across Tanner's Way dow
n into Hostigos Town proper where most of the inns and taverns were located. The One-Eyed Owl tavern was right across from the Crossed Halberds, another Royal Army favorite or so she'd heard.
Even in the rain, which had started up again, there were carts and wagons moving through the streets and a steady stream of cloaked men and armed guards. "Make way, make way," cried one group of armored men, wearing the blue capes of the Hostigos Town watch. They also carried sharp-bladed halberds and a foot long oak club at their belt securely tied by leather thongs.
As they boarded their horses at a nearby stable, Sirna said, "It's strange to think that on most every other Aryan-Transpacific, Styphon's House Subsector time-line most of these people are dead and Hostigos Town is in ruins, or a shadow of its former self. Is this right?"
"Don't know," Aranth said, "but these people are very much alive and plan to continue on so."
"I just wish there was more we could do to help them. Is it right that we keep the secret of longevity from Outtime peoples, too?"
"Don't know about that either. I'm not at all convinced it's the length of a life that counts. Look at most of that University crowd out at the Foundry. If I had my choice between a lifetime with that gang, or a much shorter lifetime here; you wouldn't need to be a gambling man to tell which side I'd pick."
"A lifetime with Varnath Lala and Lathor Karv would be torture indeed!" Sirna laughed.
"Most truly spoken, Sirna," Aranth said, as he paused to whisper something into the ear of a very young girl less than half his size. The girl was provocatively dressed and her painted mouth dropped open at Aranth's words. She ran off in haste, her clogs banging on the wet cobblestones, as he opened the door to the One-Eyed Owl.
Sirna asked, "What was that all about?"
"An under-age solicitor—actually not very common in Zarthani towns, but especially rare here. I just reminded her of Kalvan's punishment for solicitation. He's a bit of a prude on these matters."
And so am I , thought Sirna, even though she was a neophyte when it came to outtime studies. She supposed she had a lot to learn, but was sure that no degree of experience or sophistication would allow her to accept the practice of children selling themselves on the street.
Inside was a score of overburdened and undersized tables with about half of one of Kalvan's Royal regiments in attendance. There were shouts of greeting from more than a couple tables, which showed that Aranth's trade was well known here. Aranth pointed to a table where two soldiers and several—for lack of a more polite term—harlots were sitting.
With a quick side-step here and there Sirna managed to make it to the table with both dignity and skirts intact. Aranth introduced her to General Alkides and a Colonel Democriphon, a dashing young soldier with flowing golden locks and a handsome face worth writing home about. After additional chairs were obtained by the tavern keeper, she listened with more fascination than she would have ever believed possible to Democriphon's tale of King Kalvan's charge into the Styphoni right wing at Phyrax.
Maybe Aranth was right; there was more to outtime travel than University inter-disciplinary shoot-outs and inter-departmental feuding.
SEVENTEEN
I
Sitting in a circle with a dozen tribesmen, Ranjar Sargos was shaking all five of the knucklebone dice for one last roll. He made his throw, hoping his luck would change and he would win the pile of silver coins and quarter-cut ingots spread before the campfire. While the dice were still in the air, his youngest son, Larkander came crashing into the clearing, knocking over wine bags, mead kegs, silver coins and dice alike.
Before Sargos had time to raise his voice, his son began to talk excitedly, his voice breaking with both eagerness and the first changes of manhood. "Father! The Badger Tribe has arrived! Many of the warriors are hurt or missing. Old Daron sent me to tell you that it's time for the Clan Council. Come, father!"
Vanar Halgoth placed his hand gently on Larkander's arm. "Calm down, son. There can be no meeting without the Silver Fox Tribe."
Larkander shook his head. "Old Daron says the Silver Fox Tribe is no more. They were driven from their lands by the Grassmen from across the Great River. The few survivors have joined with the Badger Tribe. So the Council is going to begin as soon as everyone arrives. Can I go? My initiation is only a few moons away!"
Sargos shook his head. "You are still not a man. When you are, you will have a place at the Clan Council."
Larkander looked down at the ground.
Another tribe lost, thought Sargos to himself, that made two this season. The Clan had shrunk from nine tribes to seven since last winter. Eight tribes, if you counted the Burgduns, who had lost all their men, except for less than a single handful of warriors, two of whom were permanently crippled from the injuries taken when their tribe had been attacked by the Grassmen.
"Come with me," he told his tribesmen. "Larkander, you find your brother and send him to the Council." Bargoth had spent most of his days, since arriving at the Clan Gathering, sitting outside the maiden's long-house, trying to gain Althea's notice. So far he'd been rebuffed, along with half a dozen other young bucks, but it hadn't lessened his determination to win her favor. Occasionally, Sargos had found himself stealing glances over at the maiden's longhouse where she resided. Once they had met accidentally at the river and he couldn't tell who was more uncomfortable when their eyes met.
The Clan Council, which included all the adult males of the Tymannes, met in a large hollow in the shape of a cup. The shape reminded Sargos of the Rathon amphitheater, where he had spent all his gold after two years of hard campaigning in the Trygath. He had only gone to the Games twice, and for the most part had found the staged sword fights between criminals unworthy. Not only did they have no honor, but also few had any skill with weapons other than the knife. Most even died badly.
Only one of the staged contests had been entertaining, but in an unexpected manner. That day the Games had featured wild animals and in one event, he witnessed a remarkable contest, a mother bear and her cub were set on by a small pack of wolves. The bear, trying to protect her cub, had taken the worst of the initial attack, until one of the larger wolves had gutted the baby bear. The mother bear had gone berserk, turning into a killing machine and dispatched the wolves as though they were cubs. Then, when the pack lay dead around her, their blood dripping from her snout, the bear had jumped—without warning—over the inner wall and into the crowd! The wall had been taller than Halgoth and Sargos had never seen a bear jump so high, nor had he seen so many people move so quickly. Even those nowhere near the bear stormed the tunnels to leave. He and Halgoth were laughing so hard they had fallen out of their seats, as they watched the city people in all their finery scramble every which way to escape the bear they had been taunting moments before.
The bear had finally been hunted down and killed by guards, but not before it had killed two score of revelers. Not having lived among so many people before, Sargos was surprised to find that ten times more of the city dwellers had perished in their blind flight to safety, than had been mauled to death by the mother bear. This had sworn Sargos off towns and cities and he had returned to the Raven Tribe never to leave again.
As befitted his station as Warchief of his tribe, Sargos stood near the grassy bottom, where the carved-stone Judgment Table stood. His sub-chiefs and the rest of the Raven warriors stood to his rear. He was shaken when all the Clansmen arrived and he saw with his own eyes that several of the tribes had shrunk by half their number. He had realized many old friends were missing, but not this many. The Raven Tribe was larger by three than any of the other tribes.
The Clan Chief stood before the Judgment Table, and, when the last few stragglers had arrived, he said, "Welcome men of the Tymannes." He gave a sharp look toward the Raven Clan and Sargos wondered why, until he turned and saw Althea standing behind him with her uncle Halgoth. Her unwavering eyes met his and he shrugged his shoulders. Althea had earned her place, woman or not, at this Gathering.
&
nbsp; "Clansmen, look around at your fellow clansmen and you will see these are Times of Trouble. Many clans and tribes and all their multitudes have crossed the Great River and it is said that many more wait behind! Two of our tribes, the Horse Tribe and the Silver Fox Tribe are no more. May the gods watch over them! The Horse Tribesmen were ambushed on a hunt by bandits, hundreds of tribeless men brought together by the lust for loot and battle. All but two of the Horse Tribe were killed and the women and children were taken by the lawless. The Silver Fox Tribe was attacked and run off their lands by Grassmen, who hunted them down like cattle! Other tribes of the Tymannes, as you can see by their thin ranks, have taken their own losses. Another bad year like this and the Tymannes will be no more!"
There was a great moan from the assembled warriors.
"It is time to fight, or leave these lands for new ones. We need a Warlord now to lead the Clan. I call Chief Mordar of the Longhorn Tribe to the Table."
Chief Mordar limped up to the Table. Mordar had been a tall, large man only a few years ago, but now, over sixty winters old, he was shrunken by age and the flux. It had been fifteen winters since the Tymannes had called upon a Warlord and much had changed since then, including the former Warlord.
Chief Mordar stood before the Judgment Table, trying to stiffen his bowed back. "I have served before as Warlord in the Time of Troubles, when the Vargox Clan invaded our lands. I will give the Clan the benefit of my many years of war and soldiering among the Lower Sastragath—"
One of the clansmen, from the Dog Tribe, yelled out. "When was your last fight old man? The Longhorn tribesmen hid in the hills when the Grassmen came!"
"Yes, truth," cried several others.
"We want Sargos!"
The Clan needs his war magic!"
"Warlord Sargos!" All two hundred warriors of the Raven Tribe, including the sole woman at the Gathering, quickly joined the chant.