by E. C. Tubb
“Together with the patience to bide our time. You can leave here now if you insist, Earl. I will not detain or prevent you. You will leave and you will die and another book will close and another story of a man’s tribulations and joys will be lost as if it had never existed. But that is life.” Raising his glass Shandaha added, “Let us drink to life!”
They drank and glass splintered as Shandaha smashed his empty container against the edge of the table. A ceremony which Dumarest had seen before from mercenaries toasting their dead companions in wakes which would be remembered. A gesture he would never have expected from a cyber.
Which was probably why the man had done it. But if so he was more wily than Dumarest had suspected.
“Be honest with me, Earl. Do you really want to leave here? To abandon Nada and Delise, me and mine. The pleasures you have tasted. The pleasure yet to come.”
“Pleasures? You can describe them?”
“I can do more than that. I can illustrate them. I can give them life. Make them real. Make them last. Think about it, Earl. Nada is beautiful, lovely, but she can be even better. Let me look into your mind to discover the seed core of your desires.”
His voice fell a little as Shandaha emulated someone selling a rare and exotic device. A thing Dumarest had experienced often before from touts clustered at the edges of fields catering to the desires of those who had spent too long locked in the coffins of their vessels. Men too vulnerable to temptation. As the mercenaries he had fought with had been easy prey for similar harpies. As the unwitting at the card tables had followed the temptation to be too much too quickly and had lost each time.
As he would lose unless he was ultra careful. If he aroused suspicion. If he failed to grasp the other’s intention and method of gaining his objective. He could only do that while they remained in close contact. He knew a way of how it could be done but, before he could test his theory, Shandaha solved the problem for them both.
“You are a hard man, Earl, and a cautious one. I blame you for neither. A wise man dare be nothing else, but a man, to be truly wise, also needs to learn how to trust. I will make you an offer. I am intrigued by your early life. I freely admit it. Your youth was so different to mine that, to experience it, is much like having lived twice. And we have unfinished business-the end of your affair with the lovely Sardia. Nada resembles her a little, you have noticed that?”
“Now that you mention it, I have.”
“You approve?”
“There can never be too much beauty in the universe.”
“So you approve. Good. Let us drink to it.”
They drank, blue wine this time served in bloated goblets adorned with silver. A long toast to a woman long dead but neither mentioned that. Instead Dumarest said, “You mentioned an offer. Shall we discuss it?”
“I thought we had.”
“No. You told me what you want. I didn’t hear what I would get for agreeing with you.”
“You will agree with me?”
“I’ll think about it. After I hear your offer.”
He waited, silent, wanting to urge the man as he would a laggard punter at the card table. Telling him to put up or shut up. To bet or fold. To play or walk. He held his tongue. Shandaha was going against all his training, inclinations and indoctrination. He had yielded his pride, detachment and a measure of respect. He had acted the deviant. The tout. The conspirator. Pushed he could react in a way Dumarest would find far from pleasant.
He said, “I too would like to see Sardia again. To be young and the envy of others. I feel you would gain by it also. We could take the opportunity or throw it away. I would like to take it. It could well be my last chance.”
Shandaha poured himself more wine.
Watching him Dumarest said, “I cannot insist you make me an offer. Men in your position do not make it a habit to haggle or beg. They give orders and what they want is done. But others can be just as determined in following their own path. If two such people face each other it would seem a folly for neither to be willing to yield a little to gain their objective.”
“Food!” Shandaha was abrupt. “Provisions, as much as you can carry. Warm clothing.”
“A map,” said Dumarest. “Instruments of navigation. Transportation to a more amiable climate.”
“A map and compass,” agreed the other. “If our journey is a success then the matter of travel can be settled.”
“The rest remains? The food and clothing?”
“Yes.”
“Then we have an agreement,” said Dumarest. “When do we leave?”
CHAPTER NINE
The atmosphere was unique. A blend of sweat, blood, scented salves, sprays, sex, hysteria and frenzy. The exhalations of near-madness, of strained emotions, of released desires, the perfume of the arena which to Dumarest had become a familiar part of life.
As had the screams of adulation, the acid comments of the connoisseurs, the wanton displays of passion, the invitations to join in combat in the arena of the bedroom. To match other foes in the shape of jaded women, dissolute men, using the weapons of the body instead of ones of edged and pointed steel.
Things he dismissed as he did the piercing stare of the gamblers, the distracting shrieks and calculated movements of those wanting him to lose. To fall with blood streaming across his torso. Another wound to add to the rest. A scar to further enhance his status and to advertise his profession.
Dangers he avoided as he dodged the blade which, in this bout, had yet to touch him. Scarlet shone on the flesh of his opponent, a pair of ruby slashes marring his chest. The permitted area in this particular form of combat. The upper part of the body from the shoulders to the waist, the chest, back and sides. A hit on the arms would bring instant disqualification. The neck, face and legs the same. Those areas were reserved for the more lethal bouts ending in crippling injuries or death.
But though he had hit and scored twice the third cut, if his opponent could deliver it, would cost Dumarest the prize and maybe his life. Certainly it would not please Sardia who had bet heavily on his victory.
He moved, weaving, metal glinting in his right hand. Ten inches of steel, razor-edged and with a vicious point, a handle and a simple guard to protect the fingers. His opponent moved also, his knife blurred in a sudden slam, a feint Dumarest had anticipated and he backed, fast, metal ringing as the blades met. Music the crowd greeted with cheers and ribald comments.
Things both men ignored. Dumarest’s opponent was older, heavier, sweat mingling with the oil and blood coating his torso. His breathing was too fast, his eyes too wild. A single hit would win him the prize and the money a satisfied crowd would throw into the arena. His choice of the offers of sexual dalliance sure to follow.
Too much to lose and the reason for the scoring system used to determine the winner of a third-blood combat. Mounting desperation would lead to a greater show of blood and an equal determination would lengthen the contest.
Sardia had driven home the dangers and Dumarest had taken them to heart. Now, as they circled each other, each hungry for the final blow, he restrained his impulse to attack in turn. To repeat a manoeuvre he had used twice with success but which any fighter worthy of his salt would recognise and be prepared for. Instead he feinted, swung to one side, then spun with all the speed he could summon to dart within the other’s guard, his blade an extension of his arm, the tip drawing blood.
A shallow cut but it was enough. Enough to make him the winner, to receive the plaudits of the crowd, the items of worth they had thrown on the floor of the arena. He smiled as he refused other proffered gifts but was careful to cause no hurt or resentment. Such gifts were a double-edged sword and tantamount to self-destruction. Any fighter, especially the young, if accepting them could fall victim to the jealously of the rejected. He certainly would fall prey to the inevitable dissipation, the sycophancy of false friends, the leeching of his stamina and strength.
When a fighter began to believe himself invulnerable he was as goo
d as dead.
“Earl!” A woman stepped towards him as he headed toward the showers. “My congratulations. You fought well. Your promoter should be proud of you.”
“I hope she is.” Dumarest recognised Yanya Delletare. Plump, soft, rounded, her age masked by the heavy cosmetics she wore. Rich scents enveloped her in a curtain of perfume. Politely he added, “I trust you enjoyed the entertainment, my Lady.”
“Need you ask?” Her expression changed a little as her eyes roved over the nudity of his body. “Youth, strength, beauty-what woman could hope for more? But I find it a little odd that the lady Sardia Del Marthe was not present to witness your success. Her success too,” she pointed out. “As you fought on her behalf.”
“She is busy on other matters, my Lady.”
“Which could concern you, my friend.” Her hand reached out to touch his shoulder, the fingers lingering on his flesh. “I hope I may call you that, Earl. Dare I confess that I have a touch of envy when I see you and Sardia together?”
At impromptu dinners Sardia had thrown for a few friends and acquaintances. At other times when, together, they had visited the markets and outdoor entertainments. Casual things, light-hearted gatherings, the talk mostly gossip and mild speculation. A pleasant way to pass the time. Now, he realised, more than it seemed.
He responded to the warning prickle of danger.
“My lady!” His smile was warm, genuine. “You are more than gracious. You grant me too much honour.”
“Earl?” Her fingers tightened before releasing their grip and falling to her side. “I don’t understand. Honor?”
“To have taken me into your confidence.” He closed the space between them and rested his lips against her ear. “You mentioned the Lady Sardia,” he reminded, “and expressed some concern as to my welfare. You also confided in me as to the odd feeling you experience at times. That is an expression of trust. I will not betray it, my Lady. I promise you that.”
A promise easy to keep but one mentioned as bait to gain further information. A game he was learning to play but she was an expert in the field of dalliance and deception.
It was her turn to move, backing so as to restore the space between them, breaking the intimacy it had provided.
“We have lingered long enough, my friend.” Again she touched his naked flesh, the impact turning into a caress, one immediately ended. “I just wanted to give you a hint. The Lady Sardia has many friends and many enterprises. Many investments, also. You are one of them. She could be thinking of making changes. One of them could be to negotiate your sale. If it should come to that-”
“I will remember you, my Lady.”
Her smile widened into an unspoken invitation, one echoed by the subtle message of her eyes.
“Yes, Earl. Be sure you do that.” Again she touched his naked torso. “And please don’t keep me waiting too long.”
An odd encounter and one he tried to unravel as he stood beneath the cleansing shower. Her interest in him was plain but he sensed there was more to it than an invitation to a sexual adventure. The poaching of prodigies was not unknown and he had gained a good reputation beneath Sardia’s tutelage. Yanya could be envious of their relationship both personal and professional and be attempting to take over. Her hint as to the possibility of him being sold to another promoter could have been a warning as well as an incentive. One buttressed by her strong hint of support should he need it.
The spray of water changed to a blast of heated air. Dried, dressed, Dumarest headed to the office to collect his prize and the gifts showered by his supporters. Outside the arena he paused still thinking of the encounter.
It was true that Sardia knew many people. True, also, that in a sense he was her property and would be until he had cleared his debt. She could be thinking of utilising her assets as Yanya had suggested and would be within her rights to do so. He touched the money belt strapped beneath his waist and hidden by his jacket. He had cash, not enough to settle his debt, but as a down payment should Sardia agree. If they were to part he wanted to remain her friend.
Yanya’s hint had illustrated the need to talk to her in order to clear the air.
He stepped towards her building taking a path which wound through a market lined with stalls, raucous with a medley of voices as the vendors lauded their wares. The stalls widened yielding to a row of lockable booths, open now, a variety of goods on display.
Dumarest halted, attracted by swathes of vivid hues from colored fabrics, gowns, veils scarves, bolts of silks, sashes, fabrics of a dozen kinds to make a hundred garments of an attractive nature. He was young and was tempted but Sardia had more experience and better taste and would not take kindly to such garish and flamboyant material.
He moved on, ignoring the stands displaying perfumes, jewellery, confectionery and other assorted items most girls would have found desirable. But nothing suitable as a gift.
He halted again as an elderly man standing on a low platform lifted both hand and voice.
“A moment!” he yelled. “Give me a moment.”
A grafter, collecting a crowd, about to make his pitch.
He waved his hand which held a knife, the blade glittering in the strong light of the sun. He wore garments more suited to a hunter than an inhabitant of a city. He was not alone. To one side reared a barrier of wood higher than a man. Standing before it a young and voluptuous woman held her arms extended, her wrists fastened to restraints driven into the wood. All but her head and face was covered by a wide expanse of thin cloth which moulded itself to her curves.
“Listen, gentlemen,” he said, “and you too, ladies. What I have to sell and teach is of value to you all. Look at this!” he gestured with the knife. “A tool. A useful thing. You can slice with it, skin a dead beast, carve meats, chop vegetables, pierce holes in tough materials-a multitude of things all of value in the kitchen. For those who live in the fields it is a piece of essential equipment.” He swung the blade to point at a man. “You, sir! Do you agree?”
The man nodded, “Sure.”
“And you, sir!”
Another man, the same answer. A third. A fourth. The point levelled at Dumarest.
“And you, young man?”
“Of course.”
“Would you like to learn how to use it? A knife. Any knife. This one for example? Or this.” A twin to the first appeared in the man’s free hand. “Would you like to gain the skill to do this?”
Steel flashed as he threw the knife, the point burying itself in the wooden barrier a fraction above the girl’s left wrist. The restraint parted, freeing her hand, loosening the fabric. Before it could uncover her arm he threw the second knife this time at the restraint above the right wrist. Those watching sucked their breath in anticipation as naked flesh came into view, her arms, shoulders, the rounded beauty of her breasts, then she had grabbed the falling fabric and regained her modesty.
Dumarest stood, watching, amused as others came from within the booth, young women wearing glamorous costumes, all busy as they bustled through the crowd selling slender volumes containing the supposed secrets of a knifethrower’s art which the grafter continued to demonstrate as he pinned cards held by the original target-model into the barrier.
A man who held an undoubted skill but how good it was Dumarest couldn’t be certain. The demonstration he had witnessed could too easily be faked. The restraints had looked thick and strong but could have been treated to yield at a tug. The knife needn’t have touched them. The girl could have controlled that illusion when she heard the impact. The baring of her flesh was a perfect distraction to shift attention away from the reality. But even so, as he was now demonstrating, the old man knew his business.
Dumarest concentrated on studying his actions, the way he moved, crouched, settled. The manner in which he grasped the knife, poised it, threw it.
Many throws and all successful each made to look simple. Another illusion. Dumarest, from his own limited experience, knew they were not.
“
Does the entertainment please you, my Lord?” A young woman stood before him, smiling, a collecting tin and a sheaf of books in her hand. “Would you care to buy a book so as to learn the secrets of the art you are watching? Or give a little to indicate your pleasure?” Her smile widened as he did both. “Thank you, my Lord. You are gracious.”
“Interested would be a better comment. Is it possible to have words with your master?”
“With my grandfather? Certainly, but first you must allow him to finish his business.”
Smiling she moved on to gather what she could. As the crowd dispersed the elderly man came to join Dumarest.
“I received your message, young man. I appreciate your interest. What did you think of the introduction?”
“A thing of beauty.”
“I was not talking about the woman.”
“Neither was I.” Dumarest glanced to where, dressed in a seductive costume, she was preparing for the next demonstration. “Your daughter?”
“My granddaughter.” He added, “I have a large family.”
“And a well trained one. You are to be congratulated.”
“All my family are well trained.”
A warning Dumarest recognised. This man had pride and the strength to enforce respect. Things it would be a mistake not to recognise.
He said, “I am not speaking of the woman but of her performance. It can’t be easy to face thrown blades. She must have great courage and trust in you and your skill. Which is why I wanted your attention. Could you teach me to do the same?”
“Act as the target?”
Dumarest smiled at the humour. “No. To throw a knife. To send it where I want it to go. To be able to hit what I aim at.”
“My book will teach you that.”
“A book can’t throw a knife,” said Dumarest. “ I want to be taught by someone who can.”
The grafter hesitated looking at the empty space before the booth, the few people drifting past. The market was drawing to a close and it would be hard to collect a crowd to make a pitch worth the effort.