The Shasht War

by Christopher Rowley

  "They're not priests, they don't paint their heads."

  "They don't hit us with those damned whips, either," said Juf Goost thickly.

  "I don't think these men mean us any harm," said Thru.

  "It could be a trick of some kind," said Pern Glazen.

  "Hard to imagine why it would be a trick. They killed the Red Tops at the door. We all heard it."

  "Maybe they just do this to raise our hopes, so as to crush them completely later when they kill us."

  "Maybe," said Ter-Saab, obviously disagreeing.

  Thru was as puzzled as the others, but nursed a wild hope that perhaps these men were an opposition force to the temple and all it stood for.

  The wagon rolled on, turning every so often, still passing between great bulky structures of stone. They crossed a river as wide as the Dron. On the other side the character of the buildings changed. Now they went on cobbles through streets of tall stone houses. Lanterns were lit at every intersection, though they saw no one out on the streets.

  After another turn they saw larger houses, grand enough to have gates and staircases. A light ahead drew their attention. Two men were waiting beside an open gate.

  The wagon entered and the gate closed behind them. They came to a halt, and the mots were urged in whispers to climb down and follow the men in the black velvet jackets.

  The men urged them to hurry with tense gestures.

  The mots struggled to walk, and some had to be half carried. They passed through a door that led to a dark hallway with a brick floor. A door opened ahead throwing red light into the passage. The walls were covered in painted figures. Thru glimpsed stylized figures of men, and beautiful horses. Then they passed through the door and stepped down into a dimly lit wine cellar. In an alcove among the wine barrels they found bedding laid out, with water and some rough, dark bread. It was the first food they'd seen for two days, and they were ravenous. Even Juf Goost, who couldn't chew with his battered mouth. Thru helped Juf soften bread in the palm of his hand by pouring on the water very carefully. Then Juf shoved some down past his broken teeth.

  It was all consumed in a few moments and merely left them feeling hungrier than ever. The men had gone, the door had shut, they were left with the single lantern burning above the door.

  They sat there feeling the tension and excitement of the escape drain slowly away. They were definitely not in the hands of the priests of the Great God, He Who Eats. Beyond that they could only guess who their saviors were.

  They didn't have long to wait. The door opened again, and a group of men came into the cellar, lead by the one they'd first seen with the bloody sword. He now wore a linen shirt and knee breaches in black velvet. His companions were more sumptuously garbed. White stockings to the knee, velvet breeches, silk and velvet garments, and square-cut hats with plumes and tassels.

  These five men gazed down at the battered captives. Thru could sense a common excitement among them. Their eyes flashed in triumph. When they spoke Thru understood them easily, their words were almost without accent. They were very pleased with themselves.

  "I have to say, they are magnificent."

  "A little bruised, perhaps."

  "They staged a revolt apparently. Killed some Red Tops."

  "Well done, I wish we could kill all the goddamn Red Tops."

  "So they had to be taught a lesson. Black Tops were used of course."

  "Damn the priests, sodomistic peasants, all of them."

  "No breeding, they behave like the filth they spring from."

  Thru wondered what he was hearing, for some of it made sense and other parts did not.

  "Anyway, well-done you fellows."

  "I say, a big hand for Janbur, it was his idea."

  "We were all in it together," said the one in black, Janbur of the Gsekk. "I could not have done it without you."

  "We're all in it together all right, and we'll die on the altar together if the priests track us down."

  "We have sprinkled gold enough to hide our tracks. This is a good place to hide. In a day or so we will move them into the Shalba."

  "Why the Shalba? Why not out to the country?"

  "They will be guarding all the roads. We have thrown down a gauntlet to the priests. Later I will send word to the Emperor that the creatures are safe. The Emperor will have to make his decision."

  "And whatever his decision is, we will obey it," said the thin one who had worn black and carried that bloody sword.

  "Who among us would betray our oath to the Emperor? But we know he does not really want these creatures to be killed."

  "The Emperor must rule. Out with the priests."

  "Out with them," said the others.

  "Indeed, damn the sodomistic priests, all of them."

  "And what of our new friends here? That one looks as if he might not last long." The speaker pointed out Juf Goost.

  Juf's eyes were wide with alarm at being selected. Thru whispered reassurance. The men didn't appear to notice.

  "Yes, he does seem rather poorly. Well, you've still got seven if that one goes."

  "Damned priests, what did they do to the poor creatures?"

  "Look at all those eyebrows going up and down. Damn me if they don't look like a lot of big monkeys!"

  "That's why they call them monkeys."

  "I can see why, but they're obviously much more intelligent than monkeys."

  "Of course. You've seen the objects brought back?"

  "Incredible work. The rug things with the bright colors. The pottery and wood carvings, too."

  "They are an artistic bunch of monkeys if that's all they are."

  "Bah, they're obviously intelligent. Perhaps not as intelligent as men, but more intelligent than anything else..."

  "I've heard they're offering two hundred in gold for some of that pottery. Beautiful work."

  Thru had heard enough. Slowly, painfully, he pulled himself to his feet. They stared at him.

  "Excuse me," Thru said in good Shashti. "Could we have more water? More bread? We are very hungry."

  The men stared at him with open mouths.

  "It spoke to us?" Gasped the one called Janbur.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  "We have been lied to about this colony from the beginning. It is not Aeswiren's wish. Aeswiren obeys some other force, perhaps the priests, perhaps the Hidden One."

  "Why do you raise that name here, Janbur, under my roof."

  "Because, dear mother, the time has come when we must confront this thing and remove its fangs, whatever it is."

  "Bah, it's all a silly fantasy. Spooks and bog-sprites! You'll be worried about ghosts next."

  "Whatever you say, you have to admit that this mot is not at all like a 'monkey.' Isn't that so?"

  Behind the screen the hidden figure of Janbur's mother, Tekwen Gsekk, sniffed, but said nothing. In truth, she was stunned by the appearance of this talking animal that Janbur had hidden in her house.

  "You know the emperor is searching high and low for these creatures of yours."

  "Of course."

  "The priests would love to use this as an excuse to destroy our family."

  "Don't worry, the mots will be moved tonight."

  Thru, who was sitting in the elegantly furnished room, looked up at this.

  "Where will we go?" he said.

  The woman behind the screen shifted. She was not yet comfortable with this creature being able to speak Shashti like a citizen.

  Janbur, however, answered with hardly any hesitation. He was used to speaking with Thru.

  "We plan to move you out of the inner city to an estate in the suburbs. You will be hidden there for a few days, and then we will move you again. That way we can be sure to keep ahead of the Hand. They will be searching for rumors among the city's serving classes. It's hard to keep the servants from learning about something like this, and such knowledge is worth gold."

  Thru nodded. He and Janbur had discussed this eventuality. In the three days since
he had broken the silence and spoken to the men, they had undergone a sea change in relations. Great new vistas of understanding had opened up for both of them.

  "So, dearest mother, you can see why it is important that we stop this horrible colony. Why must we destroy this other people? They have done us no harm. They have much they could teach us about preserving the fertility of our land."

  "Mmmm," Tekwen had been wavering. This idea sparked her interest. As the owner of more than ten square miles of grazing land worn down to stubble and dust, she was perennially concerned with such ideas.

  "So, tell me again, where did they originate? They are not men. What are they?"

  Janbur shot Thru a look to say "forgive her, she doesn't understand yet."

  Thru shrugged slightly. He had grown used to it. Humans had a hard time accepting the idea that any other creature might be able to talk to them. Thru thought it pretty understandable. Men would probably not want to hear what the animals might say.

  Speaking in a patient voice, Janbur repeated the story.

  "They say they were raised up by the High Men. Long ago, in the time of the ice."

  "Who were these High Men? Why have we never heard of them?"

  "We don't know. I have asked the scholar, Petazm, but he says that there are no records of the older time. We know only of the Old Kingdom and the Empire."

  "Stuff and nonsense, how do you know it wasn't all begun by the Great God, just the way the priests say? The world began when Kadawak built the Empire."

  "But we know that's silly. The world had existed for a long time before any priest shaved his head and painted it red. There were other gods for thousands of years."

  "The priests would break you for that thought."

  "Of course, they keep the people ignorant on purpose. They rule the nobility with intimidation and occasional brutality. But it is still true. We had other gods before the coming of this one, this He Who Eats."

  Again Tekwen lapsed into silence. This was an uncomfortable area of thought. Getting in the way of the priests could only cause trouble.

  "And for a start the priests have obviously lied to us about these creatures. Our guest here has told me things that changed my ideas about the world."

  "Impossible."

  "Not at all. Mother, please accept this. I am introducing you to Thru Gillo. He holds the equivalent rank of a colonel in his own army, and in his civilian life he aspired to become a weaver of fine rugs."

  "A weaver, well, he's not very big so that's more believable than his being a soldier." She gave a snort, then realized that Thru understood her word for word. She took a breath.

  "I apologize, Master, uh, Gillo. This has all been a terrible shock to me."

  Thru looked to Janbur, unsure how to respond. Janbur raised a hand and spoke instead.

  "Thank you, Mother. When I talked with Thru Gillo, I learned that he already knew something about our world, we know nothing of his."

  Silently Tekwen Gsekk sized up the situation.

  "All right. I will spread the word among my friends. I will tell them that the creatures are intelligent enough to speak Shashti and that the policy of exterminating them is surely immoral and must be halted."

  "Thank you, dear mother, I will repay this favor, I promise. And you are doing the right thing. We are doing what Aeswiren would want, I assure you."

  "So you say, but how can you be sure that your friend the Erv is telling the truth about the Emperor's wishes?"

  "The Erv of Blanteer can be counted on, Mother. He is the soul of honor."

  "He had better be, or we'll all wind up with our tongues tied to some red hot steel."

  With that the meeting was ended. Tekwen Gsekk withdrew, and Janbur and Thru prepared to return in secret to the cellar. Thru donned a cloak with a hood and covered his face with a veil. If they were seen, he would hope to be taken for nothing more than a woman outside of the purdah line in the house.

  From Tekwen's private rooms on the first floor, they negotiated their way through the bulk of the big house. The wine cellar lay two floors down, accessible only by a stair in the butler's quarters.

  They used the lady's gallery on the west side of the house. Only Lady Tekwen used these rooms, so they were safe from prying servants' eyes. Furnished with the treasures of centuries, the rooms contained polished wood furniture, walls painted with scenes of natural beauty, and large rugs with complex patterns. Through the windows along the western side, Thru could see the ominous hulk of the pyramid, where it dominated the skyline.

  "The pyramid has not always been there, then?"

  "No, my friend, it was built by Kadawak. He announced the coming of the Great God. It changed everything here. Before then the old country, old Shashta, was a different land. Very poor, of course, our Empire was only a quarter of the size of what it is now. We were constantly at war with our neighbors, and that was expensive, too. But we never won the wars, nobody really ever won, and that was both a curse and a blessing."

  Janbur sighed. "But Kadawak was unstoppable, and he conquered all our rivals and crowned himself Emperor."

  "So then there was peace?"

  "No. There has always been war. We are a warlike people. Rebellions are frequent. Our armies themselves sometimes try to install a new Emperor, usually their own commanding officer. So there have been wars in every reign, for five hundred years."

  He recalled something Janbur had said to his mother.

  "You have mentioned a 'shadow.' I think you called it the Hidden One."

  Janbur gazed at him for a long moment, as if trying to decide whether to speak or not.

  "Yes, that began with Kadawak, it is said. Though others say that the Hidden One was already at work in the days of the Old Kingdom. Some believe that the Hidden One is the curse our people will always bear, but come, we must not speak of this here."

  For a moment longer Thru stared thoughtfully over the rooftops to the pyramid. The hulking mass seemed to brood in the middle of the great city.

  They descended the stairs with great caution. The servants had been kept in the dark about the visitors to the wine cellar. Only the house butler knew, since the wine cellar was part of his purview. But old Guyad, the butler, was trustworthy. He would not even tell his wife. Of course, you couldn't keep anything a complete secret from servants, but Janbur had taken precautions to minimize the effect of the mots' presence. Their food, for instance, was all brought in on wagons that went to the butler's yard and was unloaded by his warehouse slaves. These slaves were blind and mute, quite common in warehouses and treasure vaults. They sensed only that there was a strange smell in the wine cellar.

  Janbur's friend Chemli of Weald supplied the food from his own kitchens, at Weald House, which lay just on the other side of Shalba Park. The extra rations were not enough to draw any questions.

  Having goods unloaded into the cellars, either that of wine or dry goods, was a very common thing, and so the extra cart carrying bread and water did not cause rumors. The servants knew something was amiss, but since none had entered the wine cellar, they had no suspicions as to what was down there.

  Better yet, of course, the priests had kept the loss of the "monkeys" a complete secret. Such a loss of prestige could not be borne. So while they mounted a furious search of the city, they claimed that it was to find a renegade priest, wanted for seditious preaching of the Old Gods. Thus, even while gangs of Red Tops turned over the hovels of the poor from Zufa to Kashank, the abduction of the captives was not revealed.

  The priests had long been aware of the seditious nobility, so they turned to the wilder young nobles. They investigated, but found nothing. A few rumors floated. Arrests were made, and wellborn youngsters were tortured with the rack, the screws and the wooden boot, but they knew nothing of any real substance.

  Fortunately, no one in Janbur's group of friends was taken. Janbur and his group worked quietly in the background, helping refugees escape persecution, rather than writing seditious samizdat. The
y were careful and kept their activities secret from even their closest friends. And so they were invisible to the Red Tops scouring the city.

  Meanwhile the news spread that the Gold Tops had delayed the sacrifice of the "monkeys" because of a bad alignment between the moon, the Red Star, and the planet Zanth.

  And yet, despite the success of their venture, Janbur would not leave the mots in his mother's cellar for even one more night. The Hand of Aeswiren was also searching for them, and the Hand was skilled in finding those it wanted. Even the mention of a wagon leaving the temple in the night at an odd hour could lead the Hand to the mots. So that night the mots would be moved. Out of the Shalba, across the park, and into a suburban estate.

  They tiptoed down the back stairs to the ground floor, where they faced the greatest danger of exposure to the servants. To reach the butler's back door, they would have to pass close to the kitchen. They took the passageway that ran past the pantries and the granary. Two muscular young black cats got up and sauntered away as they approached.

  At the end of the passage a stair led to an outside gate and other passages to the right and left. They turned right and entered a passage frequently used by slaves coming up from the kitchen garden.

  At the far end was the back door to the butler's quarters, and Janbur had the key. Halfway along they heard figures moving behind a door to their right. The door handle turned.

  Frantically Janbur pulled open another door and pushed Thru inside a narrow room with large windows and good light. Astonished, Thru saw three looms set up with work on them. A man bent over the nearest loom, working on a red rug.

  "Is that you, Ijji?" said the man, without turning around. "Time for some tea, I'd say."

  Janbur went up to his shoulder and spoke quietly.

  "It is I, Janbur. How goes your weaving, Old Meethiwat?"

  Old Meethiwat was a little surprised by Janbur's presence, and when he looked up Janbur stepped close to him so that he would not see Thru.

  "Oh, it goes well enough, lord. Thank you for visiting."

  Janbur studied the completed part of the rug for a moment.

  "An old Shashta pattern?"