"This is the Tower of Quarantine," said Simona in a hushed voice as they passed through the lower gate.
"Yes," said Thru, rubbing the back of his neck.
"It is forbidden. All my life this place was spoken of in hushed voices. No one knows who is kept here, but it is said to be an ogre."
"What is an ogre?"
"A hairy monster, like a bear but with a man's head. It eats children."
Thru thought about this for a moment.
"We do not have these animals in the Land. Long ago we had trouble with lions, and we had to drive them up into the hills. Anyway, I can tell you one thing that is certain. The man in the tower is not an ogre. He calls himself the 'Eccentric.' He is not like the other men I have met."
They had come to the inner gate, which was shut. Thru got down and smote the knocker.
They waited. Shortly they heard a door creak open in the tower and footsteps slowly descend to the gate.
"Who goes there?" said a harsh voice.
"It is I, Thru Gillo."
Silence, then the door peep cracked open.
"Is it really you? Come back with a carriage and pair?"
"Yes, Master Eccentric. And I have a friend with me. We need shelter once again."
But the gate was already opening, and the Eccentric welcomed them in with a smile.
"Well, well, come in, come in. I had not thought to see you again, my fur-covered friend."
Inside the tower the tall figure wrapped in his hooded robe went ahead of them up the steps to the door, but once they were in the small room, he removed his robe and turned to welcome his guests properly.
At the sight of him Simona almost fainted.
"Your Majesty, I had no idea you'd be here."
The Eccentric stared at her silently, as she stood hidden behind her veil and hood. Thru looked blankly back and forth between them.
"You know my brother?" said the Eccentric at last.
"Your brother? I..." and Simona's voice trailed off. Because now she could see the differences. This man had a slightly lighter build of jaw and forehead. The nose was identical, as were the somber dark eyes and hair, but the face had other differences. The chin, the width of the mouth, all were subtly different.
"Yes, my lord, I have been privileged to know your great brother."
"How? As a courtesan?"
Simona colored. She supposed she should have expected this. "No, my lord, I was teaching him a new language."
"What?" the man stared at her again. Then broke into a smile and lifted his head to laugh out loud.
"Well, well, so Ge is learning a new language at his age!"
"Ge?"
"You know him as Aeswiren the Third. To me he is Ge. I am Mentupah. Ge is the older by four years."
"You are brother of the Emperor?" said Thru, amazed at this discovery.
"Yes."
"But, why are you kept here?"
Mentupah the Eccentric shook his head in anger.
"I was imprisoned here because I was eccentric enough not to want any of the power and glory of my brother's Empire. I was a fisherman, not a soldier. I lived a simple life while he rose to the purple. Then I became a problem. He was afraid that someone would try to use me as a puppet to replace him."
"And so he put you here?"
The Eccentric shrugged. "Most men in his position would have just had me killed, but he locked me away here for the rest of my life. He has told me many times that someday I would have an important role to play."
Simona, who had never seen anything but the gentle side of Aeswiren, was shocked by these revelations. How could the wonderful, intelligent man she had come to know and respect be so cruel? But, she reflected, all the history that she had read of the Empire demonstrated that Aeswiren was right to be so careful. The struggle for power was endless and protean. Any tool, any weapon that could be found would be used."
"It is my turn to ask a question," said Mentu. "How in the world did my fur-covered friend find you? And why did he bring you here? Why is a woman of noble blood outside of the purdah house?"
"Ah, well..." Thru began.
"It is a long story, my lord," said Simona quickly.
The Eccentric listened and asked questions until the answers satisfied him, then he sat down and shook his head in amazement.
"Truly, you have been blessed by the Gods, whoever they are.
"But, now I must tell you that circumstances here are uncertain. Since Aeswiren fell, I have had very little news from outside. They have either forgotten about me, or they have simply not yet decided to kill me."
"And you are waiting here for them to kill you?" said Thru.
Mentu shrugged. "I know I shouldn't, but I don't know what to do. If I stay here, then I am obeying the Emperor's commands. If I flee, they will eventually track me down and I will have broken the Emperor's law and can be put to death quite legally."
"We are going to go to the Land," said Simona in a firm voice. "That is beyond their reach."
The Eccentric stared at them as comprehension sank in. "The Land... You mean, the land where Thru here came from?"
"Yes. My father gave me some gemstones to use in an emergency. I think they will be enough to buy and outfit a boat. We will sail to the Land."
"But, it's thousands of miles away."
"True. So we have to buy a big enough boat."
"How will you navigate? Are either of you versed at all in the sea?"
"No. But we will learn."
The Eccentric smiled.
"Then, I will have to come with you."
"You?"
"I worked as a fisherman for eight seasons. I know the banks, I know the straits, and I know how to navigate by the stars."
They looked at him blankly.
"You won't survive without me," he added.
To that they had no reply.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
Good fortune continued to smile upon them. For two weeks they drove the wagon westward into Gzia Province. At night Simona slept in the wagon, and Thru and Mentu wrapped themselves in blankets and slept on the ground underneath. As much as possible they avoided towns. For food they had a stock of hard biscuit brought from the tower.
They saw parties of Red Tops on the roads, but Mentu's beard had grown quickly enough to obscure his looks and a fancy purdah wagon was still enough to overawe most Red Tops. On the one occasion when a party of Red Tops demanded to know who was in the wagon, Mentu was able to bluff them, with help from Simona, who spoke up on cue.
"I am the Countess Furissen, a friend of the Emperor Norgeeben the Second. Why do you halt my carriage? Who are you?"
At these imperious words the Red Tops quailed and backed away.
The weather continued mild, and the snow cover was gone by the time they came over the domido and into the little village of Bafleu, snuggled against the red rocks of the Givi estuary. Now Thru put on Simona's spare purdah robe and hood. They had decided that the best disguise for him was to pretend to be a lady in waiting to Simona. Hidden by the conventions of purdah, he would be almost invisible to the men of the village.
Mentu had spent much of his life in the village. Despite his long absence, he found that little had changed. He drove the wagon confidently through the narrow streets and ultimately into the outer yard of a fish wholesaler.
"This is my friend Yomafin's place. Stay inside, I won't be long."
Mentu disappeared into the back of the rather ramshackle premises, which reeked of fish despite the cold. Thru, peering out of a slit inside the wagon, was mystified by the dilapidation he saw. The roof needed a lot of work, and there were broken slats and gaps in the exterior siding.
Mentu returned a little later accompanied by another man, full-bellied, with white hair combed loose to his shoulders.
"Greetings, I am Yomafin, friend of Mentu, who I never expected to see again in this life."
"You will have to excuse good Yomafin, he's still recovering from the shock," said Men
tu with a grin.
Thru and Simona left the security of the wagon, both wearing full purdah dress, with hooded cloaks that came down to the ground.
"Come this way," said the man.
They entered another rambling structure set on the farther side of the yard. The stench of fish was replaced by the warm smells of cooking and smoke. They passed a kitchen, glimpsed an old slave beside the stove, and went up some stairs into a warm, poorly lit room.
"You can rest here, while Mentu and I make things ready for you elsewhere."
"Thank you," said Simona.
The men left them, Mentu came back in a few minutes, bearing a basket with bread and peanuts.
"We stay here tonight. Yomafin has sent a message to his brother. We will hide at his farm."
"And the boat?"
"He says there are two or three that could serve our purpose."
"What about the Red Tops?" asked Thru.
"The terror has passed on to the city. All the Red Tops are gone now. They will be back, but not until all their victims have been sent to Shasht."
"Why do they do this?"
"It happens at the beginning of every reign. The Red Tops seize the chance to settle scores."
"My father told me that the priests call it 'weeding out,'" said Simona.
"How many people have they taken?" asked Thru quietly.
"Two thousand from Gzia alone. The purge in Shasht was even more severe they say."
"And all will be slaughtered?"
The Eccentric nodded. "The masses love the ceremonies. They will watch the priests sacrificing victims all day. The steps of the pyramid will run with blood."
Thru shivered. "Seems a waste of lives."
"In Shasht life is cheap," said Mentu with another shrug.
The next morning they moved out of the village as secretly as possible and up the lane to a straggling farmhouse. Later, Yomafin and his brother Heldo came to see them.
While Yomafin was friendly, without reservation, Heldo was closemouthed and hard eyed. Between the two brothers there was clearly some ill feeling. Thru supposed that Heldo was unhappy at the risk that Yomafin had taken.
"Before we initiate contracts and risk our good name," said Yomafin, "we must know whether you speak truth about these gemstones."
Yomafin was clearly embarrassed at having to ask. Heldo's eyes glittered with something unkind.
"Well, of course you can."
Simona opened the little box and showed them the massive emerald, plus the smaller diamonds and rubies.
The fish dealer sucked in a breath. Heldo's eyes widened.
"This is wealth indeed..."
"Enough?" said Simona.
"More than enough."
"Good, then, know this. I will give you all of it if we succeed."
"No, my lady, I could not accept so much."
Heldo blinked and flashed a look of disbelief at his brother. Yomafin took no notice.
"My lady, I help you because of my friendship with Mentu, and because I hate the filthy Red Tops and all their kind." Yomafin's voice had suddenly turned hard.
"They killed our grandfather," said Heldo in explanation.
"They killed many people from this village, because Ge Vust had rebelled against Shmeg."
"I wish there could be an end to the Red Tops, all of them," said Simona.
"A good thought, my lady," said Yomafin. "I will take these smaller stones, the diamonds and rubies. They will buy a good barque with provisions. There is one in the yard near here that I think will serve. The owner is eager to sell, too."
"Thank you, Yomafin."
"But I will not buy directly with these gems. It is best not to arouse too much suspicion. So I will have to go to Gzia Gi to sell them. I know some wealthy men who like to trade such things. They will give me gold, and I will use that to buy the ship."
"Is it safe in the city?"
"Not yet, so we must wait a few more days. When the Red Tops sail to Shasht with their prisoners, then the terror will be over."
The days passed slowly. They remained hidden in a small room on an upper floor. Heldo brought them their food, but otherwise stayed away, as did his family, all of whom were terrified of the consequences if the fugitives were found hidden on the farm. Thru felt a certain tension in Heldo every time he appeared.
Every day, Mentu went to look at the boat, Sea Wasp. He reported on the progress at the evening meal.
"Won't be long before they float her again. She's in excellent shape now. I think we can sail her with a crew of four, though five would be better."
Thru questioned him about navigation, a matter on which he still had many concerns. Mentu explained the use of strict accounting of the positions of the stars, planets, and Red Kemm. By making observations every day at the same time, they could judge their general direction and position. The method was not exact, far from it in fact, but of all systems of navigation, this one had been found the best by many centuries of trial and error.
"As we travel, so we have to take into account the distance east or west we may have traveled, because that affects the time of our observations of the stars. It is hard to keep an accurate log, but one must try, and that means logging our speed several times a day. Sometimes that becomes difficult, in bad weather, say, when we are driven far from our projected course."
Thinking of all that was involved left Thru shaking his head.
"I'm surprised that any ship can actually hope to sail around the world and find its destination."
"Ships often go astray, and it may take months for us to find our course again, which is why we have to take as much food as the barque will hold."
One day Mentu returned brimming with excitement.
"They floated her today. Put in the masts and set her rigging. She will serve very well. But we will need more hands than just our own."
"Remember that I will work, too," said Simona. "I will not stay in purdah once we have left these shores."
Mentu had heard Simona on this subject before, but the idea struck him as outlandish.
"As you wish, Mistress Gsekk. I will not try and stop you. But you may find working a ship to be harder than you had bargained for."
"I can work hard. I will show you..."
Mentu chuckled. "Oh, I don't doubt that. We will all work hard, believe me. Wait until we've been in a hard blow. Out on the great ocean there will be waves as high as the tallest trees, and we will be hanging on for dear life a lot of the time."
The day finally came that Yomafin announced he was going to Gzia Gi to sell the gems. With their blessings and prayers, he set off on his two-wheeled buggy behind a smart black pacer.
The next day Mentu decided to travel, too, a few miles up the coast to another village where some relatives still lived.
"Most of the family went to Shasht twenty years ago. But there are still a few down here on the coast."
Left alone that evening Thru and Simona ate a quiet meal together. When Heldo brought the food, he set it down and ran from the door at the sound of Thru descending the stairs.
"Heldo is behaving strangely," said Thru as he broke a piece of bread.
"I worry about him. He seems unstable."
Thru nodded. "I think he is very stupid. He is afraid, but he is also greedy."
"That is a dangerous mixture, I think."
They ate in silence after that, each suddenly oppressed by the knowledge that though they were close to escaping their enemies, they were also still at great risk.
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
The next morning, Heldo brought them their food for the day, but this time he did not run away. Instead he lingered until Simona came down to take the tray. Thru followed her, but remained on the stairs.
"You ladies eat well in my house, do you not?"
Simona did all the talking when Heldo visited, since Thru was disguised as her servant, hidden in purdah robes.
"We thank you for the food, good Heldo. Your brother Yomafin will
pay you for everything in good time."
"Yomafin will pay, yes, that is good." Heldo was studying them in a way that made Simona uneasy.
"Yomafin is an old friend of Mentu," Heldo said suddenly, as if goaded beyond endurance.
"Yes. We are grateful to Yomafin."
Heldo ducked his head. The glitter in his eyes grew stronger.
"Heldo is not such a good friend to Mentu. Heldo want more money."
Thru and Simona had foreseen that this demand might arise. Simona was ready.
"We have only the great emerald that you saw. We can give you that."
Heldo was a little surprised to be offered the stone so quickly.
"Good. Give it to me now."
"No. You can have it when we leave. That way we can trust you until the end."
Heldo was unhappy.
"You give it to Heldo now."
"No, we can't do that. Not if we can't trust you."
"You must trust Heldo."
"You are ridiculous! You help us because you owe so much to Yomafin, your brother and great benefactor. He has told us what you owe him."
"You give it to Heldo!"
"No."
Heldo went away, his face full of fury.
"I fear that Heldo is stupid enough to be dangerous," said Thru.
"Nor is he trustworthy."
Thru made certain preparations before nightfall. While Simona slept he waited in the dark, not meditating, but not sleeping, either.
Shortly after midnight, he heard the door open and close down below. He woke Simona and she hid herself behind an old chest left in the corner. The stairs creaked. Thru took up a position behind the door.
Where they had been sleeping, Thru had left a bale of cloth and their packs with the blankets piled on top. In the dark it might be mistaken for their bodies.
Someone moved very quietly up to the door and opened it just an inch or so. Thru tensed himself.
Something flashed in the air, and an arrow quivered from the center of the bale of cloth. Another arrow flashed in and sank into the pack beside it.
Now the door was opened farther, and a figure entered keeping the bow half drawn in front of itself. Cautiously it approached the piles on the floor, each with an arrow jutting up from where their shoulders might have met if they were indeed Simona and Thru.
The Shasht War Page 39