The Enemy Papers

by Barry B. Longyear

  The hunters, when they were told Shizumaat and I were to become great hunters, laughed at what they thought was Haruda's joke. There was Buna's prayer for a good hunt, then, upon Haruda's silent signal, the hunters began walking east toward the mountain of the morning sun.

  By the time Aakva was above the mountain, its light making us shield our eyes, the hunters had broken into smaller parties and had gone in different directions. Shizumaat, Haruda, and I were left by ourselves. Shizumaat and I followed Haruda farther to the east until Aakva was a hand's breadth above the mountain. It then stopped, turned about and faced us.

  "You wished to know what I do differently from the others. Today you shall learn. The most important thing you should learn is that I am no more talented or gifted than the other hunters. Why I bring down more game is simply the manner in which I hunt. First, though, we shall see how the others hunt."

  Haruda crouched and began running in a great arc toward the left. We raced after it, and soon we began ascending a slight rise in the plain. Just before reaching the crest, Haruda crouched and Shizumaat and I crouched next to it. Haruda pointed down toward the west and we looked. "See, there? There in the stalks just before the trees. It is Vorusma's head. In the distance there should be game."

  I strained my eyes and could just make out the movement of stalks in the still air. The hunter called Vorusma crept silently toward the movement. Vorusma stopped as a horned head atop a long neck came up from the moving stalks. It was a fine, huge darghat. The head, almost without perceptible motion, surveyed the beast's surroundings. When the creature's gaze came to rest upon Vorusma, the beast reared up, turned, and fled. Vorusma hefted its weapons and followed at a dead run, trying to mount its spear in its throw-sling.

  I had never seen anyone run as fast as that hunter, but Haruda laughed and pointed as the darghat outdistanced Vorusma. The hunter did not quit running until it dropped into the stalks, exhausted.

  "Young ones," said Haruda, "I could show you the same act a hundred times today, for this is how the Kuvedah hunts the darghat and has always hunted the darghat since before Daultha had its doubts. Sometimes the darghat is old and slow, sometimes stupid. Sometimes the others bring in game, but not often. Now I shall show you how Haruda hunts the darghat; and how you shall become great hunters."

  We moved to a treegrove, and rested in the top of a thorn tree. Through its branches the plain could be seen for a day's hard walk. After a few moments, the hunter pointed at a movement in the distant stalks. "There. Do you see it?"

  The tall grass moved and I faced the hunter. "I see the stalks moving," I answered.

  Shizumaat whispered, "A darghat!"

  I looked back. In the distance I could the see the distinctive long neck and horned head rising above the tips of the stalks.

  Shizumaat looked at Haruda. "Do we give chase?"

  The hunter slowly shook its head. "If you want to sleep in the grass like Vorusma, you may do so." The hunter pointed again at the darghat. "That one is testing the ground, sniffing the air for danger. If he thinks it is safe, he will summon the remainder of his herd. Sit quiet. Watch."

  The darghat male examined the surrounding territory for many moments, and then tossed back its head and bleated. Far behind the creature, the stalks stirred, and twenty horned heads appeared above the stalks. Shizumaat clutched Haruda's arm. "Now? Do we give chase now?"

  "No. We will wait. If the herd passes this way without danger, this is the way it will return. Mark their path. When the herd returns, we shall catch and kill a few."

  "Haruda, how do you know this?"

  "I watch. I listen. I learn. This I have seen the darghat herds do thousands of times. Because of this, they will do so again."

  When the herd had moved out of sight, Haruda had Shizumaat and I help in rigging snares across the path that the darghats had taken. The snares consisted of several fiber loops joined together at their draw-ends. Haruda explained. "Several of the darghat will become snared in the same set of loops and will fight and pull against each other until they are exhausted. Then we will move in with spears."

  I studied upon it and saw in my mind that the simple scheme would work—had already worked, if Haruda's reputation as a hunter was any evidence. But it seemed so simple. That is the way it happened, though. With the three of us wielding the spears at the tired, helpless darghats, our kill that day better than tripled the catch of any other three hunters that day. Among the greatest hunters of the Kuvedah, their reputations made in one day as Haruda had promised, were Shizumaat and Namndas.

  I said to Shizumaat that night, "It is a wonderful thing to be a great hunter, is it not?"

  "Our reputations will not last past tomorrow's hunt, Namndas."

  "Not last? Why?"

  Shizumaat giggled and said, "Haruda proclaimed to all of the hunters that it would take two fools and make them better hunters than all of the experienced hunters in the tribe just by showing them something new. Because of their beliefs, and because they were frightened to learn something new, they never wanted to see what Haruda had to show them. I think some of them do now. Most won't, but a few will look at the new way. Haruda has put the proof to its claim."

  The next evening showed me the truth of Shizumaat's words. Most of the hunters passed off Shizumaat's and my kills as trickery or magic. Four experienced hunters asked Haruda to show them what it had showed us, and before Aakva's light again died in the west, great hunters in the Kudah were becoming as common as grass. There were, though, other things to learn, and perhaps other things to teach.

  Shizumaat's experience with the hunters had it thinking many things over and asking many questions. It studied the things the Kuvedah did with and about everything. Why do the pregnant Kuvedah go to Kachine for advice? Why did the one called Vijnya make the best spear points? Shizumaat listened to the advice Kachine gave, and it watched Vijnya make its spear points. And Shizumaat studied every member of the tribe. Thus passed the year until Kangar's death.

  All gathered at the bank of the stream to watch Kangar's pyre illuminate the night, the flames sending the old master of master's spirit to Aakva's Children. Since the time of choosing the new master through combat had long since passed, the clan masters gathered before their own fire to select the new master of masters. From the stories we had both heard as children, such councils were notorious for their rancor and resulting feuds. This council, though, had only one name on its lips: Mantar, the wise leader of its clan. Buna cast the colored fires and read in them that Mantar's rule would be long and prosperous.

  On the next morning, Buna talked to Shizumaat and me about places within the Kuvedah, to become teacher-ones, those who pass on lessons to the tribe's young. To become a teacher-one of the Kuvedah we would have to reveal a great truth at our first night before the fires of the meeting lodge. Most teacher-ones would reveal mystical truths about the wishes and ways of the gods and great figures of the past. Such truths were profound, and mostly impossible to question. I chose such a truth, and I spoke of Uhe and how it had to do war to find peace and how the peace it found, if kept, should keep the Sindie united and at peace for eternity.

  But Shizumaat chose to reveal a truth about the Sindie. It stood between the two fires, faced Banu and Mantar, and lifted its arms. Those in the meeting lodge quieted.

  "Each thing that we do, no matter how slight, is to achieve a goal. There are countless goals and countless ways in which we try to achieve them. A goal is the present altered in some way in order that the future will contain that which the present does not contain. To achieve the same goal, though, the ways we each choose are different because we each see by different lights. There are ways that bring the achievement of the goal quickly, ways that achieve the goal slowly, ways that achieve the goal poorly, and ways that achieve the goal not at all."

  Shizumaat reached into its pouch and brought forth a long sliver of grainless stone. It held it in its hands so that all could see, "This is a stone spear point fashioned
by Kijnya. Kijnya's points are known by all the Kuvedah as the best. But Kijnya cannot make enough of them."

  "This is true," said Haruda, chief of the hunt. "If we had to rely only upon Kijnya's points, we would starve." There were laughs and agreeing nods from those seated around the fires.

  Shizumaat drew forth another spear point from its pouch and held it up. "This is a spear point fashioned by Uline. Most of the hunters tip their spears with Uline's points."

  The chief of the hunt nodded. "They are not as sharp as Kijnya's points, nor as true, but Uline makes them quickly. The hunters can always obtain new points from Uline."

  Shizumaat drew forth a third point from its pouch and held it up. "This was taken from a child's play spear. It was fashioned by Akkar, the child of Soam." Shizumaat walked between the fires and handed the spear point to Haruda. "Judge this."

  The chief of the hunt studied the point, tested it with its fingers, then handed it back Shizumaat. "It is made well enough, but it is too short and too narrow. It would not allow the shaft to penetrate to the deep heart of a darghat."

  Shizumaat handed Haruda another point. "And this one?"

  The chief of the hunt laughed as it took it. "This stone has a heavy, loose grain, and watch." Haruda pressed the point between a thumb and finger. The point crumbled. "I doubt if this point could penetrate water."

  As the laughter in the lodge waned, Shizumaat retrieved the pieces from Haruda. By the time the laughter had died, Shizumaat had resumed its place before the two fires.

  "The fourth point was made by Pelard." There was more laughter, for all knew old Pelard had gone dark in its mind years ago. When the lodge was again quiet, Shizumaat held out its hands.

  "The goal was to tip a shaft with a point sharp enough, strong enough, and true enough to bring down the big game. But to achieve this same goal, four different ways were used." Shizumaat held up Kijnya's point. "Kijnya's way achieves the goal well, but slowly." U line's point was held up next. "Uline's way achieves the goal quickly, but not as well." Shizumaat then held up Akkar's point. "The child Akkar's point achieves the goal poorly." Shizumaat dropped the pieces of Petard's point upon the ground. "And poor Pelard's point achieves the goal not at all."

  Mantar, chief of the Kuvedah, held out its hand. "And Shizumaat, what do you see in these things? What great truth have you gleaned from your spear points?"

  Shizumaat faced the chief. "Mantar, in all that we try to achieve we use ways. These points prove that some ways are superior to others. The ways of Kijnya and Uline are obviously superior to the ways of Akkar and Pelard."

  Mantar nodded its agreement. "But Shizumaat, what of Kijnya and Uline? Which of their ways is the superior?"

  "Mantar, if the goal is to tip one spear in the best manner, Kijnya's way is superior. But if the goal is to tip many spears in the best manner, Uline's way is the superior." Shizumaat turned from the chief and looked at those seated around the lodge fires. "But is there a way superior to Kijnya's and Uline's?"

  Mantar shook its head. "It is well known they are the best point makers in the Kuvedah. How can there be a way superior to theirs?"

  "There may be no better way now, but cannot we imagine one?"

  Haruda, chief of the hunt, thought upon the question, then looked at Shizumaat. "In my mind it would be a way that would produce points as quickly as Uline does, but of the same quality of points as those fashioned by Kijnya. But as to specifics, I know not."

  Shizumaat motioned toward the back of the lodge, and two strong Sindie carried out a large tan stone, while a third Sindie carried smaller stones of different sizes and several lengths of bone. They placed the large stone before Shizumaat, and the smaller stones and bones upon the large stone.

  Shizumaat squatted before the large stone and picked up one of the smaller stones in its left hand. Twice it hit the edge of the large stone, causing a long splinter of rock to be broken free. Quickly Shizumaat picked up the splinter and began shaping it with one of the smaller rocks. With the point in the shape the teacher-one desired, it then picked up a bone and tapped it rapidly along the edges of the point, causing tiny chips to fly away, leaving the edges sharp. It was finished almost before anyone realized it. Shizumaat stood and handed the point to Haruda. "Judge that."

  The chief of the hunt studied the point, tested its edge for sharpness, hefted it for weight, then nodded at Shizumaat. "It is as fine as anything Kijnya has fashioned."

  Kijnya stood up in its place at the back of the lodge. "Shizumaat, I would see the spear point you made." The point was passed back to the point maker. Kijnya studied the point, then looked up and around at those seated in the meeting lodge. "Shizumaat came to study my way of making points, and this is a fine piece of work. But even I cannot make one that rapidly."

  Across the lodge from Kijnya, Uline stood. "I would see it. Pass me the spear point." The point was passed to Uline. It studied the point, then looked at Shizumaat. "You made this point as quickly as any that I have fashioned, but it is truly of finer quality." Uline looked at Kijnya. "Shizumaat studied my way of point making as well."

  The point was passed around the lodge until it came to Mantar. The chief studied it, then passed it to Shizumaat. "And your great truth is a better way of point making?"

  Shizumaat took the point. "No, Mantar. My truth is this. In all things that we do, some ways are better than others. Of all of the better ways, some are the best. Of the best that exist, still better ways wait to be discovered and invented."

  Shizumaat held up the spear point that it had fashioned. "At this moment, my way of making points is the best, and I will show anyone who wants to learn how it is done. I can imagine, though, the requirements of a better way—a host of better ways. If they could be made even faster, even sharper, or of strong metal, these would be better ways. If the spear could be replaced by a quicker, lighter, more efficient weapon, then that would be a better way. If weapons and the hunt could be eliminated, freeing us to improve our lands and make homes, this too would be a better way. This is true, as well, for every goal we seek to achieve, from feeding our children, learning, and living an honorable life, to worshipping the gods."

  Shizumaat stood between the fires and studied those seated around the walls of the lodge. "The Kuvedah must search for these ways, in our minds, and among each other; for there is always a talma, a superior path. Make the talma your quest in life for all things, and your life will become talma. This is the great truth I reveal this night."

  Mantar stood and addressed those seated in the meeting lodge. "Namndas has told us a very old and very valuable truth, and has earned its post as a teacher-one to the Kuvedah."

  I bowed toward Mantar, and the chief nodded at me in return. Mantar then faced Shizumaat. "You have earned your post as teacher-one to the Kuvedah, as well. Your truth will require much thought. Therefore, Shizumaat, I command you to teach this truth to the Kuvedah. Further, I command the Kuvedah to learn this truth, and to live by it. Finally, from this night forward, each new child born shall learn this talma before it may enter the rites of adulthood."

  We taught Shizumaat's truth the length and breadth of the Kudah, following the tribe as it followed the hunt. When the last of them had learned the truth, new students of Varrah's came to the Kuvedah to replace us. Shizumaat and I bid farewell to Buna, Mantar, Haruda and the rest, then aimed our feet for the north, the Dirudah, the city of Butaan, and the Temple of Uhe.

  We had learned many things with the Kuvedah, and we talked of all of the ways to apply talma to the things we do and wish to do, and again we played with burning brands beneath Aakva's Children. As the rains began we entered Butaan and walked the streets and ways of the city, our eyes drinking in all of the changes that had been made since we had left for the Kudah. When we reached the temple, we washed the road from our feet, and found our class at its place within the next row of columns. Our fellow students greeted us with embraces and we hastily begged for their stories and what they had learned through t
heir adventures. Before anyone could reply, though, Ebneh approached and took its place in the center of our class. I looked to Shizumaat, and Shizumaat looked to Ebneh. The old servant who had caused Shizumaat to be beaten looked up at us and wearily shook its head. "Varrah is dead, its pyre cold these twenty days." Ebneh lifted its hand toward Shizumaat, and let it fall to its lap. "I am terribly sorry, Shizumaat. I know from what Varrah told me how much you loved your teacher. I loved Varrah, too. Perhaps even more."

  I could see the tears on Shizumaat's face, and was not surprised to feel them on my own. My surprise was saved for when I saw tears on Ebneh's face, and saw Shizumaat go and embrace the old servant. Pity, forgiveness, putting the past to rest, these too are talmas to a better future. I joined in the embrace, and remembering Varrah and the freedom of a thought were the lessons for the day.