"What did you say?"
"Yes! He was arrested just a few nights ago at the behest of the High Priestess Lady Mina." Zarhaz heard a buzzing in his ears as if the voice of Luriah was now far away and he was hearing him through water. Euphoria nearly overtook him and he had to close his eyes and still himself. He opened his eyes.
"Which means that perhaps the mounting pressure on us will abate."
"We are not safe yet. This king does not like us either. We may see fire and blood before we are released."
"Still. I have seen that jinn scheme his way through the Golden Temple, through two Kushigyars and three monarchs. Nothing ever seemed to touch him but he has toppled many others."
"Well it looks like that might come to and end. One more thing."
"You are full of news today!"
"I am. The eternal fires burn higher and brighter than ever before. From what I have heard."
"That must be a sign."
"This is what I am thinking. It is imminent. But where is our king? I do not see him or hear him anywhere!"
"He will come when he comes." Said Zarhaz feeling elation well up inside him. He poured himself and Luriah a cup of hot kata flower leaf tea and added a small block of honey comb to it.
"Ah, thank you, Zarhaz."
"So, what do we do against the zealots? Many here still support the current order, as things are."
"We cannot fight. That is not for us to do. We endure but stay vigilant. Galieh is full of new people. It may seem easier for many to move to other lands but that may hurt them in the end. Let us encourage the people to stay and endure. It is near. Vigilance is key." He took a sip. "They will begin looking for all of us soon," he said softly.
"That has already begun." Said Zarhaz.
"I have a scheme that might break Seriah and his relatives from the temple prison." He set his cup down and lowered his voice.
"Remember when I told you I found a little tinkering bird listening outside the windows of one of the houses of the faithful?"
"Oh yes."
"I managed to catch it and keep it. The priests do not know I have it. It belonged to Yusan. It has his initials on it, the baga-brained fool." Luriah spat.
"A great gift that fell in your lap!"
"I will put it to use in another way. I know you have too many other things to worry over but these tinkering machines can also carry poisons and draughts."
"Luriah! You are a man of God!" Zarhaz protested.
"Do not worry." Luriah waved his hand. "I will not poison anyone. But I can have this little bird fitted with a powerful sleeping agent to sting and attack the guards in the middle of the night. It is such a little thing they will not notice unless they are looking for it."
"A relief. And here I was thinking you had gone bad. Have some of the young men help you with this escape plan."
"I shall. We will do it tomorrow night."
"May God be with you, brother."
"Many thanks, my brother. And now I shall go. Take care Zarhaz. You have something very precious to all of us and our hopes. I sent Tichri as the lookout for tonight in the neighborhood. Remember, always listen out for any warning."
"I shall." Said Zarhaz. Luriah left quickly as evening was falling. So much and so many things were happening Zarhaz barely had time to gather his wits. He folded all the letters and the few scrolls he had and put them carefully away in a special rawhide bag. He then put in a few changes of clothes and a bit of money and personal effects, the red leather-bound book, the small remnants of the the desert prophetess's family history and the star scepter, wrapped tightly and hidden deep within. All these latter things he put in the second compartment in the bag. He washed the cups and pot in the wash basin downstairs and put everything away neatly and went back upstairs to lay down. He thought of one of his favorite songs, humming it softly to himself while watching the last embers of the sun go down by marking the fading light upon the walls. It was getting cold but he lay content by the window, listening. It was uncommonly quiet. The faunal creatures of night were gentler in their noises than usual. Zarhaz was nearly drifting off to sleep when he heard it. The alarm. It was Tichri, a youth who lived with his grandmother, both of the faithful, who knew the neighborhood well and knew where to run and hide.
"Eha! Eha! Ah!" He called. Then he said it twice more. Someone was coming for him. Zarhaz took up his bag and glanced out the window. He saw no one yet. He climbed upon the roof, then bent down and kissed the roof.
"May my life as a fugitive be over soon!" And disappeared into the night before the intruders ever entered the house.
Chapter Fourteen
The king's hall was all wooden beams and rafters, stone, burnished gold and vast, illuminated tapestries. In three tapestries were great tableaux vivants of the history of the kings and people of Dyrland. Like the one behind the king's throne in his audience chamber, these images seemed to shift and sway across the cloth as if alive. Horses and hounds hunting, war scenes, scenes of lords and ladies, kings and queens and peasants and the gods above the Dyrland firmament.
A fire was burning in the great hearth at the far end of the hall which was filled with long trestle tables and benches and iron holders fixed to the walls burning candles. All the thanes and chieftains of the land had been called. Thane Uwain, as a prize had brought his trophy heads of some of the Ohdrufrid in baskets. The king commanded and had them posted on spikes at the front, on the King's Gate so that all those coming in could marvel and see. Yet, Rapheth discerned that Uwain had not truly brought them as a gift but as a taunt and that the king - though gracious in his acceptance of them - for any other action would have drawn suspicion from the chieftains - viewed this "gift" as an insult. No one else as far as he knew sensed any of this because these words between the Great Thane and King Baldric went unspoken. Rapheth's high sensitivity was amplified by Abgaron's mark. And this new sense disturbed him greatly. When he prayed he felt nothing but a cold emptiness. Sometimes he did not bother to pray at all, thinking it useless, his cries in prayer ignored. He railed inwardly at Parso, at Airend-Ur, at Zigal and Ilim; at everyone for it. And Ephron's surliness was becoming a growing thorn in his side. From Ilim the prophet he knew that once a god worked within one, that one could sometimes be empowered with special gifts. Ilim had been thusly empowered, from Airend-Ur. Rapheth's growing powers of perception were drawing him away from the Light and Wisdom he sought from his own god, to something else and he was finding it difficult to swim against this current.
But these were things happening far beneath the surface of the banquet. What was on everyone's lips was celebration of the giants' defeat and the new alloy of steel. Gifts were given, songs were sung and everyone sat down to feast and drink and have a good time. The king, at least for the present, seemed merry enough. Once again the queen was not present and no one dared mention her at all.
Baudolino was explaining to him over a great mound of turnips in gravy and bacon over potatoes why the old Red Kings used tin for their tinkering machines.
"You see, these things used to fly all over the Middle Kingdom to send messages and in the latter part of the Great Age they were used in assassinations. Often they were lost and sometimes stolen and so they used tin in the beginning because though it is an important metal it was less precious than gold or silver, which were preferred for other crafts." Rapheth saw Shukala and Ephron enjoying the roasted fowl dishes and sweet pies with great relish. At least that did bring a small smile to his face.
"I had no idea." He said, taking a generous gulp of spiced wine. It burned pleasantly as it went down and covered his tongue in the delicious spices of clove, mace and cassia. There were eel pies and great of slabs of roasted beef, roasted bullbear, corned beef with turnips, roasted whole onions, potatoes, baked honey carrots, liver and kidney pies, squab and chicken stews, roasted peacock and loafs of breads galore with deep rich butter, blood puddings and a beef blood stew and boiled fish dishes, hard and soft cheeses and sugared dried fr
uits, pear and apple tarts and quince pies. There was lots of beef of which Rapheth had not ever eaten much of and he loved it. He ate mounds of it with roasted sweet onions. There was also honey mead and a dark ale. The king finally stood up and called for silence. The raucous laughter and boisterous noise slowly quieted down. Then he settled his gaze upon at Rapheth.
"These men from the southern part of the world, the Hybronians, have within them the skill and craft of their ancient forefathers. We all know and heartily acknowledge the birthplace of this great thing called Alchemy that all men from the West, the North, the South and the East received from the men of the Middle World, and each took to his respective peoples and nurtured that knowledge. Again Omun has channeled the great skilled ancestors of his past to bring us salvation. The sword birthed of iron but greater than iron. The sword of steel!" The king's voice was deep and eloquent. He raised his horn and drank to the deafening roar of the hundreds of men there who all raised their goblets or horns and drank to Omun, who was not there.
"Is that Omun there?" Asked one of the chieftains from the east of Dyrland looking to Rapheth.
"No. This is the young exiled prince, Rapheth of Dahlan, son of Khalit. Omun is hard at work in the castle forge." Said the king.
"Let this day be remembered. And let us have many more of them and wipe the Ohdrufrid and their black-hearted brethren from the land!" Said the king. Another roar went up. Ephron was grinning from ear to ear and his eyes shined from much drink. Rapheth could not help staring now that he was back among the little figures carved in the eaves of the ceiling. He wondered if they worked the same way he'd heard that the lattice windows in the walls of the Red Palace did - for secretly listening to others.
"And now we come to it!" The king smiled broadly. "I have promised you, Uwain, greatest of my thanes for bringing me this victory! What is it that you would ask of me? Ask and I shall grant it!" Said the king. Uwain stood up and bowed before the king. Then he paused.
"Your Grace! I do not ask anything for myself, for you have already given me many great things and bestowed upon me great honor. I ask this for the guests of my house. I ask that Omun the master-worker of steel that he be allowed to go home with his brothers. Ruz, his brother returns to his homeland. Rapheth goes back to his homeland. Omun wishes to follow and go with his brother and his prince. I ask you, Your Grace, to let Omun go back to Hybron as he himself wishes it." Said Uwain. There was nearly dead silence at this and only the lapping and licking of the fires could be heard. Uwain remained silent and standing, proudly awaiting the king's response. If he was nervous he did not show it. The king's face changed. His eyes glittered dangerously and his face became white as foam. But his smile was frozen there. Rapheth watched him closely. His hands, holding tight his grip on the drinking horn went from red to white. Nearly imperceptible, his stance did changed. He then relaxed the tension in his muscles again and raised his drinking horn high again.
"I shall abide by it. For why should I go back on my word? But who here will make the steel swords we need?"
"I have many skilled men in Grunhold who worked under Omun for years who have become as skilled as he, Your Grace. They can instruct the smiths here. The skills will remain in Dyrland while the man himself may depart to his homeland, Your Grace." Rapheth's opinion of Uwain which was already high had increased immeasurably. Uwain could have been stripped of his status and position and shamed in Aldeberg, in front of his men and family and the entire land. And all that for a man in his employ, an alien resident in the land. He himself could have exploited Omun in the worst way but did not. No wonder he served in the household of the former queen of his father. Ilim had mentioned Uwain in passing and now that he remembered it, Ilim had said he seemed an honorable man. Now Rapheth could see for himself. For what Uwain just did was dangerous.
"Rapheth, Prince of Hybron." Said the king, turning his attention to him again. Rapheth rose. "When will you be leaving?" Asked the king.
"Your Grace, not for a few weeks yet." Rapheth said.
"I shall send him along with you then. May your journey home be blessed." His smile was as bright as fire but it did not reach his eyes.
. . .
Later that week they were passing through the King's Gate. Rapheth and all his band were once again riding upon Baudolino's horses, who had been given a well needed rest and had been well taken care of at Grunhold. The horses had also been outfitted with old but good leather and cloth saddles. Omun had finally been released and allowed to go with them. They were given gifts of food and Uwain and his wife had given them a special quilt. A deep blue quilt dyed with glastum, what Baudolino called tinctoria, with silver and copper threads. It had sign of the kingberry stitched upon it. Also he gave them teraphim made of bone. Uwain had also managed another feat. He had gathered together a small group of Dyrlanders, mercenaries and landless men from poor families looking to make their fortune in the world. They were now waiting for them on the road, willing to travel with them back to Hybron. Rapheth thought on it. If he did win his kingship, he would richly reward such men if they proved loyal. Parso and Baudolino were not thrilled with the idea. Neither was Ruz but the others thought it good, especially Rhajit who himself had been an adventurer of sorts before joining with Rapheth.
"It will be an adventure for us all! They may be of great help." He said. They traveled with Uwain and the other southern chieftains for two days before it was time to part ways. They had come upon a small clearing and a little known path hidden behind a clump of kingberry bushes.
"Keep these with you while you travel. Follow this path to enter Icyt. Sometimes it appears to disappear. Continue eastward and you will always pick it up again."
"I suppose this will give us a head start?" Said Rapheth. Uwain nodded." Rapheth looked to Baudolino.
"Here is where we can actually start heading east, then." Muttered Baudolino to himself, who had taken out his compass again.
"May peace be upon you and your dear wife the Lady Idwil and to your new son and to your daughter. For your help to us we are deeply grateful and in your debt." Said Rapheth.
"May no man not be shown hospitality while he enters this land and under my roof." Said Uwain. "I was in a position to pay back all that your father did for me, so I did so. I hope that you find your way back to your place upon the throne of Hybron." He said proudly. Omun seemed very happy at last to be going home.
"You will be sorely missed, Omun. But your knowledge of metallurgy will remain."
"Especially I think in Hlothar Ulfberht. He is particularly gifted. And my brother and I shall miss your hospitality. Were it not for you, we should have frozen to death or starved. May the gods bless you." Ruz nodded happily.
"May the gods also bless you." Said Uwain. Rapheth gave Uwain a precious gift. One of his tinkering machine birds.
"It's from the Library of All Schools." Uwain's eyes widened.
"I have always wanted one. The queen Diti had machines like these that she used. A precious gift."
"Perhaps you can have a craftsman make another."
"I will see about it. Omun has taught quite a few men in this land the higher Golden Alchemical arts."
The frosts were melting but the air was becoming wet with mists and a light rain was beginning to fall. After their farewells and twenty-two more added to their retinue, Omun and Ruz were now among the band, Rapheth and his men started out northeast toward the land of Icyt.
. . .
The rain, once it started coming down, was relentless. Day and night they traveled and though the terrain was not difficult the rain made the journey hard and cold. During the nights they ate dried meat, hard bread and drank water, gathering it into the skins. Uwain had also given them flasks of good wine but they saved those. The dark forested lands of Dyrland gradually gave way to softer rolling hilltops. They had passed by a giant structure, tall, made of gray stone with narrow spires in a wide circle built around it and what looked like an altar under the roof. A holy place it see
med, reminiscent of the bone temple of the tribes in the desert that Rapheth heard descriptions about but never saw with his own eyes. Every now and then they would pass by hamlets; small groups of huts or modest round stone and rock houses, some with chimneys blowing smoke and walls made of unmortared stones. Then they would pass a few farms and also by very long stretches of green land where they saw no dwellings at all. They came again into a wood but this time the trees were smaller and less daunting, more gentle and far apart allowing sunlight to enter. This land of Icyt, or the border of it, seemed more gentle and less wild than Dyrland. More gentle greens against the backdrop of gray cloud-bursted sky and rain.
"I have never seen so much rain in all my life. In Hybron and Egi it rains only a month out of the year and in the winter time at that." Complained Ephron.
"Or on rare occasions when something strange is about to happen." Said Rhajit. Later that night they were sitting around a fire when Injol came back to the camp.
"Where were you? I did not see you leave, Injol. Have some bread." Parso threw him a piece. Omun sat examining the other tinkering bird Rapheth had given him to look at, as best he could under the fire light. Baudolino, given a small bundle of dry wood was keeper of the fires for them all that night and seemed to be able to make a fire even in all this wet around them. Rapheth was practicing his shadow night sword fighting with Ephron and Shukala, while Rhajit looked on. Luz was fast asleep.
"I have had a feeling for all this time Parso that we are being followed. I was not sure until now." Said Injol under his breath.
"Who is following us?"
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