The Quest tes-4

by Wilbur Smith

  'You lie,' Aquer cried. 'She is the goddess, the only true goddess.'

  'Then call upon your only true goddess now, Lord Aquer. Tell her that Taita of Gallala is about to kill you.'

  Aquer's eyes flew wide with consternation. 'You lie again,' he gasped.

  'You are not Taita. Taita was an old man, but by now he is dead.'

  'You are mistaken. It is Eos who is dead, and you who will be soon.'

  Still smiling, Taita tightened his grip on Aquer's wrists until he felt the bone begin to give. Aquer squealed and the dagger fell from his fingers.

  Taita sat up and twisted him round, pinning him so that he was helpless.

  At that moment Meren ran up. 'Shall I finish him?'

  'No.' Taita stopped him. 'Where is Sidudu? She is the one he has most sinned against.' He saw the two girls racing down the pathway from the top of the cliff. They came up to where Taita was holding Aquer.

  'Taita, we must fly! Onka has rallied his men and they are coming back across the ford in force!' Fenn cried. 'Finish this swine and let us ride.'

  Taita looked past her at Sidudu. 'This is the man who gave you to Onka,' he told her. 'He is the one who sent your friends up the mountain.

  Vengeance is yours.'

  Sidudu hesitated.

  'Take this dagger.' Meren picked up Aquer's fallen weapon and handed it to her.

  Fenn ran forward and ripped Aquer's helmet from his head. She seized a double handful of his hair and dragged his head backwards, exposing his throat. 'For yourself and for all the other girls he sent to the mountain,'

  she said. 'Cut his throat, Sidudu.'

  Sidudu's expression hardened with determination.

  Aquer saw death in her eyes and he struggled and whimpered, 'No!

  Please, listen to me. You are only a child. Such a heinous deed will scar your mind for ever.' His voice was broken and almost incoherent. 'You don't understand, I am anointed by the goddess. I had to do what she commanded. You cannot do this to me.'

  'I do understand,' Sidudu answered him, 'and I can do it.' She stepped up to him, and Aquer began to squeal. She laid the blade against the stretched skin of his neck just under his ear and drew it down in a long, deep stroke. The flesh opened and the great artery in the depths of the

  wound erupted. The breath whistled from his severed windpipe. His legs kicked spasmodically. His eyes rolled back in their sockets. His tongue protruded and he blubbered strings of blood and spittle.I Taita pushed him away and he rolled over to lie, like a slaughtered pig, face down in the spreading puddle of his own blood. Sidudu dropped the dagger and jumped back, staring down at the dying oligarch.

  Meren stepped up behind her and placed an arm round her shoulders.

  'It is done, and it was well done,' he said softly. 'Waste no pity on him.

  Now we must go.'

  As they ran to their horses they heard the shouts of Onka's men at the ford behind them. They mounted and dashed up the defile, with Taita and Windsmoke in the lead. They came out on top of the hills and paused to look down on a wide level plain of grassland that stretched ahead. In the blue distance they made out another line of hills, the peaks rugged and sharp.

  Sidudu pointed to a break in their silhouette. 'There is the Kitangule Gap where we are to meet Colonel That.'

  'How far is it?' Meren asked.

  'Twenty leagues, perhaps a little more,' Sidudu answered. They turned and looked back to the ford.

  At the head of his squadron Onka flogged his horse up the riverbank and shouted with anger when he saw the corpses of the oligarchs but came on all the faster.

  'Twenty leagues! Then we have a merry race ahead of us,' Meren said.

  They put the horses to the slope and flew down towards the plain.

  They reached it as Onka's men came boiling over the skyline of the hill behind them. With a chorus of savage yells they started down, the white ostrich plumes on Onka's helmet distinguishing him from his men.

  'No need to linger here,' called Taita. 'Let us be gone.'

  Within half a league it became apparent that the bay filly Sidudu rode could not keep up with the other horses. They had to moderate their pace to hers. Meren and Fenn dropped back beside her.

  'Courage!' Fenn called. 'We will not leave you.'

  'I can feel my horse weakening,' Sidudu cried.

  'Have no fear,' Meren told her. 'When she is blown, I will take you up behind me.'

  'No!' Fenn was emphatic. 'You are too heavy, Meren. The extra weight would kill your mount. Whirlwind can carry both of us with ease. I will take her.'

  Taita rose in the stirrups and looked back. The pursuit was spreading

  '¦ THE QUEST

  out as the faster horses pulled ahead, the slower ones dropping back.

  Onka's plumed helmet was conspicuous in the centre of the leading rank of three Jarrian horsemen. He was pushing hard, closing the gap steadily.

  As he urged Windsmoke onwards, Taita looked at the mountains ahead.

  He could now see the notch that marked the gap, but it was so distant that they could not hope to reach it before Onka was upon them.

  Then something else caught his eye. There was a fine smear of pale dust on the plain ahead. His heartbeat quickened, but he tried to control it.

  No time for false hope now. It is almost certainly a herd of gazelle or zebra. But as he thought it he saw under the dustcloud a bright flash of sunlight reflected off metal. 'Armed men!' he muttered. 'But are they Jarrian, or is it Hilto returning with the reinforcements?' Before he could decide, there was a faint shout from behind. He recognized Onka's voice.

  “I see you, you traitorous bitch! When I catch you I will rip out your womb. Then I will roast it and force it down your throat.'

  'Close your ears to his filth,' Fenn urged Sidudu, but tears ran down Sidudu's face and splattered the front of her tunic.

  'I hate him!' she said. 'I hate him with all my soul.'

  Behind them, Onka's voice was clearer and closer as he yelled, 'After you have dined, I will have you in the way you most hated. The last thing you will remember will be me inside your bowels. Even in hell you will never forget me.' Sidudu let out a racking sob.

  'You must not hearken to him. Close your ears and your mind,' Meren urged.

  “I wish I had died before you heard that,' she sobbed.

  'It means nothing. I love you. I will not let the swine harm you again.'

  At that moment Sidudu's filly stepped with its off fore into a mongoose burrow that was hidden in the long grass. The bone snapped like the breaking of a dry branch and her horse somersaulted. Sidudu was thrown headlong. At once Meren and Fenn wheeled back for her.

  'Get ready, Sidudu. I will pick you up,' Fenn called, but Sidudu rolled to her feet and turned to look back at the pursuit. By now Onka was well ahead of the men who followed him. He was leaning forward eagerly, pushing his horse to its top speed, bearing down on Sidudu.

  'Prepare to meet your constant lover! he shouted.

  Sidudu unslung the bow from her shoulder and reached for an arrow.

  Onka laughed with delight. 'I see you have a toy to amuse yourself. I have something better for you to play with before you die!'

  He had never seen her shoot. She took her stance and brought up the

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  bow. He was close enough now to see her face clearly. His mocking laughter died as he recognized the deadly anger in her eyes. She drew the fletching back to her lips. He sawed his horse's head round and tried to turn away. Sidudu loosed her arrow. It took him in the ribs and he dropped his sword to try with both hands to pluck it out, but the barbed head was buried deep. His horse pranced in a circle, righting against the curb. Sidudu shot again. He was turned away from her, and the arrow struck low in the centre of his back. It went deep and skewered his kidneys, inflicting a mortal, agonizing wound. He twisted to reach for the arrow. She shot again, hitting him in the chest, cutting through both lungs. He uttered a sound that was half groan and
half sigh, then fell backwards as his horse lunged under him. One of Onka's feet caught in the stirrup and his horse broke into a gallop, towing him away, the back of his head bouncing over the earth as the frantic animal kicked back with both hind legs at his corpse.

  Sidudu slung her bow over her shoulder and turned to meet Fenn as she galloped up. Fenn reached down, Sidudu jumped up and they linked arms. Fenn used Whirlwind's speed and impetus to swing her up over the hindquarters. Seated, Sidudu wrapped both arms round her friend's waist, and Fenn spun Whirlwind round.

  The next three Jarrians were close upon them, howling with anger at the killing of Onka. Meren met them head on. He cut one man down, and the others broke away rather than risk a collision. They circled him, waiting for an opening, but his blade danced in a glittering arc they could not penetrate. By this time Taita and the two Shilluk had taken in his predicament and were coming at full tilt to support him.

  'Nobly done!' Taita shouted to Fenn, as they passed each other. 'Now ride for the Gap. We will cover your retreat.'

  'I cannot leave you, Taita,' Fenn protested.

  'I will be close behind you!' he shouted over his shoulder, then plunged into the fray. He hacked one of the Jarrians from the saddle, and the other found himself heavily outnumbered, the rest of his squadron still far behind. He tried to defend himself, but Nakonto thrust his long spear into his side and Imbali swung her axe into his raised sword arm, severing it above the wrist. He broke away and galloped to meet his comrades, swaying in the saddle.

  'Let him go!' Taita ordered. 'Follow Fenn.' With the rest of the Jarrian squadron coming up behind them, they raced away. Taita gazed ahead: the band of strange horsemen was much closer now. They were heading directly towards each other.

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  THE QUEST

  'If they are Jarrians we will fort the horses and stand to meet them,'

  Taita shouted. They would form the animals in a circle, dismounting behind them, and use their bodies as a defensive wall.

  Taita watched the newcomers intently. His eyesight was so acute now that he recognized the leading rider even before Meren or Fenn could.

  'Hilto!' he cried. 'It is Hilto.'

  'By the sweet breath of Isis, you're right!' Meren shouted. 'By the look of it, he has brought half of Tinat's regiment with him.' They slowed to a trot as they waited for Hilto to come up. This confused the pursuing Jarrians, who had thought the interlopers were a detachment of their own forces. They halted uncertainly.

  'By the wounded eye of Horus, you are welcome, Hilto, old friend,'

  Meren greeted him. 'As you see, we have left a few of the rascals for you to test your blades upon.'

  'Your kindness is overwhelming, my colonel.' Hilto laughed. 'We will make the most of it. We do not need your help. Ride on to where Colonel That Ankut awaits you at the Kitangule Gap. It will not be long before we are free to follow you.'

  Hilto galloped on with Tinat's men in a tight group behind him.

  He gave the order and they extended their line into battle formation. He led them in the charge straight at the milling Jarrians. They crashed into them and sundered their ranks. Then they chased them back in rout across the plain the way they had come, cutting them down as they overhauled the winded horses.

  Taita led his own band on towards the blue hills. As they caught up with the two girls on Whirlwind, Meren reined in beside them. 'You shot like a demon,' he told Sidudu.

  'Onka brought out the demon in me,' she told him.

  'Methinks you have paid off all your debts in gold coinage. Now you and your demon can sleep peacefully at night.'

  'Yes, Meren,' she answered demurely. 'But I never wanted to be a warrior - it was forced upon me. Now I would rather be a wife and mother.'

  'A most laudable aspiration. I am certain you will find a good man to share it with you.'

  'I hope so, Colonel Cambyses.' She looked at him from under lowered eyelashes. 'A short while ago you spoke to me of love .. .'

  'Whirlwind is already tiring under the great weight Fenn is forcing him to carry,' Meren said seriously. 'I have room for you behind me. Will you not come across to me?'

  'With the greatest pleasure, Colonel.' She held out her arms to him.

  He swung her across effortlessly and placed her behind his saddle. She circled his waist with both arms, and laid her head between his shoulder blades. Meren could feel her trembling against him, and occasionally her body heaved with a sob before she could choke it back. His heart ached. He wanted to protect and look after her for as long as they should live. He rode on after Taita and Fenn, with Nakonto and Imbali bringing up the rear.

  Before they reached the foothills, Hilto and his squadron caught up with them. Hilto came forward to report to Meren. 'We killed seven and took their horses,' he said. 'The rest would not stand to fight. I let them go rather than follow them. I could not be sure what enemy force might be coming behind them.'

  'You did well, Hilto.'

  'Shall 1 bring one of the captured horses for little Sidudu to ride?'

  'No, thank you. You have done enough for the present. She is quite safe where she is. I am sure there will be need for more horses when we catch up with That. Keep them until then.'

  As they climbed the track through the foothills towards the Gap they met the tail end of the long procession of refugees. Most were on foot, although those who were too sick or weak to walk were being pushed in two-wheeled handcarts or carried on litters by their families or comrades.

  Fathers had small children on their shoulders and some of the women had infants strapped to their backs. Most recognized Meren and called to him as he passed, 'The blessings of all the gods upon you, Meren Cambyses. You have released us from bitter durance. Our children will be free.'

  The young girls they had released from the breeding pens ran beside Fenn and Sidudu, trying to touch them. Some were weeping with the strength of their emotion. 'You have saved us from the mountain of no return. We love you for your compassion and your courage. Thank you, Sidudu. The blessings of all the gods on you, Fenn.'

  None recognized Taita, although the women gazed with interest at the young man with the penetrating gaze and commanding presence as he rode by. Fenn was acutely aware of their interest and moved closer to him in a proprietary fashion. With these lets and delays their ascent of

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  THE QUEST

  the hills was slow and the sun was setting before they reached the crest and stood once again in the Kitangule Gap.

  That had seen them coming, from the watch-tower of the border fort.

  He clambered down the ladder and strode out through the gate to meet them. He saluted Meren embraced Fenn and Sidudu, then stared at Taita. 'Who is this?' he asked. 'I do not trust him, for he is too pretty by a long way.'

  'You may trust him with your life,' Meren said. 'The truth is that you already know him well. I will explain later, though it is not likely you will believe me when I do.'

  'You vouch for him, Colonel Meren?'

  'With all my heart,' said Meren.

  'And with all of mine,' said Fenn.

  'And mine,' said Sidudu.

  'Mine also,' said Hilto.

  That shrugged and frowned. 'I find myself in the minority, yet still I reserve my final judgement.'

  'Once again I am grateful to you, Colonel That,' Taita said quietly.

  'As I was at Tamafupa when you rescued us from the Basmara.'

  'You were not among those I found at Tamafupa,' said That.

  'Ah, you have forgotten.' Taita shook his head. 'Then surely you recall escorting Meren and me down from the Cloud Gardens after his eye surgery. That was the first time you revealed your true loyalty and your longing to return to our very Egypt. Do you recall how we discussed Eos and her powers?'

  That stared at Taita, and his stern expression crumbled. 'Lord Taita!

  Magus! Did you not perish on the mountain in the Cloud Gardens?

  Surely this cannot be you!'

/>   'Most surely it can and is,' Taita smiled, 'although I admit to certain changes in my appearance.'

  'You have become a young man! It is a miracle that defies belief, yet your voice and eyes convince me that it is true.' He ran forward and took Taita's hand in a powerful grip. 'What has become of Eos and her oligarchs?'

  'The oligarchs are dead, and Eos no longer threatens us. That is enough for now. How stand your present circumstances?'

  'We surprised the Jarrian garrison here. There were only twenty men and none escaped. We threw their corpses into the gorge. See? The vultures have already found them.' That pointed up at the carrion

  birds circling in the sky above. 'I have sent a hundred men to seize the boatyard at the headwaters of the Kitangule river, and to secure the vessels lying there.”

  'You have done good work,' Taita commended him. 'Now you must go down to the boatyard and take command there. Assemble the vessels, and as our people arrive embark them and send them down the river, with a good pilot to guide them. The whole flotilla will muster again on the shores of Lake Nalubaale, at the place where we disembarked to hunt the beast with the nose horn.'

  'I remember it well.'

  'On your way down the mountain, leave a gang of twenty good axemen at the bridge over the gorge. They will cut down the bridge and let it drop into the gorge after the last of our people have passed over.'

  'What will you do?'

  'Meren and I will wait here at the fort with some of the men you sent with Hilto. We will delay the Jarrian pursuit until the bridge is down.'

  'As you command, Lord Taita.' That hurried away, shouting for his captains.

  Taita turned back to Meren. 'Send Hilto, the two Shilluk and as many men as we can spare back down the path to give assistance to our refugees. They must hurry them. Look! The main Jarrian army is not far behind us.' He pointed back down the mountain the way they had come up. In the distance, far out on the plain, they could see the dustclouds, as red as spilt blood in the setting sun, that the Jarrian chariots and the marching legions had raised.

  Taita took Fenn with him to make a rapid inspection of the small fort and the defences in the throat of the Gap and he found them rudimentary, the walls low and in poor repair. However, the arsenal and the quarter-master's store were well stocked, as were the kitchen and larder.