Comet Fall (Wine of the Gods)

by Pam Uphoff

  He looked back at her with a wry smile. "A blessing in disguise."

  "No kidding. The Valasik's have been doing a bit of back and forthing, and they say the gold rush has really made things difficult in Gemstone. All those men, no women except for the whores who've set up shop, and they're making them stay down in the shanty towns. They don't want the problems following the whores into Gemstone."

  "They've built a town two days south of Gemstone. And they move all the gold south through Farofo." The Auld Wulf snorted. "The mayor, Jin Genero, is a natural wizard. He's what you get when a strong wizard isn't castrated. Tends to be in the right place at the right time. Say the right thing. Does exactly what is needed, before the need surfaces. Unfortunately he worships the God of War, so I can't not pay attention when he prays, curses or thinks really hard. So I've been following the problem, like it of not."

  "Oh dear." Rustle looked over as the door opened. "Yes Xen, the red pup is a good one too." She watch him march back outside with it. There were other people out there, laughter in a deep male voice. But no one came in to interrupt them.

  "Rustle, anytime you need help, just call me."

  She smiled wryly. "I always have. Perhaps I need to bother you less."

  His turn to stop and look to the door. "What's this? You've got another new one."

  "Can I have three puppies, Dad? There's three puppies left. My red one and my black one and this one. She'll be lonely if I don't take her too." He rubbed his cheek on the puppy. "She's all silky."

  Rustle sat up. "Now wait a bit. How did you get to two of them being yours?"

  "I talked to Uncle Havi. He said a couple of dogs might be a good idea, because of wolves."

  "Well . . . I suppose he has a point there. But we really ought to get back to the ruins." She eyed the puppy. Would puppies keep him busy? Out of trouble? Would three full grown dogs be enough protection in the New Lands? In New Tokyo? Half Hellhounds?

  "There are wolves in the ruins! And pirates! They can help protect the fort from pirates!"

  "Umm, well, if the pups are a problem they can spend some time in a bubble." Rustle nodded. "Yes, you may have three puppies. And since we're done practicing, perhaps we should use the corridors and get back to New Tokyo."

  Xen shook his head. "Will you show me how to travel, Dad? That would be more fun."

  Rustle eyed him, a bit askance. "I think perhaps, Xen, we should concentrate on house breaking your puppies, first. All three of them. Actually we need to go see Havi for a bit. Wolf? Will you give us a ride? I can't get to their Summer Camp. No hot springs. The other witches went back earlier today . . . they've probably already been put to work."

  Xen hugged the latest puppy. "You can come home with me too. Even if you are afraid of wolves."

  Rustle hoped he was guessing and herded him out to the box of puppies, with the hungry pair left there. "We'll get these guys home, and get them some food and milk really soon. They are just babies, after all. We'll take a few days, load up on stuff for them, then head back to Asia."

  Xen added the third pup to the box. "Maybe they can help open the temples. They're very smart puppies."

  Chapter Twenty-six

  1374 Late Spring

  New Tokyo

  The Temple of the Tower had opened after a group of guards snuck away with a large amount of the Veronians' stash of distilled liquors and got stinking drunk outside the ornate portico. Again, an internal barrier stopped them from entering the next room.

  "Vice." Rustle decided. "Showing mercy opened the Goddess of Mercy's barriers. So if this is Vice's home, we'll need a bit more, er . . . " She looked around at Whoop and Verse.

  Whoop grinned and whispered something in Verse's ear. They both looked over at the Mages.

  Rustle sighed. "Ask, Gre, I think we are too nice for this job. Let's go camp down the slope a bit."

  Gre shot a glance at Oscar and Bran. Who appeared to be suppressing grins.

  Oscar drew Gre aside. Rustle could just barely hear him.

  "Guard them. I know the witches think they're all powerful, but sometimes a sword is the best way to deal with a problem."

  Gre nodded seriously and practically herded them away.

  At midnight the witches bolted out of the building. Whoop stopped to retch at the edge of the paved perimeter. Verse swung back and pulled her away.

  "Rustle! There's, there's this hideous . . . " She flapped a hand at the building then clapped a hand over her own mouth.

  Rustle turned to Ask. "Go get Lefty and Lord Andre. Gre, come with me."

  Oscar and Bran were looking through a broad doorway, From the back she could see their stiff muscles. Oscar flicked her a brief glance, as if he dare not take his eyes off of something for too long.

  Rustle edged up and took a peek. Stared in disbelief.

  The hideous statue inside was almost enough to send her running off, possibly stopping long enough to relieve her churning stomach.

  Oscar and Bran were both experienced travelers, experienced rakes. And looked upset.

  "That is so horrible I'm not even ashamed to admit I'm afraid to be in there alone with it." Oscar braced his shoulders and walked in.

  Bran nodded agreement, and edged into the room.

  Gre was frozen.

  Rustle walked in and circled the horrible . . . tableau.

  They all recognized half of the sculpture.

  "That's Ba'al!" Rustle shivered.

  "I thought he was dead, or something." Lord Andre strode through the first doors. And stopped dead. Swallowed. "I do see the resemblance. And that was an animated statue, in Karista, not the actual god, right?"

  "I don't know." Bran walked around the . . . scene . . . again.

  "I wonder who she is?" Oscar said. "Surely not a goddess, I mean a god couldn't do that to a goddess, right?"

  Gre paled and rushed outside.

  Bran reached out and felt one of the chains leading from a post to the female statue's wrist. "It's all metallic, cast in one piece. Or is it like that stuff on Ba'al?"

  They all glanced Rustle, but fleetingly, as if they really didn't dare to turn their backs on the . . . other figure.

  "It's a bubble, turned inside out. The inside is all bronzy like this. It's time to call in the reinforcements." Rustle pulled out her pad of paper.

  Have found the God of Vice. Need help, bring Gisele. Maybe Harry and Romeau too. She charmed it and tucked it into her pouch.

  "I don't know how long that will take." She shivered and looked away from the . . . statues. "I don't want to be the one who pops them out of their bubble."

  "I don't think I want to meet a god that keeps a sculpture of a rape, torture, and cannibalistic dismembering in his front room," Bran said.

  They all nodded.

  "Especially if it's not a statue."

  ***

  Five figures stepped out of nowhere.

  Lord Andre looked at the reinforcements a bit dubiously. Two of the men were quite large, and well armed. But the old man leaning on the spear, and the little old lady, with the basket full of bottles and jars . . . well, maybe they were magic users. Or experts on perverted statuary. He'd met the beautiful blonde woman, Prince Rufi's illegitimate daughter . . .

  Lord Andre edged over to the door. "Ah, err, really, there's something in here that really oughtn't be seen by a Lady . . . "

  Rustle cleared her throat. "Lord Andre, you remember Lady Never Happydaut, and this is Dydit Twicecutt, the Auld Wulf, Harry and Lady Gisele. Brace yourselves and take a look inside."

  The biggest man led the way. The Auld Wulf was an interestingly anachronistic name, occasionally used in myths, usually applied to the God of War, but sometimes the God of Wine, Virility, or Hunting. Dydit was a Scoonian name, not often used in modern times. Twicecutt was the sort of secondary name the old Scooners had been said to adopt to brag or joke.

  They all circled the statuary with still faces. Equidistant around it, they stood silently for a long moment.


  Lady Gisele spoke first. "Well, we all know Ba'al. Barry Virtue. This is his twin brother Edmund. While I take care of Logic, the rest of you should feel free to kill Edmund."

  Lord Andre shifted uncertainly. "You don't mean to imply that these are the actual gods, do you? I mean he's got her breast. He's cut off and is eating her . . . "

  "Yes, Dear. He's actually been torturing and eating her for about a thousand years. Now, do step outside. I'm afraid this is going to get messy when we break the bubble."

  Never and Rustle took his arms and led him outside.

  Lefty stepped out and ordered his soldiers completely back off the pavement.

  "How can they fight a god?" Lord Andre said.

  Never smiled at him, "Well three of them are gods, and Dydit is, or was, one of the Black Goats—an eight hundred year old trained Scoone wizard. Oscar and Bran are pretty damn resourceful as well."

  Oh. Of course. Harry is the secret name of the Traveling God, the God of Roads. Lord Andre wondered if perhaps he would have learned more about the ancient past if he'd been a priest instead of a scientist.

  From just outside the door it was rather unspectacular.

  "Ah, there's the opening. Hmm, three bubbles, one right on top of the next. There's one peeled." The God of War was just standing there, talking about bubbles? "And two. Get ready. Go."

  An agonized scream echoed through the room and laughter. The screaming went on but the laughter shut off abruptly. A few thumps and then cursing.

  "Where'd he go?" Harry growled.

  Lord Andre braced himself and looked in.

  Dydit was shaking his hands and cussing under his breath. No sign of the male statue.

  "Southwest. Far." The War God started cutting chain, apparently simply by wrapping a hand around it.

  Lady Gisele was forcing nasty colored things down the woman's throat and the screams turned into whimpers. The old woman looked around. "Never. Help me move her. You men stay away, she's very dangerous just now. Get out of the doorway you fools, don't you think he's going to want his temple?"

  Lord Andre backpedaled uncertainly, and followed them all the way out and beyond the pavement

  "Now, you gentlemen back off, Never and I have a nasty bit of repair to do, and I doubt it will be good for your digestions."

  The old man sniffed, but hobbled off. Funny how a moment ago he hadn't seemed a bit stiff or lame.

  Feminine cursing rose behind them. There was too much pain in it to be an improvement over screaming. But it subsided into panting, and sudden silence.

  Lord Andre cast a quick look over his shoulder and saw that Lady Gisele and the injured woman were gone. Was that the Goddess of Healing?

  Oscar and Bran edged back toward the temple.

  "You know, if you think he'll summon this to him, we could set up some traps, ambush . . . "

  The temple disappeared, raising a bit of a breeze as air flowed in to fill the space. Oscar and Bran were gone with it.

  "Those two get into the worst trouble." Harry shook his head. "I hope they remember to call if they're in too deep this time."

  The gods closed up on Never and Dydit, reaching for them. Harry caught Lord Andre's eye. "That strange building over there? It belongs to the God of Art. Try drawing or painting right by the doors, to open them." Then they were all gone.

  Lord Andre looked around in dismay.

  "They do tend to come and go rather abruptly." Rustle's eyes unfocused a bit. "Ask is in labor? That's a bit early!" She loped away, toward the fort.

  Lefty was off to the side with Gre, who for once resembled his name.

  "Do you know," Lord Andre addressed the bright dry air. "I quite enjoyed the academic life, writing papers on discoveries someone else sweated to make. I hope to hell that somewhere there's some dry, boring old fool who can take my hysterical babbling and write a nice dry paper about them. The very idea is so normal it settles my over-fevered brain." He turned and headed for the camp. Drawing paper. Most likely Oscar and Bran had some for their mapping work, and charcoal and pencils and pens . . . colors . . . He wondered if any of the soldiers had any artistic talent.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  1374 Summer Solstice

  Karista

  Colonel Lord Byson Treham finished going over all the material. Shut the last file with a sigh.

  "Throwing me to the wolves, Uncle King?"

  "Yep," the old man nodded with satisfaction. "I need someone I can trust out there, and you are it. We've got one long term, successful community, a new one with a proper land grant, plus this Lucky Strike and five more smaller boom towns that have sprung up like mushrooms out there. The Auralians are out there, somewhere, and they need to be found and shoved back out. This is on top of the ordinary banditry that's going on. Now, I know you don't like to leave Eltia and the kids, but it will be awhile before it's safe for them out there."

  "I know, sir, and I know I've been lucky to have been separated so infrequently so far. We'll be fine." Byson's eyes drifted to the map. "You've split the New Lands into the three Territories, so far."

  "Yes. You'll be responsible for the town of Lucky Strike and everything south of there. Jin Genero will handle everything north of there."

  "And this Rip Crossing is too distant from everything to draw outside trouble."

  "So far."

  Two days later Territorial Marshal Treham was in the saddle at the head of three hundreds of cavalry. Once he had surveyed the situation, he would requisition more troops of whatever type he needed. City Guards, trained police for the boom towns, would probably be high on his list.

  Twenty-five days got them to Fort Stag.

  "Damn good thing Rufi warned me!" Bail was showing his age, gray haired, muscles gone wiry. "I laid in more feed and food, and shipped a bunch over the mountains."

  "You're wasted up here, Bail. I can't believe they let you stay once the road was finished." Byson grinned at his old commander. "And don't tell me about all the damage you have to fix every spring. I've done enough of it myself."

  "Well, you'll find the road in good shape." Bail smirked. "Wait till you see the new bridge over the Feather."

  Byson snorted. "I've heard. I've also heard that you can't take credit for building it yourself."

  Bail chuckled. "No, but it is startling. I assumed from Rufi's letter that you'd be heading south for Gemstone, so I sent the supply wagons that way. If you've got other plans, there's a couple of witches along, we can get a message sent."

  Byson shook his head. "I really don't want to have anything to do with Ash. I think I'll just leave it a young man's fantasy."

  "Probably wise. Although the witches you tangled with are all older now, less alluring with multiple children."

  "Less alluring? Ha! I see Never occasionally, and less alluring just isn't true. I doubt Mostly and Likely are any less spectacular as mature women than they were as young ones."

  "Three of them, goodness I hadn't realized."

  "Only two," Byson said defensively. "I never did catch Never. I think she fell in love with a goat."

  Bail snorted. "However, getting back to business, Rufi said you might be dragging me out there to build you some forts?"

  "Yep. I need to see the ground first, but I think I'll be splitting the hundreds. The only question is, how far south do I want to draw the line. Then I'll want a presence in all these boom towns. Permanent offices for some City Guards with enough stabling and barracks for patrols when they come through."

  Bail nodded. "I see. The main challenge will be the lack of wood. Give me as much lead time as you can. I can have lumber brought up through Farofo or from here. Stone for all the walls, of course."

  ***

  In the lead supply wagon, Dydit made it to Gemstone barely a day ahead of the Western Troops.

  The valley took his breath away. No matter how many times people had said 'circular valley' he hadn't pictured an impact crater ten miles across. It even had a classic upraised cent
er where the town proper had been built, to save as much of the floor of the valley for crops as possible. The road followed the course of a brisk stream through the only large breach in the crater wall, and Jin met them there.

  "Dydit! I was wondering if I'd recognize anyone."

  "Jin, good to see you again . . . where did you get that horse!"

  The man was riding a tall palomino, both muscular and elegant. Maybe a Sun Gold foal? He was a lot like Sun Gold, even in color, except for the creamy mane and tail.

  "Beat up the God of Peace, kept the horse as spoils." Jin was absolutely straight faced.

  Dydit studied the horse. "Unfortunately I can't laugh in your face when you're riding that."

  "Gods dropped a bit in my estimation, the way that one treated Guy, here."

  "Guy?"

  "Well I don't know what his name used to be, and by the time I'd been saying 'hey guy' to him for a month, it had stuck."

  "And no bit?"

  "Nope, nor anything tight around the muzzle. He neck reins, and I swear he understands what I say."

  "If he's anything like Sun Gold or Jet he probably does."

  Jin nodded. "Dydit, you're a wizard, right?"

  "Right. Thank you for not adding 'goat' to the description, even though it is unfortunately accurate."

  "There are a number of boys here who were fathered by the goat wizards. They need some guidance. Badly."

  "Hmm, well without that nasty little operation that was so popular in Scoone in my day, they'll be like you. A lot of subconscious magic, but no serious power behind it."

  Jin choked faintly.

  "What? No one ever told you you were a wizard? You never wondered how you managed to be in the right place at the right time, said exactly the right thing, had just what you needed for the job you actually wound up doing?"

  "Uhhh."

  Dydit grinned. "Of course I'll talk to your kids. Now, where are you going to park three hundreds of cavalry for the night?"

  He left the wagons and drovers setting up camp for the troops and rode Brighty into town with Jin. Another Sun Gold daughter. He was definitely going to have to stop by on the way home . . . Damn it, at this rate he wasn't going to have a single horse left in rideable condition next year. He chatted amiably through dinner. Jin's wife was quite a cook, and his three kids . . . the oldest was clearly a Goat Boy, the youngest not only looked like Jin but showed the subconscious reactions of a future wizard. The daughter was in between the boys in age, and he'd seen too many young women growing up to mistake what he was seeing. Jin's subconscious wizardry had apparently led him to marry a woman with a single wizard X. All three kids had serious magical potential.