Soldier of the Mist

by Gene Wolfe

Page 13

 

  When I had put the disks in the room Kalleos had given me, I returned to the courtyard, where she had greeted her guests and was making them comfortable on the couches she bought this afternoon.

  "Hypereides," she said, pouring his wine herself, "Ive a proposal to make to you. "

  He smiled. "No one can say he found Hypereides unready for business. "

  "I told you thered be nobody here tonight but you and your guests. If youll look around, youll see Ive kept my word. "

  "Youve cheated me already," Hypereides told her. "The stars are coming. But never mind, I wont ask for my slave back. Only for the black one, whom you took without a by-your-leave. "

  "Certainly," Kalleos said. "I thought he was a free sailor when I borrowed him. He can return with you in the morning. But Hypereides, a friend of mine dropped in today when he heard I was back in the city. Hes as merry a fellow as youll ever meet, full of jokes and stories, I promise you. If you dont want him to join your party, just say so and I swear youll never see him. But if youve no objection, Ill be forever grateful. And of course therell be no charge to him or you. His names Eurykles of Miletos. "

  At that moment, one of the women came to tell me the food had arrived, and I went to the rear entrance to help the cookshop owner and the black man unload.

  Kalleos came just as we were finishing. "Good, good! Theyre all hungry. Do you know anything about food, Latro?"

  "I dont remember," I told her.

  "I suppose not. " She looked at the trays I was making up. "At least youre doing well enough so far.

  The girls will carry them in, understand? You dont go in again unless theres trouble. I dont expect any tonight, but you never can tell. Try to stay awake and dont drink, and everything will be fine. Sometimes a girl screams and sometimes she screams. You know what I mean?"

  "I think so. "

  "Well, dont go in unless one screams. Got it? If all of them start screaming, come fast. Dont draw that sword unless you have to, and dont use it no matter what. Whered you get it, anyway?"

  "From the Swift God," I said, and only when I had spoken realized I did not know what I meant by what I had said.

  "You poor boy. " Kalleos kissed me lightly on the cheek. "Phye, dear, get some of those lazy sluts in here to take these trays so the man has room to work. Tune your lyre if you havent already, and tell the flute girls to fetch their whistles. But wait till the trays have been brought in before you start. "

  "I know," Phye said. "I know. "

  Turning back to me, Kalleos shook her head. " Wine, music, and women - what else does a man need? Thats what your friend the poet asked me. And do you know, I nearly told him. Meat, for one thing; veal and lamb, and they cost me - I wont say, it isnt polite, but a lot. Not to mention some nice fish, three kinds of cheese, bread, figs, grapes, and honey. And tomorrow youll sweep half of it off the floor. You didnt come free, Latro, let me tell you. " She paused, studying me. "You know, I used to be a slave myself. From up north. "

  I said, "I wondered, because of your coloring. Very few people here have red hair or blue eyes. "

  "Im a Budini, or I was. I dont even remember their words any more. Somebody stole me, I think, when I was just a little girl. " She paused again. "Do you want to be free, Latro?"

  "I am free," I told her. "Its only that I dont remember. "

  She sighed. "Well, as long as you dont, youre going to have to have somebody around who does and will tell you what to do. I suppose it might as well be me. "

  When all the food was ready, I went to the courtyard arch to listen to the flutes; but in a few moments Pindaros came out and drew me back into the kitchen. "Hypereides has sold you to Kalleos," he said.

  "Yes, Ive been working for her. "

  "That puts me in serious difficulties, as I hope you understand. "

  I told him that until I found my home and friends I would be as happy in this place as in any.

  "Your happiness - permit me to speak frankly - doesnt much concern me now. The pledge I made in the temple of the Shining God does. I promised to take you to the shrine of the Great Mother. Ive done my best so far, and I must say the Shining Gods rewarded me handsomely: Ive heard the playing of a god and your singing. Thats a privilege given few, and its improved my own poetry almost beyond belief. But if I return to my city without fulfilling my vow . . . "

  "Yes?" I asked.

  "He may take it away - thats what Im afraid of. And even if he doesnt, someones bound to ask about our visit to the shrine. What am I to say? That Ive left you here a slave while I raise the money to buy your freedom? What will they think of me? Weve got to work out something. "

  "Ill try," I told him.

  He patted my back. "I know you will, and so will I. And if I can get you to the shrine, perhaps youll be cured. Then well worry about your happiness, both of us. Probably youll want to return to your homeland, as you say, and Ill arrange passage for you on some trading ship. The wars nearly over now, and the merchants will be sailing again. "

  "Id like that," I said. "To return home and find people I wont forget. "

  Over Pindaross shoulder, I saw the rear door swing back very quietly. For an instant, the black man looked in. When he saw us, he held a finger to his lips, then gestured for me to join him and shut the door again.

  "Youd better go back in there," I told Pindaros. "Before youre missed. Ill remember. "

  "It doesnt matter," he said. "They think Im relieving myself. "

  "Pindaros, is your Shining God a very great god?"

  "One of the greatest. Hes the god of music and poetry, of light, sudden death, herds and flocks, healing, and much more. "

  "Then if he wishes me to visit this shrine, I will do so. He trusted you to guide me; I think you should trust him to guide us. "

  Pindaros shook his head as if in wonder. "Is it because you cant remember the past that youre so wise, Latro?"

  We chatted for a few moments more, he telling me about the refitting of Hypereidess ships and I telling him of the work the black man and I had done for Kalleos.

  "Youve accomplished wonders," Pindaros told me. "Its almost as though I were at some dinner in our own city. Do you think theyll ask me to recite?"

  "I imagine so," I said.

  He shook his head again. "Thats the trouble with being a poet: your friends all think youre a public entertainer. Worse luck, I dont have anything suitable. Ill dodge it if I can - propose singing or games. "

  "Im sure youll think of something. "

  Turning away, he muttered, "Id a hundred times sooner think of a way to get you to the shrine. "

  As soon as he had left, I hurried to the rear door. The black man grinned at me from the darkness outside and held up a sleeping child. "Io. "

  I nodded, for I recalled her from this morning when we were still on Hypereidess ship.

  He stepped into the kitchen, where there was more light, and walked his fingers through the air, holding her cradled in one arm.

  I said, "All that way? No wonder shes tired. I suppose she followed Pindaros and the rest, staying far enough behind to keep out of sight. "

  The black man motioned for me to come, and carried her to one of the roofless sleeping rooms.

  There he laid her on some discarded gowns and put his finger to his lips.

  "No," I told him. "If she wakes without knowing how she got here, shell be frightened. " I do not know how I knew that. I knew it as I know many other things. I shook her gently, saying, "Io, why did you come so far?"

  She opened her eyes. "Oh, master!"

  "You should have stayed with the woman," I told her.

  She whispered, "I dont belong to her. I belong to you. "

  "Something bad might have happened to you on the road, and in the morning well have to send you back to the ships. "

  "I belong to you. The Shining God sent me to take care of you. "

  "The Shining God sent Pindaros," I told her, "or so he says. "
<
br />   Sleepily, she rolled her head from side to side. "The oracle sent Pindaros. The god sent me. "

  It seemed futile to argue. I said, "Io, you must be quiet and stay in this room. See, Im covering you with some of these so you wont get cold. If Kalleos or her women see you, they may make you leave. If they do, go to the back of the house and wait for me. "

  She was sleeping again before I finished. The black man laid a wooden doll beside her and stretched himself beside the doll.

  "Yes," I said. "Its better that she have a protector. "

  He nodded - and fell asleep himself, I think, before I had left the room.

  Now I sit on a broken chair near the courtyard door, where I can hear Phyes songs. There is a lamp here with a good wick and a fine, bright flame, so here I watch the stars and the waning moon; and write everything that has happened today, so I will not sleep. If Kalleos were to beat me, I might kill her; I do not wish that, and I too might die. It is better to write, though my eyes water and burn.

  It is later, and Phye no longer sings. Pindaros suggested they play kottabos, and I, not knowing how it was played, stood under the lintel for a time to watch. Pindaros drew a circle on the floor and a line at some distance from it.

  Everyone stood behind this line; and as each drained his cup, he threw the lees at the circle.

  When several rounds had been played, Eurykles proposed that the loser of the next tell a tale, and Pindaros seconded him. Hypereides lost, and I sit listening to him (though I do not think I shall trouble to record his tale here) while I write.

  Chapter 15 The Woman Who Went Out

  Phyes tale had not yet begun when a shout of laughter woke me. No doubt she had missed the circle purposely, or perhaps one of the men had pinched her as she threw, or jostled her arm. I give here as much of it as I recall:

  Once there was a woman whose husband was very rich but would never give her any money. They had an estate outside the city and a fine house in it, with many slaves and so on, but her gowns were still the gowns she had brought from her fathers house, and her husband would not buy her so much as a comb.

  One day when she lay weeping on her bed, her maid discovered her there. Now her maid was a Babylonian and as clever as all the people of that city are, and so she said, "My lady, I can guess easily enough why you weep. Its because all the other ladies hereabout have lovers to entertain them, and buy them silver bracelets and curios from Riverland, and talking birds that tell them how beautiful they are even when their lovers arent around to do it. While you, poor thing, have only that ugly old fool your husband, a skinflint who never gives you so much as a sparrow. "

  "No," said her mistress, "its because he never gives me any money. "

  "Thats what I said," said her maid. "For we women, men and money are the same thing, after all.

  Have I ever told you how we girls get our dowries in Babylon?"

  "No," said the mistress again. "But please do, even if it isnt a very good story. Because hearing even a poor story would be better than lying on this barren bed crying away my life. "

  "Why, its no story at all," said her maid, "but the plain truth. When a girl in my city approaches the age of marriage, she sells herself to whatever men she likes for as much as theyll pay. In that way the best looking soon accumulate a great deal of money and so get a handsome husband, and soon after, many comely children. By the same token, homely girls get none, and thus it is that we Babylonians are the best-looking people in the whole world. " (Here Phye, whom I was watching by this time through the doorway, patted her hair to considerable laughter and applause. ) "Though you, my lady, would be thought lovely anywhere, I must say. "

  "Thats extremely interesting," said her mistress, "and I certainly never knew it. But it doesnt do me the least good; Im married already, so I dont need another dowry. "

  "True," said her maid. "But suppose you were to go out at night and make whatever handsome men you meet the same sort of offer our Babylonian girls do? Youd have a handsome lover for the night, and very quickly a great deal of money. "

  "Its certainly a most attractive idea," her mistress admitted, "but it seems to me that its out of the question. My husband sleeps with me every night. If he were to wake and find me gone . . . Now that you mention it, I suppose it might be possible to administer some sort of mild and harmless medication that would assure him of a good nights sleep. Do you happen to know of a dealer in such preparations?"

  Her maid shook her head sadly. "Most of them are ineffective, my lady, and even the worst cost a great deal. But I know a trick worth a dozen of them, if you can tell me where to find the last resting place of an amorous woman. "

  "Really?" said her mistress. "Magic? How fascinating! You know, my cousin Phylliss grave is only a short walk from here. Would that do, do you think?"

  "I dont know," said the maid. "Was she fond of men?"

  "Extremely," said her mistress. "And when she died, one of my uncles he-goats wouldnt eat for a month. "

  "Then shed be perfect," said the maid. "Heres all we have to do. At dinner tonight, you must slip something into your husbands food that will make him ill - "

  "Night soil, you mean?" her mistress suggested.

  The maid shook her head. "Too obvious . . . I have it! Hes accustomed to rancid oil - its the only sort hell let us buy for the kitchen. Give me that old pin to take to the market, and Ill trade it for the freshest, purest oil I can find. That should make him sick, and hell sleep overnight in the temple of the Healing God in the hope of a cure. When hes gone, you and I will dig some earth from the garden and take it to your cousins grave. There youll moisten it with a certain fluid Ill indicate to you - you have a plentiful supply - and well make a doll of clay, kneading a lock of your hair into it. "