by Robin Hobb
"That's what I heard. Do you know where that is?"
"No." He scratched his cheek with dirty fingers, leaving brown stripes. "I never heard of that." He looked at his feet. "Actually, I didn't go much past the caved-in part."
"Then take me there."
They moved in silence now. Some of the doors they passed had been broken open. Malta peered in hopefully as they passed. Most led only to collapsed chambers full of earth and roots. Two had been cleared of debris, but held nothing of interest. Thick glass windows looked out on walls of earth. They went on. Sometimes the music seemed clearer, sometimes it faded. A trick of the tunnels, she decided.
They came to a place where the ceiling and one wall had given way. Earth had cascaded across the stone floor. With his free hand, Selden pointed up the pile of debris toward the ceiling. He whispered, "You have to climb up there and squeeze through. Wilee said it's tight going for a short way, and then you come out again."
She looked up at it doubtfully. "Did you fit through there?"
Selden looked down and shook his head. "I don't like small places. I don't even really like to be in here. The bridges and trolleys are more fun. Last time we were in here, there was that shake. Wilee and all of us just ran like rabbits to get out." He seemed humiliated to admit it.
"I'd run, too," she assured him.
"Let's go back now."
"I'm going to go just a bit further, just to see if I can. Will you wait here for me?"
"I suppose so."
"You could wait for me by the door if you want. Keep watch there?"
"I suppose so. You know, Malta, if we get caught down here, by ourselves, like this… well, it seems somewhat rude. Different from Wilee bringing me down here. Like we're spying on our hosts."
"I know what I'm doing," she assured him. "I won't be gone long."
"I hope so," he murmured as she left him.
For the first part, it was not so hard. She waded through the damp earth, keeping her hand on the light strip. Soon she had to crouch. Then the level of the debris covered the jidzin. Reluctantly she lifted her fingers from it. The light dimmed behind her. She set her teeth and groped her way forward on her hands and knees. She kept being tangled in her skirts until she got the knack of it. When she bumped her head on the ceiling, she stopped. Her hands were cold and the fabric of her skirt was thick and heavy with mud. How was she going to explain that? She pushed the worry aside. Too late, anyway. A little further, she told herself. She crouched lower and crawled on. Soon she was on her elbows and pushing herself along on her knees. The only sounds she could hear were her own breathing and distant dripping. She halted to catch her breath. The darkness pressed against her eyes. Suddenly the whole weight of the hill above seemed to be pressing down on her. This was ridiculous. She was going back.
She tried to back up. Her skirt started to crawl up around her waist, and her bare knees met the cold earth. She felt like she was wallowing on her belly in mud. She halted. "Selden?"
There was no answer. He'd probably gone back to the door as soon as she was out of sight. She set her head down on her arms and closed her eyes. Dizziness rocked her for a moment. She shouldn't have tried this. The whole idea was stupid. What had made her think she could succeed where Reyn had failed?
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Dragon and Satrap
Malta was getting cold. The damp earth beneath her, more mud than soil, had saturated her clothing. The longer she was still, the more her body ached. She had to do something, go on or go back. Both options seemed too much trouble. Maybe she could just lie here until somebody else did something about it.
As her breathing calmed, the distant music swelled. When she gave it her attention, it seemed clearer. She knew that tune. Surely, she had danced to it, a long time ago. She heard herself humming softly with it. She opened her eyes and lifted her head. Was there light ahead, or was it a trick of her mind? The pastel lights shifted when she moved her eyes. She crawled on, towards the light and the music.
With a suddenness that surprised her, she was going downhill. She lifted her head and found there was space above her now. She started to get to her hands and knees, and abruptly slid. She went down the muddy slope on her belly like an otter. She cried out and tried to put her hands over her face. It was too reminiscent of the wildly tumbling coach. But she slid to a stop without hitting any obstacles. Her outstretched hands found shallow mud, and then cold stone. The floor of the corridor. She was past the cave-in.
Malta was still afraid to stand. She crept, feeling before her, until she found the wall. She moved her hands up cautiously as she crouched and then stood. Suddenly her muddy fingers found the jidzin strip. As soon as she touched it, the corridor blazed with light. She squeezed her eyes shut then opened them slowly. She stared down the corridor with wondering eyes.
Back at the entrance, the walls had been deteriorated, the friezes faded and worn. Here the light emanated not only from the strip, but also from decorative swirls in the wall. Gleaming black tiles shone on the floor. The music was louder, and she heard a woman's peal of sudden laughter.
She looked down at her muddy and drenched clothing. She hadn't expected anything like this. She had thought the city would be deserted. If she ran into anyone in her bedraggled condition, what would she do? Malta smiled foolishly; she supposed she could always plead her head injury and pretend her mind was wandering. Considering her actions this evening, perhaps she was out of her mind. Her wet skirts slapped against her legs as she tiptoed down the corridor. There were doors to pass, but most of them were blessedly shut. The few open ones revealed opulent rooms, with thick rugs on the floors and startling art on the walls. She had never seen such furniture: couches that were tasseled and draped with rich fabrics, chairs she could have curled up and slept in, tables that were more like pedestals. This must be the legendary wealth of the Rain Wilds. Yet she had been told no one lived in the city. She shrugged. Perhaps that meant they did not eat or sleep here. She pressed on. At some point, she decided she was not going back the way she had come, no matter what befell her. She could not force herself through that wet, muddy tunnel again. She'd find another way out.
The music died away for a moment, then swirled back. This was another tune, but she knew it as well. She hummed with it a moment to prove she did, then a sudden chill shivered up her back. She recalled where she had heard this music before; it had been in the first dream that she had ever shared with Reyn. In the dream, she had walked with him in a silent city. Then he had brought her to a place where there was music, and light, and people talking. The music was the same; that was how she knew it.
Still, it seemed odd she knew it so well. She felt a distant grinding through her feet, and then the floor stepped sideways underneath her. She clutched at the wall desperately. It trembled under her hand. Would the quake continue? Would the whole city fall down on top of her? Her heart hammered and her head spun. The hallway was suddenly full of people. Tall elegant women with golden skin and improbable hair swept past her, chattering gaily to one another in a language she had once known. They didn't so much as glance at her. Their sleek skirts swept the floor yet were split to the waist. Golden legs flashed scandalously as they walked. Their perfumes were heavy and sweet.
She swayed, blinked and was blind. She had lost the wall. She gave a soft shriek at the sudden blackness, the smell of mold and damp and the silence. There was a pebbly, sliding sound in the distance. She tottered toward the wall, caught herself against it, and the light suddenly sprang back into being. The corridor was empty in both directions. She had imagined it all. She lifted her free hand to her forehead and touched the injury there. She should not have tried this. It was too much for her. Best to find a way out, and go back to her chamber and bed. If she met anyone, she wouldn't have to pretend that her mind was wandering. She was now seriously afraid that it was.
She stepped out resolutely, trailing her fingers on the strip. She no longer hesitated at corners or peered in
to rooms. She hurried through the labyrinth of corridors, turning down those that looked largest and most used. The music grew loud at one point, but then a wrong turning led her astray from it. She came at length to a broad corridor, well lit. An odd pattern that suggested winged creatures in flight decorated the walls.
The wide corridor culminated in a tall arched door of embossed metal. Malta halted and stared at it. She knew the insignia on it. It matched the one on the Khuprus coach door. It was a big chicken with a crown, looking as if it wanted to fight. For such a silly motif, it looked both haughty and threatening. She almost admired it.
From beyond the door came the sounds of a party in progress. People were talking and laughing. Music was playing merrily and she heard the lively slap of the dancers' feet against the door. She looked down at her dress once more. Well, there was no help for it. She just wanted to get out of this place and go back. She should be accustomed to humiliation by now. She set one hand to her brow as if she felt faint. She put her other hand on the great door and pushed.
She was plunged into sudden blackness, stumbling forward as the big door gave swiftly and easily at her touch. The cold and the damp rose up all around her. She trod in a deep puddle of cold water. "Help!" she cried out foolishly. But the music and the voices were stilled. The room smelled like a stagnant pond. Either she was blind, or the darkness was absolute.
"Hello?" she called again. Hands held out before her, she edged forward. But there were steps, going down, and before she could help herself, she toppled. Touch told her the steps were broad and shallow. She did not fall far. She did not stand again, but felt her way with her hands as she crawled down them. At the bottom of the steps, she crawled a short way. Then she stood and went even more slowly, feeling her way in front of her through the dark. "Hello?" she called again. Her voice bounced in the room. It must be immense.
Her groping hands suddenly encountered a rough wooden barrier.
"Hello, Malta Vestrit," the dragon said to her. "So we meet at last. I knew you'd come to me."
"Don't speak like that about your brother!" Jani Khuprus snapped. She slapped her needlework down onto the table beside her.
Bendir sighed. "I'm only telling you what other people are saying. Not what I'm saying. If someone poisons him, it won't be me." He tried for a grin.
Jani clutched at her chest. "That isn't even remotely funny. Oh, Sa, why did not we get that log cut up before he came back?"
"He planned to stay in Bingtown for several weeks, not one night. I thought I had time. That log is bigger and harder than any other wizardwood we've ever cut. Once the pigeons carried us the Bingtown news, I knew we had other things to worry about."
"I know, I know." His mother dismissed all his excuses with a flap of her hand. "Where is he now?"
"Where he is every night. He's in his room, drinking by himself. And talking to himself. Wild words about dragons and Malta. And killing himself."
"What?" She stared at him. His words destroyed the small island of evening peace in her sitting room.
"That's what Geni heard through the door; it was why she ran to tell me. He keeps saying she'll kill him at his own hands. That Malta will die, too," he added unwillingly.
"Malta? He's angry with Malta? But I thought they made up today. I heard…" Jani's voice faltered reluctantly.
Bendir picked up her words. "We all heard. Reyn was in her bedchamber, holding her on his lap and fondling her. Given his other behavior lately, a common scandal like simple lust was almost a relief."
"They've been through a lot. He thought she would die, and blamed himself. It's natural for him to cling to her now." It was a feeble excuse and Jani knew it. She wondered if Keffria had heard of it yet. Would it change her plans? Why did Reyn have to behave so strangely just now, when there were so many other crises to deal with?
"Well, I certainly wish he was 'clinging' to her now, instead of ranting and raving in his room," Bendir observed coldly.
Jani Khuprus stood abruptly. "This isn't good for any of us. I can't talk sense to him tonight, if he's drunk, but we'll take the brandy away and insist he sleep. Tomorrow, I'll demand he mend his behavior. You should find some work for him."
Bendir's eyes lit. "I'd like to send him back into the city. Rewo found a mound, further back in the swamp. He thinks it might be the upper story of another building. I'd like to put Reyn on it."
"I don't think that's wise. I don't think he should get anywhere near the city."
"It's the only thing he's good at," Bendir began, then clamped his lips at his mother's glare. He led the way and Jani followed him out into the night. They were still two catwalks away from Reyn's chamber when she began to hear his voice. It was slurred. Another level, and every word of his drunken rambling was plain. It was worse than she had feared. Her heart sank. He couldn't go as his father had gone, talking only to himself. Please, Sa, mother of all, do not be so unfair.
Reyn's voice rose in a sudden shout. Bendir broke into a run. Jani hurried after him. The door of Reyn's chamber was suddenly flung open. Golden lamplight flooded the night. Her son lurched into view, and then halted, clutching at the doorframe. It was obvious he couldn't stand by himself. "Malta!" he bellowed into the night. "NO! Malta, no!" He staggered out, his arms flailing wildly as he reached for a railing and missed.
Bendir's shoulder hit Reyn in the chest. He strong-armed his brother back into the room and onto the floor. Reyn seemed incapable of putting up any real resistance. He thrashed his arms, but went down flat on his back, groaning loudly as the air was driven out of him. Then Reyn shut his eyes and was still. He had passed out. Jani hastily shut the door behind her. "Let's get him up onto his bed," she said with weary relief.
Then Reyn rolled his head to one side. He opened his eyes and tears flowed down his cheeks. "No!" he wailed. "Let me up. I have to get to Malta. The dragon has her. She'll take her. I have to rescue Malta."
"Don't be ridiculous," Jani snapped at her son. "It's late at night, and you're in no condition to see or be seen by anyone. Bendir is going to help you to bed and that's as far as you are going."
His older brother stood over him, then bent and grasped him by the shirtfront. He dragged him half off the floor, two steps to the bed, and dumped him mostly on it. He straightened, and brushed his hands together. "Done," he panted. "Take the brandy, and put out the lantern. Reyn, stay here and sleep it off. No more shouting." His voice brooked no nonsense.
"Malta," Reyn drawled again in misery.
"You're drunk," Bendir retorted.
"Not that drunk." Reyn tried to sit up, but Bendir pushed him back. The younger man made fists, but then suddenly turned to his mother. "The dragon has Malta. She's there for me. She's going to take her."
"Malta is going to take the dragon?" Jani frowned at his words.
"NO!" he roared in his frustration. He tried to get up, but Bendir shoved him back, more roughly this time. Reyn swung at his older brother, who easily evaded the roundhouse punch, and warned him fiercely, "Don't try that. I'll knock you silly."
"Mama!" The wail sounded ridiculous coming from a grown man. "Malta went to the dragon." He drew a deep breath, then spoke slowly and carefully. "The dragon has Malta now, instead of me." He lifted both hands and patted at his head. "The dragon is gone. I don't feel her anymore. Malta made her leave me alone."
"That's good, Reyn." Jani tried to be comforting. "The dragon, is gone. All gone now. Go to sleep. In the morning, I want you to tell me all about it. I have some things to tell you, too." She ignored her elder son's disgusted snort.
Reyn took a huge breath, and sighed it out. "You aren't listening. You don't understand. I'm so tired. All I want to do is sleep. But I have to go to her. I have to take the dragon back and make Malta go. She'll die and it's all my fault."
"Reyn." Jani sat down on the edge of her son's bed. She tugged a blanket over him. "You're drunk and you're tired and you're not making sense. There is no dragon. Only an old log. Malta is not in danger.
Her injury was an accident, not truly your fault. She grows stronger every day. Soon she'll be up and about again. Now go to sleep."
"Never try to reason with a drunk," Bendir suggested, as if to himself.
Reyn groaned. "Mother." He took a deep breath, as if to speak. Instead, he sighed. "I'm so tired. I haven't slept in so long. But listen. Listen. Malta went to the city, to the Rooster Crown Chamber. Go get her. That's all. Please. Please do that."
"Of course. You go to sleep now. Bendir and I will take care of it." She patted his hand and brushed his curly hair back from his pebbled brow.
Bendir made a disgusted noise. "You treat him like a baby!" He gathered up the bottles from the table and went to the door. One by one, he heaved them out into the swamp. Jani ignored his display of temper. She sat by Reyn, watching his eyes slowly droop and then close. Drowned in the memories. No. He wasn't, not her son. This was just the rambling of a drunken man. He was still himself. He saw her, he saw his brother. He didn't talk to ghosts. He was in love with a real live girl. He hadn't drowned, and he wouldn't.
Bendir came back into the chamber. He picked up the lantern from the table. "Coming?" he asked her.
She nodded, and followed her eldest son. As she shut the door, Reyn was breathing deeply and evenly.
"And you will leave him alone, forever," Malta stipulated bravely.
The dragon laughed. "Once I am free, little one, why should I be interested in your brief little lives? I will fly away to seek my own kind. Of course, I will leave him alone. Now. Let me show you."
Malta stood in the black chamber. Both her hands and her aching forehead rested against the block of wood. She took a breath. "And you will go and rescue my father."
"Certainly," the dragon purred. "I already told you I would. Now release me."
"But how will I know you will keep your word?" Malta cried out in agony. More decisively, she added, "You have to give me something, some sort of a sign."