ROAD TO CORDIA

by Jess Allison

  “And did they also give you secret passwords that would get you in to see the Queen?”

  “Well, I--uh.”

  Lord Raptor turned to one of the soldiers. “Bring me the Queen’s usher,” he ordered.

  Ja’Nil swallowed nervously. Did this powerful lord realize that no Fisherfolk village elders would know the particular password she had used, or any passwords for that matter?

  * * *

  While they waited for the Queen’s usher to appear Ee'Rick carefully studied Lord Raptor. A dandy, he decided, watching as the man carefully adjusted his rich tunic and toyed with the colorful beads interwoven with his odd hairstyle. Not that there was anything wrong with trying to look your best. Ee'Rick was something of a clotheshorse himself, at least that’s what his brother was always saying. It was interesting that a man so politically powerful didn’t recognize Ee'Rick’s race. What did that mean? That the Queen had never confided in Lord Raptor because the subject had never come up, or was it because she didn’t trust him? Did Lord Raptor even know about the existence of dragons, Ee'Rick wondered.

  There was a sharp rap on the door. Everyone turned, as QT was shoved into the room.

  “This here’s the usher what started all this, ya lordship,” said the soldier.

  QT looked around and spotted Lord Raptor. “Your Lordship,” he gulped and bowed very low. Then he spied Ja’Nil and Ee'Rick. “Your Lordship, I must protest.”

  “Must you?”

  “I didn’t start anything. I was simply following directives to report any oddities concerning the late Queen, may she be blessed by The Circle.” He made a sort of twirling motion with his hand. Ja’Nil had never seen anyone do that before. Was it a religious gesture? There seemed to be so many ways to approach the Circle and its Lord. Was there one way that was absolutely correct or were they all correct? Then there was Ee'Rick, who hadn’t exactly said so but she got the definite impression, as impossible as it seemed, that he didn’t believe in The Circle nor its Lord. And what of dragons? Did they--her attention was brought back to what was happening when Lord Raptor slammed his hand down on the desk.

  “Stop blathering,” he snarled at QT. “What oddity are you referring to?”

  QT literally quivered with fright. His tremulous hand pointed at Ja’Nil. “It was her, your lordship. The girl.”

  As the only girl present, Ja’Nil felt her heart sink.

  With barely restrained impatience, Lord Raptor asked, “And what did the girl do?”

  Yeah, what did I do?

  QT leaned forward as if her crime was so terrible he had to whisper it. “She asked to see the Queen, and she knew the words,” he said, then nodded his head as if he had proved his case. Now only sentencing need be passed.

  “And what words did she speak?” asked Lord Raptor.

  “I have walked the Rushita path with my Queen,” QT intoned ominously.

  “What?”

  “I have walked the--”

  “I heard you the first time,” cut in Lord Raptor.

  “Oh.”

  “Who would you expect to use those particular passwords?”

  “Why, Lady Fayre of course,” said the usher.

  “Lady Fayre, the Truth Teller?” he asked.

  “Exactly.”

  Lord Raptor’s tongue darted out and wet his dry lips. His tongue was pointed and slightly

  purplish in color. Disgusting. Ja’Nil swallowed nervously.

  I should have had that meddeling bitch arrested, thought Lord Raptor. But she’s holed up in that damn Redbird Keep of hers. Had he made a mistake in not making her death a priority?

  He turned to Ja‘Nil. “What is your connection to the Truth Teller?”

  “Who?”

  “Lady Fayre.”

  “Why do you call her the Truth Teller?”

  “Answer my question, bitch!”

  Ja’Nil was so shocked and frightened that she took a step back, almost falling over her own feet. Ee'Rick abruptly stood up. The younger soldier unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Ee'Rick’s heart.

  Ja’Nil wanted to burst into tears. No, what she really wanted to do was kick Lord Raptor in his stomach. No, she wanted to kick him in his balls. Who was he calling a bitch!

  “Answer me!”

  “I forgot what you asked,” she almost wailed. It was the truth, she was so rattled her stomach heaved. All that good food she had just eaten.

  “What is your connection to Lady Fayre?”

  “I stayed overnight at Redwing Keep on my way to Cordia,” she answered. “A lot of travelers stay there. The Lady asked me to bring her greetings to the Queen.” She squeaked the last because she had just spotted the soldier holding a sword on Ee'Rick

  “Just her greetings?”

  “Yes sir.”

  Lord Raptor turned his cold eyes on Ee'Rick. “And what about you?” he asked.

  Ee'Rick, completely ignoring the sword, waved a languid hand at Ja’Nil. “Met her on the way to Cordia. Thought I’d accompany her. See the sights.”

  “Are there more like you?” Lord Raptor asked intrigued by Ee’Rick’s strangeness.

  “Oh, yes,” Ee'Rick assured him in a cool voice.

  Lord Raptor turned away from the boy’s yellow, nerve-racking eyes. He had too much on his plate right now, but once things were completely under his control, he’d find out more about this strange looking boy. Perhaps he was lying about there being others. Perhaps he was a mutant. Not important right now. What was Lady Fayre up to? That was important.

  “So,” he said to Ja’Nil, “a woman of noble status entrusts a passing Earther, whom she has just met for the first time, with an important message to the Queen.”

  “It was just a greeting,” said Ja’Nil.

  “She even entrusts the just-met-Earther with secret passwords that will enable her to have a private audience with the Queen.”

  “I don’t even know what a Rushita path is.”

  Lord Raptor shot a glance at the usher.

  “The Rushita Path,” squeaked QT. “refers to an old legend about King Ru’Shita. He had many advisors, but only one he could really trust. The king and this advisor were very good friends. But one day another advisor got to the king and flattered him outrageously. When King Ru’Shita asked his friend to confirm all the flattery his friend told him most of it was nonsense. King Ru’Shita was furious and banished his friend. He began taking advice only from those that flattered him. His friend learned that the false advisors were planning to kill the king and tried to warn him. But the king refused to listen. The next day the king was killed.”

  “What a cheerful little story,” said Lord Raptor dryly. “One wonders why Lady Fayre picked that particular series of passwords for you to bring only greetings. Especially as the Queen has died under suspicious circumstances.” He gave Ja’Nil a very hard look. “Did Lady Fayre perhaps give you a written message to pass on to the Queen?”

  “Ahh.”

  “Hand it over,” said Lord Raptor, holding out his hand.

  Should she give him the parchment?

  “Now!” snarled Lord Raptor.

  Slowly, Ja’Nil reached into her pocket and held out the sealed parchment.

  He snatched it out of her hand and snapped the seal. They all watched as he read the message, which was apparently short and not very interesting. Then Lord Raptor began to examine the parchment itself. He held it up to the light and looked at it from all angles. Then he carefully felt every inch of the letter. Finally, he began tearing it into strips.

  Ja’Nil and Ee'Rick exchanged glances. Ee'Rick gave a small shrug. Neither knew what the man was doing.

  Finally, the letter had been reduced to a small pile of confetti-sized parchment. Lord Raptor pawed through it. The soldier had forgotten about Ee'Rick and held his sword down by his side. Everyone in the room was staring at Lord Raptor.

  He finally looked up. “There’s nothing here,” he said.

  “What did you expect?” asked Ja�
�Nil.

  “Did she give you anything else?” he demanded.

  “No, sir.”

  “Anything at all?”

  “She’s already said, ‘no’,” said Ee'Rick.

  “Shut up, mutant.”

  Ee'Rick actually looked amused. All Ja’Nil wanted to do was get out of there. An evil miasma emanating from Lord Raptor seemed to fill the whole room, choking out the healthful air. She was frantic to breathe freely.

  “I’ve wasted enough time with these two,” Lord Raptor said to the soldiers. “Usher,” he turned to QT whose quiver factor immediately increased.

  “Yes, my lord?”

  “Show this female where to go to request a Healer for her village. Now get out of here,” he said to Ee'Rick and Ja’Nil. “I have work to do.”

  QT immediately made shooing motions in an attempt to get them out the door and far away.

  Unfortunately, Ja‘Nil‘s manners kicked in. “Thank you, sir,” she said, putting her hands together over her chest and politely inclining her head.

  “Come on, come on. Let‘s go,” urged a still terrified QT. She turned to follow him.

  “What’s that?” roared Lord Raptor.

  QT literally fainted. He fell to the floor with a boneless thump. The two soldiers clapped their hands to their sword hilts. Ee'Rick narrowed his yellow eyes, shifted slightly so he was in fight mode, and bared his teeth in a way that would never be described as a grin. Ja’Nil froze.

  “Sir?” she asked timidly.

  “That ring!” His green skin was dark with anger, his black eyes blazed. He reached out and grabbed Ja’Nil’s hand so hard she thought her bones would break.

  “Ow!”

  “Let go of her,” said Ee'Rick starting forward only to run into two swords pointed directly at his heart. He stopped abruptly.

  Lord Raptor stripped the ring off Ja’Nil’s hand, taking some skin with it.

  “My courage,” she protested.

  “What?”

  “I... nothing.”

  “Where did you get this?”

  “Lady Fayre gave it to me.”

  “Why?”

  “Why?”

  “Yes, you lying little Earther slut, why would the Truth Teller give you a ring?”

  “Truth Teller?”

  Lord Raptor didn’t bother explaining; he simply backhanded her across her face. The force of the blow snapped her head back; her jaw felt broken and her eyes crossed. In order to keep on her feet she was forced to back pedal. Her backward movement brought her up against the prone body of the unconscious QT. She tripped over him and fell.

  Through the ringing in her ears, she faintly heard a shout. Time and movement slowed. She watched as Ee'Rick, moving with the slowness of an underwater swimmer, grabbed Lord Raptor by the collar of his tunic. One of the soldiers swam into view and brought the flat of his sword down on Ee’Rick’s head. His knees folded and his body made a graceful slide onto the floor.

  Now there are three of us down here, she thought with scrupulous mathematic exactitude, as she tried to fight off a concussion.

  “Search them,” she heard Lord Raptor order.

  Still in slow motion, one soldier searched Ee'Rick while the other stood by, sword at the ready. They found the knife in Ee'Rick’s ankle sheath almost immediately, and Ee'Rick’s purse, ”Nothin’ in here but coins, ya lordship.”

  “Put it on my desk.” The soldier reluctantly complied.

  “Good quality clothin’,” said the soldier, running his hands over Ee'Rick’s leggings. “These here beads looks like real gold, ya lordship,” he said as he examined the trimming on Ee'Rick’s leggings.

  Lord Raptor didn’t bother commenting. He was busy emptying Ee'Rick’s pack on his desk. He examined every bit and piece. “Nothing,” he muttered to himself. “Who in The Circle is he? What is he?” He shoved the pack and its contents off the desk. “Search the girl,” he ordered.

  “Right ya are, ya lordship,” said the other soldier. They left the unconscious Ee'Rick and pulled Ja’Nil to her feet. She was too dizzy to stand by herself. One of them held her under her arms, resting both his hands on her breasts. “Nice little handfuls we gots here.” The other soldier searched through her pockets.

  “Nothing,” he announced. The other soldier stopped supporting her and watched to see if she could stand on her own. She could. Barely. He then went through her pack. “Half a ham roll, ya lordship.” He poked at it. “Stale.”

  “That’s it? Nothing else?’

  “Got some bracelets, ya lordship.”

  “Let me see.” Instead of taking the bracelets off Ja’Nil’s wrist, the soldier grabbed her hand and pulled her over to Lord Raptor, sticking her hand under his nose. Lord Raptor examined the bracelet closely. “Cheap paste,” he sneered. “Typical peasant stuff.”

  “They look like the beads and stuff that mutant there is wearing,” offered the soldier.

  “Paste,” Lord Raptor repeated. “What about her shoes? Did you check her shoes?”

  The soldier let go of Ja’Nil’s hand and squatted down to pull off her boots. He proudly deposited them on Lord Raptor’s desk. Ja’Nil, without the soldier’s support, swayed dangerously but managed to stay upright. Lord Raptor looked carefully at the well-worn footgear resting on his gleaming desk, then with the back of his hand he nudged them onto the floor. He turned back to the swaying Ja’Nil. “What were you supposed to do with the ring?” he asked.

  “Nothing. Just greetings.”

  “Why did she give you the ring?” He was yelling.

  Ja’Nil felt as if her head would split. “So the Queen would know it was from Lady Fayre. Got ruined though.” Her tongue felt thick, her thoughts hazy.

  “Ruined?”

  “Got wet. Got ruined.”

  Lord Raptor looked carefully at the ring. “So it did,” he said with a smile. Then he deliberately crumbled it in his fist. “There’s no wire. It’s just a piece of parch½ junk.”

  The Lady had said something about a wire, but for the moment Ja’Nil couldn’t remember what.

  “Get them out of here,” ordered Lord Raptor.

  “Yes sir.” The soldiers snapped to attention. “Ehh, what ya wants we should do with them, ya Lordship?”

  “I don’t give a -- No wait, throw them in the dungeon. I may want to question them again. Especially the mutant.”

  Ja’Nil wanted to protest, but everything was happening too fast. The soldier shoved her boots into her hands and gave her a push out the door. She stood on wide spread legs trying to remain upright. The two soldiers grabbed hold of Ee'Rick and dragged him out of the room. His head hung down and half his face was covered in blood.

  “Come on, ya,” said one of the soldiers, prodding her forward with one hand while with the other he helped lug Ee'Rick down the hallway.

  She was shoved and Ee’Rick was lugged down a series of stairs that became narrower and narrower, until they arrived at a room lit by several old fashioned lanterns. The soldiers let Ee'Rick drop to the floor. Ja’Nil wasn’t even sure he was alive until she heard him groan.

  There were several other soldiers and guards in the room; one was sitting behind a desk.

  “What’s this?” he asked.

  “His lordship wants ‘em in the dungeon.”

  “Both of them?”

  “Both of ‘em.”

  “We could keep the girl up here for a while,” suggested one of the soldiers straightening away from the wall.

  “Youse do what ya wants, I’m just telling ya what his lordship said.”

  The men shifted around nervously. Ja’Nil noticed no one asked which lordship he was referring to.

  “That’s a weird looking boy,” said one. “I ain’t never seen his kind before.”

  “I have,” said another. He looked anxious.

  “What is he?”

  “It was a long time ago,” muttered the anxious soldier. “I don’t really remember.” But he continued taking nervous peeks at Ee'
Rick.

  “Put them both down,” ordered the man behind the desk.

  Four men grabbed up the unconscious Ee'Rick and carried him down a short hallway lit by lanterns. One of the other soldiers pulled Ja’Nil along. Another man scurried ahead to pull up a heavy barred gate set flush in the floor.

  That doesn’t look good.

  Ja’Nil dug in her heels. Her guard barely noticed. He simply picked her up by the back of her tunic and carried her along.

  “Put me down.” She swung at him and missed. He looked down as if surprised to see her. But he did not put her down. Instead, he raised his left fist as if to slam her in the face. Ja’Nil ducked. Then, to her surprise, he did put her down, but that was because they had arrived at their destination, a hole in the floor.

  The men carrying Ee'Rick dropped him in a heap next to the hole. As she watched, two of them, using their feet, pushed Ee'Rick to the edge of the hole and then rolled him one more time so that he fell through.

  There was silence, then a thump, and then a groan.

  “Still alive,” said one the guards with satisfaction. “Ya next, ya pretty piece ya.” Some of the men laughed.

  Ja’Nil turned blindly and tried to get away. Strong, rough hands grabbed her and shoved her towards the hole. She pushed back, but it was no contest. A tall man grabbed her hands and held her dangling over the hole.

  “No,” she pleaded.

  “One!” shouted the man dangling her.

  The other men joined in. “Two! Three!”

  She screamed as he let go of her.

  CHAPTER 25

  “Umph!” She landed on her feet, with legs bent, then fell onto her side and rolled onto her back. She was alive.

  Above her, with much grunting, two guards replaced the barred trapdoor and moved off. Light filtered down from above. Thank the Lord they left the lanterns.

  She sat up slowly. Her head didn’t hurt too much, but her jaw, where Lord Raptor had hit her, was killing her. She could feel it beginning to swell.

  Behind her, there was a groan.

  “Ee'Rick?” Oh Lord, even hissing his name between tightly clenched teeth was agony. She turned so she was on her hands and knees and looked around the dim cell.

  Ee'Rick lay a few feet away on his side. She crawled over to him. “Ee'Rick?”