Temporary mating plumage, the girls had called it
among themselves. It suited Azak. It made him seem much more credible as a
husband in Krasnegar. But how long would it last after the courtship was over?
And
he was very persistent. Even at dawn, on a mule, after a sleepless night,
heading into unknown dangers, possibly being pursued by an angry sorcerer, Azak
was busily wooing. He badgered, and he deflected every objection. “Tell
me! “ he said. “Describe these customs that you find so
unacceptable. “
“Murder,
for one thing. I know you poisoned your grandfather ... how about Hakaraz and
his snakebite? Did the snake have help? “
“Certainly.
Asps do not infest royal apartments from choice, and there were six of them.
The one in his boot got him.” Inos shivered. “How many brothers
have you killed?”
“Eighteen.
Do you want to know about uncles and cousins?” She shook her head, not
wishing to look at him. The mules were back on the made road again, and the
surrounding slopes were coated in rank brown grass, wet with dew. The air was
cold yet.
“Do
you wish to hear my reasons?”
“No.
I’m sure you had reasons. And I know that it is the custom of the
country, so they couldn’t complain that they-”
“Complaints
were some of the reasons.” He was mocking, and yet serious, too. “But
I shall have no relatives around in Krasnegar to vent my barbarous impulses on.
It just isn’t as much fun with commoners, somehow.”
“Oh,
Azak! I know you don’t do it for fun, but ... Oh, Azak! Look!”
The
fog swirled as if bowing farewell, and withdrew like a drapery. Sunlight blazed
hot and bright. Inos stared up in amazement at a rugged mountain that filled
the sky, seeming to overhang her; and yet the craggy hills directly ahead were
sizable in their own right. Then, even more dramatic, the crumbled yellow
landscape seemed to waken like a sleeping dragon and transform itself before
her eyes into the ruined city that was their immediate goal. Cliff became wall,
peak tower, gorge gateway. And Kade cried out.
Azak
wheeled his mule even before Inos had hauled hers to a stop. She dropped the
reins and scrambled off its back, suddenly aware of stiffness and stabbing
aches. And she was not a quarter of Kade’s age! How could she have been
so thoughtless as to drag the old lady up here without any decent respite?
Keeping her up all night ...
By
the time she had limped back to the fourth mule and her aunt, Azak was
dismounting a short way farther back, and Kade was full of apologies. She had
dropped her breviary, was all.
Well,
if she could attempt to read and ride a mule at the same time, she was in not
too bad a shape.
“We
must take a break, though,” Inos said. -
Azak
nodded agreement as he returned with the missing book, leading his mule.
Although his mule was larger than any of the others, in the light of day he
seemed absurdly huge alongside it, like a man walking a dog.
The
sky was blue, the sun hot, and sunward the land tumbled away in scrawny ridges
to the hazy immensity of the desert. Inos had a sudden heady sensation of being
a bird. The view was breathtaking. She was amazed at the height they reached
already, at the vastness of the world spread out before her.
Somewhere
down there in that jumble of rock was the Oasis of Tall Cranes, full of enraged
brigands and a very angry sorcerer. Doubtless the local men knew of this road
and would follow as soon as they had recovered their livestock, but so far the
sorcerer had not reacted. He had not called the fugitives back to him. He might
have lost them, or they might be beyond his range already.
But
a rest, and hot tea, and food ...
“Which
God?” Azak murmured politely, thumbing through Kade’s breviary. “Travelers?”
“Humility,”
said Kade.
Without
hesitation, he expertly flipped the pages and found the place, but as he handed
back the book, he raised one copperred eyebrow. “And why should you
choose to invoke Them,
among themselves. It suited Azak. It made him seem much more credible as a
husband in Krasnegar. But how long would it last after the courtship was over?
And
he was very persistent. Even at dawn, on a mule, after a sleepless night,
heading into unknown dangers, possibly being pursued by an angry sorcerer, Azak
was busily wooing. He badgered, and he deflected every objection. “Tell
me! “ he said. “Describe these customs that you find so
unacceptable. “
“Murder,
for one thing. I know you poisoned your grandfather ... how about Hakaraz and
his snakebite? Did the snake have help? “
“Certainly.
Asps do not infest royal apartments from choice, and there were six of them.
The one in his boot got him.” Inos shivered. “How many brothers
have you killed?”
“Eighteen.
Do you want to know about uncles and cousins?” She shook her head, not
wishing to look at him. The mules were back on the made road again, and the
surrounding slopes were coated in rank brown grass, wet with dew. The air was
cold yet.
“Do
you wish to hear my reasons?”
“No.
I’m sure you had reasons. And I know that it is the custom of the
country, so they couldn’t complain that they-”
“Complaints
were some of the reasons.” He was mocking, and yet serious, too. “But
I shall have no relatives around in Krasnegar to vent my barbarous impulses on.
It just isn’t as much fun with commoners, somehow.”
“Oh,
Azak! I know you don’t do it for fun, but ... Oh, Azak! Look!”
The
fog swirled as if bowing farewell, and withdrew like a drapery. Sunlight blazed
hot and bright. Inos stared up in amazement at a rugged mountain that filled
the sky, seeming to overhang her; and yet the craggy hills directly ahead were
sizable in their own right. Then, even more dramatic, the crumbled yellow
landscape seemed to waken like a sleeping dragon and transform itself before
her eyes into the ruined city that was their immediate goal. Cliff became wall,
peak tower, gorge gateway. And Kade cried out.
Azak
wheeled his mule even before Inos had hauled hers to a stop. She dropped the
reins and scrambled off its back, suddenly aware of stiffness and stabbing
aches. And she was not a quarter of Kade’s age! How could she have been
so thoughtless as to drag the old lady up here without any decent respite?
Keeping her up all night ...
By
the time she had limped back to the fourth mule and her aunt, Azak was
dismounting a short way farther back, and Kade was full of apologies. She had
dropped her breviary, was all.
Well,
if she could attempt to read and ride a mule at the same time, she was in not
too bad a shape.
“We
must take a break, though,” Inos said. -
Azak
nodded agreement as he returned with the missing book, leading his mule.
Although his mule was larger than any of the others, in the light of day he
seemed absurdly huge alongside it, like a man walking a dog.
The
sky was blue, the sun hot, and sunward the land tumbled away in scrawny ridges
to the hazy immensity of the desert. Inos had a sudden heady sensation of being
a bird. The view was breathtaking. She was amazed at the height they reached
already, at the vastness of the world spread out before her.
Somewhere
down there in that jumble of rock was the Oasis of Tall Cranes, full of enraged
brigands and a very angry sorcerer. Doubtless the local men knew of this road
and would follow as soon as they had recovered their livestock, but so far the
sorcerer had not reacted. He had not called the fugitives back to him. He might
have lost them, or they might be beyond his range already.
But
a rest, and hot tea, and food ...
“Which
God?” Azak murmured politely, thumbing through Kade’s breviary. “Travelers?”
“Humility,”
said Kade.
Without
hesitation, he expertly flipped the pages and found the place, but as he handed
back the book, he raised one copperred eyebrow. “And why should you
choose to invoke Them,
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