Read Online The Enchanted Castle (Shioni of Sheba Book 1) by Marc Secchia - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Marc Secchia
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“Whoever designed this castle was very, very advanced. The size of the outer walls, the corner towers… I have never seen anything to compare. A refuge of last resort against terrible enemies? Enemies with weapons that could threaten such walls as these and tear them down? It doesn’t make sense–but we’ll work it out, won’t we, Princess?”
“Yes , Hakim.” The Princess could be demure when she wished, and Shioni had noticed many times that she knew exactly how to handle the Hakim’s temper. “What about when Ma’rib was threatened by the Axumites...?”
“ Many times over the centuries, the Kings of Axum cast greedy eyes across the Red Sea at Sheba’s riches,” Hakim Isoke lectured. “That is beside the point. Our forefathers did not have this knowledge or technology, Princess–have I not taught you so?”
“We built the great dam at Ma’rib.”
“And your father put Axum to the sword. But we still could not have built this structure, nor could the Axumites. Even to cut stone with such precision is a marvel. It must have taken the resources of a great kingdom.”
The Hakim turned to the engineers . “So don’t forget the terraces. Put fifty slaves to it at once. And they can start spreading the manure up there too. We might as well get some use from our horses and elephants.”
General Getu was leading the group further. “So I think we have the wrong course for the river diversion,” he said. “You can see from here. Look up the hill.” His finger traced a path around a large mound. “They brought it down this way. You can still see the channel’s ancient path. This is how they flooded the moat.”
“From higher upriver than we were planning.” The Hakim was measuring the distance with her eyes. “It’ll still take some work. Agreed. Chief mason–mark the plan. Now, about these elevations…”
From then on the discussion turned very technical. Even Annakiya was only pretending interest, Shioni noticed. She waggled her ankle gently. Her collection of bruises and hurts was definitely healing up now. Mama had taken the stitches out of the cut on her cheek. She just hoped it would not leave a scar.
“Pw incess! Pwincess!” A little messenger boy came puffing up the hill. “Twader’s here, Pwincess.”
“The trader?”
“Fabwiccy man.”
“Fabrics,” S hioni translated with a smile. “The fabrics and cosmetics trader, Princess.”
“Oh, he’s early . Come on, he’s supposed to have silks from the east! Hakim?”
“If you have to.”
Annakiya was only too glad to escape. “I must do my father’s bidding.”
Her father’s bidding? Shioni wanted to laugh. Most of all, she wanted to share with Annakiya all that had been happening to her. But she could not put words to her secrets and so they lodged in her breast, making her quiet and pensive and ready to explode. And she had been thinking about going back to check on the lion. She really was a sad case.
Having offloaded the scrolls and plans with another slave, Annakiya and Shioni walked back down hill. From above, the castle resembled an anthill. Workers were swarming over every square foot. The busy clinging and clanging of masons’ chisels and hammers was a constant background noise, along with slaves singing as they shovelled rubble down in the fosse and hauled it out in great bucket-loads. Three elephants were dragging out the bigger blocks of dressed stone, which would be used once more in the building work.
“Not very tall, but stout,” said Annakiya, looking at the castle . “Hakim Isoke says the central keep is quite an innovation. I expected it to be taller, but it’s only twelve feet or so on the walls. The towers are a decent height though.”
“I like it . Especially the baobab.”
“There’s talk of cutting it down for firewood . It seems dead.”
“It reminds me of a fat old man whose belly is nearly sagging to the ground.”
Annakiya laughed. “I think it looks like one of those old
“Yes , Hakim.” The Princess could be demure when she wished, and Shioni had noticed many times that she knew exactly how to handle the Hakim’s temper. “What about when Ma’rib was threatened by the Axumites...?”
“ Many times over the centuries, the Kings of Axum cast greedy eyes across the Red Sea at Sheba’s riches,” Hakim Isoke lectured. “That is beside the point. Our forefathers did not have this knowledge or technology, Princess–have I not taught you so?”
“We built the great dam at Ma’rib.”
“And your father put Axum to the sword. But we still could not have built this structure, nor could the Axumites. Even to cut stone with such precision is a marvel. It must have taken the resources of a great kingdom.”
The Hakim turned to the engineers . “So don’t forget the terraces. Put fifty slaves to it at once. And they can start spreading the manure up there too. We might as well get some use from our horses and elephants.”
General Getu was leading the group further. “So I think we have the wrong course for the river diversion,” he said. “You can see from here. Look up the hill.” His finger traced a path around a large mound. “They brought it down this way. You can still see the channel’s ancient path. This is how they flooded the moat.”
“From higher upriver than we were planning.” The Hakim was measuring the distance with her eyes. “It’ll still take some work. Agreed. Chief mason–mark the plan. Now, about these elevations…”
From then on the discussion turned very technical. Even Annakiya was only pretending interest, Shioni noticed. She waggled her ankle gently. Her collection of bruises and hurts was definitely healing up now. Mama had taken the stitches out of the cut on her cheek. She just hoped it would not leave a scar.
“Pw incess! Pwincess!” A little messenger boy came puffing up the hill. “Twader’s here, Pwincess.”
“The trader?”
“Fabwiccy man.”
“Fabrics,” S hioni translated with a smile. “The fabrics and cosmetics trader, Princess.”
“Oh, he’s early . Come on, he’s supposed to have silks from the east! Hakim?”
“If you have to.”
Annakiya was only too glad to escape. “I must do my father’s bidding.”
Her father’s bidding? Shioni wanted to laugh. Most of all, she wanted to share with Annakiya all that had been happening to her. But she could not put words to her secrets and so they lodged in her breast, making her quiet and pensive and ready to explode. And she had been thinking about going back to check on the lion. She really was a sad case.
Having offloaded the scrolls and plans with another slave, Annakiya and Shioni walked back down hill. From above, the castle resembled an anthill. Workers were swarming over every square foot. The busy clinging and clanging of masons’ chisels and hammers was a constant background noise, along with slaves singing as they shovelled rubble down in the fosse and hauled it out in great bucket-loads. Three elephants were dragging out the bigger blocks of dressed stone, which would be used once more in the building work.
“Not very tall, but stout,” said Annakiya, looking at the castle . “Hakim Isoke says the central keep is quite an innovation. I expected it to be taller, but it’s only twelve feet or so on the walls. The towers are a decent height though.”
“I like it . Especially the baobab.”
“There’s talk of cutting it down for firewood . It seems dead.”
“It reminds me of a fat old man whose belly is nearly sagging to the ground.”
Annakiya laughed. “I think it looks like one of those old
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