Eternity Road

24

They exhausted a second wedge fighting off another bear. The bear scattered the horses; and either it was too strong for the wedges or the units were weakening. Quait, who never felt comfortable on the trail without a rifle slung over his shoulder, put three rounds into the beast while lying on his back.

“I told you so,” he said.

Chaka’s admiration for his skill under duress was seasoned with amusement at the changes in Quait’s behavior. He had apparently begun to see himself as the new Jon Shannon. He unconsciously imitated Shannon’s loose-hipped walk, he insisted on riding at the point (“in case we get attacked”), his voice seemed to have become slightly deeper and more deliberate, and his sense of humor developed a fatalistic edge. But these were tendencies that time mitigated, and within a few days the original Quait had more or less returned. Except that he continued to insist on staying up front.

The highway had also returned. Roadmaker towns of varying sizes became more frequent. They found occasional signs, still legible, directing them to Burger King and PowerLift Recharge and the Hoffman Clock Museum. Chaka, whose experience with mechanical timekeeping devices was limited to hourglasses and waterclocks, commented that she would have liked very much to spend an afternoon at the latter establishment.

They passed a sign directing them toward the International Boxing Hall of Fame. They knew what boxing was, but were puzzled by the rest of the inscription. “They must have taken i sports seriously,” said Chaka.

“Sounds to me,” said Flojian, “like the boating business.”

Eventually the canal came back down from the north. They celebrated its return by fishing in it. But a rainstorm blew up and they took shelter in an old bam. The structure was from their own era, but was nonetheless close to collapse. Chaka stood by the open doorway watching the rain when she saw something floating over the treeline.

“What?” asked Quait.

She pointed. The object was round at the top, and orange-colored. A basket hung from its underside.

“It’s a balloon,” said Flojian. “But it must be a big one.”

It was off to the southwest, running with the storm. Coming their way.

The basket carried a rider. Reflexively, Chaka waved.

The person in the basket waved back. It was a man.

They watched the thing approach. The image of a hawk was drawn on the balloon. It was moving quickly and within minutes passed overhead. Lightning flashed through the storm clouds. The man in the basket waved again.

“He’s going to get himself killed,” said Flojian.

The wind carried him rapidly away, and within a short time he’d vanished into a dark sky.

In the morning, the highway emerged from the forest into plowed land. Cultivated fields were arranged in squares, and the squares were often divided by water channels. There were cottages and sheds and fences.

“Civilization,” said Quait.

It was a good feeling.

After about an hour, they saw their first inhabitants. Four of them were conducting an animated conversation outside a j house about fifty yards off the road. Two men were on horses’ back. The others, an old farmer and a young woman, stood by a pile of wood. One of the two horsemen looked far too heavy j for his mount. He wore a buckskin vest and a sidearm, and he was jabbing a finger at the farmer while he talked.

“That looks tense,” said Chaka.

Before anyone could reply, the man in the vest drew a gun and fired. The horses reared, the farmer staggered backward and collapsed, and the woman screamed. The gunman was about to fire a second round when the woman seized his arm and tried to drag him out of his saddle. The other horseman rode casually over and hit her with a rifle butt.

Without a word, Quait spurred Lightfoot forward and unslung his own rifle. Chaka sputtered an uncharacteristic oath and followed, leaving Flojian to hang on to the horses.

The woman started to get up, but the second horseman, who was long and lean, with red hair the same color as Chaka’s, slid out of his saddle and kicked her in the ribs. Quait fired off a warning shot.

The man in the vest turned around shooting. Quait reined up, took aim, and nailed him with the first round. The redhead grabbed the woman and drew his pistol. He put it to her temple.

He was motioning for them to stay back. Quait slowed down but kept moving forward.

“Careful,” screamed Chaka. “He’ll kill her.”

“He knows he’s dead if he does.”

The redhead was looking around, weighing his chances. Abruptly, he pushed his captive away, leaped onto his horse, and galloped for the woods. Chaka raised her rifle and tracked after him but Quait put a hand on the barrel. “Let him go,” he said.

She shook her head. “He’ll be back.”

“You can’t kill a man who’s running away.” She glared at Quait, but before she could make up her mind t a shot rang out and the redhead spun out of his saddle. Her f first thought was that Flojian had done it, but she didn’t waste | time on the details. Instead, she spurred Piper forward and I jumped down on the ground beside the woman, who was now I crouching over the victim’s body and screaming hysterically.

He was dead, the ground drenched with blood. Judging f from their apparent ages, she suspected he was her grandfa-I ther. The woman was not much more than a girl. Maybe eigh-I teen. Chaka put a hand on her shoulder but made no move to Idraw her away.

The shooter, who lay sprawled against a downed tree trunk, moaned and looked up with glazed eyes. He tried to recover his gun, which had fallen a few feet away. Chaka kicked it clear and showed him her own weapon. “Wouldn’t take much,” she said.

He grunted, said something she couldn’t understand. Blood was welling out of a shoulder wound. His face was distorted with pain.

Two men rode out of the woods, rifles cradled in their arms. They wore dark blue livery, closely enough matched that Chaka knew they were troopers or militia men.

They were both big, one dark-skinned, one light. The light one stopped to look at Red and shrugged. His partner came the rest of the way in to the house. He stared down mournfully at the man on the ground. “Sorry, Lottie,” he said. “My god, I’m sorry.”

The girl knelt beside the body, sobbing hysterically. They let it go on for a while. The partner tied the hands of the wounded man, and secured him to a hitching post. Then they all stood in a circle around the body, and finally Chaka eased Lottie away.

She took her inside and waited for her to calm down. She told her it was all right, that her friends were here and would take care of her, and that Chaka and her fellow-travelers would do whatever they could for her. She got a damp cloth so Lottie could wipe the dust and tears from her face.

The others brought the body in and placed it in a bedroom. “Best you come with us, darlin’,” said the dark trooper.

“No.” She shook her head. “This is my home.”

“You’ll be back. But we can’t leave you here alone now. Why don’t you come along, stay with the Judge tonight? Till we can get things straightened out.”

Lottie was attractive in the way of all young women. She was blonde, with expressive eyes (although they were now bloodshot), graceful limbs, and a smile that almost broke through her grief.

“No,” she said. “Please.”

“You have to, Lottie,” the dark trooper said. “It’s all right. We’ll have somebody come over. Meantime, Blayk’ll stay with him.”

He glanced at his partner. Blayk nodded.

“You’re sure, Blayk?” she asked, between sobs.

“Yes,” he said. “It’s okay. You get out of here for now.”

She held her hands to her lips for a long time. “Yes, all right. I’ll go. Thanks, Blayk.”

Blayk was tall, lean, quiet. There was a palpable weariness in his features, as if he’d stayed in too many houses under these circumstances. “It’s okay, Lottie. Least I can do.”

She looked around the room, suddenly at a loss again. “I’ve got a jacket here somewhere.”

Chaka got up and took her in hand. She found a liquor of unknown type in a kitchen cabinet, poured her a drink, and poured herself one. She left the bottle for anyone else who wanted any, and looked at Blayk’s partner. “I’ll ask you to wait a little bit, Trooper.”

“We’re rangers, ma’am,” he said.

“Forgive me,” Lonnie said. “This is Sak. And that is Blayk.”

“Pleased to meet you.” Chaka introduced herself and her partners. Then she escorted Lottie out of the room. When they came back, twenty minutes later, Lottie was cleaned up and in fresh clothes.

Chaka walked her out onto the porch. Sak held the door for her and for the Illyrians. “I’d appreciate it,” he said, “if you folks would come along too. I think the Judge’d like to meet you.”

“Of course,” said Quait. “Who’s the Judge?”

“Local law and order.” He told Blayk when he could expect to be relieved, and collected the prisoner. They mounted their horses and rode out east along the canal.

“Where you from?” asked Sak.

“Illyria,” said Flojian.

Sak frowned. “Never heard of it.” He looked about thirty-five, but Chaka sensed he was considerably younger. He had weatherbeaten skin and a thick black mustache.

The prisoner rode beside Quait. “In the old days,” said Sak, “we’d have just shot him here.”

“I wish we could have got here a little sooner,” said Chaka. “What was it about?”

“Slavers,” said Sak. “We’re gradually getting rid of them.

Aren’t we, crowbait?” He poked the wounded man with his rifle.

The prisoner was leaking blood from his right shoulder. Eventually they stopped and Chaka tore up an old shirt to stanch the flow.

“I wouldn’t have done it,” he groaned. “But I thought he was reaching for a gun.”

Sak’s expression was cold. “You might want to think up a better story,” he said.

The Judge lived in a fortress just off the highway, a sprawling complex of military barracks, parade grounds, flagged courtyards, and stables, surrounded by a tough wooden stockade. The stockade bristled with gunports and sally ports. Blue and white banners fluttered from a dozen poles. The fort stood on a low eminence, overlooking fields that were close-cropped for a thousand yards in all directions.

They deposited the prisoner at the front gate and rode in.

The first thing that caught Chaka’s eye was an elaborate manor house. It was built entirely of logs, three stories high, with extra rooms tacked on like afterthoughts. A long front deck was screened and supplied with reed furniture. There were a lot of windows, and the roof supported a cupola which would have been just high enough to see over the wall.

“That’s the Judge’s house,” said Sak. They left Lottie with a matronly woman at a side entrance. She thanked her rescuers again and Sak assured her he would return to look after her. Then he led them past a hay yard, crossed a stream on a wooden bridge, and reined up in front of a drab, two-story building overlooking the parade ground. “This used to be the commandant’s quarters,” he said. “We’ll put you up here as long as you care to stay.”

“That’s very kind of you,” said Chaka.

“Our pleasure, ma’am. We appreciate what you folks did out there. We could’ve lost Lottie, too.” He dismounted and opened the front door. “Nobody stays here now,” he said.

“except guests.” The door opened onto an inner wall. A community room was set off on one side, a stairway on the other. The wall was just wide enough to block off the door. Flojian asked about it.

“It’s called a rindle,” Sak explained. “It’s supposed to keep out evil spirits.”

“In what way?” Chaka asked.

“The story is, unless they’re invited into the house, spirits can only cross at the threshold and they can only travel in a straight line.” He helped Chaka with her bags. “I suspect the rindle has really survived because it helps block off cold air.”

Flojian commented dryly that there were things out there that might change Sak’s mind.

Behind the rindle, a passageway lined with doors ran to the rear of the building. Sak watched them choose rooms and promised to send over fresh linen and whatever else they might require. “I expect,” he added, “the Judge will want to talk to you, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t go too far.”

Chaka was impressed. She had two rooms and a private bath. While she surveyed her quarters, a young woman arrived to put down fresh bedding. Autumn-colored curtains framed the windows, which were open and screened. The fresh, blos-somy fragrance of late spring filled the air. The sitting room had a worktable and two comfortable chairs. One wall was covered with a bearskin.

The bathroom exceeded anything she could have expected. It was dominated by a large wooden tub. There was nothing exceptional about that, of course. But the tub was equipped with faucets, and when she turned one, water came out. It quickly grew warm.

Chaka had seen indoor plumbing before, but never running hot water. She decided they had stumbled into the most advanced nation on Earth.

She went down to the kitchen and treated herself to a few slices of ham (brought in exclusively for their use and kept on ice), and took a cup of wine back to her room where she scrubbed down with scented soap.

As she toweled off, Quait knocked at the door. ‘We’re invited to have dinner with the Judge tonight,” he said. “At eight.”

Within the hour, servants arrived and measured Chaka, promising to return with fresh clothing before the appointed time.

Sak rode in to see how they were doing, and to offer to take them on a tour of the fort. They were free to wander about-as they liked, he explained, although they should not enter the manor without invitation.

“How’s Lottie?” asked Chaka. The victim, they now knew, had been her grandfather.

“As well as can be expected,” he said. “Her brother’s with her.” He shrugged. “It’s a tough world.”

He’d brought fresh mounts. Quait swung into a saddle, patted the animal’s neck. Chaka looked around. Two people were working on a wagon, and a couple more could be seen in a smith’s shop at the foot of the palisade. Otherwise, the fort looked empty.

“We’re a ranger force,” Sak explained. “This kind of thing doesn’t happen much anymore. But unfortunately the bastards still show up once in a while.” He shrugged. “We work with what we have. When we’re not working, we’re farming. Or mining. Or whatever.”

“Mining?” asked Flojian. “What do you mine?”

“Iron, mostly. We take it out of the Roadmaker city.” He pointed north. “And aluminum. And even precious stones.” He shrugged. “On the south side, we’ve got coal.”

They moved casually through the complex. There were four old barracks buildings. “This used to be an army post,” he said. “We don’t really need the military anymore.”

“No more wars?” asked Chaka.

“Not since Brocket! and Cabel signed the Compact. It’s been almost twenty years.”

“Brocket! and Cabel?” asked Quait.

Sak frowned. “The cities,” he said. He shook his head as if his guests all had an extra leg. “You really are from the wilderness, aren’t you?”

“I guess,” said Chaka.

Quait observed that the barracks appeared to be in good condition.

“We still maintain them. There’ve been occasional large-scale raids in the past where we’ve had to bring everybody inside. It’s been a few years since we’ve had to deal with that. And the frontier’s moving west, so we’ll see even less of it. But if it comes again, we’re ready.”

He pointed out the bakery, the servants’ quarters, the stockade, the laundry, the cavalry yard, the officers’ quarters (now used by the rangers who were on duty), and the surgery. “We still call it the surgery, although it’s been converted into our operational headquarters. The real surgery is located in the west wing of the manor.” They toured the wagon masters’ quarters and the mechanics’ shops, both of which were still in use, and the wood yard, the stables, the hay yard, and the cavalry yard. “It looks empty, but the townspeople can defend it if they need to.”

They heard a volley of shots outside the wall.

“That’s our killer,” said Sak.

Chaka grimaced. “That’s fairly quick.”

“We don’t have any repeat offenders. But we took the time to repair his shoulder first. I don’t know why we do that, fix somebody up to shoot him, but the Judge insists on it.”

The waiting room in their quarters was fitted with a waterclock. It was an ingenious device, and Chaka copied a diagram of its mechanism into the journal.

The clock was constructed with upper and lower chambers. Water dripping from the upper chamber raised a float in the lower. The float, which was a tiny canoe, was attached to a notched rod. The rod turned a gear as it rose, and the gear directed a single hand around a clock face. Like other timekeeping equipment of the age, it gave at best an approximation, but that was enough for a people who had necessarily lost touch with the notion of promptness. (The Illyrians had salvaged Roadmaker clocks, knew how they worked, but had not yet mastered the art of building them.)

Shortly before the hand came to rest on the eighth hour, Sak arrived, decked out in a fresh uniform, a white neckerchief, and a white campaign hat. “I understand the Judge is anxious to meet you,” he said.

They walked across the parade ground, around to the front of the manor house, and mounted wooden steps onto the deck. A tall bearded man in a black coat a size too small and a billed cap was coming out as they entered. Sak exchanged greetings with him, and introduced his charges. “Captain Warden,” he said, “of the Columbine.”

Warden bowed to Chaka and shook hands with the others. He was a man of frail appearance, thin, with sallow skin and a curiously passive expression, but he had a grip like a bear trap.

“Where are you from?” he asked, in a voice just loud enough to suggest he was a trifle deaf.

“Illyria,” said Flojian.

He frowned. “Illyria? I thought I knew all the ports on the Inland Sea. But I don’t think I ever heard of Illyria.”

“It’s one of the League cities,” said Flojian, “in the valley of the Mississippi.”

“Oh,” he said. But Chaka caught the tone, and the uncomprehending glance that passed between the captain and their escort. “We must talk about it sometime.” He excused himself, explaining that he had business at the docks.

An attractive young woman, dark-haired, dark-eyed, met them at the door. Behind her stood a rindle, decorated with several strings of beads. “Please come in,” she said, smiling a greeting at Sak.

Somewhere in back, children were laughing. “This is Delia,” said Sak. “She manages the Judge’s household.”

Delia showed them into a sitting room and turned up the lamps. She saw everyone comfortably seated, and inquired as to the guests’ preferences in drinks.

Chaka settled for blackberry wine. “It comes down the canal from Brockett,” said Sak. “On the Columbine.”

The windows were open, and a cool breeze blew through

the room. Outside, the insects were loud, there was occasional distant laughter and the sound of a Walloon, played skillfully. Quait smiled with a degree of embarrassment, but Chaka assured him he was good, too. Lightning glimmered in the western sky.

Flojian was surprised to hear that there was traffic on the canal. “If it’s the same one that parallels the road we came in on,” he said, “it doesn’t look possible. It’s blocked.”

“But you were to the west.” The comment, in a woman’s voice, came from behind them. “In that direction, you are quite right.” The speaker came closer to the lamp, and Chaka saw she was of indeterminate age and small stature. Her features were unremarkable: gray eyes flecked with green, a long, narrow nose, thick silver hair, and a bearing that suggested she was accustomed to command. She was holding a glass that might have been brandy.

Sak got to his feet and introduced the guests to Judge Maris Tibalt. “Good to have you at Oriskany,” she said. “I hope your accommodations are adequate.”

“Yes,” gushed Chaka. It had not occurred to her that the Judge might be a woman. “They are very comfortable.”

“Good.” The Judge looked pleased. “Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Meantime—” She studied the features of each of her guests in turn. “I understand you’ve traveled here from beyond the Inland Sea.”

Quait looked at Sak. “Is that the bodies of water to the west?”

He nodded.

“That’s correct, Judge,” said Flojian.

Chaka saw a frown creeping into Quait’s eyes. No exact locations, it said.

“And you are looking for Haven.”

“Yes, we are.”

“Good. Have you evidence that the place actually exists?”

“We believe it does. Judge,” said Quait.

Flojian mentioned the first expedition, and asked whether she had any recollection of having seen it.

“Yes,” she said. “They passed through. I never saw any of them again.”

“Do you know what happened to them?

“Only the rumors.”

“And what were they?”

“That they took ship out of Brocket! and went north. That all but one died.”

“Died how?”

She considered her answer. “The sailors who came back said they went into a cave and were killed by something nobody could see.”

That comment dampened the mood. “First time I’ve heard that,” Flojian said.

“The sailors lost their passengers,” said the Judge. “They had to have a story.”

“Do you have any details?” asked Chaka.

She considered the question. “No. It was never a matter of much interest to me. What you need to do is go to Brockett. Find the ship’s captain that took them. Talk to him.”

“We saw something strange yesterday,” said Flojian after a moment. He went on to describe the man in the sky.

“Oh, yes.” The Judge looked pleased. “That was Orin. He’s our aeronaut.”

“What does he do? I mean, besides float about in a balloon?”

“He’s an inventor. Lives outside Brockett.” She looked grateful for the change of subject. “He takes people up for rides.”

“Have you ever been in the balloon?” asked Chaka.

The question amused her. “I’ll try any form of travel, Chaka, as long as I can keep one foot on the ground.”

At the suggestion of the Judge, they drank to Illyria and the League, and then to Brockett and the Compact.

“Where is Brockett?” asked Chaka.

“About a hundred miles east. At the end of the canal. It’s on the Hudson.”

“The Hudson?”

“Our major north-south artery. All our commerce moves on it, and on the canal. If you like, I’ll be happy to arrange passage for you with the Columbine. Captain Warden’s boat. I assume you’ll be going on to Brockett.”

“Yes,” said Quait. “That would be very kind of you.”

“Or, you might want to consider staying with us. Life in Oriskany is good. We can use people like you.”

“You don’t know anything about us,” said Flojian.

“I know enough.”

They looked at one another, and Chaka saw agreement. “Thank you,” said Quait. “But we can’t stop now.”

“Good,” she said. “I expected no less. Maybe on your return you’ll feel differently.”

“What lies beyond Brockett?” asked Chaka.

A bell rang softly in another room, and Delia appeared. “Dinner is ready, Judge,” she said.

The Judge rose. “Beyond Brockett,” she said, “there is only darkness. And the sea.”

The staff served roast beef and potatoes and a range of vegetables and hot rolls. There was an endless supply of good wine. The travelers described their adventures, and received the Judge’s commiseration at their losses.

The children whom they’d heard earlier took their meals in a separate room. They belonged to the staff, the Judge explained. “My own are long since grown and gone.”

“Gone where?” asked Quait.

“To Brockett. One is receiving her schooling. My sons are both in the service of the Director.”

“The Director?” asked Flojian.

“The head of state.”

Chaka said, “And women are given a formal education?”

“Of course.”

The Judge explained she had spent her own formative years in Brockett before returning to Oriskany to assume her responsibilities on the death of her father. She was the elder of two daughters.

Flojian asked about her husband. That proved to be a misstep: She blithely explained she didn’t have one, had never had one, and (if her guests would pardon her candor) she really saw no need for one. “You’re shocked,” she added.

“Not really,” said Quait, stumbling for a reply.

“It’s all right. Most people confuse sexual deprivation with virtue. It’s not their fault, really. Society imposes these things and no one ever questions them.”

“The gods impose them,” said Flojian, sternly.

“Which gods are those?” she asked. “The gods of the south? Or of the north?”

Flojian looked to Chaka to help. But Chaka saw no reason to get into it.

“Most societies start with gods and end with philosophy,” the Judge said. “They come eventually to realize that there are no gods, and the laws have been laid down by dead men. My father once warned me that when it came time to die, the only regrets I would have would be for things left undone.”

“There is such a thing as virtue,” persisted Flojian, his voice rising.

“In fact, Flojian, I would argue that the only virtue is wisdom. The others are frauds. And while we’re on the subject, I’d be pleased to supply night companions for any who wish.” She glanced around the table. Her guests squirmed visibly and she laughed. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to make anyone uncomfortable. But do let me know.”

Flojian had not been with a woman for twenty years. He had always feared the consequences of giving in to his impulses outside the approved bonds of marriage, and he still remembered the mental torture that had followed his lone misstep.

He’d got away with it. No pregnancy. No whisper of scandal. (The girl, for she had been little more than that, had been the soul of discretion.) And he’d made a solemn vow not to travel that road again. He would keep clear of sexual entanglements until he married.

And so he had.

When the dinner ended, and the party was breaking up, he’d found himself oddly breathless, looking for a chance to talk alone with the Judge. The opportunity had not come, and in the end he walked away with Lottie and his two companions, with a sense of abject loss, and with the disquieting knowledge that, even had they not been present, he might have been unable to ask for the thing that he so desperately wanted.