The Ruins Of Kaldac

Chapter 5

The Kaldakans kept their word about not punishing Sidas and treating Blade honorably. They wouldn't allow him even a knife to cut his food, but didn't bind him. He couldn't fight, but he could run if he had to. He was also fairly sure that if it was really a matter of life or death, many of the fighters would turn a blind eye to his picking up a sword or a bow. He overheard enough remarks praising the way he'd defended Sidas to know that.

No one dared to speak to him openly, for fear of Kareena and Hota. This included Bairam, and this was quite all right with Blade. For now he had nothing polite to say to the boy who'd put his life in danger. He also didn't expect to have anything to say to Hota, who was now clearly Blade's sworn enemy. The man's eyes said everything necessary on that point. Blade would have liked to talk with Kareena and learn more about her father and her city, but could live without this.

Blade settled down to keep up with the Kaldakans as they marched for home. The trip took ten days, and the strips of leather Blade tied around his feet were almost worn through when the city finally came in sight.

Kaldak combined features from Mossev and the ruins he saw when he first arrived in this Dimension. There were three tall towers arranged in a triangle in the center, with nine streets of smaller buildings radiating from the triangle. The buildings on the edge of the city seemed to be store houses, stables, or workshops. Around the base of the towers were the living quarters and merchants' shops. Damaged buildings had been carefully repaired with timber roofs, leather shutters, stones solidly mortared into place, and lots of paint in vivid colors.

Blade wanted to see more of the city, but Kareena had other ideas. Grim and unsmiling, she marched Blade up the widest street with a drawn sword at his back. Half a dozen fighters followed her, escorting her brother as if he also was a prisoner. Porters with loads, men leading munfans, women carrying laundry, and children playing in the gutters all made way for their chief's daughter. They marched straight up to the base of the nearest of the three towers, then up four flights of broad stairs to the room where Peython, ruler of Kaldak, waited for them.

Peython sat cross-legged on a round wooden table with carved legs, covered with rich gray furs. He wore leather breeches dyed blue, hammered copper bracelets on his wrists and ankles, and an iron-studded belt. Above the waist he wore nothing but a necklace of shiny metal blocks strung on a leather thong. It was almost lost in the hair on his chest. An ugly scar ran diagonally from his left shoulder down across his ribs to his stomach.

Peython's face didn't match the rest of him. It was long, and he had the same expressive green eyes as his children, although his hair was black. His nose was large and hooked, and his mobile lips seemed to smile naturally. He reminded Blade of one of his physics professors at Oxford, suddenly called on to play the part of a barbarian chieftain. Blade wasn't sure he was in the presence of a friend but felt he was in the presence of much wisdom, or at least common sense.

Peython dismissed the guards, then listened in silence while Kareena and Bairam told their stories. Both spoke quickly and clearly, and Bairam seemed much more adult and sensible in his father's presence than he had under his sister's leadership. Perhaps there was a little more to the boy than Blade had suspected.

When Kareena and Bairam were finished, Peython looked at Blade. «Is this true?»

Blade was so surprised at being asked to confirm the stories of his captors that for a moment he could only nod. Then he added, «I do not think Bairam dares to ask for mercy. I am not sure that Kareena wants her brother to have it.» She spun around, but her father's raised hand stopped her before she could speak. «Perhaps you yourself doubt if you should show mercy to your son. If a ruler shows too much mercy to his own children, there are always evil-minded people who cast doubts on his justice or even his wisdom.»

«I see you know something of ruling, Blade of England. Were you a chief in England?»

«No, but I was a warrior in the house of a mighty chief who taught me much.» That would do for a description of J and MI6A, as well as Lord Leighton and Project Dimension X.

«You are worthy of his teaching. Do you wish me to show mercy to my son in the matter of his going against the Law?»

Blade answered the blunt question simply. «Yes, I do.»

«Why do you believe you have any right to speak of this matter?» snapped Kareena. «That is what I want to know. And I want to know why my father-«

«Kareena,» said Peython. He did not raise his voice, but again Kareena stopped with her mouth half open. Then she swallowed the rage visible on her face and stood silently.

«That is a good question, when I think upon it,» said Peython after a short silence. «Blade, you will answer it.»

«I do not know that I have any such right,» said Blade. «I am a stranger who does not know your Law and may yet die for breaking it. I do know honor, and what it is to a warrior. Your son broke the Law trying to save my honor, by giving me Oltec. I think he was also trying to save the honor of Kaldak. Not giving Oltec to a man who saved the life of its chief's son might be dishonor to the city. Am I right, Bairam?»

The boy could only gape like a dying fish for a moment, then said, «Yes, Father. That is how I thought. Blade has said it better than I could have, though. I thank him for his strong words.» Now he looked more like a grateful puppy than a dying fish.

Kareena didn't look grateful. She looked as if she wanted to skin Blade alive with a very dull knife, then roll him in coarse salt. In her father's presence, she would keep a rein on her tongue, but Blade had the unpleasant feeling he'd made another enemy. Having a beautiful woman hating him did not bother him as much as it usually did. It didn't seem as if Kareena would do anything to help him whether she hated him or not!

Peython sat with his chin in one hand for a minute, then stood up and jumped down off the table with the agility of a young man. «I think Blade does speak strong words, also wise ones. But we are Kaldak of the Law. We are not Doimar, where the Law is only studied in the hope of finding ways to break it. To let Bairam go unpunished, to let Blade live-this is far beyond the Law. I cannot go so far myself if I want to, nor do I want to.

«Therefore the Gathering shall be proclaimed.» Kareena gasped. «In seven times seven days, all of Kaldak shall Gather to hear what I have heard today. When they have heard, they shall give their judgment, and that judgment shall guide me. Do you accept this, Bairam?»

«Yes, and with gratitude, Father.»

«Save your gratitude for Blade, if you think it will help him,» growled the chief. «Blade, what do you say?»

Apparently Peython was going to leave matters to an assembly of the people of Kaldak, which couldn't be convened for nearly two months. That was a free gift of two months' extra life, and Blade was a great believer in the old saying, «While there's life there's hope.» Even a slave can hope to find himself free, while a dead man can do absolutely nothing to improve his situation.

«I accept. I trust the wisdom of the people of Kaldak. I know that if I die, it will not be from their hatred of me, but only because they care for their Law. That is an honorable death, by the Laws of England.» He had no intention of passively submitting to that death, however honorable it might be, but there was no need to tell Peython that.

«Very good. Kareena, Bairam, you may go.» When his children were gone, Peython sat down again and frowned at Blade. «Blade, why did you speak as you did for Bairam? Kareena is not pleased, and I am curious.»

Blade had the feeling that he might throw away most of Peython's goodwill whatever he said, so he decided to tell the truth. «I do not care whether Kareena likes me or not. If there is such bad feeling between them that she wishes her brother punished, I do not want her friendship. It could turn to hatred any day.»

«That is true. But that also does not answer my question. Many people would say that Bairam is a fool, and that you are a fool for thinking he is worth anything or can do anything for you.»

Blade smiled. «Bairam is no fool, or at least no more of a fool than I was at his age. He is not stupid. If his mistakes do not kill him soon, he will learn. In time, he may even learn enough to be a worthy son to you, and a proper chief for Kaldak, city of the Law.

«He is also honorable, and will be a friend to those who have done him good. I have come to Kaldak, without friends or knowledge of its ways. I need every friend I can honorably win. Do you feel that I have lacked honor-?»

He broke off as he saw Peython's frown deepen and his shoulders begin to shake. For a moment he thought he'd finally said too much, then realized that Peython was trying to hide laughter. Finally he sighed and looked at Blade again.

«Blade, men who have known my son since he came from his mother's body have not found such wise words for him. I am going to find your time in Kaldak interesting, however long it lasts and however it ends.» He rose and shouted for the guards. «You may go now.»