Lost Empires - Faces Of Deception Part 4

"Perhaps the good sir and his servant would hide now?" asked Ris.h.i.+. "Several roads pa.s.s along here, and we are certain to meet many foolish Mar who would be most alarmed to see Ysdar's devil riding in a yak wagon."

Atreus and Yago ducked down between the carpet rolls, half-coveringthemselves beneath the cotton tarp Bharat used as a dust shroud. Ris.h.i.+ slappedthe reins, urging the yaks forward onto the precarious canyon trail. The listingtrack turned out to be more heavily traveled than any of the roads they had beenon so far. Several times an hour, Atreus and Yago had to pull the dust shroud over their heads as Ris.h.i.+ eased to the side of the road to let pa.s.s anotherwagon or a caravan of yaks. Twice, after hearing of an approaching patrol, he andYago hid in the rocks below the road bank.As it happened, both patrols were heading back to the comforts of Edenvale and paid little attention to Ris.h.i.+ or the wagon. The leaders paused only long enough tobrag about how close they had come to catching Ysdar's devil, a.s.suring thetwo carpet sellers that they themselves had chased the fiend deep into themountains and made the Yehimals once again safe for travel. Ris.h.i.+ and Bharatthanked them profusely for their efforts, and when a pa.s.sing salt caravan mentionedyet a third company down in the willows, no one thought it necessary for Atreus and Yago to leave the cart. The two westerners simply remained in back, peering outbetween their guides, ready to pull the dust shroud over their heads at an instant'snotice.

After a time they rounded a bend and felt cold vapor in the air. Perhaps a mileahead the shoulder of the mountain curved away, exposing yet more of the snowhummocked plateau and revealing the head of the canyon, where a lazy river cametwining out of the willows to plunge into the gorge. The result was a beautiful horsetail waterfall, so long it turned to mist before reaching the rocks below.

The road left the mountainside just past the waterfall, then began branching offthrough the willows. One of the less traveled offshoots turned toward the sky-scratching peaks Ris.h.i.+ had pointed out as their destination, crossing the river via asuspension bridge of woven vines and swaying planks. They were halfway acrosswhen the third patrol emerged from the willows on the other side. The company hadonly two dozen warriors, but riding beside the leader was a small man in a cloak andsable hat. His face was paler and more fine-boned than those of his Mar companions, and in the crook of his arm he carried an elaborately carved staff decorated withmystic symbols.

"Now look what your greed has brought on us, Bharat," hissed Ris.h.i.+. "A wu-jen!"

"Wu-jen?" rumbled Yago.

"From Shou Lung," Bharat explained.

*They are sorcerers of great skill. The equals of Ysdar himself, it is said," Ris.h.i.+ said,speaking so softly that Atreus could barely hear him. "But I have dealt with their kindbefore. Cover yourselves and have no fear."

Atreus and Yago slipped down between the carpet rolls and pulled the dust shroudover their heads, then listened to the wagon rumble the rest of the way across thebridge. At the far end Ris.h.i.+ pulled far enough ahead so that he was not blocking the way, then stopped.

"A pleasant afternoon to you and your men, sir," said Ris.h.i.+. "What news of Ysdar'sdevil?"

"Many rumors, but no news," came the leader's unusually frank reply. The hollowclop of hooves on wood sounded behind the wagon as the patrol started across the bridge. "For all the havoc he is spreading, he has proven a most elusive devil."

"Then you will certainly be pleased to hear that he has fled," said Ris.h.i.+. "Alreadythis morning I have spoken to two different patrols who chased the devil deep into the Yehimals and were forced to turn back only because of enormous avalanches."

The leader's good-natured laugh was cut short by the angry Wu-jen. "In ShouLung, we find little humor in failure. Naraka, it is your people's barbaric love of lying thatcauses us to return without success. Had we not spent fifteen days chasing wild Marrumors, I would have this devil hanging outside the Paradise Mahal already."

*That is most certainly true, honored Wu-jen." Ris.h.i.+'s tone, at once sardonic andpatronizing, managed to convey how sorry he felt that Naraka and his men had toendure such a pretentious Wu-jen. "I will not detain you further from your terribly important duties."

Ris.h.i.+ slapped the reins, and the yaks started forward.

"Did I say you are free to go, driver?" asked the Wu-jen. "Wait one moment"

"Oh, begging the Wu-jen's pardon!"Ris.h.i.+ took his time halting the yaks, and the wagon traveled more than a dozenpaces before coming to a stop "It was my impression that he had no interest in thewords of a lying Mar," Ris.h.i.+ explained.

"I find it wiser to pay more interest to what Mar do not say than to what they do,"retorted the Wu-jen. Atreus heard two ponies pa.s.s back along his side of the cart,but the rest of the patrol seemed to be continuing across the bridge. "Where do youcome from?"

"Last night, we camped*"

"Not you, driver," said the Wu-jen. "Let your master tell me."

The two Mar were silent. For a moment, Atreus feared they were waiting for him tospeak. Then the cart rocked as Bharat turned sideways."M-me?" "Is there another master on the cart?" retorted the Wu-jen. Atreus clutched his dagger. Not for the first time, he wished that he had grabbed his sword instead of his gold when he jumped off the elephant.When Bharat did not answer the Wu-jen, Ris.h.i.+ said, "I hope the Wu-jen will forgivemy boldness, but he is terribly mistaken. I am the master here."

"Truly?" asked the Wu-jen. "That is most surprising. I would have thought a blindmaster needs a seeing driver. Tell me, Blind Helper, why does a seeing master need you?"

"I am not a helper." Bharat's voice was indignant. "We are both bahrana carpet sellers. We are equals."

"Ah, then why does the driver call himself master?"

"Because he is a liar and a thief who thinks he can cheat a blind man out of his due," answered Bharat. *Tell me, good Wu-jen, is it fair that one man who is the equal of another should receive only a third of the profits?"Atreus bit his lip to keep from snarling aloud at the veiled threat, but Ris.h.i.+ took it instride.

"Pay the blind fool no attention," said the Mar. "Certainly, the Wu-jen will agree thatwhen one man does two-thirds of the work, he should have two-thirds of the reward?"

"The Wu-jen will agree that it is none of his concern," replied the Wu-jen. "But ablind man's senses are very sharp. Perhaps he hears this devil or smells himsomewhere along the way?"

"No, I heard nothing unusual." Bharat's answer came quickly*too quickly, Atreusthought. "And it is impossible in this cart to smell anything but my greedy partner."

"Ah, most unfortunate for us. But we are grateful for your candidness. It is very unusual for a Mar not to make up a story." The Wu-jen's voice grew less suspicious,though the irony in his words was not lost on Atreus. "By what road did you come?"

"By the Thanza road." Ris.h.i.+ answered quickly, robbing Bharat of the chance tomalign him further. "From Edenvale."

"Of course . . . the Thanza road," said the Wu-jen. "Strange, I do not recall anyone mentioning a blind merchant. You Mar are so full of gossip, and selling beautiful carpets is an uncommon occupation for a blind man."

"That is easy to explain," Ris.h.i.+ said. "The old fool cannot tell whether his eyelids areup or down. It often looks like he is napping. And now, if the great Wu-jen permits, wemust be on our way. We have far to go before dark."

"And where are you bound, Blind Man?"

Bharat hesitated. "I am not sure."

"Not sure?" asked the Wu-jen.

"I am never certain where my lying partner is taking me." Bharat s.h.i.+fted in hisseat. "Since he does not consider me his equal, he does not often tell me.""You know this time," Ris.h.i.+ said. "We have already agreed, and it is too late tochange now."

Bharat remained silent, and Atreus grew so angry that his hand began to hurt from squeezing his dagger. After this was over, he would let the pudgy Mar know what he thought of blackmail.

"I am waiting," said the Wu-jen. "What is your destination?"

"Oh, begging the Wu-jen's forgiveness," said Bharat. "My friend is right. I recallnow that we are going to Gyatse."Ris.h.i.+ groaned."To Gyatse?" scoffed Naraka, the patrol leader. "You cannot sell carpets in Gyatse."

"If the patrol leader has stayed in Gyatse, perhaps he has noticed that they have only stone floors," said Ris.h.i.+. "There is not one carpet in the whole village... and avery cold village it is! They have a great need for our carpets."

"Need, yes, but they are paupers in Gyatse," said the Wu-jen. *The whole villagetogether could not buy a single carpet. Perhaps we should look at these carpets."Atreus braced himself, ready to spring the instant the dust shroud was pulled back. Suddenly the wagon rocked, and Bharat cried, "Save me!"Atreus flung off the dust shroud and saw Ris.h.i.+ holding Bharat by the shoulder ofhis cloak. "Help! Ysdar's devil has blinded me!" Bharat screamed and tried to fling himselfoff the wagon, but Ris.h.i.+ jerked him back to his seat.

Yago sat up facing the rear of the cart, and Atreus rolled to his knees facing thefront. Outside the cart, the Wu-jen was twisting around to reach into his saddlebags while Naraka, on the far side of the sorcerer, was awkwardly trying tobring his lance to bear. Yago started to push himself out the back of the wagon,but Atreus caught the ogre by the shoulder and shook his head. The last thing he wanted was to fight it out with Naraka's patrol here.Bharat continued to struggle, crying, "They're after my gold!"

Ris.h.i.+'s free hand flashed up and struck Bharat in the gullet, then whipped back,launching something small and silver in the opposite direction. The Wu-jenscreeched and clutched at a tiny dagger protruding from his throat, and Bharat tumbled back into Atreus's lap, coating everything in the cargo bed with gouts of warm, coppery blood.

As Atreus struggled with Bharat's gurgling form, Ris.h.i.+ ducked Naraka's awkward lance thrust, then slapped the yaks with the reins. The wagon lurchedforward and the leader began to shout at his patrol. Atreus pushed aside Bharat's gurgling form and spun toward the rear of the wagon, expecting to find Yago struggling to block half a dozen flying lances.

Instead most of the patrol was on the other side of the river struggling to organize itself. Only the last three riders in line were able to answer their commander's call, and even they were just backing their ponies off the bridge.

"I could go wreck that bridge," suggested Yago. As he spoke, the ogre struggled in the cramped s.p.a.ce to gather his legs beneath him. "Wouldn't take much to getpast them three riders."

Atreus shook his head. "If it did, you'd be trapped and alone," he said. "Better to stay together."

"Help!" screamed Ris.h.i.+. "Help*he will kill me!"

Atreus turned to find Ris.h.i.+ trying to duck Naraka's lance and steer at the sametime. He caught the weapon by the shaft and shoved it away, then peered around the front edge of the canopy.

When Naraka saw Atreus's hideous, blood-covered face, he shrieked and released his end of the lance to reach for his sword. Atreus jammed the b.u.t.t intothe patrol leader's chest and pushed hard. Naraka fell, dragging his pony downon top of himself, then tumbled away into the snowy willows."Hah! Well done, good sir!" Ris.h.i.+ said, then dragged himself back onto the bench andslapped the reins, somehow urging more speed from the trotting yaks. "That willdelay them!"

Atreus glanced back and saw that the three pursuers from the bridge had indeedseized on their leader's fall as an excuse to stop. One of the riders was kneelingon the road, holding the limp Wu-jen in his lap while another man pressed his ear tothe sorcerer's chest. The third was dismounting near where Naraka had tumbled into the willows, calling down over the road bank to see if he needed any help.

Now that the immediate danger was past, Atreus's ears began to pound with anger. He used his sleeve to wipe Bharat's blood from his face, then slapped Ris.h.i.+'s head with the shaft of Naraka's lance.

"What's wrong with you?""Wrong with me?" Ris.h.i.+ asked. He leaned away, rubbing the side of his head. "I am not the one beating my poor servant for no good reason.""Murder is not a reason?" Atreus asked. He ducked into the wagon and touchedhis fingers to Bharat's slit throat. There was no pulse. "This wasn't necessary.""Many profuse apologies for any mistake the good sir thinks I have made, butBharat betrayed us. He deserved to die."

"He was your friend," Atreus retorted. "Losing his third of the gold would havebeen punishment enough. You could have let him jump, and it would have beenthe same to us."

"And what of the Wu-jen?" Ris.h.i.+ asked indignantly. "Should I have spared hislife as well? Or does killing only bother you when it is someone you know?"

"Unnecessary killing bothers me," Atreus said. "The Wu-jen's death was necessary to avoid capture.""I see," said Ris.h.i.+. "A very convenient distinction. I will try to keep it in mind so asnot to offend the good sir in the future."

"Uh*forget that Wu-jen," said Yago. *Tell me what you want done about them."

Thirty paces down the road, Naraka's men were reluctantly urging their mounts into a charge. With the riders stirrups nearly dragging the ground and the necksof the little ponies stretched forward in a fierce gallop, the sight seemed almostcomical save for the sharp points of their lances and how rapidly they were tocoming up behind the wagon.

"Can you make this cart go any faster?"

"Certainly ... if I find a long hill and cut the yaks free," Ris.h.i.+ replied. "Until then,perhaps you would consider our pursuers? If you delay them for only five minutes,we can flee into the willows and escape to our secret caravan road. After that, theG.o.ds themselves will not find us."

Atreus thought for a moment, then shoved Bharat's body toward Yago. "Get him out of the way."

The ogre pitched the stout Mar out onto the road.

Atreus grabbed the dust cover and fed it over the rearmost canopy brace,draping it down to prevent Naraka's riders from hurling their lances into the wagon.He cut a tiny square out of one corner so he could see, then had Yago pick up the heaviest carpet in the cargo bed. By the time they finished, Naraka and his leading riders were only a few paces away, with the rest of the patrol hard ontheir heels.

Naraka barked an order, and the riders in front grasped their lances like spears. Watching through his viewing hole, Atreus realized that the EdenvaleMar were not quite as foolish as Ris.h.i.+ made them sound. Naraka rode up beside the wagon and reached out to jerk down the improvised curtain.

"Now, Yago!" Atreus shouted. Yago shoved the carpet out under the dust cover, giving it a sideways spin so that.i.t turned across the road. The six closest riders barely had time to curse before theheavy roll caught their mounts across the front legs. The ponies went down in ascreeching ma.s.s, filling the air with a cacophony of panicked whinnies and clangingequipment An instant later, the second rank of riders crashed into the mess andtumbled over their fallen comrades, stretching the mayhem another dozen paces up the road. The men at the end of the column avoided the snarl of legs and lances byswerving into the willows, then returned to the road with their weapons ready tohurl.

Yago grabbed a second carpet roll. Naraka's hand grabbed the edge of the dust cover.

"Duck!" Atreus yelled.

The wagon swerved as Ris.h.i.+ obeyed. Naraka jerked the curtain down, and theriders launched their lances. Atreus hunched down behind the wagon's tailgate andheard three quick thuds and a wet thwack as one of the missiles sank into Yago'sshoulder. The remaining lances hissed through the length of the cargo bed to clatter off the driver's bench.

"Not to complain, but are you doing anything back there?" Ris.h.i.+ demanded.

Yago shoved the carpet onto the road. The roll caught two of the galloping poniesacross the breast and slid down to their legs. The beasts and their riders went screeching and tumbling in four different directions, tripping three more ponies and leaving only one of Naraka's men in pursuit.

"Here!" Yago plucked the lance out of his shoulder and pa.s.sed it over.Atreus wasted no time hurling it at the rider's chest. The man threw himself out hissaddle and barely escaped being impaled. Naraka himself came swinging around thecorner of the cargo canopy, sword blade flas.h.i.+ng. Atreus caught the a.s.sault at the wrist almost casually, grabbed his attacker by the throat, and jerked him into the wagon.

Naraka landed on his back beside Yago, his sword arm pinned to the floor. Hebrought a knee up and slammed it into Atreus's side, then tried to jerk his weapon free.Atreus merely grunted, having suffered a thousand blows far more powerful at the hands of his ogre siblings. He began to squeeze Naraka's throat.

"I'll have the sword whether you release it or not," Atreus warned. "The only thingyou control is whether or not I crush your windpipe to get it."

For the first time, Naraka really seemed to look at Atreus's b.l.o.o.d.y face. Hiseyes grew as round as coins, and his lips trembled and glistened with sweat. Yago sat up and ripped the cloak off Naraka's shoulders, using it to start bandaging his wound.The patrol leader released his sword and began to babble wildly in Maran.

Ris.h.i.+ laughed. "He is calling upon the Old G.o.ds to accept his death on the queen'sbehalf and smite down Ysdar's devil."

Atreus's heart filled with dismay. The reaction was little different than the one hisappearance usually evoked. An ugly face could not be human. He tossed Naraka's sword to the other side of the cart, then released the Mar.

"I am no monster," he said. "Leave me alone, and you have nothing to fear."

Naraka swallowed and glanced nervously away, then found himself staring intoYago's purple eyes. He screamed and reached for his belt dagger. Atreus slapped thehand down, gently removed the knife, and tossed it over beside the sword. Naraka spit in his face and cursed him in Maran.

"Oh, now you are in trouble," chuckled Ris.h.i.+. He was alternating between steeringthe wagon and glancing back over his shoulder. "That stupid Mar thinks you will not kill him because you fear the vengeance of the Old G.o.ds. It would be wise to prove himwrong.""I won't kill him in cold blood." Atreus glared at Naraka."I mean no harm to you or your queen, so I have nothing to fear from your G.o.ds. Doyou understand?" Naraka's face remained wild with fear, and his eyes began to search the wagonfor a weapon.Atreus looked to Ris.h.i.+. "Does he understand?"

"Who can tell?" Ris.h.i.+ shrugged. "He is mad with fear. If you do not wish to killhim, then at least let Yago break an arm or a leg. Otherwise he will hound us allthe way to Langdarma."

"Ris.h.i.+, enough!" Atreus looked back to his prisoner and spoke in a calm voice. "Iknow you understand me. I mean no harm to you or Queen Rosalind.""Lying devil!" Naraka hissed. "You have done much harm already! You have killed the queen's Wu-jen!"

"It was not my intent, nor was it my fault," Atreus replied. "Had Queen Rosalindshown me the courtesy she would have shown any handsome man, there wouldnever have been trouble between us." Atreus glanced back and saw Naraka's warriors beginning to mount and drawswords. Reluctant as they had been to attack earlier, they were not about toabandon their leader to Ysdar's devil. Atreus swung his prisoner to the rear of the wagon.

"Leave me alone, and there will be no more trouble between us. Tell yourqueen that."With that, he hefted Naraka over the tailgate and dropped him to the road.Naraka rolled once, then came up screaming in Maran. Ris.h.i.+ slapped the reins, shaking his head. "Oh, my, what a curse!" he said. "The good sir is certainly goingto wish he had broken something on that stupid Mar...."

Chapter 6.

They pulled the wagon down into the willows, into two feet of cold, clear water, andwhen Atreus jumped in, his legs went instantly numb. He took Naraka's sword and the hastily loaded rucksack from Yago, then waded forward to where Ris.h.i.+ wasfreeing the yaks from their harnesses.

"I d-don't think this will w-work," Atreus chattered. "We'll f-freeze to death."

"The good s-sir may have f-faith in his servant." Ris.h.i.+'s hands were shaking sobadly he could barely work. "It is our p-pursuers who will freeze, not us. We haveyaks."A loud splash sounded from the rear of the wagon, then Yago said, "Ch-chilly!" The ogre stooped down and began to bathe his wounded shoulder in the coldwater, moving his arm back and forth to work the stiffness out.

"What about Yago?" Atreus kept his voice low. "He's too big for a yak."

"He will find plenty to eat in the swamp. That will keep him warm." Ris.h.i.+ motioned for the rucksack. "The only other choice is to confront our pursuers, andthen there will certainly be much killing, which I know the good sir finds so distasteful."

Seeing that the Mar was right, Atreus hoisted the rucksack onto a yak's back.Ris.h.i.+ slipped a rope through the shoulder straps and pulled it toward the beast'swithers, then frowned and hefted its weight.

"My goodness, this is light," Ris.h.i.+ remarked. "What does it contain?" "Our bedrolls and extra cloaks, the last of our food, the cooking pot and water-skins*"

"And what of your treasure coffer?" Ris.h.i.+ broke in.

"My treasure coffer? Even if we had a way to carry it, we don't have time*"

"If you don't bring the coffer, how can you pay me?" demanded Ris.h.i.+. "Youhave your own reasons for seeking Langdarma. I am doing it for the gold."

"But Naraka's patrol is*"

"Had the good sir listened to his guide and killed Naraka, the patrol would undoubtedly have turned back by now," Ris.h.i.+ said as he stepped away from the yak. He stood with arms folded, leaving the rucksack to hang half secured. "Youmay spare your enemies if you wish, but your kindness will not cost me my fortune."

Atreus sighed and glanced through the willows back toward the road. When hesaw no sign of Naraka's patrol, he nodded reluctantly. "If we can carry it," he said."Yago's in no condition*"