Show-off.
I know the way Arums think, Em. Theyre intensely loyal, so I had to do something spectacular enough to dispel that loyalty. I didnt think wed want them lurking back in the bushes watching for a chance to ambush us. I managed to get my point across to them.
Have you got the Knife?
He patted the Knife-hilt protruding from his belt. Right here, he replied.
Come out into the moonlight, she told him, leading the way out of the grove.
What are we doing?
Youre going to read the Knife.
I take my orders from you, Em, not from this antique.
Just a precaution, Althalus. The Knifell make sure you dont lose interest along the way.
Whats the matter? Dont you trust me?
Trust you? Her laugh was sardonic.
That wasnt very nice, Em.
Just take the Knife out and read it, Althalus. Lets get on with this.
He drew the Knife out from under his belt and held it out in the moonlight. The inscription engraved on the blade was complex and very formal with interlocking lines that twined around each other. The writing was not the distinctly separated pictographs Althalus had seen in the Book, but seemed somehow to flow together. He had no difficulty picking out one single word, however, since it glowed with a pale light.
What does it say? Emmy asked intently.
Seek, he answered promptly.
There was a soft, musical sound that seemed to soar higher and higher, enclosing, enveloping, almost caressing him. It was so beautiful that it brought sudden tears to his eyes.
And now you are mine, Emmy gloated.
I already was, Em. Is the Knife really singing?
Oh, yes.
What for?
To let me know that youve been chosen. And, of course, that youll do exactly as I tell you to do. She gave him a sly look. Sit, Althalus, she said.
He immediately sat down.
Stand up.
He scrambled to his feet. Stop this, Emmy! he said sharply.
Dance.
He began hopping around. Im going to get you for this, Em! he threatened.
No, you wont. You can stop dancing now. I just wanted to show you what the Knife can do. Youll be able to do the same sort of thing with it just in case Eliar or any of the others well pick up later start getting out of hand.
That could come in handy. He looked even more closely at the Knife-blade. That one word is all I can make out. It jumps right out of the middle of those other squiggles.
The other squiggles are intended for others.
Why cant I read them?
Nobody can read it all, Althalus. Some of those words were intended for people who lived thousands of years ago, and others are there to be read by people who wont even be born for several thousand more. Our current crisis isnt the only one in the history of the world, you know.
Its enough to get my attention. Did it tell you where we go next?
Thatll come after Eliar reads his instructions. Everything in its proper time and place.
Anything you say, dear. He frowned slightly. Lets see if Ive got this straight. Nobody except certain people can read the Knife, right?
Exactly.
Everybody else just sees those squiggles that look like some meaningless decoration?
Didnt I already say that?
What would happen if I showed it to Ghend or Pekhal, or Khnom?
The screams would probably be very loud. The sight of the Knife causes unbearable pain to the agents of Daeva.
Well, now, he said, grinning. Maybe Id better not use the Knife to cut bacon with, then.
You wouldnt!
Only teasing, Em. That Knifes going to be very useful, I think. I believe Ill keep it very close.
Sorry, pet. You arent the one whos supposed to carry it.
Who is?
Probably Eliar.
Are you absolutely sure I can control him? He is a professional killer, Em, so the first thing hes likely to do if I hand him the Knife is stab me in the belly with it.
There arent really any absolutes in life, Althalus.
Oh, thanks, Em, he said sarcastically.
Its a safe wager. The chance that hell kill you is about the same as the one for the sun coming up in the west this morning.
I suppose Id risk a little money on that one. Why dont we wake him up and have him read to us?
Let him sleep. After he reads the Knife, well find out where were supposed to go next, and well have to leave immediately. Lets not start wandering around in the dark.
He shrugged. Youre the one in charge, Em. Then he looked at her curiously. What did you do to Andine to bring her around? She didnt really want to sell Eliar to me.
I persuaded her to love me more than she hated him.
I thought you couldnt do that sort of thing out here.
I didnt create her love, pet. All I did was encourage it. Andines very young and very passionate. She loves and hates with her blood and bones, and she loves even more intensely than she hates. All I had to do to unleash her love was to be adorable. Im an expert at that, if youll recall.
I still think youre cheating, Em.
No, not really. Andines very pretty, and she smells nice. Shes soft and warm, and that voice of hers throbs like a bell. Shes very easy to love, and she responds to love with love of her own. I didnt cheat her, Althalus. I did love her and I still do.
I thought you were supposed to love only me.
What a ridiculous idea. Just because I love her, it doesnt mean that I love you less. My love is boundless, you know.
But now youve managed to sneak away from her, and that means that Ive swindled her out of Eliar, the Knife and you all in the same day. I really think we should get out of here, Em almost immediately.
She wont wake up until morning; Ive seen to that. When she does wake up, the first thing shell do is search her whole palace for me. The idea of sending out her soldiers wont come to her until later.
Are you sure?
Trust me.
Eliar woke up just before dawn, and hed evidently forgotten that he was securely attached to the tree, because he started struggling with his chain before he was fully awake.
Stop that! Althalus barked sharply. Youll hurt yourself.
Eliar quit fighting. He held up one of his wrists and jingled the chain. You dont need to keep me locked up any more, he said. I thought it over last night, and if you really do have an agreement with my chief, Ill do what you tell me to do. If youre lying about it, youll have to answer to him.
Now youre starting to make some sense, Althalus said approvingly. I thought I might have to rattle your teeth a little bit before you started to get the point.
Im a good soldier, and I follow my chiefs orders. I dont have to get any points or understand anything. I just have to do what Im told to do.
I think well get along just fine, Althalus said. Hold out your hands. Lets get rid of those silly chains.
Eliar held out his wrists, and Althalus freed him.
Eliar stood up, stretching and yawning. I didnt sleep too well, he said. Those stupid chains jingled and rattled every time I moved. What am I supposed to call you? Sergeant, maybe? I wont call you Master, no matter what you do to me.
If you ever call me Master, Ill braid all your fingers and toes together. My names Althalus. Why dont you call me that?
Is that really your name? Theres an old story in our clan about a man named Althalus.
I know. Chief Albron thought it was just a coincidence, but he was wrong. Althalus made a wry face. My names about the only part of the story your people got right. The rest of its the biggest lie Ive heard in my whole life and Ive heard some very big lies in my time. Lets get it right out into the open, Eliar. I am the one who robbed Gosti Big Belly about twenty-five hundred years ago, but Gosti didnt have any gold in his strongroom, just copper and a little brass. He wanted people to believe that he was the richest man in the world, so he spread some wild lies about how much gold Id stolen from him. You wouldnt believe how much trouble that caused me.
Nobody can live that long, the boy scoffed.
I didnt think so myself, but Emmy cured me of that. Lets stick to the point here. Can you read?
Warriors dont waste their time on that nonsense.
Theres something you have to read.
I just told you that I dont know how, Althalus. Youll have to read it to me.
It wont work if we do it that way. Althalus took the Knife out from under his belt and held it out to Eliar. He pointed at the complex engraving on the blade. What does this say? he asked.
I cant read. I told you that.
Look at it, Eliar. You cant read it if you dont look.
Eliar looked at the leaf-shaped blade, and he jerked his head back, startled. It says Lead! he exclaimed. I can actually read it! Then he shrank back as the song of the Knife touched him.
Pretty, isnt it? Althalus said.
Emmy had been sitting nearby, watching. She rose and came over to where they were seated. She looked very closely at Eliar, who was still staring at the Knife with a befuddled expression. Tell him to do something, Althalus, she suggested. Lets make sure that you can control him before you give him the Knife.
Althalus nodded. Stand up, Eliar, he said.
The boy immediately scrambled to his feet. He swayed a bit and put one hand to the side of his head. It made me a little dizzy, he confessed.
Dance, Althalus told him.
Eliar started to jig, his feet pattering on the ground.
Stop.
Eliar quit dancing.
Put both hands up over your head.
Why are we doing this? the boy asked, raising his hands.
Just making sure that it works. You can put your hands down. Did you notice anything peculiar just now?
You kept telling me to do things that were sort of silly, Eliar replied.
If they seemed silly, why did you do them?
Im a soldier, Althalus. I always do what the man in charge tells me to do. If he tells me to do silly things, hes the one whos silly, not me.
That sort of takes a lot of the fun out of this, doesnt it, Em? Althalus said aloud. Did the Knife force Eliar to jump around, or was it just his training?
Eliar gave Emmy a surprised look. How did your cat get away from Andine? he asked curiously.
Shes sort of sneaky.
Andines going to be very angry about that. Maybe we should leave in sort of a hurry right after breakfast.
Are you hungry?
Im always hungry, Althalus.
Why dont we eat, then? Althalus held the Knife out to the boy. Here. Youre the one whos supposed to carry this. Tuck it under your belt and dont lose it.
Eliar put his hands behind his back. You should probably know that I was planning to kill you last night before we got to know each other. You might want to think it over a little before you just hand me back my knife like that.
You arent going to try to kill me now, though, are you?
No. Not now.
Why not?
Youre the man in charge, Althalus. Your arrangement with Chief Albron sort of makes you my sergeant. A good soldier never tries to kill his sergeant.
Then I havent got a thing to worry about. Take the Knife, Eliar, and lets eat.
What a great idea, Eliar said enthusiastically, tucking the Knife under his belt.
Bacon? Or maybe ham?
Whichever one you can make the quickest.
Althalus made some ham and a loaf of black bread. Then he produced a very large cup of milk.
Eliar started to eat as if he hadnt had anything for a week.
Althalus made more. How long can he keep this up? he silently asked Emmy.
Im not really certain, her reply came back. She watched Eliar eat with a slightly bemused look in her large green eyes. See if you can distract him enough to get him to show me the Knife. I need to find out where were supposed to go next.
Eliar, Althalus said, you can keep chewing, but Emmy needs to take a quick look at your Knife.
Eliar mumbled something.
Dont talk with your mouth full, Althalus told him. Just take the Knife out from under your belt and show it to her.
Eliar shifted the chunk of ham hed been eating to his left hand, wiped the grease off his right hand on the grass, and drew out his Knife. Still chewing, he held the Knife out to Emmy.
She glanced at it briefly. Awes, she said.
Isnt it in ruins? Althalus asked.
So?
Just thought Id mention it, thats all. Ill go saddle my horse.
Emmy had gone back to watching Eliar eat. Theres no real hurry, Althalus, her silent response sounded slightly amused. From the look of things, our boy heres just getting started.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Just exactly wheres this war? Eliar asked as he trotted along beside Althalus horse, and what kind of people are we going to be fighting?
War? Althalus asked.
People dont rent soldiers just for show, Althalus. Im fairly sure you didnt go to all the trouble of getting me away from Andine just because you were lonesome. Sergeant Khalor always told us that we should find out as much about the people were going to be fighting as we possibly can.
Your sergeants a very wise man, Eliar.
We all looked up to him even though he could be awfully picky about details sometimes. Ill swear that he can talk about one speck of rust on a sword for half a day.
Some soldiers are like that, I suppose, Althalus said. I dont get all that excited about it myself. A rusty sword kills somebody as well as a polished one does.