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.
Were going to get along just fine, Eliar said, grinning broadly. Now, then, who am I supposed to fight?
The war were involved with isnt exactly like an ordinary war at least not yet. We havent quite reached the point of armies and battlefields.
Were still choosing up sides?
Althalus blinked, and then he laughed. That might just come closer to what were doing than anything Ive heard so far.
Watch your mouth, Emmys thought had a slight edge to it.
Althalus laughed again. Thats why we absolutely had to get our hands on the Knife, Eliar, he told the boy. Its the only thing that can tell us whos on our side. The ones we want can read it. Others cant. Emmy can read more of it than you and I can, and it tells her where were supposed to go to recruit the people well need.
Shes not really a cat, then, is she? My mothers got a cat, but all her cat does is eat and sleep and chase mice. If Emmys that important, you took an awful chance when you traded her for the Knife the way you did. Andines a very strange little lady. Youre lucky she didnt chain Emmy to her bed-post.
The way she had you chained to that pillar in her throne room?
Eliar shuddered. That was a real bad time for me, Althalus. The way she used to look at me gave me the wibblies. Shed sit there for hours playing with my knife and staring right straight at me. Women are very strange, arent they?
Oh, yes, Eliar. Indeed they are.
Shortly before noon, Althalus noticed a farmstead some distance back from the road they were following, and he turned into the lane that led toward the house. Lets get you mounted, Eliar, he said.
I can keep up with you on foot, Althalus.
Possibly, but weve got a long way to go. Ill talk with the farmer here and see what hes got to offer.
While Althalus spoke with the seedy-looking farmer, Eliar carefully examined the farm horses in the large corral behind the farmhouse. This one, he said, rubbing the ears of a large sorrel horse.
The farmer started to object, but he changed his mind when Althalus jingled his purse.
You paid him too much, Eliar said as they rode away from the farm.
The money doesnt really mean anything.
Money always means something unless you just made it up in the same way you make up the food we eat. Then he looked sharply at Althalus. You did, didnt you? he demanded. You just reared back, waved your hand, and there was a great big pile of gold, wasnt there?
No, as a matter of fact, I Althalus stopped, his eyes suddenly going very wide. Can I do that? he sent his startled question at Emmy, who was dozing in the hood of his cloak.
Probably, yes.
Then why did you make me dig it up?
Honest works good for you, pet. Besides, it doesnt exactly work that way. Foods one thing, but minerals are quite a bit different.
Why?
They just are, Althalus. Theres certain balance involved that we shouldnt tamper with.
Would you like to explain that?
No, I dont think so.
They rode hard for the next couple of days until they were some distance away from Osthos, and then they slowed to give their horses a bit of rest. The plains of Treborea, drought-stricken and barren under the hot summer sun, were depressing, so Althalus passed the time telling Eliar slightly elaborated stories about his adventures back in the days before hed gone to the House at the End of the World. Like all Arums, Eliar enjoyed good stories, and he was exactly the kind of audience that warmed Althalus heart.
Althalus did cheat just a little, though, as they rode along. Every time Eliars attention started to wander, a chicken leg or a chunk of still-warm bread would immediately recapture it. The arrangement worked out rather well, actually.
Emmy, however, found long naps much more interesting than the stories, for some reason.
Eliar more or less took over the care of their horses when they set up camp each night. Althalus produced the hay and oats their mounts needed, and not infrequently he was obliged to provide water for them as well. Eliar did the actual work, though, and the horses seemed quite fond of him. All in all, Althalus rather liked the arrangement.
They passed the walled city of Leupon a few days later, crossed the River Kanthon, and entered the lands of the Equeros. The lake country was not as parched as the plains of Perquaine and Treborea had been, and the population there had not been forced to huddle around slowly diminishing water holes or along river banks.
It took them about ten days to cross Equero, and then they entered mankinds ancestral homeland of Medyo. Five days later they reached the place where the River Medyo forked and where the ruins of the city of Awes was located.
What happened here? Eliar asked as they stood on the west bank of the river waiting for the barge that for a price ferried travelers across to the ruins.
There was a war, Im told, Althalus replied. The way I understand it, back in those days the priesthood ruled all of Medyo and the surrounding lands. They got a little too greedy finally, and the army decided that the world might be a nicer place without so many priests, so they marched in to see if they could arrange that. The priests had an army of their own, and those two armies had some extended discussions in the streets of Awes.
It must have been a long, long time ago. Theyve got full-grown trees standing in the streets over there.
Althalus, Emmys voice murmured, I need to talk with Eliar directly, so Im going to borrow your voice. I think it might be easier if hes holding me while we do this.
Whys that?
Just do it, Althalus, she replied. Dont keep asking silly questions.
Althalus took her up and held her out to their youthful companion. Here, he said. Emmy wants to talk to you. Hold her.
Eliar put his hands behind his back. I think Id rather not, he said.
Youd better get over that. Take her, Eliar.
I dont understand cat-talk, Althalus, Eliar protested, taking Emmy with obvious reluctance.
Im sure shell make you understand.
Get out of the way, Althalus, Emmys voice commanded. Count trees or something. Im going to be using your voice, so dont interfere. Then Althalus heard his own voice saying, Can you hear me, Eliar? His voice seemed lighter, and it had a higher pitch.
Of course I can hear you, Althalus, Eliar replied. Youre only a few feet away. Your voice sounds a little odd, though.
Im not Althalus, Eliar, the voice coming from Althalus lips said. Im just using his voice. Look at me, not at him.
Eliar looked down at Emmy with astonishment.
Emmy wrinkled her nose. You need a bath, she said.
Ive been a little busy. Maam, the boy replied.
You can pet me, if youd like, she suggested.
Yes, Maam. Eliar began to stroke her.
Yes, Maam. Eliar began to stroke her.
Not quite so hard.
Sorry, Maam.
Hes such a nice boy, Emmy murmured in her borrowed voice. All right, Eliar, listen to me very carefully. Theres a distinct chance that well encounter enemies over there on the other side of the river. What do you do when you meet an enemy?
Kill him, Maam.
Exactly.
Emmy! Althalus overrode her usurpation of his voice.
Stay out of this, Althalus. This is between the boy and me. Now then, Eliar, well be meeting priests over there. I want you to show the Knife to every one of them we meet. Can you pretend to be stupid?
Eliar made a rueful kind of face. Maam, he said, Im a country boy from the highlands of Arum. We invented stupid.
Id really prefer it if you called me Emmy, Eliar; we dont have to be so formal. This is the way I want you to do this: when we talk to a priest, put on your best Arum expression and hold the Knife out for him to see. Then you say, Excuse me, yer priestship, but kin you tell me whats wrote on this here Knife?
Probably not with a straight face, Emmy, Eliar said, laughing. Is there really anybody in the whole world whos that simple-minded?
Youd be surprised, Eliar. Practice saying it until you can do it without coming down with the giggles. Now, most of the priests wont be able to make any sense out of whats written on the Knife. Theyll either admit that they cant read it, or theyll pretend to be too busy to take the time. The one were looking for will read it in exactly the same way you did when you read it, and the Knife will sing to you as soon as he reads it aloud.
I sort of thought that was what was going to happen, Emmy. Whats this got to do with enemies, though?
If you do happen to show the Knife to an enemy, hell scream and try to cover his eyes.
Why?
Because the sight of the Knife will hurt him probably more than anything has hurt him in his entire life. As soon as somebody does that, drive the Knife right into his heart.
All right, Emmy.
No problems? No questions?
No, Emmy, none at all. Youre in charge of things. If you tell me to do something, Ill do it. Sergeant Khalor always told us that were supposed to obey orders immediately without asking any stupid questions, and your orders are really very simple. If somebody screams when I show him the Knife, hell be dead before the echo fades away.
Emmy reached up one soft paw and stroked his cheek. Youre such a good boy, Eliar, she purred.
Thank you, Emmy. I try my best.
I hope youve been listening very carefully, Althalus. Maybe you should have taken some notes for future reference. It saves so much time when people know how to follow orders without all the endless discussion I get from some people I know.
Can I have my voice back now?
Yes, pet, you may. Im done with it at least for right now. Ill let you know when I need it again.
The barge took them across the west fork of the River Medyo, and they rode on into the ruins of the city. The priests who lived there wore cowled robes, for the most part, and they had built crude hovels among the ruins. There were some noticeable differences between the various groups of priests. Those who lived in the northern part of the ruins wore black robes, the ones in central Awes were robed in white, and the ones closest to the river fork wore brown. Althalus noted that they tended not to talk to each other very much except to argue.
No, youve got it all wrong, a black-robed priest from the northern end of town was saying to a fat priest in a white robe. The Wolf was in the ninth house when that happened, not the tenth.
My charts dont lie, the chubby priest replied hotly. The sun had moved to the fourth house by then, and that definitely moved the Wolf to the tenth.
What are they talking about? Althalus silently demanded of Emmy.
Astrology. Its one of the cornerstones of religion.
Which religion?
Most of them, actually. Religions based on a desire to know whats going to happen in the future. Astrologers believe that the stars control that.
Are they right?
Why would the stars care what happens here? Besides, most of the stars the priests argue about dont actually exist any more.
I think that one missed me, Em.
The stars are fire, and fires eventually burn out.
If theyre burned out, why are the priests still arguing about them?
Because they dont know that theyve burned out.
All they have to do is look, Em.
It doesnt quite work that way, Althalus. The stars are a lot farther away than people realize, and it takes a long time for their light to reach us. Probably about half of what you see when you look up at night isnt really there any more. To put it another way, the priests are trying to predict the future by looking at the ghosts of dead stars.
Althalus shrugged. It gives them something to do, I suppose. He looked around at the ruined buildings and rubble-strewn streets. The robed and cowled priests were moving about singly or in small groups, but there were more conventionally dressed men in Awes as well. He saw one man whod set up what appeared to be a shop next to a partially collapsed wall. The man had a rough table with pots, pans and kettles on it.
Welcome friends, the fellow said hopefully, rubbing his hands together. Look and buy. Look and buy. I have the best pots and kettles in all of Awes, and my prices are the lowest youll find in any shop here.
Be careful, Althalus, Emmy murmured. Thats Khnom. He works for Ghend.
Then Ghend knew that we were coming here?
Maybe not. He might have just spread his agents out to watch for us. Fix Khnoms face in your mind. Well probably run across him again.
Was there anything in particular you were looking for, friend? the ostensible merchant asked. He was a small-sized man, and he seemed to be very careful not to look Althalus in the eye.
Actually, I need some information, neighbor, Althalus replied. Im not familiar with the proprieties here in Awes. Can I just set up shop in any ruined building thats empty?
That wouldnt be a good idea, the merchant advised. Most of the business that goes on here in Awes takes place in this middle part of town, and the white-robes who control it sort of expect a donation from you before you open for business.
A bribe, you mean?
I wouldnt use that word to their faces. Pretend to be some religious simpleton. All priests love feeble-minded parishioners. Khnom cast a sly, sidelong glance at Althalus to see how his somewhat sacrilegious remark had gone over.
Althalus kept his face bland. What are their feelings about us pitching our tents at the back of the shop? he asked.
Theyd rather that we didnt and you probably wouldnt want to. They pray a lot, and theyre noisy about it. The rest of us businessmen have a sort of community over by whats left of the east wall of the city.