The Blood Stained Belt

8/11/2019 The Blood Stained Belt

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THE BLOOD-STAINED BELT

By

Brian H. Jones

Smashwords edition

Published by Aichje Books on Smashwords

Aichje Books -- Goulburn, NS, Australia

!he Blood-stained Belt

"o#yri$ht % &'(' by Brian H. Jones

)SBN *+-'-*'('+-'-+

ritten by Brian H. Jones

"oer desi$n and artwork by laine "ornwell

Published by Brian H. Jones

Goulburn, NS, Australia

All ri$hts resered. No #art o/ this #ublication may be re#roduced, stored in aretrieal system, or transmitted in any /orm by any means 0 electronic, mechanical,


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#hotoco#yin$, recordin$, or otherwise 0 without the #rior written #ermission o/ the #ublisher.

!he only e1ce#tion is brie/ 2uotations in #rinted reiews.

Smashwords dition, 3icence Notes

!his ebook is licensed /or your #ersonal enjoyment only. !his ebook may not be re-sold or $ien away to other #eo#le. )/ you would like to share this book with another #erson,

#lease #urchase an additional coy /or each #erson. )/ you are readin$ this book and did not

#urchase it, or it was not #urchased /or your use only, then #lease return to Smashwords.com

and #urchase your own co#y. !hank you /or res#ectin$ the hard work o/ this author.

45ou know what Joab son o/ 6eruiah did to me when he murdered my two army

commanders, Abner son o/ Ner and Amasa son o/ Jether. He #retended that it was an act o/

war, but it was done in a time o/ #eace, stainin$ his belt and sandals with innocent blood4

7!he Bible, ( 8in$s, &9 :;

CHAPTER ONE: WHEN LAND AND PEOPLE MEET THE SEA

5esterday ) saw Sharma stru$$lin$ to heae his bulk across the courtyard, cursin$ at

the men who su##orted him. hen he stubbed his toe and #itched /orward only the stren$th

o/ both serants saed him /rom thuddin$ to the $round. !he $reat one o/ 8eirine is /allin$

and who knows who and what will colla#se with him< hateer ha##ens, one thin$ is /or

sure 0 ) won=t be around to see it. Sharma will ensure that. 5et, in s#ite o/ that, ) can=t brin$

mysel/ to hate him. ) should, but ) can=t. e=e shared so much, done so much to$ether,ho#ed and strien /or so much that to hate him would be like ne$atin$ #art o/ mysel/. ) can

$rit my teeth at him, ball my /ists in /rustration, and let my thou$hts stalk all oer that barren

wilderness that is marked by roads not taken and si$n#osts obtusely i$nored 0 but, no, ) can=t

hate Sharma.

By 6abra>al, Sharma and ) $o back so /ar that rememberin$ our early days is like

tryin$ to see the sha#es o/ other #eo#le=s lies while #eerin$ down a mist-ha>y tunnel.

Somewhere back there, ) will /ind the days when Sharma and ) #layed stick-and-hit to$ether

with the other bare-/ooted boys. Somewhere back there is the time when we were shoed into

school to endure its misery /or /our years. !hat=s where we met and became /riends. !o$ether

with /orty other boys we hunched to$ether on rou$h benches balancin$ our slates on ourknees. !he mud-#lastered, tur/-roo/ed buildin$ was too cold in winter and too hot in summer

while what went on inside was either tedious or /ri$ht/ul. e /linched as we waited to see

who would be the ne1t ictim o/ old A$$am=s ton$ue-lashin$ or, worse still, who would be

the ne1t to be beaten across his shoulders with the stick that A$$am brandished as he stalked

the boards, a slae-master to his cowerin$ slae-#u#ils. )t was like watchin$ the dice bein$

rolled 0 i/ your number didn=t come u# now, it would come u# soon enou$h. 5ou couldn=t

esca#e A$$am=s stick. 5ou could only ho#e to aoid it /or as lon$ as #ossible.

Also, somewhere down that ha>y tunnel is the day that we lay at our ease on the

shoulder o/ a hill that oerlooked the coastal #lain. Suckin$ on a stalk o/ $rass, Sharma rested

on his elbows and #ronounced con/idently, ?)=m tellin$ you, Jina, one day we=ll con2uer the

@ornites. e=ll take their land all the way /rom here to the coast.=


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?h< hat makes you think so


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always showed him an im#lacable /ace. ) made a #oint o/ endurin$ the #ain o/ my beatin$s in

ti$ht-li##ed silence, neer $iin$ A$$am the smallest hint o/ how much ) su//ered. hack

hack !he blows would descend on my shoulders while A$$am, #antin$, eyes $lintin$,

would roar e1ultantly, ?Aha So mister Jina is too #roud to cry, is he< e=ll break that

stubborn streak, won=t we, ehal /or these mercies e had done

our /ie years o/ school and now we were /ree /rom A$$am4s caustic control. e sat therecom#anionably, lookin$ oer the hills that /ell away below us, watchin$ the shee# $ra>in$.

hat was there to say< Pro#hecy or no #ro#hecy, een youn$sters like us could see how

matters stood. !he e$etation here in the u#lands was thin and unreliable. 3i/e was hard and

insecure. !o make matters worse, we were always in dan$er o/ bein$ attacked by the

@ornites. !hey treated the land, #eo#le, and #ro#erty o/ 8eirine like their #riate beehies, to

be raided at their #leasure. en at such a youn$ a$e, ) sensed that the stru$$le with the

@ornites would neer end until one side com#letely con2uered the other. Neither the

seemin$ly endless succession o/ sun--drenched days nor the endless istas o/ hills, #lains,

and alleys could drie away that dark knowled$e.

Sharma reached into his tunic and took out his slin$. He #icked u# a stone, #ut it intothe #ouch and stood there swin$in$ the wei$ht. !hen, /indin$ a suitable #lace, he #ointed

towards a chest-hi$h rock and said, ?3et=s hae some tar$et #ractice=. ) walked oer and

#laced small stones on to# o/ it while Sharma looked at the tar$ets with narrowed eyes,

$rinned and said, ?!hey=re $ettin$ smaller all the time, aren=t they


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also showed me a new techni2ue that he had deelo#ed, in which he dro##ed his wrist leel

with his eyes just as he released the slin$.

ur tar$et #ractice was a lot more than merely the #lay/ul actiity o/ two boys with

time to s#are. hen we were out on the hills, we needed strai$ht arms and sure eyes /or our

own #rotection as well as /or the $ood o/ our /locks. For instance, when a wol/ attacked the

shee# only a /ew weeks earlier, Sharma disabled it with two shots /rom his slin$ be/ore )

/inished it o// with a s#ear thrown /rom medium ran$e and then with a /lurry o/ thrusts /rom

close distance. At /irst we were terri/ied but then, when we succeeded, we were ecstatic. e

hu$$ed each other, lau$hed and cheered and #ranced around the dead body which was still

sha$$y with menace. en as we celebrated, we were in awe at what we had done while,

simultaneously, we were /illed with the e1#losie, new knowled$e o/ what we could do. )t

was the harbin$er o/ $reater thin$s to come.

e only le/t the hillto# and the iew o/ the shimmerin$ coast line when the sun be$an

to sink lower in the sky. Sharma jerked a thumb and said, ?) $uess we=d better round u# the

shee#.= He was ri$ht. en at ni$ht, it was risky to be so /ar to the east in no-man=s land. e

would hae to moe the shee# westwards, /urther into the hills.

A/ter we herded the /locks into a dead-end raine and secured the entrance with

thorny branches, we made our cam# about thirty #aces u# the slo#e aboe the mouth o/ the

raine. )t was Sharma=s idea. He said that there was less chance that someone would /ind us

i/ we cam#ed hi$her u#. en while ) $rumbled about the awkwardness o/ our #osition,

s2uee>ed into a small s#ace between a boulder and the stony hillside, ) knew that he was

ri$ht. He usually was.

)t was too risky to li$ht a /ire so we dined on cheese and bread be/ore we du$

indentations in the sand, s#read our blankets, and /ell aslee# less than an hour a/ter sunset.

arly ne1t mornin$, ) awoke with a hand oer my mouth. )t was Sharma, hissin$ intomy ear9 ?uiet=

?Huh< hat=s u#y< !hey=re too stron$ /or us. !hey=ll kill us i/ we take them on ri$ht now.=

He was ri$ht. ach man carried a sword as well as three medium-len$th s#ears

secured across his back in the 2uier-like holders that the @ornites /aoured. Besides, we

were boys and they were /ull-$rown men.

) subsided $lumly. )t was a$ainst my instincts just to sit ti$ht and wait. Sharma knew

that, which was why he maintained such a ti$ht $ri# on my arm while he whis#ered, ?How

many o/ them are there


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?So be/ore we do anythin$ we need to /ind out what the situation is.=

?And meanwhile they $et away with the shee#


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Sharma took hold o/ my wrist and murmured, ?@o you beliee that 6abra>al cares /or

usal is the de/ender o/ 8eirine. He is with us.= ) shot a 2uick, en2uirin$

look at Sharma. Not /or the /irst time, ) sus#ected that he didn=t beliee whole-heartedly in

the $race o/ 6abra>al. ) shru$$ed and $runted non-commitedly. ) had to admit that in s#ite o/

all that we had been told about the tender mercies o/ 6abra>al, ri$ht now he did seem to be a

lon$ way /rom us 0 a lon$ way /rom two boys in an isolated raine /aced with three well-

armed @ornite raiders. Guiltily, ) tried to do #enance /or the errant thou$hts. h, 6abra>al,

/or$ie me !hose little, stray thou$hts just sli##ed in when ) rela1ed my $uard. h,

6abra>al, ) know that you care /or us and that you=re always with us. ) didn4t mean to sli$ht

you. h, 6abra>al, de/ender o/ 8eirine, be with us now and ) will burn /ie scented candles

in the tem#le when ) return sa/ely to sicedi.

From the rid$e we could see that one man was at the head o/ the /lock, one was to the

side where the hillside /ell away shar#ly, and one was brin$in$ u# the rear. Sharma #ointed at

him and whis#ered, ?)/ we /ollow that one, we=ll $et our chance. He can=t be in contact with

the others all the time.=

Ey heart was racin$, my skin was #rickly and my mouth was dry. as Sharma as

scared and as tense as ) was< utwardly he looked calm and un/lustered. nly the #itch o/ his

oice, the $leamin$ /lecks in his eyes and a twitchin$ eyelid betrayed his /eelin$s. Howeer, )

could sense his tension and his coiled readiness. As so o/ten ha##ened in moments o/ stress

or e1citement, Sharma reminded me o/ a cat stalkin$ its #rey. Althou$h he $ae little away

outwardly, his whole body and all his senses seemed to be balanced, #oised and /ocused as he

#ursued his $oal. Also like a cat, he could be #atient beyond normal endurance as i/ he knew

that the time would always come when his #rey would betray itsel/ by a /alse moe or by

rela1in$ its $uard.

)n the broken country we were able to $et close to the man in the rear without bein$seen. e tracked him down a raine until it narrowed and then, when he sto##ed to reliee

himsel/, Sharma dro##ed him with a stone /rom his slin$. hen ) reached him he had

re$ained consciousness and was on his hands and knees, swin$in$ his head $ro$$ily and

$roanin$. ) hesitated /or a moment but Sharma hissed, ?8ill him, man= Forcin$ mysel/ to a

#itch o/ determination, ) closed my eyes and droe my s#ear at him. )t hit the @ornite in the

side and he rolled onto his back $roanin$ een more dee#ly. By 6abra>al, by now )=e thrust

my wea#on into liin$ /lesh more times than ) can remember 0 it=s what soldiers hae to do,

the essence o/ their trade -- but )=ll always recollect the sounds made by that man as he lay

writhin$ on the $round. As ) stood there waerin$, Sharma cried, ?He=s not dead Finish him

o//= ) clenched my /ists, summoned my will-#ower a$ain, took aim at the man=s stomach,

closed my eyes, and, with two-handed /orce droe the s#ear downwards. )t went in easily,

like a kni/e into so/t earth and not at all like a s#ear thuddin$ into a tar$et. !he man died with

a so/t $ur$le and a little moan. ) /elt /aint, leaned on the s#ear with my eyes closed, and tried

to sto# mysel/ /rom $a$$in$.

Sharma said hoarsely, 4Pull your s#ear out, man He4s dead.4

) strai$htened and withdrew the s#ear which came out reluctantly as i/ the /lesh had

already claimed it. ithout lookin$ at it, ) rubbed the #oint in the sand to clean it. !hen )

e1amined the dead man. 3yin$ there on his back in the dust, he didn=t look like one o/ the

lar$er-than-li/e @ornite su#er-warrior-bo$eymen with which the mothers o/ 8eirine

/ri$htened their children. )n /act, he looked crum#led and #athetic. hat was more, in his


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#atched tunic and darned hose he looked to be no wealthier than the im#oerished inhabitants

o/ the tumble-down shanties on the outskirts o/ sicedi.

!he man wore a siler disc on a chain around his neck. ne side bore an ima$e o/

6re/orid, a major $od in the @ornite=s #antheon. n the other side was a scratchy inscri#tion

that read, ?Janali makes this loin$ $i/t to Selek.= ho was Janali< as she his mother, his

$irl /riend, or #erha#s his wi/e< As ) held the disc in my hand, /or a wrenchin$ moment )

wished that our #aths had neer crossed. h, 6abra>al, i/ you really watch oer us, couldn=t

you hae arran$ed thin$s otherwise< !hen as ) remembered who the man was and what he

had done my resole hardened. hat did one dead @ornite matter< hy should we caree, ) hel#ed dra$ the body to a #ile o/ rocks at a bend in the

raine. Sharma said, ?Hel# me to #ro# him u#.=

?Pro# him u#< hyal, ) didn=t hae to /inish him o// with my s#ear.

!wo down and one to $o Now ) liked bein$ the hunter and no lon$er the #rey.

About an hour later, we cau$ht u# with the third rustler where the raine widened intoan o#en stretch o/ hillside. )t was clear that he sensed that somethin$ was wron$. 3ookin$

worried, he ke#t on $lancin$ around, /rownin$ and shadin$ his eyes a$ainst the low sun.

) whis#ered, ?Eaybe we can make him moe closer.=

?How


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?) hate just waitin$=

Sharma #ressed my arm /irmly, mutterin$, ?Patience, #atience=

Sure enou$h, it wasn4t lon$ be/ore the rustler be$an to walk towards the raine callin$

out as he did so and lookin$ both annoyed and worried. hen Sharma=s /irst shot hit him in

the eye, he colla#sed onto his knees screamin$ in #ain. !he second shot hit him on the side o/the head and he to##led oer, twitchin$. He was in acute #ain but not dead so ) /inished him

o// with my s#ear. )t wasn=t any easier than it had been the /irst time but at least ) knew what

to e1#ect. ) steeled mysel/ not to $a$ as ) #ulled the s#ear out o/ his stomach while Sharma

thum#ed my shoulders, shoutin$, ?e did it, Jina, we did it= He was $rinnin$ /rom ear to

ear, his eyes were $leamin$ and he was #um#in$ the air with a /ist. ) /orced a $rin and tried to

share his celebratory mood. !his time ) didn=t /eel like omitin$. ) just /elt weak and worn

out.

hen Sharma calmed down, he said, ?e=d better hide the body, eh


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4Eaybe it hasn4t ended yet.4

Sharma /rowned be/ore he $rinned and #unched me li$htly on the arm, sayin$, 4Hey,

Jina, you worry a lot, don=t youal, it was best to kee# my nose clean, coer my tracks, and


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kee# a low #ro/ile. Ho#e/ully, by so doin$ ) would esca#e 6abra>al=s attention. !hen some

day, as a man amon$st men, when ) wielded a sword in the serice o/ 8eirine ) would ste#

/orward and catch 6abra>al=s eye. ntil then, caution would be my watchword. Eainly /or

that reason, ) a$reed with Sharma that we wouldn4t tell anyone about our clash with the

@ornite rustlers.

n the outskirts o/ sicedi, we met my brother, Abo>i, who was #ullin$ a handcart to

the rubbish dum#. hen he saw us, he let out a holler and ran u# the hillside to $reet us.

Breathlessly, he asked, 4here hae you beeni looked disa##ointed when he asked, 4)s that alli turned to

me and said heatedly, 4!hat4s the way to treat the @ornites=

?5ou reckoni sounded so much like my /ather that ) burst out lau$hin$. hen )

sto##ed lau$hin$, ) said, 4@on4t tell anyone. 8ee# it a secret. All ri$hti nodded in re#ly.

ithin a /ew seconds, Sharma #ulled me aside and hissed, 45ou told your brother

what ha##ened, didn4t you


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4h, is that so< e=ll hae to see, won=t wei.4

Sharma $lared at me and said between $ritted teeth, 4) ho#e so4

) said, 4He4s my brother ) trust him and you can damn well trust him, too.4

Sure enou$h, Abo>i ke#t my con/idence as ) knew he would. He didn4t een say

anythin$ when our esca#ade had un/ortunate conse2uences not lon$ a/ter that.

Abo>i scurried o// to let our #arents know that we were sa/e while Sharma and ) droe

the /locks down to the #ens. ) was leanin$ oer the rail watchin$ the shee# /ile into the corral

when someone said, 4Hello, Jina. here hae you been


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we stuck to our story about a lost animal. A/ter a lot o/ hu//in$ and #u//in$, the /uss subsided

and li/e returned to normal by the ne1t day.

n/ortunately normality didn=t last lon$. A @ornite search #arty /ound one or more o/

the bodies, #ut two and two to$ether, and did mana$e to /ollow our tracks to sicedi. No one

knew anythin$ about it until they attacked our town /ie ni$hts later. !he raiders had an easy

#assa$e because, althou$h sicedi was 2uite close to @ornite territory as the crow /lew, like

most o/ 3ower 8eirine the mountainous country around it #rotected it /rom attacks. Guards

were only #osted in #eriods o/ $eneral alarm and as this was a time o/ relatie #eace there

were no lookouts. "onse2uently the raiders were able to make their way ri$ht into the centre

o/ sicedi be/ore they were discoered. en then, the alarm was only raised a/ter they set

/ire to a house.

!here were only ten or /i/teen raiders and they o#erated in a cohesie $rou#. !hey

knew the layout o/ sicedi well 0 they must hae studied it /rom the hills around the town --

and they moed so 2uickly that there was no time to rally a /orce to o##ose them. )n any case,

most #eo#le were so concerned about the dan$er o/ /ire, which lea#ed /rom one thatched roo/

to another, that there was no time to or$anise any resistance.

Althou$h there was a lot o/ dama$e to #ro#erty, only three #eo#le were killed. An

elderly cou#le burned to death in their beds and the raiders killed one o/ Sharma=s older

brothers. !his ha##ened when the men o/ Sharma=s /amily s#illed out o/ their house just as

the raidin$ #arty was a##roachin$. Fatally, as they discoered, #eo#le in ni$ht attire carryin$

whateer wea#ons they were able to /ind as they scrambled out o/ bed were no match /or

/ully armed assailants. !he band swe#t throu$h the street ruthlessly, leain$ one o/ Sharma=s

brothers dead in the street and his /ather and two nei$hbours wounded.

For three days a/ter the attack, Sharma closeted himsel/ in his room re/usin$ /ood. He

only came out o/ seclusion to attend the /uneral, lookin$ shaken and subdued. As the clods o/

earth were shoeled into his brother=s $rae, Sharma muttered to me in a oice that was thickwith an$er and shame, ?)t=s like ) said the other day.= He jerked his thumb eastwards and

muttered tersely, ?3ike ) said, one day we=ll con2uer the @ornites.=

A/ter such a disaster, our esca#ade with the rustlers couldn=t be concealed any lon$er.

hen our /athers had /inished ra$in$ and sla##in$ us about, we were re#rimanded #ublicly at

a town meetin$. en worse, we also had to submit to a cleansin$ ceremony in the tem#le

where the #riest im#lored 6abra>al to /or$ie our lack o/ truth/ulness. For me, the ceremony

was the worst as#ect o/ the whole sorry a//air. ) was certain that 6abra>al would hae his eye

on me /rom now on. How else could it be when ) had to kneel at the altar, the centre o/

attention /or nearly an hour, while the #riest and the con$re$ation san$, #rayed and chantedal=s listo/ those who ou$ht to be watched in /uture.

Howeer, it wasn=t all doom and $loom. nderneath the #ublic disa##roal, we

sensed that a lot o/ #eo#le admired us. Althou$h they didn=t like the conse2uences o/ our

actions, #eo#le told us that there would be a lot less trouble i/ more #eo#le /ollowed our

e1am#le in dealin$ with the @ornites. en old A$$am $ae us his $rud$in$ a##roal when

he sto##ed to s#eak to us in the street a /ew days later. !hat was somethin$ that we had neer

had be/ore 0 and neer would a$ain, ery likely.

CHAPTER TWO: KEIRINE HAS A KING


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Sharma and ) were about twenty years o/ a$e when the stru$$le a$ainst the enemy

reached a crisis a/ter the @ornite city-states /ormed an alliance under a sin$le military

command and intensi/ied their #ressure on 8eirine. !he @ornites were usin$ new military

tactics based on caalry and chariots and as success /ollowed success they be$an to widen the

sco#e o/ their o#erations. ith its lower hills and east-/acin$ #lains, ##er 8eirine /elt it the

most as the raidin$ /orces swe#t in a$ainst towns and illa$es, roundin$ u# liestock andca#turin$ youn$ men and women. ithin a /ew years, they occu#ied a si>eable #iece o/

territory that had belon$ed to 8eirine /or centuries.

)n the /ace o/ this crisis, the #eo#le be$an to demand action to counter the @ornites.

From all oer, the cry went u# /or a kin$ to lead 8eirine. Finally, bowin$ to the #ressure, the

hi$h #riest, )>ebol, conened an Assembly o/ the Nation.

Sharma and ) were a##ointed to accom#any the dele$ation /rom sicedi. As rural

i$noramuses away /rom home /or the /irst time, we e1#ected to see da>>lin$ si$hts in the

$reat world. Howeer, Sininda 0 holiest #lace o/ 8eirine, seat o/ the hi$h #riest, site o/ one o/

the /oremost oracles -- disa##ointed us. )n /act, Sininda was hardly a town at all. )t was just a

collection o/ small houses, worksho#s, stalls, and storerooms. !he only im#ressie thin$about Sininda was the tem#le, which rose u# the hillside in three ascendin$ leels and

dwar/ed eerythin$ else in the alley.

)n the tem#le courtyard Sharma and ) s2uee>ed a$ainst a #illar and looked around

curiously. !he #lace was crowded, noisy, and so #eraded with a #un$ent ha>e o/ incense and

sweat that Sharma held his nose while he muttered, ?hat a stink @on=t they eer washal sets us a#art /rom all theother tribes and the #eo#les. 5ou hear me< 6abra>al is the only leader that 8eirine eer has


15/186

needed and eer will need. 6abra>al doesn=t want a kin$ and we don=t need one.4 !here was a

bu>> o/ a$reement /rom the listeners and someone shouted, ?Praise be to 6abra>al= Another

member o/ the /aith/ul band shouted, ?No kin$ /or 8eirine=

!here were only about twenty-/ie #eo#le in the anti-monarchist crowd, much smaller

than the crowd on the other side o/ the courtyard. Jud$in$ by the si>es o/ the res#ectie

$rou#s, the #ro-monarchists were so /ar ahead that they were already out o/ si$ht and headin$

down the home strai$ht.

Sharma listened with his arms /olded and his le$s #lanted a#art, snortin$ so loudly

that ) $ae him a warnin$ di$ in his ribs, to which he re#lied with a witherin$ look. Hearin$

Sharma=s snorts, members o/ the anti-monarchy bri$ade be$an to look at us sus#iciouslyL in

/act, a /ew o/ them eyed us with de/inite hostility. Some o/ the men had their hands inside

their $arments. !hey were #robably just scratchin$ /leabites or $uardin$ their money-#ouches

a$ainst #ick#ockets but, with the looks that we were $ettin$, they could also hae been

/in$erin$ their da$$ers. ) #ressed back a$ainst the wall tryin$ to be as incons#icuous as

#ossible while Sharma $ae a /inal snort 0 it sounded about as loud as a horse clearin$ its

nostrils on a winter=s mornin$ -- and moed o//, sayin$ oer his shoulder, 4hat a bunch o/losers )=e had enou$h )4ll be at the other side o/ the s2uare.4

3istenin$ to the s#eaker, ) thou$ht that old A$$am, the su#reme anti-monarchist,

would hae a##roed o/ the sentiments that were bein$ e1#ressed. By coincidence, just then,

) thou$ht that ) saw A$$am standin$ nearby #artly concealed by a #illar. !hinkin$ ) was

mistaken 0 ho#in$ that ) was mistaken, in /act -- ) looked a$ain. Sure enou$h, it was A$$am.

He $ae me a $lare o/ reco$nition and then returned his attention to the s#eaker, $iin$ me

the o##ortunity to sneak another look at him. He was more animated than ) had eer seen

him. )n /act, he was een more animated than when he went a/ter one o/ his #u#ils with his

stick. A$$am cau$ht me lookin$ at him, $lared at me with narrowed eyes, turned his thin li#s

down in disa##roal, and then directed his attention back to the s#eaker. ) studied himsurre#titiously, not wantin$ the old /ool to think that ) had any interest in him. By 6abra>al 0

he was more o/ a desiccated old sour#uss than eer Suddenly, a$reein$ with some

reactionary statement, A$$am #unched his stick into the air and let out a holler o/

a##reciation that was so loud that ) jum#ed to one side, thinkin$ that he was comin$ a/ter me.

) reco$nised the stick only too well. )t was the same one that he used in the schoolroom, the

stick that he called 4!he "orrector4. Feelin$ uneasy, ) sidled to the ed$e o/ the crowd,

sus#ectin$ that een here in #ublic A$$am was ca#able o/ layin$ about my shoulders i/ he

thou$ht that ) wasn=t showin$ enou$h deotion to the ancient cause o/ the #riestly rulers.

Howeer, een while ) was moin$ away /rom him, ) thou$ht ha##ily that this time old

A$$am, the scour$e o/ the schoolroom and the terror o/ our youth/ul days, would /ind

himsel/ outnumbered, out-ar$ued, and out-maneuered.

!wo days later the Assembly conened on a $rassy slo#e on the outskirts o/ Sininda.

Standin$ on a #lat/orm hi$h enou$h to be seen by eeryone, )>ebol be$an the #roceedin$s by

sacri/icin$ a white $oat on an altar. A/ter he declared that the omens were $ood, he launched

strai$ht into beratin$ the Peo#le o/ 8eirine in $eneral /or bein$ un/aith/ul to 6abra>al.

Iaisin$ his #riestly rod in both hands, he declaimed, ?Fools 5ou want to become like the

nations around you, abandonin$ your $od /or the /alse $litter o/ earthly s#lendour.= Althou$h

this was $reeted with a roar o/ dissatis/action /rom the crowd, )>ebol was unmoed. He just

/olded his arms across his chest and stood his $round, chin lowered, bull-like head thrust

/orward, $lowerin$ at the dele$ates. hen he could be heard a$ain, he cried that a kin$

would turn out to be an o##ressor who would ta1 the nation beyond endurance and wouldstri# it o/ its resources. Furthermore, cried )>ebol, a kin$ would conscri#t the youn$ men /or


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his army and /or his road $an$s and would demand that the #rettiest youn$ women should

sere him as maids and concubines. Iisin$ to a crescendo, )>ebol almost s#at out his /inal

denunciation when he called out, 4Fools 5ou are $oin$ to choose your own o##ressor Ha=

)n res#onse, a stocky man o/ about /orty years o/ a$e with broad shoulders and stron$

thi$hs stood u#. His hair, thick and tawny, was un/ashionably lon$ and unruly as i/ he

brandished it in the /ace o/ conention. He wore a soldier=s jerkin and stood with his le$s

#lanted /irmly a#art like a man who knew how to weather a $ale. )>ebol looked at him calmly

/rom under $lowerin$ brows and called out, ?5ou may s#eak, Jainar.=

Sharma whis#ered, ?!hat=s Jainar o/ ri/inre. !hey say that he mi$ht be elected kin$

i/ the assembly $ets to ote.=

Jainar #lanted his hands on his hi#s, looked around calmly and called out, ?e are

well ac2uainted with the mercies o/ 6abra>al towards his #eo#le and we are $rate/ul /or

them.=

)>ebol re#lied dourly, ?So you should be=

Jainar looked around as con/idently as i/ he was in the bosom o/ his /amily, raised his

eyebrows and re#lied, ?e hae heard that 6abra>al is an$ry. But we hae not heard his

answer to our re2uest.= !here was a bu>> o/ a##roal.

)>ebol rubbed his chin and looked at Jainar narrowly be/ore he #unched a /in$er at

him and announced, ?6abra>al has an answer.=

Jainar re#lied, ?e are ready to hear it.= He sat down amidst a roar o/ a##roal and

a##lause /rom all sides.

)>ebol $lared at the dele$ates and called out, ?5ou want 6abra>al=s answer< Good

Now hear the words o/ your $od= He raised his rod and declaimed, ?6abra>al says that

8eirine may hae what it wants= !here was another roar o/ a##roal that subsided when)>ebol waed the assembly to silence and continued, ?Howeer, 6abra>al reminds 8eirine

that it will hae to deal with the conse2uences o/ its own choice.4 He stretched u#wards, his

im#osin$ head turned skywards, and cried, 48eirine may hae its kin$ i/ that is what 8eirine

wants= !hen he #ut down the rod, $lowered at the dele$ates and said ominously, ?Eay

6abra>al hae mercy on 8eirine=

As e1#ected, the dele$ates oted /or the monarchy by a ratio o/ about ten to one.

hen the result was announced, )>ebol raised his hands and $ae a theatrical cry o/

e1as#eration. But he recoered 2uickly enou$h 0 a/ter all, it was a /ore$one conclusion 0 and

called /or the sacred dice.

Amidst a clamour o/ dissatis/action, Jainar rose and #rotested that the dele$atesshould decide and not the dice. As i/ obliious to the tumult o/ discontent, )>ebol waed

Jainar aside and cried, ?)/ you wanted the assembly to choose, then why did you come to

Sininda< Go somewhere else @on=t ask )>ebol, hi$h #riest o/ 6abra>al, to o//iciate.= )>ebol

shook his /in$er at Jainar, swe#t his $a>e oer the assembly, and said with /inality, ?!hat is

what 6abra>al says.=

Jainar #ointed his /in$er at )>ebol, thou$ht better o/ it, muttered somethin$

uncom#limentary, and sat down. )nto the hush that /ollowed, )>ebol said /irmly, ?6abra>al

has s#oken 3et the sacred dice decide.=

hile the assembly settled down, Sharma whis#ered to me, ?Jainar has bi$ ambitions

but )>ebol is too smart /or him. He4s cli##ed Jainar4s win$s.=


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) asked, ?hat has )>ebol $ot a$ainst Jainaral#rotects the interests o/ the #riests.= He winked at me ironically.

!he dice rolled and the #riests su#erised the #rocess o/ elimination, tribe by tribe and

town by town, until only the /amily o/ @or$ile /rom the re$ion o/ ri/inre in ##er 8eirine

remained. ri/inre is in the south-west o/ 8eirine, where the mountains and the hi$hlands

$ie way to the $rasslands and meanderin$ riers o/ the endless interior. !he re$ion has a

lon$ tradition o/ #roducin$ entre#reneurs and traders because it not only has easy access to

8itilat and its coastline but also trades with the /ertile hinterland across the Great Iier.

Howeer, then as now, the #eo#le o/ ri/inre aren=t just sho#kee#ers and traders. !hey like to

remind the rest o/ 8eirine that they also hae a tradition o/ #roducin$ scholars and #riests

/rom their schools and in #articular /rom the celebrated Academy o/ Philoso#hy. )n /act, u#to the time o/ the Assembly /ie o/ the last ei$ht hi$h #riests, )>ebol included, had come /rom

ri/inre and its academy.

ealthier than the other re$ions o/ the country, conscious o/ its so#histication and

#roud o/ its hi$her leel o/ education -- all o/ these /actors encoura$ed the #eo#le o/ ri/inre

to re$ard themseles as a cut aboe their /ellow 8eirineians. Predictably, in return the rest o/

8eirine accused the #eo#le o/ ri/inre o/ arro$ance. )n /act, when the ar$ument really $ot

heated, it was said that oer the centuries ri/inrians had intermin$led so much with other

nations that they were bastards and mon$rels and not true 8eirineians. !he ri/inrians

sneered at this jibe, sayin$ that the #eo#le o/ the rest o/ 8eirine were rural bum#kins whose

intellects had been addled by isolation and inbreedin$.@or$ile=s ei$ht sons were eliminated one by one until only a1ili remained. He was a

man o/ about /orty years o/ a$e with a slender build and a well-/ormed /ace that was marred

by a scar that ran /rom under his ri$ht eye all the way to under his ear. !he scar had

contracted the skin around the outer corner o/ his eye so that a1ili always seemed to be

lookin$ askance at the world. He also lim#ed, dra$$in$ his le/t /oot sli$htly. Soon a/ter a1ili

was crowned, a rumour s#read that he $ot his injuries while /i$htin$ heroically a$ainst the

@ornites. Howeer, there was also a rial story that he was injured as a boy when he /ell out

o/ a tree while stealin$ /ruit /rom a nei$hbour=s orchard. ) neer did hear the true story.

Perha#s no one really knew.

At mid-mornin$ on the /ollowin$ day, a1ili was crowned 8in$ o/ 8eirine.

CHAPTER THREE: A FAVOUR

About a month later, ) was on the road that led southwards /rom sicedi towards

##er 8eirine. A/ter the recent rains, it was #leasant to sit on the bo1 o/ the swayin$ wa$on

enjoyin$ the rich aromas o/ the countryside while lookin$ across the swayin$ backs o/ the

o1en at the #astures and the hills that /rin$ed the alley. Suddenly, someone $ras#ed my arms

/rom behind. ) nearly jum#ed o// my seat in shock. Bandits< As ) /lashed a look oer my

shoulder, a oice said, 48ee# calm )t4s only me.4


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) could hae shouted out in relie/. )nstead ) said, 4@amn you, Sharma 5ou scared me.

hat are you doin$ here


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Sharma couldn4t meet my eyes when ) looked at him. A/ter a while, head aerted, he

asked in the same sulky oice, 4Are you $oin$ to hel# me or not


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?)t=s sim#le. 5ou just hae to $et someone else to admit that they4e done the same

and you4re o// the hook.4

Sharma re#lied des#ondently, 4Eore easily said than done.4 ) $runted, still thinkin$ the

matter throu$h. Sharma continued, 4@o you think that someone will just ste# /orward and say,

Hey, here ) am 0 ) sle#t with Ioda


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re/used o//ers o/ accommodation and board /or himsel/ and his retinue. )nstead, he set u#

cam# just outside the town and re2uested the elders to #roide him and his #arty with /ood

and re/reshments.

!o most #eo#le, this was a serious sli$htin$ o/ the hos#itality that a isitor should

acce#t $raciously. For instance, a/ter a1ili arried in sicedi, my mother said disdain/ully,

?)s this the way /or a kin$ to behae< ) ask you 0 a kin$ He arries with hardly any adance

notice, ridin$ on a horse coered with ribbons. A horse Since when did we hae horses in

8eirine, ) ask you hat4s more, he sets u# cam# outside town instead o/ stayin$ in a decent

house. Huh !ell me -- is that any way /or a kin$ to behae


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sicedi as the cradle that had #roduced $reat men who had sered 8eirine well. A/ter

thankin$ the town /or its hos#itality, he said, ?3et me $et down to business. 5ou all want to

know what my #ro$ram is and how it=s $oin$ to a//ect you. ell, my #ro$ram starts with two

major tasks. !he /irst is to build u# a sense o/ nationhood. Soon ) will a##oint a royal

adisory council that will re#resent all the tribes and re$ions o/ 8eirine.=

!here was a bu>> o/ both interest and sce#ticism. Someone shouted, ?e want a

council o/ the #eo#le4

Someone else bellowed, 4!hey4ll just be a $an$ o/ arselickers.4

a1ili i$nored the hecklers and continued, 4Ey second task is to de/end 8eirine= He

#aused, took a ste# /orward, and said /irmly, ?!o do that, ) will create a standin$ army.=

Someone called out, ?Are you $oin$ to abolish the militiasal. @o you think we=ll also #ay ta1es to a kin$< For$et it=

?Hey, a1ili Go back to ##er 8eirine and ta1 them e=ll take care o/ ourseles

like we always did.=

?Are the rich $oin$ to /i1 it so that they don=t hae to #ay, as usual


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a1ili=s outburst had the e//ect o/ oil thrown onto smoulderin$ coals. !he crowd

swayed and sur$ed /orward, shoutin$, while the #eo#le standin$ ne1t to the #lat/orm be$an to

shake it. )t was a #recarious base, /ashioned /rom tables lashed to$ether and it looked like the

whole contra#tion was $oin$ to colla#se takin$ a1ili and his #arty with it.

a1ili ste##ed back in alarm and hal/ drew his sword. !he noise increased and the

#lat/orm swayed and trembled as more #eo#le took hold o/ it. Suddenly a member o/ a1ili4s

entoura$e ste##ed /orward. He was a middle-a$ed man with a stocky, #ower/ul build, lon$

hair tied behind his head, and a s2uare /ace. !his was the same Jainar who had s#oken so

/orce/ully at the meetin$ o/ the Assembly and had recently been a##ointed as commander o/

the army. He adanced to the /ront o/ the #lat/orm, stood there with his hands on his hi#s and

his /eet a#art like a sailor on a rollin$ deck, and bellowed, 4uiet uiet, ) say4 His oice was

so dee# and #ower/ul that it transcended the noise o/ the crowd. erythin$ sto##ed as i/ the

town s2uare had suddenly been /ro>en in time. !hen Jainar be$an to sin$. He had a $ood

baritone oice that ran$ out with #ower and con/idence and he san$ 4!he Iose o/ the Hills4,

the ancient battle son$ o/ the north. Soon the whole assembly was sin$in$ alon$ with him.

hen the son$ ended, Jainar #ut u# his hands and declared, 4e are all one in8eirine4 He looked oer his shoulder and nodded brie/ly. a1ili and his entoura$e mustered

their di$nity and walked o// the sta$e while Jainar stood there /ours2uare holdin$ u# his

hands. !hen, when the sta$e was em#ty, he cried, 4sicedi is the cradle o/ cham#ions ) salute

3ower 8eirine4 He stretched his arms u#wards and cried, 4Honour to sicedi Honour to

3ower 8eirine4 )n the silence that /ollowed, Jainar raised his hands in $reetin$, turned, and

le/t the sta$e.

)n s#ite o/ the near-debacle, eeryone a$reed, more or less $rud$in$ly, that they

would hae to #ay ta1es. a1ili $ot what he wanted. Howeer, on the #oint o/ achiein$

success, he came within a whisker o/ throwin$ it away. )t was a /oretaste o/ what was to

come.ithin a month, the call went out /or recruits /or the army and the elders o/ sicedi

selected Sharma and me to join the s2uad that marched southwards to join a1ili4s new army.

Perha#s the elders thou$ht that our youth/ul esca#ade with the @ornite rustlers was #roo/ o/

our warlike dis#ositions or #erha#s they thou$ht that it would be #rudent to $et rid o/

hotheads like us be/ore we caused more trouble. hateer the case, we didn=t com#lain at the

#ros#ect o/ military serice. 3i/e in the army #romised to be a lot more e1citin$ than raisin$

shee#, shearin$ shee#, and takin$ bales o/ wool to market.

As we marched southwards tryin$ to look disci#lined and soldierly, Sharma looked at

my waist and remarked a##roin$ly, ?) see that you=re still wearin$ the belt.=

) re#lied, ?hy not< ) told you that ) would always wear it.=

Sharma chuckled and re#lied, 4)t was the #ro#er $i/t. Already you look like a soldier.=

CHAPTER FIVE: GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT

A commander named 6aliek was in char$e o/ our s2uad durin$ our three months o/

basic trainin$. ith his hal/-seered ri$ht ear, scarred /orearms, and /ace with the contours

and colour o/ a weathered $ranite boulder, he looked like a bri$and or a des#erado. !here was

#lenty o/ s#eculation about 6aliek 0 /or instance, one rumour had it that that he was a @orniterene$ade, while another had it that he was o/ royal descent /rom one o/ the kin$doms


24/186

somewhere /ar to the west o/ the Great Iier. Eany years later, not lon$ be/ore ) sent him to

his death, ) did learn the truth about 6aliek4s back$round and it turned out that these rumours

weren=t /ar o// the mark. )t was also said that 6aliek /led /rom the @ornites when it was

discoered that he was hain$ an a//air with a senior o//icial=s wi/e. Sometimes the rumour

was su##lemented by the iew that he re/used to hae an a//air with the woman, which made

li/e een more dan$erous /or him than i/ he did hae an a//air. ) neer /ound out whether ornot there was any truth in these rumours.

No matter how many rumours were doin$ the rounds, 6aliek ke#t his #ast to himsel/

and his relationshi# with the members o/ the s2uad was strictly #ro/essional. At our /irst

meetin$, he scowled at us and $rowled, ?)=m "ommander 6aliek. !hat=s all you need to

know. ) don=t ask who you are and ) don=t want to know. 5ou could be murderers, /a$$ots, or

mommy=s boys, or all three to$ether 0 it=s all one to me. 5ou=re here /or only two reasons.

!he /irst is to learn to #rotect yourseles so that you don=t $et killed. !he second is to learn

how to kill an enemy ---- barehanded or with wea#ons, it doesn=t matter how. Neer mind

tactics and strate$y 0 you can learn those thin$s later, i/ you surie.=

Basic trainin$ was tou$h. e tumbled out o/ our tents at daybreak, ate a 2uickbreak/ast o/ salted mutton and corn bread, and s#ent two hours doin$ s2uad drill. !hen we

learned unarmed combat and, a/ter the mid-day meal, we #ractised armed combat. By late

a/ternoon we were e1hausted. A/ter the eenin$ meal 0 more mutton and bread, tarted u#

with $ray and a /ew e$etables --- we had to clean our wea#ons and e2ui#ment by

lam#li$ht. hen that was done, we colla#sed into bed only to stumble out at dawn to re#eat

the same $rindin$ routine.

6aliek was /anatical about /itness. He made us run and, when we were ready to dro#,

he made us run some more. He made us carry boulders u# the stony hillsides that surrounded

the cam# and he made us carry each other across the marshy $round at the end o/ the alley.

He tau$ht us how to run with shields and s#ears stra##ed to our backs, holdin$ our swords toour chests. !hen, when we thou$ht we had done somethin$ to #er/ection, 6aliek made us do

it a$ain.

)n s#ite o/ his si>e, 6aliek was /it and a$ile. He did whateer we did and he did it

better. He would $rowl at us, ?5ou think you=re $ettin$ $ood, hey< ell, you=re still so so/t

that the @ornites will hae you /or break/ast. hen you can beat me you mi$ht hae a chance

a$ainst the @ornites 0 but until then, /or$et it=

@urin$ basic trainin$, we cursed 6aliek with eery #antin$ breath. Howeer, when

Sharma and ) ran /rom the @ornites at Gandonda, rememberin$ to carry our shields and

wea#ons --- and /indin$ that we were /it enou$h to carry them --- we were thank/ul /or

6aliek=s trainin$. e were just as thank/ul when we had the stamina to return and harass theenemy a /ew hours later.

A/ter about si1 weeks o/ trainin$, 6aliek took us on a lon$ run. e carried only our

swords, stra##ed across our backs. A/ter two hours we reached the hi$hest #oint o/ the ran$e

o/ hills that now marked the easternmost limits o/ 8eirine. @urin$ one o/ their recent #ushes

into 8eirine, the @ornites had ca#tured the /oothills that lay between the hills and the coastal

#lain and /rom our anta$e #oint we could see the smoke risin$ /rom some o/ their new

settlements.

Pantin$, we sat down on the slo#e and reached /or our water bottles. 6aliek shouted,

?!hree mouth/uls each !hat=s all=

?But, commander 0?


25/186

?) said three mouth/uls and that=s all you=ll hae @o you think you=ll $et more when

you=re /i$htin$ a battle


26/186

As Sharma stood u#, somethin$ twirled, Sharma=s hand /licked, and there was a

swishin$ noise. 6aliek shouted in #ain and strai$htened, clutchin$ his shoulder. Sharma

dashed at 6aliek, kicked his /eet out /rom under him, and #inned him to the $round, /ace

down. 6aliek turned his /ace to one side and $rowled, ?All ri$ht, you win. 3et me $o.=

Sharma released 6aliek, who $ot u# and dusted himsel/ o//. Still rubbin$ his shoulder,

6aliek said, ?A slin$, eh< 5ou call that unarmed combat


27/186

6aliek /olded his arms, scowled, and said, ?@o you remember the /irst man who you

killed


28/186

?Settle what, commander


29/186

6aliek jerked his thumb and said, ?All ri$ht. Now you know. Get back to the ranks=

He braced himsel/ and bellowed, ?S2uad Form u#= e $ot to our /eet, dusted ourseles, and

swun$ our swords across our backs. 6aliek #ointed to someone and asked brus2uely, ?5ou 0

what hae you learned todayal was un#redictable. !he

#riests told us that 6abra>al could look into your thou$hts and take o//ence at een the most

/leetin$ hints o/ deiance or disloyalty. )n /act, 6abra>al could $et steamed u# about a whole

number o/ thin$s that mere mortals wouldn=t think were worth a second thou$ht. )n short, )understood that dealin$ with 6abra>al was like walkin$ throu$h a swam# on a dark ni$ht

knowin$ that there were ha>ards eerywhere and wonderin$ when, almost ineitably, you

would blunder into the ne1t muddy hole or een /lounder des#airin$ly in a #atch o/

2uicksand.

Ey re$ular isits to the tem#le had one de/initely #ositie result and she was named

@ana. Althou$h ) noticed her ri$ht away durin$ my /irst isit to the tem#le, initially she

meant nothin$ more to me than any other youn$ woman who was attractie enou$h to be

worth two or more $lances. !hen, one day, ) ha##ened to sit behind her. hile the

con$re$ation was recitin$ the creed, she $lanced at her com#anion /rom time to time. )

became intri$ued by the luminous secret that her eyes su$$ested. 3ike a shock $oin$ throu$hmy /rame, it struck me that ) wanted to meet her. )n /act, ) wanted to meet her so badly that


30/186

the need was like a twisted knot in my stomach. But how< By 6abra>al, ) /elt $ormless and

hel#less nlike Sharma, ) didn=t hae a way with women. ) would sooner $o on a day-lon$

route march with a #ack wei$hed down by rocks than a##roach a woman who took my /ancy.

!he more ) wanted to meet a woman, the more ) would shrink into mysel/ as i/ ) thou$ht that

inisibility would do the job /or me. Howeer, een as ) shrank with shyness, ) cursed mysel/

/or bein$ so damnably awkward and ton$ue-tied.

@ana was small o/ build with a com#act body that /itted to$ether all o/ a #iece and

moed with the con/ident /luidity o/ an acrobat. Eost o/ all, what attracted me was her li2uid

eyes that $leamed luminously a$ainst the settin$ o/ her olie skin. !he $low in her eyes

su$$ested that she had a delectable secret that she wanted to share with whoeer was talkin$

to her. As ) $ot to know her, ) learned that the secret was no more and no less than the

#leasure that she took in li/e itsel/ -- a #leasure so $reat that it emanated /rom her like the

warmth o/ a hearth. She $ae it to eeryone who came within her orbit, but /or a while 0 oh,

6abra>al, /or a short while and so lon$ a$o, so lon$ a$o -- she $ae it to me in #articular in

her own s#ecial way. hen ) think o/ it 0 and only that memory can rouse me now, nothin$

else 0 ) wish with the useless #oi$nancy o/ old a$e that ) could reerse time and undo mybounded condition by $oin$ way back to when ) /irst sat behind her in the tem#le. !hen

when, instead o/ bri$ht recollections, the cruel starkness o/ my #osition /ills me with bleak

des#air, ) wish that Sharma would send them ri$ht now to set me /ree me /oreer /rom all

memory and /rom all desire. )t will be a most welcome release.

At the tem#le, ) used to s2uee>e into the row behind where @ana always sat.

Forlornly, ) would admire the way her hair curled at the na#e o/ her neck, the seashell sha#e

o/ her ears and the ri##le o/ her shoulders under the /abric o/ her cotton tunic. )/ she turned to

whis#er to her com#anion or to $lance around the tem#le, a #an$ o/ #leasure would dart

throu$h me as ) $ot a close-u# look at her #ro/ile. ) also e1#erienced #an$s o/ $uilt,

wonderin$ i/ 6abra>al was chalkin$ u# more minuses a$ainst my name wheneer my

attention wandered away /rom the #riest and towards @ana. Eore acutely, ) was embarrassed

to think that @ana mi$ht be aware o/ how closely ) scrutinised her in my hel#less admiration.

)n short, ) wanted to meet her badly 0 badly, badly, so badly So hel# me, ) een

considered tryin$ to do a deal with 6abra>al, o//erin$ to acce#t a clutch o/ minuses a$ainst

my name on the diine scoreboard i/ only he would arran$e /or me to meet @ana. Howeer,

as it turned out, 6abra>al=s assistance wasn=t necessary. @ana soled the #roblem by

a##roachin$ me one day as we were leain$ the tem#le. She said, ?5ou=re Jina, aren=t you


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@ina=s eyes $lowed and she smiled mischieously. She said sweetly, ?ell, you do

know how to s#eak to $irls, don=t you>ical smile and asked, ?@o you hae a sore back


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?He=s my /riend. He=s also /rom sicedi.=

@ana $i$$led and $lanced at me mischieously, askin$, ?@oes he know 8entri


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4Ieally< How


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sto##ed lau$hin$, she said, ?h, Jina 0?She couldn=t say any more because she started to

$i$$le.

) muttered, ?Hey, what=s the jokee /or a moment and then closed her eyes, inclinin$

her head to receie the /ull radiance o/ the sun.

e lay there, enelo#ed by warmth and by the silence o/ the alley. !he 2uietness lay

across me like a blanket soothin$ my senses back towards normality. ) closed my eyes and

be$an to do>e. As ) dri/ted between wakin$ and do>in$, ) thou$ht how #arado1ical it was that

@ana could /ire my senses and at the same time lull me into a state o/ rela1ation.

e must hae been lyin$ there /or about ten or /i/teen minutes in silence when @anasaid somethin$. ) asked, ?Hmm< hat


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@ana said, ?) asked whether you eer /elt that you could dri/t like the clouds.= She

stretched out and #ut her hand across mine, #alm lyin$ a$ainst #alm.

?@ri/t< 3ike the clouds


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?!he islands would be like #earls set in the neck-#iece o/ a $own.=

@ana re#lied dreamily, ?3ike #earls< 5es, #erha#s they would be 0 $reen and brown

and ochre #earls< ho knows


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) didn4t know how to re#ly. ) was silenced by the ehemence in her oice and by the

#icture that she #ainted. @ana looked at me knowin$ly, smiled, and trailed a hand li$htly

across my /orehead. !hen she lay back and said #ensiely, 4!he clouds ask the 2uestions. But

they don4t $ie the answers.4

4Eaybe there aren4t any answers4

@ana #ut a hand on my shoulder and $ently #ulled me downwards. She murmured,

4!here are 2uestions and there are answers. )t4s u# to us to hear the 2uestions and to /ind the

answers. Sometimes we just hae to watch the clouds and be #atient.4 She took my hand,

murmurin$, 43ie down a$ain, Jina. 3et4s watch the clouds some more.4

A/ter a /ew minutes o/ silence, @ana said slowly, 4ery day ) hear more 2uestions.

Sometimes ) think )4m moin$ towards some o/ the answers and sometimes ) think it4s

ho#eless.4 She shru$$ed.

4hat sorts o/ 2uestionsin$

the li/e out o/ anythin$ that doesn4t /it with their /our-walled, small-minded #attern o/ the

once-and-to-be 8in$dom o/ 8eirine, jostlin$ to $et near the /ora$e bin 0 is that all there ised my hand and asked $ently, 4@on4t you sometimes /eel the same, Jinaed my hand and said, 4) talk a lot, don4t )ed her hand in return and said nothin$.

e lay there holdin$ hands, sometimes do>in$, sometimes watchin$ the clouds as

they asked the 2uestions and took the answers with them to the /ar hori>ons. !hen @ana

#ro##ed hersel/ u# onto her elbows and looked out across the alley. From my reclinin$

#osition, ) $a>ed u# at her. !he sha#e o/ her breasts a$ainst the #ull o/ her tunic, her neck

arched backwards, her hair /lowin$ /reely 0 the li$htnin$ /lickered a$ain under my skin, my

blood thum#ed, and my throat contracted. ) took a dee#, dee# breath.

@ana looked at me sidelon$. Her eyes were serious but she was smilin$mischieously. She $ot to her /eet, smoothed down her tunic, and said, 4) $uess it=s time to

$o.=

) #ut an ur$ent hand on her arm and said, ?No. Stay here a bit lon$er.=

?h


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) cried in real /rustration, ?) don=t want to wait.=

?5ou=ll hae to.= She stretched out her hand. ?"ome on, be a $ood boy. )t=s time to

$o.=

As we walked alon$ the road towards the town, @ana asked, ?@o you know Sharma

well


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Four days later ) went to the tem#le, hain$ decided that, @ana or no @ana, )=d better

stay in 6abra>al=s $ood books. Althou$h ) sat at the back o/ the con$re$ation and tried to

make a 2uick esca#e a/ter the serice, @ana antici#ated my moe. She le/t early by a side

door and was waitin$ /or me when ) emer$ed /rom the main entrance. She rushed u# to me,

askin$, ?Jina How are youe band across her /orehead with earrin$s, a belt, and shoes

o/ the same colour. Her /loor-len$th robe was o/ a silky material that made me want to caress

the sha#e that was enhanced by its so/t /olds. @ana looked at me with her eer-luminous eyes

and ) /elt my resole weakenin$. )t weakened een more when she stretched u# and kissed

me on my li#s. )n /act, it weakened so much that ) almost ca#itulated entirely. Howeer, ) just

mana$ed to $et a hold o/ mysel/ be/ore the #oint o/ no return. ) #ushed @ana away, aerted

my /ace, and mumbled, ?) don=t think that we should see each other any more.=

?But why not


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?ell, maybe ) could arran$e it.=

?No, let=s just /or$et about it. )t=s not worth $ettin$ u#set about.=

By now, my resole had weakened so much that the crumbled remnants had been

swe#t out o/ si$ht on a /lood o/ returnin$ emotions. ) kissed @ana. Her li#s were moist and

so/t and as they moed a$ainst mine, the li$htnin$ be$an to /licker a$ain alon$ the un$uardedrid$es o/ my body. ) #ushed her away $ently and took a dee# breath. Holdin$ her at arm=s

len$th, ) asked, ?ho wants to meet Sharmaal that ) won4t reeal the name o/ this #erson. Eay 6abra>al damn me /oreer i/ )iolate this oath.=

@ana #ut a /in$er across her li#s, stretched u#ward, and whis#ered, ?Eecolo.=

?hat< Eecolo a1ili4s dau$hter


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Still #ressed a$ainst me, @ana said so/tly, ?!hink what it could mean to you, Jina.=

) leaned back a$ainst the wall and #ut my hands a$ainst @ana=s shoulders to #ut s#ace

between us. ) said, ?) am thinkin$ about it.=

?ell


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?5es, and Sharma. But he can make u# his own mind, can=t he


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Sharma $ae me his sidelon$ look with his le/t eye hal/-closed. He /licked his ton$ue

across his to# li#, looked at me s#eculatiely, and asked, ?How come you=re the $o-

between


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horses be/ore and were terri/ied o/ them. At the si$ht o/ these dark /orms, hu$e and alien

a$ainst the dim ni$ht sky, men scattered to le/t and ri$ht. 6aliek cursed at them and shouted,

?How the hell do you think you=re $oin$ to stand u# to the @ornite caalry when you run like

children /rom a sin$le horse


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CHAPTER SEVEN: SOLDIERS OF KEIRINE

Ne1t day, we met the @ornites at Gandonda. Shierin$ in the mornin$ chill and

blanketed in mist, our army adanced down the alley /rom the north-west. @ornite bu$les

sounded somewhere in /ront o/ us, mu//led in the thick air, and /rom time to time throu$hdri/tin$ $a#s in the mist we could see si$ns o/ distant moements. !hen, as we adanced and

the mist be$an to li/t, we saw that the @ornites had /ormed u# at the shallow head o/ the

alley. From our #osition, the @ornite army looked like a $leamin$ belt that stretched across

the /loor o/ the alley. !hey stood there in com#lete silence, immobile e1ce#t /or the

occasional moement o/ a horse or the li$ht wa/tin$ o/ bree>e-blown #lumes. )t was eerie,

like con/rontin$ a li/e-si>ed, li/e-like, #etri/ied /rie>e.

At a distance o/ about one thousand #aces, a1ili halted the adance and re-/ormed

our line, stren$thenin$ the centre and drawin$ our /lanks /orward so that they adanced alon$

the sides o/ the alley. At that #oint, 6aliek #lanted himsel/ in /ront o/ our s2uad and said,

?Good luck Iemember your trainin$. !his is where ) leae you.=

!here were #rotests but 6aliek silenced us with a $esture and said /irmly, ?Ey

contract calls /or me to train you not to /i$ht a$ainst the @ornites.=

Someone called out, ?Are you a/raidy.=

?hat=s cra>yal mi$ht not be with us.=

?hat do you meanebol #er/ormed a sacri/ice.= He licked his li#s a$ain.

?5es< So what


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Sharma shru$$ed and said $rimly, ?!hat=s what 6aliek said.=

) cursed as heartily as ) eer had be/ore or since. ?)s a1ili cra>y, sendin$ us into

battle a$ainst the omensebol say about

itebol has no say in thematter. a1ili told )>ebol to kee# out o/ the army=s a//airs.=

?h, that=s a $reat moe, just when we need all the hel# that we can $et. Hey, man,

isn=t that a really $reat moeebol and the other #riests should $et o// the battle /ield and leae

the army to conduct its own a//airs.=

Ey mouth was dry, my #ulse was throbbin$, and my skin was as #rickly as i/ ) had

rolled all ni$ht in a bed o/ cactus. ) muttered with coniction, ?)t sounds like damn $ood

adice. )/ )>ebol has any sense, he=ll $et out o/ here as /ast as he can.=

!he @ornites attacked with their in/antry in the centre and then sent their caalry to

harass our le/t /lank. ur men /ou$ht braely enou$h but ine1#erience soon showed. hen

our centre be$an to /all back, our commanders /ailed to notice that the line between the centre

and the /lank was stretchin$ thin. )t was the si$nal /or the @ornites to unleash their chariots.!here were only about thirty chariots but that was more than enou$h. ur men knew nothin$

about /acin$ horse-drawn armour and the chariots crashed ri$ht throu$h our line and wheeled

/or a new assault. !he caalry /ollowed, our le/t /lank was isolated, and our disarrayed centre

had to /all back een /urther to ward o// the new attack. hen the chariots scythed throu$h us

/rom the rear, our centre crumbled and the battle was as $ood as oer.

n the ri$ht /lank, we withstood the @ornite in/antry until we were e1#osed by the

de/eat o/ our centre. A/ter that, it took only one rush by the chariots to tear our ranks to

shreds. Followin$ the e1am#le o/ the rest o/ the army, we broke and ran. ithin seconds, our

unit deteriorated into a scramblin$ mob o/ terri/ied men, screamin$, shoin$ each other aside

and abandonin$ wounded comrades to their /ate. !error, which had been battened down until


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that moment, burst /orth with ener$isin$ /orce and in/used us with li/e-#reserin$ ener$y. )n

short, we ran /or our lies.

Sharma and ) /led to$ether alon$ with men /rom our s2uad. Sharma #ointed u# the

slo#e and #anted, ?Get as hi$h as #ossible.= He was ri$ht. Bein$ more heaily armed than we

were, the @ornites wouldn=t easily /ollow us into the hi$her #arts o/ the hills. e scrambled

u# slo#es and cra$s, #antin$, cursin$, tearin$ our /in$ers to shreds and laceratin$ our knees

and shins as we #ulled ourseles u#ward.

A/ter about twenty minutes we sto##ed to catch our breaths. 3ookin$ down /rom the

hillside, we iewed the carna$e that was $oin$ on below us on the broad /loor o/ the alley.

Suddenly, /rom behind us, someone $rowled, ?here=s the rest o/ the s2uad


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?hat< Attack the @ornites< 5ou must be cra>y= ) was so startled that ) $ra>ed my

back a$ainst the rock as ) jerked u#ri$ht.

Sharma re#lied, ?"ra>y< ) don=t think so.= He $ot to his /eet and walked o// into the

darkness while ) slum#ed down a$ain and do>ed o//.

) don=t remember anythin$ more until about hal/ an hour later when Sharma du$ myribs with his /oot and called, ?n your /eet, Jina. )t=s time to moe.=

?Huh< )=m tryin$ to slee#, man. 3eae me alone.=

Sharma crouched and shook my shoulders. He said, ?)t=s time to moe a$ainst the

@ornites.=

4!he battle is oer, man. e4e been de/eated. 3et4s $et some slee#.4

4!he battle mi$ht be oer but there4s still a war to be /ou$ht. e can harass them

enou$h to sto# them /rom #ursuin$ our men.4

) wri$$led u#ward a$ainst the boulder and muttered, ?Are you serious< ) thou$ht it

was just another one o/ your cra>y ideas.=

6aliek loomed oer me, a dark /orm a$ainst the stars, and $rowled, ?olunteers only

Are you joinin$ us, or not


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!o my sur#rise, nothin$ ha##ened. e reached the lee o/ the nearest tent, stood u#

cautiously, and looked around. !here was still no one to be seen althou$h a number o/ men

were lyin$ aslee# around the nearest /ire. Sharma whis#ered to me, 4By 6abra>al, they4re

careless bastards !hey4ll #ay /or it. )t4s our turn now.4 He led the way, boundin$ cat-like

towards the men, his swi/t /orm silhouetted a$ainst the /ire. A/ter witnessin$ the disaster and

slau$hter o/ the mornin$, ) /elt nothin$ but $rim e1ultation as ) #lun$ed my sword into thebody that lay in /ront o/ me, arms /lun$ behind his head, torso e1#osed in careless slee#. )

struck in en$eance /or the carna$e o/ the day, ) struck /or sicedi, ) struck /or the years o/

humiliation, and ) struck /or all o/ 8eirine. ) killed /our men in 2uick succession and, when )

looked around, ) was disa##ointed to see that there were no more ictims to hand.

Ne1t, we lit /a$$ots /rom the /ire, diided into smaller $rou#s, set /ire to the nearest

tents, and killed the occu#ants as they tumbled out. Flushed with our success, we wanted to

re#eat the e1ercise but the noise and the /lames roused the occu#ants o/ the nei$hbourin$

tents. Sharma called o// the attack and we ran back towards the sa/ety o/ the darkness.

) could see 6aliek=s si$nal /lickerin$ near the to# o/ the rid$e and started to /ollow the

others towards it but Sharma $rabbed me and said, ?e can do one more job be/ore weleae.=

?hat< Are you cra>y< !he whole cam# is awake. 3et=s $et out o/ here=

Sharma #ointed to a lar$e tent that stood about thirty #aces away /rom us and hissed,

?)=ll bet that=s the commander=s tent.=

) #ulled loose /rom Sharma4s $ri#. 1ultation had /aded into a##rehension. Ey

stomach was in a knot, ) was sweatin$ all oer, and ) wanted to $et away as 2uickly as

#ossible. ) hissed back, ?All the more reason to aoid it.=

?Not so= Sharma #ulled me onto my knees and, with his mouth ne1t to my ear, said,

?!ake a look. )t=s un$uarded. Follow me.= 8ee#in$ low, he /litted around the #erimeter o/ thecam# beyond the #erimeter o/ li$ht. "ursin$, ) /ollowed him until he sto##ed when there was

only one small tent between us and the lar$e tent. ) dro##ed onto my stomach ne1t to him and

asked, ?hat are you #lannin$


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Sharma $ae me an im#atient $lare, dra$$ed the body to the middle o/ the /loor, and

unsheathed a broadsword that was han$in$ on a tent #ole. He hissed, ?Just $ettin$ a souenir

o/ our isit.= He brou$ht the sword down on the neck o/ the cor#se. !he blow almost

com#letely seered the head /rom the body. Sharma hacked once more and the head rolled

/ree. He stu//ed the head into a canas ba$, slun$ it oer his shoulder, and jerked his thumb in

a let4s-$o motion.

) said, ?Han$ on )t=s my turn now.= ) #icked u# a torch and /lun$ it a$ainst the

canas. !hen ) /ollowed Sharma into the darkness.

e esca#ed without bein$ noticed and made our way to the #lace where 6aliek=s li$ht

still /lickered. hen we $ot there, 6aliek cursed us and $rowled, ?hat ke#t you< 5ou=re

holdin$ us u#.=

Sharma said li$htly, ?e had some e1tra business to attend to.=

) #ointed to the @ornite cam#, where the lar$e tent had just colla#sed in a circle o/

/ire, and said, ?!hat was #art o/ the business, commander.=

6aliek $ae a $rud$in$ nod o/ acce#tance. !hen he looked at the ba$ that Sharma was

carryin$ and said disa##roin$ly, ?) see you had enou$h time to collect some loot.=

Sharma $rinned mischieously, sayin$ smu$ly, ?)t=s not loot, commander. )t=s a

souenir.=

?A souenir Same thin$ Any way you look at it, you could hae $ot killed /or it.=

6aliek cursed, e1tin$uished the torch, and $rowled, ?Get moin$. !he @ornites will be on our

trail soon.=

Sharma said smu$ly, ?Eaybe not, commander.=

6aliek just snorted sce#tically and led the way towards the to# o/ the rid$e.

e traelled /or the rest o/ the ni$ht, only sto##in$ /or short #eriods. At daybreak, we

reached an abandoned illa$e where we were able to $et water, /ruit, and some dry bread.

!here we met two o/ our scouts who told us that a1ili had re$rou#ed what remained o/ our

army and was tryin$ to establish a de/ensie #osition.

hile we #aused /or re/reshment, 6aliek #ointed to the ba$ that Sharma was carryin$

and wrinkled his nose in dis$ust. !he /loor o/ the ba$ was soiled with a blotchy, red-brown

stain. 6aliek said, ?!hat ba$ is dis$ustin$. hat did you steal 0 a lum# o/ meat


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he snorted and said, ?!he @ornites s#end hal/ their time ar$uin$ about who=s $oin$ to be the

commander o/ their army. !he rest o/ the time, they ar$ue about who=s $oin$ to re#lace him.=

At the time, ) wondered once a$ain how 6aliek knew so much about the @ornites. )t

seemed to lend credibility to the theory that he was a @ornite himsel/ een i/ most #eo#le

thou$ht that he came /rom somewhere to the south o/ 8itilat. as 6aliek tellin$ the truth

when he said that the @ornites had a #articular hatred o/ him or was that a coer /or

somethin$ else< "owardice< No, ) didn=t think so. nwillin$ to /i$ht a$ainst his own #eo#leebol a##eared on the to# ste#,

dressed in his /ull hi$h #riestly re$alia. a1ili moed towards him but )>ebol waed him

away with an abru#t $esture. a1ili sto##ed short as i/ he had been struck in the /ace be/ore

he turned on his heel and stalked down the ste#s to take u# a #osition in /ront o/ the /irst rank.

)>ebol raised his arms and waited /or silence. He called out, ?6abra>al $riees whenhis #eo#le $riee.= )>ebol #aused, looked oer the assembled com#any, and then /i1ed his


53/186

eyes on a1ili. He said rin$in$ly, ?6abra>al s#eaks throu$h his #riests and 6abra>al s#eaks

throu$h the omens. 6abra>al will walk with you in all your endeaours i/ you o#en your ears

to the words o/ the #riests and o#en your eyes to the messa$e o/ the omens.= )>ebol stood /or

a while with /olded arms and lowered chin, lookin$ out oer the army and sayin$ nothin$

more. !here was a dee# silence. !hen )>ebol raised his arms, #ronounced a short benediction,

and turned on his heels.

As Sharma and ) walked back to the cam# to$ether, ) remarked, ?Eecolo is too bold.=

?h< 5ou think soal. hile ) thou$ht about

it, ) wondered i/ ) had earned #luses or minuses on his diine scoreboard. Surely ) had been

$ien #lenty o/ #luses /or braery in the serice o/ 8eirine< n the other hand, maybe )=d

been awarded minuses /or bein$ the centre o/ #ublic attention, een i/ only brie/ly< Howeer,

when ) added u# eerythin$ on my mental scoreboard, it seemed to me that the #luses must

surely #redominate. A/ter all, didn=t 6abra>al hae a #articular a//ection /or those who

wielded the sword in the serice o/ 8eirine< n the other hand, didn4t ) hae #ride and

e1altation in my heart when ) looked back on my esca#ades in the @ornite cam#< Ey heartsank a little and #leasurable certainty declined into a##rehension. Pluses or minuses, #luses

or minuses< ) didn4t know. ) really didn=t know. !hat was all the more reason to make my

#eace with the jealous 6abra>al. )n the mornin$ ) would $o to the tem#le as a humble

su##licant.

CHAPTER EIGHT: ZABRAZAL MIGHT BE JEALOUS

A day later, ) saw @ana a$ain. Jud$in$ by the warmth o/ her embrace, my share in her

a//ection had reached a new hi$h. She wanted to know all about the battle and in #articularabout our attack on the @ornite cam#. hen ) /inished tellin$ the story, @ana embraced me


54/186

a$ain, $iin$ me a lon$ kiss that set the li$htnin$ #layin$ across my body. ) #ulled her closer

to me but she chuckled and moed away. yes shinin$, she swayed and be$an to sin$ the

son$ that Eecolo com#osed as she danced be/ore us9

Sharma o/ sicedi, soldier o/ 8eirine,

n a lance he bears @runuk hi$h.Jina o/ sicedi K

) #ut a /in$er on her li#s and said, ?No more, @ana.=

She remoed my /in$er, kissed it, and asked, ?hy not< @on=t you like to be

#raised


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?Neertheless --.= ) shru$$ed.

@ana #ulled a wry /ace and said so/tly, ?5es Neertheless, a1ili is her /ather, and

he is the kin$. Eecolo should hae been more #rudent.4 She said in a low oice, 4Sharma

should be care/ul 0 and maybe so should you.=

) took her hand and kissed it. ?!hank you. )=ll be care/ul.=@ana said, ?Eecolo still wants to meet Sharma.=

?h, really< )t sounds like she4d do better to lie low /or a while.=

@ana wrinkled her nose sce#tically, sayin$, ?!ell that to Eecolo=

?@amn it, @ana, tell Eecolo to cool it !ell her to #ut her head down and to kee# it

there /or a /ew months.=

@ana $ae a short lau$h. ?5ou don=t know Eecolo like ) know her.=

?Eeanin$ --al, ) didn=t like this business inolin$ Sharma and Eecolo. )n /act, the

more ) thou$ht about it the more risky and /oolhardy it a##eared to be. hen ) said that to

@ana, she re#lied truculently, ?) can=t tell Eecolo that. She won=t take CnoD /or an answer.=

) /elt that ) was bein$ tossed this way and that like a lea/ in a blustery wind. Also, like

a /allen lea/, ) didn=t hae any #lace to which ) could anchor mysel/. A/ter a /ew minutes o/

this mental bu//etin$, ) said, ?All ri$ht, let=s look at it this way -- it=s /or Eecolo and Sharma

to decide. )t4s their business, not ours.=

@ana re#lied in a relieed tone, ?/ course hat elseal=s censorious scrutiny, ) allowed mysel/ a hint o/ a swa$$er when we #assed a s2uado/ new recruits. God, they looked youn$ and $reen to someone like me, who had been


56/186

throu$h the storm and had emer$ed as a hero. ) een tried my swa$$er on my brother, Abo>i,

who was one o/ the newcomers. Howeer, he just lau$hed at me, imitated my mannerisms

satirically, and said that one corn cake didn4t make a meal. He also said, in his

characteristically sardonic manner, 4Ey dear brother Jina, you4re only as $ood as your ne1t

#er/ormance. 5ou4d better start thinkin$ about how you4re $oin$ to lie u# to your $iant-

killin$ re#utation. A/ter all, you don=t want to disa##oint your admirers.4 Abo>i was youn$ --in /act, he was under-a$e /or a recruit -- but he had a sober head on his shoulders. )t was $ood

to know that he was around and in /act, althou$h ) wouldn=t hae admitted it, it was een

$ood to be brou$ht down to earth by him /rom time to time.

About three days a/ter my conersation with @ana, the meetin$ between Sharma and

Eecolo took #lace. !hey decided to meet at the stables because @ana and Eecolo o/ten went

there. !hey had become enthusiastic riders durin$ the last /ew months, eer since a1ili

ac2uired horses /rom 8itilat. As women, they caused a stir not only by ridin$ but also by

doin$ so in men=s leather breeches that /itted ti$htly at the waist, /lared out oer the hi#s 0

the modestly moral /lare, as @ana called it 0 and then ti$htened /rom the knees down to the

ankles.@ana met Sharma and me behind the stables and took us inside where Eecolo was

tendin$ to her horse. A/ter makin$ a show o/ introducin$ me to Eecolo, @ana casually

introduced Sharma to her. Sharma took Eecolo=s hand, bowed oer it, and said, ?Ey lady

Eecolo, ) hae heard a lot about you.=

?All o/ it $ood, ) ho#e


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Eecolo liked hain$ it laid on her. !hat was #lain to see 0 in /act, she liked it a lot.

She asked, ?!ell me, how did you oercome such a /amous @ornite warrior


58/186

) $ras#ed her under her arms and #ulled her /orward. Holdin$ her a$ainst me, )

lowered her to the $round. ) said, ?5es, that=s ri$ht. @on=t /or$et it.=

@ana #ulled my head /orward, kissed me, and murmured, ?5ou know what< 5ou=re

charmin$ in your own way.=

!hat eenin$, ) asked Sharma how he had enjoyed meetin$ Eecolo. He merelyre#lied, ?)=ll be seein$ Eecolo a$ain tomorrow.= His oice was hal/-smu$ and hal/-de/iant.

)t was the answer that ) e1#ected but ho#ed not to hear. ) re#lied, ?) wouldn=t adise

it.=

45ou wouldn4t, eh< hy not


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?5ou remember when Eecolo joined the #rocession


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?)t4ll only be /or a week, Jina.= She kissed me on my cheek and whis#ered, 4)4ll make

u# /or lost time when ) $et back 0 you4ll see.4

!he #arty le/t early ne1t mornin$. Because their destination was near the Great Iier,

at a #lace where the rier was at the a#e1 o/ its wide swee# westwards, the journey would

only take them a day. )t would be a lon$ day but they should reach their destination be/ore

ni$ht/all.

As /ate would hae it, they didn=t reach their destination at all. !he /irst that we knew

about it was when a1ili4s adjutant woke us just a/ter midni$ht. He shook us ur$ently,

shoutin$, ?Sharma and Jina ut o/ bed Get dressed=

e /umbled around /or /lints and candles amidst yawns and com#laints /rom all

around us. !he adjutant roared at our com#anions, ?Shut your mouths or )4ll #ut the whole lot

o/ you on a char$e /or disres#ect.4 !o Sharma and me, he said, 4) want the two o/ you on the

#arade $round in less than ten minutes. !ake li$ht #acks and your swords. Get moin$=

About thirty men /rom arious units assembled, stam#in$ and shierin$ in the chilly

ni$ht air. !he adjutant called us to attention, counted us, stood us at ease, and said, ?5ou=ebeen selected /or a s#ecial assi$nment. An sserdite raidin$ #arty ca#tured Princess Eecolo,

her brothers, and the rest o/ the #arty. 5ou will rescue them.=

Sharma and ) looked at each other. e could hardly make out each other4s /aces in the

dim li$ht but each knew what the other was thinkin$.

Someone asked, ?here did this ha##en, commander


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!he adjutant said, ?5ou will moe immediately. 3eae your #acks here /or the

lo$istics unit to #ick u#. !hey=ll /ollow you.= He saluted Sharma and said, ?!ake oer, actin$

commander.=

Sharma ste##ed /orward, saluted, and shouted an order. ith swords secured across

our backs we set o// at a 2uick trot. A/ter an hour and a hal/, we took a short break at a

illa$e. Just under three hours later, as the sun was risin$, we reached rlata. )t was a

medium-si>ed illa$e, with the main track 0 the one that we were /ollowin$ 0 runnin$

strai$ht throu$h it /rom east to west. !he illa$e elders told us that the attack took #lace about

hal/ an hour=s trael to the west at a #lace where the country became more broken and ru$$ed

be/ore the escar#ment tumbled down to the Great Iier.

)n rlata we /ound someone who had witnessed the incident. He said that the attack

took #lace where the track narrowed to #ass between rocky hillocks in the sort o/ broken

countryside that was common on the rim o/ the escar#ment. !he man said that he came

around a corner in the track, saw the start o/ the attack, and concealed himsel/ where he could

watch without bein$ seen. He said that there were about twenty sserdites. !he bandits killed

all o/ the soldiers and some o/ the serants and took the rest o/ the #arty ca#tie. As /ar as hecould tell, about /ie o/ the bandits were killed durin$ the attack.

Sharma asked, ?ere any o/ them mounted


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?5ou heard what the adjutant said. 8ill anyone who o//ers resistance but try to take as

many as #ossible alie.=

Someone said heatedly, ?e should eliminate eery one o/ them.=

Sharma=s eyes /lashed when he re#lied, ?e will obey our orders. But, i/ it hel#s to

know why we=e been ordered to take #risoners, remember that 8eirine has a #eace treatywith the sserdite con/ederation. 8in$ a1ili wants to show $ood /aith by lettin$ their own

#eo#le deal with them.= Sharma jerked a thumb towards the rid$e. ?!hat=s enou$h talkin$.

e can bother about killin$ and ca#turin$ once we=e cau$ht u# with them. 3et=s $o.=

)n early eenin$ our adance scout re#orted that we had cau$ht u# with the raiders

and Sharma and ) went /orward to obsere their #osition. e cre#t u# to the bushes that lined

the to# o/ a slo#e /rom which we could look down onto the rier bank and watch the

sserdites moin$ about, li$htin$ /ires and layin$ out beddin$ rolls. Sharma touched my

shoulder and muttered, ?!here they are 0 ne1t to the donkeys.=

) $runted in acknowled$ement. ) had also seen them. !here were ei$ht ca#ties in all

0 @ana, Eecolo, Eecolo=s two brothers, their attendants, and two serants. !hey were lashedto trees and looked dirty and uncom/ortable but, thank 6abra>al, they all a##eared to be

unharmed. As ) looked at the small /orm o/ @ana, lashed a$ainst a tree, trussed u# like a ba$

o/ someone=s #ossessions, my an$er rose so hi$h that it almost choked me. ) wanted to rush

down there, hack my way #ast anythin$ that stood in my way, and take her in my arms. )

wanted to /eel her /ear ebbin$ away while ) whis#ered to her that, while ) was alie, nothin$

would eer harm her a$ain. ) /ou$ht down the /eelin$, remindin$ mysel/ o/ 6aliek=s words9

4For$et about reen$e. For$et about resentment. !hey $et in the way o/ clear thinkin$.4 Sure, )

would do that. But that wouldn=t sae any sserdite who stood in my way.

A/ter a /ew minutes, Sharma muttered, ?e=e seen enou$h. 3et=s moe back.=

e slid back down the slo#e and rolled into the shelter o/ a small raine. Sharmaasked 2uietly, ?How many o/ them


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!he #lan worked almost #er/ectly. ur comrades took u# their #ositions across the

rier and at /irst li$ht we launched our attack on the cam#. e encountered only one $uard,

but he was aslee# a$ainst a rock. e dealt with him with a sword thrust and within a /ew

seconds we were within the encam#ment. By 6abra>al, they were a sloenly and ne$li$ent

lot !hey were lyin$ around in disorder amidst wine ju$s and the remains o/ their meal,

surrounded by a jumble o/ e2ui#ment. @idn=t they think that they would be /ollowed< @idn=tthey een know how to set u# a #ro#er cam#< )t /elt $ood to be a soldier, disci#lined and

orderly, when you came across scenes such as this one. e went about our business so

2uietly and with such commitment that ei$ht o/ them were dead be/ore anyone noticed our

#resence. By then it was too late to o//er resistance. !he remainin$ sserdites had swords at

their throats.

) turned my attention to releasin$ the ca#ties and sto##ed abru#tly. ne o/ the

sserdites had been on $uard duty and must hae been alerted by the noise /rom the cam#.

Si>in$ u# the situation, he $rabbed the nearest ca#tie, slicin$ throu$h the ro#e that bound

her to the tree. He hauled her to her /eet, backed behind her, and #ut a kni/e to her throat.

!hen he called out, ?3et my comrades $o or )4ll cut her throat.=He was holdin$ @ana. ith her head #ulled back and the kni/e at her throat, she

s2uinted at me in con/used terror. ) moed /orward but the man jerked @ana=s head /urther

backwards and shouted, ?ne more ste# and she=ll be dead.=

!here was an im#asse /or just a moment. !hen Sharma and one o/ our comrades

a##eared behind the man, about ten #aces /rom him. Sharma said, ?)/ you kill her, we=ll kill

you /or certain. Gie yoursel/ u# be/ore there=s /urther harm.=

!he sserdite looked around, looked back at me, and then cut @ana=s throat. Perha#s

he thou$ht that he could esca#e i/ he caused a diersion, #erha#s he had a death wish 0 )

don=t know.

) rushed /orward to @ana while Sharma cut the sserdite down. @ana was lyin$ /ace

down. ) turned her oer. She was dead with her throat $ashed and still with the look o/ terror

on her /ace. ) held her to me and we#t while her blood oo>ed oer my chest, oer my

stomach, and oer my belt. !hat was the /irst blood-stain on the belt. n/ortunately it wasn=t

the last.

CHAPTER NINE: COMRADES

!hat was the last time that ) eer cried. 3ookin$ back on the incident, ) knew that )betrayed my #ro/essional callin$. By allowin$ mysel/ the indul$ence o/ wee#in$ oer @ana, )

had disabled mysel/ and had dierted my comrades= attention. 3ater, still /lushed with shame,

) remembered a$ain what 6aliek tau$ht us durin$ basic trainin$. He drummed it into us that

we should bury emotions such as $rie/, an$er, en$e/ulness, and #ersonal ambition. He

tau$ht us that these emotions distract a soldier /rom his task. ) neer a$ain /or$ot 6aliek=s

teachin$. )n any case, in the last analysis, isn=t death one o/ the common#laces o/ a soldier=s

trade< hat does one more death matter when a soldier is serin$ in the line o/ dutyal, settlin$ with me by wi#in$ a batch o/ minuses o// my scorecard all in one


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$reat scoo#< ) didn4t know 0 but i/ it was 6abra>al, then in /uture he could settle with me

directly and not throu$h other #arties.

/ course, in the intensity o/ my $rie/ ) /or$ot that there were other tar$ets at which

6abra>al could strike to discom/ort me i/ that was his intention. For instance, there were my

#arents and there was my brother, Abo>i. en Sharma could hae been a tar$et.

hile ) succumbed to a bout o/ unsoldierly wee#in$, Sharma and the rest o/ our

comrades secured the sserdites and released the ca#ties. Eecolo=s eyes s#arkled with

#leasure when she saw Sharma and she held out her arms to him. But in a moment she

recalled where she was and who she was, dro##ed her arms, and said /ormally, ?) thank you

all /or your braery. ) thank you on behal/ o/ eeryone here.= Eecolo we#t when she kneeled

ne1t to @ana4s dead body and she we#t a$ain when she o//ered me her condolences.

Howeer, within a /ew minutes she com#osed hersel/ and be$an to discuss the situation with

Sharma. ) $ot hold o/ mysel/, dried my eyes, and walked oer to join them. As de#uty

commander o/ the e1#edition, ) had my duties to attend to.

Sharma said to me, ?)=e told lady Eecolo that we hae to moe ri$ht now.= He jerked

his thumb towards the western bank o/ the rier. ?e don=t know what mi$ht come at us

/rom oer there.=

Eecolo #ointed to the ca#ties who were standin$ linked by a ro#e with their hands

bound behind their backs. She asked, ?hat about them


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s#irit, /or the moment, at least. @urin$ the journey, she only bri$htened u# on the occasions

when Sharma walked ne1t to her holdin$ her donkey=s bridle and conersin$ with her in a

low oice. ) warned Sharma to aoid Eecolo=s com#any because their /eelin$s /or each other

were so #lain to see when they were to$ether but he just $runted in annoyance and re#lied,

?She=s the kin$=s dau$hter and )=m the commander o/ this unit. @o you e1#ect me to i$nore

herebol receied us in /ront o/

the tem#le. )>ebol blessed us, made a short s#eech o/ welcome, #ronounced the benediction,

and then disa##eared into the tem#le. a1ili con$ratulated us, #ayin$ tribute to our coura$e

and initiatie. !hen he dismissed the #arade and came down /rom the #lat/orm with his arm

around Eecolo. He said to Sharma and me, ?5ou hae done both 8eirine and me a $reat

serice.=

Sharma re#lied, ?)t is our duty, your majesty.=

a1ili looked at us s#eculatiely and asked, ?Sharma and Jina, eh< First you were the

scour$e o/ the @ornites and now it=s the turn o/ the sserdites.=

) re#lied, ?5our majesty, we are at the serice o/ 8eirine and the kin$.=

a1ili4s eyes narrowed as he asked us, 45ou4re bot

The Blood Stained Belt

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