Shardik

Elleroth greeted them with his usual urbanity, enquired after Kelderek's recovery and expressed his hope that Melathys did not find life in the village unduly rough and comfortless. Then he said, 'Most of my men – and I too – are leaving for Zeray the day after tomorrow. I suppose you'll both wish to come? I personally am travelling by river and I'm sure we can find places for you.'

'We shall be grateful,' answered Kelderek, conscious, despite himself, of his sense of inferiority to this man and of his utter dependence on his goodwill. 'It's time now that we were returning to Zeray, and I'm afraid I'm not strong enough to march with the troops. You say "most of your men". Aren't they all going?' *I should have explained to you earlier,' replied Elleroth. 'Under the terms agreed with the Ortelgans, we are taking control of this province – all land east of the Vrako. That is perfectly just and reasonable, as Bekla certainly never controlled it and the last – indeed the only – Baron of Zeray, the Ortelgan Bel-ka-Trazet, specifically invited us to annex it only a few months ago. For some little while, until we have the place settled, there will be a force of occupation, with outposts at suitable places.'

'I'm only surprised you think it's worth your while,' said Kelderek, determined to express some view of his own. 'Will there be any profit at all?'

"The profit we shall owe to Bel-ka-Trazet' answered Elleroth. 'I never knew him, but he must have been a remarkable man. If I'm not mistaken, it was he who first conceived what I believe is going to prove an innovation of the greatest importance.'

'He was a remarkable man,' said Melathys. 'He was a man who could pluck advantage from an acre of ashes.'

'He advised us,' said Elleroth, 'that it would be practicable to construct a ferry across the Zeray strait, and even outlined to us how it might be done – an idea entirely of his own devising, as far as I can make out. Our pioneers, together with men from Deelguy, are engaged on the work now, but we have sent to ask for the help of some Ortelgan rope-makers. That will be most important. No one understands the uses and qualities of ropes like Ortelgans. When the ferry is complete, Zeray is bound to become a commercial town of importance, for there will be a new and direct route, both for Ikat and for Bekla, across the Telthearna and on to the east. Whatever countries may lie there, the ferry is bound to open up entirely new markets.' He paused. 'If I recall, Crendrik, you were interested in trade, weren't you, when you were in Bekla? No, no -' he held up his hand – 'I didn't intend any malice, or to wound your feelings, I assure you. Please don't think that. Isn't it true, though, that you played a large part in directing the empire's policy in commerce?'

'Yes, that's true,' answered Kelderek. 'I'm not an aristocrat, as you know. I've never owned land: and to those who are neither farmers nor soldiers, trade's vital if they're to thrive at all. That was what I could understand about Bekla that our generals couldn't. It was from that that the evil came – 'he paused – 'but there was good as well.'

'Yes, I see,' said Ellcrodi rather abstractedly, and began to talk to Melathys about the probable needs of the Tuginda.

The villagers learned with regret that the soldiers were leaving, for on the whole they had behaved well and paid honestly enough for whatever they had had. Besides, they had brought welcome change and excitement to the normal squalor of life in Tissarn. There was the usual bustle as arms and equipment were got together and inspected, quarters relinquished, loads apportioned and an advance party despatched to prepare the first night's camp (for only Elleroth and a few other officers, with their servants, were to go by water, available canoes being scarce).

During the afternoon Kelderek, weary of the racket and commotion, took a line and some bait and set off along the waterside. He had not gone far when he came upon nine or ten of the slave children splashing about the shore. Joining them, he found them in rather better spirits than he had come to expect, and even began to derive some pleasure from their company, which now reminded him a little of old days on Ortelga. One of the boys, a dark, quick-moving lad about ten years old, was teaching them a singing game from Paltesh. This led to others, until at length Kelderek, being teased and challenged to contribute something, showed them the first Ortelgan game that came into his head. Cat catch a fish in the river in the foam; Cat catch a fish and he got to get it home. Run, cat, run, cat, drag it through the mire-

As he scratched out the lines with a stick and laid down a green branch for the fish, he felt once more, as he had not for years, the exhilaration of that spontaneity, directness and absorption that had once led him to call children' the flames of God'. Take it to the pretty girl that's sitting by the fire

And away he went, hobbling and shuffling slowly enough, for as he had told Elleroth, he was still far from healed; yet in his heart he went as once in the days when he had been a young simpleton who would rather play with the children than drink with the men.

When it was no longer his turn to be the cat, he dropped out. He was resting unobtrusively behind a rock when he realized that the boy loitering near him was Shouter, but so haggard and pale that at first he had not recognized him. He was playing no part in the game, but staring moodily at the ground, pacing one way and another and jabbing viciously at the stones with a stick. A second glance showed Kelderek that if he was not actually weeping, he was probably as close to it as was possible for any boy who had spent several months in the service of Genshed.

'Are you feeling better?' asked Kelderek as Shouter came a little nearer. ' 'be mucking stupid,' answered Shouter, barely turning his head.

'Come here!' said Kelderek sharply. 'What's brought you out here? What's the matter?' The boy made no reply and he took him by the arm and said again, 'Come on, tell me, what's the matter?'

'Glad to be going, aren't they?' said Shouter, in a kind of savage gasp. 'Either they're lucky or they're too bloody stupid to know they're not.' 'Why, aren't they going home?' asked Kelderek.

'Home? There's half of them's never had any home.'If they had, they wouldn't have been here, would they?'

'Go on,' said Kelderek, still gripping his arm. 'Why wouldn't they?'

'You know's well as I do; kids whose mothers don't want 'em, fathers have mucked off, they live how they can, don't they, one day someone sells 'em for forty meld to get rid of 'em – same as they did me – best thing ever happened some of them, next to being dead. Slaves – they was slaves all along, wasn't they?' 'Where do you think they'll go now, then?'

'How the hell should I know?' bawled Shouter, with something like a return to his old form. 'Leg by mucking Lee, I shouldn't wonder. Why don't you let me alone? I'm not afraid of you!'

Kelderek, forgetting his line and bait, left the boys and made his way back to Dirion's house. Melathys met him at the door, wearing her Yeldashay metlan with the corn-sheaves emblem.

'You missed Elleroth,' she said. 'The Ban in person. He's invited us to dine with him tonight and says he very much hopes you won't be too tired. There'll be no one else and he's looking forward to seeing you, which from him amounts to a pressing invitation, I should think.' After a few moments she added, 'He stayed here a little while, in case you returned, and I – I took the opportunity to tell him how things are between you and me. I dare say he knew already, for the matter of that, but he had the good manners to pretend he didn't I told him how I came to be in Zeray and about Bel-ka-Trazet. He asked what we intended to do now and I explained – or tried to explain – what Lord Shardik's death had meant to us. I told him you were quite decided that there could be no question of your ever returning to Bekla.'