The King Beyond the Gate

Ingis rose and bowed. After he had gone Tenaka refilled his goblet and leaned back on the thick cushions scattered round the rug.

'Come out, Renya!' he called. She stepped from the shadows of the sleeping section and sat beside him, taking his hand.

'I feared for you when the warrior made his challenge.'

'My time is not yet.'

'He would have answered the same,' she pointed out.

'Yes, but he was wrong.'

'And have you so changed? Are you now infallible?'

'I am home, Renya. I feel different. I cannot explain it, and I have not yet tried to rationalise it. But it is wonderful. Before I came here I was incomplete. Lonely. Here I am whole.'

'I see.'

'No, I do not think that you do. You think I criticise you; you hear me talking of loneliness and you wonder. Do not misunderstand me. I love you and you have been a source of constant joy. But my purpose was not clear, and therefore I was what the shamen called me as a child: the Prince of Shadows. I was a shadow in the world of stone reality. Now I am a shadow no longer. I have a purpose.'

'You want to be a king,' she said sadly.

'Yes.'

'You want to conquer the world.'

He did not answer.

'You have seen Ceska's terror and the folly of ambition. You have seen the horror that war brings. Now you will bring a greater horror than Ceska could ever dream of.'

'It does not have to be horror.'

'Do not fool yourself, Tenaka Khan. You have merely to look beyond this tent. They are savages — they live to fight… to kill. I don't know why I'm talking like this. You are beyond my words. After all, I am just a woman.'

'You are my woman.'

'I was. Not any longer. You have another woman now. Her breasts are mountains, and her seed waits out there to spill across the world. What a hero you are, great Khan! Your friend is waiting for you. In the blindness of his loyalty, he expects to see you riding on a white horse at the head of your Nadir. Then the evil will fall and the Drenai will be free. Imagine his surprise when you rape his nation!'

'You have said enough, Renya. I will not betray Ananais. I will not invade the Drenai.'

'Not now, maybe. But one day you will have no choice. There won't be anywhere else.'

'I am not yet the Khan.'

'Do you believe in prayer, Tenaka?' she asked suddenly, tears in her eyes.

'Sometimes.'

'Then think on this: I pray that you lose tonight, even if it means your death.'

'If I lose, it will,' said Tenaka Khan.

But she had already moved away from him.

* * *

The ancient shaman squatted in the dust, staring intently into a brazier of coals on an iron stand. Around him sat the chieftains of the Nadir, the warlords, the masters of the Horde.

Away from the crowd, within a circle of stones, sat the three kinsmen: Tsuboy Saddleskull, Shirrat Knifespeaks and Tenaka Khan.

The warlords studied each other with rare interest. Saddleskull was a blocky, powerful figure, with a braided top-knot and a wispy forked beard. He was stripped to the waist and his body gleamed with oil.

Knifespeaks was slimmer and his long hair, streaked with silver, was tied at the nape of the neck. His face was oblong accentuated by the drooping moustache, and mournful. But his eyes were sharp and alert.

Tenaka Khan sat quietly with them, staring up at the tomb which was shining silver in the moonlight. Saddleskull cracked his fingers noisily and tensed the muscles of his back. He was nervous. He had planned for years to take control of the Wolves. And now — with his army stronger than his brother's — he was forced to gamble his future on a single throw. Such was the power of the shamen. He had tried to ignore Asta Khan, but even his own warlords — respected warriors like Ingis — had urged him to seek their wisdom. No one wanted to see wolf rend wolf. But what a time for Tenaka the Mongrel to come home. Saddleskull cursed inwardly.

Asta Khan pushed himself to his feet. The shaman was old, older than any man living among the tribes, and his wisdom was legend. He moved slowly round to stand before the trio; he knew them well — as he had known their fathers and grandfathers — and he could see the resemblance between them.

He lifted his right arm. 'Nadir we!' he shouted, and his voice belied his age; resonant and powerful it floated above the massed ranks and the men echoed the shout solemnly.

There is no going back from this quest,' said the shaman, addressing the trio. 'You are all kinsmen. Each of you claims blood link to the great Khan. Can you not agree amongst you who should lead?'

He waited for several seconds, but all three remained silent.

'Then hear the wisdom of Asia Khan. You expect to fight one another — I see that your bodies and your weapons are sharp. But there will be no battle of the blood. Instead I shall send you to a place that is not of this world. He that returns will be the Khan, for he will find the helm of Ulric. Death will be closer to you, for you will be walking within his realm. You will see terrible sights, you will hear the screams of the damned. Do you still wish this quest?'

'Let us begin!' snapped Saddleskull. 'Get ready to die, mongrel,' he whispered to Tenaka.

The shaman stepped forward, placing his hand on Saddleskull's head. The warlord's eyes closed and his head dropped. Knifespeaks followed. . then Tenaka Khan.

Asta Khan squatted down before the sleeping trio, then he closed his eyes.

'Stand!' he ordered.

The three men opened their eyes and stood, blinking in surprise. They were still before the tomb of Ulric, only now they were alone. Gone were the warriors, and the tents, and the camp-fires.

'What is the meaning of this?' asked Knifespeaks.

'There is the tomb of Ulric,' answered Asta Khan. 'All you must do is fetch the helm from the sleeping Khan.'

Knifespeaks and Saddleskull loped off towards the tomb. There were no entrances visible — no doors, only smooth white marble.

Tenaka sat down and the shaman squatted beside him.

'Why do you not search with your cousins?' he asked.

'I know where to look.'

Asta Khan nodded. 'I knew you would come back.'

'How?'

'It was written.'

Tenaka watched his kinsmen circling the tomb, waiting for the moment when both of them were out of sight. Then he rose slowly and sped to the dome. The climb was not difficult, for the marble fascia had been pinned to the sandstone and this left handholds where the blocks joined. He was half-way to the statue of Ulric before the others spotted him. Then he heard Saddleskull curse, and knew they were following.

He reached the arch. It was seven feet deep and the statue of Ulric nestled at the rear.

The King Beyond the Gate!

Tenaka Khan moved forward carefully. The door was hidden behind the archway. He pushed at it and it creaked open.

Saddleskull and Knifespeaks arrived almost together, their enmity forgotten in their fear that Tenaka was ahead. Seeing the open door they pushed forward, but Saddleskull pulled back just as Knifespeaks entered. As Knifespeaks' foot crossed the threshold there was a loud crack and three spears hammered through his chest, punching through his lungs and jutting from his back. He sagged forward. Saddleskull moved round the body, seeing that the spears had been attached to a board, and the board to a series of ropes. He held his breath and listened carefully; he could hear the whispering fall of sand trickling on the stone. He dropped to his knees — there inside the doorway was a broken glass. Sand trickled from it.

As soon as Knifespeaks had broken the glass, the balance was lost and the death-trap released. But how had Tenaka avoided death? Saddleskull cursed and carefully moved into the doorway. Where the half-blood walked, he could surely follow? Immediately he disappeared, Tenaka stepped out from behind the ghostly statue of the Khan. He paused to study the trap which had killed Knifespeaks and then silently moved into the tomb.