Dannyl looked down at the book, turning pages and skimming. “So this is a record of that attempt?”
“Yes. More a diary than a record.”
“It is less than a hundred years old.”
Achati nodded. “We have repeated this stupidity even in recent times. Someone decides there is glory to be had in conquest, and Duna appears to be the best way to gain it. Much easier than Kyralia or Elyne. In fact, more than one past king has sent an overly ambitious Ashaki off to Duna in order to keep him occupied.”
“I’m sure the Duna thanked them for that.”
“They’ve survived admirably well. As a land of primitives, with little magic, you would think they surely could not put up much resistance. But that is how they defeat us: they don’t fight. They retreat into the volcanic lands and wait while we attempt to occupy their land, which always leads to us starving, packing up and going south again.” Achati gave a short, sour laugh. “That Kariko chose to invade Kyralia was unusually smart and bold.”
“But still not regarded as a good idea, I hope,” Dannyl said.
“No.” Achati chuckled. “Though I suspect it has occurred to King Amakira that if he was faced with an overly ambitious upstart Ashaki too smart to be tricked into invading Duna, then Kyralia seems to be well capable of defending itself.”
Dannyl felt a shiver of cold run down his spine. He looked at Achati, who smiled crookedly.
“Let’s not test that idea,” Dannyl suggested, choosing his words carefully. “Not the least because, if he’s wrong, then he’ll have an overly ambitious upstart Ashaki in a better position to cause him trouble than before, and also because, if we defeat him, we might not then be the quietly resentful neighbours that the Duna have been.”
“I assure you, he isn’t considering it a serious proposition.”
“That is good to hear.”
Achati gestured at the book. “Read,” he invited.
Dannyl continued from where he had stopped. The diary keeper described, to his surprise, how tribesmen were being paid to bring food up from the valley below the escarpment. Were the Duna oblivious to the Sachakan’s intentions?
It became clear that these leaders did not have full authority over their people and therefore could not sign over ownership of the land. Authority appeared to be shared with tribesmen known as the Keepers of the Lore. Ashaki Haniva asked to meet with the Keepers. This was, apparently, impossible. After much confusion and mis-translation, it became clear that nobody knew who the Keepers were. This was very frustrating.
As Dannyl read on he was heartened to see that Haniva had attempted to negotiate a peaceful acquisition of the land. This was no brutal conquest … yet. Haniva tried many times and different approaches, but though the Duna appeared to be cooperative and amenable to the idea of selling, there was no clear owner of the land.
It appears that they regard the land as belonging to everyone and nobody at the same time. When Ashaki Haniva asked if that meant he, too, owned it, they said yes. Perhaps this is why they have never resisted us taking control of the land before.
Dannyl considered this strange way to regard land. It was as if they considered it to be “un-ownable”. It was an intriguing concept. And not too different from the idea that a person shouldn’t be owned. No wonder the Sachakans, with their acceptance of slavery, couldn’t grasp the Duna way of thinking.
The Duna’s way of thinking would not have been particularly practical, if their land had not been so difficult to live on. As Dannyl worked his way through the diary, he learned that Haniva and his Ashaki partners eventually gave up on gaining any official document stating they’d bought the land, drove out the Duna and settled. By the end of the record, there were already signs that crops were not growing as hoped.
Achati had been writing in his own diary while Dannyl read, and as Dannyl put the book down he looked up and set his pen aside.
“What did you make of that?”
“The Duna are an interesting people. They clearly have a very different way of thinking.”
Achati nodded. “It is a wonder they have survived this long.”
“It is these Keepers of the Lore that we need to talk to – if they still exist.” Dannyl frowned. “But that could be difficult to arrange, if nobody knows who they are.”
“Difficult? It will be impossible.”
“I assume the Keepers know who they are.”
The Sachakan looked thoughtful, then smiled. “Of course. So perhaps we just keep asking and see if one admits to it.”
“I imagine they won’t want to unless they’ve given it some consideration, and judged that we are not a threat. We should make it known that we want to talk to one of the Keepers, and see if any come to us.”
Achati frowned. “That could be slow. And all Duna consider Sachakans a threat.”
“Yet they still work with you. Unh, for instance. And traders in the markets.”
“Tracking doesn’t involve giving away the secrets of your people. Nor does trading.”
“No,” Dannyl agreed. “That is why we have to let them come to us. This is not something we can force out of them. Otherwise, you’d have done it already.”
Achati nodded. “That’s true. We Sachakans aren’t a patient people.” He looked at Dannyl and smiled. “I have no doubt that you could charm them into talking to you. I hope that my presence doesn’t prevent that.”
Dannyl met his gaze. “Will you be offended if I do this alone?”
The man shook his head. Dannyl held the man’s gaze.
“And if I don’t share all that I learn with you?”
Achati’s eyebrows rose and a hardness came into his gaze, yet he shook his head. “I will accept that it may be politically necessary that you don’t. But it would be better if you simply didn’t tell me if there is anything you must keep to yourself. I do hope you will divulge anything that is of importance to the safety of Sachaka – or rather, I would expect it of a nation that seeks to become our ally.”
Dannyl nodded. “We are aware that anything that could endanger Sachaka would likely endanger Kyralia as well. And I owe you and King Amakira for getting me to Duna in the first place.”
Achati smiled and waved a hand dismissively. “That is nothing. If you must consider it a favour you’d like to return, promise me you’ll take me on a tour of Kyralia one day. I would love to see your Guild.”
Dannyl inclined his head with deliberate Kyralian politeness. “Now that I can promise.”
Lilia had no idea where she was.
She was worn out and scared, and filled with doubt that escaping with Lorandra had been a good idea. She had lost count of the number of times she’d told herself she was doing this to save Naki, and of all the places she and Lorandra had been. She had no idea where she was, only that it was somewhere in the city.
The first stop they had made had been the brazier house in the Inner City to which Naki had taken Lilia. Lorandra had been recognised immediately and was treated with respect. While she was talking to him another had appeared, and stopped to stare and grin at Lilia. He said nothing, just stood there grinning at her until Lorandra returned, when he had turned pale and hurried away.
A carriage had taken Lilia and Lorandra to a place outside the old city walls. There had been a lot of laughing going on in rooms there, and the seemingly ominous groans coming from behind one door had worried Lilia until they’d passed an open door and she’d glimpsed the scantily dressed women inside.