Hearst rejoined Miphon, Blackwood and Ohio outside the walls of Runcorn. 'How did it go?' said Ohio, it went just as we planned.' 'You took a long time.' ! i was being careful.' 'We were worried.'
'No need to be. Come on, let's go. The more distance we've covered by daylight, the better.'
They set off in darkness, heading south along the Salt Road toward the distant city of Selzirk, capital of the Harvest Plains. Hearst decided that, on reaching Selzirk, he would leave Miphon and travel back to Rovac. He had fulfilled his oath: he had delivered the death-stone to Miphon for Miphon to take south.
He was free. i
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
They travelled south through the flatlands of the Harvest Plains, sheltering in mud-dirt villages which, as they neared Selzirk, slowly became towns. As the prospect of pursuit became increasingly remote, they relaxed. They bought new boots, new clothes, and more food than was good for them. They risked their gold in taverns and elsewhere; Ohio and Hearst were almost killed in a brothel-brawl in a place called Kelebes, but other than that the country proved hospitable.
Miphon, who had been this way before, lectured them at length about the dams and irrigation canals that drew water from the Velvet River. All dams were upstream of Selzirk, leaving the river between Selzirk and the port of Androlmarphos free for navigation by shallow-bottomed trading galleys.
Miphon went on to discuss local law, labour tax, art, poetry, song, industry and agriculture – at length. Hearst retaliated with infinitely detailed stories of the birdlife of Rovac and the combat cults of Chi'ash-lan, but Miphon, though he became irritated at Hearst's prolixity, failed to take the hint.
In the end, Ohio spoke bluntly, and silenced the pair of them. But, after that, there were arguments about stupid things such as when to stop for lunch. Without hardship and danger to unify them, they were, really, a disparate bunch of people.
For Ohio, everything lay in the future. He'd decided not to go to his brother Menator as a beggar; instead, he'd south to the great trading city of Narba, and set up in business. For Hearst, everything lay in the past: he was a ruined, crippled veteran, a man who had lost his hope, his friends, and all sense of purpose.
Blackwood, who had realised by now that the everyday savagery of human society was too much for his heightened sensitivity to bear, thought to follow Miphon to the Castle of Controlling Power, there to see if he could find a wizard to tell him how to blunt his perceptions of the pain and suffering of the world. Now that he knew Mystrel was dead, his only responsibility was to himself.
Of the four, only Miphon still carried the burdens of heavy responsibility. Though Hearst had not announced his plans, Miphon realised, none the less, that the Rovac warrior did not intend to go south with him beyond Selzirk. Yet, from that city, it would be five hundred leagues to the Castle of Controlling Power -and that was as the crow flies, it would be longer by road.
And, once Miphon actually delivered the death-stone to the Confederation of Wizards at the Castle of Controlling Power, it would still have to be returned to the Dry Pit. Which would be a dangerous journey all on its own. And then some way would have to be found to ensure that no wizard ever again followed Heenmor's footsteps into the Dry Pit.
How?
For that question, he had no answer.
They closed with Selzirk on an afternoon when the spring weather was hinting at the heat of the summer to come.
'That's a big city,' said Hearst, studying the prospect of walls and soaring towers. 'Some of the towers look like they were built by wizards.'
'They were,' said Miphon. in the Long War, wizards raised a castle here, on the northern side of the river.
Now the gatehouse keep of that castle is part of the palace of the king-maker, Farfalla. Many bridges span the fire dyke, and as you can see the wizard castle is only a small part of the city.'
'I hope we don't run into trouble there.'
'We won't,' said Miphon. 'The people of the Harvest Plains are very hospitable.'
'At Kelebes – ' began Hearst.
'You were drunk,' said Miphon. Then: 'And not for the first time, cither. I have to tell you that neither your brain nor your liver benefit from – '
'Oh, nara zabara jok,' said Hearst, which, in the Trading Tongue, was obscene in the extreme.
'Should I bash your heads together till your brains splinter?' said Ohio. 'Or just cut your tongues out?'
'Peace,' said Blackwood, pained by this exchange. 'Let's plan out what we'll do if we do meet danger.'
'We won't,' said Miphon, demonstrating – not for the first time – a wizard's need to be seen as an expert. 'I've been this way before. I know this place.'
'There's been a lot of fish in the net since then,' said Hearst. 'With Alish holding Runcorn and threatening invasion, they're bound to be suspicious.'
'Then we'd better not try to avoid the city,' said Ohio, 'or they'll think us spies for sure.'
'Well then,' said Hearst. 'Let's do what we can -which means stay alert and take precautions. I'll carry the death-stone. Miphon, you take the green bottle and the ring commanding it. And Blackwood – the red bottle and the ring for that.' i'd rather not,' said Blackwood.
'No?' said Hearst. 'Then Ohio can carry it. Let's arrange that now.'
They did so, then went on toward the city. On either side of the road, bentbacked peasants were working in a leisurely rhythm in fields of rape and panic.
Hearst watched a barefoot boy shooting at small birds in a fallow field. The boy had a stave bow; he shot arrows into the air so they climbed high then plunged down, skewering their targets and pinning them to the ‹ ground. Hearst noted that the range was extreme and I the archer's accuracy was excellent. I
The travellers were entering Selzirk by the northern] gate when the challenge rang out: I 'Azat!' | A moment later, soldiers grabbed the reins of their j horses. Then the gate commander stepped forward. j Lurking behind him was a furtive, anxious individual, a j man Hearst knew he should recognise from somewhere. '.
He cast about for a name. j Erhed! Yes, that was it. Erhed, one of Prince j Comedo's soldiers who had deserted in dragon country j deep in the interior of Argan. j 'You,' said the gate commander, in the Galish j Trading Tongue. 'Come with me.'› Hearst glanced around. The gate commander had \ numbers on his side, but it might be possible to intimidate him. Hearst put his hand to the hilt of his j sword: i 'Who are you to command me?'; 'My name is Watashi,' said the gate commander. 'I'm eldest son of the kingmaker, Farfalla, highest power in 1 the Harvest Plains. Mark me welclass="underline" I'm the best \ swordsman in Selzirk, and my blade is faster than yours.'
Hearst judged the boast to be true. Clearly Watashi was a young man, about twenty-five years of age, but I there were battle-scars on his face; his voice and stance indicated that he had the habit of command. He looked tough, capable, relaxed and dangerous. j 'I've been here before,' said Miphon. 'Then, Farfal-, la's eldest son was Sarazin Sky.'
'So men have called me,' said the gate commander. 370 'But names may change with the times. Watashi is my name now, as I have told you. Come.' Hearst hesitated.
'Let's go with him,' said Ohio. 'He's not polite, but at least nobody's drawn a weapon. And think of it – the ruler's son doesn't stand watch on the gate unless for something the ruler wants badly.'
'We'll come with you,' said Hearst. 'We'll let you take us to Farfalla.'
'Dismount, then,' said Watashi, who, Hearst saw, was unimpressed by the ease at which the travellers had divined his immediate intentions.