Part 2 (1/2)
One of the five, a big man with a contentious air and a jealous eye, whom Stark disliked on sight, asked Yarrod, ”What was all that howling from the bar?”
Yarrod nodded at Stark. ”He has killed a Child of the Sea.”
”And lived?” He sounded incredulous.
”I saw it,” said Yarrod curtly. ”Now tell us, Stark. Why did Gelmar set the Farers on you?”
”Partly because I had been asking about Ashton. And partly because of a prophecy.”
Now they sighed sharply, as the Farer girl had.
”What prophecy?”
”Someone called Gerrith, the wise woman of Irnan, prophesied that an off-worlder would come and destroy the Lords Protector because of Ashton.” He looked at them shrewdly. ”But you know all about that, don't you?”
”We're all from Irnan,” said Yarrod. ”We waited and waited, but Ashton never came, and then Gerrith made her prophecy and the Wandsmen killed her. What was Ashton to you?”
”What is a father to a son, a brother to a brother?” Stark moved, easing the pains of his body, but there was no ease for the deeper pain, and they saw that and were disturbed. Stark's eyes held a lambent light.
”You people of Irnan decided to leave this planet, which I can readily understand. You applied through the GU consul at Skeg, keeping the matter very confidential, for help. The Ministry of Planetary Affairs agreed to find you a suitable place on another world and to supply the s.h.i.+ps for your emigration. Ashton came to Skaith from the Ministry to discuss this with your leaders and make the final arrangements. As someone said, more fool he-because the whole thing had stopped being confidential. Who talked?”
”None of us,” said Yarrod. ”Perhaps someone at the consulate. Perhaps Ashton was clumsy.”
”Gelmar took him on the Irnan road.”
”Did Gelmar tell you that?”
”I don't think he meant to. He had other plans for me, and the information would have been breath wasted. So I took him with me into the sea and gave him a choice.”
Yarrod groaned. ”You took him into the sea. Don't you know that it is forbidden, absolutely forbidden on pain of death, to lay hands upon or interfere with a Wandsman in any way?”
”I was already under pain of death, and it seemed to me that in any case Gelmar needed a lesson in manners.”
They stared at him. Then one of them laughed, and then they all laughed except the big man with the jealous eye who only showed his teeth. Yarrod said, ”You may be the Dark Man at that.”
The curtain of vines rustled faintly as Breca returned.
”There are people,” she said, ”coming to the ford. About twenty of them, and in a hurry.”
4.
Immediately the group fell silent. Yarrod began making swift gestures. ”In here,” he said in Stark's ear, and motioned to a fissure in the stonework at one side, barely large enough to accept a body the size of Stark's and of no size at all to permit any motion, offensive or defensive.
”Make up your mind,” said Yarrod. ”In a moment more we'll have to give you up to save ourselves.”
Stark accepted the inevitable and slid himself into the crevice. The aperture was closed within seconds by the meager possessions of the Irnanese-leather bottles, sacks of meal and dried meat for the journey, a spare s.h.i.+ft apiece-and by the pod itself, as the Irnanese formed their tight group beside the heap of dunnage. Stark had some difficulty breathing and he could not see anything, but he had been in worse places.
Provided the Irnanese did not sell him out. But he could not do much about that. He settled himself to endure.
From outside the vault he could hear no more than a muddy crowd sound. Then Gelmar entered the vault, and Stark could hear him quite clearly speaking to Yarrod.
”May your people have peace and quick Fulfillment, Master. I am Gelmar of Skeg.”
Courtesy required that Yarrod should now identify himself in turn. He did so, giving a totally false name and place of origin and ending with a gravely unctuous, ”What may I do for you, my son?”
”Has anyone pa.s.sed this way? A man, an off-worlder, fresh from the sea, perhaps hurt?”
”No,” said Yarrod, his voice steady and unconcerned. ”I've seen no one. Besides, who escapes from the sea? I've heard the Children hunting within the hour.”
”Perhaps the Master is lying,” said a girl's voice spitefully, and Stark knew it well. ”He was at the ford. He saw us.”
”And your people threw stones at us,” said Yarrod, sternly reproachful. ”My pod became frightened, and it has cost me much effort to calm it. Even a Farer should have more respect.”
”One must forgive them,” said Gelmar. ”They are the children of the Lords Protector. Do you lack for anything? Food? Wine?”
”There is enough. Perhaps tomorrow I shall come to Skeg and ask.”
”It will be given gladly.”
There were some parting formalities. Gelmar and the girl apparently left the vault, and in a moment Stark could hear whoops and cries as the Farers went haring away through the ruins.
Looking for me, Stark thought, and he was glad of his close crevice, A sorry rabble they were; but one against twenty, and the one unarmed, made for unpleasant odds.
For a time nothing happened except that Yarrod began to lead his pod in a kind of litany, a murmurous chant that almost put Stark to sleep. These people must have practiced well. There had to be a powerful reason to make them do it, and he thought he knew what it was.
The chanting faded gently to a small contented humming, and then Stark heard voices and sounds outside, returning.
Yarrod's voice came clearly. ”You didn't find him?”
Rather distantly, Gelmar answered, ”There was no sign. But the Children have been on the bar.”
”No doubt they have already shared him, then.”
”No doubt. Still, if you should see him . . . The man is a lawbreaker and dangerous. He laid hands on me and, being an off-worlder, he might not respect your robe.”
”I have no fear, my son,” said Yarrod, laying it on just a bit too much, Stark thought. ”What do we all wish for but Fulfillment?”
”True,” said Gelmar. ”Good night, Master.”
”Good night. And please to take your unruly flock with you. Each time the tranquillity of my pod is disturbed, the day of release is that much delayed.”
Gelmar made some answer, and then there were more sounds, of people going away.
After what seemed a very long wait, Yarrod lifted aside the bundles. ”Keep your voice down,” he cautioned. ”I think Gelmar left a few behind him. It's like trying to count vermin so I can't be sure, but I didn't see the girl.”