Part 11 (1/2)
”Isnt that the word the Portuguese use for bear?” Orozco asked tentatively.
Urso laughed so hard the ground shook. ”So it is! So it is!”
”Well you get no argument from me,” Orozco replied, gulping from his wineskin.
”Hah-hah! I like you, little man!” He drummed his fingers on his knees, rendering an approximation of the sound of approaching dray-horses. ”This is...rather nice, isnt it? I mean, I rather like the rare company of intelligent humanfolk. Even with your little conceits and your pompously tinkling armaments-only dont get too close. I dont want to feel you skittering all over me with your tiny hands and feet. Thats one of my worst nightmares, you know.”
Gonji sat with arms folded, a look of amus.e.m.e.nt crossing his face. The others began to relax as well, even in their astonishment at the event.
”So you work for the warlock, then?” Gonji asked.
”Si, we have an agreement,” Urso allowed. ”But its not what you likely think. I take it you havent found him yet, eh, wonder-seeker?” He chuckled thickly and scooped a barrel full of water from the pool.
Gonji shook his head, and the giant rambled on.
”Si, I promised Id do my best to scare off soldiers, you see. Not so many of them anymore, but those that come are a h.e.l.luva lot bolder, Ill say that.”
”Ill drink to that,” Orozco piped in.
Urso smiled crookedly, then waxed morose. ”I didnt promise to kill any. Im sorry about the man who rode this horse. I just lost my head when he shot me. Im tired of being shot. Youre not using poisoned arrows, are you?” He examined his wounds again.
Salguero a.s.sured him that they were not. ”Youre a giant with a sense of morality, then?”
”Of course,” Urso said gruffly. ”You little men think you occupy a place of-of singular dignity. And yet look at the wretched things you do! But still, youre sentient beings. And there are G.o.ds to appease for randomly killing you. What I did was in self-defense, so I dont think theyll mind if I eat this horse.”
There were a few shudders as Urso went on.
”I dont like this killing business, thats why I didnt agree to any. I think the worst thing about killing little humans-apart from the sickly squas.h.i.+ng sounds they make-the worst thing is that theyre fully formed, just like Anakim. Theyre completely articulated. Arms, legs-theres something terrible about crus.h.i.+ng the life from something thats a tiny version of yourself.”
”Youre a philosopher,” Gonji observed.
”Among other things,” Urso replied. ”Im an explorer, you know. Im an observer and recorder of strange new worlds, everything on them-rocks, plants, animal life. I have quite a collection from this one in the cave behind the waterfall. Oh, dont look so surprised. Is it so hard to believe that there are worlds both within and without this one, given even the little that youve seen? They say that at one time all these worlds were connected, accessible to all. Then something happened. It all came apart. Now only the privileged few are guided between the worlds, exploring and mapping as they go. Thats me. Urso, the Explorer. Only I lost my way-or something prevented me from returning to my world. Seems like a long time ago. My worlds quite a bit larger than this one. What do you call this, a cliff?” He slammed a ma.s.sive fist against the mesa wall. ”I dont know what wed call it. A step, maybe. Aside from exploring, I like eating-” Here he made an eager slurping sound as he licked his lips again. ”-and, of course, rapturing.”
The company glanced about quizzically, uncertain of his meaning.
”You know,” Urso clarified, ”moving the earth with a lover-copulating.”
More at ease in his presence now, the lancers began to howl with laughter at the thought of two rutting behemoths.
”Whats so funny, hombres pequenos? Ive seen the jerky little thras.h.i.+ngs you call lovemaking. To see Anakim in the throes of pa.s.sion is an awesome sight. Its said that the ecstasies of giants once caused earthquakes. Thats why we were removed to a larger world.”
When their mirth had been brought under control by Salgueros look urging caution, Gonji addressed Urso again.
”Then I take it this is still Spain, despite the odd changes weve seen in the land?”
”Parts of the Spain you know, parts of another, from what I can gather,” the son of Anak responded. ”Its Domingos doing. His attempts to find the doorway back to my world for me. That was his part of our agreement. Why do you want to attack him?”
”Hes evil,” Salguero said. ”Hes slowly destroying Barbaso. He kills-something you say troubles you. So I wonder how you can feel comfortable in his employ.”
”What you do to one another is no concern of mine. You all look alike to me anyway. With exceptions-the wonder-seeker here-hes different somehow, in addition to being more valiant than any Spaniard Ive encountered. And as for evil-I dont understand your definitions of evil. I wont even guess at whats going on between the powers that vie here. Wont even attempt a judgment. All I can say is that there are more powers operating in these environs than you think. Ive seen things pa.s.s in the night that even make me shudder.”
”We dont threaten the warlock,” Gonji said. ”We seek only to take counsel with him.”
”Is that so?” the giant replied. ”Well, good luck to you, then. Hes rather insular, it seems.”
”Dont you have contact with him?”
Urso shook his huge bearded head sadly, poked at the spluttering horse carca.s.s. ”No, I dont think so. He contacts me when he wishes, and thats not often. I dont think Ive actually seen him, to be truthful. Not the real him. But, then, I said you all looked very much alike.”
Gonji pondered this while they exchanged banter a while, trying to guess at what might lie ahead, filling in his mental portrait of the enigmatic sorcerer. The roasting horse was done, and Urso tore into it with a zest that had the soldiers gaping and elbowing one another. Orozco and the giant seemed to strike up a curious rapport, and the sergeant fell into his cups, despite Salgueros piercing glances. It would become a private joke between them in the future: If Salguero pushed him too hard, Orozco would tell his friend the giant to reduce him to meal.
But now Salguero had moved apart from them, slumping against the cliff base, withdrawn and introspective. Gonji came close and knelt in the snow, tipping a waterskin to his old comrade.
”Weve had no chance to speak,” the samurai began. ”It seems-does it bother you, senchoo, that the men are looking to me for leaders.h.i.+p? So sorry to be so frank-”
Salgueros eyes widened, and he smiled. ”Ahh, dont be ridiculous. We need you right now. They need you, just as you are. There are other things troubling me these days. Im tired of leading men into battles I dont believe in. Paying lip service to allegiances I dont feel. I know that stings you, amigo, with your exalted sense of duty. I just dont know what to do about it. I think much of my wife, my children. Of what might be happening to them in Port-Bou.
”If we live through this madness-I just dont know...” His voice drifted off, drowned by the bizarre human-giant revelry. Gonji felt his pain and was moved by compa.s.sion. But he knew not what to say that might comfort his old friend.
They deemed it wise to allow the troopers to vent their tensions. More wineskins appeared-though they had been prohibited, at first-and the relaxation seemed to do the lancers some good. They stayed the night in the grotto, keeping minimal watch while in the comfort of the giants presence, though Gonji himself eschewed any strong drink and slept only in short s.n.a.t.c.hes, ever vigilant and suspicious, keeping his swords always at hand.
The morning dawned, gray and bleak, and as they mounted to leave, Urso pointed the way ahead.
”I see youre within sight of your destination,” he said. Castle Malaguer s.h.i.+fted ominously in and out of the shroud of mist on the horizon. ”This is as close as Ive come to it. I hope the wizard knows what hes doing.”
”Why dont you accompany us?” Gonji inquired. ”Your presence in our midst might spare more bloodshed. We might gain a peaceful audience with Domingo Negro.”
”No. Ive had my fill of involvement with tiny folk for a while. In any event, I cant leave this area. Perhaps h.e.l.l open the doorway for me into my own world before you...destroy him, or whatever youre about.”
Gonji nodded and wheeled off to rejoin the column.
”If you find any other little men seeking wonders,” Urso called after him in his booming voice, ”do me a favor and dont send them in this direction, eh?”
His bellowing laughter followed them for a long time. When it had dwindled to an echoed memory, anxiety again crept over them. Nervous eyes flickered on somber faces, scanning the unknown trail that twisted off before them.
CHAPTER NINE.
The terrain changed again before noon.
A timber forest swallowed the track the lancers coursed, its alien strangeness setting the column to buzzing. Gonji advised steering around the obvious killing ground, taking to the treacherous hillocks to its right.
As they negotiated the tricky slopes, all eyes riveted on the treeline, day turned to night with the swiftness of a cloud enveloping the sun.
The banshees spine-chilling wail preceded her appearance in the sky above. She descended with directed menace this time, her filmy gray gowns spreading their deathly pallor to encompa.s.s the column.
Gonji shouted orders, reminding them of their need to hold fast, to face their terror with all possible courage. He pushed Tora up to the hillocks summit, where he drew the Sagami and postured defiantly before the grisly apparition.