The Leopard
Chapter 9
Sennacherib's Return
I thought on my tour with Adad-nari a great deal after it ended. He'd given me quite a bit of information to consider. It seemed that I might have to prove my battle prowess to the Khalif before he would see me as a real man. But more than that, my thoughts kept returning to Adad-nari's interest in Naamah and Blessed Elua's precept. That was very interesting indeed. If Adad-nari preferred men, if he desired me, I would wait for him to approach me. I did not know what the Akkadian etiquette was for such a situation, but that seemed in line with their culture.
I was not given much time to dwell on this, for Prince Sennacherib's return to Babylon was fast approaching. All of the palace was caught up in anticipation of his arrival. There was little for us to do but watch the proceedings. I was eager for him to arrive so that things might return to normal and I could work out how to win the Khalif's favor. I was also curious to see what Sennacherib was like. From what I'd learned, he was a fierce warrior. He was only twenty-two, but he'd already achieved glory on the battlefield. The Akkadians spoke of him with greater reverence than they did Sinaddan. That had me wondering- was Sinaddan a greater warrior than the Lugal?
At last, the day arrived. The entire palace blazed with excitement. I learned the victory parade would be entering through the Ishtar Gate and proceeding to the palace from there. Fortunately, that meant we'd not have to venture from our own balcony to watch it. We'd already had the slaves arrange cushions for us when there came a knock on the doors. I opened them to find Uru-Kagina waiting for me.
"Hello, Duke Barquiel. The procession is due to begin in half an hour. Would you and your family care to join us on my terrace?" he asked genially.
I looked at Apolline and Valère, who nodded in agreement, before making my reply. "We would love to."
We followed Uru-Kagina to his quarters, accompanied by a pair of men-at-arms. His quarters happened to be on the opposite side of the palace from ours. If anyone thought it strange to see a pair of women walking about with men, they made no comment. Uru-Kagina's quarters were rather similar to ours, though a bit larger. He led us out onto the terrace where a few chairs stood, along with several pillows scattered on the tiled floor. Slaves stood close by with large fans to cool us and flagons of wine and beer to quench our thirst. A pair of women were already seated on the pillows.
"These are my wives Naramat and Galara," said Uru-Kagina. The women inclined their heads, veils fluttering in the slight breeze.
"It is an honor to meet you, my ladies," I said politely. In truth I was surprised that I was even allowed to meet them, considering I was both a man and a foreigner. If Uru-Kagina did not have a problem with it, then I would not concern myself with needless worries. Instead I wondered what it was like to be married to two women. I had my share of lovers, to be sure, and I truly cared for more than a few, but I never felt the urge to name a consort. Apolline has my heart.
With introductions concluded, I sat in one of the chairs beside Uru-Kagina with Apolline to my other side. Valère was beside her. It soon became apparent that Uru-Kagina's view of the parade route was much better than ours. We looked down on it, only one level up from the terrace where we'd first entered the palace. Crowds were already gathered along the route. I could see row upon row of soldiers, clutching spears and clad in mail of linked plates. The white flag with the lion of the sun snapped in the breeze. A chair was set up at one end of the terrace. A pair of slaves stood beside it, fans in hand, but the Khalif had not yet arrived.
"Is the return of a prince always such a huge event?" I asked.
"If he was victorious in battle, yes," Uru-Kagina answered. "Also, Prince Sennacherib is well-liked by the people. He has already distinguished himself in battle."
"And what of the Lugal? Has he not distinguished himself?" I needed to gain a better understanding of the dynamics of the House of Ur and how the other Akkadians viewed them.
Uru-Kagina did not answer immediately, considering his response. "He has, but there are those who think him a bit strange."
That I could understand. "How so?"
He beckoned a slave forward and selected some beer. "Well, some think he is too interested in other lands and not in the greatness of Khebbel-im-Akkad."
I understood that too. "Ah. At home a great majority of D'Angelines believe Terre d'Ange is the greatest nation in the world and we ought not to mingle with others. I say that is foolishness."
Uru-Kagina started to reply, but he was cut off by the sound of horns. Two lines of guards in gleaming armor marched out of the palace. The two in front carried banners bearing the lion of the sun. They stopped before reaching the empty chairs and turned to face each other. The Khalif appeared then, traveling in an extravagant litter carried by six slaves. They set it down in front of the throne and he stepped out. Even from this distance, I could see that he'd donned formal attire. He was dressed all in gold. The bright sun glinted off the jewels sewn on his robe and the myriad of jewelry he wore. Even his sandals were gold.
"Is he auditioning for the role of Sun Prince?" Valère quipped in D'Angeline. I laughed, prompting Uru-Kagina to look at us curiously. As soon as Sharru-kin-Shamabarsin sat in his throne, Sinaddan stepped out from his own litter to join him. He was dressed nearly as flamboyantly as his father. He sat in a folding stool by the Khalif's side.
"The parade will begin shortly now," said Uru-Kagina. I leaned forward, resting my chin on my hand. I could not make out the procession yet. We waited several more minutes before the first of them appeared at the palace gates. Their well-polished armor gleamed in the sun. As they grew closer, I saw they carried the flag of Khebbel-im-Akkad. A pair of them carried standards similar to those used by the armies of ancient Tiberium. As they grew closer, a cheer rose from the crowd.
Scores of soldiers passed by, followed by a group on horseback. It was immediately apparent that the mounted men were of a higher station. They were all dressed in tunics and coats of mail. Several of them wore conical helmets; those who didn't wore brightly-colored turbans. The horses were decked out in parade attire as well, with tasseled bridles and plumed headstalls.
"There he is!" cried Uru-Kagina, pointing to one of the riders. He was dressed more extravagantly than the rest. I saw a flash of gold around the base of his burnouse. So this was Sennacherib-Shamabarsin.
One of his companions rode forward up the steps. He dismounted and bowed low before the Khalif and Lugal. "Your majesty, your highness, his highness Prince Sennacherib has returned."
"Very well," the Khalif replied in his booming voice. "Come forward, my son."
Sennacherib rode forward and dismounted walking briskly up the steps. It was clear that he had the gait of a warrior. He bowed low before his father and brother. After rising, he addressed the Khalif. "Most-honored and exalted Father, I return with news of victory. I have defeated the Umaiyyati and our southern border is safe once more."
"Show me the proof of your victory," the Khalif demanded.
Sennacherib stepped to the side and turned to his still-mounted companions, waving something forward. Slaves walked up the steps, carrying several large chests. They placed them in front of the Khalif. "I bring treasures from the defeated enemies of Khebbel-im-Akkad." The slaves opened the trunks. I could not see the contents of each one from my vantage point, but I did notice that some were filled with gold and others with what appeared to be cloth.
The Khalif nodded in approval. "Take them away so the scribes may make an inventory of them." As soon as the slaves had complied, another group came up the stairs.
There were no chests of treasure this time. Some of the guards led a large group of people up the stairs. They made quite a contrast with the Akkadians in their bright robes and armor, for those few who were clothed wore dusty rags. Most of them were women. "Captives taken from the enemy!" Sennacherib exclaimed. A great cheer arose from the crowd.
I felt ill. Beside me, Apolline cringed in disgust. I put an arm around her waist. "How could they approve of such a thing?" Valère whispered in D'Angeline, her purple eyes wide with horror.
On the other side of Uru-Kagina, his wives cheered.
"I don't know," I replied, lifting my hand from Apolline's waist to squeeze my daughter's shoulder in reassurance. The entire thing reminded me horribly of my time on the Skaldi border. The Skaldi liked to take D'Angeline slaves, especially female slaves. We were sometimes able to free them, but the stories they told of being raped repeatedly by their new masters stuck in my memory. To have endured such a horrific violation…
I did not want to continue watching the procession. At that moment, I did not want to be anywhere in Khebbel-im-Akkad. I forced myself to continue watching.
"Slaves," said the Khalif, looking the captives over. "Well done, my son. Take them away," he ordered his guards. Sennacherib motioned once more for his men to join him on the terrace. This time they carried a bulging sack.
"Most-honored and exalted Father, I present to you the heads of the Umaiyyati leaders who dared attack our borders!" He untied the sack and took out the heads, holding them aloft for all to see. The crowd cheered loudly. I have been to battle and seen such things before, but we do not present the heads of slain enemies as trophies in Terre d'Ange. A barbaric custom, I thought.
"Barbarians," Valère whispered. Apolline's hand went to mine, now back to resting on her waist. Her fingers tightened.
"You have done well, my son," the Khalif announced. "You make me proud and you have honored Shamash well. Tonight we shall feast in your honor, to celebrate your victory!" The crowd roared. When their cheers subsided, he spoke again. "Put these heads in the garden."
I hastily closed my mouth on my shock and turned to Uru-Kagina. "The garden?"
"It is customary to hang the heads of defeated enemies in the trees of our gardens," he explained.
I made a note to avoid the palace gardens for the next several days. "They must make for an interesting topic of conversation."
My wit passed over Uru-Kagina's head, for he made no response. Below us, the procession was coming to an end. The Khalif and his sons left with an escort of guards. Some of the crowd lingered, but most began to depart. I was quite glad, for I did not want to remain there any longer. My thoughts kept returning to the slaves. It was one thing to be waited on by slaves each day, but quite another to witness folk sold into bondage after being ripped from their homelands. Some will protest and say we have our own form of slavery in Terre d'Ange, that being bond servitude. To them I will say it is not the same. A bond servant may earn their freedom while it is highly unlikely an Akkadian slave will ever be freed.
I put a gracious smile on my face and bade farewell to Uru-Kagina and his wives. Valère and Apolline followed suit and we returned to our quarters swiftly. As soon as we were inside and the door shut, Apolline sank onto a divan and ripped off her veil. Her face had gone quite pale. "Remind me why exactly you sought this appointment," she hissed. "And why in the name of Blessed Elua did I decide to accompany you?"
"It is for the benefit of Terre d'Ange," I said softly. "For the benefit of Terre d'Ange and Ysandre and the glory of House L'Envers." I said it as much to reassure myself as Apolline. "If either of you wish to leave…"
"No," Apolline interrupted. "We are here and I am minded to stay with you. I could not leave you alone in such a savage land as this."
I could tell by her steely expression that she was absolutely serious. "Thank you, Apolline," I murmured.
We both looked at Valère. She'd removed her veil and was quite obviously upset. "I will stay as well. I said I would accompany you, Father, and I will not back out of that now."
I put an arm around her and kissed her forehead. I disliked seeing my daughter so upset. "I thank you for that, Valère. I know it is not nearly as pleasant here as it is at home."
"Well," she gave a coy smile, "the Lugal does have some sort of fascinating fixation with me. That might be worth exploring."
I smiled at the reminder of why I was here. "And so we shall endure the savagery of Khebbel-im-Akkad in hopes of greater rewards."
With that decided, I collected my sword and took myself to the practice courts. I went though the sword forms aggressively, feeling the need for an outlet. I suppose it was a good thing no Akkadians were present to spar with, for I would've beaten them rather badly. When that was over, I went to the baths. They were also mercifully empty. I spent quite some time in the water, trying to sort through the tangle of my thoughts. Was this what it meant to be an ambassador, to be confronted with vile aspects of your host culture and have to remain regardless? As disgusted as I was by what I saw, I had no choice but to remain. I was the King's ambassador and I would do what I'd come to do. I would just have to grow accustomed to Akkadian culture, even if some of it sickened me.
When I returned to our quarters, Apolline was waiting for me. "A servant came by when you were away. You have been invited to the feast tonight in honor of Prince Sennacherib's return."
"Just me? Not you and Valère as well?"
"Yes, just you."
"Well, I hope they do not bring severed heads to their victory feasts," I quipped.
Apolline chuckled. "There is somewhat else. The Khalif has asked for me."
