Chapter Forty One - Homecoming

"How is your head?"
"Not that bad. I feel as though it should be worse. Was I silly?"
"You did draw in a lot of smoke for a first time. And say some strange things. You are a fool, Paetsu. I told you not to."
"I don't remember very much. What a waste of my first time. I remember some nice things though."
"What?"
"Your face. Your face was there at one point. You were holding my hand I think? And… did you kiss me?"
"You kissed me actually. It was very nice."
"Oh. I hardly remember. What a pity. And the stone. What was happening with your stone?"
"Nothing. I think you imagined it."
"No, it wasn't last night. I remember now. In Shuna's tumurh. It did something funny, made a noise. But I remembered it last night."

Sheeta turned around in the saddle and looked at him, she frowned. It was all the answer he needed.

"You know what I'm talking about don't you? You heard it," he pressed the point.
"I did. A humming noise. I don't think it's ever done that."
"Never? In all the time you used it?"
"I never used it until I met you."
"What? Not once?"
"No. We kept the stone hidden behind the mantel in our kitchen. Grand-mamma would sometimes take it out and show it to me when she was talking about the past, about the history and the spells but I never used it until I fell from the airship, and we fell off the bridge. Hm… then Tepis Fortress, when I used the spell of finding and it sent its beam to Laputa."
"Was there a sound from it then?"
"I don't remember. Too much was going on. We used it again in the throne room and I used it to heal my twisted ankle."
"I used it in the forest…"
"And I drew out the lirhum spell from it in the library."
"And finally in Shuna's tumurh. Eight times. Is that it?" Only ever eight times?"
"As far as I remember. Grand-mamma may have used it, I just don't know."
"In the forest, when you were… ill. It was very powerful then, a really strong wind. And very bright. I think the light from it then was brighter than in the throne room."
"It was bright in the library too. I don't think you noticed because the room was so huge but I noticed."
"In Shuna's tumurh it was very bright. And it made a noise. What's happening to it?"
"I don't know. Perhaps it gets stronger the closer it gets to Gondoa?"
"Perhaps it gets stronger the more it's used."
"Do you think so?"
"Hm. I do. Sheeta, there was something about it when I used it to make the point to Keya. I was holding it in my hand and I felt like I was holding something alive. It was eager, it wanted to be used, as though its natural state was when it was creating magic. When it's just hung around your neck… it's like it's not happy."
"That sounds creepy."
"Yes. It felt creepy in my hand, it was vibrating, moving and the buzzing noise. I think we should stop using it. For as long as we can."
"Yes."

They had risen in the dark, the inn was already bustling. A lot of people were leaving before dawn, making the most of the short day. They dressed (he pulled on clothes while struggling under the blankets – she simply stood up and put her dress on, nobody paid her unclothed body the slightest attention). Thoma provided a breakfast and that used up almost the last if their money. Sheeta's period was over now so when she went to wash she came back wearing the riding britches and her shirt and jacket and was able to ride astride Medisha. Again she sat on the saddle in front and used the reins, Pazu sat behind her on the big horse's wide rump. He groaned as soon as he mounted up, he knew this would kill his thigh muscles again. And again they shared the poncho. Pazu put his arms round her waist, rested his chin on her shoulder and felt his muscles complaining.

It was a beautiful day, cloudless, the sun low in the sky but bright, the sky a porcelain blue. It was very cold and the breath of the horses and yaoko plumed out along the road, like trains. The sun, swinging silently around behind them as they faced north, made their long shadow slide ahead of them, homewards. Shuna's four friends rode with them, Sheeta knew one of them slightly, she said he visited Shuna often and she'd seen him around the village a few times. She thought they were friendly, that Pazu needn't worry. The men had a spare horse so Shuna rode that and their two yaoko and Shuna's pair made up quite a train of boxes, sacks, tumurh equipment and hair, the yaoko were just amazingly hairy Pazu thought. It hung down from their sides, their tails, their shoulders and their faces making them look like weary, slightly bored old men.

There were a lot of Gondoans on the road today, all heading home. They traveled in a caravan, yaoko and horses stretching for miles along the road. Riders would throw down handfuls of salted grit and as more and more riders each threw down a little the road gradually became clear of snow. The snow was deep now, two or three feet and Pazu wondered how the first people out on the road this morning had pushed through it. Pazu was amazed at how spectacular the countryside was. They were riding across moorland, high fells, a treeless bleak landscape the higher points of which were bare knuckles of rock. But covered in snow and with the bright sun gleaming from it

a girl's body, the smooth white hills and valleys…

where on earth did that thought come from?

it was beautiful. He could see for miles in the clear air. Looking down from the moors Pazu could see small villages in the valleys below. From time to time they would come to junctions in the track and two or three riders would turn off and descend from the spine of high land to their homes, shouted goodbyes from those still on the road would echo across the hills, arms waved tiny in the distance.

Pazu hugged Sheeta and kept quiet, concentrating on ignoring his painful muscles. He was thirsty and drank a lot of water. They stopped at midday with a large group of other travelers. Some men scraped a piece of ground clear of snow and dry timber carried with them was used to make a fire. Tea was brewed up and people stood around munching charza, the spicy red sausage Pazu had tried last night and cakes of cold compacted bomao. The sharing of food seemed to be a feature of traveling with these people. Each person brought something to the group and they all shared, even with the less fortunate travelers who had nothing.

They pressed on through the afternoon and towards dusk. They descended from the high ground and entered a region of woodland. It had snowed less here, there was perhaps only six inches on the ground and their path took them past farms of squat stone construction. Each farm had a chunky crenellated tower attached and Pazu asked if this was meant for defence, but Sheeta explained that it could be used as a refuge but most of the time it was a grain store. It had wooden floors inside and an internal hopper, it was a big drying bin. More and more travelers left the caravan until Shuna and the men turned off along a path by a small river, they in turn calling their goodbyes to those on the main road.

With the river on their left hand and woodland on their right on rising ground, and even less snow here in this valley, Pazu first saw the mountains. The river came around a long left hand bend past a hill and the jagged peaks were revealed beyond. The river emptied into a lake, the left side of which was an almost sheer wall of mountain rising up hundreds of feet. Beyond it were higher peaks stacked up one behind the other. To the right the lakeshore rose in a gentle slope and scattered up this slope were stone buildings among trees. Farms, houses, small workshops of the now familiar squat stone construction.

They were riding at the back of the group and Sheeta stopped Medisha. The five men drew ahead but she merely stayed still looking at the houses. The light was fading now, the sun had gone behind the hills.

"What is it?" Pazu asked.
"Home," she said simply, in a low voice, sounding a little weary.
"Which one?"
"Here, this first one. The farm on the end of the village."

He looked. There was a big hall-like building of half stone and half timber construction, the gable end wall faced them. Above ground storey height the building was wooden. To the right a high stone wall enclosed a courtyard. Behind the hall was the usual sloping walled grain tower and to it's right behind the courtyard, a house of two storeys. From the chimney of the house a wisp of smoke issued.

"Someone is home," he said
"Friends looking after it I expect, Shuna said they had."

Sheeta shook a little.

"Are you all right?"
"Yes, just tired. Just glad to be home. It's been so long. I'm just so happy this is over. You know, there were a few times when I never thought I would see this again."

He hugged her tighter.

"Shush now, don't think about things like that, it's over. You're home."
"You're home too, Paetsu."

She turned in the saddle and looked at him.

"Welcome home my lovely boy."
"Yau taemo, Lucita. I want to live with you here."
"That's lucky, because it's a long way back to the Ravine."
"Don't want to go back."
"Really? Your flying machine? Your trumpet? The doves?"
"No. All behind me now. New story beginning now."
"Thank you. I'll buy you a new trumpet soon. And we can raise doves."
"I love you."
"Yau al-dhu' ulve om."

She tilted her head back and he kissed her.

"Let's go and meet everyone."

She urged Medisha on at a trot and they caught up with Shuna's group. On their left hand a side lane turned off and led down to Sheeta's farm. The main track continued around the right side of the farmstead and into the village. Despite her good eyesight it was Pazu who saw it first. In the field in front of the farm, the sloping field that ran down to the lakeshore, he saw a silver triangle standing up. He looked at it, trying to work out what it was. He thought it might be a wind pump, some piece of farm machinery, but as they came up the rising ground and the convex slope of the field revealed more of the silver thing Pazu realized what it was. It was the tail fin of a flying machine. Gradually more of it came into view. The thing was quite small with high wings and a fuselage hung below that. Pazu had seen this before, in a field at the Ravine above the old mine workings and the caverns. A skidplane. Muska and his men used skidplanes. A cold hand gripped Pazu's heart, he felt not fear but anger. Cold furious anger. Here. How dare they come here, to her home. Again. Wasn't once enough?

"Sheeta, to our left. You see it?"

She was looking, she nodded. He spoke calmly.

"We're going into the village, stop in the centre with people nearby. We need to keep near people. You stay in the village and I'll come back here and deal with this."
"No, I want to be with you," her voice wavered but she sounded resolute.
"It's too dangerous, they'll have guns and I'm going to take mine."
"No, Paetsu, no more fighting. We'll take Shuna and his friends with us, talk to them. Just no more shooting, please."
"Alright but you stay away."
"Absolutely not, we are together now, all the time, through everything. I'm coming with you. I'm sick and tired of this. I want to see it finished once and for all."
"All right, but stay near me all the time. Do as I say."
"Yes."

They rode on past, Pazu looking with one eye at the farm. Apart from the wisp of smoke and the silver skidplane in the snowy field there was no sign of activity. Sheeta rode up to Shuna, and Pazu told him there were unwanted visitors at her farm. Would he and his friends come with them when Pazu went to speak to them? The visitors carried guns. Shuna agreed they would come.

As they passed the farm and came into the village children came out of houses and women stood on door steps watching. The children ran up to Pazu and Sheeta's horse and scampered alongside. One little girl, no older than four called up,

"Sky or soil mister prince? Sky or soil?"

Pazu looked down at her, too young to even understand what she was saying. They stained their children with their political views young round here it seemed. Followed by the chirruping children the group rode into the centre of the village where a crowd was gathering in an open space. Shuna and his friends dismounted before a small hut. This building was tiny, no bigger than the upper, wooden storey of Pazu's old cabin at the Ravine. It had mud walls painted with whitewash and a thatched roof. It stood on a raised platform part of which extended in front of the hut and served as a large front porch. On this raised area was a fire. A silver haired elderly woman sat behind the fire, huddled in a shawl, her back bent and her face like leather.

Shuna and his four companions went down on one knee before her.

"Councillor Kamaesa, I return from Restormel with winter supplies for the village. I am also pleased to announce that on the road I met Princess Lucita. She was traveling home. She agreed to journey with us. I return her safely. And also," Shuna looked around at Pazu, "We bring someone else, someone who you will want to speak with."
"We know," said the woman, her voice unusually strong and hearty for one so frail looking, "young Keya has already told us."

The woman looked up at Sheeta and Pazu, still on their horse. The two of them remained under the poncho and it was clear to everyone watching that Pazu had a close relationship with her. It wasn't just a case of Paztsu Fuhmonhir returning, that would be shock enough, but for him to return in the arms of their princess was more shocking.

"Step forward Lucita, we wish to speak."

Pazu let her out of the poncho and lifted it off himself. A murmur went around the gathered villagers when they saw the rifle slung on his shoulder. Sheeta dismounted and approached the old woman. She did not bow, it was the old woman who lowered her head briefly and put her hands together.

"Welcome, lady, are you well?"
"I am, very. And you, Councillor?"
"As well as can be expected, given the season."
"It is good to be home."
"We are pleased to have you home, we wish to know all about your journey."
"I wish to introduce my traveling companion to you, he is…"
"We know who he is."

Sheeta looked a little annoyed.

"With respect, Councillor, I don't think you do."
"Seven hundred years we have waited, we have watched this day approaching. We know who he is."
"You may be surprised, Councillor."
"We will be the judge of who is surprised."

Sheeta beckoned to Pazu, who dismounted as casually as he could. His leg muscles were killing him but he refused to let that show. Laying the poncho across the saddle, he adjusted his rifle and knapsack and strode forward. Should he bow? Sheeta hadn't. He decided to meet the woman half way, not kneeling, but, on the other hand, not doing nothing. He stopped before the platform and gave a slight nod of his head. The ancient lady returned his nod and to his surprised pressed her hands briefly together, the same greeting she had given Sheeta.

she acknowledges me, half the battle in this village is won

"Greetings, Paztsu Fuhmonhir, blood of Phom, it is an honour for us to welcome you, many years we have waited. We did not think it would be us who would utter these words, did not think it would be in our time that this day would be."
"Councillor," Pazu merely nodded again very slightly, giving nothing away.
"We have much to discuss Fuhmonhir, the Grand Gathering wishes to interview you. However this is not the time, you have visitors."
"So I already see."
"Well," she smiled at him, "one visitor, and four lap dogs. And… hm, he may or may not be here to speak with you, he may wish to speak with our lady."
"He will speak with me or no one. And thank you, I understand. I shall go to speak to him now, if you would excuse me?"
"That won't be necessary, we can talk afterwards. We will come."

She stood up. She was thin, but standing, her back was not bent. She leaned on a black stick that was twisted in a spiral shape and had a silver ball at the top. Her hand moved restlessly over the curve of the silver ball. Pazu looked at the stick, it seemed out of place in this deeply rural setting.

"Is that wise, Councillor?"

Pazu slipped the rifle from his shoulder. From his knapsack he took a clip of ammunition and checking it was full, slipped it into the weapon and clicked it home. He lifted the gun and slid back the bolt, chambering a round. He pointed the gun at the ground. The old lady watched him impassively.

"We don't believe that will be necessary."
"I am not so sure, and it is always better to be safe, no?"
"How will killing him make you safe? Do you think he is the last one?"

Now it was Pazu's turn to smile.

"I don't intend to kill him. But he may intend to kill me, or Sheeta. His kind carry guns, he will understand me better if I carry one."
"All men who die by guns believe that, Fuhmonhir."

Pazu shouldered the rifle and also checked the revolver. Six bullets lived in it all the time now, the safety was on. He lifted the back of the aviator's jacket and tucked it behind him into his belt. He turned to go.

"Three in the house. One atop the grain tower. One in the courtyard."

He stopped and looked back at her, nodded his head.

"Thank you Councillor. Shuna, it will be dark soon, we'll move in the dark. Sheeta, how many ways in to your farm are there?"

Shuna watched this young man, merely a third of his years, but a man who could lead. Yes, here was a leader. Shuna gathered his four friends to him and Pazu told them what they were going to do.

--I--
---o-o-oOo-o-o---
I I

"Here they come. Hm, how sweet, and they've brought granny with them."

Otto watched from the shuttered window. Down the dark lane outside came the boy and the girl, with them was an old hag.

"She isn't granny, she's a Councillor. They are going to try the legal approach. Tell Reese to invite them in."

The thin man by the fireplace didn't get up, with a languid movement of his slim hand he merely flicked ash from the end of his cigarette onto the rug. The big man with the ginger mustache went to the door. Surun was getting very bored with running all over the continent after these two tiresome brats. It ends tonight, he thought. He reached inside his suit, took out his pistol and laid it on the table.

the legal approach, hm? we'll see about that, councillor

--I--
---o-o-oOo-o-o---
I I

Bhema and Torhpa, Khuaema and Peta moved silently through the snowy orchard and then slipped along by the base of the stone wall, the four brothers moving in pairs, hunched over. Their bows were shouldered, long knives drawn. They were below the tower here so had to keep tight against the stonework. Even though it was dark, the man atop the tower might have vision glasses. The small side gate at the back of the yaoko shed was right where Sheeta had said. It was never locked, she said, who could possibly want to sneak into any farmyard in Bruaendell? Bhema crouched at the small gate. Listening. Silence. He pushed the door open.

On top of the grain tower Monoghan stamped his feet and clapped his gloved hands together, damn it was bloody cold. How long were they going to wait here like idiots? It was dark now, surely the girl and boy wouldn't be coming home now, traveling this late in winter? They'd be at some damn inn somewhere in front of a roaring fire and drinking beer. He turned his collar up more and folded his arms across his chest trying to keep warm. What a shitty job this was turning out to be.

Bhema and Torhpa crouched low against the yaoko shed in the shadows cast by the tall grain tower to their left. Ahead of them they could see into the yard, see the main door of the house to their left beyond the tower. Khuaema went past them, tapping their shoulders, Peta followed. The two men went quickly to the tower and began to climb the outer ladder, the grain bin loading chute access ladder. Silently and quickly they climbed, knives held in their teeth. Behind Bhema, Torhpa had his bow ready, an arrow notched, his eyes sharp, watching the top of the tower, covering his two climbing brothers. If the man looked over and saw the two climbing men, he would shoot. Bhema looked up. The two dark shapes had reached the top. They paused, then the first one slipped over the crenellations and the second followed. Torhpa lowered his bow.

Monoghan slapped his hands against his sides trying to keep the circulation in his fingers going. There was something going on in the centre of the village, some singing or dancing. A fire had been lit. Were the girl and boy home? A celebration? He started to turn to go and tell Surun when something silver slid across his vision. A blade was suddenly at his throat and a weight was behind him, pressing against him. A foul animal like smell, like wet wool came to him.

"Move an inch and die," a low voice said.

A second man came in front of him.

"Arms out, nice and slow," second man said.

The silver blade touched the skin of his windpipe, pressed insistently in. Monoghan obediently opened his arms, making a cross. The second man unbuttoned his overcoat, and drew the pistol from his armpit holster. He then padded his hands down his body checking for other weapons. He found a second ammunition clip, and his folding knife.

"On your face!" stinking animal man hissed.

Monoghan lay down and his wrists were bound behind him, then his ankles, he was rolled over onto his back and his mouth was stuffed with cloth which was bound tightly about his face.

Bhema watched the door of the farmhouse. There was a dull plop! next to him and a black pistol landed in the snow, a foot from his left arm. He looked up. His elder brother's head peeped over the tower wall, arm out, palm open. The man on the roof was taken care of. Bhema picked up the pistol carefully. It looked ugly and wicked. He put it in his hip pouch and went to the corner of the building, peered round. The other man was by the gateway. It was a thirty yard dead run to him. This would be difficult. He put away his knife, took the bow from his shoulder, bent and strung it and notched an arrow. The whole process from deciding to put away the knife took him only four seconds.

"One man by the gate, thirty yards. I'm going to rush him. Put your bow away and take your knife. If he goes to shout out hold the knife to his throat. Paetsu doesn't want him killed but if you have to… do it..."

Two taps on his right shoulder. Torhpa had understood and was ready. Bhema watched the man, he would walk to the yaoko shed wall, kick his toes against it to give his feet some circulation then walk slowly across the yard past the gate. His back was mostly towards him during this walk. Then at the far side of the yard he would pause, kick his toes against the stonework and walk back. Bhema watched him do this three times. A man of habit is a stupid man he thought. The man reached the shed again, kicked his toes, one, two then turned. Bhema moved.

The Gondoan sprinted at the man, he could hear the soft footfalls of Torhpa behind him. Half way to his quarry the man heard him and swung round, his eyes widened in surprise and his right hand darted into his coat, bringing out a pistol. Bhema raised his bow and at a dead run aimed and let fly. The arrow swept silently between the two men, joining the air separating them in a perfect line, man to man, fist to hand. Reese took out his pistol, raised it, slipped the safety off with a deft thumb move and was bringing it down level when the arrow from Bhema's bow completed its journey. The iron arrowhead touched the black leather glove of Reese's right hand and punched through the palm just ahead of the wrist, slicing through the tendons and exiting the back of his hand. Reese saw the red iron arrow point come out of the back of his hand and for a second didn't understand what it was. He tried to bring the gun on target and pull the trigger but his forefinger wouldn't move, the nerves from his wrist muscles to the finger muscle were cut. Then the pain hit him, he dropped the gun and a second man who moved out to the right of the man with the bow crashed into him almost simultaneously. He was thrown back against the yard wall and pain crashed out in his spine, the back of his skull and his hand all at the same time. As Reese's head bounced off the stone, Torhpa put his left hand forward, cupped the man's forehead in his palm and slammed the head back again. With a dull ugly wet smacking sound his head struck the wall again and Reese knew nothing more.

Bhema retrieved his arrow by standing on the man's wrist and pulling it out with a grinding noise. Torhpa bound his ankles and wrists and gagged him. As his brother worked Bhema lifted the heavy timber bolt beam from the yard gate and swung it open. Torhpa took the man's pistol. Silently the pair turned and running low, went to the house.

In the field behind the wall Shuna saw the gate open and lifted his dark arm against the white snow.

Pazu saw Shuna's signal and started down the road out of the cover of the last building of the village with Sheeta and Councillor Kamaesa. Otto, at the parlour window saw them and spoke his comment to Surun. Surun told Otto to get Reese to open the gate.

Khuaema and Peta lifted the hatch in the grain tower roof and went down the ladder. They moved down past the upper and lower drying bins to the intermediate walkway. Across this and to a small door. They opened it and followed the steps down into the equipment shed at the base of the tower. There were two doors here, one out into the yard between tower and yaoko shed, the other into the house. Khuaema listened at the house door which Sheeta said gave entry to the kitchen. It seemed quiet behind the door. There were three men in the house. It seemed likely that two would be in the main downstairs room and perhaps one more upstairs, but not knowing caused problems. There was no time to worry about the details, the plan ran on, timing was everything, the details would take care of themselves. He opened the door.

Otto opened the front door. Hey, where was that lazy bastard Reese?

Khuaema moved across the kitchen. A fire burned low in the grate but it was dying, no one had attended to it for at least an hour. There was a back door here on his left towards the garden and orchard and a door in front of him to the main room of the house. He and Peta stopped at this door, knives went away and bows came out, strung and narrows notched. They waited.

"Reese! Where the hell are you? Open the gate!" Otto frowned.

The gate was open. What the hell was Reese playing at? Had the sloppy son of a bitch gone to the plane? He stepped out of the house.

Something moved fast from his right side. An arm came up and slammed into his gut, the air flew out of his lungs and he coughed, lost his balance and went backwards. More force from the person to his right came against him, far too much, he was falling. Even as his gut emptied of air and he tried to suck in another breath, training kicked in and his hand went to his inner coat pocket, going for his gun. But he was falling now, going down, too much weight on his chest. His head tipped forward and he just had time to notice something big and dark coming at his face before he discovered it was a boot. Two of them, he had a second to think, there were two of them. The boot struck his nose and blood sprayed. Otto went down, flying backwards into the house.

His flying body hit the part open door and it banged wide. The big man struck the wooden boards and Bhema leapt over him, Torhpa put his boot on Otto's chest and the big ginger haired man saw a very strange thing. It was an arrowhead, black, dull iron and very pointed. It was aimed right between his eyes, a foot from his face.

"No," said a voice, the owner of the boot and the arrow and the bow in which it was notched, "your gun is not a good idea."

Bhema was in the room, a man in a chair by the fire was getting up. To Bhema's left was a staircase. He couldn't cover the man and the staircase at the same time. Bhema sidestepped right, narrowing the angle between the man and the stair, so he could cover both. He lifted his bow, the man by the fire reached for something on a table near him.

Peta heard the front door bang open. That was their cue. Khuaema nodded, kicked the kitchen door and Peta went through. The big man moved ahead, sweeping the room beyond with his bow, behind him his brother came in and turned right. A big room, a door to the right, Bhema in the doorway, a man near the fireplace. Everything happened very fast. The man by the fire wore a green suit and had long black hair, he was turning and looking at Bhema, reaching for something on a table. Peta swept his bow right and up, his brain and eyes made the decision in an instant. He stopped, aimed and let his right arm release the arrow.

In the big cowshed, among the stinking hairy cattle, Ryddyck wiped his rear with a palmful of hay, stood and began to pull up his trousers. He heard a sound, a door banging open.

Pazu, Sheeta and the Councillor reached the yard gateway, Shuna joined them. They went in. A man was lying just inside the gate against the wall. One of theirs, Pazu glanced at him and went past, he cradled the rifle in his hands. Sheeta looked. There was blood on the snow here. The man was… dead? Unconscious? No, not dead, he had been tied up. Pazu saw one of the four brothers in the house doorway, he was standing over something big and black. A body.

Surun turned and reached for his gun, the man came in the doorway, side stepping right over Otto who was no use to him now. Surun saw movement in the other direction. Shit, another of them had come in the kitchen. What the hell was Monoghan doing? His hand had almost reached his pistol when something very small and very fast came from the man by the kitchen door and streaked at the table. Surun's right hand touched the gun when the arrow passed right through the circle of the trigger guard and with a loud woody thunk! nailed the pistol to the table. Surun grabbed the pistol and began to slide it up the arrow that pierced it. A second man was through the kitchen door. He strode up to Surun. The green suited man saw the arrow pointed at his face.

"Leave it or the second one goes between your eyes."

Ryddyck reached the cattle shed door. He looked through a crack in the wood. The boy! The little bastard who had shot Hempser! He was stepping into the house, the girl as well, behind him, and (bizarrely) an old lady with a stick. A big man in a hairy coat followed. It looked as much as anything like the family had come to tea. Ryddyck shook his head of that nonsense and took out his pistol. Pull back the slide, check the round in the chamber, safety off. He had a score to settle with that little shit of a boy.

For a moment nobody in the room moved. Then, Bhema, not needed to cover the green suited man, put his bow down and went to the door. He dragged the big ginger haired man into the room by his coat lapels and put him in a chair by the side wall opposite the fire. He opened his coat and found another gun, and a second knife.

"Sit." Said Khuaema to Surun. Surun sat back down in his chair. "Good dog," Khuaema smiled at him. Peta ripped his arrow from Sheeta's ruined elm table and took Surun's gun.

Torhpa came in, he went up the stairs, Peta followed him.

Pazu, the Councillor, Shuna and Sheeta entered. Pazu looked at Surun. Everyone in black overcoats except this man, who wore a green suit and didn't look like he lived much outdoors. His clothing, the red bow tie, his long black hair, the smart stand up collar shirt. There was something about him, something annoyingly familiar. The green suited man lifted a hand to his breast pocket. Khuaema moved close.

"My glasses. May I?"

Surun took his spectacles from his suit pocket and slipped them on. Then Pazu made the connection. Glasses. He looked quite a lot like Muska, slim, tall, pale skinned, eccentrically dressed, slightly effeminate.

"Do you know Colonel Muska?" Pazu asked
"Now that is interesting," Surun replied, "it seems you know him."

Pazu raised his rifle, moved forward,

"Is that a yes or a no?"
"Yes, I know the Colonel. You must be Pazu. I've been wanting to meet you, young man."
"There was something I wanted to give Colonel Muska. But I never got the chance."

Pazu walked up to the seated Surun. He held the rifle in his left hand, his right became a fist.

"Indeed?" Surun asked.
"Yes," Pazu replied, he drew his fist back and punched Surun on the jaw. The dark haired man flew backwards out of his chair, his glasses went flying.
"Paetsu!" Sheeta shouted, "No more fighting!"

Pazu rubbed his knuckles.

"Get up," he was almost snarling, Sheeta had never seen him so angry, "your people came to this house once before, and kidnapped an innocent girl. Now you are back. How dare you enter my house. Get out!"

My house? Councillor Kamaesa thought, now that is a little premature.

Surun stood, he wiggled his jawbone a little and put his spectacles back on. One lens was cracked. He dusted a mark from one lapel and pulled his suit sleeves down.

"On who's authority do you resist the Government of Numeaor? Your own government, Pazu."
"You have no authority here, Muska's friend."
"You are a Numenaorian citizen. I have authority over you."
"In Numenaor, maybe. But not here and you have none over Sheeta. You are trespassing. I could shoot you and your government could do nothing."
"Numenaor does not recognize Gondoa's government, or were you unaware of that? Shoot me and you will be a murderer, and more than just one skidplane will come back."
"Wherever she lives, Sheeta deserves to be left in peace. Have you papers?"
"I do not need papers for this, boy, something is going on here that is far more important that you can ever hope to understand."
"Try me."
"Laputa, young man, have you heard of it?"
"Heard of it? I destroyed it. Next?"

Surun raised his eyebrows. Pazu went on.

"Right after your lunatic murderer of a friend Muska destroyed the Goliath, Sheeta and I destroyed Laputa, so that no other fools could ever use its weapons for their own purposes. Fools like you, fools like your government. Whatever you have come here for, if you are trying to do what Muska did, you've had a wasted journey."

Surun smiled, "You expect me to believe that? A little boy and a schoolgirl could destroy the fabled Laputa?"
"The Edict of Hortensee."

Ryddyck carefully and quietly opened the cattle shed door. He moved across the yard and pressed his back to the house wall outside the open doorway, pistol gripped in both hands, muzzle held upright. He listened to the conversation within.

Everyone in the room looked to where the voice had come from.

"We knew this warren of a memory would be useful one day. The Edict of Hortensee. Six hundred and seventy years ago, the Royal House of Numes, the bloodline that came to rule as the Kings of Numenaor, recognized the autonomy of a tribe of people living in the mountains of the far north, the mountains of Gondoa. That tribe today is a nation, a nation recognized in law by the Government of Numenaor. We are not deceiving you, or dreaming. Look it up when you get home."

Councillor Kamaesa finished speaking. Torhpa and Peta came back down the stairs and moved to the centre of the room. There were more than enough men with weapons to deal with this.

"I don't need to speak to you any more," Pazu almost spat the words, "you have no authority here, you are nothing more than trespassers and if your government wants to interview Sheeta about any – incidents - you need permission from the Gondoan government, the Grand Gathering."
"That is not strictly true," the Councillor spoke again, "on domestic affairs yes, the Gathering makes autonomous decisions. On foreign affairs the head of state guides the Gathering towards its acceptance or declination of a question."
"Head of state? This tribe of animal herders has no head of state." Surun sneered at the old woman.
"Oh, on the contrary. And we think you would be surprised. The Gondoan head of state is in this room."

Surun looked around, as did Pazu. Surun thought, surely not the big bearded man? Who else was there, just four soldiers?

From beside the door, a small voice spoke.

"That would be me. The person you have come to kidnap again I assume."

Surun looked at the girl. Surely not? A queen, this young? Filthy from a journey? Dressed like a man? Perhaps anything was possible among farmers and savages.

"That is correct, Mister Numenaorian Policeman, this is Qu-elle Lucita Toelle Ur Laputa, ruler of Gondoa. If you wish to kidnap her, you would need to have her permission first," the Councillor gave Surun a thin smile, "We do not think that is likely. And if under duress she agreed, we, the Grand Gathering, would not. We believe your business here is concluded. Leave now and Gondoa will not press for an apology from your government or seek damages. You also seem to have an injured man by the gate, he looks like he might soon bleed to death from that wound."

This was getting much too complicated, Surun was loosing the initiative here. All this talk of laws, and queens, he was an expert at quietly circumventing laws, but here with so many armed men it was getting difficult to progress this to a conclusion.

Ryddyck tilted his head forward. The girl was in the doorway, her back to him. This little shit of a boy had screwed him over at the train, time to get even. He moved.

The Councillor was speaking, "…leave. We will raise an official complaint to the King of Numenaor, there are hundreds of witnesses in this village who saw you arrive, we know you won't be coming back…"
"Ah! Paetsu!"
"Alright, weapons down, drop them!"

Everyone turned, a tall thin man was in the doorway, his arm around Sheeta's neck, pulling her head back, he held a pistol to her temple. Khuaema still held an arrow aimed at Surun, Bhema, with his, covered Otto. Pazu snap-moved. Raising his rifle he brought it to his eye and aimed it at the thin man's right eyeball. There he stopped. He and the thin man behind Sheeta stared at each other, a delicious bright line of recognition came from Pazu, through the iron sight of the rifle, along it's dull grey barrel and out to the eye of the man who held a gun to the head of the girl he loved, the girl he would, right now, instantly die for. He knew this man.

"Yes, remember me? You need a better aim, boy."
"You shouldn't run so fast, running man."
"Drop your gun. Or she dies."
"Khuaema, Bhema, keep those two covered," Pazu's gaze never wavered, anger roared inside him.
"Paetsu, please..." Sheeta whimpered.
"I can see your trigger finger, boy. If it moves I will die, but this girl will die a second sooner. Now drop the gun."
"If you shoot, all your friends die too."
"You as well, boy, you as well. If she dies I know you will. Without her what are you, hm? Nothing. A man already dead. Do as I say, I'm getting bored with talking."
"Paetsu, please… do as he says."
"Sheeta, no. No more, I've had enough…"
"I love you, put down your gun."

Her eyes were full of fear, and they were beautiful. Pazu wouldn't let this happen again, he had sworn to her that he wouldn't.

Something flashed to Pazu, something they had talked about before, he glanced down at Sheeta's front. The stone. It had bounced out from under her shirt when the thin man had grabbed her throat. It lay there on her breastbone and from it a small light was glowing, moving, a little turning thing. He looked up at her face, she had seen his look, she knew what he had seen. She closed her eyes, the metal against her head was hard and cold like ice. At any moment she might know nothing more. No healing spell could save her, whatever Pazu was thinking it couldn't be a healing spell, her death would be instant. What else?

It came to her. There was a way.

"Now, you're pissing me off, you little shit. When I get to zero, she will be dead. Three… two…"
"Huelth ur'Mashimi-dhu! Huelth ur'Mashimi-dhu!" (1)
"Shut up! Shut the hell up with your witch ranting! Hey! Shit!"

It happened very fast, much faster that it takes to describe it. The room became blue, blue tendrils of light grew from the stone flowing and twisting like the fronds of a beautiful plant. A warm breeze filled the room, the flames in the fireplace guttered and waned. The fingers of blue twisting light came whirling out of the stone, one shot up in a steep line and curved back down and struck the thin man's gun. Another leapt forwards and touched Pazu's rifle. A third twisted around above and behind the boy and darted down to the base of his spine. Others grew and curling up near the room's ceiling flew like beautiful snakes to land against several of the Gondoan men, one curled around the fireplace as though looking for something, it circled Surun, the black haired man watching it in fear and wonder, then the blue snake struck his chest and he yelped. Shouts of fear and confusion filled the room, almost everyone was watching the dancing snakes of light. Everyone except Councillor Kamaesa, she knew exactly what this was, she smiled,

a very clever move our lady, a beautiful move, well done, the answer we would have given had we been able to

Sheeta watched in surprise, she knew what she had told the stone to do, she was just amazed by the way it did it.

Ryddyck dropped his gun first. He did try to shoot it, to kill the girl but the trigger had swollen already and jammed against the frame, the trigger would not pull. Then it became too hot to hold. He cried out as his flesh sizzled. The gun fell to the floor. Pazu watched down the barrel of his rifle, seeing the blue line streak at him. He fired his rifle as it arrived but his gun jerked and leapt up on contact with the blue flame, the bullet went wide and high and smacked the stonework a few inches above Ryddyck's head, then, in an instant the gun barrel glowed red and the wooden stock began to char and blacken. Pazu shouted and hurled the hot rifle away. At once he reached round behind him and pulled the revolver from his belt, his fingers blistering from the heat of it, the skin of his back burning. All around the room men were fumbling in pouches as smoke wafted up from them.

Bhema, Peta and Torhpa threw pistols to the floor, Surun grabbed inside his jacket and pulled out a pocket watch and with a cry broke it from its chain and hurled it away, the thing was red hot. The blue dancing snakes went after the guns and the watch, they curled around and over them and licked them, then, diving down on them like hungry dogs they devoured them. The hot wind in the room rose, stronger and hotter as the flames fed on the guns and watch. Kamaesa kept his bow aimed at Surun, if the black haired man made a move to leave he would shoot him. Shuna strode forward to Sheeta and Ryddyck, the tall thin man in confusion and fear was dragging the girl backwards out of the door. Trying to get away from this sorcery, this crazyness. Sheeta sank her teeth into his forearm and he yelped. Shuna ran to him and striking out punched him as hard as he could. The man staggered backwards out into the snow and choking, clutching her windpipe, Sheeta went down, on her knees, coughing. Shuna went after Ryddyck. The thin man regained his balance and came at Shuna with his fists and feet, kicking high. Shuna ducked, the two met fought, a private whirlwind of snow surrounded them.

"Fire!" cried Peta, "the place will burn!"
"Out!" the Councillor shouted, "get outside."

Bhema grabbed the bleeding Otto and dragged him out. Kamaesa spoke to Surun, encouraging him to leave quickly but do nothing stupid. The courtyard filled with people, some coughing, some banging hip pouches trying to put out the smoldering cloth. Bhema dropped Otto and ran at Ryddyck, sending the man flying. Shuna stepped over him, sword drawn.

"Enough!" he shouted.

Ryddyck agreed that it was enough, he lay still. Sheeta tried to get up but her throat hurt. Pazu was there, hands on her shoulders he picked her up, held her.

"Stop it, Paetsu, stop the spell!"
"How?"
"Emisheh! Shout Emisheh!"

She held the stone, bright and vibrating it was, the loud strong humming was growing in pitch, becoming a whine.

"Emisheh! Emisheh!"

Pazu put his hand on hers, held her hand, the roaring leaping buzzing stone between their palms. He had a sudden vision of it biting them.

"Emisheh! Emisheh!"

It stopped. Pazu and Sheeta however knew it had not wanted to stop, they knew that had either of them been alone the stone would have disobeyed the stop command. One of them alone was no longer enough to control the stone. It had taken both of them to do it. The blue light inside the house faded, the wind died away.

Inside the house Peta and Torhpa kicked the burning melting guns out of the door. The floor was alight. Bhema went back in grabbing a bucket and dumping snow where the blackened timbers threatened to blaze up. Outside in the yard a gun fired, then another.

"Out! Out of the yard!" Pazu shouted, "outside in the lane! The bullets are cooking, going off!"

The confused crowd went out through the yard gate, Shuna, Pazu and Kamaesa were enough to stop the men from resisting. Someone dragged the bleeding Reese out. People stood around listening to the gun shots. People were coming down the lane from the village, lots of people.

Surun looked around. It was over.


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4 – 6 April 2007

(1) Literally "Fire over all machines", a spell to set fire to or melt by heat all mechanical applicances. Sheeta was a very clever girl to use this spell. Had she told the stone to set fire to all weapons then all the Gondoan men would have become disarmed as well. She could have commanded the spell to attack only guns but she wasn't sure that these men had no other types of weapon, she had walked into the room at the end of the fighting. Surun's pocketwatch, being a machine, was attacked also. Had Pazu and Sheeta not stopped the spell it would have spread, widening it's circle, looking for more machinery to destroy. The skidplane would have been next, then any mechanical machinery in the village. And so on.

For author notes about Chapter Forty One, please see my forum (click on my pen name)