Chapter 3, No Audience Here
“…As the guards led the disgraced
chancellor away, the twins looked at each other and smiled. And then
they embraced, unreservedly and wholeheartedly. The courtiers cheered
to see that because it meant that the twins were reconciled at last.
Each had learned to appreciate the other’s abilities and each
understood that they could trust each other. So at the shrine to
their parents, they pledged to share the throne. They had a long and
happy reign, with peace and prosperity for all their citizens.”
Yar cleared his throat. “I finished
the story just as dawn was breaking. The ghost smiled and saluted me
as he vanished. I knew I could sleep securely. Which I did, until mid
afternoon, by which time the ground had dried out. I left the place
and continued my journey. Oh, look, we’ve reached the town!”
Seltheen had been so absorbed in the
story that she had almost forgotten to watch their surroundings. Now
she wondered how come a story that Yar had just told in less than an
hour could have lasted all night previuously. Add another mystery to
the others surrounding the man. A young boy was sitting on a fence
that now ran alongside the road. Yar threw off his coat, stood up,
and began to juggle three rods, (or was it four?) while reciting
something in chuudib. The boy jumped down and ran. “Aha!”
exclaimed Yar. “Now the word will spread. Soon we will do our first
show for these good people.” A minute later the air was full of
stones and cries of “vrraayend! vrraayend! rringerl!”
Seltheen called for Inshaa. The wiry
rinker warhorse plunged through the shower of missiles and drew up
beside the wagon. She jumped into the saddle. “What’s going on?”
she demanded. “What’s that they’re saying?” Yar had pulled on
his coat again, along with a brightly painted helmet that looked like
an eagle’s head. “I seem to have miscalculated our distance from
the Rinks: he said. “Apparently your people have been this far in
force. What our welcoming committee is saying is `savages’ and
`rinkers’. I’m afraid we’ll have to go deeper into chuudib
territory before we can find people who aren’t threatened the mere
sight of a rinker face.”
Seltheen charged toward the source of
the stones. Inshaa neatly hopped the fence. Then the rinker’s long
chopping spear smacked into a line of attackers. Two fell bleeding,
the others scattered. She quickly returned to the wagon. “What do
we do now?” “Move fast and hope they don’t have any trained
troops.” No troops opposed them. They sped down the road as fast as
the mules could trot. Seltheen sent two arrows back to discourage
pursuit.
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