The Standing Dead - Stone Dance of the Chameleon 02 (100 page)

Carnelian put on a smile and tried to appear pleased. Krow was too excited to see through the performance. Through the gate, the morning was hot but not yet unbearable. Carnelian saw his men in the ferngarden and a mass of riders riding up the magnolia-shaded avenue. Osidian rode at their head. Carnelian searched the many dark shrouded shapes behind him. Osidian rode through the waiting men, across the bridge, and Carnelian and Krow had to jump out of the way as he brought his aquar right into the Grove. The creature knelt and he vaulted easily onto the ground.

'My Lord does not seem to have made as much progress as I expected.'

Carnelian stared, paralysed by the Quya and Osidian's presence.

'Is there something wrong with your voice, Carnelian?'

Krow had moved to the aquar and, making her rise, he led her away so more riders could come in. Carnelian's eyes were drawn to them searching. Ravan had dismounted and was coming towards them.

The ditch, my Lord?'

Carnelian focused on Osidian, who was frowning. The conditions under which the Bluedancing have been working are almost unbearable.'

'I need no lectures about the conditions. I have been riding across that plain for ten days.'

Then,' Carnelian said, stung to anger, 'you will understand it all.'

His heart leapt into his mouth when he saw a figure moving behind Ravan, whose height proclaimed it to be Fern. Carnelian became aware of Osidian turning to see what he was looking at.

'Ravan,' he said, trying to deflect Osidian.

'And Fern,' said Osidian, as Ravan gave Carnelian a curt bow.

Carnelian tried to appear calm. 'Is the Tribe well?'

For answer Ravan looked away. Carnelian thought the youth aged and worn. His eyes met Fern's and, feeling the intensity of that link, he broke it. A commotion was breaking out along the Homing, where Osidian's dusty men were meeting up with Carnelian's men. Osidian observed this with a furrowed brow and turned on Carnelian.

'Something has happened.'

Carnelian
found it hard to return Osidian's piercing gaze. 'I took the men you left me to the koppie of the Darkcloud.'

Osidian's eyes flamed. 'I do not recall giving my Lord permission to indulge in expeditions.'

Carnelian
felt trapped.
‘
I took it anyway. Do you imagine, Osidian, that seeing smoke rising from their home I could have stopped the Darkcloud from going to investigate? I bowed to the inevitable and went with them. Thank the Two I did or else they would most surely have been annihilated by the Marula.'

Osidian's eyes grew wide. 'Marula, you say?'

Carnelian
explained and as he did so he watched Osidian's eyes. There was no doubt he was shocked. This was an element that had clearly not formed part of his calculations.
Carnelian
sensed something else. Momentarily having lost his Masterly composure, Osidian's emotions were open to scrutiny.
Carnelian
saw a wariness in the way Osidian was regarding him.

'You were victorious then?'

'We fell on them like raveners.'

'Did any Marula survive?'

'One. There were two others but he bit out their throats.'

Osidian raised an eyebrow.

'I have imprisoned him on the summit of the Crag awaiting your return.'

Osidian resumed his impassivity. 'What has he told you?'

'Once he learned of your existence, he would say nothing to me.' 'Indeed.'

Carnelian
sensed that Osidian's apparent amusement was only a front. Osidian turned to Ravan. 'Go gather me a twenty of Darkcloud.' Ravan bowed and went off.
Fern
was puzzled by the commotion among the Plainsmen. Carnelian watched them too, so as not to have to look at either Osidian or Fern.

When Ravan returned with the twenty, Krow was with him. Osidian motioned the two youths to stand on either side of him and the Darkcloud to surround them as they began to climb the rootstair. Carnelian was left with Fern. Desperately, he wished his friend were able to read hand-speech. They gazed at each other but dared not speak.

Osidian paused on the stair. 'I would like both of you to come with me.'

Obediently, Carnelian and Fern began climbing. Osidian turned to Krow.

'When I am finished with our guest, I might give him to you. Tell me, what torments might you like to inflict on him?'

Looking apologetic, Krow glanced at Carnelian. The other Master has already promised the Maruli to the Darkcloud.'

The men around them nodded.

'Has he indeed?' said Osidian.

Though Morunasa stood his ground as they came up onto the summit, his yellow, slitted gaze flitted from one to the other, quickly settling on the towering figure of Osidian. Under the pressure of Osidian's regard, Morunasa eventually ducked a bow.

Fern and Ravan stared, startled at the black man.

As Osidian advanced on the Maruli, Krow cried out: 'Beware, Master, he's a ravener.'

Without turning, Osidian made a gesture of dismissal. Carnelian saw he did not overtop Morunasa by much. The two were facing each other near where the bones of the dead lay bleaching upon the funerary trestles. Carnelian strained to pick out words from the mutter of their talk.

'Carnie, where did this Maruli come from?'

Carnelian turned to see Fern and Ravan waiting for an answer and he launched into the story, every so often glancing off towards Osidian and Morunasa. Both winced and glanced at the Maruli when Carnelian described the two dead with their throats torn out.

'Were these the same Manila who massacred the Twostone?' asked Ravan.

‘I
found the same damage in the koppie of the Darkcloud.'

Krow, who had been gazing at the Master throughout, suddenly moved forward in response to his beckoning. The Maruli looked dejected. The Darkcloud were watching him as if he were a piece of meat they were salivating to consume. The black man exclaimed, pointing at Osidian's face. Osidian's affront softened as Morunasa said something. In response, Osidian pushed his uba from his forehead to expose his birthmark. As Morunasa rose on his toes to examine it, Carnelian felt a thrill of unease which only increased as the Maruli and Osidian began to talk together like conspirators. Watching them reinforced Carnelian's desire to overthrow Osidian.

He turned his attention back to Fern. His friend indicated Ravan with his eyes. They could not talk while he was there, but they could hardly move away without it being noticed.

'How is your mother?' Carnelian asked, hoping to find a way through innocent conversation to communicate with Fern.

'Well enough,' Fern said and proceeded to talk about their journey to the mountains. 'Everyone was miserable that we had to return here.'

Carnelian nodded. Fern continued, and from what he said, Carnelian became convinced there was unrest among the men; that many were growing uneasy with the new ways.

'The Master,' said Krow.

Osidian was coming towards them with Morunasa at his side. Carnelian saw immediately that the Maruli was possessed of a new confidence which dismayed Krow and the Darkcloud.

Osidian regarded them all as if from on high. 'Go, ready yourselves and the others. Each man should take enough djada for nine days; water for six. We march south at nightfall.'

Gods speak without words

Air mouthed by the branches of trees, by hills

Flame tongues whispering

Rain hiss and pattering rhythms

Water rumbling rolling against rock and shore

Gales screaming scouring, lifting precipices of sea

That roar as they consume

(Quyan fragment)

Carnelian followed Osidian down to the porch of the Ancestor House.

'What has the Maruli told you? What is it that is in the south?'

Osidian smiled. The reason why the Manila have been launching attacks into the Earthsky.'

Carnelian waited for more, but still smiling, Osidian shook his head. Carnelian glanced up to the summit where they had left Morunasa. 'You cannot trust him.'

'Do you not find that ironic coming from you, Carnelian?'

Knowing it was true just made Carnelian angry. The men will not follow you.'

There will be unrest, but they will follow me. Besides, it will be amusing to see my enemies reveal themselves.'

He turned away to look down into the clearing, which was filling up with Plainsmen. Carnelian's stomach clenched when he saw Fern was at their head. There was no way to warn him.

Fern looked up at them. 'Why do you want us to go south, Master?'

'Because that is where the lands of the Manila lie.' Consternation rippled through the crowd. 'Why should we go there?' 'To win a battle.'

The crowd erupted. A single voice rose above the din. Carnelian saw it was Ravan. 'Who will escort our people back from the mountains?'

Osidian stood closer to the edge. 'We shall return victorious with time to spare.'

Many of the upturned faces showed doubt.

Fern leapt up the first few steps of the Crag and turned to face the crowd. He pointed up at Osidian. 'Can't you see the Master is possessed? What has he brought us but strife and bloodshed?'

Carnelian swallowed hard, seeing hope in the way the crowd was warming to Fern. His friend stabbed a finger at Osidian.

'Now he wants to lead us to die in the desert or in a foreign land. Do you want this?'

The crowd growled and many shook their heads.

'Let us return to the ways of our fathers and mothers.' Seeing them waver, Fern looked up at Carnelian. 'If we must follow someone, let us follow one who has spilled no Plainsman blood except in self-defence.'

The intensity of Fern's gaze made Carnelian eager to rise to his challenge.

'Are you certain, Carnelian, you could win a pitched battle?'

He turned to look at Osidian.

'If
you
were to lose, it is they,' he glanced down at the crowd, 'who would lose everything.'

Osidian's conviction stirred doubt in Carnelian. As Osidian's eyes fell on the Plainsmen, he seemed to grow larger.

The Marula have already massacred two Plainsman tribes and would have done the same to the Darkcloud had they not been dealt with. This time, we were fortunate but which of you would risk being their next victims?'

Carnelian might have even then tried to wrest power from Osidian except that in his heart he feared the Marula danger.

Osidian's gaze moved over the Plainsmen. 'You can wait until they send another army or else you can march with me so that when your womenfolk return you can tell them you have destroyed this threat once and for all.'

As the Darkcloud shouted their agreement, Krow pushed to the front.

'Listen to the Master. You know my desire for revenge upon the Marula, but more than that, I never again want them to do to any other tribe what they did to mine ...'

The rest the crowd drowned out. Carnelian read Osidian's satisfaction from his posture. He had won again. Fern, among the riot, looked appalled.

Carnelian glanced at Osidian, fearful. 'Now you will punish those who opposed you.'

Osidian turned to regard him. 'On the contrary, Carnelian, by permitting them to continue living I will disarm the criticism that I have ambitions to be their master.'

In the dusk they rode down the Southing. Beyond the swathe of the Southgardens, Carnelian could see the Bluedancing fires as sparks in the gloomy Eastgarden. Craning round the back of his saddle-chair, he gazed with a deep yearning at the mother trees crowding round the Crag. Then he was riding out across the final earthbridge, following Osidian into the south-west where a livid wound in the edge of the sky was all that remained of the tyrant sun.

Night smothered them. Even mounted, Carnelian could feel the heat rising from the earth. He unwound the uba from his head to let the air from the aquar's movement cool the sweat on his skin. The ground muffled the drumming footfalls of the aquar. Sleepily, Carnelian watched the riders ahead moving through the moon-glossed tendrils of the dust they raised. In one place, the plain was stone-hard, fissured and cracked, its covering of dead ferns burned away by fire. Fire. They had already ridden far from any sheltering shade. It was growing cooler and soon it would be cold, but Carnelian was already fearing the dawn.

First light revealed the Mother's Backbone rising before them. As the dawn poured the shadows of the riders out to meet the ridge, Carnelian turned to face the sun, closing his eyes against the radiance, letting it dispel the chill of the night.

Reaching the Backbone, they dismounted and led their aquar up onto the shattered black rock. Krow and Morunasa at his side, Osidian chose a spot where there might be some shade from the coming onslaught of the sun.

Carnelian and Fern exchanged wary glances. They had not spoken since the gathering in the clearing. Brooding, Ravan was keeping his distance from the Master, making Carnelian wonder what had happened between them.

He busied himself angling his aquar so that it would receive as little sun as possible, and used it and its saddle-chair to make a shelter for himself as he saw others doing. Men were looking nervously into the east, where the sun was melting up from the earth. Carnelian lay behind his aquar, dreading when it should rise so high there would be no place left to hide.

The air was a fever that made it impossible to sleep. Even though he had kept his waterskin in his aquar's shadow, each gulp was as warm as blood. He sneaked out to give the creature a drink then lay trying to ignore the sweat dewing over his body. A saltstone was passed around which burned his tongue.

At last the furnace sun began to abate. Carnelian counted each moment as he watched it fall blind into the Plain. When darkness came the air sighed a breeze of relief. He rose, feeling the day's ague still vibrating the night. They resaddled their aquar and descended the Backbone back to the plain, where they remounted. Carnelian's headache was eased by the gentle rhythm of his creature's gait.

He must have fallen asleep, for suddenly he was aware he was hearing the sea. It took moments to work out that it was sand and not spume spitting in his face. Veils of it slid hissing towards them over the ground. His aquar had lowered her head and covered her eyes with the inner lids. Not caring that they should both be blind, Carnelian pulled his uba down over his eyes.

A brightening in the margin of the sky woke him. Heads were rising, seeing it, too tired to fear it yet. As Carnelian brought his aquar to a halt with the others, one continued to amble onwards. It was Morunasa's. He looked round to see if anyone else had noticed the Maruli moving away from them. Morunasa was sitting upright, searching for something.

'He runs away,' a voice shouted in Ochre.

Arguing broke out.

'Leave him be,' cried Krow. The Master has sent him scouting.'

Grumbling, the men made their aquar kneel and Carnelian followed their lead. Eyeing the dawn, he clambered out of his chair. Nearby, the Backbone rose as an unbroken wall they could not climb. He made his aquar rise and walked her round so that she was presenting her tail to the rising sun. He made her kneel again and began working at the rope girdles that secured her saddle-chair.

A gruff voice sounded from far away. Morunasa was hurtling back, waving his hands, shouting something in Vulgate. Everyone stopped to watch. His aquar overshot their position before the Maruli managed to bring her under control. As he rode towards them, Osidian went to meet him. Carnelian could hear the mutter of their talk but not what was being said.

Osidian strode back into their midst. 'Mount up,' he commanded, causing a tumult of protest.

Carnelian watched Osidian stooping to say something into Krow's ear. The youth shouted down the noise. 'We're close to our goal. There's a river nearby. Trees.'

That last word cast its cool shade over everyone.

Trees,' the men echoed, hope widening their eyes.

'Yes, trees,' said Krow. 'If we ride now we can spend the rest of the day in shade, beside running water.' He grinned. 'Unless you lot would rather spend the day skulking here in the open?'

Everyone could already see the spindly stretch of their shadows. Though he feared the sun, Carnelian shared the general enthusiasm to go on.

Enduring the blinding starkness of the fully risen sun, he began to worry about what it was they were riding into.

Ahead, the scrubby, rusty land was columned by strange trees. Smooth trunks rose to a great height from which nests of branches splayed as leafless as roots. These were not the trees they had expected.

'Baobabs,' declared Morunasa, 'a sure sign we draw near to the Upper Reach.'

Carnelian saw the anxiety the Maruli was failing to conceal and wondered what kind of place this Upper Reach might be. These conjectures were forgotten as they came in among the baobabs. Soon, with the others, he was filing towards one along the shady road of the shadow that it cast. As they drew closer, Carnelian squinted up to see the tree looming vast, its branches startling black against the bronze sky. He became possessed by a feeling he was in the presence of a watching giant.

When they found a break in the Backbone, Morunasa led them clambering over it to the other side and, once they had reached flat ground again, Osidian and the Maruli drew them away into the south-west. Climbing the sky, the sun heated the world into trembling incandescence. Feeding on their own shadows, the baobabs grew ever more massive. Hunched against the migraine day, Carnelian was slow to become aware they were plodding down a
gentl
e slope.

The chasm?' croaked Osidian.

Lifting his head, Carnelian saw Morunasa give a heavy nod while his eyes were scouring the bleached, hazy forest to the east where the Backbone ran along the horizon like a storm. Osidian said something to Krow and the youth turned his aquar and rode among them, rasping out: 'Unhitch your spears. Prepare to fight.'

At first the Plainsmen stared at him, stupefied, but then with tremulous hands they began loosing their weapons. Soon their march was bristling with bladed flint.

Carnelian saw Osidian beckoning him and rode forward.

Take the right wing, I shall take the left,' he said. 'Battle then?'

Osidian terminated the interview by making his aquar swing away. Morunasa and Krow followed him, stretching the left flank of their march after them.

Fern rode up to Carnelian. They squinted at each other through the glare. 'Battle? In this heat?'

'I am to command the right.'

Fern gave a grim nod. 'I'll fight beside you?'

The offer revived him. 'Like we did against the Bluedancing.'

Their eyes met and Fern twitched a smile.

They were riding side by side when they saw the ground before them fall away.

'A cliff?' asked Fern, startled.

The gulf opening up before them caused their aquar to flare their eye-plumes in alarm. Carnelian gaped at the opposite green cliff and, far below, the shimmer of water.

'A river?' cried Fern, amazed.

'You didn't know it was here?'

Fern turned, his mouth still hanging open. 'We knew the lands of the Manila lay somewhere in the south.'

'But this is so close to the Koppie.'

This land is waterless, shunned by saurians, besides, we have always feared the Manila.'

Fern looked down into the chasm. 'Do you think they live down there?'

Carnelian narrowed his eyes. The river traced a narrow ribbon down in the chasm floor, reminding him of the Cloaca that came out of the crater of Osrakum and ran in the Canyon of the Three Gates. The chasm was all barren sand and rock.

'Perhaps further downstream,' he muttered.

'We're holding the line back,' said Fern.

Carnelian turned from the chasm and saw the battle-line was tearing apart as he and Fern anchored its end.

'Come on,' he said, and together they rode upstream along the chasm edge to pull the battleline taut.

Carnelian's head lolled. He felt sick from the long, churning anticipation of battle. The slow uneven judder of his aquar's stride betrayed how much she was suffering from the heat. The shadows of the baobabs had grown long as they rode along the chasm edge.

A whisper like the distant sea jerked his head up. The windings of his uba gave him a narrow window into the outer world. He was startled to see the wall of the Backbone rising before him. Its black rock ran unbroken to the chasm edge, dipped into it, then rose again upon the other side. Where it dipped, it formed the threshold to a wide and shallow valley that brought the river from the east in many channels. These braided into two feathery falls that had gouged into the Backbone, leaving a single buttress and island between them. This island tottering on the edge of the chasm was clothed by a dense grove of trees. Of an army of Marula, there was no sign.