‘No, Lormy, you don’t get it. She really liked him. And she feels rejected. Mima is a dab hand at feeling that, as you know. She does want to see him, but can’t bear the thought of it, because he won’t look at her in the way she wants him to.’
‘Oh. I wonder what happened.’
‘Why don’t you ask him? When he came to the boat, he looked worried, if you ask me, not hostile. He was scared of something.’
‘Well, it is the night for it.’
Flick grimaced. The wall of the barracks loomed before them. ‘Here we are. You do the talking.’
The guards on duty had clearly been told to expect them. They had to wait only a couple of minutes before Chelone and another har, both resplendent in black Parsic uniform of leather and steel, came to the gate. Ulaume understood why Mima might be upset. These were hara of dignity and presence. Nohar would want to be cast aside by such creatures.
‘Where is Mima?’ Chelone asked at once.
‘Sh… Shy,’ Ulaume spluttered.
‘He changed his mind,’ Flick said quickly. ‘Is that OK? Can I come with you instead?’
Chelone shrugged. ‘Well… I suppose so.’ He indicated his companion. ‘This is Captain Leef Sariel, a close friend of Lord Swift.’
‘He’s Flick,’ said Ulaume. ‘Just that. I am Ulaume har Colurastes.’
Chelone and Leef exchanged a glance.
‘Interesting,’ said Leef.
Stable-hara brought out a gleaming open carriage drawn by two horses, into which Chelone indicated they should climb. Another har in uniform leapt up into the driving seat. ‘A little cold tonight for this kind of transport,’ Chelone said, ‘but we thought you’d appreciate the view.’
They drove through scenes of celebration, past vast bonfires. The scent of cooking meat filled the air and the sweet-sour tang of apple beer. In one place, apple trees lined the road and Chelone stood up in the jolting carriage to pluck a soft fruit right off the branch. He handed the apple to Ulaume. ‘Tonight, the spirit of the fruit can be eaten with the flesh,’ he said.
Ulaume bit into it, and found it so cold it made his teeth ache, but the taste was like perfume. Opposite him, Flick sat hunched up beside Leef, not saying anything, and Leef looked bored.
Chelone was happy to talk about Galhea, and everything the incomparable Lord Swift had achieved since his father’s death. By the time they reached the gates to Forever, Ulaume was already thinking that Swift would be unbearable: full of himself and righteous. Still, he could put up with that if this meeting produced any results.
The house was a blaze of light and a large fire was already burning on the grass outside the front door. A big crowd of hara had gathered in the dark, drinking apple beer and sheh, the local liqueur distilled from apples and spice. Two whole lambs were roasting on spits over fire pits, where the fat dribbled down onto baking potatoes.
Their driver took the carriage round into the stable yard where many others were parked. Stable-hara ran around attending to the stamping horses.
Chelone got out of the carriage first and told the driver they’d meet him later. He offered his arm to Ulaume, ‘Shall we join the party.’
Leef and Swift followed behind, awkward companions.
Before they reached the crowd, Chelone said in a low voice, ‘I’ve upset Mima, haven’t I?’
‘Yes,’ Ulaume said. ‘Did he upset you first?’
Ulaume could barely see Chelone’s face in the darkness, but the silence was eloquent. ‘I just don’t think I can help him,’ he said at last. ‘I wanted to come and see him, but…’ He was quiet for a moment. ‘I hoped he’d be here tonight. I needed to explain.’
‘Mima is a proud creature,’ Ulaume said.
‘It says a lot that you and your friends haven’t helped him either,’ Chelone said. ‘I guess you know the problem.’
‘He is not a great one for sharing,’ Ulaume said.
‘But to have that happen, the inception thing…’ Chelone shook his head. ‘It must have been vile.’
‘Mmm,’ Ulaume murmured. ‘What exactly did Mima tell you?’
That Mima had used Terez’s story as her own delighted Ulaume: what a good idea. Chelone didn’t go into grisly details about aruna, but it was clear something had happened that had unsettled him greatly. Perhaps later Ulaume could pry for more information.
As they wandered through the crowd, Chelone pointed out hara of high rank. ‘That is General Ithiel Penhariel, who commands the entire Galhean militia. Oh, I see we have a couple of Gelaming with us…’
Ulaume froze. ‘Who?’
‘Don’t know them. They appear to be of pretty low rank, probably officials attached to the Hegemony in Immanion.’
‘Where is Lord Swift?’
‘Can’t see him yet. We’ll go inside. He may be there. You should see the house, anyway.’
Ulaume glanced round, but Leef and Flick had headed off in the direction of the food tables, no doubt for Flick to fortify himself with liquor.
At one time, a very rich human family had owned Forever, and it seemed that none of its finery had been lost during the wars. It was a mansion, far larger than the white house, where it had been clear that many of the rooms had never been used. Here, a large staff ran around carrying trays of drinks and food. Hounds barked at newcomers and cats looked down disdainfully upon the revellers from high vantage points on the furniture. This was a home. It had a warm atmosphere and there were domestic animals. Hara had grown up in this place: Swift was a second-generation har like Lileem.
As they walked through the vast entrance hall, Ulaume looked up the sweeping stairs and saw a vision of Wraeththu beauty descending them. His hair hung, like Ulaume’s once had, to his thighs, and he was dressed in loose white shirt and trousers that were of the finest softest matt silk. He wore a wreath of autumn leaves and small crab apples as a crown. Even from a distance, it was possible to see his eyes were deepest green, because his skin was so pale. He was not tall, but he radiated power and confidence.
A calculated entrance, Ulaume thought. ‘Who’s that?’ he asked.
Chelone glanced up and smiled. ‘That is Cobweb, Swift’s hostling. A legend.’ He disengaged himself from Ulaume’s arm and went to the foot of the stairs, where he bowed deeply.
Cobweb continued a slow descent then extended slim arms to embrace Chelone rather coolly. ‘You look well,’ he said. ‘Who is your companion?’
Chelone brought Cobweb over to where Ulaume stood, somewhat dumbfounded, feeling inadequate. He wished he’d had hours to get ready and expensive clothes to slide into, like this har evidently had. ‘This is Ulaume har Colurastes,’ he said. ‘A visitor to Galhea.’
‘Colurastes?’ said Cobweb in a low husky voice. The voice, of course, just had to be as beautiful as the flesh. ‘I’ve never met one of your kind before, but the idea fascinates me. I hope we have time to talk.’
Ulaume inclined his head. ‘I would very much like to.’
‘You do not have a drink,’ Cobweb said. ‘We must do something about that.’ He led the way into the main room through vast double doors. The room was lit by candles and a huge fire snarled in the immense hearth. Here, the stars of Galhea were gathered.
‘Mima reminds me of Cobweb,’ Chelone said softly, close to Ulaume’s ear. ‘A strong soume aspect, almost like a human woman.’
‘Almost,’ Ulaume said coldly. ‘But not human.’
‘Well, quite. I didn’t mean to give offence.’
Ulaume squeezed Chelone’s arm briefly. ‘None taken, but would you voice such a remark to Cobweb himself?’
Chelone wrinkled up his nose. ‘No. He does take offence at things quite easily.’
‘I can imagine.’
Cobweb raised an arm and imperiously gestured for a servant to bring them drinks. ‘You must meet my son,’ he said to Ulaume. ‘I know he’d be really interested to make the acquaintance of a Colurastes.’
‘I would very much like to meet him,’ Ulaume said. ??
?I’ve heard so many good things about him.’ He was privately quite astounded at how the fortuitous meeting of Chelone and Mima had occasioned this priceless invitation into Galhean high society.
Another har came to join their small group and again Ulaume sighed inside. Was every har as lustrous as Cobweb in this place? He wished he hadn’t let himself go so much during his travels. The newcomer was olive-skinned and had smooth tawny hair. He moved like a panther.
‘We have an interesting guest,’ Cobweb said, taking the newcomer by the arm. ‘This is Ulaume of the Colurastes.’
Ulaume inclined his head.
‘And this,’ said Cobweb, ‘is Seel Griselming, my son’s consort, and hostling to my divine high-harling, Azriel.’
Ulaume felt his jaw drop open as if somehar had punched it. It didn’t seem to belong to him.
His expression of surprise conjured an immediate response in Seel. ‘Do I know you?’ he asked abruptly.
‘No,’ Ulaume shook his head. ‘Forgive me. I have heard of you, but I did not expect to find you here. You are Seel Griselming of Saltrock?’
‘Was,’ said Seel, his eyes dark and cold. ‘Might I ask who told you about me?’
Immediately, Ulaume knew, there was a ghost in the room between them, but he didn’t think that ghost was Flick. ‘Somehar who once lived in Saltrock,’ he said. ‘Somehar who knew you.’
‘Who?’ Seel insisted.
They held each other’s stares for a while, and Ulaume could feel Chelone and Cobweb’s consternation thickening around him. He thought of Flick and Flick’s pain and then realised there was no reason to lie. Flick had never done anything wrong. ‘Flick,’ he said at last. ‘The har who used to live with you, the one who once thought he was your consort.’
He shouldn’t have said it. He knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t resist it, because Seel was living here in all this luxury, complete with consort and harling, while Flick had gone through such troubles.
‘Flick,’ said Seel. He appeared dazed, and Ulaume knew the invisible punch had been returned. ‘How is he?’
‘Surviving,’ Ulaume said. And he wanted to say, ‘You can see for yourself’, but realised this was what Flick had been dreading. His instincts had forewarned him of this, and now Ulaume knew he must get Flick away. It would be excruciating. He turned to Chelone. ‘Our companions,’ he said in a meaningful tone. ‘I think we should find them.’
Chelone looked puzzled, but he wasn’t stupid and was in the process of putting two and two together. He wouldn’t want a scene either. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘We should.’
‘This is all very dark and mysterious,’ said Cobweb in a playful tone. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Nothing,’ Chelone said. ‘Leef’s outside. We’ll go and find him.’
He and Ulaume fairly ran from the house. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ Ulaume demanded. ‘You must have mentioned every damned har in Galhea but for that one! Why has nohar here ever mentioned him? It doesn’t make sense.’
‘If you’re talking of Seel, few do mention him,’ Chelone said in a caustic tone. ‘He took somehar else’s place and there are still those among us who are not pleased about it.’
‘Typical!’ Ulaume said. ‘Just typical.’ He scanned the crowd. ‘Where the hell is Flick? I have to get him away. Now!’
‘You’re right,’ Chelone said. ‘If there’s a scene with the Incomparable Seel, Cobweb will either be furious or highly delighted, and both moods, in his case, lead to trouble.’
‘It’s Flick I’m worried about,’ Ulaume said. ‘You have no idea what he’s been through.’
They searched the crowd, but there were so many hara milling around the fire now, it was difficult to see clearly. Ulaume knew, with a sinking heart, he’d probably just scuppered any chance of meeting Swift, and it really wasn’t like him to put somehar else’s feelings before his own, which must prove how fond he’d become of Flick. He remembered the day when Terez had told them that Pellaz was Tigron and Flick’s hurt words: ‘I lost Seel for nothing.’ Seel clearly wasn’t missing him.
Eventually, they found Flick and Leef in the gardens round the side of the house. Small lamps had been hung in all the trees next to an ornamental lake, and tables had been laid out there. Flick was sitting beside Leef at one of the tables, and appeared to be deep in conversation with a human female, sitting opposite. She was dressed in an artfully tattered robe of some dark colour, her shoulders covered by a shawl with a long silk fringe. She wore a lot of ornate jewellery and her pale hair was confined with jewelled combs in a tousled heap on top of her head. Escaping locks fell over her shoulders and breast.
‘Who’s that?’ Ulaume asked, sure Chelone must be sick of that particular question tonight.
‘It’s Tel-an-Kaa,’ he replied. ‘She must be here for the festival. She’s of the Zigane, which is a gypsy tribe of hara and humans. We thought you were of their kind, do you remember?’
‘Humans and hara together?’ said Ulaume. ‘That’s odd. Even more so that a human is an honoured guest at this house.’
‘Tel-an-Kaa is no ordinary woman,’ Chelone said, ‘as your friend has obviously found out. She is a good friend of the family here. Swift has made many changes in Galhea, not least a tolerant attitude towards humanity.’
Ulaume ignored this comment on the illustrious Swift’s philanthropy and hurried up to the table. ‘Flick,’ he said. ‘Flick, we have to go.’
Flick glanced up and Ulaume felt the woman’s attention fix onto him immediately, but he took no notice of it.
‘Why?’ Flick asked. His face looked pinched and vulnerable in the soft lamp light.
‘I’ve said something,’ Ulaume said. ‘Put my foot in it. We have to go.’
Flick rolled his eyes. ‘Oh no! I was just beginning to enjoy myself too. Can’t we just sit here? Not many hara are around. Whatever you’ve done can’t be that…’
‘Flick!’ Ulaume said sharply. ‘We have to go. I’ll explain later.’ He wasn’t looking forward to the explaining part.
Leef had stood up. He appeared faintly aggressive. ‘You go,’ he said. ‘I can bring Flick back later.’
‘No,’ Ulaume insisted. ‘He has to come now.’
‘But why?’ Flick said, his expression confused.
Then his face went blank. He was no longer staring at Ulaume but past him. Ulaume turned at once, but he already knew Seel would be standing there.
Cruel, he thought. Too cruel.
‘You don’t have to go,’ Seel said. ‘Not on my account.’
Flick clearly could not speak. Seel was the last person he expected to run into, even if he had, as Ulaume suspected, harboured private and conflicting hopes of finding Cal here.
‘It’s good to see you,’ Seel said, approaching the table. ‘We were all very worried about you, Flick. It’s been so long. It’s good to know you’re all right.’
What an assumption, Ulaume thought.
‘Seel,’ Flick said. ‘I never… What are you doing here?’
Ulaume thought Flick would be angry, because in his place Ulaume certainly would have been. But in Flick’s voice, he heard that terrible sweetness, which was just too much.
‘He is Swift’s consort,’ Ulaume said. ‘He lives here now.’ He went to stand behind Flick and put his hands on Flick’s shoulders. ‘There’s nothing to say, believe me. This is why we should leave.’
‘What did you say to him?’ Flick said bitterly. ‘What?’
‘Nothing bad,’ Ulaume said. ‘Come on.’ Flick’s body was rigid beneath his hands.
‘You can’t just leave,’ Seel said. ‘We should talk.’
‘What about?’ Ulaume snarled. ‘How you treated him, froze him out, ordered him around like a slave, let him walk out of your life without a single word, and then forgot about him so easily?’
‘Lor, shut up,’ Flick said. ‘Don’t.’
‘It was years ago,’ Seel said, ‘and none of your business, har.’ He dismissed Ulaume from his atten
tion. ‘Things happened back then, Flick; many I’m not proud of. Why are you here? If Fate didn’t want us to meet, you wouldn’t be, surely.’
‘We’re here to see Swift, not you,’ Ulaume said. ‘Not that there’ll be much chance of that now.’
Seel sat down opposite Flick, who was staring at his folded hands on the table. ‘What do you want to see Swift about? Maybe I can help.’
Flick glanced up. ‘It’s…’
‘Don’t tell him anything,’ Ulaume said, digging his fingers into Flick’s shoulders. ‘Don’t.’ At that moment, he caught the eye of the silent woman sitting beside Seel, and for some reason he got the impression she was strongly with him on that point. Had Flick told her about Mima and Lileem?
‘We heard Pell was alive, that he was Tigron,’ Flick said. ‘Is it true?’
Seel nodded slowly. ‘Yes. It is true.’
Flick lowered his head to the table, and rested his forehead on his hands for some moments. All was silent; Chelone and Leef no doubt desperately wishing they were elsewhere.
Flick raised his head again. ‘You have seen him?’
‘Yes,’ said Seel. ‘I went to Immanion. I went to work for Thiede. Things were not how they seemed.’
Ulaume could not see Flick’s expression, but he could feel the shudder of his breath. ‘So Orien died for…’ Flick swallowed thickly. ‘Cal didn’t need to kill him.’
‘There was never any reason why Cal should do that, whether Pell was alive or dead,’ Seel said. ‘If you hadn’t left Saltrock, you would have been part of this, Flick. It’s just that none of us knew. Pell will be relieved to hear that I’ve seen you.’
‘Oh, come on!’ Ulaume spat. ‘You’re not being hard enough! Surely you can think of something more cruel to say than that!’
Seel glanced up at him, his expression cool. ‘Will you keep out of this? I don’t want to have to ask Leef and Chelone to remove you. I know who and what you are, Ulaume. I remembered while I was following you here, because I’ve heard all about you. It does not cheer me to find Flick in your company. You call yourself Colurastes, but that’s not the whole truth, is it?’ He smiled coldly. ‘You are, after all, Ulaume of the Kakkahaar, aren’t you?’