The Road To Cordia

  "Morning," he said with a cheerful smile.

  Oh Lord, he was one of those morning people, who got up at the crack of dawn all bubbling, and eager to start the day.

  Ja'Nil hated morning people. They always acted as if there was something morally superior about waking up hours before a sensible person was able to crawl out of bed. Finally she had found one flaw in the beautiful, perfect Ee'Rick. Mornings. Ugh!

  Ja'Nil grunted and rolled over onto her back and stared up at the awakening world. It was going to be a beautiful day, no excuse to curl back into her blanket and sleep for a few more hours. Suddenly Ja'Nil realized that for the first time since she had left her village she was waking up to a new day completely unafraid.

  Her eyes fell on Ee'Rick's blanket, neatly rolled and ready for travel. Her bizarre behavior of last night came crashing back to her. Had he noticed his blanket was in a different position than he had left it? Could he possibly have seen her lying in his blanket?

  She groaned to herself. He probably knew all about it; probably laughing at her. She hated him!

  "All right, are you?" asked Ee'Rick.

  "Yeah, yeah," she mumbled, crawling out of her blanket.

  "You're one of those, 'I don't do mornings people', aren't you." He grinned a morally superior grin. She didn't bother answering him, just staggered off into the bushes.

  Ten minutes later, bladder emptied, face washed, teeth brushed, hair damp from the ice-cold stream that she had dunked her whole head in, she returned to camp.

  When she pulled out a clean tunic from her pack, Lady Fayre's ring tumbled to the ground. Aside from the circle itself, there wasn't much of it left. She carefully placed it on her right thumb; better than carrying it around in her pack.

  Ee'Rick was still cheerful. "Can you eat a whole Gundi bird?" he asked.

  "No."

  "Didn't think so." He took out his knife and cut one of the birds in half, handing her one of the halves.

  "Thank you."

  "You're welcome."

  She squatted down next to him and tore into breakfast.

  They washed their meal down with a spicy tea Ee'Rick had made. By this time, Ja'Nil was in a much better mood.

  "Did you wake up during the night?" Ee'Rick asked as he slipped his knife in its sheath.

  Ja'Nil hesitated then said, "Once I fell asleep I was dead to the world." Well it was the truth. She didn't mention how long it took her to fall asleep.

  They finished eating, washed their greasy hands in the stream, then strapped on their packs and were off to Cordia.

  CHAPTER 22

  It wasn't that far. After only two hours of walking, Ee'Rick called a halt on a modest hill overlooking a small fertile valley. On the far side, on top of a much larger hill, they could see the walled city of Cordia, capital of Cancordia. The battlements were made of some red-pink-orangey material that glowed under the two suns like a tiny faceted jewel.

  By the time they had crossed the valley and started up the hill, Cordia had grown to gigantic proportions. There was just one road and it was crowded with people coming and going, carts pulled by strange draft animals that Ja'Nil had never seen before and whole families riding small furry, six-legged beasts with sad eyes.

  "What's that?" she asked, pointing at one of the beasts.

  Ee'Rick squinted at it, and then reluctantly shrugged. "Don't know." He disliked not being able to answer her questions. Acting as a know-it-all big brother to Ja'Nil made him feel good. He didn't like letting her down.

  Considering how much effort had been expanded in putting up the city walls, it was surprisingly easy to enter the city. Guards stood at the gate but they talked busily among themselves and seemed to pay no attention to the people coming and going. The only difficulty getting in was from the groups of people who had stopped just inside the gate to talk in low excited voices. These people kept looking over their shoulders, staring rudely at everyone who passed them. Some even stopped talking until Ja'Nil and Ee'Rick passed, then they started excitedly whispering again. A number of people stopped and stared directly at Ee'Rick, some even pointing fingers.

  "What rude people," said Ja'Nil, feeling vaguely afraid.

  "They've probably never seen one of my Clan before," said Ee'Rick. He was standing very tall, his expression cold and impassive. It was so different from his usual friendly grin that Ja'Nil was almost afraid of him. Everywhere they went conversations stopped, only to be heatedly picked up when they were past.

  Ja'Nil saw so many different kinds of people, in different kinds of dress with different kinds of accents, that she was surprised anyone even noticed Ee'Rick. Of course, he was beautiful, but frankly, the stares he was collecting did not seem to be admiring.

  Ja'Nil had never imagined there could be so many people in the whole world, let alone in one place. The colors, the smells, some lovely, some gross, the constant hustle and bustle, the sheer noise of so many people and animals crowded together, gossiping, working, yelling, buying and selling, standing around stalls slurping down the ever-present noodles, all made her dizzy.

  Ja'Nil's stomach growled, reminding her that breakfast had been hours ago. The dusty streets made her mouth to dry. She remembered telling the children not to worry: that she would have no difficulty finding their father. Hah! How could she possibly find one Mummer in this swarming madhouse? She didn't even know how to find the Queen.

  "There's the Palace," said Ee'Rick gesturing with his chin.

  Ja'Nil's eyes followed where he indicated. The Palace was surrounded by its own wall, made of the same glowing material as the city battlements, but this one was a brilliant throbbing blue-green, shading from light to dark as the clouds floated in front of the two suns. The pulsating colors made it seem almost alive. Ja'Nil reached out and touched it. It was warm and smooth, seeming to welcome her caress.

  "Hey, ya," yelled a rough voice. "What youse doing there?"

  Two guards, dressed in red and gold uniforms rushed over to her, long curved knives raised to attack. Their eyes were glassy with anger.

  Ee'Rick reached out a long arm and pulled her away from the wall placing her behind him. "She just wanted to touch the wall," he said, his voice cold and imperious. "She's never seen the like before."

  The two guards slid to a stop. They were still waving their long knives but seemed unsure of their next move. There was something wrong with the left eye of one of the guards. He tried to look Ee'Rick up and down but his eye kept wandering off in a different direction.

  The other guard sniggered. "Well, whatta ya know," he said, looking insolently at Ee'Rick, "It talks."

  "It does a lot more than talk," said Ee'Rick, cold as ice.

  Ja'Nil cut in hastily before they could come to blows or stabbings. "Is there a Queen's audience today?" she asked.

  The guards reluctantly took their eyes off Ee'Rick. "Wha?"

  "I've been told the Queen holds audience twice a week. "

  "Are ya simple?" asked the guard with the wandering eye.

  "Just answer her question," Ee'Rick growled.

  The other guard smiled slyly. "Ya goes 'round to the Audience Gate, ya does. It's a big un'. Blood red, it is." He looked up at the two suns, judging their positions. "Queen's Audiences always start when Little'un catches up wit First Sun."

  "Any minute now," added wandering-eye. He seemed amused. "Cause I don't know whats doin', considern."

  "Considering what?" asked Ee'Rick.

  The other guard sniggered but neither answered him.

  "I don't recognize your uniforms," said Ee'Rick. "Whose colors are those?"

  The question seemed to anger old wandering eye. He shoved his face close to Ee'Rick's, although because he was quite a bit shorter, his aggression was not as effective as it might have been. "We be of Raptor Keep."

  "Lord Raptor." said Ee'Rick, Ja'Nil was surprised that Ee'Rick seemed to know about the workings of Cordia.

  "Aye, these be his colors."

  "Where are the Queen's
soldiers?" asked Ee'Rick.

  "I told ya where be the Audience Gate. That's all I'm tellen' ya. Now be off," said the other guard. "Ya, too," he added looking at Ja'Nil. Giving Ee'Rick another ferocious glare, the two guards continued their patrolling of the palace.

  * * *

  The guard hadn't lied; the Audience Gate was both big and a throbbing blood red color. In fact, it was quite intimidating. Surprisingly, no soldiers guarded this important looking gate.

  "Security seems pretty spotty," said Ee'Rick. "Almost as if they know there's no danger but want to make a show."

  "Should I go in?" Ja'Nil wondered aloud. Just looking at the throbbing blood-red gate was making her nauseous.

  Ee'Rick understood her unease. "Don't worry about the gate's appearance. It's meant to scare away all those who have no serious concerns to put before the Queen. A sort of triage," he explained.

  "Are you going in too?"

  "Aye, I have business of my own with the Queen," he said.

  She looked at him in surprise, "I didn't know that."

  Ee'Rick walked through the gate, which gave off a mellow "BONG" as he passed through. Ja'Nil froze. Once on the other side, he turned back and looked at her. "Come," he said.

  Ja'Nil swallowed, readjusted her pack, closed her eyes, and stepped through to join Ee'Rick. "BONG," said the gate again. She jumped nervously and glanced behind her; everything on the other side of the gate looked very small and far away, as if they had traveled a mile instead of just a few feet.

  "Look," she said to Ee'Rick.

  He nodded. "It's a travel gate. I've seen them before. Can save you miles, days sometimes. Pretty powerful gift."

  "The Queen's gift?"

  Ee'Rick shrugged, "Don't know. But it's benign."

  Ja'Nil thought about that. Maybe this time it was benign but what if the owner of the gate decided to deliver travelers where they didn't want to go? It could be a very powerful weapon.

  Ee'Rick was already moving down the hallway. Ja'Nil hurried to catch up with him.

  * * *

  The audience room, officially called the Hall of Rulers, was huge, at least three stories high, with a curved ceiling painted so that clouds seemed to drift across its blueness. It was brightly lit with the light seeming to emanate right out of the walls themselves.

  Twelve pillars were positioned around the room, each a bright scarlet. On the pillars, painted in gold, Ja'Nil saw the twelve vows every Cancordian ruler took before being crowned.

  A magnificent throne held pride of place on a raised platform at the far wall. There were seats along the other walls, but the center of the room was bare of furniture. It was a room meant for crowds and important functions of state. It would have been a cheerful place except for one thing; they were the only people present.

  "Maybe there's another audience room," said Ja'Nil.

  "No," said Ee'Rick. "This is it."

  The large empty room seemed to echo back the sound of their breathing. Ja'Nil found herself looking nervously over her shoulder.

  Suddenly, "What are you doing here?" asked a sharp male voice.

  Ja'Nil whirled guiltily but Ee'Rick turned slowly and looked the man over carefully.

  A fussy looking middle-aged man, his bald pate completely encircled by a stringy fringe of gray hair, bustled across the room . He was dressed in bright-colored, expensive-looking clothes with an emblem in the shape of a shield sewn onto the middle of his tunic. The initials QT were embroidered onto the shield.

  "QT?" asked Ja'Nil.

  "Queen Ten'Aj," snapped the man. "I am Grand Usher of the Queen's Audience. Who are you?"

  "We were told there was a Queen's Audience today," said Ee'Rick.

  "Who told you that?"

  "Is there an audience today?" asked Ee'Rick.

  "Of course not," said QT.

  "But I have a message for the Queen," said Ja'Nil.

  "You and every citizen of Cancordia." He seemed quite put out.

  "This message is important, it's from… " she hesitated. She had not even told Ee'Rick that she was doing a service for Lady Fayre. "Uhm - I'm supposed to say, 'I have walked through the Rushita Path with my Queen'."

  "What did you say?"

  "I have walked -" Ja'Nil started to repeat the phrase.

  "Who told you to say that?" asked the usher, growing even more agitated.

  Ja'Nil drew herself up as tall as possible. "That is something for the Queen alone to know," she said in her best imitation of Lady Fayer's grand commanding elegance.

  The usher stared at her for a long moment, and then looked at Ee'Rick. "Are you with her?" he asked.

  Ee'Rick nodded.

  "Wait here," ordered the usher. "Both of you." He turned and scuttled from the room.

  Ee'Rick looked thoughtfully at Ja'Nil. "You carry a message from Lady Fayre?"

  "How did you know it's from her?"

  He grinned. "That was a very good imitation you did."

  "You know the Lady Fayre?"

  "We've met." His tone was neutral.

  They waited in that great empty room for the usher to return.

  "There is something strange about all this," said Ee'Rick. He stepped to the doorway and looked up and down the long hall. Suddenly he called out, "You there."

  Ja'Nil peered around him. A long way down the hall a woman carrying a tray stopped at his call, but made no move to approach them so Ee'Rick, with Ja'Nil trailing him, went to the woman.

  By the looks of her, she was some sort of a servant. She was carrying a tray of half-eaten food and she was crying. When Ee'Rick drew close, she gasped at his strangeness but being well trained, gave him a quick curtsy.

  "Is there a Queen's Audience today?" Ee'Rick asked her.

  He was answered by a loud wail and a great many more tears. "'Course not," the woman blubbered.

  "Why not?" asked Ja'Nil.

  Apparently, the servant was either too upset or didn't think Ja'Nil merited a curtsy. Her crying however, got even louder.

  Ee'Rick crossed his arms and glared at the woman. "Stop that bawling and answer the question," he ordered. "Why isn't there an audience today?"

  "Cause she's dead," sobbed the woman.

  "Who's dead?"

  "Queen Ten'Aj a 'course. Yesterday it was." Having delivered the news, the woman blew her nose on her sleeve, slightly lowered the decibel level of her sobs, and continued on her way.

  Ja'Nil and Ee'Rick stared at each other.

  "Do you think it's true?"

  Ee'Rick nodded. "Something's wrong," he said. "Something's been wrong in Cancordia for over a year now," he muttered to himself. He looked up and down the hallway. "Let's get out of here."

  "But shouldn't we wait for QT?"

  "Who?"

  "The usher."

  "No." He took her arm firmly. "Off we are."

  * * *

  Getting out of the palace was like finding their way through a maze. Only when they reached a public plaza did they finally stop to catch their breath. Immediately Ja'Nil's stomach growled.

  Ee'Rick grinned, "Yes, I'm hungry, too." He looked around. "There's a tavern over there. Let's see what sort of food they're serving." He started off, but Ja'Nil held back. Realizing she wasn't with him, Ee'Rick came back. "Problem?"

  Ja'Nil had only the few coins Lady Fayre had given her. Considering the outrageous prices she had run into ever since she started this trip, she doubted it was enough for a meal at that very up-scale looking tavern Ee'Rick was headed for.

  "I'm not really very hungry," she said.

  "Well I am," said Ee'Rick. He took out a one hundred Queen piece and showed it to Ja'Nil. "We have enough," he assured her.

  So he knew she was poor. Ja'Nil blushed and shook her head. "I can't let you spend your money on me."

  "You ate the rabbit I caught," he reminded her. "And the Gundi bird."

  "That's different."

  "How's it different?"

  "It just is."

  "Jadẵ, do
n't eat, but its only good manners to keep me company while I do." He took her arm firmly and started off in search of a meal.

  * * *

  The tavern was a far cry from Fat Thom's front room where he served bitter beer and slabs of meat and bread that the patrons had to put together into a sandwich themselves. Not that Ja'Nil had ever been there. It was no place for a young girl and besides, she never had any money.

  The tavern Ee'Rick steered her to was called the Red Dog Pub. Its front room was large and bright with sunlight. Sawdust covered the wooden floor. Scattered around the room were individual tables with benches and stools. Women, wearing long colorful aprons and low cut tunics, moved briskly through the crowd carrying trays of drinks and delicious smelling food.

  Ee'Rick snagged a table by one of the large windows. Almost immediately a waitress arrived to take his order. When she got a good look at Ee'Rick, she stared at him in amazement. He ignored her rudeness. "Thin beer," he ordered, "and small meat pasties, also Rainbo stew." He looked up; the waitress was still staring at him. "Write the order down," he told her, "and bring the food."

  She closed her mouth and wrote down the order. "Yes sir," she said. "Right away, sir." She vanished into the kitchen without once glancing at Ja'Nil.

  For her part Ja'Nil tried to ignore the delicious odors and looked around with interest. Most of the patrons were men but there were enough women present so that she didn't feel self-conscious. Well-dressed and prosperous, the patrons represented all the races of Cancordia, Cloud People; Sky People and Earth People; unless there were others that Ja'Nil didn't know about. Ee'Rick appeared to be the only Clan of the Golden Wolf person present.

  At each of the tables, people huddled together talking anxiously in low voices. The ones nearest kept shooting nervous glances over their shoulders at Ee'Rick.

  "They're talking about the Queen," Ja'Nil realized.

  Ee'Rick nodded. "I wonder how she died. She was only in her thirties."

  The waitress appeared with a loaded tray. She set a large drinking jug filled with thin beer in front of each of them, in the middle of the table she placed a platter with a dozen small meat pasties, next to it she plopped down a covered stew pot. Wooden bowels and spoons made of bone were placed in front of each of them.