Chapter LV
Severus sat within the pack of Raspars, along the edge, his feet drawn close to his buttocks, his chin leaning upon his knees. His face still bore the marks of Jakke’s pleasure; for this reason, perhaps, he held his eyes half-closed, and at times they appeared to roll backwards as his head bobbed slightly. In the Raspar way he had withdrawn totally within himself, seemingly oblivious to all around him, his mind fully back within the Raspar walls, enclosed by their cold comfort, imprisoned by the past and future. He knew Krait would seek out Vespus again.
Indeed, Severus snapped out of his reverie to see the Bedoua pacing back and forth before the assembled archers, scanning the faces with an irritated expression, clearly mumbling to himself. As Krait passed nearby, Severus spoke without pretense of ignorance.
“Lo, Vespus no longer sits here.”
“Did I ass-sssk?” Krait tried to mask his surprise, then turned to his typically covert voice. “Where is-sss he gone?”
“Nay, I do not know. He has left the Raspar encampment.”
“How can I find him?”
“Lo, ye cannot. He sent me to speak with ye.”
“I will not speak with you,” Krait turned openly indignant.
“Lo, ye would do well to, for so he has sent me. Vespus is careless, but he does not make the same mistake twice.”
“He has-sss told you? Who else-sss?” hissed Krait.
“Nay, he tells no one else, for he knows I too hold no regard for your vizier Dungo. I will be all ye need.”
Krait studied Severus, who did his best to look disinterested. “Truly, he spoke of your disdain for the vizier. You should learn respect for the leaders-sss of warrior clans-sss!”
Krait could not fool Severus. “Aye, when we join in battle, your fat chieftain will bring only disaster upon us all, regardless of who fathers the attack, ye or the Rufoux, and so ye know yourself. Vespus has sent me to ye; ye will find me a better tool in the hand of malice.”
“I have not yet chosen to speak with you,” said Krait. “I don’t know yet if you can be trusted.”
“Lo, better, for as I say, Vespus is careless, but not so I. Vespus would gladly discuss the matter openly, but I say let us speak of this elsewhere.”
Krait received this saying gladly, at first, but the twisted gears of his mind soon made him unsure what to make of it. “You abandon the Raspars-sss way staying together? Do you not turn blindly away from what you hear and see from each other?”
“Aye, indeed the Raspars live that way within the Eternal City. And yet here more than Raspar ears stand about.”
Krait could see milling Rufoux and Melics nearby, and even some fellow Bedoua. He ducked low, spreading his robes in hopes he would not be recognized. Still, he hesitated to accept Severus’ direction.
“Look, I may not speak to you at all. I have no use-sss for weakness-sss. You have little ability to boast of yourself, as-sss your face-sss testifies-sss.”
Severus glared as he gingerly touched his fingertips to his cuts and bruises. His fingers began to tremble slightly.
“Nay, I will not be so humiliated. I will take no such beating from him nor ye.” Severus’ cool demeanor began to melt away, and his eyes froze upon Krait. “I will have my revenge, for being so misused in this prison, this filthy pen of my captivity! I will see my requital done upon that smith, and I will — I will kill — I will —” His eyes burned and he grasped at his hair with both hands, trying to remember his task, struggling to regain his composure. “Lo, I will — I must speak with ye.”
“I do not think it best to speak with you.”
“Lo, Vespus is not here. Ye can speak to nobody else. What ye have sent him to do has been prevented, I must gain ye weapons instead.”
“You will get the blades-sss from the smith?”
“Aye, I mus-ssst take them from the smith, and at the same opportunity I will have my vengeance.”
“Perhaps-sss you would do well, at that, with your hatred again-ssst the man. I can not act without the weapons-sss. But you mus-ssst do nothing rash to put my plans-sss in jeopardy.”
“Lo, nothing. I must do nothing.” Severus seemed to calm down, and spoke hopefully. “But still too many ears lurk about. Let us be off, to speak of this privately, so none may hear.”
“Where then?” Krait let his caution waver. “Let us-sss retreat into the forests-sss.”
“Nay, others may be about there we do not see. The Melics, they cleverly hide in the branches above. Let us go into one of the towers. There we will duck below the windows and know we are alone.”
Krait eyed the tower built into the closest corner of the stockade. It loomed over the compound, perhaps sixty kronyn over their heads.
Severus continued, hoping to entice Krait. “Lo, high above the rest, the towers are the only place to feel free of this hole. I have withdrawn to their heights often, where I feel my superiority, looking upon the pitiful Rufoux and Melics so far below, and the Koinoni boats that look like toys. Truly we rightly ascend into the heavens, for we are greater indeed than all these puny monkeys.”
“Into the tower?” asked Krait, mostly to himself. His preference for the rolling dunes under his feet left him with no great longing to climb into the air.
“Aye, come with me into secrecy. The Raspars keep lookout for us, do we not? I will send away the sentry, I will relieve his duty, and then only ye and I will be present.”
Krait weighed his options; he still hesitated. He talked in a distracted manner as he considered the height of the tower. “I have little desire for this-sss undertaking. I have little desire to speak with you at all.”
“Lo, ye will speak with me. Now or later, ye will, for ye need someone to go to the smith. Ye believe ye cannot go yourself, and ye depend upon another. Why does the metal smith set ye to such trembling? Why involve Raspars at all, if ye could get the weapons yourself?” Severus wondered aloud, as he had discussed with Mercedi. “Lo, I believe ye fear him more than I, though I received his beating.”
“Hush!” said Krait, his tinted lenses hiding his sudden concern. “Yes-sss, we will speak of this-sss, and only in private!”
“Lo,” said Severus as he stood. “It appears we have finally come to an agreement. What so inspires ye to change your mind? Ye neither click your tongue as your people do, nor do ye show the look of your eyes; ye are hard to know. A clever device, the dark glass ye hold before your face like a mask, but Bedoua have no knowledge of metals — how did ye fashion such a framework? Or did ye attain it from another? Where did ye get such a thing? From the Rufoux smith? Of course! Why has no one seen this before?”
Krait now pulled a reticent Severus along, in the direction of the tower, and the Raspar fool did not cease talking. “Lo, the Bedoua are not so clever, neither in metals nor understanding, but what your vizier can’t see for himself, another could show him. Certainly he would welcome hearing ye have been in league with the Rufoux for years. But ye must remain unseen by the metal smith, for he might recognize ye! Aye, is that not so? For if he were to know ye, certainly he would reveal your secret! For surely now I know it myself!”
“Shut up!” Krait hissed as they entered the tower, and he pushed Severus toward the ladder. “Shut up and climb!”
“Lo, ye have been seeking conspiracy against your vizier for years!”
“Shut up! We will speak of these-sss thing-sss only in confidence-sss!”
“Lo, did I not tell ye? Will ye not speak with me in secrecy after all?”
Up the series of ladders they climbed, from one level to the next, passing the wall walk and the spiked balustrade. Emerging through a trap door in the floor, entering the empty room high above the activity of the surrounding grounds, the two men faced each other once again.
“Yes-sss!” began Krait. “Long have I wished for the end of Dungo, for he is-sss a fool! I spit upon his-sss rule and the foolish culture of the Bedoua! We cower in our tents-sss at night, we announce-sss our emotions-sss without
control, we creep in fear of offending the mighty Rufoux! I will wipe out Dungo, and bend the Bedoua to my will, and make us-sss the greates-ssst clan of Medialia!”
“Lo, indeed, I also have felt the lust for blood.”
“Well you will need it, for I will not allow this-sss alliance-sss to continue the slavery of the Bedoua. If using Rufoux skills-sss helps-sss me destroy the Rufoux, so be it! So yes-sss, I have visited the Rufoux, and behind these-sss lenses-sss do I keep my own counsel, and neither Dungo nor the Rufoux will know. The Rufoux will fall finally to the blade of the Bedoua, and the Melics-sss as-sss well, and the Koinoni. If you would save the Raspars-sss, then you will join with me.”
“Lo, Mercedi has said just so.”
“Mercedi? Your regent? What has-sss she said? You told me no others-sss know.”
“Aye, but in truth many Raspars know, and not all would join in your ambitions. Indeed, Mercedi does not join, and I do not join with ye, who despise my weakness.”
“What? Then why do you bring me here? Damn you, what do you plot, having separated from your people so willingly!”
“Lo, I must be away from them for my mission, just as I must in the Eternal City.” The wild look returned to Severus’ eye.
“Wait,” Krait said in panic. “Why does-sss this tower have no Raspar sentry?”
A sudden shriek rang across the compound, and a group of assorted clansmen without turned toward its source, the corner of the structure. A figure in robes fell like a fluttering bird from one of the towers, headfirst, landing without struggle upon the ground below, outside the stockade. Wyllem thought he saw a shadow move across the tower. Together the gathering of men ran to the figure lying inert, stricken with bloody, gory head injuries so massive, only the discovery of the glasses nearby showed it to be Krait.