The Quest

‘The Font?’ he asked.

  ‘No matter.’ She realized her lapse and glossed over it. ‘Take no notice of an old woman’s idle chatter.’ She did not look up, but continued her examination.

  Taita opened his Inner Eye, and saw that the fringes of her aura were distorted, a sign that she regretted mentioning the Font. Then he saw the distortion clear, and her aura harden as she closed her mind to further questions he might ask about it. Clearly it must be one of the deeper secrets of the Guild. He would bide his time.

  Hannah completed her examination of his chest, then stood back and looked squarely into his eyes. ‘Now I must examine the injuries to your manhood,’ she said.

  Instinctively Taita reached down with both hands to protect himself.

  ‘Magus, you are a man entire in your mind and soul. Your flesh is damaged. I believe I may be able to repair it. I have been ordered to do so by an authority I dare not gainsay. You can oppose me, in which case I shall be forced to call for my assistants and, if necessary, for Colonel That Ankut and his men to assist me. Or you can make it easier for both of us.’ Still Taita hesitated. She went on quietly, ‘I have nothing but the deepest respect for you. I have no wish to humiliate you. On the contrary, I wish to shield you from humiliation. Nothing would give me deeper satisfaction than to be able to repair your injuries so that you may command the respect of all the earth for the perfection of your body as well as that of your mind.’

  He knew that yet another temptation had been placed before him, but there seemed no way in which he could resist it. In any case, if he co-operated it might carry him one step closer to Eos. He closed his eyes and raised his hands from his groin. He crossed his arms over his chest and lay quiescent. He felt her lift the skirts of his tunic and touch him lightly. Unbidden, the lascivious images that the imp had placed in his mind returned. He clenched his teeth to prevent himself groaning.

  ‘I have finished,’ said Hannah. ‘Thank you for your courage. I will send my report to the Council with Colonel That Ankut when you leave us tomorrow.’

  Tomorrow, he thought. He knew he should have been relieved and happy to be escaping from this hell that masqueraded as paradise. Instead, he experienced the opposite emotion. He did not want to leave, arid he looked forward eagerly to being allowed to return. Eos was still playing shadow games with his mind.

  It would be another hour before the sun showed above the wall of the crater, but Colonel That and his escort were waiting in the stable yard when Taita and Meren came out of their quarters, Meren carrying their bags. He slung his on to the bay, then went to Windsmoke and strapped Taita’s behind her saddle. When Taita came to her, the mare whinnied a greeting and nodded vigorously. Taita patted her neck.

  ‘I have missed you also, but they must have been feeding you too much dhurra,’ he admonished her. ‘Either that or you are in foal again.’

  They mounted and followed Tinat’s troop out through the colonnade and across the lawns to the lake’s beach. Taita turned in the saddle and looked back as they reached the point where the path entered the forest.

  The sanatorium buildings seemed deserted: there was no sign of life except the plumes of steam rising from the vents of the flues that carried the hot waters from the springs under the floors. He had expected that Hannah might come to see them off, and was mildly disappointed. They had shared unusual experiences over the previous weeks. He respected her learning and dedication to her calling, and he had begun to like her.

  He faced forward again and followed the escort into the woods.

  That rode ahead with the vanguard. He had spoken to Taita just once since they had left the clinic, to exchange a brusque, formal greeting.

  Taita felt his unnatural desire to remain in the Cloud Gardens recede as they approached the entrance to the tunnel through the crater wall that led into the outer world. He thought of being reunited with Fenn, and his spirits soared. Meren was whistling his favourite marching song, a monotonous, tuneless sound, but a sure sign of his good humour. Taita had grown accustomed to it over the thousands of leagues that he had listened to it and it no longer irritated him.

  As the gates of the tunnel appeared, That fell back and rode beside him. ‘You should don your cloaks now. It will be cold in the tunnel and freezing on the far side. We must keep together when we reach the entrance. Do not straggle. The apes are unpredictable and can be dangerous.’

  ‘Who controls them?’ Taita asked.

  ‘I do not know. There was never a human being in sight when I came this way before.’ Taita studied his aura and saw that he was telling the truth.

  He avoided the brutish stares of the apes as they drew level. One hopped forward and sniffed his foot, and Windsmoke skittered nervously.

  The other two bobbed their heads aggressively but allowed them to pass.

  Nevertheless, Taita sensed how close they were to violence and how easily provoked to attack. If they did so there was nothing he could do to restrain them.

  Taita stooped forward in his saddle as they entered the mouth of the tunnel and the hood of his cloak brushed against the rock. As before, the tunnel seemed endless, but eventually they heard the dismal howl of the wind and saw fitful grey light ahead.

  They emerged into the austere, magnificent grandeur of the mountains, so different from the beautiful serenity of the Cloud Gardens.

  The apes crowded round them, but reluctantly they shuffled and hopped aside to let them pass. They rode out on to the pathway and into the scourge of the wind. They huddled in their leather cloaks, and the horses lowered their heads to plod into the gale. Their tails streamed out behind them, their breathing steamed in the icy air and their hoofs slithered on the ice.

  That was still beside Taita and now he leant towards him until his lips were level with Taita’s ear. ‘I have not been able to speak to you before this, but now the gale will cover our voices,’ he said. ‘I do not know which of my men has been set to spy on me. It goes without saying that we can trust nobody at the sanatorium, from Hannah herself downwards. They are all spies for the oligarchs.’

  From under the leather hood Taita studied him closely. ‘I know that something troubles you, Colonel, and I think by now that you have learnt to trust me.’

  ‘I am troubled that you should look upon me as a renegade Egyptian, a traitor to my pharaoh and my country.’

  ‘Is that not an accurate description?’

  ‘It is not. I long with all my soul to escape this haunted place and the great evil that has sunk its roots deep into the land and the souls of its inhabitants.’

  ‘That is not what you told me before.”

  ‘No. That was when Onka was close at hand. It was not possible for me to tell you all that is in my heart. This time I have been able to escape from under his eye. He has a woman who is one of us. She placed something in his wine to discourage him from acting as your guide back to Mutangi. I volunteered in his place.’

  ‘What role does Onka play?’

  ‘He is one of the high-ranked spies of the Supreme Council. He has been set to watch over all of us, but you in particular. They are fully aware of your importance. Although you might not know it, you have been deliberately enticed to Jarri.’

  ‘For what reason?’

  ‘That I cannot tell you, for I do not know. I have been here less than ten years, but I have observed many men of special worth and talent come to this land as though by pure chance. But the oligarchs knew they were coming. Just as they knew you were coming. You are not the first of these whom I have been sent to meet. Can you imagine how many of these superior men and women have been brought to Jarri in this manner over the centuries?’

  ‘There seem to be many layers in this society,’ Taita said. ‘You speak of them and us as though we are separate bands. Who are they, and who are we? Are we not all Egyptians? Do you include me in your band or am I one of them?’

  That replied simply, “I count you as one of us because I now know enough about you to believe that you are a g
ood and just man. I perceive that you are gifted. You are a man of power. I believe that you may be the savior sent to put an end to the pervasive evil that directs the oligarchs and controls all things in Jarri. I hope that, if any man can, you will destroy the greatest evil of all ages.’

  ‘What is it?’ Taita asked.

  ‘It is the reason I was sent here originally. Why you were sent after me,’ That replied. ‘I think you understand what I refer to.’

  ‘Tell me,’ Taita insisted.

  That nodded. ‘You do well not to trust me yet. The reason that Pharaoh Nefer Seti sent you south was to seek out and bring down the barriers that have been placed across the rivers that feed our Mother Nile so that she may run down once more to Egypt, revive and renew our nation. Then it is your purpose to destroy the one who raised those barriers.’

  ‘I retract what I said of you before. You are a loyal soldier and a patriot. Our cause is one and it is just. How should we proceed? What do you propose?’

  ‘Our first concern must be to identify our enemy.’

  ‘The oligarchs?’ Taita suggested, testing his understanding of the quest.

  ‘The oligarchs do not stand alone. They are straw men, puppets, who strut and puff on the stage of the Supreme Council. There is aught that stands behind them. An unseen thing or person. They carry out its dictates, and the worship of this nameless power is the religion of Jarri.’

  ‘Do you have any conception of what this thing may be? Is it a god, or do you believe it is mortal?’

  ‘I am a soldier. I know how to fight men and armies. I do not understand this other dark presence. You are the magus. You understand the other world. It is my fervent hope that you will command us, that you will guide and counsel us. Without somebody like you we are not warriors but lost children.’

  ‘Why have you not risen up against the oligarchs and seized power from them?’

  ‘Because it has been done before, two hundred and twelve years ago. There was a rebellion in Jarri. In the first days it was successful. The oligarchs were seized and executed. Then a terrible plague swept the land. The victims died in agony, bleeding from their mouths, ears, noses and the secret openings of their bodies. It was a disease that selected only the liberators and spared those who were loyal to the Supreme Council and worshipped the secret godhead.’

  ‘How do you know this?’

  ‘The history of the rebellion is engraved on the walls of the council chamber as a warning to all the citizens of Jarri,’ That replied. ‘No, Magus, I am fully aware of the power we seek to bring down, and the risk we shall run. I have thought on it without ceasing since I found you at Tamafupa. Our only hope of success will be if you can hold the dark power in check while we destroy the oligarchs and their human supporters. I know not if you will be able to destroy the evil thing itself, but I pray to all the gods of Egypt that, with your wisdom and magical skills, you will be sufficient to protect us from its wrath long enough for us to escape from Jarri. I pray also that you can use those powers to shatter the barriers that the thing has placed across the tributaries of the Nile.’

  ‘We tried once to destroy the wall of the Red Stones, Meren and I. In the attempt Meren lost his eye.’

  ‘That was because you treated the demolition as a physical problem. At that stage you had not realized its deeper, more sinister implications. We know that our chance of success is infinitesimally small, but my followers and I are prepared to lay down our lives for it. Will you make the attempt? Will you lead us?‘I ‘That is why I came to Jarri,’ said Taita. ‘If we are to have that smallest chance, there is much work ahead of us. As you have pointed out, it will not be easy to escape detection. We must take full advantage of this rare opportunity to be alone and unobserved. First, you must tell me everything I should know of your preparations up to this time. How many men and women are with you? What dispositions have you made? Then I will tell you my own observations and conclusions.’

  ‘That is a sensible course of action.’

  In order to draw out the journey to its limit and thus give themselves every possible moment alone, Taita feigned weakness and exhaustion.

  He demanded frequent stops to rest and even when he was on her back he held Windsmoke at her slowest pace. That, who had evidently prepared for this conference, provided him with a full report of his plans and the battle order of his forces.

  When he had finished Taita told him, ‘It seems to me that you are not strong enough to take on the task of overthrowing the oligarchs, let alone pitting yourselves against the power behind them. From your own report most of your loyalists are imprisoned or enslaved in the mines and quarries. How many will be fit to travel, let alone fight, when you free them?’

  ‘Certainly we could not muster the forces to win a pitched battle against the oligarchs, then capture and hold the entire country. That was never my plan. I thought to capture the oligarchs by some subterfuge or ruse, then hold them hostage for the release of our compatriots from captivity and our safe passage out of Jarri. I know that this is the barest outline of a plan, one that, without your help, is bound to end in failure and death.’

  Taita called Meren to ride in their company. ‘Meren, as you know, is my trusted companion, a brave and clever warrior. I would like you to accept him as your second in command.’

  That did not hesitate. ‘I accept your recommendation.’

  As they rode on down the steep pathway the three discussed the basic battle plan, enlarging upon it and trying to find ways to strengthen it.

  The time passed too swiftly and soon the buildings and roofs of the citadel came into view far below. They stopped the horses and dismounted to divest themselves of their heavy leather cloaks and other mountain clothing.

  ‘We have little more time to talk,’ Taita said to That. ‘You and Meren know what you must do. Now I shall explain what I plan. Colonel That, all that you have told me so far has the ring of truth, and coincides with everything I have observed and discovered. I was informed by a seer and magus much greater than myself of the dark presence about which you spoke. This “goddess” is neither divine nor immortal but of such immense antiquity that she has been able to accumulate powers far beyond any possessed before by a mortal being. She has taken the name of Eos, the Daughter of the Dawn, and has a monstrous, remorseless appetite for power. All this I learnt from the magus Demeter, who was as well known to Meren as to me.’ Taita glanced at his companion for confirmation.

  Meren nodded. ‘He was indeed a great man, but I must contradict you, Magus. He was no greater than you.’

  Taita smiled indulgently at the compliment. ‘Loyal Meren, I hope you never discover my true defects. However, to continue, Demeter had encountered Eos face to face. Despite his power and wisdom, she almost destroyed him at their first encounter, and succeeded at the next. Meren and I witnessed the manner of his death, but he survived long enough to pass on to me vital information about Eos. He explained that her purpose in damming the Nile is to reduce Egypt to such a parlous state that the populace will welcome her as their saviour. That would enable her to usurp the throne of the Two Kingdoms. With all the power and wealth of Egypt behind her, she would launch herself upon the other nations of the earth like a falcon upon a flock of sparrows. Her ultimate design is to subjugate them all to her sway.’

  That had listened raptly to this point, but now he interjected: ‘Where did Demeter encounter the Eos creature? Was it here in Jarri?’

  ‘No, it was in a distant land where she once lived in the caverns of a volcano. It appears that she fled from there to this place. She needs to draw her vital forces from underground fires and boiling rivers. Demeter’s clues led me to Jarri.’ All three turned in their saddles to look back at the tall plumed peaks.

  That spoke at last: ‘There are three great volcanoes here. Which is her home?’

  ‘The Cloud Gardens are her stronghold,’ Taita replied.

  ‘How can you be certain?’

  ‘She disclosed herself to m
e while I was there.’

  ‘You saw her?’ Meren exclaimed.

  ‘Not Eos herself, but she appeared to me in some of her many manifestations.’

  ‘She did not attack you as she did Demeter, the magus of whom you spoke?’ asked That. ‘No, because she wants something from me. When she has it she will destroy me without hesitation. But until then I am safe - or as safe as anything can be when it is near to her.’

  ‘What is it that she wants from you?’ That demanded. ‘She seems already to have almost everything.’

  ‘She wants learning and wisdom that I have and she does not.’

  ‘I do not understand. Are you saying she wants you to teach her?’

  ‘She is like a vampire bat, but instead of blood, she sucks the essence and soul from her victims. She has done so with thousands of seers and magi over the centuries. You told me of those you brought to Jarri, Colonel That. What became of them once you had delivered them?’

  ‘Captain Onka led them up the mountains, along this pathway. I do not know what happened to them after that. Perhaps they are somewhere in the Cloud Gardens, living in the sanatorium. Perhaps they are working with Dr. Hannah.’

  ‘You may be right, but I do not think so. I believe they were stripped of their wisdom and learning by the witch.’

  That stared at him with horror. When he asked his next question it was in a different tone — one of fear: ‘Then what became of them, do you think, Magus?’

  ‘You have seen the crocodiles in the lake? You have observed their gigantic size?’

  ‘Yes,’ said That, in the same small voice.

  ‘I believe that answers your question.’

  That was silent for a while, then asked, ‘Would you risk that fate, Magus?’

  ‘It is the only way I will come close to her. I must be able to look upon her person, not upon one of her manifestations. Then she might unwittingly give me my chance. She might underestimate me and lower her guard.’

  ‘What happens to my people if you fail?’

  ‘You must all flee from Jarri. If you remain, it will mean certain death for you.’