Next I told them about the gate, and then about my fight with the barska and orla. At first I did not go into details of the battle, but Konnit wanted a blow-by-blow account. He stared at me hard as I spoke.
‘You fought exceptionally well,’ he declared.
‘It was either that or die,’ I replied. ‘The barska and orla do not expect to be challenged – that helped me. They rule through fear.’
‘They do rule through fear, but there is more to it than that,’ Ada said. ‘They command respect because they are the agents of the asscka, the most powerful of all djinn. Each Shalatan has seven hundred and thirteen selves. An asscka can number many thousands. But you did well to defeat them, Leif. Such binary djinn are formidable warriors.’
Then I gave an account of my journey back to the Barrier, and my final meeting with Peri by the river.
‘Death and glory? Is that really what she said?’ asked Konnit.
‘I would not lie, lord!’ I protested.
‘No, Leif, I do not question the veracity of your tale. It’s just that I find her words astonishing. She offers us an alliance that is doomed to failure. She wishes us to join with her in an enterprise that will lead to our eventual destruction.’
‘Her words are typical of warrior djinn such as Shalatan,’ Ada said. ‘They do not fear death, but only the manner of their dying. They wish to end in a blaze of glory. It is a tribute to you, Leif, that she changed her mind because of your success in defeating the barska and orla. From an enemy who used her gungara to slay any intruding humans, she changed into one who wishes to be our ally. No doubt she would use her vassal djinn as part of that alliance.’
‘The vassal djinn had children. That’s why I thought the ones on the bridge were human. Why would they have children when a self comes fully formed from a shatek?’
‘Those children would never grow up,’ Ada explained. ‘The weaker djinn are closer to humans in the way they feel and think. They wish to replicate human family life and society. But beyond the High Wall you would find many strong asscka djinn, some barely recognizable as human. These are totally alien and think very differently to us. They might resemble insects or crustacea or assume hybrid forms.’
‘What about the shateks?’ I asked. ‘Shalatan seemed to have only one, but it was the mother of all her selves. The one you used to create Thrym died after giving birth to just one.’
‘That’s because it was the lowest level of shatek. The highest djinn possess more than one shatek. An asscka might have a hundred and be capable of generating more. But let’s take stock of what we have learned,’ Ada said, nodding at me. ‘Summarize it for us.’
‘Firstly, we have learned what Ada probably already knew,’ I said, looking at Konnit. ‘That we can defeat Hob by destroying his shatek. We now also know that the djinn continually fight amongst themselves to determine their rank. That could also be used to our advantage. Shalatan offered us an alliance. Perhaps we could eventually ally ourselves with other djinn? Finally we have established that my father’s map is accurate, and I have made a sketch,’ I said, taking the map from my pocket and pushing it across the table to Konnit. ‘We know the way to the High Wall.’
‘I suspect that Hob will have more than one shatek by now,’ Ada told me, then turned to face Konnit. ‘What are your thoughts now?’ she asked him.
He frowned, lifting his gaze from the map. ‘There is much to digest, but it seems madness to ally ourselves with that single Shalatan. And as for finding others to augment such an alliance, is this possible? We might secure the area between here and the High Wall, but do we really wish to pit ourselves against the stronger djinn to the north?’
‘It seems to me that djinn do not monitor Midgard,’ Ada said. ‘Consequently we are under no immediate threat. We should take Shalatan’s original advice. We might have centuries in which to grow strong and develop our technology – I might be able to help get that started. We need a larger human population and there are ways to increase crop yields from the same amount of land. Time is on our side.’
‘In the meantime we can take one important step to increase the security of both Genthai and city dwellers,’ Konnit said. Then he paused and smiled at me. ‘It’s something close to your heart, Leif!’
‘We can destroy Hob!’ I exclaimed.
He nodded. ‘Yes, it is time to finish him for good. During the past few weeks, despite our best efforts to contain him, he has slaughtered many people. He asked for the Protector to be reinstated and for the Genthai to withdraw from Gindeen. We gave him our answer by executing the Protector. We are now in a state of war. I fear that he will eventually use some terrible weapon against the city. We must kill him before he can do that! Tomorrow I will convene a full meeting of the Ruling Council and plan how this may be accomplished. But after talking to you and hearing your report, I have decided one thing already – we will use the gramagandar.’
I was shocked. That was the last thing I’d expected. This weapon destroyed the false flesh of which Hob and all djinn were formed. It was because humans had used this against the djinn that we had almost been destroyed and the survivors imprisoned within the Barrier. What would it be like to see Hob’s selves killed by what was sometimes referred to as the ‘Breath of the Wolf’?
‘But, lord, I thought you intended to keep that as a surprise, if we ever moved against the djinn beyond the Barrier,’ I said.
‘From what you have told me, Leif, I think it will be a long time before we take an army across the Barrier – it probably won’t happen in our lifetime. Besides, as Ada has suggested, we are not being watched here. The djinn won’t know that we’ve deployed the gramagandar. We will only use one in case our enterprise fails. The others we will keep in reserve. But do not speak of that weapon or our plans to attack Hob to anyone but Tyron. He is the only one I trust with such knowledge. We know how gossip spreads – we don’t want Hob to be forewarned. Now go and rest and gather your strength. No doubt you will be glad to see your friends again.’
That was very true – though it was Kwin I longed to see.
HOPE THEY NEVER FIND OUT
The gramagandar is anathema to all djinn and its use is forbidden. It melts their flesh and sends them into the void.
But both djinn and gramagandar are products of Nym, which offers them both life and death.
The Manual of Nym
LEIF
As she was living and working at Tyron’s house, I thought Ada would come with me, but she stayed behind to discuss things with Konnit, saying she’d be along later.
That was good because I wanted to see Kwin alone. I went straight home, and she came running across the yard towards me. My heart speeded up at the sight of her. How had I managed to survive for so long without her?
She flung her arms around me and hugged me tightly. ‘Leif! Leif! I was so afraid that something had happened to you – that I’d never see you again. My father was worried too. He expected you back last month for pre-season training.’
‘A lot has happened, Kwin, and I’ve much to tell you, but I’m all right,’ I said, hugging her back.
‘Father! Father!’ she cried once she’d released me. ‘Leif’s back!’
Then she took my hand and led me into the house.
All I wanted was to be alone with her, but it was not to be. After a wash and a change of clothes, I was summoned into the dining room for a meal celebrating my return. Tyron, Ada, Deinon, Kwin, Teena and her small son Robbie were seated at the table.
I was hungry, but could barely take a mouthful of food because everybody was asking me questions, particularly Tyron. Deinon sat there quietly. Although he greeted me warmly, I noticed a sadness in his eyes.
I told them much of what had happened beyond the Barrier, but didn’t go into every detail. Of course, Ada had heard my tale before.
‘It’s good to have you back, Leif,’ Teena said as I brought my tale to an end. She seemed to have regained something of her sparkle. She was ruffling Robbie
’s fair hair as she spoke and he was smiling up at her.
A couple of nights a week she went with her child to the Respite House, where widows who’d lost husbands in Arena 13 gathered to comfort one another. Tyron had told me that she’d made a few friends there – he thought it was helping her.
‘The news you bring is good,’ Teena continued, ‘and I think it gives us all hope for the future. We’re not going to be attacked by the djinn after all. It’s wonderful to have that shadow removed from our lives. You don’t know how good that feels – to think that my son might grow up in safety.’
Nobody spoke for a while, but Tyron left his seat to pat her on the shoulder and Kwin kissed her on the cheek.
‘Konnit tells me that Hob’s been on the attack again,’ I said. I’d done most of the talking so far; now I wanted to know what had happened in my absence. ‘How bad has it been?’
There was a sudden silence.
Deinon got to his feet and, with his head bowed, left the room. Teena went after him.
‘What’s wrong?’ I asked.
Tyron shook his head. ‘The worst thing that could possibly have happened to poor Deinon. Hob has been preying on outlying farms, slaughtering whole families. To say that “Hob’s been on the attack” is an understatement. He killed Deinon’s father, mother and two brothers; however, he knew that Deinon was in my stable and let him live, threatening to kill him later.’
‘Should I go and have a word with him?’ I asked, starting to rise to my feet.
‘It’s best to leave it to Teena, Leif,’ Tyron advised, easing me back down with a hand on my shoulder.
I wanted to offer Deinon some comfort, but I didn’t know what to say. What did you say to someone who’d just lost his family? I remembered how I’d felt after Hob slew my mother and drove my father to suicide. Nothing anyone said could have made me feel better. I’d just wanted to be left alone.
Perhaps it would help if he knew that Hob would soon be dealt with once and for all. I’d have liked to announce our decision at the table, but I’d made a promise to Konnit, so I held my peace. This was something to tell Tyron in private.
‘Deinon has been working very hard with Ada – that’s helped him. His patterning keeps the pain at bay. You didn’t tell us about Deinon, Leif,’ Tyron said, frowning at me. ‘He’s a genius!’
Ada, who’d been training him in the arts of Nym – the patterning language that was used to communicate with the lacs fighting in Arena 13 – considered him to be a prodigy, but we’d kept this from Tyron. While I was away, the secret had finally got out.
‘Here’s a toast to Deinon,’ Tyron said, lifting his glass of wine. ‘I won’t live for ever, and it’s good to know that there’ll be somebody to take my place. I always hoped to train a gifted patterner, just as Gunter trained me.’
Gunter was a legendary figure in Arena 13 combat. He’d also trained my father, Math, and patterned the lac that he’d used to defeat Hob in the arena. While I’d beaten Hob there just once, my father had managed it fifteen times.
We clinked glasses.
‘And here’s another toast,’ Tyron continued. ‘To my younger daughter, Kwin, who hopes to move up the Arena 13 rankings as soon as the new season begins! She’s certainly good enough!’
This was excellent news and I smiled across at Kwin. I was pleased for her, but I was also worried. I would always be nervous when she was fighting.
Before I could be alone with Kwin, I had to talk to Tyron. He led the way to his study at the top of the house.
I sat across the desk, facing him. He sipped his glass of red wine while I told him about Konnit’s plans.
‘He intends to use that weapon – the gramagandar? Is that wise?’ Tyron asked.
‘It’ll give us a greater chance of success. We need to kill all Hob’s selves before he can use any powerful weapons of his own,’ I replied.
Tyron frowned. ‘In that case, I hope the djinn beyond the Barrier really aren’t watching us. Ada once said that there were two insurrections by the djinn. In that first big battle, humans were successful because they used the gramagandar to destroy their djinn enemies. But there was a second insurrection, and this time the djinn won. They killed billions of humans, permitting just a few thousand to remain within the Barrier. Do you know why they committed such an atrocity?’
I nodded. ‘It was because of the weapon that destroys false flesh. They fear the gramagandar and couldn’t forgive us for using it.’
‘Aye,’ said Tyron grimly. ‘Then let’s hope they never find out that we used it against Hob. That might mean the end for us all.’
At last I was able to go to Kwin’s room – though it wasn’t quite the happy reunion I’d expected. Her feelings about my prolonged absence came pouring out.
‘I was afraid, Leif. Terrified that I’d never see you again. I expected you back at least a month ago. I really did begin to fear the worst,’ she said, hugging me again.
‘It was the same for me. I missed you, Kwin,’ I told her, looking into her eyes. ‘There were times when I thought I’d never be able to come home. Ten of us crossed the Barrier, and I was the only one who came back.’
‘Then next time Konnit asks you to go on a mission, I want you to say no. Do you promise?’ she asked, holding me at arm’s length and staring back into my eyes.
I shook my head. ‘I can’t, Kwin. If we ever want to be free and safe, we have to take risks. There’s Hob to be dealt with.’
‘I was there when Hob killed for the first time this winter,’ Kwin said.
‘Who did he kill?’ I asked.
‘A boy called Goodwin.’
‘Where did it happen?’
‘There’s a museum in the west wing of the palace – it happened there,’ Kwin told me.
‘Who else witnessed it?’
‘Just me. We were alone together at the time,’ she said, no longer meeting my gaze.
My heart gave a sickening lurch. Why had they been together? I wondered.
‘After he killed Goodwin I thought he was going to kill me as well,’ Kwin continued, ‘but he knew who I was. He talked about you too. He made threats.’
I was horrified when she told me what had occurred. Hob had once promised to kill me only when I loved someone, saying he would kill that person first to increase my torment. Now it was clear that he really did intend to carry out his plan.
The moment I returned to the city, the danger to Kwin had intensified. I was very scared for her.
Kwin told me about Goodwin; although the boy was now dead, and Kwin had simply been trying to please her father, I couldn’t help feeling a little jealous.
‘I’m sorry – so sorry, Leif,’ she told me, ‘but I flirted with him. If I hadn’t encouraged him, he wouldn’t have been with me when Hob arrived. I’m responsible for his death, and I betrayed you too. If you want to finish with me, I’ll understand …’
I put my hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. ‘Did you want to be with him?’ I asked. ‘Would you rather have been with him than with me?’ I felt terrible asking her such questions, but I couldn’t help myself.
‘No, Leif. Not even for one minute did I think that. We danced together and I laughed at his jokes. I enjoyed his company. That’s the truth,’ Kwin told me, meeting my gaze steadily.
I pulled her into a tight hug and then we kissed. When we drew apart again, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small piece of wolf hide I’d stitched into the shape of a triangle. Then I held it out towards her.
‘It’s called a ghetta,’ I told her with a smile. ‘It’s a love token. A Genthai warrior offers this to the woman he chooses to be his wife. In accepting it, she accepts him, and then gives it to her father, who then keeps it as proof of the warrior’s commitment. I’m offering it to you now, Kwin.’
She took it and then put her arms around me.
‘I accept,’ she said softly into my shoulder, ‘but you’ve got to promise that you’ll never cross the Barrier a
gain.’
I wanted to be able to say yes. I wanted to reassure her and make her happy. But I couldn’t do it.
I shook my head and frowned. ‘I can’t make that promise, Kwin. I’d like to, but I can’t. But I will say one thing – I think it extremely unlikely that any humans will cross the Barrier again. At least, not in our lifetime.’
She stared at me for a long time before she spoke again. ‘I’ll just say one more thing and then I’ll let it drop. If you ever have to cross the Barrier again, I’m coming with you.’
As I made my way to the palace for the final meeting to plan the attack on Hob, I felt both nervous and excited. The revenge I had desired for so long was within touching distance. I wanted to see Hob destroyed for ever. But there was danger: he was powerful and resilient. Even if we used the gramagandar, there was no certainty of success.
We were seated around the large table where I had met Konnit after we’d defeated the Protector’s Guard. The Genthai had transformed the east wing of the palace: there were tapestries on the walls depicting mounted warriors riding along a valley, the sky dominated by an immense horned moon. They called this the Wolf Moon, and it was the symbol of Thangandar, the wolf deity, who some believed would lead them to victory against the djinn beyond the Barrier.
Only in this meeting room were there chairs and a table – a concession to city dwellers; elsewhere the Genthai preferred to sit on the floor.
The meeting was amicable right until the end.
‘We will keep our party small. Surprise and speed are more important than numbers, as we will have the gramagandar,’ Konnit declared. ‘I feel confident that we can put an end to Hob.’
He looked at each person in turn and then awaited a reply. Apart from me there were three others: Tyron, Ada and Wode.
Wode was Tyron’s friend and also his rival. He was an artificer and ran his own stable of Arena 13 combatants. He was a tall man who walked with a limp following an injury received fighting in the arena. In his day, he’d been a very successful combatant.