He closed the box. “Okay, Mr. Dandra ko Galem. The bait is out. Now it’s your move.”
The senator was not in at the moment. Daniel had an idea. He put the hydger in his pocket and went outside, to the garden. Kernak, the huge Kotrvayk, lay silently under the leaves of a low tree.
“Hello Kernak,” Daniel said, calmly. He did not want to startle the large animal, so letting her know he was near was the best thing he could think of.
Slowly the big red head looked up at him as he came closer. Daniel kneeled down with Kernak as she sat up, her large yellow eyes directed at him. Only then Daniel noticed that the eyes of the Kotrvayk never seemed to blink.
“You are one special creature, you know,” said Daniel. “Nah, you probably don’t. But to me you are. I have never seen one like you, and I’ve been around.”
Kernak gently pushed her nose against his shoulder. Daniel had no idea what that meant.
“Do you know what I am supposed to do here?” he asked the large animal who kept pushing him. As she pushed him over, he laughed. “Hey, what’s that? Do you want to play?”
As if she understood him, Kernak walked off a bit, took a large piece of wood, it looked like a branch of a tree, between her teeth and carried it to him. She held it up and prodded him with it.
Daniel grinned and took the branch in both hands. A low growl came from Kernak’s internals as she slowly tugged at the branch. Daniel pulled back. And Kernak pulled. Soon after that, they both were tearing at the piece of wood as if they were crazy. Daniel did what he could to get the animal off her spot, but she had four big paws and her large tail and would not budge.
Two servants had come out to watch the strange wrestling match and whispered to each other. Daniel had noticed them come out but he did not spend any attention on them. The fight with the animal was too intense, too fascinating and too much a great distraction for him. It took his mind off things. All these things that were bothering him, enveloping him. All that counted now was to either wrench the wood from Kernak’s jaws, or to pull her from her spot.
Kernak had no trouble with Daniel’s struggles. It was as if she pulled exactly as hard as he did, matching his powers and not overgoing them.
After almost twenty minutes Daniel had to give up. He was soaking wet from sweating, from the fight. He dropped to his knees and laughed, laughed as a madman. “You are a rotter, Kernak,” he laughed, slapping at the animal who had dropped the branch. “You know how to distract people.”
The big red head was close to Daniel’s face. He could not resist. He put his arms around the thick solid neck and hugged the animal, still laughing. Kernak let him hug her, as if it was part of their game. Then Daniel let go and just lay down on the ground, catching his breath again. Kernak prodded him one more time with her nose, and then went back to her spot under the low tree.
Daniel felt free. He felt good. For a short time there were no attempts on his life, there were no plans and plots, no pirates and other nasty people. After a while he sat up.
The servants were still looking at him.
“I did not hurt her, you need not worry,” Daniel said to them.
“It is not her we worry about, Mr. Zacharias,” one of the servants said. “There has not been a human being who ever took down a Kotrvayk. It is a miracle that she wants you as a person to play with. This does not happen often, sir.” They bowed and left him alone again.
Daniel frowned. Why had they bowed? People here were very polite, but so far nobody had bowed for him. “Weird,” he mumbled as he got up. Before he went inside, he kneeled with Kernak and petted her for a while. “Thank you, Kernak. This is what I needed. I owe you.”
A deep rumble was his reward. Daniel went inside and found it was time for a bath.
51. Preacher
Daniel and Sygra had taken their supper together. Rayko was not strong enough, and still in too much pain, to join them.
Sygra asked Daniel about the day, and Daniel told him what had gone on so far. He also told the senator about how he had talked to Rayko, while she had thought he was someone else.
“I see how that troubles you, Mr. Zacharias. But believe me when I say that it is good for her to talk to a preacher. Everyone can be a preacher and a follower. So why not you. From what you told me, and what she told me, you two do not get along too well. Maybe if the preacher talks to her more, that situation can be changed. If you want that, of course. Otherwise, it is good for her to speak with a preacher about what troubles her.”
Daniel did not look convinced. “I still feel I am fooling her, senator. I mean, I know who she is, but she doesn’t know who is under that hood. And what do I know of the Litany of Nahmyo? Other than what you told me, that is.”
“That can be remedied, Mr. Zacharias…”
“Please, call me Daniel, sir.”
“Very well. If you call me Sygra, when we are alone.”
Sygra got up and walked to his bookshelves. Without hesitation he took one of the older volumes and gave that to Daniel. “Here. Read it as much as you can. Or skim through it and pick some passages that sound good.”
Daniel looked at the book. The leather was old and beaten, and many-coloured. The letters in the leather were faint, but clear enough: ‘Litany’. “Thank you, sir. Sygra.”
The senator nodded with a smile. “I will lend you the book. Hand it back when you feel you are finished with it, Daniel.”
They ate in silence for a while.
“I heard something interesting from my servants,” Sygra said. “Did you play with Kernak?”
“Yes. I did. She invited me. Pulling a stick. She is one strong animal, sir- Sygra.”
Sygra smiled. “Yes. She is strong. Amazingly so. It is good to know that she likes you so much. When Rayko is well enough, I will introduce her to Kernak also. I am quite convinced Kernak will appreciate her as well.”
“Appreciate?”
“Ah. You do pay attention, Daniel. Yes. Kernak can accept many, but appreciate only few. She appreciates you. Enough to play with.” That was all Sygra wanted to say about it, because whatever Daniel said, he would not divulge more.
In the small library they enjoyed a glass of wine, when Sygra said: “I really hope that the preacher has time to see Rayko before she goes to sleep, Daniel.”
“Do you think that is a good idea?”
The senator just nodded. “Go. Change. Talk to her. She’s had a rough time. Ask her. Let her talk. Get to know her. And do not ask her name. A preacher works in anonymity.”
Daniel was not all fine with the idea, but he decided to follow the lead that Sygra gave him. Silently he moved through the corridor and changed into the preacher’s outfit. Then he walked to Rayko’s room and gently knocked. “Hello?”
“Who is there?” The voice was stronger.
Daniel opened the door and came in. “It is me,” he whispered. That seemed to work.
“Preacher…” She sounded really happy with the visit. “Will you sit with me for a while?”
“Naturally.” Daniel sat down, to her side, so the hood would certainly cover his face. “How do you feel now?”
“I am better than this morning. It is still painful, but… better. I am grateful for good friends, preacher.”
Daniel held out his hand. She put hers in it. “Do you want to speak about what happened?”
Rayko nodded. “I want to. But I don’t know if I can say everything, preacher…”
“Say what you can, and hold for yourself what is too painful.” Daniel wondered where the words came from. Maybe the hood and the clothes were enchanted. He suppressed the silly chuckle. This was not the moment for that.
“I have been thinking,” Rayko said. “About my life so far, and what happened in the last days. I have had
