“The weather must break,” said Lykos.
“A Voltai storm can last for weeks,” said Trachinos.
“That is rare,” said Desmond of Harfax. “You are not out on Thassa.”
“It has rained for three days and three nights,” said Trachinos.
“I think the weather will break,” said Lykos. “It must break.”
“The wind is rising,” said Astrinax. “It will move the storm to the west.”
“Ah!” said Lykos.
“And there is a greater darkness in the east, yet to come!” said Trachinos.
“We are going forward,” said Desmond of Harfax. “The mountain is less steep ahead. Climb carefully. Do not slip. We will go above the slide and around it.”
“You are a fool,” said Trachinos.
“You are free,” said Desmond of Harfax. “You may depart when you wish.”
“Alone?” asked Trachinos.
“Be patient,” said Akesinos. “We have come a long way. The weather is sure to break.”
“It is dangerous to go alone,” said Trachinos.
Desmond of Harfax scrambled up the side of the mountain. I gasped, as I saw his foot slip.
In a moment he had rejoined us.
“Rope,” he said to Astrinax.
“Go back,” said Trachinos, angrily. “You do not even have the trail of Pausanias.”
“How is that?” asked Astrinax.
“The trail is too narrow for wagons here,” said Trachinos.
“Not when Pausanias passed,” said Astrinax.
“How do you know?” asked Trachinos.
Astrinax was silent.
“The trail is narrowed,” said Desmond, “slides, the rains.”
“They would be insane to have ventured here,” said Trachinos.
“They have directions,” said Desmond.
“How so?” inquired Trachinos.
“It has to do with a deck of cards,” said Desmond.
“You are mad,” said Trachinos, against the rain.
“One man might be mad,” said Lykos. “It is unlikely that some twenty men with ten wagons would be mad.”
“How could they get back?” asked Trachinos.
“Easily,” said Desmond. “They might no longer need the wagons. They could return on foot. If they wanted them, they could return differently. There is no dearth of routes. Too, with the men they have they could fell trees, bridge gaps, smooth passages, widen trails.”
“You have lost them,” said Trachinos.
“No,” said Astrinax. “Did you not note evidence of their passage just this morning?”
“No,” said Trachinos.
“A mark on a boulder to the right, a fresh mark, the mark of a wheel hub scraping the stone.”
“Absurd,” said Trachinos.
Desmond fastened the rope about his waist, and then about mine. I looked at him, but his eyes did not meet mine. Next came Astrinax, and then the Lady Bina and Jane, and then Lykos and Eve, and then, however reluctantly, Akesinos, who looped the extra coils about his shoulder. In this way, if one member of the party fell, there would be others to draw him to safety. The women were largely centered, and staggered with the men, who were stronger. This was clearly done with the safety of the women in mind. This solicitude was interesting to me, considering that three of us were slaves. Women are special to men, it seems, even when they are in collars. To be sure, the free woman is priceless, and the slave does have a value, as she may be sold.
“I am leaving,” shouted Trachinos.
Desmond of Harfax waved a farewell to him, and turned, bracing himself, into the wind and rain, and then, slipping some, began to ascend the mountain. I followed, the rope grasped in two hands, the pack on my back, Astrinax and the others, on the same rope, following. Shortly thereafter, in a momentary stop, steadying myself on the slope, my left foot lower than my right, I turned to look back. I shook my head and hair, and tried to wipe the rain from my eyes with the back of my right hand. It was hard to see, for the rain, and the shadows, but there was a new last figure on the rope. Trachinos was now behind Akesinos, and the coils of rope were now slung about his shoulder. So Trachinos was again with us. He had not left. He had one of the two spears tied across his pack. The other spear was similarly borne by Lykos. The spear is the weapon of choice against a charging larl, or, I suppose, Kur.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Dear Trachinos,” said Desmond of Harfax.
Trachinos, who had gone a little ahead, about a bend in the trail, spun about, wildly, almost dropping the mirror he held.
It had rained for two more days, and then the weather had cleared.
“I would discontinue your signaling,” said Desmond of Harfax. “You will endanger your cohorts.”
“I saw flashes in the hills,” said Trachinos. “I know not their source. I thought them possibly those whom you might be seeking. I responded.”
“The signaling,” said Desmond, “was from your band, from Venna, who have been with us for some time, at least since the six hundredth pasang stone of the Aqueduct Road.”
“I do not know what you are talking about,” said Trachinos.
“There are nine in your band,” said Desmond.
The right hand of Trachinos moved to the hilt of the blade slung at his left hip.
“There is an informant,” said Desmond.
“A spy!” exclaimed Trachinos, angrily.
“No,” said Desmond, “not as you would think of a spy.”
“How long have you known?” asked Trachinos.
“For days,” said Desmond.
“Akesinos!” called Trachinos.
Akesinos, then, like a sudden shadow, was at his side.
“We are discovered,” said Trachinos.
“Why now have you signaled your people?” asked Desmond.
“You are unarmed, Metal Worker,” said Trachinos.
“It would seem so,” said Desmond.
“We have waited long enough,” said Trachinos. “We are far into the Voltai. The journey back will be difficult and dangerous. There seems to be no clear end to your journey. Perhaps you have no rendezvous in mind. Or perhaps it is with the wagons of Pausanias, or some fortress or lair shared with them, and, if so, we would be considerably overmatched. Should we not, by now, if it exists, have reached some cache, some horde, or mine? Perhaps you are mad. We do not know. We have waited long enough.”
“It was a mistake to signal your band,” said Desmond.
“We think not,” said Trachinos.
“Was there a response to your signal?” asked Desmond.
“Look!” said Trachinos, pointing to the mountains.
“I see,” said Desmond. “It is unfortunate.”
I could see a flickering for a moment or two, and then it ceased.
“We bear you no ill will,” said Trachinos. “We will spare you your lives. We will merely take what you have, your coin, your supplies, your weaponry, the women.”
