So Tel Hesani held his tongue and let Jebel rage quietly. When the boy calmed down, the slave led him to a different market, where he picked out the rest of the clothes and goods they’d need for the next leg of their travels — the trek through the hostile, mysterious realm of Abu Siq.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
From Hassah they picked their way northeast, keeping close to the banks of the as-Sudat. The land was barren and flat — flaky stone with occasional outcrops of weeds. It was easy to cross but cold at night. Jebel was glad of the extra clothes that Tel Hesani had insisted on buying.
They saw many boats sailing in both directions. Sometimes those on board waved at the pair, but more often they stared suspiciously. It was rare to see people on this side of the river. The stony land was officially part of Abu Nekhele, but most people considered it an extension of Abu Siq, and thus out of bounds.
When Jebel rose after their fourth night, Tel Hesani told him it was time to veer away from the river and search for the start of the siq, which the city-state of Abu Siq had been named after.
“Have you ever seen the siq?” Jebel asked as they cut inland.
“No,” Tel Hesani said. “Few people have. And fewer have lived to tell the tale.”
“What about the Um Siq? Have you met any of them?”
“Only one,” said Tel Hesani. “He had been enslaved and forced to duel for the entertainment of his master. An Um Siq will normally kill himself if removed from his people, but this one had been drugged. He fought to feed his addiction. He was a shadow of the man he must once have been, but he was still the fastest, sharpest warrior I’ve ever seen. He cut apart his opponents as if they were children.”
The ground rose ahead of them, and soon they were climbing hills and hunting for the entrance to the siq. From the top of the slopes, Jebel saw the giant peaks of the al-Attieg in the near distance, rising from the earth like a series of daggers. Many of the peaks were hidden by clouds. The mountains dominated the horizon. There were only two ways through — the gorge or the siq. Both were natural canyons, one created by the as-Sudat, the other by an earthquake, or a river that had long since dried up.
“Will the entrance be guarded?” Jebel asked, panting as they scaled one of the taller hills.
“Probably not,” Tel Hesani said. “Nobody is foolish enough to attack the Um Siq, so from what I have been told they don’t feel the need for guards. I’m more worried about snow.” He looked at the clouds and squinted. “I think we’ll get through before the first fall, but it’s hard to judge. Snow can sweep down within minutes here. If we’re trapped in the siq when a storm hits…”
For hours they crisscrossed the area, hunting for the elusive entrance. They knew that it was hidden behind a large rock, but there were hundreds of rocks in the hills, and each had to be checked. Jebel quickly lost patience, but Tel Hesani made him proceed slowly. If they missed the entrance, it would mean retracing their steps the next day.
They were heading towards a large boulder midway up a hill when the shale at Jebel’s feet exploded as if the earth had spat at him. Jebel leapt back, alarmed. Tel Hesani smiled — he thought some animal had moved beneath the shale — but then the ground at his feet exploded too, and he dropped to his knees. “Get down!” he snapped, drawing a sword and scanning the hills.
Jebel crouched and drew his own weapon. “Are we under attack?”
“I’m not sure. Somebody fired on us, but I don’t know if the shots missed on purpose or by accident.”
Jebel licked his lips and glanced around, looking for cover. Then someone called to them from high above. “Leave this place!”
Echoes made it impossible to tell where the voice had come from.
Jebel glanced at Tel Hesani. “Maybe we should go.”
The slave shook his head, then placed his sword on the ground and stood. “Do as I do,” he said, resting his hands on his head and locking his fingers together. Jebel groaned and put his sword down. Standing, he set his hands on his head.
There was a long silence. Then the voice came again. “Who are you?”
“My name is Tel Hesani,” the slave yelled. “This is Jebel Rum.”
“What do you want?”
“We seek passage through the siq.”
“The siq is closed to all but the Um Siq. Leave!” There were two more shots. One of the stones struck the side of Tel Hesani’s cheek and drew blood, but he didn’t flinch.
“We cannot leave,” Tel Hesani said. “We are obliged to use the siq.”
“I’ll kill you if you try,” the voice above them threatened.
“You have that right,” Tel Hesani agreed. “But we must press on regardless.”
“Why don’t you travel by the gorge? Have you no swagah?”
“We have more than enough swagah,” said Tel Hesani. “But we are on a quest, and journey by river is forbidden.”
“What is the nature of your quest?”
“We travel to Tubaygat, in the al-Meata mountains.”
“Are you Um Aineh or Um Nekhele?”
“My partner is Um Aineh. I am Um Kheshabah.”
There was another long silence. Then the person growled, “Lay all your weapons on the ground, and step away from them.”
Tel Hesani began to take out his knives. He nodded at Jebel to do the same, and though the boy was anxious, he did as the slave ordered. When they were truly defenseless, they took several steps away from their stash and stood waiting.
Some minutes later a figure appeared. The sun was behind the person, obscuring Jebel’s and Tel Hesani’s view. Jebel couldn’t see anybody else. “I think there’s just one of them,” he whispered.
“Yes,” Tel Hesani said, barely moving his lips. “But do nothing, even if we’re attacked. If there are others nearby and we raise a hand against this one, we’ll be dead before we have time to blink.”
They stood silent and unmoving as the Um Siq approached. When the person drew closer, Jebel was astonished to see that it was a girl, not much older than himself. She was pale-skinned. Her head had been shaven bare, except for a cluster of curls high on her forehead. She was clad in tight leathers, which fitted her like a second layer of skin. A dagger hung from one hip, a catapult from the other, and a staff stuck out from behind her shoulders.
The girl was almost upon them when she roared suddenly, grabbed her staff, and struck at Tel Hesani. The slave didn’t react. The staff stopped a couple of inches short of his left cheek and quivered there. Jebel desperately wanted to dive for his sword, but he was heedful of Tel Hesani’s warning.
Tel Hesani regarded the girl coolly as she glared at him. She swung the staff around and struck at him from the right. Again he didn’t react, and again she stopped short of contact. Snarling, the girl pirouetted away from Tel Hesani and thrust the tip of the staff at Jebel’s stomach. He flinched but held firm and gritted his teeth. The staff tapped him lightly, but it didn’t hurt. The girl raised the tip and nudged his chin so that his eyes came up. She stared into them aggressively. Jebel squinted back, wanting to knock the staff aside but fearful of the consequences.
Finally the girl lowered her weapon. “I am Hubaira of the Um Siq.”
“It is an honor to meet you,” said Tel Hesani.
Hubaira sniffed. “You said you were on a quest to Tubaygat. Do you go to see the mountain beast?”
“
“A monster dwells within the mountain,” Hubaira said. “It has five heads and thirteen arms. They say it devours all who come before it except the few it takes a liking to. It empowers those and sends them forth to conquer its enemies.”
“The Um Aineh believe that a god lives in Tubaygat,” Tel Hesani said. “He is called Sabbah Eid. But god or beast, he is much like your people believe.”
