strength, to swim inshore across the current Slowly, very slowly, he began to converge upon the bear. As he came by degrees into the slacker stream the distance between them lessened, until at last they were floating side by side and only a few yards apart
He could do no more. He was exhausted, conscious of nothing but the deep water beneath him, the fear of drowning and, somewhere far out of reach, the presence of Shardik. He could see neither sky nor shore. 'Accept my life, Lord Shardik. I regret nothing I did for you.' Losing the power of thought, sinking, no longer breathing: arms flung upwards, fingers clawing at the black, fainting dark; and now, in death, he felt once more the shaggy hair, the flank of Shardik, just as he had felt it when he walked beside him at nightfall into the forest and slept in the safety of his presence.
The darkness burst apart. He caught his breath and drew in the air. Sunlight was glittering on the water and sparkling in his eyes. He was clutching Shardik's flank, hanging by his clenched hands, tossing up and down, while beside him the great off-hind leg trod water as fast as mill-wheels strike. Scarcely able at first to realize what had happened, he knew only that he was alive and that he could still get ashore before the town was left behind.
The bear had not turned its head or tried to shake him off, and indeed seemed unaware of him. He was puzzled by its indifference. Then, as his head and sight grew clearer, he sensed that it was intent upon something else, some purpose of its own. It was turning shoreward, to the left, and swimming more strongly. He could not see over the ridge of its back, but as it turned still further, land appeared beyond its shoulder. A moment later it was wading. He let his feet drop, touched bottom and found himself standing, submerged almost to his shoulders, on firm stones.
They came ashore together, the bear and the man, close to the now cold cooking-fires, the duster of storage huts and servants* quarters lying shoreward of the Sindrad. Shardik, in his eagerness, thrust the water aside, splashing and shouldering through the shallows as though in pursuit of prey. Suddenly Kelderek saw the way of it The bear was hungry – famished – desperate for food at any cost Something had turned it back from the Dead Belt, but nevertheless it must have smelt food while lying in the forest and this was why it had plunged into the river. He remembered what Bd-ka-Trazet had said before leaving the Tuginda, 'If it begins to plague Ortelga, I promise you I will have it killed.'
Stumbling and still half-drowned, he began to follow Shardik up the slope of the shore, but tripped and fdl his length. For some moments he lay inert, then raised himself on one elbow. As he did so two men appeared from behind the nearest hut, carrying an iron cauldron between them and making for the water. They were bleary-eyed and tousled, scullions routed out of bed to the first chores of the day. The bear was almost on top of them before they looked up and saw it The cauldron fell to the stones with a booming sound and for an instant they stared, fixed in grotesque attitudes of shock and terror. Then, shrieking, they turned to run. One disappeared by the no way he had come. The other, blind with fear, blundered into the wall of the hut, hit his head and stood dazed, swaying on his feet Shardik, following, reared up and struck him. The blow knocked the poor wretch bodily through the wattle- and-daub of the hut wall, smashing it open in a ragged gap. Shardik struck a second time and the wall collapsed, bringing down part of the roof above. The air was filled with dust and with smoke from the new-lit hearth buried beneath the ruins. Women were screaming, men running and shouting. A burly man in a leather apron, holding a hammer, appeared suddenly through the haze, stared a moment petrified, and was gone. Above all the hubbub rose the growling roar of Shardik, a sound like the sliding of heavy stones down a hillside.
Kelderek, watching from where he had fallen, saw the bear lumber away into the smoke and confusion. Suddenly he felt hands under his armpits and a voice shouted in his ear.
'Get up, Kelderek, get up, man! There's no time to lose! Follow me!'
Ta-Kominion was beside him, his long hair streaming water as he dragged Kelderek to his knees. In his left hand he was holding a long, sharp-pointed dagger. 'Come on, man! Have you got a weapon?' 'Only this.' He drew Sheldra's knife. 'That'll do! You can soon grab yourself a better.'
They dashed forward round the burning ruins. On the further side was lying a man's body, the backbone like a snapped bow. Beyond, the bear was dragging the carcase of a sheep from beneath the debris of a second hut A little further off four or five men, on the point of flight stood staring back over their shoulders.
Ta-Kominion leapt to the top of a pile of logs, shouting, 'Shardik! Lord Shardik is come!' Round him the tumult spread wider as the whole town woke to the alarm. It was clear that there were those who had been awaiting his return. Already men were gathering about him, some already armed, others, half-naked from their beds, clutching spits, axes, clubs, whatever had come first to hand.
Dragging the end of a burning roof-pole from the ruins behind him, Ta-Kominion brandished it above his head. The second hut had caught fire and smoke had begun to obscure the sunlight As the heat and noise increased Shardik, disturbed from the sheep's carcase, became uneasy. At first he had glared about him, defying the strange surroundings as he satisfied his hunger, crouching in the posture of a cat to rip and chew the bloody flesh. As the dusky air began to waver and cinders blew out towards the river, he winced and snarled, cuffing at a spark that fell on his car. Then, as the centre-post of the second hut fell its length with a crash like that of a felled tree, he turned, still clutching the haunch in his mouth, and made off towards the shore.
Ta-Kominion, surrounded now by a shouting crowd, pointed with his dagger and raised his voice above the din. 'Now you have seen for yourselves! Lord Shardik has returned to his people! Follow me and fight for Shardik!' 'He is going!' cried a voice.
'Going? Of course he's going!' yelled Ta-Kominion. 'Going where we shall follow him – to Beklal He knows Ortelga's as good as taken for him already! He's trying to tell you there's no time to be lost! Follow me!'
'Shardik! Shardik!' shouted the crowd. Ta-Kominion led them forward at a run towards the Sindrad. Kelderek heard the shouting grow to a roar. Fresh smoke rose, followed by the unmistakable sounds of fighting – orders, the clashing of weapons, curses and the cries of wounded men. Picking up a stout, woven hurdle leaning against the log pile, he began to fasten it on his left arm for a shield. It was awkward, contrary work and he knelt down to it, fumbling and forcing at the wicker plaiting.
Looking up, he suddenly found the Tuginda standing beside him. Her clothes were dry, but the black, powdery ash blowing in the air had streaked her face and arms and lay grimy on her hair. Although she was carrying a bow, ready strung, and a quiver of arrows, she seemed indifferent to the fighting, which was now filling the entire town with its uproar. She said nothing, but stood looking down at him.
'I must go and join in the fight, saiyett, he said. 'The young baron will think me a coward. He may be hard- pressed – I cannot tell.'
Still she said nothing and he paused, looking up at her and at the same time trying to thrust his left arm further through the rent which he had made in the hurdle. 'Lord Shardik is leaving Ortelga,' said the Tuginda at length. 'Saiyett, the fighting-' 'His work here is done – whatever it may have been.' 'You can hear that it is not! Do not delay me, saiyett, I beg you!' 'That may be others' work. It is not our work.' He stared at her. 'Why, what then is our work, if not to fight for Lord Shardik?' 'To follow the one whom God has sent.'
She turned and began to walk back towards the river. Still hesitating, he saw her stoop and pick something up from among the ashes of the burned hut. She stood a moment, weighing it in her hand, and as she moved he saw that it was a wooden ladle. Then she was gone, through the smoke, down the sloping shore. Kelderek let fall his hurdle, thrust the knife into his belt and followed her.
On the bank, Rantzay and Sheldra were waiting beside a canoe drawn up on the pebbles. Staring out over the water, they paid him no attention. Following their gaze, he saw Shardik splashing towards the mainland, along the line of the broken causeway. Close by, shading her eyes against the glitter, the Tuginda was standing on a flat, squared block of stone in the shallows. He took her arm, and together they began to follow Shardik across the strait.
Book II Gelt
17 The Road to Gelt
