,
beside him maiden, mother, hag
.
‘Wounded nor whole shall they prevail
,
these seven shall the Girdle bind
,
nor cease, nor turn, nor die, nor fail
,
shall all men seek what these shall find.’
He shook his head, pityingly. ‘I have chanted legendary nonsense at banquets with better stuff in them than that. It doesn’t even add up. There are ten in the verse if you count the basilisk, which it would probably be very wise to do. If anyone had a basilisk on his battle flag, it should be I, for that is the sign of the Drossynian Kings, but I cannot recall ever being called a “black warrior.” It has a nice cryptic quality, but if I were you, I’d give it up. You’ve troubles enough without setting off on an idiot’s mission.’
Jaer struggled upright, set her jaw. Her voice trembled but was unequivocal in intent. ‘I’ve said what I’m going to do. If I meet a chained captive, I’ll free it. And the next one after that and the next one after that. If I see anything that even looks like a basilisk, whatever that is, I’ll put it on a flag and find some warrior to carry it. You’re not obligated to me. I’d rather you weren’t. I’ll pay you back the passage money, and you can let me be. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.’
Medlo snorted. ‘If I were at all sensible, I’d take you up on that. But, Great Lord of Fire, there’s a story building here, and I’m a story fancier. I’ll go along for a time, because it amuses me, because I wouldn’t miss it for all the realm of Methyl-Drossy back again, plated in gold, with peacocks. Besides, you’ve overlooked something. Your silly verse calls for a singer who can play drums. A singer I am, and a drummer I am, so accept me as foreordained and quit struggling.’
With that he turned away to leave Jaer alone for the rest of the long day. They came into the port of Hynath late that same afternoon, the sailors suddenly swaddled in orbansin with the loose folds anchored at wrists and ankles to keep them out of the way and with their customary loud talk stilled into an occasional mutter. The quiet had a quality of prudence about it, echoed by Medlo as he gave Jaer low-voiced instructions.
‘Observe that these leather-lunged toilers of the sea moderate their manners in Hynath. They do it because they have been in Hynath before and because they want to get out of it this time. When we leave the ship, remember what I tell you. Walk three paces behind me with your eyes down. If someone approaches you, say nothing. If someone puts his hands on you, say nothing. Leave it to me. It is unlawful in Hynath Town for women to speak in the presence of Temple staff, and half the town is in the employ of the Temple. One sound out of you and you’ll be taken and sold. If I stop, for any reason, keep silent and keep your head down. Understand?’
Jaer nodded, too confused to be frightened at his serious tone. She hated the feel of the orbansa after the few days free of it, and she hated the feeling which flowed outward from the port and the look of the black-robed figures which flapped back and forth along the docks like great, shabby birds.
They laboured down the way under packs and bedding rolls into which the jangles had been packed. She kept a careful distance behind Medlo, mimicking his carefully modest demeanour, head well down. They had no sooner assed the huddle of warehouses than two armed men ore down upon them, bared faces hard in the clear sunlight, an acolyte scuttling between them, his chins swinging and little hands clutching at nothing, eyes eager and hot.
One of the men ran his hands over Jaer’s body, lingering over her breasts. ‘Well, ‘tis a girl. Here, girl. Where are you going?’ Jaer held her breath, heart hammering and fingers twitching toward her dagger. Medlo turned back, obsequiously.
‘Well, they gave her to me, sir, to see could I heal the strange disease of the skin the woman has. Ugly eruptions they are. She has already infected three of the sailors. Woman, I told you to stop scratching yourself.’ Medlo slapped at her twitching hand.
The guards drew away, the acolyte baring his teeth over a high, querulous question. ‘Would you bring disease to Hynath Town?’
‘I would not. No, Holy One, indeed not. We turn south to go down the coast. I think the disease can be cured, and until then she does well enough to carry the wood and fetch the water.’
The acolyte turned away angrily. Medlo set off toward the crossroad, drawing Jaer into the shadow of a building as soon as they were hidden from sight.
Jaer muttered, ‘What did they want?’
‘Only to make you say something, anything. Then you would have broken the law, and they could have taken you as a slave for any purpose they liked. But there is no market for women with skin diseases of the nastier kinds. There is no real market for old women, either. Could you walk like an old woman?’
Jaer remembered Ephraim’s last days and did her best to totter along as he had done, still three paces behind Medlo. Robed figures passed them as did other guards with bare faces. Hostility and anger breathed down the narrow alleys and all eyes were suspicious. Jaer concentrated on being old, old, old. No one touched her again.
The line of warehouses seemed endless, the constant suspicious glances needled at them. They hobbled on, and on, and then as they went through an open space among huddled buildings, Jaer heard the grating voice of someone talking to a crowd.
‘Still young, still useful, round and firm as a ripe melon, with good teeth and other useful parts….’
Against the wall, on a chest-high platform a woman crouched at the feet of the
