The City people had forgotten how to think. They’d have to remember. I hoped the slaves would remember, too.
I tried to call to Argul as we raced neck and neck, through echoing caverns of stone, the hoofs of the horses sounding like hammers.
‘There’s still a chance – if I misjudged her – Ironel – a chance she might just go on as she did before—’
‘Can’t hear you, Claidi,’ Argul shouted back.
So I had to answer myself. Yes, there was a chance Ironel might do that. If I’d guessed correctly, she hadn’t used the books or read the Dice for years. She’d said any old number she thought of, and as for the Law, she’d just been making it up. And what she’d made up was pretty evil. (Except for Nemian and herself. Letting him marry someone he must really have wanted, and sending him on a quest to fetch what Ironel wanted – me.)
She was old and mad. But then again, she knew – I’d swear she did – what I was going to do. She left me no choice. Scaring me, making me angry. Leaving me on my own in the Room. I mean, she practically told me how to do it.
Even so, I longed for some sign I’d done the right thing.
We got out of the City much more quickly than I’d have thought possible. Perhaps it’s not so huge as I believed. It had only seemed too big for me.
The starlit land rolled away, away to other places. Away to the Hulta camp, and Blurn and Teil and Dagger, where they were, far along the River, which was only a river. Away to somewhere where I could keep still, and breathe and be. And where I can stop bothering you, my invented friend, who’s stuck by me and helped so much.
The starlit land. The Waste that isn’t.
We paused, in some thin trees on a rise, to give the horses a rest. (Sirree was terrific.)
I kept saying to myself, Did I do the right thing? (I keep saying that, still. What do you think?) But you see, I couldn’t stay, if I had a chance of escape. And I couldn’t leave them as they were. I’m trouble, as Argul said. (And as Nemian never knew.) And by then, on that rise, it was well past midnight, the time of the Law.
Argul took my hand, and shook it up and down. His armlets jangled, and for some reason we both grinned.
‘Ring not too painful?’ he asked.
I said, truthfully, ‘It feels like it’s part of my hand.’
And just then, dull thunder, a roar. I nearly screamed.
‘Oh God. Argul – Argul – the city – it’s exploded – it’s on fire!’
We stared. And above, the night changed colour. Silver, scarlet, amber, violet, gold and white.
It was Mehmed who said, explaining, pleased, ‘No, Claidi. It must be a celebration. They’re letting off about two thousand fireworks.’
If you’ve enjoyed this book and would like to read more great SF, you’ll find literally thousands of classic Science Fiction & Fantasy titles through the SF Gateway.
For the new home of Science Fiction & Fantasy …
For the most comprehensive collection of classic SF on the internet …
Visit the SF Gateway.
www.sfgateway.com
Also by Tanith Lee
Birthgrave
The Birthgrave (1975)
Vazkor, Son of Vazkor (1977) (aka Shadowfire)
Quest for the White Witch (1978)
Novels Of Vis
The Storm Lord (1976)
Anackire (1983)
The White Serpent (1988)
Four-BEE
Don’t Bite the Sun (1976)
Drinking Sapphire Wine (1977)
Silver Metal Lover
The Silver Metal Lover (1981)
Metallic Love (2005)
Tanaquil
Black Unicorn (1989)
Gold Unicorn (1994)
Red Unicorn (1997)
Blood Opera
Dark Dance (1992)
Personal Darkness (1993)
Darkness, I (1994)
Lionwolf
Cast a Bright Shadow (2004)
Here in Cold Hell (2005)
No Flame But Mine (2007)
Other Novels
Volkhavaar (1977)
Electric Forest (1979)
Day by Night (1980)
Lycanthia (1981) (aka The Children of Wolves)
Sung in Shadow (1983)
Days of Grass (1985)
A Heroine of the World (1989)
The Blood of Roses (1990)
Heart-Beast (1992)
Elephantasm (1993)
Eva Fairdeath (1994)
Vivia (1995)
When the Lights Go Out (1995)
Reigning Cats and Dogs (1995)
White as Snow (2000)
L’Amber (2006)
Greyglass (2011)
Collections
Cyrion (1982)
Tamastara (1984) (aka The Indian Nights)
The Gorgon: And Other Beastly Tales (1985)
Women as Demons (1985)
Dreams of Dark and Light (1986)
Forests of the Night (1989)
Nightshades: Thirteen Journeys into Shadow (1993)
Tanith Lee (1947 – )
Tanith Lee was born in London in 1947. She is the author of more than 70 novels and almost 300 short stories, and has also written radio plays for the BBC and two scripts for the cult television series Blake’s 7. Her first short story, ‘Eustace’, was published in 1968, and her first children’s novel The Dragon Hoard was published in 1971. In 1975 her adult fantasy epic The Birthgrave was published to international acclaim, and Lee has since maintained a prolific output in popular genre writing. She has twice won the World Fantasy Award, and been a Guest of Honour at numerous science fiction and fantasy conventions including the 1984 World Fantasy Convention in Ottawa, Canada. In 2009 she was awarded the prestigious title of Grand Master of Horror. Tanith Lee is married to author and artist John Kaiine, and lives in the southeast of England.
For more information see www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/lee_tanith
Copyright
A Gollancz eBook
Copyright © Tanith Lee 1998
All rights reserved.
The right of Tanith Lee to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
This eBook first published in Great Britain in 2014 by
Gollancz
The Orion Publishing Group Ltd
Orion House
5 Upper Saint Martin’s Lane
London, WC2H 9EA
An Hachette UK Company
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978 1 473 20628 1
All characters and events in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor to be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other
