Osidian's shoulders slumped. He raised his eyebrows and gazed at the ground. 'I don't know why I'm surprised. If you insist on not returning, then you must survive here.'
He looked around with distaste. 'It might be possible for you to undo what I have done. When I'm gone, the Plainsmen will obey you. With care and skill, you might be able to coax them back into their old ways. Listen carefully. The hostage children the Ochre hold, you must send back to their tribes. Some might try to continue the great hunts as I have taught them but these will quickly show themselves to be unsustainable. The heaveners near enough to the killing fields will soon be exhausted. The lesser saurians would have to be herded in such numbers that the procedure will be uncontrollable with a single tribe's resources. Hunger would soon make the barbarians revert to their traditional hunts. With the re-adoption of their ancient ways, the old would regain their ascendancy.'
'And the Commonwealth?'
'Give my body to the Wise. They'll not care about you once they have proof that I am dead.' Osidian shrugged. 'No doubt they'll make reprisals throughout the Earthsky but these will be measured; the Wise will not wish to damage the Plainsmen's breeding populations.'
'What about the saltcaves? The Plainsmen will not forget them and having this source of salt here, they're unlikely to want to serve in the legions.'
'Cut down the anchor baobabs. There are no other suitable replacement trees and the landslide has ensured that other anchor points cannot be built with the primitive skills the Plainsmen or the Marula have at their disposal.'
Carnelian frowned. This will destroy the Oracles and the Lower Reach Marula.'
'You are free to dream up another way to save your precious Plainsmen.'
Carnelian would search for other possibilities but was not confident he would find any. He was sure the sartlar would cut down the anchor baobabs at his command. He wondered what would happen to Kor and her people. A thought occurred to him.
'Neither the Oracles nor the Marula will allow this to be done.'
'Show the Marula the Ladder intact and they'll flee back to their lands below. I've made sure their commanders fell in battle. Without me, they are a rabble in a foreign land; a land they fear.' He smiled coldly. 'As for the Oracles, without me, they will be too weak to oppose you.'
'And if you do not die?'
Osidian looked away to where a copper sun hung molten in the sky. 'You had better hope I do. If I do not it will be because I shall be possessed by the God and then I will finish what I have begun.'
Carnelian saw how weary, how fragile Osidian appeared, but he was not feeling tender. 'I could kill you now.'
Osidian chuckled opening his arms wide. 'Do it. I would welcome the release from the canker of doubt that eats at me.'
Seeing in Osidian that which he had once loved, Carnelian turned away, melancholic as he watched the sun layering the sky with crimson.
Carnelian awoke in a red dawn and saw Osidian was already up. They made their way back to the knoll in silence. Before they reached it, Osidian veered towards the Marula camp around the Ladder baobabs. The black men rose, staring as the two Masters walked among them. Looking over the edge, Carnelian and Osidian saw that the Ladder had been brought more than half of the way up from the chasm floor. Osidian announced himself satisfied and they turned to face the Thunderfalls. The Isle of Flies lay sombre in the morning light. As they walked along the chasm edge towards it, Carnelian saw Morunasa and some other Oracles were waiting beneath the impaling post. He had no wish to go any further and took his leave of Osidian.
'Remember: the twelfth day,' Osidian said, in Quya.
Carnelian nodded. Osidian gazed at Morunasa and the Oracles as if they were his executioners. As Carnelian watched him walk towards them, he wondered if he would ever see him alive again.
Carnelian found Fern in the camp. As he had climbed the knoll, his heart had told him that his friend could not possibly have gone over to Osidian, but seeing him there before him, all Carnelian could see was his painted face.
'How did he force you to do that?' he said.
Fern frowned. 'All the commanders wear ash as a symbol of the Master to show they act in his name.'
'So he pressured you to lead one of his armies?'
'It was I who asked for a command.'
Carnelian shook his head, feeling bleak, empty. 'I would never have believed…'
Fern narrowed his eyes. 'What, Master, what would you never have believed? 1
There was still a part of Carnelian that refused to accept that Fern would betray the Plainsmen; betray their friendship. 'You are collaborating with him.'
Fern's eyes flamed. 'Is that what you think?'
Seeing Fern's anger, Carnelian became confused.
Fern leaned forward baring his teeth. 'Did it never occur to you that I became a commander to protect my people? What has our resistance to the Master achieved? By joining him, I have at least some chance of softening the effects of his conquests.'
Carnelian saw the truth of it and was ashamed.
Fern's lip curled. 'Who are you to accuse me when, after everything he has done, you chose to spend the night with him?'
Carnelian was outraged. His pride spoke: 'What business is that of yours?'
They glared at each other. Carnelian could not find a way out of his anger. Fearing what he might say next, Carnelian desired only to end their meeting. The Master has gone to the Isle of Flies. While he is gone, I am to rule in his place.'
'What then are your commands, Master?'
Carnelian cast around for some instruction. 'Just make sure that you keep order here in the camp.'
Fern's curt nod and his 'You shall be obeyed, Master' made Carnelian wince. Turning, he walked away.
That night, Carnelian took Poppy with him when he went to look for Fern's fire to apologize. When they found Fern, his cold greeting left Carnelian unwilling to speak. At least Fern had washed his face. A growl made them both turn to see Poppy scowling, her hands on her hips.
'You're both behaving like children.'
Carnelian and Fern stared at her, startled. They looked at each other. Carnelian tried a smile. 'I should have trusted you.'
Fern looked pained. 'And I had no right to -'
'We just talked,' Carnelian said, quickly.
'Hug each other,' Poppy commanded.
Awkwardly, grinning, they obeyed her. As they released each other, Carnelian felt embarrassed by the look in Fern's eyes. 'Aren't you going to offer us some food?'
Fern became flustered and Carnelian and Poppy exchanged a secret smile. She threw herself at the Plainsman so that he was forced to catch her. She buried her face in his neck.
A scent of roasting fernroot rose from the fire.
'Where's Ravan?' Poppy asked.
Carnelian had forgotten about him. 'He's not here?'
Fern looked grim. 'He remained in the Koppie.'
Carnelian raised his eyebrows. 'Have things grown worse between him and the Master?'
Fern grew angry. 'It's not my brother's fault. At every opportunity, the Master humiliates him. Time and time again he has passed him over to give others a command. When I dared to intervene, the Master told me, curtly, that he needed my brother as an interpreter. I offered myself in that capacity but he turned me down, not that he needs one, so many of the army speak Vulgate. It's as if he is deliberately trying to grind him down.'
Carnelian gave Fern a suggestive look. Fern shook his head. 'I'd swear they've not been lovers for a long time.'
'You can tell?'
Fern looked Carnelian deep in the eyes, nodding. 'I can tell.'
