powerful arms, think an apim practically armless? Who is to say who differs from whom?
The closed mind is always the most frightening horror in any world.
“Anyway,” said this Savapim, who came from Germany on a spot of dirt circling a spot of light all but invisible from Kregen, “I am tired and it is late. Tomorrow I must continue my task. I envy you resident Savapims.” He glanced at me sharply. “Although, if you are doing your job properly, why was I needed here at all?”
“There are many fresh diffs in Ruathytu just now,” I said diplomatically. He could sleep in Nulty’s room. I saw to his wants, and he stretched out. “As I say,” he said, yawning,
“we now believe that the distribution of diffs and flora and fauna has clearly been carried out deliberately. And with a lot of snarl-ups. Has it been done to plan or arbitrarily? Has the initial distribution been completed, or is it a continuous process? And how long ago was it begun?” He yawned again. “And is evolution taking care of those species placed down in locales not suitable for them?”
I nodded. “I think that must be so.”
Wolfgang licked his lips as I went to the door.
“It’s all a puzzle.” His voice softened and slurred. “Thank you for your hospitality. I welcome it. Kregen is a world very hard on the stranger at times. I have found many strange peoples in many places and I have already assumed they must have been placed here; at least it is a strong possibility, and only an idiot would comment adversely on the continuing occurrence of new peoples on a new world.”
I did not point out to him that he was talking to a man who said he came from Havilfar and therefore to whom Kregen would hardly be a new world. As I closed the door he said through a huge and final yawn,
“So who the devil
And that made me, Dray Prescot, Lord of Strombor and Krozair of Zy, smile. It was a hard, cynical smile. I thought the Star Lords controlled Kregen. I could be wrong, but at least I knew a little more than this Savapim.
The gaining of my information had been extraordinarily painful, that I will admit. When I awoke in the morning and looked into Nulty’s room, Wolfgang the Savapim was gone. Pinned by one of my daggers to the wall was a note. I tore it down. The paper — ah, the paper! Savanti paper! Of first quality, beautiful, crisp, white. I had not asked Wolfgang about the Savanti paper and its important function. Now it was too late. The note was brief.
“Lahal Amak: Thank you for the wine and the bed. We will go hunting the graint together, on the plains.”
It was written in that beautiful flowing Kregan script, very pure, and instead of the usual
“Happy Swinging to you, too,” I said, and burned the note.
Chapter 14
Chido said, “Y’know, old feller, Wees ain’t half cut up about last night.”
“Did he roar?”
“By Krun! He roared like a chunkrah with hoofache!”
“Let us go and take the Baths of the Nine.”
So we went to the best establishment in the Sacred Quarter. The Baths of the Nine are extraordinarily decadent and luxurious in Ruathytu, as you may imagine, and we steamed and soaked. We found Rees moodily stretched on a slab with a Numim girl carefully brushing his glorious golden fur.
“Huh,” he said when he saw us. “You apims and your naked skins! Oil and strigils! Barbarous!”
So we imagined he was back to form, which was a relief.
“Anyway, Hamun!” he bellowed. “Who was that Havil-forsaken man?”
“I have no idea,” I said. “He cleared off quickly this morning before I was up. He didn’t speak much.”
“I’ll bet he didn’t.”
We stretched out next to Rees and two Fristle fifis started in on us with oils, unguents, and scrapers. I leaned my head close to Rees in the warm scented room.
Now nine is one of the most sacred numbers on Kregen. I was to perform wonders with the aid of a magic square based on nine, but that remains to be told. So I leaned toward Rees and I said, “The Nine have been asking questions.”
He looked at me blankly.
I said, “Do you know what I’m talking about?”
“No, by Krun! I do not.”
If he knew about the Nine Faceless Ones, he might not vouchsafe that information, bound by prior vows.
I said, “They are faceless, Rees.”
“Faceless! Bodiless! Specters! I need a drink!”
Later, as we sat on the terrace overlooking the largest pool and watched the swimming and diving, I said, very lazily, acting my part as a chinless goggler like Chido, “Do, you know anyone connected with the vollers, Rees?”
“Only that cramph Vad Garnath, and if he shows his face I shall kill him.”
Now I did not think Garnath was involved with voller manufacture. He had mentioned that he might form a skyship flight or a voller squadron. That was not what I wanted.
I tried for what I promised myself would be the penultimate time.
“I don’t mean that, Rees. I mean making the damned things.”
He looked over at me, his glass half raised. “Now, old son! You don’t want to go around talking about these things. It ain’t healthy.”
“Downright unhealthy,” said Chido, going red.
“I thought I could help the war effort.”
“If they want you to help, they’ll ask you to help.” He drained his glass and bellowed, “Fill her up, you little fifi! Run!” And, to me: “You ought to join the regiment. I’m reforming. Better than ever. This time no damn regiment of monstrosities will overset us-”
“Zorcas?”
He chuckled and watched as the Fristle girl filled the glass.
“No, Hamun. Totrixes! Damn contrary beasts, the most uncomfortable ride, apart from sleeths, that is.”
So how could I not say I would ride with him in his fine new regiment?
To get around that I shouted for more to drink. It was not wine but the fine sherbet-like drink much favored in the warmer parts of Havilfar. It was called sazz, from the fizzing, I suppose, and I drank half of it off before I spoke.
“Let me first go to Paline Valley. Nulty might welcome a visit.”
Chido snorted. “Since when has a Crebent ever welcomed a visit from his master?”
“Ah,” I said, “but Nulty is a special kind of Crebent.”
This was a mere interlude. I could not simply idle time away in Ruathytu now, ruffling and roistering, drinking and singing, carousing from tavern to tavern. Nor could I go with Rees and the new regiment he was forming, even though they were now to be mounted on totrixes. I knew my nikvove squadrons would have cut through Rees’s regiment at the Battle of Tomor Peak, totrixes or no totrixes, as they had in fact scythed down the three totrix regiments Hamal already had mounted. Poor Rees! This great blustering Numim, this Rees ham Harshur, Trylon of the Golden Wind, loved a good fight and a good laugh. This great golden lion-man had worn the Queen’s colors and fought for her during the rebellion which had seated her on the crystal throne, and now he was badly out of favor with that evil, scheming woman. Yes, indeed, poor Rees, for he had lost his way. I knew that. I do not think Chido could see it as clearly, for he saw with different eyes; but as we ate miscils and caught the crumbs as those tiny delicious cakes melted in our mouths, as we lazily picked up palines and savored them, I saw that Rees was troubled. Oh, he was forming a regiment and this time of totrixes, not zorcas. But for all the feeling I had for him I
