The Babors were the leading family of a large and fierce clan of people who lived on the distant plains.
Myrna dropped a serving spoon, shocked. I don't like that! she said. Why, they're practically barbarians. I'm not sure I like having one of their young ruffians among us.'
Khadji shrugged. What could we do? Barbarians or not, the Babors have kinship claims on us. It wouldn't be right to say no to our cousins.'
Myrna sniffed. Pretty distant cousins, for all that.'
'He seems a likely enough lad, Khadji said in the stranger's defense. His family is related to the Babor headman's wife. They live somewhere in the south. People of influence, from the cut of the boy. He's a handsome fellow about your age, Safar. And tallabout your size, as well. Very mannered. Good clothing. And well spoken. Seems the sort who's used to having servants to order about.'
'He'll soon learn there are no servants in Kyrania, Myrna said sharply. Then, Why is he being sent to us?'
'He's an orphan, Safar's father said.
Myrna was scandalized. An orphan? What kind of orphan is he? No, I take that back. The Gods make orphans. It's no fault of a child's. It's the boy's kin I wonder about. What manner of people are they to push an orphan on strangers? Have they no feelings?'
Safar saw his father shift, uneasy. It seems there's some sort of difficulty in his clan, Khadji said. A quarrel of some kind.'
Myrna's eyebrows rose. With those sort of people, she said, quarrel usually means violence and bloodshed. It's the only way they know how to settle an argument.'
Khadji nodded, unhappy. I suspect you're right, Myrna, he said. The boy's uncle said as much. I think he fears for the boy's life. He's asked us to let the lad stay at the temple until the danger has passed.'
Safar could have told his father he'd used the wrong words.
'Danger? his mother exclaimed. What danger, Khadji?'
'Only to the boy, Myrna, his father soothed. Only to the boy.'
'But what if they come here? What if they cause trouble?'
'Only his uncle will come, his father said. And only when it is safe for the lad to return to his family. Be reasonable, Myrna. We have to explain this to the others and if you're opposed to it, why, we'll have to go back on our agreement.
'Besides, who would travel so far to Kyrania just to cause us grief? We have nothing they want. At least nothing that's worth so much trouble.
'And, as I said, how could we refuse?'
'Next time ask me! Myrna said. I'll show you all you need to know about refusal.'
Then she relented as her natural Kyranian hospitality came to the fore. We'll make the best of it, she declared. Can't blame a boy for the troubles caused by his family.'
'What's his name? Safar asked.
'Iraj Protarus, his father said.
The name struck Safar like a thunderbolt.
He heard his mother say, Protarus? Protarus? I don't know that family name.
But Safar knew the name quite wellmuch to his sudden discomfort.
He'd experienced a vision some days before while working in his father's shop. Whether it meant good or ill, he couldn't say. Still, it had disturbed him deeply.
The vision had seized him while he was cleaning pebbles and roots from a new batch of clay his father had dug up from the lake.
Besides the lake, there were many fine clay beds in Kyrania. The lake clay was pure and therefore gray. But as any potter knows pure clay needs to be mixed with other kinds or it will not fire properly. Within a week's stroll in any direction the Timuras could find clay of every color imaginablered, black, white, a yellow ochre, and even a deep emerald green. Clay was long considered a holy substance and the clay from Kyrania was considered the holiest of all because it was said that Rybian, the god who made people, once spent much time in the Valley of the Clouds wooing the beautiful goddess, Felakia. The tale was that she spurned the god's advances and during the long lovers siege Rybian became bored and pinched out all the races that make up humankind and demonkind. He used the green clay, it was claimed, to make the demons.
As Safar worked his thoughts were far from heavenly speculation. Instead, his imagination was fixed on the hiding spot he'd discovered overlooking the pool where the village maids liked to bathe.
Then he found an unusual stone in the clay debris. It was a broad pebblesmooth and blood red. Examining it, he turned the pebble this way and that. There was a clear, thumbnail-size blemish on one side. The blemish was like a minuscule window and he was oddly drawn to look into it.
Safar jumped back, thinking he'd seen something move… as if trapped in the stone. He looked again, blinking. The image blinked back and he realized he was looking at a reflection of his own eye. He peered closer, wondering the idle things people contemplate when they are alone and staring at a mirrored surface.
Suddenly Safar found himself falling. But it was unlike any sensation of falling he'd experienced before. His body seemed to remain kneeling by the clay bucket while his spirit plunged through the window.
His spirit self plummeted through thick clouds, then broke through. Safar felt oddly calm, looking about with his spirit eyes. Then it came to him he was floating rather than falling. Above was a bright sky, with clouds that were quickly retreating. Floating up at him was a wide vista of fertile lands with a broad highway cutting through.
At the end of that highway was a grand city with golden spires.
The last of the clouds whisked away, revealing a mighty army marching along the highway to the city, banners fluttering in a gentle wind. It was a dazzling array of troops and mailed cavalryboth horse and camel. Two graceful wings of chariots spread out on either side. In the lead was a phalanx of elephants Safar recognized only because of the illustrated books at school. The elephant heading the column was the largest by far. It was white and carried an armored howdah on its back. A large silk banner flew over the howdah, displaying a comet moving across a full moon.
The comet was silver, the moon harvest red.
Then he saw the city gates thrown wide and a crowd poured out to greet the army. Safar spread his spirit arms and flew toward the crowd. No one saw him as he sailed over a forest of spears and lances and he took a boy's immense pleasure in doing what he liked amongst so many adults and yet remaining unobserved. Then he overshot his mark and nearly flew through the city gates. Correcting his course, he hovered over the crowd and looked down.
Milling beneath him were hundreds of screeching monsters. He knew instantly they were demons. He should have been frightened. Demons were humankind's most ancient and deadly enemies. But there was an opiate blur to his trance that allowed him to feel nothing more than amazement.
The demons had yellow eyes and were fiercely taloned; horns jutted from their snouted faces. Sharp fangs gleamed when they opened their mouths and their skin was scaly green. All were costumed in the finest of cloth and jewelry, especially the tall slender demons in front, whom Safar took to be the city's leaders.
The tallest of them held a pike. And stuck to the top of that pike was a head. Safar had never seen such a grisly sight and it disturbed him far more than monsters boiling about beneath him. Still, he couldn't help but move closer. It was a demon's head on that pike. Hugetwice that of a human's. Its snout was fixed into a wide grimace, exposing two pairs of opposing fangs the size of a desert lion's. It had a jutting armored brow and long bloody hair. Perched on the brow, as if in mockery, was a golden crown.
The demon king's dead eyes were open and staring. But Safar imagined he saw a small spark of life in their yellow depths. This unsettled him even more than the gory display of death. He stretched his arms and flew away.
Seeing the great white elephant approaching, he flew toward it to investigate. Sitting in the howdah was a large man with long gold hair, flowing mustaches and a thick military beard. His features were so fair he appeared strange to Safar, although not as strange as the demons.
Below dark, moody eyes was a strong beaked nose, which added to his fierce looks. His armor was rich and burnished; the hilt of his sheathed sword was finely worked ivory bound with silver wire. Encircling his head was a thin band of gold embedded with rare stones.
Safar knew he was looking at the new kingcome to replace the one who had his head mounted on a pike. The demon crowd was shouting to their new king and he waved his mailed hand in return.
