Wolves of the Gods

own defense would be most appreciated.'

'But a vote has been taken, has it not?' Safar asked.

'Yes it has, Lord Timura,' said Foron, the chief elder. The look on his face was that of someone who had tasted something unpleasant, but was required by circumstance to take another bite. 'A vote has been taken. Your father was in the minority.'

'Then I have absolutely no intention of defending myself,' Safar said.

'Please, son,' his father protested.

Safar raised a hand, begging his silence. 'But I do insist on my right to speak.'

'This is most unusual,' Masura grumbled. 'Not in the rules at all.'

There were loud exclamations of agreement and disagreement. The Elders' debate still had them stirred up. Foron thumped the ceremonial pot in front of him. It made a booming sound like a large drum.

Everyone obediently stopped. Safar noted with minor interest the speaker's pot had been made by a Timura long ago.

'Seems simple enough to me,' Foron said. 'In Kyrania all citizens can say what they want, when they want. Lord Timura is a citizen of Kyrania. Let him talk.'

Masura tried to protest. 'But this is a formal meeting of-'

'Oh, be silent!' Foron said. 'We're not judges in some king's royal court. This is a village, not a city.

Everyone knows Safar. Hells, most of us are even third and fourth cousins to him. Let him talk.'

There was instant silence. Even those opposed to Safar were chastened. Masura opened his mouth to protest, caught the heavy scent of disapproval, and stopped.

Safar said, 'No matter what your decision-be it in my favor, or not-I will leave Kyrania tomorrow!'

Khadji cursed and there were sounds of shock all around, even from the majority who had called for Safar's banishment. How could a Kyranian willingly leave his home? This was the blessed land. The Valley of the Clouds where Kyranians had lived for as many generations as there were stars in the sky.

Where the Goddess Felakia reigned, rewarding them with her bounty because they were her chosen people. The people of the High Caravans.

Safar raised a hand for silence. 'My decision,' he said, 'has nothing to do with these proceedings. Or any of the tragic events that have occurred. In fact, when we last met I was going to announce my departure.

But it didn't seem the right time, what with all the panic over Tio. I was, however, going to ask permission to leave Palimak with you.' He nodded at his father. 'Under my parent's care, of course. The journey I have in mind is rather dangerous for a child.'

The journey he was referring to was his half-formed, and therefore unspoken, plans to somehow make his way to Syrapis and investigate the vision in the demon wizard's tomb.

Masura snickered. 'You must think we're fools,' he said. 'First, to believe that you'd already intended to leave us. Secondly, that we'd harbor that devil's-'

'Be careful, Masura!' the headmaster broke in, eyeing Khadji, who was about to come across the room after Masura to make him eat the insult. 'This is no time for loose talk!' Foron turned to Safar. 'Most of us like the lad, Lord Timura,' he said. 'At the time we would've granted your wishes.' He shrugged, 'But things have changed since then.'

'What cowardly words!' Khadji broke in. 'Say it plain, Foron. You voted with the majority-which consists of everyone but me!' He turned to Safar. 'These cunning devils voted to exile Palimak,' he said.

'But not you. They figured if they banished him, you'd have no choice except to go with him.'

Safar buried a smile. How right Leiria had been. Only now did he fully appreciated her subtle efforts to arm him against the elders, and to shoulder duty's burden and march on. A duty Safar was just beginning to make out. Dim as the outlines were, the undertaking would be enormous. If not impossible.

He had to go carefully, or he would stumbled at the first step. 'Never mind them, father,' he said. 'It doesn't matter anymore. Because when I leave I'm taking Palimak with me.'

There were murmurs of relief among the Elders. The issue was being settled for them. Possibly they could even forgo the announcement of the ban, which would be been controversial in the extreme. The Timura clan was as popular as it was influential.

It was the perfect time for Safar to play the next piece in a game whose rules he was making up as he went along. 'I have only one request to make of the Council,' he said.

Foron smiled broadly. With the pressure off he was eager to please. 'Ask anything you like, Lord Timura,' he said. 'How can we help your journey? Is it supplies you need? Animals to carry them? Tell us exactly what you want from us and it will be provided.'

'I want you to come with me,' Safar answered, flat.

There was stunned amazement, which shattered as everyone shouted at once, some saying Safar must be insane, others that maybe he'd been misunderstood and should be given the chance to explain. Safar waited the small tempest out, noting the majority against him was hardly solid. Even though in effect they'd voted to banish him, Masura's trick of putting the vote against Palimak had only gone so far. Lord Timura had spoken. Mysterious as his intentions might be, they were used to listening to him with enormous respect.

At the proper moment Safar raised a hand and got silence. 'Here's how I see it,' he said. 'I'm sure most of you think if Palimak and I leave, Iraj will ignore Kyrania and follow us.'

Most of the men nodded agreement; that was the general feeling. 'I mean no disrespect,' Safar said, 'but if you all think that, then you'd better spend a bit more time examining your logic. Because there is no way under the Demon Moon that haunts us all that Iraj will be satisfied with just my blood and Palimak's.'

The Elders stirred as this truth sank in. 'You all know as well as I,' Safar continued, 'that anyone who helped Iraj at any time will suffer for it. This is his nature. Kyrania once sheltered him from powerful enemies. Believe me, he'll destroy Kyrania for knowing he was once so weak that he needed our help.'

'But he was just a boy,' Foron wailed, the wail giving away the fact that Safar's logic had already smashed his own. 'There's nothing for him to be ashamed of. We never harmed him.'

'Neither did Tio,' Khadji growled, 'and look what happened to him!'

Cold dread filled the room and the men shivered at the memory of Tio's ravaged corpse.

Safar said, 'There only one course. And that's to flee!'

'But where should we flee to, my son?' Safar's father asked, anguished.

Safar bowed his head. 'There is a place I know,' he said. 'A place where we may all be safe. For awhile, at least.'

Masura snorted again. 'Bah! Why are we wasting our time with this? Read the child Palimak off the village rolls! Banish him! None of you but I had the nerve to make it Safar Timura we're tossing out. But we all agree it'll have the same purpose. Boot out the boy and Safar will follow. Then life can get back to being normal. No more damn demons stalking our hills, no more wolves killing our children, no more anything but sow our crops, tend our goats and face each season with as much cheer as the gods will allow. This is how we've always done things. I see no reason to change. And I sure as hells am not going to listen to foolish talk about leaving the place of my fathers.'

A long silence followed this outburst. However, as embarrassed as everyone was by Masura's rude behavior, Safar could sense that most of the men agreed.

Before anyone could speak there came a familiar sound-caravan bells! Everyone stirred. Could this be?

It had been ages since a caravan had visited Kyrania.

A boy burst through the door, shouting, 'Caravan! Caravan!'

CHAPTER SEVEN

THE CARAVAN MASTER

The Elders rushed outside, Safar at their heels. Doors and shutters banged open as the excited villagers rushed from their homes, blinking at the wondrous animal train rattling into the main square.

It wasn't a large caravan-there were only a few camels and llamas and perhaps six ox-drawn wagons-but it