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Twinges of guilt. My duties of faith had suffered abominably the past six
months. "Are you sure?"
"No. But it sure sounded good, didn't it? Easy! You asked about Gunni. I could
be wrong in a different religious context."
"Of course. How about Bone Warrior, Stone Soldier, or Soldier of Darkness?"
"Excuse me? Dorabee?"
"Never mind. Unless something related occurs to you. I'd better trot up the
line and get Tobo slowed down again."
As I passed the black stallion and white crow, the latter chuckled and
whispered that "Sister, sister" phrase again. The bird had heard the entire
conversation. Chances were that it was not Murgen, nor was it Soulcatcher's
creature, but still, it was extremely interested in the doings of the Black
Company, to the point of trying to give warnings. It seemed quite pleased that
we were headed south and were unable to turn back.
Behind me, Master Santaraksita's group paused. He and Baladitya studied the
face of the first stone column, where golden characters still sparked
occasionally.
It is immortality of a sort.
Chapter 73
The people of the former Shadowlands clung to the best cover available while
they watched Nemesis cross their country in a slow and angry progression
toward the pass through the Dandha Presh. In more than one place Soulcatcher's
appearance gave rise to the rumor that Khadi had been reborne and was walking
through the world again.
She always did love a good practical joke.
What the witnesses saw seemed to be the goddess in her most terrible aspect.
She was naked except for a girdle of dried penises and a necklace of babies'
skulls. Her skin was a polished mahogany black. She was hairless everywhere.
She had vampire fangs and an extra pair of arms. She seemed about ten feet
tall. What she did not seem was happy. People stayed out of her way.
She was not alone. In her wake came an equally naked woman as white as
Soulcatcher was dark. She was five and a half feet tall. Even covered with
cuts and bruises and dirt, she was attractive. Her face was empty of all
expression but her eyes burned with patient hatred. She wore only one item of
ornamentation, a shoulder harness to which a cable ten feet long had been
attached. That cable connected her to the rusty iron cage floating in the air
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behind her. The cage enclosed a skinny old man who had suffered several severe
injuries, including a broken leg and some bad burns. The girl was compelled to
tow the cage. She never spoke, even when the monster encouraged her with a
switch. Possibly she had lost the faculty.
Narayan Singh had been the unfortunate who triggered Goblin's booby trap, not
its beloved intended.
The Deceiver shared the cage with a large bound book. He was too weak to keep
it closed. Wind toyed with its pages. Once in a while the breeze showed its
vicious side and yanked a page away from the book's tired binding.
Sometimes delirious, Narayan thought he was in the hands of his goddess,
either being punished for some forgotten transgression or transported to
Paradise. And perhaps he was right. It did not occur to Soulcatcher to wonder
what use she had for him alive. Not that she was taking any special trouble to
keep him that way. Nor did the Daughter of Night seem particularly concerned
about his fate.
Chapter 74
I managed to overtake Tobo before he sped through the crossroads' circle.
"We're stopping here," I told him, hanging onto his shoulder.
He looked at me like he was trying to remember who I was.
"Back up to the circle."
"All right. You don't have to be so pushy."
"Good. The real you is back. Yes. I do. No one else seems to be able to
restrain you." As we stepped into the circle, I told him, "There should be
a... yes. Right here." There was a hole in the roadway surface, four inches
deep and as big around as my wrist. "Put the handle of the pickax in that."
"Why?"
"If the shadows can get inside the protected areas, that's the direction
they'll come from. Come on. Do it. We've got a ton of work to do if we're
going to set up a safe camp." There were too many of us to get everyone inside
the circle. That meant some would have to overnight on the road, not a
practice encouraged by Murgen.
I wanted only the calmest personalities back there. Murgen guaranteed that
every night on the plain would be some kind of adventure.
Suvrin found me trying to get Iqbal and his family moved toward the heart of
the circle. The animals were hobbled there. And I had a feeling that the plain
really did not like being trampled upon by things with such hard feet. "What
is it, Suvrin?"
"Master Santaraksita would like to see you at your earliest convenience." He
grinned like he was having a wonderful time.
"Suvrin, have you been getting into the ganja or something?"
"I'm just happy. I missed the Protector's state visit. Therefore I'm all right
until sometime that's still far off yet. I'm on the greatest adventure of my
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