Текст книги "The Quest"

Автор книги: Wilbur Smith

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Is it as large as the Middle Sea or the mighty Ocean of the Indies, or is it without limits or boundaries? he wondered. In spare moments he and Fenn drew maps on sheets of papyrus, or made notes of the islands they passed and the features they saw upon the shore.

'We shall take these to the geographer priests at the temple of Hathor.

They know nothing of these secrets and wonders,' he told her.

A dreamy look clouded the green of her eyes. 'Oh, Magus, I long to return with you to the land of my other life. You have made me remember so many precious things. You will take me there one day, won't you?'

'Be sure of it, Fenn,' he promised.

By observations of the sun, the moon and other heavenly bodies, Taita calculated that the lakeshore was gradually inclining towards the south. 'This leads me to believe that we have reached the western limit of the lake, and that we will soon be sailing due south,' he said.

'Then in time we will reach the end of the earth and fall off it into the sky.' Fenn sounded undaunted by the prospect of such a catastrophe.

'Will we fall for ever, or will we come to rest at last in another world and another time? What do you think, Magus?'

'I hope our captain will have the sense to turn back as soon as he sees the void gaping ahead, and we will not have to tumble through time and space. I am quite content with the here and now.' Taita chuckled, delighted with the blossoming of her imagination.

That evening he examined the wound in her thigh and was gratified to find that it had healed cleanly. The skin around the horse-hair stitches was flushed an angry red, a sure sign that it was time to remove them.

He snipped at the knots and pulled them out with his ivory forceps. A few drops of yellow pus oozed from the puncture marks they left. Taita sniffed it and smiled. 'Sweet and benign. I could not have hoped for a better result. See what a pretty scar it has left you, shaped like the petal of your water-lily symbol.'

She cocked her head to one side as she examined the mark, which was no bigger than the nail on her little finger. 'You are so clever, Magus.

I am sure you did that by design. It is more pleasing to me than Imbali's tattoos are to her. She will be so envious!'

They sailed on through a maze of islands on which grew trees with trunks so thick and tall they seemed to be the pillars that held aloft the inverted blue bowl of the heavens. Eagles roosted upon the galleries of shaggy nests they had built in the high branches. They were magnificent birds with shining white heads and russet pinions. In flight they would emit a wild, chanting cry, then plunge into the lake and emerge with a large fish gripped in their talons.

They saw monstrous crocodiles sunning themselves on every beach, and gatherings of hippopotamus in the shallows. The rounded grey backs were as massive as granite boulders. When they sailed out into open water again, the shore turned due south, as Taita had predicted, and they ran on towards the end of the earth. They sailed past endless forests populated by great herds of black buffalo, grey elephant and enormous pig-like creatures that carried sharp horns upon their noses. They were the first of the kind they had encountered, and Taita drew sketches of them, which Fenn declared a marvel of accuracy.

'My friends the priests will hardly believe in the existence of such wondrous beasts,' Taita observed. 'Meren, might you be able to slay one of those creatures so that we could take the nose-horn back with us as a gift for Pharaoh?' Their mood had become so buoyant that they had begun to believe there would be an eventual return to their own land in the far north.

As always, Meren was eager for the chase, and leapt at the suggestion.

'If you can prevail upon That and the captain to anchor for a day or two, I will go ashore with a mount and a bow.'

Taita approached That with the suggestion that the horses, having been confined so long in the cramped conditions aboard the barges, would benefit greatly from a gallop, and found him surprisingly amenable.

'You are correct, Magus, and a goodly supply of fresh meat would not go amiss. With soldiers and slaves, I have many bellies to fill.'

That evening they came to a wide floodplain on the lakeshore. The open glades were alive with multitudes of game, from the grey pachyderms to the smallest, most graceful antelope. The plain was bisected by a small estuary running in from the east and debouching into the lake. It was navigable for a short distance, and provided a secure harbour for the flotilla. They landed the horses, and the men set up a camp on the riverbank. They were all delighted to have solid ground under their feet, and as they rode out the next morning the mood was festive. That instructed his hunters to attack the herds of buffalo and to pick out the cows and heifers, whose flesh was more palatable than that of the old bulls – they were so tough and rank that they were almost inedible.

By now Meren and Hilto had recovered from the wounds they had received at Tamafupa. They would lead the chase after the monstrous pachyderms with nose-horns. Nakonto and Imbali would follow on foot, while Taita and Fenn would stay behind as spectators. At the last moment Colonel That rode across and asked Taita, 'I would like to ride with you to watch the sport. I hope that you do not object to my presence.'

Taita was surprised. He had not expected such a friendly overture from the morose fellow. 'I would be delighted to have your company, Colonel. As you know, we are after one of those strange creatures which carries a horn upon its nose.'

By this time bands of cavalry were roving across the plain, harrying the buffalo herds with cries of excitement, riding in close to use the lance upon them. When the doughty bovines turned at bay they shot them down with volleys of arrows. Soon black carcasses were littered across the sward, and the panic-stricken herds charged willy-nilly about the plain, desperate to escape the hunters.

To avoid the confused ruck of herds and horsemen, and to discover open ground where they could hunt the pachyderm selectively, Meren crossed the little estuary and rode along the bank. The others followed him until they were out of sight of the vessels, and had the field to themselves. Ahead, they could see a number of quarry scattered across the grassland in small family groups of females and calves. However, Meren was determined to procure the horn of a patriarch, a trophy fit to present to Pharaoh.

As he led them further from the anchored ships, Taita noticed a gradual change coming over Colonel That. His reserve was softening,

and he even smiled at some of Fenn's chatter. 'Your ward is a bright young girl,' he remarked, 'but is she discreet?'

'She is a young girl, as you said, and is free of spite or malice.' That relaxed a little more, so Taita opened his Inner Eye and assessed the man's state of mind. He is under restraint, he thought. He does not want to be seen by his officers to converse freely with me. He is afraid of somebody among his men. I have no doubt it is Captain Onka, who has probably been placed here to watch and report on his superior officer. That has something to tell me, but he is fearful.

Taita reached out with his mind to Fenn, and saw her become receptive. He sent her a message in the Tenmass: 'Join Meren. Leave me alone with That.'

Immediately she turned towards him and smiled. 'Please excuse me, Magus,' she said sweetly. 'I would ride with Meren a space. He has promised to build me a bow of my own.' With her knees she pushed Whirlwind into a canter, leaving Taita alone with That.

The two men rode in silence until Taita said, 'From my conversation with Pharaoh Nefer Seti, I understood that his orders to you when you left Egypt all those years ago were to journey to the source of Mother Nile, then return to Karnak to report your findings.'

That glanced at him sharply, but did not reply.

Taita paused delicately, then went on: 'It seems strange that you have not returned to tell him of your success and to claim from him the reward you so handsomely deserve. It puzzles me to discover that we are journeying in the diametrically opposite direction to Egypt.'

That remained silent for a short while longer, then said softly, 'Pharaoh Nefer Seti is no longer my ruler. Egypt is no longer my homeland. My men and I have adopted a more beautiful, bountiful and blessed country as our own. Egypt is under a curse.'

'I would never have believed that any officer of your status could turn away from his patriotic duty,' Taita said.

'I am not the first Egyptian officer to do so. There was another, ninety years ago, who discovered this new country and never returned to Egypt.

He was sent by Queen Lostris on a similar mission, to discover the headwaters of the Nile. His name was General Lord Aquer.'

'I knew him well,' Taita interjected. 'He was a good soldier, but unpredictable.'

Although That looked at him askance, he did not query Taita's assertion. Instead he continued, 'Lord Aquer pioneered the settlement of Jarri, the Land of the Mountains of the Moon. His direct descendants

have built it into a powerful and advanced state. I am honoured to serve them.'i Taita regarded him with the Inner Eye and saw that this statement was untrue: far from being honoured by his service to this foreign government, That was a man in turmoil. 'That is where you are taking us now, is it? To this state of Jarri?'

'Those are my orders, Magus,' That agreed.

'Who is the king of this country?' Taita asked.

'We do not have one. An oligarchy of noble and wise men rules us.'

'Who chooses them?'

'They are selected for their apparent virtues.'

Again, Taita saw that That did not truly believe this. 'Are you one of the oligarchs?'

'Nay, Magus, I could never warrant that honour as I am not of noble birth. I am a recent arrival in Jarri, an incomer.'

'So Jarrian society is stratified?' Taita asked. 'Divided into nobility, commoners and slaves?'

'In broad outline, that is so. Although we are known as migrants, not commoners.'

'Do you Jarrians still worship the panoply of Egyptian gods?'

'Nay, Magus, we have but one god.'

'Who is he?'

'I do not know. Only the initiates to the religion know his name. I pray that one day I am granted that boon.' Taita saw many conflicting currents running below this assertion: there was something that That could not bring himself to say, even though he had escaped the surveillance of Onka to voice it.

'Tell me more of this land, so wondrous that it could pre-empt the loyalty of a man of your worth.' Taita was encouraging him to speak out.

'No words are adequate to the task,' That replied, 'but we will be there soon enough, and you shall judge for yourself.' He was letting the opportunity to speak openly slip away.

'Colonel That, when you rescued us from the Basmara you said something that made me believe you had been sent for that express purpose. Was I correct?'

'I have already said too much … because I hold you in such high respect and esteem. But I must ask you not to press me. I know that you have a superior and enquiring mind, but you are entering a land that has a different code of customs and laws. At this stage you are a guest, so it

will be expedient to us all if you respect the mores of your hosts.' Now That was in full retreat.

'One of which is not to pry into matters that don't concern me?'

'Precisely,' That said. It was a sober warning, and that was as much as he could bring himself to say.

'I have always held the view that expediency is a justification for tyranny, and the sop of serfs.'

'A dangerous view, Magus, which you should keep to yourself while you are in Jarri.' That closed his mouth as if it were the visor of his bronze helmet, and Taita knew that he would learn no more now, but he was not disappointed. Indeed, he was surprised to have learnt so much.

They were interrupted by the faint cries of the hunters. Far ahead, Meren had run down a quarry worthy of his arrows.

The antediluvian monster stood at bay, snorting like a fire-breathing dragon, making short but furious rushes towards its tormentors, kicking up the dust with its great hoofs, swinging its horned nose from side to side, piggy eyes bright, ears pricked forward. Its nose-horn stood tall as a man, polished by constant honing on tree trunks and termite mounds until it gleamed like a sword.

Then Taita saw Fenn, and felt acid rise in his throat. She was flirting with the beast. Serenely confident of her own horsemanship and Whirlwind's speed, she was crossing at an oblique angle in front of the beast's nose, inviting his charge. Taita kicked his heels into Windsmoke's flanks and raced to restrain her. At the same time he sent an urgent astral impulse directly to her. He felt her parry it, with the skill of an expert swordsman, then close her mind to him. His anger and concern flared hotly. 'The little she-devil!' he muttered.

At that moment the creature's eye was drawn by Whirlwind's shining grey coat, and it accepted Fenn's challenge. It hurled itself at them, grunting, snorting and pounding the earth with its great hoofs. Fenn touched the colt's neck and they jumped into full gallop. She was twisted in the saddle to judge the distance between the point of the horn and Whirlwind's flying tail. When they drew a little too far ahead, she held Whirlwind back to let the gap close and to urge the beast on.

Despite his fear for her safety Taita could not help but admire her skill and nerve, as she led the animal in front of Meren at close range.

He loosed three arrows in rapid succession, and all flew in behind the shoulder to bury their full length up to the fletching in the thick

grey hide. The animal stumbled and Taita saw bloody froth spray from its mouth. At least one of Meren's arrows had pierced a lung. Fenn led the beast on, skilfully bringing it round in a circle under Meren's poised bow and forcing it to expose its other flank to him. He shot and shot again, and his arrowheads went deep, raking through the heart and both lungs.

The beast slowed as its lungs filled with blood. The lethargy of death transmuted its mighty limbs to stone. At last it stood, head hanging, blood pouring in rivulets from its open mouth and its nose. Nakonto raced in from the side and drove in the point of his spear behind its ear, slanting the blade forward to find the brain. The body dropped with such weight that it jarred the earth and raised a cloud of dust.

By the time Taita reached them they had all dismounted and were gathered around the carcass. Fenn was dancing with excitement and the others were laughing and clapping. Taita was determined to punish her defiance by sending her back to the galley in disgrace, but as he dismounted, stony-featured, she rushed to him and jumped up to throw her arms round his neck.

'Taita, did you see it all? Was it not splendid? Were you not proud of Whirlwind and me?' Then, before he could deliver himself of the harsh rebuke that scalded his lips, she pressed her lips to his ear and whispered, 'You are so kind and good to me. I do love you, darling Taita.'

He felt his anger deflate and he asked himself ruefully, who is training whom? These are the arts she perfected in the other life. I still find myself defenceless against them.

The hunters had killed more than forty large animals, so it was a few days before all the carcasses could be butchered, the meat smoked and packed aboard the barges. Only then could they board the galleys and continue the voyage southward. When That was back with his officers he became aloof and unapproachable once more.

Watching him with the Inner Eye, Taita saw that he was regretting their conversation and the disclosures he had made. He was fearful of the consequences of his indiscretion.

The wind veered into the north and freshened. The galleys shipped their oars and hoisted large lateen sails. White water curled under their prows and the shore flew by on the starboard side. On the fifth morning after the hunt they reached the mouth of another tributary. Coming

down from the high ground to the west, it poured an enormous volume of water into the lake. Taita heard the crew talking among themselves, and the name 'Kitangule' bandied about. Clearly that was the name of the river before them. He was not surprised when the captain ordered the sail to be lowered and the oars run out once more. Their galley led the flotilla into the Kitangule and pushed against the mighty flow.

Within a few leagues they had come to a large settlement built along the riverbank. Here, there were shipyards with the unfinished hulls of two large vessels lying on the slipways. Workmen swarmed over them, and Taita pointed out the overseers to Meren. 'That accounts for the foreign design of the ships in this squadron. All must have been built in these yards, and those who built them are unmistakably from the lands beyond the Indus.'

'How came they to this place, so far from their own land?' Meren wondered.

'There is something here that attracts worthy men from afar, like bees to a garden of flowers.'

'Are we bees also, Magus? Does the same attraction entice us?'

Taita looked at him with surprise. This was an unusually perceptive idea from Meren. 'We have come here to fulfil a sacred oath made to Pharaoh,' he reminded him. 'However, now that we have arrived we must be on our guard. We must never allow ourselves to be turned into dreamers and lotus-eaters, as it seems so many of these Jarrians are.'

The flotilla sailed on up the river. Within days they had encountered the first cataracts of white water that blocked the river from bank to bank. This did not daunt That and his captains, for at the foot of the torrent there was another small village, and beyond that extensive cattle stockades, which held herds of humped oxen.

Passengers, horses and slaves disembarked on to the bank. With only the crews still on board, the vessels were hitched with heavy ropes of twisted liana to teams of oxen and dragged up the chutes of fast water.

Ashore, the men and horses climbed the track that ran beside the cascade until they reached higher ground. Above the cataracts the river was deep and placid, and the galleys rode lightly at anchor. All embarked again, to voyage on until they reached the next waterfall where the procedure was repeated.

Three times they came to falls too steep and furious to permit the vessels to be dragged up them. Egyptian engineering genius was evident in the extensive works that circumvented the obstacles: a zigzag series of channels had been dug alongside the falls, with locks at each end and

wooden gates to lift the vessels to the next level. It took many days and much labour to bring the flotilla up the water ladders, but eventually they were in the deep, gentle flow of the main stream once more, i Since leaving the lake, the terrain they had passed through was fascinating in its magnificent diversity. For a hundred leagues or so after they had entered the Kitangule, the river ran through dense jungle.

Branches almost met overhead and it seemed that no two trees were of the same species. They were festooned with lianas, other vines and flowering creepers. High in the canopy, troops of monkeys squabbled noisily in gardens of flowering orchids and fruit. Glistening monitor lizards sunned themselves on branches that overhung the river. At the approach of the boats they launched themselves into the air and fell to hit the water with a splash that showered the men at the oars.

At night when they moored along the bank, tied to the trunks of the great trees, the darkness was loud with the cries and scuffling of unseen animals, and the roars of the predators that hunted them. Some of the crew set fishing lines in the black water, the bronze hooks baited with offal. Three men on one line struggled to pull out the huge catfish that seized the bait.

Slowly the vegetation along the banks changed as they climbed up through the cataracts. The sweltering heat cooled and the air became more salubrious. Once they had negotiated the final water ladder, they found themselves in an undulating landscape of grassy glades and open forests dominated by many species of acacia – leafless and thorny; covered with soft, feathery foliage; with vast black trunks and dark boughs. The tallest were decorated with bunches of lavender fruit hanging like grapes from the high branches.

This was a fertile, well-watered land with lush sweet grass filling the glades, and dozens of streams joining the main flow of the Kitangule.

The plains swarmed with herds of grazing animals, and not a day passed when they did not see prides of lions hunting or resting in the open. At night their thunderous roars were terrifying. No matter how often they heard them, the listeners' nerves jangled and their hearts raced.

At last a tall escarpment rose across the horizon, and they were aware of a murmur that grew louder as they drew closer. They came round another bend in the river, and saw before them a mighty waterfall that fell in thundering gouts of white foam from the top of a cliff into a swirling green pool at the foot.

On the beaches that surrounded it teams of oxen were standing ready to draw the boats ashore. Once again they disembarked, but this was for

I

THE QUEST

the last time. No device of man could lift the vessels to the top of those cliffs. In the settlement on the riverbank there were guesthouses to accommodate the officers and Taita's party while the rest of the men, horses and baggage were brought ashore. The Basmara slaves were locked into barracoons.

It was three days before Colonel That was ready to continue the journey. Now all of the baggage was loaded on to pack oxen. The slaves were led out of the barracoons and roped together in long lines. The troopers and Taita's band mounted, and rode out along the base of the cliff in a long caravan. Within a league the road was climbing sharply up the escarpment in a series of hairpin bends and narrowed to a path. The gradient became so steep that they were forced to dismount and lead the horses, the heavily laden oxen and the slaves toiling behind them.

Half-way up the cliff they reached a place where a narrow rope suspension bridge crossed a deep gorge. Captain Onka took control of the crossing, allowing only a small number of pack animals and men to venture out on to the precarious structure at a time. Even with a limited load the bridge swayed and sagged alarmingly, and it was the middle of the afternoon before the caravan was across the gorge.

'Is this the only route to the top of the cliffs?' Meren asked Onka.

'There is an easier road that scales the escarpment forty leagues to the south, but it adds several days' travel to the journey.'

Once they were across the void they looked down and their view seemed to encompass the earth. From on high they surveyed golden savannahs over which the rivers crawled like dark serpents, distant blue hills and green jungles. Finally, on the misty horizon, the waters of the great lake Nalubaale along which they had sailed gleamed like molten metal.

At last they reached the border fort perched on the ridge to guard the pass, the Kitangule Gap, and the entrance to Jarri. It was dark by the time they bivouacked outside it. It rained during the night, but by morning the sun was shining benevolently. When they looked out of their shelter Taita and Fenn were presented with a sight that made all the splendours they had seen up to then seem commonplace. Below them lay a wide plateau that stretched to a distant horizon. Along it rose a range of rugged mountains so tall they must have been the abode of the gods. Three central peaks shone with the ethereal luminance of the full moon. Taita and Meren had travelled through the peaks along the Khorasan highway, but Fenn had never seen snow before. She was struck dumb by the glorious sight. At last she found her voice: 'Look! The mountains are on fire,' she cried.

From the summit of each shining mountain billowed silver clouds of smoke.> 'You were seeking a single volcano, Magus,' Meren said softly, 'but you have found three.' He turned and pointed back at the distant shimmer of Lake Nalubaale on the far side of the pass. 'Fire, air, water and earth .. .'

'. .. but the lord of these is fire,' Taita finished the incantation of Eos.

'Surely that must be the stronghold of the witch.' His legs were trembling and he was overcome with emotion. They had come so far and endured such hardship to reach this place. He had to find somewhere to sit for his legs could hardly bear his weight. He found a vantage-point from which he could gaze upon the sight. Fenn sat on the rock beside him to share his emotions.

At last Captain Onka rode back from the head of the caravan to find them. 'You may linger here no longer. We must move on.'

The road descended at an easier gradient. They mounted the horses and rode down through the foothills and on to the plateau. For the rest of that day they travelled towards the mountains, through an enchanted land. They had climbed just high enough above the lake, the jungles and deserts to reach this sweet, benevolent clime. Each breath they drew seemed to charge their bodies and clear their minds. Streams of clear water ran down from the mountains. They passed cottages and farms built of stone with golden thatch, surrounded by orchards and olive groves. There were meticulously tended vineyards where the vines were heavy with ripening grapes. The fields were planted with dhurra, the vegetable gardens with melons, beans, lentils, red and green peppers, pumpkins and other vegetables that Taita did not recognize. The pastures were green, and herds of cattle, sheep and goats grazed in them. Fat pigs rooted in the forests, ducks and geese paddled in river pools, and flocks of chickens scratched in every farmyard.

'Seldom in all our travels have we come upon such rich lands,' Meren said.

As they passed, the farmers and their families came out to welcome them with bowls of sherbet and red wine. They spoke Egyptian with the accents of the Two Kingdoms. They were all well nourished and dressed in good leather and linen. The children appeared healthy, but they were strangely subdued. The women were rosy cheeked and well favoured.

'What pretty girls,' Meren remarked. 'Not an ugly one among them.'

They soon found out why the pastures were so green. Suddenly the triple peaks of the snow-decked volcanoes were hidden behind a heavy

layer of cloud. Onka rode back to them and told Taita, 'You should don your capes. It will rain within the hour.'

'How do you know?' Taita asked.

'Because it rains every afternoon at this time.' He pointed ahead at the gathering clouds. 'The three peaks that dominate Jarri have many names, one of which is the Rainmakers. They are the reason why the land is so bounteous.' As he finished speaking, rain swept over them and, despite their capes, soaked them to the skin, but within a few hours the clouds had been blown aside and the sun shone once more. The land was washed clean and bright. The leaves on the trees glistened and the soil smelt of rich dhurra cake.

They came to a fork in the road. The column of slaves took the left hand path, and as they marched away Taita heard a sergeant of the escort remark, 'They are sorely needed in the new mines at Indebbi.'

The rest of the convoy continued along the right fork. At intervals the troopers came to salute Colonel That, then left the column and rode away in different directions to their home farms. In the end only That and Onka, with an escort of ten troopers, remained with them. It was late afternoon when they topped a gentle rise and discovered another small village nestled below them among green trees and pastures.

'This is Mutangi,' That told Taita. 'It is the local market town and magistracy. It will be your home for the time being. Quarters have been set aside for you and I am sure you will find them comfortable. You have heard it said before, but you are honoured guests in Jarri.'

The magistrate came out in person to welcome them, a man of middle age named Bilto. His full beard was tinged with silver, but he was straight and strong, his eye steady and his smile warm. Taita looked at him with the Inner Eye and saw that he was honest and well-intentioned but, like Colonel That Ankut, he was neither happy nor contented. He greeted Taita with the greatest respect, but looked at him strangely, as though he was expecting something from him. One of his own wives took Hilto and the others, including Nakonto and Imbali, to a commodious stone house near the far side of the village, where slave girls were waiting to attend to them. Bilto led Taita, Fenn and Meren to a larger building across the road. 'I think you will find all you need for your comfort.

Rest and refresh yourselves. Within the next few days the council of oligarchs will send for you. In the meantime I am your host, and yours to command.' Before he left them, Bilto looked again at Taita with troubled, searching eyes, but he said no more.

When they entered the house a major-domo and five house slaves were lined up to receive them. The rooms were large and airy, but the windows could be covered with leather curtains, and there were open hearths in the main rooms where fires were already burning. Although the sun was still above the horizon there was a chill in the air, so the fires would be welcome when the sun set. Fresh clothes and sandals had been laid out for them and the slaves brought jars of hot water for washing. The evening meal was served by the light of oil lamps, a rich stew of wild-boar chops, washed down with a robust red wine.

Until then they had not realized that the journey had exhausted them.

Meren's eye was paining him so Taita poured a warm balm of olive oil and soothing herbs into the socket, then administered a dose of red sheppen.

The next morning they all slept late. Meren's eye had improved but still hurt.