Guardian of the God - God's Appearance - Part 2 Chapter 4 - Rotarbal's Nightmare

  Guardian of the God

-

God's Appearance

(Book 5 of the Guardian of the Spirit Series)

 

Author: Uehashi Nahoko

Translator: Ainikki the Archivist

 

  Part 2 - Beasts Fleeing Hunting Dogs

Chapter 4 - Rotarbal's Nightmare

     On the fourth night after Tanda's capture, Sufar visited him alone in his room. When Tanda saw his face, he was startled. It had only been a few days since Tanda had seen him last, but his cheeks were hollow and sunken like he was starving. His eyes seemed to be sinking into his head. The hawk on his shoulder appeared similarly exhausted and worn-out.

    Tanda shifted himself to sit upright against the post he was tied to. He was untied a few times a day to relieve himself and eat, but otherwise he was never allowed to leave this room, and only rarely allowed to stray from the post. Even moving a little to sit up made him feel slightly dizzy. He noticed Chikisa sitting with his back against an almost identical post on the opposite side of the room.

    Sufar faced Tanda and sat down. He stared at Tanda and said nothing for a long while. At long length, Sufar asked, "Tanda, is Balsa familiar with the town of Shirogai?"

    Tanda frowned deeply. Seeing his expression, Sufar laughed.

    "I can tell you didn't have time to talk to her about where she was going. Or maybe you're just that good at covering for her. You're not an idiot, Tanda. You know it's in your best interests to help me here. I'm sure you're curious about what's going on and what Balsa is doing now. I'll tell you all of that if you answer my questions."

    Tanda shook his head. "You overestimate me. I freely admit to being enough of an idiot to never sell out Balsa no matter what you offer—and no matter what you threaten me with."

    Tanda's habitually kind face was set in grim lines of unshakable determination. Sufar matched his seriousness and said quietly: "I'm not asking you to betray Balsa. We have no use for her. I'd like nothing more than for you and Balsa to wash your hands of this whole affair and return to your normal lives. I'm sure you'd like to save Balsa from this quagmire before you both get sucked in too deep."

    Tanda looked Sufar straight in the eye and searched for hidden meanings behind his words. He smiled.

    "I can't think of a single good reason for you to go out of your way to ask me something like that, except for one. Balsa escaped, didn't she? She got away from you. Your daughter boasted to me about the powers of the Kashal, but it seems Balsa's more powerful still. Well, I could have told you that from the start. If she has fled to Shirogai, it's enormous. You'll never find her there without help. And so you're at a stalemate. She beat you."

    Sufar's eyes flashed briefly with rage, but he quickly composed himself. "There's no point in provoking us, Tanda. You don't need to get me angry to get me to reveal my intentions. As you say, Balsa has eluded us. Though we know the lay of the land better than she does, she managed to scatter us before we could determine her location. We cannot say for sure where she is now."

    Sufar leaned in a little closer. "The most remarkable aspect of this whole affair is that she hasn't killed any of us. Not a single one. She has gone out of her way to allow us to live. I suspect she has done us no permanent harm because she knows that we have you. It may be that she desires time to understand the situation better, and intends to return to us as a potential ally, rather than recklessly making herself our enemies."

    Tanda's frown became cold and forbidding. He remained silent and looked at Chikisa, who was watching him from the other side of the room. Their eyes met.

    Sufar tracked where Tanda was looking, but didn't turn toward Chikisa. "Listen to what I have to say," he said. "Even if you don't agree with it, it should help you understand why we must kill the girl. Her brother should hear our reasons as well."

    Sufar bit the pad of his thumb hard enough to draw blood, then smeared his blood on Tanda's forehead. He passed his bleeding thumb over his own forehead as well. "You're a magic weaver, so I imagine you understand the significance of this," Sufar said. "I can no longer lie to you at all—not without you knowing that I'm lying immediately. If I try to deceive you, you'll feel it in your soul."

    Tanda nodded. His soul and Sufar's were now connected by a delicate thread. He couldn't see fully into Sufar's soul with such a weak connection, but he'd easily be able to tell if Sufar was lying.

    Sufar switched over from Yogoese to slow Rotan, so that both Tanda and Chikisa would be able to understand him. "I shall tell you one of our ancient legends. Long ago, the nation that became Rota was larger than it is now. That nation was called Rotarbal. It was ruled by a leader that commanded the power of a terrifying god known as Talhamaya. The family that worshiped and celebrated this god the most were of the Tal people; their family name was Shiul. The Shiul family was small, but they had the power to summon Talhamaya into our world. This power passed on through the generations; the Shiul ruled Rotarbal for more than a hundred years."

    Chikisa stirred behind Sufar. Sufar turned to look at him. "A great deal of time has passed since then, but the descendants of the Shiul family are the Tal people of Rota. 'Tal' means 'shadow' in their language. They made a vow long ago to never again hold an active role in Rota's government. That is why the Tal people live as they do now."

    Sufar turned back to Tanda. "There is another group of people whose role is to ensure that the Tal people never forget their ancient vow. That is who the Kashal are."

    Tanda felt something warm, almost hot, reach him through the thread that attached Sufar's soul to his.

    "A mysterious river flowed through Rotarbal. It was invisible to ordinary eyes, but a type of blue moss grew near its shores in our world, making it easy to map its course. This river is formed from snow melting off the peaks of the mountains of Noyook, the world of the gods."

    "Noyook is Nayugu," Tanda muttered unthinkingly in surprise.

    Sufar shrugged. "Noyook, Nayugu, Nayugul—different languages have similar names for the world attached to ours. No one but magic weavers can see it. Some believe that our world and the other world are truly part of the same world and are intimately connected. Others think the clear separation between our worlds exists for a reason. No one really knows—but you're a magic weaver, so I'm sure you know all about this already.

    "Anyway, the people of Rotarbal called this other world Noyook. They believed it had seasons much as our world does, governed by the goddess Afal. In spring, the snow of the mountains of Noyook melts and creates the river I have spoken of. Afal is the mother of many gods and creations, and she enriches the water of this river with her blessings. When it flows into our world from Noyook, we receive the river's bounty and its benefits.

    "I said before that this river is invisible to all but magic weavers, and this is true. However, its path through our world is obvious. The river carries nutrients that are beneficial to all living things. Even in the far north, along our border with Kanbal, the blue moss that marks the river's course grows in abundance. Animal populations increase throughout the nation whenever the river is flowing. Nothing starves, not even the wolves. Herders can graze livestock in the middle of winter without fearing that their flocks will be attacked.

    "However, Talhamaya also lives in this river. She too can go wherever it flows." Sufar started speaking more quietly. "What I tell you now comes from Tal legends. There was a daughter born to the Shiul family. She was raised carefully and happily until the age of sixteen, and was considered very beautiful. One day, while this young woman walked through the woods, she came across a clear woodland spring. Though it was near to winter then, the area surrounding the spring was warm and teeming with life. Monkeys played around it and birds twittered to one another in the trees.

    "That spring is a sacred place where the river of Noyook overflows and spills into this world. That spring divides into tributaries that flow into the rest of the nation. The young woman saw an enormous tree growing out of the center of the spring. That spring was invisible to most eyes, even those of magic weavers, but the young woman could clearly see both the spring and the tree. 

    "Suddenly, the young woman noticed a beautiful ring of mistletoe flowers reflected in the surface of the water. Each flower was tied to the next in a long unbroken chain; the entire ring glowed with a soft light. She saw it hanging from one of the branches of the tree above.

    "The young woman climbed the tree at the center of the spring and took the mistletoe ring from the tree branch. She slipped it over her head like a necklace. At that moment, the mistletoe ring glowed and disappeared into the young woman's body." Sufar's tone became ingratiating. "That's how it all started. By taking the mistletoe ring, that young woman was granted a great and terrible power. The tree acted as a bridge between our world and the world of the gods, and the spring was the connection point of a river in Noyook that thirsts constantly for blood—the river of Talhamaya.

    "At the young woman's unwitting invitation, Talhamaya flowed into that spring and used the mistletoe ring to slip into our world. Talhamaya caused this young woman to cut down all living things in her path. The young woman united with the god to become one being, and lived in youth and beauty unchanged for a hundred years."

    Tanda felt a steady sensation of heat coming through the soul thread that connected him and Sufar. He wasn't lying,

    "This woman is known to history as Sada Talhamaya. She led the Shiul family in wars against Rotarbal's other clans and tribes. Rotarbal was united under the Shiul banner in the blink of an eye. No matter her opponent's military strength or skill, Sada Talhamaya was more than a match for them. When Sada Talhamaya faced an enemy, her rage was like lightning and thunderheads. When she was angry, Talhamaya would appear and cut down people in a whirlwind of blades. Armies fell dead in seconds. And they couldn't hide behind shields or high stone walls, either—Talhamaya could break through them all.

    "Eventually, the only clan left aside from the Shiul clan and those they'd subjugated was the Rota clan. The small Shiul clan met the large, well-equipped Rota clan's army on the battlefield. The Rota clan's army was utterly decimated; the grassland of the battlefield became a sea of blood. So the Rota clan surrendered and agreed to be ruled by Sada Talhamaya. This was only the beginning of a nightmarish chapter in our nation's history."

    "You're wrong!" Chikisa called out suddenly.

    Sufar turned to look at Chikisa with an ashen expression.

    "That's just a legend made up by you Rota people to make Tal people look bad," Chikisa said.

    Sufar's eyebrows went up in surprise. "What are you trying to imply? You're Tal, so I expect you know this story. Do the Tal people's oral legends differ from what I've said?"

    Chikisa shook his head. He had heard this same legend from the Tal Kumada. They had expressed as clearly as Sufar the ancient crimes that the Shiul family had committed against Rota, to such an extent that Chikisa felt ashamed to be Tal. But now, hearing the man that wanted to kill him and Asra speak ill about his ancestors, Chikisa felt the stirrings of a deep and powerful rage.

    Chikisa remembered something his mother had told him. At the same time, he remembered that her views and opinions were considered heretical among the Tal. But right now he couldn't think of anything else to say to defend himself and Asra. He wasn't used to speaking in front of people, but as soon as he started he couldn't stop.

    "Thanks to Sada Talhamaya uniting with the god, Rotarbal's long history of bloody wars ended. She united Rotarbal into one nation under a single ruler for the first time. After she died, Rotarbal went back to being a nation of warring clans! You people used Sada Talhamaya as a sacrifice to sanctify the first king of Rota, and then as an excuse to drive the Tal people into the woods and keep us there forever with your prejudice and hatred!"

    Sufar's eyes widened. After a long moment, he nodded. "Hm. I suppose it's reasonable that the Tal people would see things that way. I understand now why your mother violated the ancient agreement of the Tal people with the Rotans and entered the the forbidden forest—why wouldn't she, if that's how your people think?"

    Chikisa frowned. Most of the Tal people didn't believe as his mother did. She'd been tried and executed as a heretic—and she'd broken the Tal people's agreement with the Rotans alone and without outside help.

    Sufar's eyes never left Chikisa's face. "The first king of Rota, Kiran, did besmirch the reputation of Sada Talhamaya in order to better consolidate his power. That much is true. But aren't you doing the same thing right now by casting your own side in the best possible light while harshly condemning the other?

    "You've said that Sada Talhamaya united Rotarbal into a single nation and presided over an age of peace. That's also true. But Sada Talhamaya's reign wasn't peaceful because people were happy, or safe, or prosperous. The people of Rotarbal had peace because they were terrified, and they weren't even allowed to scream. Sada Talhamaya could kill anyone with a glance. Do you call that system of oppression through violence 'peace?'"

    "You're lying! Sada Talhamaya was a wise ruler! She was revered by her people as a saint!"

    "I'm not lying," Sufar said. "If she really was a wise and gentle ruler, why did her own people kill her?"

    "Kiran wanted power for himself," Chikisa said. "He gathered all the power-hungry people in Rotarbal together and assassinated her."

    Sufar gave Chikisa a cold smile. "What you're saying doesn't change the facts. She was killed by Kiran; you're right about that—but how? She was united with Talhamaya. Talhamaya was never away from her, not even for a moment. Sada Talhamaya never slept. She ruled for a hundred years—it was unthinkable that anyone would try to kill her."

    Sufar tilted his head to the side and asked Chikisa, "Have you ever heard of the Sul Kashal?"

    Chikisa frowned and muttered, "The Sul Kashal were Sada Talhamaya's hunting dogs. The name means 'dogs of death.'"

    Sufar smiled. "The Sul Kashal had a secret that they were sworn to protect at all costs."

    "A secret?"

   "Yes. We swore an oath, to serve and to watch, and to keep our existence secret from all but a select few. It is likely that you will die soon, so there is little risk in telling you about us. Most of Rota's people will never know anything of what I tell you now. Most of the Tal don't, either.

    "Kiran didn't strike the blow that killed Sada Talhamaya on his own. No one could enter the city where Sada Talhamaya lived without being guided in by her hunting dogs, the Sul Kashal. These men and women were my ancestors."

    Chikisa blinked in surprise.

    "The people that know anything of the Sul Kashal assume that they were ordinary dogs, but this was not the case. The Sul Kashal were not dogs, but magic weavers enslaved to Sada Talhamaya. Then as now, the people of Rota tended to live in caves or holes dug into the grasslands. Most of the common people kept their heads down during the protracted wars between clans, choosing to live in small peaceful settlements and making their living by hunting and fishing.

    "The Sul Kashal were a little different. They possessed power over certain elements of nature. They could bind their souls to certain wild animals, traveling vast distances over the plains and woods and sky while looking through borrowed eyes. As animals, they could pass through fields and forests and towns undetected by other people. This power became the cause of our downfall."

    Sufar's voice conveyed bitter regret. "Sada Talhamaya realized what the Sul Kashal were capable of and took members of their families hostage. That was how she enslaved them. They were ordered to hunt down all who opposed her. It was shameful and disgusting work, but they had no choice. Those who resisted and lived were also made prisoners and slaves. For generations, the Sul Kashal were forced to do this work that they hated.

    "You've accused Rota's people of lying about Sada Talhamaya in order to uphold their own reputation. How do you explain the experiences of my ancestors? This tale has been passed down from parent to child with the greatest of care for centuries."

    Chikisa's lips trembled, but he remained silent.

    "My ancestors passed down what happened to them because they did not wish us to forget. They didn't want their memories to be lost or changed over time. No matter how much time passes, Sada Talhamaya must never again be permitted to ride the current of the sacred river of Noyook into our world. It was to prevent such a thing from ever happening again that my ancestors engraved this tale on my heart, so that I could recite it clearly from memory." Sufar stopped speaking suddenly. No one else said anything for a long while.

    Sufar took a deep breath, then finally broke the silence. "When the current of the sacred river becomes weaker and slower, it is a sign that Noyook's spring is coming to an end. Sada Talhamaya weakened when the sacred river ceased its flow into our world. She began to sleep for short periods of time. Her health deteriorated and she showed signs of aging. If the river stopped flowing into this world completely, it was likely that she would die. This is what many people thought would happen.

    "But the Sul Kashal could not simply wait and hope that she might die on her own. The Shiul clan was still small in numbers, if not in influence. The Sul Kashal were afraid that Sada Talhamaya might use her last strength to exterminate the other clans in order to protect her family's position. But the Sul Kashal's numbers were also few, and they held no role nor interest in politics. They also knew that killing Sada Talhamaya themselves would send the country into chaos and confusion. They had no desire to be the ones to put the country back together again. They also lacked the strength to perform such an act by themselves.

    "While my ancestors deliberated, the people of Rotarbal decided to assist them. The most popular leader among them was a young man, Kiran. The Sul Kashal communicated with Kiran's supporters secretly, telling them that Sada Talhamaya was weakening and that they feared she might kill them all.

    "Sada Talhamaya lived in a city deep within the forest, protected by her clan and many priests; the Sul Kashal would not be able to infiltrate the city without being discovered. Nonetheless, the Sul Kashal decided to make the attempt.

    "They encountered unexpected allies." Sufar's expression became difficult to interpret. He stared right at Chikisa as he said, "I expect that you know this part of the story. Your ancestors were our allies—the Shiul clan, and the priests and attendants that served them."

    Chikisa clamped his mouth shut and said nothing.

    "The Shiul clan had benefited a great deal from Sada Talhamaya's long rule. You would expect them to love and protect her. But most of them were sick of serving her. She was a cold, cruel, unfeeling god. Human lives were as fragile as soap bubbles to her, and as worthless. Her servants grew tired of placating her anger and trying to prevent her from further slaughter. If you consider the situation from their perspective, their position was perhaps the most precarious in the entire kingdom. They were around her all the time."

    Sufar continued his narration in a detached tone. "When the priests surrounding Sada Talhamaya noticed her growing weakness, they consulted among themselves. When the sacred river stopped flowing into our world, Talhamaya would have no way to remain here. She would be cut off and stuck in Noyook. The priests considered what they would do when that happened.

    With the god gone, the Rota clan would rise up. It was likely that they'd start another war. Sada Talhamaya knew this, too. It was possible that she would kill the entire Rota clan as her final act, to protect her kingdom from destruction." Sufar shook his head a little. "Chikisa, your ancestors made a very important decision that saved many lives. They joined their fate and their future to the Rota clan, choosing to turn away from Sada Talhamaya. They could not sit by and condone the atrocity of another mass killing. They knew they would have to kill her in order to prevent her from killing anyone else."

    Chikisa was listening attentively to Sufar now. He'd never heard the legend of Sada Talhamaya from the perspective of the Sul Kashal before. He knew about most of what Sufar was saying because of the teachings passed down to the Tal people from the Tal Kumada, but there were significant differences between the version of the story he knew and Sufar's.

    "The Sul Kashal guided Kiran into the sacred forest surrounding the city where Sada Talhamaya lived," Sufar said. "They were met by the priests of the Shiul clan. The Sul Kashal served at Sada Talhamaya's side, so they knew when she was about to sleep for a time and agreed to relay this information to the priests. The Sul Kashal promised to assist with the assassination in exchange for the promise that the Shiul clan would not wage war on the rest of Rotarbal after Sada Talhamaya's death.

    "Kiran didn't agree with this plan at first. Many of the Shiul clan were able to see the sacred river flowing from Noyook. Some were able to see the sacred tree at the center of the spring where Sada Talhamaya had first gained her power. Kiran feared that one of the Shiul clan would unite with Talhamaya again."

    Sufar wiped his sweaty palms on his pants, then  said, "So the Shiul priests swore that they would never again invite Talhamaya into our world, nor would they allow others to do so. They knew as well as the Sul Kashal did the terror of being subjugated by Sada Talhamaya, and they never wanted anyone to live in fear of her ever again. They decided to throw away their family name and become Tal, which means 'shadow.' They promised to never again seek political power and to live quietly in Rota's forests. These priests eventually became the first Tal Kumada; they guided the Sul Kashal and Kiran in sealing Talhamaya away in Noyook.

    "However, Kiran still could not be convinced to work with the Shiul clan." Sufar pursed his lips. "That is when the Sul Kashal swore to keep watch over them, to ensure that they would keep their word. They had no wish for a war between factions. Enough blood had been spilled already. And so they vowed that they would watch and observe the Shiul clan forever, passing their knowledge and their oath to all further generations of their people. If Kiran agreed to these terms, the Sul Kashal promised to make him the first king of the new nation of Rota.

    "Kiran finally accepted these terms. The Sul Kashal accepted their role of ensuring that the Tal people kept their promises—and that their connection to Talhamaya remained broken.

    "I am of the Kashal, and we preserve our ancient vow even now.

    "That is what I know of the origins of the Sul Kashal, the royal family of Rota, and the Tal people." He took a long breath. "You can guess what happened next. The assassination of Sada Talhamaya was successful. Apparently, she screamed before she died—she was aware of what was happening—but Kiran and my ancestors were not cut down. Her body turned transparent after she died, becoming all but invisible except to a handful of the Shiul priests. The mistletoe ring around her neck completely disappeared.

    "But like a tree sprouting from a seed, my ancestors knew that Noyook's spring would come again and create the potential for Talhamaya to cross into our world once more. Fearing the future wrath of Talhamaya, the Shiul priests built temples dedicated to her and and tried to sate her rage with the blood of many sacrifices. Sada Talhamaya's grave became a forbidden place and was heavily guarded. No one was permitted to approach the grave.

    "After her death, the Sul Kashal, the Rota clan, and the Shiul clan all kept their word. The Shiul priests guided their people into the deep woods and became Tal. Kiran became the first king of the new and peaceful nation of Rota."

    Sufar sighed heavily. He was still looking at Chikisa. "Do you understand, Chikisa? Your ancestors made a promise to my ancestors to never let Talhamaya enter this word ever again. They agreed that if a Tal person ever did attempt to invite the god to use them as a vessel, they would hand that person immediately over to us, the Kashal."

    Chikisa's eyes opened wide. He shook all over.

    "That's right. The Tal Kumada handed your mother over to us. When they told us that she'd made her way secretly to Sada Talhamaya's grave, we were shocked. But the Tal Kumada also told us that she had no capacity for magic weaving and was not able to invite Talhamaya into our world, even if she wanted to. That eased our minds somewhat. We thought her foolish act puzzling and disturbing, but harmless, in the end."

    Sufar's face twisted in a frown. "That was my mistake. I underestimated her. But I'm a cautious man. Even after I handed you and your mother over to Rota's soldiers, I ordered archers to keep her in their sights all the way to Shintadan."

    The memory of that terrible morning flashed before Chikisa's eyes. His hands balled into fists.

    "I thought your mother might be dangerous, but Talhamaya never appeared. That also eased my mind."

    "Then why did you kill my mom?" Chikisa asked in a strangled voice.  

    Sufar looked at Chikisa with an expression of pain. "By violating the ancient pact between our peoples, your mother committed a terrible crime. Even if she were a child, her punishment would have been the same."

    Tears welled up in Chikisa's eyes.

    "I didn't consider the idea that the Chamau was your sister and not your mother. That was a grave error on my part." Sufar continued speaking in a softer tone of voice. "We still have time to act, as long as Asra remains as she is. She hasn't united with the god yet, and Noyook's spring has only just begun. Asra is powerful now, but her power resembles Sada Talhamaya's when the flow of the sacred river into our world lessened. While her power remains immature, it should be possible to kill her." Sufar closed his mouth sharply. Grief and regret swirled together in the depths of his heart.

    "When the Kashal learned that the sacred river was flowing again, we bound our souls to dogs and sent them to observe Shintadan prison fortress. When we saw Asra through their eyes, we knew immediately that she was a Chamau—a person with the ability to invite and become united with Talhamaya. But even after we knew this to be the case, we hesitated and did not kill her. She is so young...we thought to provide her some kind of path forward, so that she might live. But our weakness resulted in that terrible massacre."

    Sufar stared at the floor. The lines in his face were deep, accentuating his clear exhaustion.

    The rage boiling inside Chikisa burned to ashes. He felt like a withered tree with the core burned out. The ashes that remained only made him sad, not angry. Chikisa remembered how utterly terrifying Asra had been at Shintadan, and at the inn after that. If everything Sufar said was true, what could he do? Was it true that Asra carried the seed of some terrible disaster within her?

    Tanda glanced over at Chikisa, then faced Sufar.

    Sufar met Tanda’s eyes. In Rotan, Tanda said, "Sufar, is that the end of your explanation? Have you told us all the reasons why you want to kill Asra?"

    Sufar frowned a little. "Were you expecting something else? Do you need other reasons?"

    Tanda nodded.

    Sufar frowned deeply. "Hm. I see. My ancestors told me what I have related to you. I hold it to be completely true, but I can understand why you might not. No one really knows what happened in the past, therefore no one can claim to know the truth, not for certain. Perhaps you think my ancestors crafted the details of this legend to suit their purposes, and that Chikisa's version of events holds equal validity. It all comes down to whose word you trust."

    "Sada Talhamaya's power to subdue and subjugate her people has historical precedent." Tanda's tone was calm and even. "In New Yogo, the Mikado is said to have the power to strike common people dead instantly if they look him in the eyes. The Mikado and his family claim that this power comes from a god.

    "More importantly, when you first saw Asra through the eyes of the dogs, you wanted to find a way to let her live. Isn't there still a way for her to do that?"

    Tanda and Sufar stared at one another for a long time.

    A light like hope shone in Chikisa's eyes. "Asra really is a good person." Chikisa's voice was as thin as a thread about to snap. "She doesn't want to kill people."

    Sufar shrugged. "You're probably right. But her personality doesn't change the current situation at all. She has the potential to shift the balance of power in Rota. That wouldn't just be destabilizing; it would be ruinous. We must consider how to prevent such a catastrophe."

    Sufar faced Chikisa. "You saw it. Didn't you? You saw it all. Everything your sister did. You know the kind of power she wields. I understood it immediately as soon as I saw the carnage at Shintadan. Killing even one person is a serious crime, and she killed dozens. She must pay the price for their lives."

    Sufar kept his focus solely on Chikisa as he continued, "You claim that your sister is good and kind and has no desire to kill, but all those lives at Shintadan were lost because of her—and lost cruelly and mercilessly. Why should we let her live? Simply because she is young? Because her actions are partially the fault of a god?"

    Chikisa didn't answer.

    "If we leave this situation alone, Asra will almost certainly kill again," Sufar said bitterly. "Do you care nothing for the lives of others?"

    "It's cruel to ask Chikisa that," Tanda cut in.

    Sufar turned toward Tanda, eyes flashing. "Cruel? Compared to what? I'm trying to prevent more needless killing. And look at you! You can't do anything at all. You're nothing but a hostage. By refusing to help us, you're all but helping this girl murder more people."

    Sufar's face was bright red. "Why can't you understand that there's no way to save her? If she really is a good person, she'd choose death herself—isn't that better than allowing Talhamaya to kill countless others? Think of the future. It will be like our nation's past, full of atrocity and fear. Is that what you want?"

    Tanda clenched his fists and stared at the floor. He lifted his head slowly and looked into Sufar's eyes. "Why not give Asra that choice? Tell her everything you just told us. Maybe she'll choose to sacrifice herself to save others. We can't rule that out unless we ask her first, can we? Or maybe Asra could spend her life in New Yogo, far away from the sacred river—she might not be able to access Talhamaya's power there.

    "If Asra decides to live, I'll take full responsibility for her."

    Sufar shook his head. "Impossible. We have no idea what would happen if we entrusted Asra to you. I know that your offer is serious, but I'm not sure you've thought through all the implications of what taking responsibility for Asra would mean."

    "I have," Tanda said. "If Asra kills anyone else—if I can't stop her—you can kill me. I'm sure Balsa would say the same thing. I can't just stand by and watch Asra be killed. But if I'm mistaken about her and she does kill again, you can kill me—me and Balsa both. If Asra becomes Sada Talhamaya, she won't be Asra anymore."

    Tanda turned toward Chikisa. "What do you think? Would you stay near your sister and protect her for the rest of your life?"

    Chikisa hesitated, but he nodded.

    Tanda said to Sufar in Yogoese: "What'll it be, Sufar? He current situation's still a stalemate. If you don't accept my conditions, I swear I'll never tell you where Balsa is, even if you kill me."

 

 

    Shihana looked up at Sufar when he entered. Mark and Kahal were asleep in the next room. Mark had helped the severely injured Kahal descend the mountain and reach this inn only a little while ago. They were both utterly exhausted; Shihana had only just finished seeing to their wounds.

    Sufar collapsed to the floor in a heap, clearly exhausted himself. "I have an idea of where Balsa and Asra may be hiding."

    As Sufar told Shihana what he'd learned from Tanda, her face lit up. "All right. As soon as Mark recovers, we'll get rid of Tanda and head for Shirogai."

    Sufar shook his head. He spoke slowly, as if he had to push the words out by force of will. "We're bringing Tanda and Chikisa to Shirogai with us. We'll decide whether or not to kill the girl after we've found her."

    "Huh? Why, dad?"

    "It's Tanda's condition for telling us where they are," Sufar said. "We'll go to Shirogai together and figure things out from there."

    Shihana let out a brief, sarcastic laugh. "Unbelievable. Dad, is your head feeling all right? We have the information we need; there's no need to honor your word with a prisoner."

    Sufar stared straight at Shihana. "I think it's best for everyone if we keep to this agreement. I was entirely prepared to kill the girl, and kill her quickly. Tanda could feel this through my soul thread—when he understood my conviction, he gave me his terms. I think he understands the situation we're in."

    Shihana opened her mouth to say something, then closed it. Her expression conveyed a complicated mix of emotions. After a long, silent moment, she nodded her head in acknowledgment. Her father led the Kashal; she had to respect his will. She sighed. 

 

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