Chapter 4 No.4

Word Count: 13668 | Released on: 29/11/2017

ct that she could do nothing for the poor woman left her with a twisting feeling in he

she looked up to see a group of dirt-streaked children gathered around. They

er arms in self-defense, although a larger boy managed to cast some larger

sible God, crying out, "Stone the idol-breaker!" and "Where is he?-I can't find him!", m

the stones by holding up her arms. At the door flap to the bungalow, she threw herself through the barrier tarp and ducked wi

a large rock upheld to smite her with. Quick as a flash, L'acoci seized him

the bungalow, at which point the mob of kids broke and ran. The din of their screams, added to the large

y pot of herbal tea, a bowl of paste made from honey mixed with lard and c

ed 'error'. L'acoci looked long and meaningfully at Si'Wre

ar, stepped over to kneel carefully beside a stoically suffering Habrunt, her own concerns temporarily overlooked. He

ayers of fresh tea-soaked replacement gauze over Habrunt's ruined flesh, exercising special care over the most fearsome gashes. Habru

or not. Of a truth, she had sworn never to actually speak again, but now it occurred to her that perhaps she might at least intonate. The idea was such as to be normally of no great import

r again know the joy of singing, she could still hum her favorite melodies, and im

seemed like a grea

Habrunt's wounds, filling the silent, deserted bu

d this, and felt that he was more than a little eased in

e, a few at a time, all of them

stew, no one dared bother Si'

rom favor, gave them equal pause. Until the day he died, Habrunt would never be

ient reason to take open notice of it and perhaps voice false objections out of a spirit of trouble-making. Presently, the other

ed up some stew into a

ell as yourself," said

g the one bowl

for Habrunt, using sea shells for scoops. Habrunt could not bear to move his tortured body, not so much as to lift a finger, but Si'Wren was more than willing

t in tea and pressed it to his feverish brow to try to ease the torment th

the flicker of the cooking fire in it's cobblestone pit in the cypress bungalow of the field slaves. A mist began to rise from the

e so that others in the bungalow might not

old woman, and wa

s in times past. I saw when you yourself, as a tiny orphan girl new to the House of the Master, were told such horrible stories by the fireside when the slaves hid in fear of the full moon shining in the blackness of night, with tales told about how the moo

ative. Yes, she believed in moon-madness, but never had she questioned the power of Habrunt's mig

, but not for it's own sake, but for the madness and evil deception worked by unseen demonic powers, seeking to deceive us mere mortals into thinking that it comes from the full moon. But the full moon itself is nothing to worry about. Know this, girl, and know it well. Behind every evil act of man is the still more evil provocation of a horde of demonic and deceiving fallen po

she regarded Habrunt, and

nner consciousness had formed the words, "Si'Wren, far from the demons driving Ha

hat she had learned this new thing about demons. Now, they could no longer deceive her as before.

d of stupor, sitting on a woven mat and leaning against his sleeping rack with her head leaning c

to hum a melody, so low and muted as to be inaudible to all but herself and Habrun

patted his forehead with the tea-soaked rag, and from her heart and soul arose in her throat soft compassionate intonati

he murmured to himself unintelligibly, but although Si'

gle. It was the voice of some incomprehensible vision, a beauty, a paragon of virtue,

unearthly vision of her eternal spirit, ecstatically alive, wild, and free, as the mysterious woman with a voice like an angel roamed the deep jungle, seemingly hee

rm to reveal what was beyond with a sweep of his haunted eyes, he saw only a litt

tremble invisibly with the incredible sweetness and beauty of that trilling, passionately enthralling voice,

alling desperately and chasing with hastened steps towards her swiftly moving shadow which could barely be glimpsed ahead,

mottled and rippled interplay of light and shadow patterns, he saw her silhouette against the sun, a li

n, and, disappointed, saw yet again the plain little brown wren bir

s the woman who

staggered off, heart

e wa

Invisible God, and as he turned to go to her he felt his limbs whipped by the passing br

y, as he staggered and fell hea

as the

uavering crone's voice as dry as dead leaves. "Si'Wren

coals with a tired, dreamy stare, and sighed in a heedless shrug. Then she turned her eyes softly back again, looking co

e more to her in his ruin, than any ten ordinary men

aning and thrashing again, and she wondered what

ong nigh

a quick jog through the compound front gates and sou

ow that Habrunt was slated to be sold for next to nothing, as soon as his wounds were healed. The messenger would speak to no one else at f

nto the House, where Old Maskron quickly sprang to his feet and r

th a wild-eyed stare, and finally decided

dead!" declared th

askron, his eyes going se

eached out with both hands to seize the runner's tunic by the front to

roken utterance. Then he went on, "Kadru

r as he stood sniggering like a whipped boy in a torm

e moaned, "and all-o

emptiness as if at the terrif

, shaking the other again and infuri

ve wailed. "They a

e do for I alone have

weeping runner as he gripped him, staring him down for

, and dare to ask of m

alamitous news to all the imaginary hells of the soul, and violently cast him bac

stretch against the back of his head, and lay sprawled backwards, head-down

aves worked their softly undu

n to unprecedented levels. The silent compound stood with it's great gates closed tight shut and cross-bar

r, no great Master stood confidently facing the

ababull

r able-bodied male slaves were dead, their blood spilled

ures already at work on what the corpse-

dren clustered anxiously around them, some quiet, some crying, but none laughing. The few innocent toddlers

ess bungalow of the field slaves, one

n, forbidden to form words, hummed an

rack where Habrunt lay prostrate, hovering attentively over

nt concerns now, could not be bothered to deal w

in a world of her own. Clearly, she had eyes for no one but Habrunt. She saw nothing beside

im, and behold; they we

, still

mists of the interior yard, people cowered and watched from their doorways, peering fearfully acr

ense fog with eyes reddened and pouched from lack of sleep and too ma

boy of perhaps ten appeared next, dressed in rich robes, his

lapped the bo

askron growled t

o peer out of a peephole. He was seen talking momentarily, then tur

ouse of Rababull!" he procla

dished his bronze sword as he made h

is way across the courtyard, his sandals scraping audibly in the dust of the dirt, while fe

gates and peered o

as outside. He nodded occasionally several times, pausing to

he gates. Limping, they reached for the cross bar. With a mighty heave, the heavy oake

with a show of bluster. With a series of ineffectual lurches, the crippled

and struck Old Maskron in the chest, it's iron point erupting in a welt of red from the backside o

that zinged through the air and thunked sickeningly into his body and became inextricably embedded in his back, which he arc

ings of the women and other children suddenl

d giant fully seven feet tall thrust him through with a spear point and casually levered the honed s

or any males of noble birth. There were none

g and screaming, one by one,

appeared to be the leader of the invaders and summarily thrust throug

e living became as they were dragged to the fore and a

they were nonetheless potential claimants or heirs to the

topped when the executione

powerful-looking swordsmen, his gangrenous leg causing him much agony, making pathetic

a sword and stepped back, jerking his weapon out of the victim as his body was released by his captors to plummet

ematically thrusting through any wh

they had murdered them all. This marvelous bit of genius had also portended

was chiefest

in sole heir and possessor of the Deed to the Hou

wo and get a jump start on his new nei

elayed his coming and stayed home instead. Then he had sent out his scouts, and made his long-awaited move when opportunity presented itself

he endless demands of Master Rababull's contemptuously-worded family obligations, while he had watched an

men were spent, whereas Conabar's men were fresh and spoiling for the battle! All he needed to do now was to fight off Kadrug, or better yet, try to make an ally of him. Kadrug, with only the fields to bivouac his fig

oise of their hollering and hooting voices

ld live only so long as he kept his back to the wall and his wits about him, and his men remained loyal to him in his occasional absence and his

them came running and knelt before him on one knee to report that Rababull

stead. Too late now. The Emperor of the city would be too powerful to attack just to get ba

h spitting in the dirt, Conabar ordered the enslavement of all

ny man, they must be sorted through. The best would be his t

e beauty whose flower of womanhood had only just begun to bud. A woman sworn never to speak for the remainder of her life.

edly of such incomparable beauty; now there was a rare prize! As f

, they were having

ust be given free rein to

bar called out.

ly demanding where the wine vats were, and the women readily granted him his eve

thrust skyward the golden goblet of sparkling red wine, the very scent of whic

Conabar waved his sword in the air and shouted

l sides as they routed the wine bearer for his plunder and b

oise-making grew to a deaf

es beside a peacefully meandering little stream, Si'Wren crouched low beside a collapsed Habrunt as she listened fearfully. In the distance, the madmen howled their anger and frustration at not finding her, and their mounting desperation at

tion, a crippled Habrunt had counseled Si'Wren to flee, and against his protests found himself dragged along rather than be ab

rching had looked for Si'Wren, describing her so accurately, and the way her fellow sla

runt to escape, fearful of being spotted at any moment. It was a relief to r

s any recognizably human utterance, "The Emperor's Law is broken

houlder to prop him up. As he indicated the direction of their flight, she

only feared the others, but reverenced Habrun

l b

irtually scrape the floor with their noses. In addition to the Court Officers representing various royal functions, the ri

ny noble offspring and husband of countless wives, entered at a sedate pace accompanied by various officials and took with unfeigned boredom to the throne, his back against the stone wall and a pageant of armed guards in watchf

ng fellow who could by now have pronounced them in his sleep without interrupting his ow

-a favorite delicacy; and gods have mercy upon the slave who dropped and stepped on so much as a single plum i

but men of means could get out of that if enough money was paid to s

it out on the spot in a bloody battle. In the end, both died of their wounds and their survivors fled the palace to grab what

about the death of Master Rababull, and of the pleas f

a drastically accelerated pace recently with respect to the affairs of the late

a blood relation. Conabar's friend was the savage outlaw

have enemies was nothing new, and more than a few had dined on a

ves presented quite a spectacle. When Emperor Euphrates had just about had enough of their nonsense and was almost ready to waggle a finger and have them all

s turned to his Chief Adviser, Borla, and held out his r

es. "Where before have I heard

d heard it somewh

or nothing, astutely put his long left index finger straight up beside the right nostril of his long, thin, protruding nose with a heavy frown, and sniffed not once but several times, somewhat noisily and th

isfaction, and bowed peremptorily bef

ing of a distant but honorable relation on your mother's sister's

es agreed, raising his eyebrows and then frowning over the mo

ty," agreed Borla dry

ploring motion of his right hand, using the common bartering gesture of t

ates, with a brief, commandi

-the dreary virtues of long-ago beauties, these- had been extremely sick and in pain beyond torment with the gain-green in his leg,

relation, Conabar, had crept to the House gates unawares and merciless

, had promptly searched out and summarily executed all of M

forestalling hand, and after their jibber-jabber had died

ent to realize that any number of personal complaints would get them now

resumed, centered perfectly on the o

d torments from his gain-green, as he was summarily dragged out and executed by no less a personage th

owing more fiery with their every word, slowly drew himself more vertically upright whilst sitting in his stone throne, and angrier still as he leaning successively st

one ol

have death or glory, and cannily raised her cracking voice in shameless petition

an increasingly wrathful Emperor. Puffat's beautiful brown eyes were put out, wailed she. Puffat's big toes and thumbs were hacked off, gesti

agonizing gangrenous l

his. Puf

oug

the chair arm and jerked himself straight upright i

glared down at the silent

ror Euphrates, grating ou

e was nothing, if not competent, and showed no further sign of his nervousness as he quickl

the audience, and cle

, is off-ended," said Borla as he turned

e latter, starting upright as

nly roused out of a deep trance, and perked up his ears anew as he finally managed to take his eyes off the quacking old crone. He raised

n?" repea

nd also because the Emperor Euphrates was so fond of the old ditherer, who was endeared to his majesty by virtue

aled impatience, Bo

quickly with an air of self-importance and

ed his eyes shut tightly, tilted his head back, and bawled loudly into the hig

immediately chanted, "All

ded court, fearful of the awesome power of the great Emperor Euphrates that so

led Ibi, who was also a man of great age like unto Ampho. Off to one side, aged Ibi promptly reached

red Emperor Euphrates, "ha

ates' pronouncements. When he had finished repeating the proclamation, he

against the Imperial throne and doth conspire unlawfully to slay his relations and diminish his blood lin

s voice and howled the decree loudly. Thus were pronounce

the habitual practice of killing off some victim for who-cares-what offence, and then ceremonially 'reading' the vict

ure, which others took especial note of in their earnest praises of their beloved Empe

f direct physical evidence to the contrary or some such nonsense to have been innocent of all charges, Emperor Euphrates had their entrails formally brought

splay of the supernatural

thful to grant an

id significantly, to Borla

many repetitions gone before, that Borla kn

ed dryly, "The Emperor giveth, and the Emperor taketh away. The

ses his Majesty the Emperor Euphrates that the House of Rababull, and all it's bond persons, shall become the proper

could not be said to have "died honorably", they were first forma

tipend is declared for the widows of one c

is heels and shoulders, and said simply to Ampho, "His Majesty's

royal permission to beg in the streets without molestation, provided they do not imped

it and managed to stick out their alms bowels in the paths of tr

at honor to be permitte

wards those pathetic and tormented slaves immediately under their harsh household rule, were herded from the cou

reupon Ampho immediately bawled out in

pear at Emperor Euphrates if one was bowing so low as not to be able to even look at him, or anything else

d by the watchful guards as the threat they very possibly were,

n the risk of being skewered in the process simply because it was so hard for a guard to pick out the one who had smuggled arms past the Royal Checker of Weapons and Headco

s safer, because a man had to move before he could use a weapon, and if he tried he would

ho abandoned the House of R

f position or force of men to withstand Emperor Euphrate

e another for peace and pledged themselves in a blood oath to become allies

phrates ha

ormer House of Rababull to the royal treasury of Emperor Euphrates. The fate of the sl

be frighten

rn had finally come, stepped forward several awful, final steps to stand,

ed the court officer, a min

to the Invisible God neve

juries from the merciless whipping. Habrunt's last words had been to reassure her that in a world of such unsurpassing evils, only in the royal household would she be not mistreated, and that only there would she, withou

matter what his condition. But unfortunately, it was not for her to decide, so she trusted Habrunt implicitly in everythin

" the man said g

nd then, with a narrowing of his eyes, actually showed genuine interest in her. After all, this one was not only harmless, but an astonishing bea

downcast- remaine

on of direct attendance on the Emperor's right hand, and motio

grimaced at her distastefully and said, as from a great height, "It seems this rebel

wide with fright and surprise

and said sharply to on

rd, "Give

d handed over to Baschal, who promptly took it and hand

small degree of impatience. "For th

the gleaming sword which Borla held up just beneath

stroke. "His Majesty can be quite reasonable at times. You've obviously chose

d," said Emperor

rm tensed for the down

ook of self-ev

handed the sword back to the underling again. "What is

me," said Empe

sand spectators looked on in shocked horror, and Si'Wren gasped involuntarily as Borla's heav

hole short life, let alone heard the remotest details of the daily existence of. She vaguely recalled her first, distant impression of his grea

ss beside him, eyes downcast as her great and terrible Lord leaned

t stubborn slave girl as Borla looked on intently from within his

r Euphrates, as he wiggled an i

y disbelieving and incredulous faces, Si'Wren

er Lord and E

a step at a time, while the fierce-looking Borla let his hand f

one, throughout all earlier court proceedings, approach so close bef

hy? Let me get a good look at you. That's it. No

d also clearly showing her ability to hear and understand quite pla

peered narrowly at

death to disobey your Empe

terrible night when Habrunt came to rescue her. She must never s

he throng and proclaimed, "Is this child a deaf and dumb mute? Is the

several quick steps forward and fell down prostrat

r Euphrates approvi

master, on her very life, as fitting punishment for being a filthy idol-breaker!" declared the

the crowd, with many individual exclam

ss?" formally aske

ubsequent vow. "If the evil girl should speak but once in a lifetime, her disloyalty to her own vow shall constitute faithful witness against her and her forbidden g

n ruminative silence for a moment without showing the sl

phrates finally. "It is most

he court, he said, "Wh

h so, when her own consorts were so well aware that both Si'Wren and the other one, Nelatha, had actually been falsely accused by Sorpiala's own scheming manipul

e not a past master of the connive, being just over one hundred years old, yet sti

d Emperor Euphrates form

ne of her most trusted consorts, who immediat

his eyes to the silent, fearful girl who stood before him without the s

s of the accusers for the record. We have three witnesses who say this girl is

ronounced, realized suddenly that Emperor Euphrates had spoken this time di

you, chil

ring that she was sworn to silence and evidently would prefer to face the

s Chief Advisor nonetheless wisely waited

s opened his mou

e once more, automatically shifting his inscrutable gaze to Sorpiala, whom he instinctiv

hild's name?" h

en, Emperor," respond

confront Si'Wren face-to-face. "Stand closer, child," a

almost nose-to-nose when he finally leaned forward and murmured to her in

ear. For I, myself, have destroyed many false idols, but you ought to obey yo

nswer in a mindful of terrors, and

ati

this. Then, thinking further of it, he added, "Have yo

the affirmative this time. Then, she remembered that it was not a vow of absolute silence

thought this over until he had adequately perceived the precise nature of the vow as demonstrated and

se that was most distinct and unusual. What was it? He pondered this at length while the who

of inner truth. Furthermore, she had remained utterly adamant in upholding her vow of silence in t

contrariwise, h

was

stink in the discerning nostrils of the mighty and terrible Emperor Euphrates, whose mercy customarily extended to the tolerance of such attitudes, although it was his desire that only pure worship and obedience should ever be seen or demonstrated in his sub

innately unpardonable offense, and only rightly to be forgiven absenting any other lawful infractions. It was an offense against he whose majesty respected no person. It was

our vow of silence, but only go and stand over there," he indicated the right-hand, far edge of his ro

er astute Borla reached out carefully to halt and steady her when she w

es bid the three women, "step two pa

cealed expressions of alarm as they co

ed out the third of Si'Wren's

e nearest guard, who had automatically raised a spear t

ce!" as he spotted the first woman whisper

s. Sorpiala merely held her peace, and looked straight ahead in a penetrating look of ruthlessness, evi

ine of Si'Wren's accusers, who had not dared to volunteer herself, but only had spoken up at Sorpiala's initial bidding, hastened forward to fall flat at the very feet of Emperor Eup

r in a low indistinct voice, to which she answered fearfully now and again. Finally, he gave

terror, for she instinctively realized what was coming and desperate

ed out the second of Si'Wren's

ly copied the first woman's awkward approaches and fell at E

accusers, the one who had voluntarily and initially spoken first of her own free vo

for a long time and said nothing, st

ss from past experience. Others who were less experienced in the ways of the court, Si'Wren and

eemed to come out of his trance as he he

ded Si'Wren's third accuser, the

nishment for such a one as remains silent when comm

Emperor, it may be that I have erred most grievously, and that what she has done be no wrong thing at all, although it was also rumored that s

changed conspiratorial looks, and Sorpiala fairly

avior as he regarded the woman directly bein

hment would you prescribe for such an id

eady been punished. Perhaps," she dropped her eyes and barely

grant a less than sin

as he said, "Co

queen of the kingdom of Emperor Euphrates, and Si'Wren as her first victim- readily tip-

aid Sorpiala dramatically, and leaning forward,

than anything she had ever seen or heard of

ned hand-in-hand with a cunning new ally. "But this one has already b

her exotic almond eyes moving sideways as she

dded, and appeared e

lly, she was at long last about to have the

d to the last woman, Si

before even

eakers s

ice of her lack of proper respect in crudely omitting to u

lidded in judicious contemplation. Finally he heaved a long, heavy si

t in the air and opened his yawning mouth as he bawled loudly to t

voices dutifully chanted, "A

oolish idols anyways? He'd broken one of the silly things himself once, right

years ago, and he still winced

ever. You could deliberately destroy the idols of your enemies, but that was an entirely diffe

huge, grossly obese individual of exceptionally obnoxious character who went by the unlikely moniker of Fatoo the Dread, and the obliging fellow was persuade

from it's place of concealment beneath the voluminous skirts of his bulging belly, after poofing up a huge cloud of noxious, stinking smoke. No

least the replacement idol had been provided with a nice cushion for it's unexpected fall, and all of the moaning and groaning which Fatoo had sudden

onvenient stigma with which to draw away any possibly adverse attention from Emperor Euphrates' blunder in breaking

lly looked up, and cle

, I, Emperor Euphrates, chosen of the gods, ev

zen, as if he were no more than a dumb idol himself. Borla was m

n Si'Wren, and smiled as he

lled Si'Wren," Emperor Euphrates de

asps arose

her hesitation, "I have mercifully examined all three witnesses in great detail without the customary and usual qu

She wasn't expecti

rs were terror-stricken as

ronounced, finally declaring imperial judgement. Then he

front of Si'Wren's three shocked accusers as he rubbed his

a heartbeat, was shattered by wailing protes

faction, for he fully appreciated the virtually divine means by which Emperor Euphrates invari

outstretched arm, while the guards, stupid oafs, laid off and

said Borla, with a brief wave of summary

the terrified woman, immedia

oman groveling before his fee

one sa

with a wide-eyed look of insane terror, backing away in a series of quick, shuffling half-steps and

ged series of thin shrill screams, long and utterly soul-despairing. The bloodcurdling screams were partially obscured by her removal to the ha

y, extending his arm out to one side an

o unflinchingly execute the harshest judgements was one of the most terrifying things about men like Borla. Si'Wren longed to beg Emperor Euphrates to

, suffered her own intended punishments before the Emperor and all the general assemblage at the hand of Borla himself a

her punishment, and was dragged away unconscious to the slave quar

bloody weapon back to th

throughout the entire ordeal of the punishments. On impulse, Si'Wren

inquired dutifully, bowing low even as he indicated

ed crowd throughout the entire phase of the punishments, softened his gaze as

I, even I, have not observed so great courage, as was found in this little one!

ons, Highness,"

Borla was bowing, he w

great head as he smi

remained in respectful attendance and stood awaiting his wor

r, even as his munificent Highness has declared. For verily do I perceive that she has indeed kept her vow honorably, a fact which your esteemed self has astutely discerned wi

ly a chief advisor. However, a normally brief, succinct, and to-the-point B

orla, of the former

rompted Empe

fool!" declared

," intoned Emp

or their perpetual blunders, short-sightedness, and pure love of rank foolishness. How easily might the girl rather have been corrected instead by any numb

ded approvingly, wait

suage the harshness of his legal status, seeing how

gaging show of teeth, "it could not have been a very powerful idol, for all o

arked Emperor Euphrates in round-about congruence, "and n

rla agreed, displaying more of hi

his astute mind went on

?" Borla went on sugg

uphrates

t of

to be done with

oment, while the entire court looked

l Scribe in my court,"