‘Perhaps you would not mind coming with me to see what is happening,’ said Odo.
‘I would be pleased. From now on, I shall be your shadow, brother.’
Homesteads in Rivenjk were arranged round a courtyard and protected from the elements by a high wall. The more prosperous the family, the higher the wall. Round this courtyard lived the various branches of the Odim family — very little more enterprising here than the relatives in Koriantura had been.
With the families lived their domestic animals, housed in stalls adjoining the human habitations. Some of the animals had been crowded together to permit the newly arrived relatives shelter. This arrangement was the cause of the present quarreclass="underline" the resident relations prized their animals above the newly arrived relations — and with some justice.
The sanitary arrangements of most Shiveninki courtyard homesteads depended on a commensalism between animals and humans. All excretions from both house and stall were washed down into a bottle-shaped pit carved in the rock under the courtyard. The pit could be maintained from an inspection flap in the courtyard, through which all vegetable refuse was also thrown. As the refuse rotted underground, it gave off biogas, chiefly methane.
The biogas rising from the pit was trapped and piped into the houses, to be used for cooking and lighting.
This civilised system had been developed throughout Shivenink to cope with the extremes of the Weyr-Winter.
As the Odim brothers inspected the complaints of their relatives, they discovered that two cousins had been housed in a stall where there was a small gas leak. The smell offended the cousins, who had insisted on bundling into the adjoining house, which was already packed with people.
The gas leak was plugged. The cousins, protesting for form’s sake, went back to their appointed stall. Slaves were despatched to see that the biogas tank was not malfunctioning.
Odo took his brother’s arm. ‘The church is nearby, as you will observe when we take you on a tour of the city. I have arranged this evening for a small service of thanksgiving to be held there. Praise will be offered to God the Azoiaxic for your preservation.’
‘You are most kind. But I warn you, brother, I am free of religious belief.’
‘This little service is necessary,’ said Odo, raising a dismissive finger. ‘There you will be able to meet all our relatives formally. There is something downcast in your spirit, brother, owing to your multiple bereavements. You must take a good woman, or at least a slave, to make you happy. What is the status of that foreign woman in your party, Toress Lahl?’
‘She’s a slave, belonging to Luterin Shokerandit. A doctor, very spirited. He is a fine young man, and from Kharnabhar. About Captain Fashnalgid, I am less certain. He’s a deserter, not that I blame him for that. I started out the voyage, before the Fat Death overcame us, with a woman who meant much to my comfort. Alas, she died in the epidemic.’
‘Was she from Kuj-Juvec, brother?’
‘No, but she became like a dove to the tree of my self. She was faithful and good. Her name, for I must speak it, was Besi Besamitikahl. She was more to me even than my—’
Odim broke off sharply, for up ran Kenigg, with a newfound friend. As Odim smiled and took his son’s hand, his brother said, ‘Let me help you find another dove for that good tree of your self. You have only one brother, but the air is full of doves waiting for a suitable branch on which to alight.’
Luterin Shokerandit and Harbin Fashnalgid had been given a small room under the roof, thanks to Odo’s generosity. It was lit by one little garret window overlooking the courtyard, from which they could watch the comings and goings of the family and their slaves. In an alcove stood a stove on which their slave could cook their meals.
Both the men had beds of wood, raised above the floor and covered in rugs. Toress Lahl was supposed to lie on the floor beside Shokerandit’s bed.
Shokerandit took her in with him while Fashnalgid still slept. He lay all night with his arms round her. Only as he was rising did Fashnalgid stir.
‘Luterin, why so energetic?’ he asked, yawning cavernously. ‘Didn’t you drink enough of the Odim family’s wine last night? Rest, man, and for the Azoiaxic’s sake, let’s recover from that terrible voyage.’
Shokerandit came and looked down at him, smiling. ‘I had enough wine. Now I want to be off to Kharnabhar as soon as possible. My status is uncertain. I must see how my father is.’
‘Damn fathers. May their gossies eat shoe leather.’
‘I have another anxiety too — one you had better heed. Although the Oligarch is well occupied with the war against Bribahr, he has a ship here in port. More may arrive. They may be watching for us both. The sooner I start for Kharnabhar, the better. Why not come with me? There’d be safety and work with my father.’
‘It’s always cold in Kharnabhar. Isn’t that what they say? How far north is it from here?’
‘The Kharnabhar road covers over twenty-two degrees of latitude.’
Fashnalgid laughed. ‘You go. I’ll stay here. I’ll find a ship sailing for Campannlat or Hespagorat. Anything rather than your frozen refuge, thanks for all that.’
‘Please yourself. We don’t exactly please each other, do we? Men have to get along well, to survive the drive to Kharnabhar.’
Fashnalgid brought an arm up from his furs and held out a hand to Shokerandit. ‘Well, well, you’re a man for the system, and I’m against it, but never mind that.’
‘You like to think I’m a man for the system, but since my metamorphosis I’ve broken from it.’
‘Yes? Yet you long to get back to Father in Kharnabhar.’ Fashnalgid laughed. ‘True conformists don’t know they conform. I like you well enough, Luterin, though I know you think I wrecked your life by capturing you. On the contrary, I saved you from the claws of the Oligarch, so be grateful. Be grateful enough to heave your Toress over to my bed for the morning, will you?’
A flush spread over Shokerandit’s face. ‘She’ll get you water or food while I’m out. Otherwise, she is mine. Ask Odim’s brother for what you want — he has plenty of slaves for whom he cares nothing.’
They looked each other in the eye. Then Shokerandit turned to leave the room.
‘Can I come with you?’ Toress Lahl called.
‘I shall be busy. You can stay here.’
As soon as he was gone, Fashnalgid sat up in bed. The woman was hurriedly dressing. She cast the odd glance across at the captain, who smoothed his moustache and gave a smile.
‘Don’t be so hasty, woman. Come over to me. Sweet Besi’s dead and I want comforting.’
When she made no answer, he climbed naked out of bed.
Toress Lahl made a run for the door, but he caught her by the wrist and pulled her back.
‘Don’t be in such a hurry, I said, didn’t I? Didn’t you hear me?’ He gave her long brown hair a gentle tug. ‘Women are generally pleased to be attended by Captain Fashnalgid.’
‘I belong to Luterin Shokerandit. You heard what he said.’
He twisted her arm and grinned down at her. ‘You’re a slave, so you’re anyone’s. Beside, you hate his guts — I’ve seen the looks you give him. I never forced a woman, Toress, that’s the truth, and you’ll find me a good deal more expert than he, from what I overheard.’
‘Please let me go. Or I shall tell him and he’ll kill you.’
‘Come on, you’re too pretty to threaten me. Open up. I saved you from death, didn’t I? You and he were riding into a trap. He’s a fatal innocent, your Luterin.’