Shardik

'What I've learned – what I've learned is how strong an evil man becomes. Genshed's strong because he's evil. Evil protects him, so that he can do its work. In a few days you'll come to see what I mean.' He paused, and then added, 'But Genshed's not the only one to blame for our misery.' 'Why-who else?' 'The enemy; the Ortelgans, who revived the slave trade.' 'They didn't give Genshed a warrant.'

'No, but what did they think would happen? If you let in dogs you let in fleas.'

Kelderek made no reply and for a long time they continued their shuffling snail's pace behind the children, stooping every few yards to free their dragging chains. At last Radu said, 'You're sure that General Santil's army's in Kabin?' 'Yes -1 came from there.' 'And you actually saw my father there?' 'Yes, I did.'

They bent their heads to pass Bled, standing with knees bent and stick half-raised in his hand. It was not until he had overtaken them and was some way ahead that Kelderek spoke again. 'It must be near sunset. When does he halt as a rule?' 'Are you tired?' asked Radu.

'I'm still dizzy from this wound in my head, and my finger's very painful. Genshed drove-his knife under the nail.'

'I've seen him do that more than once,' said Radu. 'Let me have a look. That ought to be tied up.' He tore a strip from his rags and bound it round Kelderek's finger. 'We may have a chance to wash it later. I doubt he'll go much further tonight.'

'Have you any idea why Genshed should want to keep me?' asked Kelderek. 'You told me he killed your servant and that he deals only in children. Has he taken any other grown men or women that you know of?'

'No, not one. But whatever his reason is, it will be a cunning and evil one.'

Soon after, they halted in a muddy strip of open land extending as far as the shore of the Telthearna on their right. Kelderek reckoned that since his capture they might have covered perhaps six miles. He guessed that Genshed must be making for Linsho, and that when he had bought his way through the Gap he would turn west for Terekenalt, either by water or by land. If he himself could not contrive to escape before that journey was well under way, then Melathys would be lost to him for ever and in all probability he would never even learn her fate or that of the Tuginda.

At the order to halt, almost all the children sank down wherever they happened to be. A few fell asleep immediately. One or two crouched, talking together in whispers. None except Shara showed the least energy or spirit. She had woken and was wandering here and there, picking up bright leaves and coloured pebbles that took her fancy. When she brought these back to Radu he made a kind of collar of leaves, in the manner of a daisy-chain, and hung it round her neck. Kelderek, sitting beside them, was trying to make friends with the little girl – for she seemed half-afraid of him – when suddenly, looking up, he saw Genshed approaching, with Shouter and Bled behind him. The slave-dealer was carrying some kind of implement wrapped in a handful of rags. The three passed behind Kelderek and he had already turned back to Shara when he felt himself seized by the shoulders and thrown backwards to the ground. His arms were pulled out on either side of his body and he cried out as Genshed and Bled knelt on the muscles. Bending over him, the slave-dealer said, 'Open your mouth or I'll knock your teeth out'

Kelderek obeyed, gasping, and as he did so caught a glimpse of Shouter, clutching his ankles and grinning up at Genshed. The slave-dealer forced his handful of rags into Kelderek's mouth and pulled off the bandage tied round his head. 'Right, get on with it,' he said to Bled. 'Turn his head this way.'

Bled twisted Kelderek's head to the left and immediately he felt the lobe of his right ear sharply pinched, then crushed and pierced. A spurt of excruciating pain shot down his neck and along his shoulder. His whole body convulsed, almost throwing off the two boys. When he came to himself, all three had released him and were walking away.

Kelderek pulled the rags out of his mouth and put his hand to his ear. His fingers came away bloody and blood was dripping over his shoulder. The lobe was pierced through. He bent his head, breathing deeply as the worst of the pain began to subside. Looking up, he saw Radu beside him. The boy thrust aside his long, matted hair and showed him his own pierced ear.

'I didn't warn you,' said Radu. 'You're not a child and I wasn't sure whether he'd do it to you or not.' Kelderek, biting on his hand, recovered himself sufficiently to speak. ' What is it – a slave-mark?'

'It's for si – for si – for sleeping,' muttered a white-faced, blinking boy near by. 'Yer, yer, ycr – for sleeping.' He laughed vacantly, closed his eyes and laid his head on his folded hands in a foolish pantomime.

'Goin' home s-soon,' he said suddenly, opening his eyes again and turning to Radu.

'All the way,' replied Radu, in the tone of one who takes up a catch-phrase.

'Underground,' concluded the boy. 'You hungry?' Radu nodded and the boy returned to his listless silence.

'At night they pass a chain through everyone's ears,' said Radu. 'Shouter told me once that every child who's ever been through Genshed's hands has a pierced ear.'

He got up and went to look for Shara, who had run to hide in the bushes at the slave-trader's approach.

Soon after, Shouter and Bled distributed to each child a handful of dried meat and one of dried fruit. Some of the children went as far as the river for water, but most merely drank from the dirty holes and reed patches round about. As Kelderek and Radu, together with Shara, were making their way towards the river, Shouter came up to them, stick in hand.

' 'Got to keep an eye on you,' he said to Kelderek with a kind of malicious amiability. 'Making yourself at home, are you? Enjoying yourself? That's right.'

Kelderek had already noticed that while all the children went in terror of Bled, who was obviously deranged and almost a maniac, several seemed to be on some kind of uncertain terms with Shouter, who from time to time – whether or not he was actually engaged in cruelty – assumed a certain bluffness of manner not uncommon among bullies and tyrants.

'Can you tell me why I'm here?' he asked. 'What use am I to Genshed?'

Shouter sniggered. 'You're here to be mucking sold, mate,' he said. 'Without your balls, I dare say.'

'What happened to the overseer you replaced?' asked Kelderek. 'I suppose you knew him?' 'Knew him? I killed him,' answered Shouter. 'Oh, did you?'

'He was all in when we got back to Terekenalt, wasn't he?' said Shouter. 'He'd gone to pieces. One day a girl from Dari scratched his mucking face to bits. He couldn't stop her. That night, when Genshed was drunk, he said if anyone could fight him and kill him he could have the job. I killed him all right – strangled him in the middle of Genshed's yard, with about fifty kids watching. Old Genshed was tickled to death. That's how I kept my balls, mate, see?'

They reached the river bank and Kelderek, wading in to the knees, drank and washed. Yet his body remained full of pain. As he thought of his own situation and that of Melathys and the Tuginda, despair overcame him and during their return he could find no spirit for any further attempt at talk with Shouter. The boy himself also seemed to have grown pensive, for he said no more, except to order Radu to pick up Shara and carry her.

In the half-light and rising mist Genshed stood snapping his fingers to summon one boy and another. As each approached and stood in front of him the slave-dealer examined eyes, ears, hands, feet and shackles, as well as any wounds and injuries that he came upon. Although many of the children were lacerated and two or three seemed on the point of collapse, none received any treatment and Kelderek concluded that Genshed was merely looking over his stock and assessing their capacity to go further. The children stood motionless, heads bent and hands at their sides, anxious only to be gone as soon as possible. One boy, who trembled continually, flinching at each movement of Genshed, was left to stand where he was while the dealer looked at others immediately behind his back. Another, who could not keep quiet, but kept muttering and picking at the sores on his face and shoulders, was silenced by means of the fly-trap until Genshed had done with him.