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.
After breakfast, Bilto took them on a tour of the village, of which he was proud, and explained how the community lived. He introduced them to the leaders and Taita found in the main that they were honest and uncomplicated. He had expected to detect some ambiguity in their psyches, as he had with Bilto and Colonel That, which might be attributed to the proximity and influence of Eos, but there was nothing of significance, just the petty foibles and frailties of humanity. One was discontented with his wife, another had stolen an axe from his neighbour and was consumed with guilt, while someone else lusted for his young step-daughter.
Early in the morning of the fifth day Captain Onka returned to Mutangi to deliver a summons from the Supreme Council. They were to leave at once, he told them.
The citadel that contains the chamber of the Supreme Council is forty leagues hence in the direction of the Mountains of the Moon. It is a ride of several hours,' Onka told Taita. The weather was fine and sunny, the air crisp and exhilarating. Fenn's cheeks were glowing and her eyes sparkling. At Taita's bidding she fell back with him to the rear of the party, where he spoke quietly to her in the Tenmass.
'This will be a crucial test,' he warned. 'I believe we are heading for the stronghold of the witch. You must suppress your aura now and keep it so until we return to Mutangi.'
'I understand, Magus, and I will do as you bid me,' she answered.
Almost immediately, her expression became neutral and her eyes dulled.
He saw her aura fade and its colours diminish until they were little different from those emitted by Imbali.
'No matter what stimulation or provocation you encounter, you must not allow it to flare up again. You will not know from which direction you are observed. You dare not relax for a moment.'
It was well past noon when they entered a steep-sided valley that cut into the central massif of the mountain range. No more than a league further on they reached the outer wall of the citadel. It was built of large rectangular blocks of volcanic rock that had been fitted together by skilled masons of another age. The passage of time had weathered the stone. The gates stood open: it seemed probable that they had not been closed against an enemy for many years. When they rode into the citadel they found that the buildings were grander and more substantial than anything they had seen since leaving Egypt. Indeed, the largest was strongly reminiscent of the temple of Hathor at Karnak.