‘Why doesn’t he wake?’ said Lily, anxiety sharpening her voice.
Carnelian turned to her. ‘His sleep’s drugged but, some time soon, the drug will wear off and then he’ll wake.’
‘I need him alive.’ She faced her people and repeated to them what Carnelian had said.
Again he felt a twinge of horror imagining himself in Aurum’s place, waking naked among such hatred. Lily was shouting commands into the crowd and he realized the Lepers were getting ready to leave. He felt panic as he glanced over at his friends. This was goodbye then.
The next few moments, he was distracted by having to help Lily close the capsule and show her how it should be carried. Their hands touched as they gripped the same handle. They pulled apart looking at each other. He felt he had to say something, felt he wanted to say something. ‘Are you going to be all right?’
‘I can’t wait to get home, to get away from here.’ Her face twisted as if she had a bad taste in her mouth.
Carnelian reached out and took her hand. ‘I won’t forget you.’
She smiled. ‘Nor I you… Carnie.’
He liked her calling him that. He held onto her hand as she tried to pull away. He waited until her eyes met his. ‘Don’t sack Makar.’ Rage and horror, but also pity were at war in her. ‘Don’t mar the justice you’ve achieved and paid for with so much blood, with the injustice of an attack on innocents.’
Her gaze fell, she twitched a smile, then gently she pulled her hand free. Carnelian felt a small grip on his arm and turned to see Poppy there. ‘We’re staying here with you.’ She glanced at Krow who gave a solemn nod. Carnelian saw that Lily was already marshalling her people as they lifted the capsule into the air. In a turmoil, he turned back to Poppy and Krow, protest rising in him, but saw in their faces that this was a battle he had already lost. Defeat brought swelling joy. Then he remembered Fern and his joy dissipated like smoke. Fern stood very still against the chaos of the Lepers breaking camp. Carnelian approached him, accompanied by Poppy and Krow. Fern’s eyes were preoccupied with some inner pain.
‘Things have changed since the battle,’ Carnelian said. He sketched out for them the contents of the edict. ‘Utter defeat is likely.’
Poppy nodded, tears beginning to well. ‘So? We’ll die with you.’
‘If it’s hopeless, why do you go on?’ said Fern.
Carnelian regarded him, considering what to say. Then he decided to discard all attempts at managing the situation. ‘I’ve had a dream that I believe promises victory.’
Fern shrugged. ‘Then I’ll hazard what’s left of my life on a dream.’
Carnelian had not expected that. ‘You want to come with me?’
Fern glanced up into the sky, frowning. ‘Though I’m not sure any longer what it is I’m fighting for, I want- I need to keep fighting the Masters.’
‘Besides…’ said Poppy and Carnelian was glad to turn to her, not wanting to see the agony and confusion that Fern was struggling with.
‘… if your dream’s wrong, the vengeance of the Masters will find us wherever we hide.’
Krow gave a solemn nod. ‘I too would rather die fighting the Masters than hiding somewhere waiting for them to hunt us down.’
Poppy hugged Carnelian. Eyes lensed with tears, he sought for restraint, as he sensed the others were also doing, muttering all the time, ‘I’m glad. I’m glad.’
With his friends, Carnelian watched Lily and her people march away. He could just make out their tiny forms amidst the red, sky-high banners of dust their column was raising. He was glad they had agreed to take a route to the east of the leftway wall. It was much harder going than it would have been upon the road, but he had not thought it wise for them to attempt to pass through the camp of Osidian’s auxiliaries.
Amidst the relief of seeing them go was sadness that he would never see Lily again. His gloomy contemplation of that loss diminished the glow of having his friends with him, along with his worry that selfishness had stopped him from trying harder to get them to leave with the Lepers. There was something else, too, an irritation. Why could he feel no satisfaction at having got revenge on Aurum? It seemed a betrayal of his uncle Crail, whom Aurum had had murdered. Carnelian had sworn one day to avenge him and now he had. Once again he imagined Aurum waking among the Lepers. Perhaps outrage and anger would keep his terror at bay, but not for long. Soon he would discover he was alone. For the first time in his life he would be powerless. He might no more be able to comprehend this than a bird its inability to fly if its wings were shorn off. Nothing in the Lord’s long life could have prepared him for the humiliation and agony. Carnelian shuddered. The Lepers would not let him die quickly.
Carnelian had come to the edge of the heliograph platform to watch the commotion below. Masters with a Marula escort, moving in convoy through the camp, were sending a bow wave of kneeling out through the auxiliaries. The Lesser Chosen commanders were heading towards him. They must be obeying a summons from Osidian. Carnelian shuddered, knowing none would leave the tower alive.
Hearing movement behind him, he glanced round. The homunculi were approaching. He had had them send heliograph signals south to the watch-towers of Makar commanding them to give free passage to the Lepers. Hoping to ensure obedience, they had used Legions’ codes. While waiting for confirmation, Carnelian had asked them how he might summon sartlar and the little men had huddled down in earnest discussion.
It was Legions’ homunculus who now addressed him. ‘Seraph, though we are not of the Domains Roads or Lands, through our duties we have picked up some understanding of their systems. One protocol in particular might be appropriated to your purpose: that which is used to bring sartlar to the roads to repair them. Our judgement is that we are close enough in appearance to the ammonites who would normally convey such a summons that the overseers will heed us.’
Carnelian nodded. ‘How many sartlar will come?’
‘That is uncertain, Seraph. The overseers we directly communicate with will pass this on to others deeper into the hinterland; a process beyond our control.’
Carnelian nodded again, brooding.
‘Seraph!’
He looked to where one of the homunculi was pointing. There, in the south, a mote of sun was flickering. They decrypted the message for him. ‘“A mass of the unclean have entered the Pass and are now marching down to the land below.”’
Carnelian felt a shadow passing from him. Glancing back down at the procession of Masters he hardened his heart against them. Let them pay for the suffering they and their fathers had brought upon the barbarians.
The next morning, from the leftway, Carnelian watched the homunculi ride out, each with an escort of auxiliaries. East and west they went, seeking overseers in working kraals beyond the region Osidian had devastated with his manoeuvres. He had misgivings. Perhaps his mind was still in the shadow of his dreams. He had not slept well. Knowledge of what was happening in the bowels of the watch-tower had made him feel he was precariously balancing over a gaping cesspit. He was going to abandon the tower. Osidian could have it all to himself for his filthy maggot rituals.
Carnelian took Poppy with him on Earth-is-Strong and soon they were leading their forces out into the dust of the land. Aurum’s dragons followed those from Qunoth, their Lefthands sitting for the first time in command chairs. Fern led the auxiliaries and Marula, with Krow as his lieutenant. That day would be the first of many spent on manoeuvres.
Later, their shadows reaching the camp before them, the army returned, weary, caked in the earth’s rust. Carnelian descended to the road to find the homunculi waiting for him. They told him they had accomplished their mission. Even now his summons was spreading across the land.