He stalked away, but had only gone a few steps when he clutched at his stomach, doubled over and, with a moan like an animal in pain, vomited onto the ground.
He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. ‘Run, little Tali,’ he said savagely. ‘Run back to the Rat Hole where you belong. If anyone catches you spying on the land your people betrayed, you’re dead.’
CHAPTER 35
Tali watched Rix’s great horse career away, feeling worse than she had after the encounter with Tinyhead in the subsistery. As a slave, she was used to domination and humiliation, but Rix’s reaction was an attack on her very identity.
Tobry was staring after him, shaking his head. He lifted her to her feet then stepped away, hands rigidly at his sides as if to prove that his intentions were honourable.
It was not enough. She should not have trusted Rix and she wasn’t going to make that mistake twice. Why had Tobry stayed behind? What did he want? She wanted to be rid of him. But if he went, how would she escape the enemy who must be coming closer by the minute? How could she protect Rannilt when just the sight of the open sky drove her into a panic?
Why had Rix said those foul things about her? The Pale were more noble than he was. They had come from the highest families in the land, ancient, respected houses. The hostage children hadn’t betrayed anyone — they were the ones who had been betrayed.
‘May I see?’ said Tobry.
She wanted to scream out her anguish. Not even in Cython had she been treated as foully as this. Mutely, she drew up her sleeve.
He studied the scar, frowning. ‘I’ve seen that before …’
‘It’s made by my family seal.’ Tali showed it to him. ‘I spring from Eulala vi Torgrist, one of the child hostages Hightspall gave Cython to end the Ten Day War.’
‘What child hostages?’ said Tobry, clearly perplexed.
Her fury flared. ‘How can you not know? There were a hundred and forty-four of them, all children, all from noble families. All of us Pale come from them, because they were never ransomed.’
‘We were taught that the Pale willingly went over to the enemy and serve them to this day,’ said Tobry. ‘I’ve never heard your tale before.’
‘It’s not a tale,’ she snapped. Her voice rose. ‘For a thousand years we’ve been their SLAVES!’
Tobry raised his hands. ‘I believe you.’
‘It’s Hightspall’s greatest shame. And now you tell me we’re blamed? Seen as traitors.’ She advanced on him, wanting to thump him.
‘I never called you that,’ said Tobry.
‘Your friend did. The sight of me made him vomit.’
‘I’m sorry.’ Tobry was clenching his fists by his sides again.
‘Yesterday my dearest friend was beheaded because she used magery to save herself from a flogging.’ Tali looked sideways, wondering where Rannilt was hiding. ‘They would have killed Rannilt — ’ She broke off, cursing herself.
‘Ah, yes,’ said Tobry. ‘Where is the child?’
‘Promise you won’t hurt her?’ Tali said desperately.
‘What do you take me for?’
‘All my life I’ve dreamed about coming home, about being welcomed home.’ Tears were forming in her eyes and she dashed them away, furiously. She had to be strong. ‘I don’t know my own country. I don’t know my people.’ She glared at Tobry. ‘And I certainly don’t know you.’
‘I’m a simple man. What you see is all there is to me.’
‘Ha!’
She studied the craggy face, the blistered eyes and the claw marks on his arms. Tali also sensed something buried deep in him, a hurt he had carefully concealed. ‘I suppose you’re all right,’ she muttered.
He grinned. ‘Thank you for that ringing endorsement of my character. You were saying about the girl?’
The warmth of his smile made her feel better. Could she tell him? Trust no one. But she had no choice — without help, she and Rannilt would be killed within hours.
Besides, magery wasn’t a crime in Hightspall; it was a valued gift. ‘Something set off a gift for magery Rannilt didn’t know she had, and the enemy would have killed her for it. I had to bring her with me.’
She told him, briefly, about their escape.
‘They kill little children because they can do magery?’ cried Tobry.
‘Anyone who has the gift must die. That’s the lot of the Pale in Cython.’ She glared at him as though he was responsible for all their suffering, daring him to deny it.
‘I believe you,’ he repeated. ‘And I’ll get to the truth, too.’ He turned away to the pool and washed his face, drank deeply and came back, rubbing a bristly jaw. ‘What are you going to do?’
‘I don’t know. I’ve nowhere to go.’ She thought for a while. ‘Eulala was the only child of House vi Torgrist, and I think I’m her only descendant among the Pale.’
‘Then you’re the heir,’ said Tobry, and bowed. ‘Lady vi Torgrist.’
‘Lady vi Torgrist,’ Tali repeated. Her mother had said that she would be Lady Tali one day.
Barefoot Lady Tali, a despised Pale with not a brass chalt to her name. How was she to survive?
‘Why did Rix throw up at the sight of me?’ she said plaintively, feeling like a little slave girl again, in trouble for no fault of her own.
‘House Ricinus is conservative and full of prejudices,’ said Tobry. ‘Rix isn’t a bad man … not really. Bastard!’ he said under his breath.
‘I don’t know what to do.’
He untied a canvas pouch hanging on his left hip and reached inside. Tali caught a faint glimmer through the weave, as if a glowstone had been uncovered, and a single tendril of emerald light quivered across her inner eye.
He withdrew a little cloth bag and held it out. ‘Take this.’
Both the glow and the light tendrils faded. ‘What is it?’ she said warily.
‘Silver, all I have. Not much.’ He smiled ruefully. ‘I’m not wealthy.’
Pride told her to scornfully reject his charity. Reason said she would need it, since she had no house to help her. Tali bowed and took the bag. Her hand was still trembling; she could not stop it. ‘Thank you, Lord Tobry.’ He was a good man. He would help her.
‘Just Tobry. My house has fallen; there’s nothing noble about me.’
He glanced along the path Rix’s flight had flattened through the bushes. A brown horse waited near the edge of the oasis. Tobry whistled and the horse pulled its reins free, trotted to the pool and drank noisily.
‘You’re leaving us behind,’ Tali said dully.
Escaping from the enemy had been the easy part compared to relations with her own people. Why had she taken Rix on? If she had bowed and thanked him she would be halfway to safety by now. The enemy would never catch riders on horseback.
Tobry mounted, grimacing and rubbing his bandaged shoulder. ‘My horse is worn out. It can’t carry me and both of you. I’ll bring Rix back.’
‘But — the enemy — ’
‘I won’t be long. But keep out of sight, just in case …’ He rode off.
‘Tobry!’ she cried, remembering her urgent news. ‘Cython is going to war in eleven days — no, ten days now.’
He whirled and came back. ‘How do you know?’
She told him about the stockpiled food, the preparations on the chymical level, the crates of weapons and the threats that they would soon put the Pale down. ‘What if my escape makes them bring forward their plans?’
‘Why would it? You’re just — ’ Tobry bit the rest off, then had the grace to look embarrassed.
‘Just a slave,’ said Tali. ‘A worthless Pale. Don’t worry, I’m used to it. They told us so every hour of every day.’
‘They won’t be saying it now. They’ll be working like a swarm of rats to discover how you escaped.’
‘What if they attack before Hightspall can get its army together?’
‘They’ll get a nasty surprise,’ said Tobry, though not convincingly.