Legend of the Three Moons (24 page)

Master Wan-rast was visibly terrified by the General, but Lyla was much too busy listening to the eagle's thoughts to be afraid.

`
Yes, child. I am King Tefan, your father
.'

`Why are you speaking with Master Wan-rast, my bird master?' asked General Tulga in a deceptively soft voice.

Lyla dragged her gaze from the eagle, her father, and bowed low. `I am here, oh mighty General, to deliver a letter to Master Wan-rast from Master San Jaagiin of Belem.'

The General held out his hand for the letter. After reading it he handed it to his bird trainer. `Is this San Jaagiin's handwriting?'

Master Wan-rast nodded.

`Send a Raider to fetch the eagle and to tell San Jaagiin that we will be keeping his messenger. The lad will take the place of the Whale Islander in tomorrow's fight.'

The bird trainer's eyes lit up. `And the bears?'

General Tulga stroked the black eagle's head thoughtfully until a cruel smile twisted his handsome face. `The disobedient Gochmaster will fight the bears. The winners of each fight will then fight each other. Before that, the messenger and the Gochmaster will entertain my dinner guests tonight.'

`Doing what?' gasped Lyla, as the black eagle's words,
`Be careful. Be careful,
' filled her head.

`Everyone has a talent,' said the General. `Mine is torturing traitors, or messengers who the whispering grass warned me should not be on my mountain, no matter what letter they carry.'

He clicked his fingers and two obedient Raiders grabbed her and dragged her towards a cage, while he strode out from beneath the platform.

In one corner of the cage, which stunk of bear droppings and urine, crouched the disobedient Gochmaster. By the look of his filthy hair, stained jerkin, muddy leggings and boots, he'd been there a long time.

He didn't repulse her, as he had when she dreamt about him, especially now that she knew why he was sobbing.

Lyla felt like crying too but instead she sat opposite him and tried to think of an escape plan. Preferably one that would work before she had to fight the golden eagle; and most definitely one that included her finding the chained black eagle's talisman.

Entertaining the General's guests was another problem. She couldn't dance, juggle or do acrobatics and although she could sing, after seeing Dulcinella's throat, she didn't want to. Tears welled up as she realised what a mess she was in.

`Do not cry, messenger,' whispered Master Wan-rast pushing a cup of water towards her through the bars. `Your death will be fast. Now rest. Tonight's entertainment starts at dusk.'

Dusk. Entertainment. Fight. Talisman. The words spun round in her head as Lyla closed her tired eyes. The climb up the cliff had worn her out and soon she was asleep and dreaming. She was flying over the Shambala River Gorge again. Only this time something heavy was weighing her down. Down, down she plummeted until, with a splash, she landed in the river where whatever it was that clung to her, pulled her under as it pressed its ugly face against hers.

Struggling and kicking, she woke up to find that the face from her dream was now bending over her. She squirmed away as the rank smell of the Gochmaster engulfed her.

`How did you do that?' he whispered.

`Do what?'

`Float to the top of the cage with your arms stretched out as if you were flying.'

`I was dreaming.'

He shook his big, shaggy head. `No. You were flying. Then you fell down and started to kick. I had to stop you before the Raiders come to take us to The Grand Gert.'

Lyla glanced through the bars. `What will happen when we get there?'

The Gochmaster began to tremble all over. `He will torture us for the entertainment of his guests.'

Lyla gulped and her heart felt as if it had slid into the toes of her boots. In a panic she searched for the jewel and packets hidden inside her jacket. Everything was still there.

There must be a way she could use them to escape. Master Wan-rast was obiously too afraid to take a jewel in return for helping her. The peppermint root was no use while she was in a cage, and the Gaabi Desert sand could only be used to ask a question. With so many of them filling her head, which one would she even ask?

That left the metal-eating powder. But she could only use that half an hour before dawn to time her return to the spring cleft properly. It would have to be after the Bulgogi returned to their pits but before the Raiders woke. Assuming, of course, that she wasn't caught by the whispering grass before she even reached the cliff.

The Gochmaster began to sob again. Lyla stared at the tears running down his hairy face and asked him what was wrong. Then she rolled her eyes, feeling a bit stupid because as far as she could see everything was wrong.

The Gochmaster hiccupped, rubbed his knuckles into his very sad eyes and told her that he was afraid for his Goch.

Lyla was puzzled. `Why? Does it have to fight too?'

`No. But I have left it alone too long, and I am afraid it will die.'

What, like us
? she wanted to ask him, but didn't. `Why did you leave it alone for so long?'

`The High Enchanter ordered that it be fed to the Bulgogi but I didn't want it to be eaten because it is my...my…' The Gochmaster looked at her helplessly as he searched for the correct word.

`Pet? Friend? Best friend?' she prompted.

`Yes. Pet, friend, best friend. So I told it to hide.'

`And?' Lyla prompted, wondering where he could have hidden such a large and smelly creature.

`When the Raiders discovered it was gone they arrested me. General Tulgawas furious because no one disobeys him; certainly not a lowly Gochmaster. But I know the true reason he ordered my Goch to be eaten and why he wants me to die fighting two bears.'

`Why?'

His voice dropped to a breathy whisper. `It is because of what Crystalzee sang to me.'

Lyla was so surprised to hear Cystalzee's name that she forgot to whisper. `How do you know Crystalzee?'

The Gochmaster put his mouth to her ear. `She is also my pet, friend, best friend. Each week I bring a barrel of seawater to the Ulaan Town tavern keeper who pays me with beer. I do this late at night so I am not seen, as Gochmasters are not allowed beer. Sometimes, when the innkeeper is not there, I pour Crystalzee a bowl of seawater and she sings for me.'

`What does she sing about?'

`Sad things. Astounding things. Things that the General told her when he was drunk and would not want anyone else to know.'

Lyla moved closer. `Such as?'

The Gochmaster shook his head. `I cannot say. I will not have Crystalzee punished.'

`I won't tell anyone. And if you tell me, I will use my Gaabi Desert sand to find your Goch and help it.'

The Gochmaster's eyes brightened and Lyla felt guilty at bargaining about something she had already decided to do.

The man's voice became so low she had to strain to hear it. `The eagle on his wrist is a king who was enchanted by the High Enchanter in the hope of forcing a princess to marry him. This princess is the only magician who can make the Fafnir spell that will keep the High Enchanter alive forever.

`But General Tulga is afraid that if this princess becomes the High Enchanter's Queen she will give birth to an heir. And that heir will inherit the throne of Acirfa instead of him. As the High Enchanter's
adopted
son, Tulga will only inherit the throne if there are no other contenders.'

Lyla frowned. `You mean Princess Elle knows a spell that will keep the High Enchanter alive forever?'

`How do you know Princess Elle?' whispered the Gochmaster, quickly searching the darkness to make sure no one was listening. But there was no one there, just the glowing eyes of the wolves and the shuffling walk of the half-crazed bears doing the rounds of their too-small cages.

`I just do,' whispered Lyla. `But how did the General find out that Crystalzee had told you of his desire to inherit the throne of Acirfa?'

`One night the tavern keeper's wife heard Crystalzee singing to me. She told a Raider who told the General. Now keep your promise and tell me, where is my Goch?'

Lyla wiped away the straw and sprinkled the Gaabi Desert sand on the cage floor, then wrote in it, asking:
Where is the Gochmaster's Goch
? The answer appeared immediately.

`It is alive and well. It has fallen into a hole in the middle of a nettle field on the right hand bank of the Shambala River on the other side of the Shambala Gorge.'

She scooped up the sand and was pouring it back into its pouch when four Raiders entered the cage. They dragged her and the Gochmaster out and up the southern staircase into the orange gert.

General Tulga, wearing a fur-lined brocade robe, a jewelled crown and a gold facemask, sat at the far end of the round tent. His huge hands, decorated with gold talon-shields, gripped the carved eagle-headed armrests of an enormous throne. Beneath his gold-studded boots lay two black mountain bears, each one the size of a very tall man. Beside the throne, perched on a golden pedestal was the chained eagle.

The Raiders marched Lyla and the Gochmaster to the foot of the throne where they were pushed down onto their knees. Staring through his frightening gold mask, General Tulga asked if they were ready to entertain his guests. The Gochmaster mumbled unintelligibly. Lyla said nothing.

The General raised his hand and twenty-four drummers standing at the grand gert's four entrances pounded on their drums. The guests hurried up the staircases and rushed to sit on cushions placed around many low tables.

No one looked happy or hungry, but it wasn't long before Lyla found out why they all looked so terrified.

During the first course the General chose two guests to fight. When they didn't hurt each other enough, other guests were ordered to leave their dinners and whip them.

During the second course, cages with starved animals were wheeled in and the animals were tormented with food until the pitiful creatures went berserk throwing themselves against the bars over and over.

During the third course a cage containing a young Goch and a bear that had been trained to poke and slap at the Goch's head, was wheeled in. The tormenting of the baby Goch made the Gochmaster's eyes fill with tears. This so amused the General that he ordered the Gochmaster to replace the bear.

`I cannot,' cried the Gochmaster clinging to Lyla. `I cannot hurt a Goch.'

He was ripped away and thrown into the cage where he was forced to slap the frightened baby Goch's probing head to stop it from biting him.

The General's raucous laugh, followed by the false laughter of his guests, rolled around the gert.

When General Tulga saw that Lyla wasn't laughing he held up his hand. All noise stopped instantly.

`Our messenger is going to entertain us now. Tomorrow he will fight Master Wan-rast's golden eagle. So messenger, how will you amuse us?'

Fully aware that every eye was upon her, Lyla answered in her boy's voice, `Using a bow and arrow and standing at the eastern entrance I will hit a target placed in front of the western entrance.'

The General pointed to an archery rack beside him, told her to choose her weapon. He then ordered two Raiders to drag the Gochmaster to the western entrance where a pigeon was tied to his head.

Lyla's eyes widened. `Oh no! I can't shoot a live pigeon.'

The General looked amused. `Why not?'

`I don't shoot birds for entertainment.'

His cruel smile widened. `But it is not entertainment. It is so I do not order you to shoot the Gochmaster. Choose your bow and do not annoy me.'

To choose a bow and quiver Lyla had to pass the chained eagle, so she formed a question in her mind. `Where is your talisman, father?'

The eagle's eyes connected with to hers. `
It is the bluest feather under my right wing
.'

After choosing a gilt-edged bow and a quiver with five gold-tipped arrows, Lyla was marched to the eastern entrance. Directly opposite, two Raiders held the cringing Gochmaster while the pigeon flapped on top of his head.

Lyla fitted an arrow to her bowstring, drew it back until its golden feathers brushed her right cheekbone, then she let the arrow fly. It flew over the guests' heads and through the gap between the pigeon's pink claws and the Gochmaster's matted hair. Neither was hurt and Lyla couldn't resist a triumphant smile. But there was no applause - just a hushed stillness.

`Again!' shouted the general. `Guards, balance a glass of beer on the Gochmaster's head.'

This time when Lyla loosed her arrow it flew over the heads of the guests, and hit the glass dead centre, sending it and the beer flying. The Gochmaster sagged.

`Again!' the General yelled. `The messenger will now pierce the Gochmaster's right hand.'

`No!' gasped Lyla.

General Tulga rose menacingly from his throne, kicked aside the bears and stepped closer to Lyla. Behind the mask, his eyes glittered with fury and his voice shook with palpable hostility. `What did you say, messenger?'

Lyla bowed low and thought quickly. `Forgive me mighty General Tulga but you, who are the greatest general in the known world, Ruler of Baatar, Ulaan, Table Mountain and heir to the Acirfa throne and all of Ifraa, know how important tomorrow's fights are.'

She pointed to the gaping-mouthed guests. `Your Raiders have waged fortunes on them and have gambled many coins. Even the Gochmaster and I have been practising special fighting moves so we can be sure to beat the eagle and the bears, and ultimately face each other.

`But there will be little entertainment if the Gochmaster is wounded. His death would be too easy. So please General, for your guests and your loyal Raiders, choose another target for my last shot.'

General Tulga's golden eyes stared at her as if, like his gold-tipped arrows, they could pierce her uniform, her skin, her bones and her heart. Lyla boldly stared back. The grand gert was so quiet she was sure the General could hear her thumping heart.

When General Turga finally spoke, his voice was menacingly low. `You are a fool. Tomorrow you will die hideously. But now I am bored.' He turned to his guard and shouted, `Bring me the contortionist and more beer.'