The Desert Spear (19 page)

'You knew that would happen,' Jardir accused when they were alone. 'You knew if I enraged him enough, his heart would give way.'

Inevera shrugged. 'What if I did''

'Fool woman!' Jardir shouted. 'There is no honor in killing a man in such a way!'

'Ware your tongue,' Inevera warned, raising a finger. 'You are not Sharum Ka yet, and never will be without me.'

Jardir scowled, wondering at the truth of her words. Was it his fate to be Sharum Ka' And if so, could fate be changed 'I will be lucky to even remain a
kai'Sharum
after this,' he said. 'I killed the Andrah's friend.'

'Nonsense,' Inevera said, smiling wickedly. 'The Andrah is'pliable. The post is empty now, and you have won glory that even the Majah acknowledge. I will convince him that he can only gain face by appointing you.'

'How'' Jardir asked.

'Leave it to me,' Inevera said. 'You have other concerns. When the Andrah places the white turban on your head, your first announcement will be an offer to take a fertile wife from each tribe as a symbol of unity.'

Jardir was scandalized. 'Mix the blood of Kaji, the first Deliverer, with lesser tribes''

Inevera poked him hard in the chest. 'You will be Sharum Ka, if you stop acting the fool and do as you're told. If you can produce heirs with ties to each tribe''

'Krasia will unite as never before,' Jardir caught on. 'I could invite the
Damaji
to select my brides,' he mused. 'That should gain me favor.'

'No,' Inevera said. 'Leave that to me. The
Damaji
will choose for politics. The
alagai hora
will choose for Everam.'

'Always the bones,' Jardir muttered. 'Was Kaji himself bound to them''

'It was Kaji who first gave us the wards of prophecy,' Inevera said.

The next day, Jardir found himself in the Andrah's throne room once more. The
Damaji
murmured to one another as he entered, and
Damaji'ting
watched him, inscrutable as ever.

The Andrah sat on his throne, toying with the white turban of the Sharum Ka. The steel under the cloth rang with a clear note as the Andrah flicked it with a long, painted nail.

'The Sharum Ka was a great warrior,' the Andrah said as if reading his mind. He rose from his throne, and Jardir immediately sank to his knees, spreading his arms in supplication.

'Yes, Holiness,' he said.

The Andrah waved a dismissive hand at him. 'You do not remember him as such, of course. By the time you were in your bido, he already had more years than most
Sharum
ever see, and could no longer stand toe-to-toe with the
alagai
as a young man.'

Jardir bowed his head.

'It is a failing of the young to think a man's worth lies only in the strength of his arm,' the Andrah said. 'Would you judge me so''

'Your pardon, Holiness,' Jardir said, 'but you are not
Sharum.
The
Sharum
are your arm in the night, and that arm must be strong.'

The Andrah grunted. 'Bold,' he said. 'Though I guess any man who took a
dama'ting
to wife would have to be.'

Jardir said nothing.

'You sought to provoke him into attacking you,' the Andrah said. 'No doubt you thought such was the way a brave man should die.'

Again, Jardir said nothing.

'But if he had attacked you, it would have only shown that he was a fool,' the Andrah said. 'And Everam has little patience for fools.'

'Yes, Holiness,' Jardir said.

'And now he is dead,' the Andrah said. 'My friend, a man who showed countless
alagai
the sun, dead on the floor in disgrace because
you
could not show him the respect he was owed!'

Jardir swallowed hard. The Andrah looked ready to strike him. This was not going as Inevera had promised, and she was conspicuously absent from the audience. He scanned the room for support, but the eyes of the
Damaji
were downcast as the Andrah spoke, and the
Damaji'ting
simply watched him as if he were a bug.

The Andrah sighed and seemed to deflate, waddling back to his throne and sitting heavily. 'It pains me to see a man who achieved such glory in life die in shame. My heart cries for vengeance, but the fact remains the Sharum Ka is dead, and I would be a fool to ignore the fact that for the first time in centuries, the
Damaji
are in agreement over who should succeed him.'

Jardir glanced at the
Damaji
again. He might have imagined it, but it seemed as if Amadeveram nodded slightly to him.

'You will be Sharum Ka,' the Andrah said curtly. 'The night will belong to you.'

Jardir spread his hands and leaned forward on his knees, pressing his forehead into the thick woven carpet before the throne. 'I will be your strong arm in the night,' he swore.

'I will make the announcement at Sharik Hora tonight,' the Andrah said. 'You may go.'

Jardir touched his forehead to the floor again, remembering Inevera's instructions. Already the
Damaji
were beginning to murmur. If he was going to speak, it must be now.

'Holiness,' he began, watching the Andrah's eyes return to him with irritation, 'I ask your blessing, and that of the
Damaji,
to take a fertile wife from each tribe, as a show of unity among the
Sharum.
'

The Andrah goggled at him, as did the
Damaji.
Even the
Damaji'ting
stirred, betraying their sudden interest.

'That is an unusual request,' the Andrah said at last.

'Unusual'' Amadeveram demanded. 'It is unheard of! You are Kaji! I will not bless your wedding to some''

'You need not,' Aleverak cut in, smiling openly. 'I am more than willing to perform the ceremony, should the Sharum Ka wish a Majah wife.'

'You would be happy to dilute the pure blood of Kaji, I have no doubt,' Amadeveram growled, but Aleverak did not rise to the bait, simply grinning.

'I will bless a wedding to a daughter of Sharach, as well,' Damaji Kevera of the Sharach said. Within moments the remaining
Damaji
followed suit, all of them eager to have a permanent voice in the First Warrior's court.

'Surely you cannot agree to this!' Amadeveram said, turning to the Andrah.

'I am Andrah, not you, Amadeveram,' the Andrah said. 'If the Sharum Ka wishes unity and the
Damaji
agree, I see no reason to refuse. Like me, the First Warrior relinquishes tribe when he dons his turban.'

He turned to regard the
Damaji'ting
for the first time Jardir had seen. 'This matter lies more in the realm of women than who carries the first spear,' he said, addressing none of the women in particular. 'What do the
Damaji'ting
say to this proposal''

The women turned their backs on the men and clustered together in a buzz of muffled whispers, impossible to understand. In moments, they finished and turned back to the Andrah.

'The
Damaji'ting
have no objection,' one of them said.

Amadeveram scowled, and Jardir knew he had angered the man, perhaps irrevocably, but there was nothing to be done for it now. He had three Kaji wives already, including his
Jiwah Ka.
That would have to be enough.

'It's settled then,' Aleverak said. 'My own granddaughter is just fourteen, Sharum Ka, beautiful and unknown to man. She will bear you strong sons.'

Jardir bowed deeply. 'My apologies, Damaji, but the duty of choosing my brides must fall to my
Jiwah Ka.
She will cast the
alagai hora
to ensure the blessings of Everam for each union.'

There was another buzz among the
Damaji'ting,
and Aleverak's wide smile vanished in an instant, as did those of many other
Damaji.
But it was too late for them to take back their support. Amadeveram's scowl became a look of smug satisfaction.

'Enough talk of brides!' the Andrah barked. 'You have your boon, Sharum Ka. Go now before you disturb my court further!'

Jardir bowed and left.

'Are you a fool'' Amadeveram demanded. Jardir had not made it out of the Andrah's palace before the old
Damaji
had caught up to him, dragging him into a private room.

'Of course not, my Damaji,' Jardir said.

'Only 'yours' for a few hours more, it seems,' Amadeveram said.

Jardir shrugged. 'I will still be ruled by the council of
Damaji,
who speak with your voice. But as Sharum Ka, I must represent warriors of all tribes.'

'The Sharum Ka does not represent warriors, he rules them!' Amadeveram shouted. 'That you are Kaji is proof that Everam wishes the Kaji to rule! You cannot go through with this mad plan.'

'For the good of all Krasia, I can and will,' Jardir said. 'I will not be a weak figurehead for you, like the last Sharum Ka. The warriors need unity if they are to be strong. Becoming one with all of them is the only way to win their devotion.'

'You are turning your back on your tribe!' Amadeveram shouted.

'No, I am turning to face the others,' Jardir said. 'I implore you, turn with me.'

'Face our blood enemies'' Amadeveram said, aghast. 'I would sooner die in shame!'

'There was only one tribe in the time of Kaji,' Jardir reminded him. 'Our blood enemies are also our blood.'

'You are no blood of Kaji,' Amadeveram said, spitting at Jardir's feet. 'The blood of the Shar'Dama Ka has turned to camel's piss in your veins.'

Jardir's face grew dark and, for a moment, he considered attacking him. Amadeveram was a
sharusahk
grand master, but Jardir was younger and stronger and faster. He could kill the old man.

But he was not Sharum Ka yet. Killing Amadeveram would only unravel Inevera's plans and cost him the Spear Throne.

Am I doomed to always have success without pride'
he asked himself.

'The Sharum Ka is dead!' the Andrah cried to the assembled warriors in Sharik Hora. The
Sharum
filling the rows of the great temple howled at the news, banging spear against shield in a great cacophony meant to announce the First Warrior's coming to Everam.

'But we will not cede the night like those to the north!' the Andrah cried when the noise died down. 'We are Krasian! Blood of Shar'Dama Ka himself! And we will fight till the Deliverer returns, or the spear falls from the hands of the last
nie'Sharum
and Krasia is buried in the sand!'

The warriors hooted at that, thrusting spears in the air.

'And thus, I have chosen a new Sharum Ka to lead
alagai'sharak,
' the Andrah said. 'When he was
nie'Sharum,
he was made
Nie Ka
and stood on the walls at twelve, the youngest in a hundred years! He was not there six months before he netted a wind demon that had killed his Watcher and knocked his drillmaster prone. For this, he was brought to the Kaji pavilion, the youngest to come since the Return. He fought so well on his first night of
alagai'sharak
that he was sent to Sharik Hora, studying five years with the
dama
to first don his blacks as
kai'Sharum,
the youngest such since the time of the Deliverer himself!'

There was a murmur at this among the Kaji, who knew Jardir's accomplishments well. The Andrah paused a moment to let the sense of excitement travel, then continued. 'Two nights ago, he led his warriors in a daring rescue of the Sharach, who stood on the brink of destruction, killing
alagai
with his bare hands while his men still readied their spears!'

The murmuring grew to a buzz. There was not a man, woman, or child in all Krasia who had not heard that tale by now.

'Ahmann asu Hoshkamin am'Jardir am'Kaji, stand before the Skull Throne!' the Andrah commanded, and the warriors cheered and banged spear and shield as Jardir appeared, dressed in his
Sharum
blacks, his head bare.

Inevera walked silently at his side as he went to the Skull Throne and prostrated himself, kneeling quickly to lay the Andrah's Evejah under his forehead as he pressed it to the rug. The holy book was inked with
dal'Sharum
blood on vellum made from
kai'Sharum
skin, bound in leather from a Sharum Ka. It would sear his skull if he should utter a lie while touching it.

'Do you serve Everam in all things'' the Andrah asked.

'I do, Holiness,' Jardir swore.

'Will you be His strong arm in the night, giving all honor to the thrones of Sharik Hora''

'I will, Holiness.'

'Are you prepared to hold the reins of
alagai'sharak
until the Shar'Dama Ka comes again, or you be dead'' the Andrah asked.

'I am, Holiness.'

'Then rise,' the Andrah said, lifting the white turban of the Sharum Ka high for all to see. 'The night awaits its Sharum Ka.'

Jardir rose, and the Andrah turned to Inevera. He handed her the turban, and she placed it on Jardir's head.

The
Sharum
roared and stamped their feet, but Jardir barely noticed. Why did the Andrah not put the turban on his head himself, as was the custom' Why give the honor to Inevera'

'Stop basking in your glory and speak your words,' Inevera whispered, breaking him from his musing. Jardir started, then turned to face the assembled
Sharum'
nearly six thousand spears. It had been ten thousand not long ago, but the previous Sharum Ka had wasted lives. Jardir promised himself he would not do the same.