The Memory of Earth (33 page)

“So you’re the one who flies,” said Gaballufix, looking at Issib.

“I float,” said Issib.

“So I see,” said Gaballufix. “Rasa’s sons, the two of you.” He looked Nafai in the eye. “Very large for one so young.”

Nafai said nothing. He was too busy studying Gaballufix’s face. So ordinary, really. A little soft, perhaps. Not young anymore, though younger than Father, who had, after all, slept with Gaballufix’s mother—enough to produce Elemak. There was some slight resemblance between Elya and Gaballufix, but not very much, only in the darkness of the hair, and the way the eyes were perhaps a little close together under heavy-ridged brows.

It was in the eyes that they were alike, but also in the eyes that they differed most, for there was a rheuminess, a scarlet-rimmed look in Gaballufix’s eyes that was the opposite of Elya’s sharpness. Elemak was a man of action and strength, a man of the desert, who could face strangers and unknown places with courage and confidence and vigor. Gaballufix, by contrast, was a man who went nowhere and did nothing; rather he denned himself here and let others do his work for him. Elemak went out
and penetrated the world, changing it where he would; Gaballufix stayed in one place and sucked the world dry, emptying it in order to fill himself.

“So the young one is speechless,” said Gaballufix.

“For the first time in his life,” said Meb. There was some nervous laughter.

“Why do the sons and the steward of Wetchik honor me with this visit?”

“Father wanted us to trade gifts with you,” said Elemak. “We’re living in a place where we need little in the way of money, yet Father has taken it into his heart—no, the Oversoul has commanded him—to bring the Index with him. While you, Gaballufix, have little use for the Index—have you even looked at it in all your years as leader of the clan council?—and might be able to turn some portion of the Wetchik estate to better advantage than Father ever could, being far from the city.”

It was an eloquent, truthful, and completely deceptive speech, and Nafai admired it. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that a purchase was being attempted here, and yet it was delicately disguised as an exchange of gifts, so that no one could openly accuse Gaballufix of having sold the Index, or Father of having bought it.

“I’m sure my kinsman Wetchik is far too generous to me,” said Gaballufix. “I can’t imagine that I would be of much help to him, managing some trifling portion of his great fortune.”

In answer, Elemak stepped forward and unrolled a heavy parcel of platinum ingots. Gaballufix picked up one ingot and hefted it in his hands. “This is a thing of beauty,” he said. “And yet I know this is such a tiny part of the Wetchik fortune that I could not feel right about doing such a small favor for my kinsman, when he would bear in exchange the heavy burden of guarding the Palwashantu Index.”

“This is only a sample,” said Elemak.

“If I’m to be trusted with this, shouldn’t I see the extent of my guardianship?”

Elemak removed all the rest of the treasure that he carried on his person, and laid it on the table. “Surely that is all that Father would dare ask you to be burdened with,” he said.

“Such a slight burden,” said Gaballufix. “I would be ashamed to have this be all the help I gave my kinsman.” Yet Nafai could see that Gaballufix’s eyes were shining at the sight of so much wealth all in one place. “I assume that it’s only a quarter of what you carry.” Gaballufix looked from Nafai to Issib and Mebbekew.

“I think that’s enough,” said Elemak.

“Then I couldn’t agree to lay the burden of the Index on my kinsman,” said Gaballufix.

“Very well,” said Elemak. He reached out and started rolling up the ingots.

Is that all? thought Nafai. Do we give up so easily? Am I the only one who can see that Gaballufix hungers for the money? That if we offer just a little more, he’ll sell?

“Wait,” said Nafai. “We can add what I carry to this.”

Nafai was aware that Elemak was glaring at him, but it was unthinkable to come so close and leave empty-handed. Didn’t Elemak realize that the Index was
important
? More important than mere money, that was certain. “And if that isn’t enough, Issib has more,” Nafai said. “Show him, Issib. Let me show him.”

In moments, they had tripled the offer.

“I fear,” said Elemak, his voice icy, “that my younger brother has inconsiderately offered to burden you with far more than I ever intended you to have to deal with.”

“On the contrary,” said Gaballufix. “It is your younger brother who has more correctly estimated how much of a burden I’m willing to bear. Indeed, I think that if the
last quarter of what you carried into my house were upon this table, I’d feel right about weighing down my dear kinsman with the heavy responsibility of the Palwashantu Index.”

“I say it’s too much,” said Elemak.

“Then you hurt my feelings,” said Gaballufix, “and I can’t see any reason for further discussion.”

“We came for the Index,” said Nafai. “We came because the Oversoul demands it.”

“Your father is famous for his holiness and his visions,” said Gaballufix.

“If you’re willing to accept all that we have,” said Nafai, “we’ll gladly lay it before you in order to fulfil the will of the Oversoul.”

“Such obedience will long be remembered in the Temple,” said Gaballufix. He looked at Mebbekew. “Or is Nafai’s holiness not matched by that of his brother Mebbekew?”

Anguished with indecision, Mebbekew looked back and forth between Elemak and Gaballufix.

But it was Elemak who acted. He reached down and again rolled up ingots into the cloth.

“No!” cried Nafai. “We won’t turn back now!” He held out his hand to Mebbekew. “You know what Father would want you to do.”

“I see that only the youngest has true understanding,” said Gaballufix.

Mebbekew stepped forward and began laying parcels on the table. As he did, Nafai could feel Elemak grip his shoulder, the fingers biting deep, and Elemak whispered in his ear, “I told you to leave this to me. You’ve given him four times what we needed to pay, you little fool. You’ve left us with nothing.”

Nothing but the Index, thought Nafai. But still, he vaguely realized that Elemak might in fact have known
better how to handle the bargaining, and perhaps he should have kept his mouth shut and let Elya handle things. But at the time he acted, Nafai was so
sure
that he had to speak or they would never get the Index.

All the Wetchik fortune except the land and buildings themselves was on Gaballufix’s table.

“Is
that
enough?” asked Elemak dryly.

“Exactly enough,” said Gaballufix. “Exactly enough to prove to me that Volemak the Wetchik has completely betrayed the Palwashantu. This great fortune has been put into the hands of children, who have, with childish stupidity, resolved to waste it all on the purchase of that which every true Palwashantu knows can
never
be sold. The Index, the sacred, holy trust of the Palwashantu—did Volemak think it could be bought? No, impossible, it could not be! I can only conclude that he has either lost his mind or you have killed him and hidden his body somewhere.”

“No!” cried Nafai.

“Your lies are obscene,” said Elemak, “and we won’t tolerate them.” He stepped forward and reached out for a third time to gather up the treasure.

“Thief!” shouted Gaballufix.

Suddenly the doors opened, and a dozen soldiers entered the room.

“Do you think you can do this in the presence of Rashgallivak?” demanded Elemak.

“I
insist
on doing it in his presence,” said Gaballufix. “Who do you think first came to me with the news that Volemak was betraying the trust of the Wetchiks? That Volemak’s sons were gutting the Wetchik fortune for some mad whim?”

“I serve the house of Wetchik,” said Rashgallivak. He looked at each of the brothers, his face a mask of sadness. “It could not possibly be in the interest of that great
house to let the fortune be destroyed by one madman who thinks he sees visions. Gaballufix could hardly believe what I told him, but he agreed with me that the fortune of Wetchik had to be shifted into the care of another branch of the family.”

“As chief of the Palwashantu clan,” Gaballufix intoned, “I hereby declare that Volemak and his sons, having proven themselves unfit and unreliable as guardians of the greatest house in the clan, are therefore removed as heirs and possessors of the house of Wetchik for all time. And in recognition of years of loyal service, by himself and his ancestors for many centuries, I grant temporary guardianship of the Wetchik fortune, and the use of the name of Wetchik, to Rashgallivak, to care for all aspects of the Wetchik house until such time as the clan council shall dispose of them otherwise. As for Volemak and his sons, if they make any effort to protest or dispute this action, they will be regarded as blood-enemies of the Palwashantu, and shall be dealt with by laws more ancient than those of the city of Basilica.” Gaballufix leaned forward across the table, smiling at Elemak. “Did you understand all that, Elya?”

Elemak looked at Rashgallivak. “I understand that the most loyal man in Basilica is now the worst traitor.”

“You were the traitors,” said Rash. “This sudden madness of visions, a completely unprofitable journey into the desert, selling off all the animals, dismissing all the workers, and now this—as steward of the house of Wetchik, I had no choice but to involve the clan council.”

“Gaballufix isn’t the clan council,” said Elemak. “He’s a common thief, and you’ve put our fortune in his hands.”

“
You
were putting the fortune in his hands,” said Rashgallivak. “Don’t you see that I did this for you? For all four of you? The council will leave me as guardian for a few years, until all this blows over, and in that time if
one of you proves himself to be a sober and completely reliable man, worthy of the responsibility, the Wetchik name and fortune will be returned to you.”

“There’ll be no fortune left,” said Elemak. “Gabya will spend it on his armies before the year is out.”

“Not at all,” said Gaballufix. “I’m turning it all over to Rash, to continue as steward.”

Elemak laughed bitterly. “As steward, required to use it as the council directs. And how will the council direct? You’ll see, Rash. Very quickly indeed—because the council has incurred some pretty heavy expenses with all these soldiers they’re paying.”

Rashgallivak looked quite uncomfortable. “Gaballufix did mention that some small part of this might need to be deducted to meet present expenses, but your father would have contributed to clan expenses anyway, if he were still in his right mind.”

“He’s played you for the fool,” said Elemak, “and me too. All of us.”

Rash looked at Gaballufix, clearly concerned. “Maybe we ought to call in the council on this,” he said.

“The council has already met,” said Gaballufix.

“How heavy
are
the clan expenses?” asked Rashgallivak.

“A trifle,” said Gaballufix. “Don’t waste time worrying about it. Or are you going to prove yourself as unreliable as Volemak and his sons?”

“See?” said Elemak. “Already it begins—do as Gabya wants, or you won’t be steward of the Wetchik fortune anymore.”

“The law is the law,” said Gaballufix. “And now it’s time for these worthless young spendthrifts to leave my house before I charge them with the murder of their father.”

“Before we say anything more to help Rash see the truth, you mean,” said Elemak.

“We’ll go,” said Mebbekew. “But all this talk about the Palwashantu clan council and making Rashgallivak the Wetchik is rat piss. You’re a thief, Gabya, a lying murdering thief who would have killed Roptat
and
Father if we hadn’t left the city the day we did, and we’re not leaving our family fortune in your bloody hands!”

With that Mebbekew lunged forward and seized a bag of jewels.

Immediately the soldiers were upon them, all four of them. The jewels were out of Meb’s hands in a moment, and with no particular gentleness all four of them were out of the salon, out of the front doors, and thrown into the street.

“Away from here!” cried the soldiers. “Thieves! Murderers!”

Nafai hardly had a chance to think before Mebbekew was at his throat. “
You’re
the one who had to lay all the treasure on the table!”

“He meant to have it all anyway,” Nafai protested.

“Shut up, fools,” said Elemak. “This isn’t over. Our lives aren’t worth dust—he probably has men waiting to kill us not fifty meters off. Our only hope is to split up and
run.
Don’t stop for anything. And remember—something Rasa told me today—
trust no man
.” He said it again, changing the emphasis a little. “Trust no
man.
We’ll meet tonight where the camels are. Anyone who isn’t there by dawn we’ll assume is dead. Now run—and
not
for any place that they’d expect you to go.”

With that Elemak began to stride off toward the north. After only a few steps he turned back. “Now, fools! See—they’re already signaling the assassins!”

Sure enough Nafai could see that one of the soldiers on Gaballufix’s porch had raised one arm and was pointing
at them with the other. “How fast can you go with those floats?” Nafai asked Issib.

“Faster than you,” he answered. “But not faster than a pulse.”

“The Oversoul will protect us,” said Nafai.

“Right,” said Issib. “Now move, you fool.”

Nafai ducked his head and plunged into the thickest part of the crowd. He had run a hundred meters south along Fountain Street when he turned back and saw why people were shouting behind him: Issib had risen some twenty meters into the air, and was just disappearing over the roof of the house directly across from Gaballufix’s. I never knew he could do that, thought Nafai.

Then, as he turned to run again, it occurred to him that Issib probably hadn’t known it, either.

“There’s one,” said a harsh voice. Suddenly a man appeared in front of him, a charged-wire blade in his hand. A woman gasped; people shied away. But almost without knowing that he knew it, Nafai could feel the presence of a man directly behind him. If he backed away from the blade in front, he would walk into the real assassin behind him.