Comet Fall (Wine of the Gods) (33 page)

Rustle
blinked. Thought it over. "Actually this is working well. I get lessons. We pop back to Rip Crossing, and Xen and I play with the horses. After dinner I put him to bed and then practice on my own. I think motherhood away from the Pyramid suits me. And perhaps, away from the Summer Camp, too. Some one's always thought of something I need to do."

He frowned into the distance. "You are
so capable at such a high level that there will always be someone telling you that  there is something more important that you could be doing."

Rustle
eyed him. "That sounds like experience talking. A wife, perhaps? You miss her, don't you?"

"I . . .
barely remember, some days. There were several . . . I think." His eyes were on the floor, or more likely focused on the past. "Muriel, who left because . . . No. I left . . . I don't remember why . . . and she wouldn't come, wouldn't uproot her children . . . not my children . . . Kendra Star . . . she aged and died . . . I withdrew from the world for a long time, after that. And never dared . . .  I don't know how to get past that. I thought I'd forgotten, but I dream . . . of loss."

"Oh
." She had to look away. Xen provided a welcome break. "Oh, you've switched puppies. Now you want a black and gray bitch?"

"Yes. She's a very good dog." Xen carried the grunting puppy back outside.

"His language is improving by leaps and bounds . . ." Rustle looked at the man, worried. "Do you want me to leave you alone?"

He winced. Threw himself to his feet and paced over to the window. "I don't know. I thought . . . I knew what I was doing." His voice dropped. "And I'm afraid to touch you."

Rustle looked away. Blanked her mind and concentrated on slow steady breaths. I'm too damned young for him. I must be like a child, not seeing how shallow and ignorant I am. So . . . change the subject and wait. For as long as necessary. "I've been shaping metal and prospecting for gems out in Havi's Land Grant. Just small ones so far, nothing like Gemstones' garnets, and no sign of gold."

He looked back at her with a wry smile.
"A blessing in disguise."

"No kidding. The Valasik's have been doing a bit of back and forthing, and they say the gold rush has really made things difficult
in Gemstone. All those men, no women except for the whores who've set up shop, and they're making them stay down in the shanty towns. They don't want the problems following the whores into Gemstone."

"They've
built a town two days south of Gemstone. And they move all the gold south through Farofo." The Auld Wulf snorted. "The mayor, Jin Genero, is a natural wizard. He's what you get when a strong wizard isn't castrated. Tends to be in the right place at the right time. Say the right thing. Does exactly what is needed, before the need surfaces. Unfortunately he worships the God of War, so I can't not pay attention when he prays, curses or thinks really hard. So I've been following the problem, like it of not."

"Oh dear.
" Rustle looked over as the door opened. "Yes Xen, the red pup is a good one too." She watch him march back outside with it. There were other people out there, laughter in a deep male voice. But no one came in to interrupt them.

"
Rustle, anytime you need help, just call me."

She smiled wryly. "I always have. Perhaps I need to bother you less."

His turn to stop and look to the door. "What's this? You've got another new one."

"Can I have three puppies, Dad? There's three puppies left. My red one and my black one and this one. She'll be lonely if I don't take her too."
He rubbed his cheek on the puppy. "She's all silky."

Rustle sat up.
"Now wait a bit. How did you get to two of them being yours?"

"I talked to
Uncle Havi. He said a couple of dogs might be a good idea, because of wolves."

"
Well . . . I suppose he has a point there. But we really ought to get back to the ruins." She eyed the puppy. Would puppies keep him busy? Out of trouble? Would three full grown dogs be enough protection in the New Lands? In New Tokyo? Half Hellhounds?

"There are wolves in the ruins!
And pirates! They can help protect the fort from pirates!"

"Umm, well, if the pups are a problem they can spend some time in a bubble." Rustle nodded. "Yes, you may have three puppies. And since we're done practicing, perhaps we should use the corridors and get back to New Tokyo."

Xen shook his head. "Will you show me how to travel, Dad? That would be more fun."

Rustle eyed him, a bit askance.
"I think perhaps, Xen, we should concentrate on house breaking your puppies, first. All three of them. Actually we need to go see Havi for a bit. Wolf? Will you give us a ride? I can't get to their Summer Camp. No hot springs. The other witches went back earlier today . . . they've probably already been put to work."

Xen hugged the latest puppy. "You can come home with me too. Even if you are afraid of wolves."

Rustle hoped he was guessing and herded him out to the box of puppies, with the hungry pair left there. "We'll get these guys home, and get them some food and milk really soon. They are just babies, after all. We'll take a few days, load up on stuff for them, then head back to Asia."

Xen added the third pup to the box.
"Maybe they can help open the temples. They're very smart puppies."

1374 Late Spring

New Tokyo

The Temple of the Tower
had opened after a group of guards snuck away with a large amount of the Veronians' stash of distilled liquors and got stinking drunk outside the ornate portico. Again, an internal barrier stopped them from entering the next room.

"Vice." Rustle decided. "Showing m
ercy opened the Goddess of Mercy's barriers. So
if
this is Vice's home, we'll need a bit more, er . . . " She looked around at Whoop and Verse.

Whoop grinned and whispered something in Verse's ear. They both looked over at the Mages.

Rustle sighed. "Ask, Gre, I think we are too nice for this job. Let's go camp down the slope a bit."

Gre shot a glance at Oscar and Bran. Who appeared to be suppressing grins.

Oscar drew Gre aside. Rustle could just barely hear him.

"Guard them. I know the witches think they're all powerful, but sometimes a sword is the best way to deal with a problem."

Gre nodded seriously and practically herded them away.

At midnight the witches bolted out of the building. Whoop stopped to retch at the edge of the paved perimeter. Verse swung back and pulled her away.

"Rustle! There's, there's this hideous . . . " She flapped a hand at the building then  clapped a hand over her own mouth.

Rustle turned to Ask. "Go get Lefty and Lord Andre. Gre, come with me."

Oscar and Bran were looking through a broad doorway, From the back she could see their stiff muscles. Oscar flicked her a brief glance, as if he dare not take his eyes off of something for too long.

Rustle edged up and took a peek. Stared in disbelief.

The hideous statue inside was
almost enough to send her running off, possibly stopping long enough to relieve her churning stomach.

Oscar and Bran were both experienced travelers, experienced rakes.
And looked upset.

"That is
so horrible I'm not even ashamed to admit I'm afraid to be in there alone with it." Oscar braced his shoulders and walked in.

Bran nodded agreement, and edged into the room.

Gre was frozen.

Rustle walked in and circled the horrible . . . tableau.

They all recognized half of the sculpture.

"
That's Ba'al!" Rustle shivered.

"I thought he was dead, or something." Lord Andre
strode through the first doors. And stopped dead. Swallowed. "I do see the resemblance. And that was an animated statue, in Karista, not the actual god, right?"

"I don't know." Bran walk
ed around the . . . scene . . . again.

"I wonder who
she
is?" Oscar said. "Surely not a goddess, I mean a god couldn't do that to a goddess, right?"

Gre
paled and rushed outside.

Bran reached out and felt one of the chains leading from a post to the female statue's wrist. "It's all me
tallic, cast in one piece. Or is it like that stuff on Ba'al?"

They all glanced
Rustle, but fleetingly, as if they really didn't dare to turn their backs on the . . . other figure.

"It's a bubble, turned inside out. The inside is all bronzy like this. I
t's time to call in the reinforcements." Rustle pulled out her pad of paper.

Have found the God of Vice. Need help, bring Gisele. Maybe Harry and Romeau too.
She charmed it and tucked it into her pouch.

"I don't know how long that will take." She shivered and looked away from the . . . statues. "I don't want to be the o
ne who pops them out of their bubble."

"I don't think I want to meet a god that keeps a sculpture
of a rape, torture, and cannibalistic dismembering in his front room," Bran said.

They all nodded.

"Especially if it's not a statue."

***

Five figures stepped out of nowhere.

Lord Andre looked at the reinforcement
s a bit dubiously. Two of the men were quite large, and well armed. But the old man leaning on the spear, and the little old lady, with the basket full of bottles and jars . . . well, maybe they were magic users. Or experts on perverted statuary. He'd met the beautiful blonde woman, Prince Rufi's illegitimate daughter . . .

Lord Andre edged over to the door. "Ah, err, really, there's something in here that really oughtn't be seen by a Lady . . . "

Rustle cleared her throat. "Lord Andre, you remember Lady Never Happydaut, and this is Dydit Twicecutt, the Auld Wulf, Harry and Lady Gisele. Brace yourselves and take a look inside."

The biggest man led the way. The Auld Wulf was an interestingly anachronistic name, occasionall
y used in myths, usually applied to the God of War, but sometimes the God of Wine, Virility, or Hunting. Dydit was a Scoonian name, not often used in modern times. Twicecutt was the sort of secondary name the old Scooners had been said to adopt to brag or joke.

They all circled the statuary with still faces. Equidistant around it, they stood silently for a long moment.

Lady Gisele spoke first. "Well, we all know Ba'al. Barry Virtue. This is his twin brother Edmund. While I take care of Logic, the rest of you should feel free to kill Edmund."

Lord Andre shifted uncertainly. "You don't mean to imply that these are the actual gods, do you? I mean h
e's got her
breast
. He's cut off and is eating her . . . "

"Y
es, Dear. He's actually been torturing and eating her for about a thousand years. Now, do step outside. I'm afraid this is going to get messy when we break the bubble."

Never
and Rustle took his arms and led him outside.

Lefty stepped out and ordered his soldiers completely back off the pavement.

"How can they fight a god?" Lord Andre said.

Never smiled a
t him, "Well three of them
are
gods, and Dydit is, or was, one of the Black Goats—an eight hundred year old trained Scoone wizard. Oscar and Bran are pretty damn resourceful as well."