Authors: David Gemmell
’He is close, Batik.’
’A pleasant room,’ said the Hellborn, indicating the weapons.
’Do they relax you?’
He shrugged. ‘It reminds me of my home.’
The room bordering the garden of vines?’
’Yes. How did you know?’
’You entertained a friend of mine two years ago.’
’What was his name?’
’Ezra.’
’I know no one of that name.’
’He climbed the wall of your garden while being hunted. He hid among your vines, and when the searchers came you told them no one was there and sent them away.’
’I remember. A little man with frightened eyes.’
’Yes. A man of great courage, for he knew great fear.’
’What happened to him?’
’He was caught three months later and burned alive.’
’There has been a lot of that lately. He worshipped the old dark god, I take it?’
’Yes.’
The Hellborn will stamp out the sect.’
’Perhaps, Batik. But why did you help him?’
’I am not a religious man.’
’What are you?’
’Just a man.’
’You know that if you stay with Shannow you could die.’
’We are parting company soon.’
’And yet without you he will fail.’
Batik lifted a goblet filled with red wine and drained it. ‘What are you trying to tell me?’
’Do you feel you owe Shannow a debt?’
’For what?’
’For saving your life?’
’No.’
’Would you call yourself his friend?’
’Perhaps.’
’Then you like him?’
Batik did not reply. ‘Who are you, woman?’ he asked at last.
’I am Ruth.’
’Why did the riders not see us?’
’No evil may enter here.’
’I am here!’
’You saved Ezra.’
’Shannow is here.’
’He seeks Jerusalem.’
’What is this place?’
’For you, Batik, it is Alpha or Omega. A beginning or an end.’
’A beginning of what? An ending to what?’
’That is for you to decide. The choices are yours.’
Selah ran up the stairs after his friends and entered a small room. The grey-haired woman smiled and opened her arms.
’Welcome home, Selah.’
And joy flooded him.
The following morning Ruth led Shannow into a long hall, past trestle tables set for breakfast and on into a circular library with shelf upon shelf of books from floor to domed ceiling. At the centre of the room was a round table and the elderly woman sat, gesturing for Shannow to sit beside her.
’Everything you ever wanted to know is here, Mr Shannow, but you must decide what to look for.’
His eyes scanned the books and an edge of fear touched him, bringing a shiver.
’Are they all true books?’ he asked.
’No. Some are fictions. Some are theories. Others are partly true, or close to the truth. Most point a way to the truth for those with eyes to see.’
’I just want the truth.’
’Placed in your hand like a pearl, unblemished and perfect?’
’Yes.’
’No wonder you need Jerusalem.’
’Do you mock me, Lady?’
’No, Mr Shannow. Everything we do here is to instruct and to help. This room was made for you, created for you. It did not exist before you entered it, and will cease to exist when you leave it.’
’How long may I stay here?’
’One hour.’
’I cannot read all these books in an hour.’
That is true.’
’Then why go to all this trouble? How can I use all this knowledge if I have no time?’
Ruth leaned towards him, taking his hand. ‘We did not create this to torment you, Jon. Far too much effort went into it for that. Sit and think for a while. Be at ease.’
’Can you not tell me where to look?’
’No, for I do not know what you seek!’
’I want to find God.’
Ruth pressed his hand gently. ‘Do you think he hides from you?’
’That’s not what I meant. I have tried to live in a way that does his will. You understand? I have nothing, I want nothing. And yet… I am not content.’
’I will tell you something, Jon. Even were you to read all these books, and know all the secrets of the world, still you would not be content. For you see yourself as Batik saw you: God’s gardener, weeding the land, but never fast enough, or fully enough, or completely enough.’
’Do you say it is wrong to defend the weak?’
’I am not a judge.’
’Then what are you? What is this place?’
’I told you last night. There are no angels here, Jon. We are people.’
’You keep saying “We”, but I see no one else.’
’There are four hundred people here, but they do not wish to be seen. It is their choice.’
’Is this a dream?’ he asked dully.
’No. Believe me.’
’I do believe you, Ruth. I believe everything you say -and it helps me not at all. Outside there are men hunting me, and the woman I love is in terrible danger. There is a man I am pledged to destroy - a man that I know I hate - yet here that hatred seems such a small thing.’
’You speak of the man who calls himself Abaddon?’
’Yes.’
’An empty man.’
’His warriors butchered Karitas and his people - women, children.’
’And now you will try to kill him?’
’Yes. As the Lord of Hosts told Joshua to kill the unholy.’
Ruth released his hand and leaned back. ‘You speak of the destruction of Ai and the thirty-two cities. “And so it was that all who fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men ofAi. For Joshua drew not his hand back . . . until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.”‘
’Yes, the very Book that Abaddon quoted to me. He said he had based all his methods on the atrocities of the people of Israel.’
’This hurt you, Jon - as it was intended to do.’
’How could it not hurt me? He was right. If I had lived in those days, and seen an invading army killing women and children, I would have fought against them with all my might. What was the difference between the children of Ai and the children of Karitas’ village?’
’None,’ said Ruth.
’Then Abaddon was right.’
’That is for you to decide.’
’I need to know what you think, Ruth. For I know there is no evil in you. Tell me.’
’I cannot walk your path, Jon, and I would not presume to tell you what was right five thousand years ago. I oppose Abaddon in a different way. He serves the Prince of Lies, the Lord of Deceit. Here we answer that with the truth of Love - with Karitas, Jon.’
’Love does not turn aside bullets and knives.’
’No.’
’Then what good is it?’
’It turns hearts and minds.’
’Among the Hellborn?’
’We have more than two hundred converts among the Hellborn, despite the burnings and the killings. And the numbers grow daily.’
’How do you reach these converts?’
’My people go from here to live among the Hellborn.’
’By choice?’
’Yes.’
’And they are killed?’
’Many of them have died. Others will die.’
’But with all your power, you could destroy Abaddon and save their lives.’
That is part of the truth, Jon. True power comes only when one learns not to use it. It is one of the Mysteries. But now the hour is past, and you must leave on your journey.’
’But I have learned nothing.’
Time will tell. The boy, Selah, will remain here with us.’
’Does he desire this?’
’Yes. You may see him for your farewells.’
’Without him, Batik and I would have passed you by just like the Zealots?’
’Yes.’
’Because no evil may come here?’
’I am afraid so.’
Then I have learned something.’
’Use your knowledge well.’
Shannow followed Ruth back to his room and there lay his clothes, fresh and clean. He dressed and made to leave, but the grey-haired woman stopped him.
’You have forgotten your guns, Jon Shannow.’
They lay on the floor where he had left them and he bent to lift the belt. As he touched it, his harmony vanished. He swung the belt around his waist and walked through the door. Batik waited by the horses, and Selah stood by him. The boy was dressed now in a robe of white and he smiled as Shannow approached.
’I must stay,’ he said. ‘Forgive me.’
There is nothing to forgive, lad. You will be safe here.’
He mounted swiftly and rode from the buildings, Batik beside him. After a while he looked back, and the plain was empty.
The world is a strange place,’ said Batik.
’Where did you go?’
’I stayed with the woman Ruth.’
’What did she tell you?’
’Probably less than she told you. I tell you this, though -I wish we had never found the place.’
’Amen to that,’ said Shannow.
The two men skirted a great lake edged with pine forests, and the ground beyond the water rose into a section of rock hills. Shannow drew rein and scanned the area.
’If they are there, you wouldn’t see them,’ Batik pointed out.
Shannow moved the gelding forward and they rode with care to the crest of the hill. Below them the last section of the plain stretched to the foothills of the mountain range. There was no sign of the Zealots.
’You know their methods,’ said Shannow. ‘What would they have done once they lost us?’
They’re not used to losing trails, Shannow. They would have possessed an eagle or a hawk and quartered the land looking for a sign. Since they couldn’t see the buildings they would have then, perhaps, split up into their own sections and spread out for a search.’
Then where are they?’
’Damned if I know.’
’I don’t like the idea of heading out into open ground.’
’No. Let’s just sit here on the skyline until they spot us!’
Shannow grinned and urged the gelding down the hill. They rode for an hour over the undulating plain, discovering deep gulleys that scored the ground as if giant trowels had scooped away the earth. In one of these gulleys they came across a huge, curved bone some fifteen feet in length. Shannow dismounted and left the gelding grazing. The bone was at least eight inches in diameter; Batik joined him and the two men lifted it.
’I wouldn’t have wanted to meet the owner of this while he walked,’ said the Hellborn. They dropped the bone and searched the ground. Jutting from the earth was a second bone and then Batik found a third, just showing in the tall grass ten paces to the right.
’It looks to be part of a rib-cage,’ said Shannow. Thirty paces ahead Batik found an even larger section, with teeth attached. When the two men dug it clear, the bone was shaped like a colossal V.
’Have you ever seen anything with a mouth that big?’ asked Batik. ‘Or heard of such a thing?’
’Selah said there were monsters here; he said his father had seen them.’
Batik looked back. ‘It must be thirty feet from head to rib-cage. Its legs must have been enormous.’ They searched for some time, but found no evidence of such limbs.
’Maybe wolves took them,’ suggested Batik.
Shannow shook his head. The leg bones would have been twice the thickness of the ribs; they must be here.’
’It’s mostly buried - maybe the legs are way below ground.’
’No. Look at the curve of the bone jutting from the grass. The creature died on its back, otherwise we would find the vertebrae on the surface.’
’One of life’s mysteries,’ said Batik. ‘Let’s move on.’
Shannow dusted the dirt from his hands and mounted the gelding.
’I hate mysteries,’ he said, staring down at the remains. ‘There should be four legs. I wish I had time to examine it.’
’If wishes were fishes, poor men wouldn’t starve,’ said Batik. ‘Let’s go.’
They rode up out of the gulley, where Shannow dragged back on the reins and swung the gelding.
’What now?’ asked Batik.
Shannow rode back to the edge and looked down. From here he could see the giant jaw and the ruined ribs of the creature. ‘I think you have answered the mystery, Batik. It is a fish.’
’I am glad I didn’t hook it. Don’t be ridiculous, Shannow! First, it would be the great mother of all fishes -and second, how did it get into the middle of a plain?’
’The Bible talks about a great fish that swallowed one of the prophets - he sat in the belly of it and lived. Ten men could sit inside that rib-cage. And a fish has no legs.’
’Very well, it’s a fish. Now you’ve solved it, we can go.’
’But, as you said, how did it get here?’
’I don’t know, Shannow. And I don’t care.’
’Karitas told me that in the Fall of the World the seas rose and drowned much of the lands and cities. This fish could have been brought here by a tidal wave.’
Then where is the sea? Where did it go?’
’Yes, that’s true. As you say, it is a mystery.’
’I'm delighted we’ve solved that - now can we go?’
’Do you have no curiosity, Batik?’
The Hellborn leaned forward on his saddle. ‘Indeed I have, my friend. I am curious as to the whereabouts of thirty-six trained killers; you probably find it strange that I seem so preoccupied.’
Shannow lifted his hat and wiped the sweat from the brim. The sun was high overhead, just past noon, and the sky was cloudless. A speck caught his eye - it was an eagle, circling high above them.
’For much of my life, Batik,’ he said, ‘I have been hunted. It is a fact of my existence. Brigands soon became aware of me, and my description was well circulated. I have never known when a bullet or an arrow or a knife might come at me from the shadows. After a while I became fatalistic. I am unlikely to die in my bed at a grand old age, for my life depends on my reflexes, my keen eyesight and my strength. All will fade one day, but until that day I will retain an interest in things of this world - things that I do not understand, but which I sense have a bearing on what we have become.’
Batik shook his head. ‘Well, thank you for sharing your philosophy. Speaking for myself I am still a young man, in my prime, and I have every desire to be the oldest man the world has ever seen. I am beginning to think that Ruth was right. If I stay in your company, I am sure to die. So I think this is the time to say farewell.’