The Eternal Champion

CHAPTER THIRTEEN PAPHANAAL

For the rest of our sailing towards Paphanaal, I avoided both Katorn and King Rigenos. Perhaps they were right and the Eldren could not be trusted. But should we not set some kind of example?

On the second night of the voyage after the big battle with the Eldren, Count Roldero visited me.

'You did well there,' he said. 'Your tactics were superb. And I hear you accounted well for yourself in the hand-to-hand fighting.' He looked about him in mock fear and whispered, jerking his thumb at a vague spot above him, 'But I hear Rigenos decided that it was best he did not put the royal person in danger, lest we warriors lose heart.'

'Oh,' I said, 'Rigenos has a fair point. He came with us, don't forget. He could have stayed behind. We all expected him to. Did you hear of the order he gave while the truce was on with the enemy commander?'

Roldero sniffed. 'Had him shot by Katorn, right?'

'Yes.'

'Well…' Roldero grinned at me. 'You make allowances for Rigenos's cowardice and I'll make allowances for his treachery!' He burst into gusty laughter. 'That's fair, eh?'

I could not help smiling. But later, more seriously, I said: 'Would you have done the same, Roldero?'

'Oh, I expect so. War, after all…'

'But Baynahn was prepared to fight me. He must have known his chances were slim. He must have known, too, that Rigenos could not be trusted to keep his word…'

'If he did, then he would have acted as Rigenos acted. It was just that Rigenos was quicker. Merely tactics, you see-the trick is to gauge the exact moment to be treacherous.'

'Baynahn did not look like one who would have acted treacherously.'

'He is probably a very kind man and treated his family well. I told you, Erekose, it is not Baynahn's character I dispute. I just say that, as a warrior, he would have tried what Rigenos succeeded in doing-eliminating the enemy's chief. It is one of the basic principles of warfare!'

'If you say so, Roldero…'

'I do say so. Now drink up.'

I did drink up. And I drank deep and I drank myself stupid. Now there were not merely the dream memories to contend with, but more recent memories, too.

Another night came before we reached the harbour city of Paphanaal and we lay at anchor, a sea league or so offshore.

Then, in the shifting dawn of the morrow, we upped anchors and rowed in towards Paphanaal, for there was no wind to fill our sails.

Nearer we came to land.

I saw cliffs and black mountains rising.

Nearer.

I saw a flash of brighter colour to the east of us.

'Paphanaal!'shouted the look-out from his precarious perch in the top trees.

Nearer.

And there was Paphanaal.

She was undefended as far as we could make out. We had left her defenders on the bottom of the ocean, far behind.

There were no domes on this city, no minarets. There were steeples and buttresses and battlements, all close together. They made the city seem like one great palace. The materials of their construction were breathtaking. There was white marble veined with pink, blue, green and yellow. Orange marble, veined with black. Marble faced with gold, basalt and quartz and bluestone in abundance.

It was a shining city.

As we came closer, we saw no one on the quaysides, no one in the streets or on the battlements. I assumed that the city had been deserted.

I was wrong.

We put in to the great harbour and disembarked. I formed our armies into disciplined ranks and warned them of a possible trap, although I did not really believe there could be one.

The warriors had spent the rest of the voyage repairing their clothes and their armour, cleaning their weapons and making repairs to their ships.

All the ships crowded the harbour now, their banners waving in the light breeze that had come up almost as soon as we set foot on the cobblestones of the quay. Cloud came in with the breeze and made the day grey.

The warriors stood before King Rigenos, Katorn and myself. Rank upon rank they stood, their armour bright, banners moving sluggishly in the breeze.

There were seven hundred divisions, each hundred divisions commanded by a Marshal who had as his commanders his Captains, who controlled twenty-five divisions each, and his Knights, who controlled one division.

The wine had helped fade the memory of the battle and I felt a return of my old pride as I stood looking at the Paladins and Armies of Humanity assembled before me. I addressed them:

'Marshals, Captains, Knights and Warriors of Humanity, you have seen me to be a victorious War Leader.'

'Aye!' they roared, jubilant.

'We shall be victorious here and elsewhere in the land of Mernadin. Go now, with caution, and search these buildings for Eldren. But be careful. This city could hide an army, remember!'

Count Roldero spoke up from the front rank.

'And booty, Lord Erekose. What of that?'

King Rigenos waved his hand. 'Take what booty you desire. But remember what Erekose has said-be wary for such things as poisoned food. Even the wine-cups could be smeared with poison. Anything in this damned city could be poisoned!'

The divisions began to march past us, each taking a different direction.

I watched them go and I thought that while the city received them into its heart, it did not welcome them.

I wondered what we would find in Paphannal. Traps? Hidden snipers? Everything poisoned, as Rigenos had said?

We found a city of women.

Not one Eldren man had remained.

Not one boy over twelve. Not one old man of any age.

We had slain them all at sea.