The Thin Executioner

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

From Hassah they picked their way northeast, keeping close to the banks of the as-Sudat. The land was barren and flat — flaky stone with occasional outcrops of weeds. It was easy to cross but cold at night. Jebel was glad of the extra clothes that Tel Hesani had insisted on buying.

They saw many boats sailing in both directions. Sometimes those on board waved at the pair, but more often they stared suspiciously. It was rare to see people on this side of the river. The stony land was officially part of Abu Nekhele, but most people considered it an extension of Abu Siq, and thus out of bounds.

When Jebel rose after their fourth night, Tel Hesani told him it was time to veer away from the river and search for the start of the siq, which the city-state of Abu Siq had been named after.

“Have you ever seen the siq?” Jebel asked as they cut inland.

“No,” Tel Hesani said. “Few people have. And fewer have lived to tell the tale.”

“What about the Um Siq? Have you met any of them?”

“Only one,” said Tel Hesani. “He had been enslaved and forced to duel for the entertainment of his master. An Um Siq will normally kill himself if removed from his people, but this one had been drugged. He fought to feed his addiction. He was a shadow of the man he must once have been, but he was still the fastest, sharpest warrior I’ve ever seen. He cut apart his opponents as if they were children.”

The ground rose ahead of them, and soon they were climbing hills and hunting for the entrance to the siq. From the top of the slopes, Jebel saw the giant peaks of the al-Attieg in the near distance, rising from the earth like a series of daggers. Many of the peaks were hidden by clouds. The mountains dominated the horizon. There were only two ways through — the gorge or the siq. Both were natural canyons, one created by the as-Sudat, the other by an earthquake, or a river that had long since dried up.

“Will the entrance be guarded?” Jebel asked, panting as they scaled one of the taller hills.

“Probably not,” Tel Hesani said. “Nobody is foolish enough to attack the Um Siq, so from what I have been told they don’t feel the need for guards. I’m more worried about snow.” He looked at the clouds and squinted. “I think we’ll get through before the first fall, but it’s hard to judge. Snow can sweep down within minutes here. If we’re trapped in the siq when a storm hits…”

For hours they crisscrossed the area, hunting for the elusive entrance. They knew that it was hidden behind a large rock, but there were hundreds of rocks in the hills, and each had to be checked. Jebel quickly lost patience, but Tel Hesani made him proceed slowly. If they missed the entrance, it would mean retracing their steps the next day.

They were heading towards a large boulder midway up a hill when the shale at Jebel’s feet exploded as if the earth had spat at him. Jebel leapt back, alarmed. Tel Hesani smiled — he thought some animal had moved beneath the shale — but then the ground at his feet exploded too, and he dropped to his knees. “Get down!” he snapped, drawing a sword and scanning the hills.

Jebel crouched and drew his own weapon. “Are we under attack?”

“I’m not sure. Somebody fired on us, but I don’t know if the shots missed on purpose or by accident.”

Jebel licked his lips and glanced around, looking for cover. Then someone called to them from high above. “Leave this place!”

Echoes made it impossible to tell where the voice had come from.

Jebel glanced at Tel Hesani. “Maybe we should go.”

The slave shook his head, then placed his sword on the ground and stood. “Do as I do,” he said, resting his hands on his head and locking his fingers together. Jebel groaned and put his sword down. Standing, he set his hands on his head.

There was a long silence. Then the voice came again. “Who are you?”

“My name is Tel Hesani,” the slave yelled. “This is Jebel Rum.”

“What do you want?”

“We seek passage through the siq.”

“The siq is closed to all but the Um Siq. Leave!” There were two more shots. One of the stones struck the side of Tel Hesani’s cheek and drew blood, but he didn’t flinch.

“We cannot leave,” Tel Hesani said. “We are obliged to use the siq.”

“I’ll kill you if you try,” the voice above them threatened.

“You have that right,” Tel Hesani agreed. “But we must press on regardless.”

“Why don’t you travel by the gorge? Have you no swagah?”

“We have more than enough swagah,” said Tel Hesani. “But we are on a quest, and journey by river is forbidden.”

“What is the nature of your quest?”

“We travel to Tubaygat, in the al-Meata mountains.”

“Are you Um Aineh or Um Nekhele?”

“My partner is Um Aineh. I am Um Kheshabah.”

There was another long silence. Then the person growled, “Lay all your weapons on the ground, and step away from them.”

Tel Hesani began to take out his knives. He nodded at Jebel to do the same, and though the boy was anxious, he did as the slave ordered. When they were truly defenseless, they took several steps away from their stash and stood waiting.

Some minutes later a figure appeared. The sun was behind the person, obscuring Jebel’s and Tel Hesani’s view. Jebel couldn’t see anybody else. “I think there’s just one of them,” he whispered.

“Yes,” Tel Hesani said, barely moving his lips. “But do nothing, even if we’re attacked. If there are others nearby and we raise a hand against this one, we’ll be dead before we have time to blink.”

They stood silent and unmoving as the Um Siq approached. When the person drew closer, Jebel was astonished to see that it was a girl, not much older than himself. She was pale-skinned. Her head had been shaven bare, except for a cluster of curls high on her forehead. She was clad in tight leathers, which fitted her like a second layer of skin. A dagger hung from one hip, a catapult from the other, and a staff stuck out from behind her shoulders.

The girl was almost upon them when she roared suddenly, grabbed her staff, and struck at Tel Hesani. The slave didn’t react. The staff stopped a couple of inches short of his left cheek and quivered there. Jebel desperately wanted to dive for his sword, but he was heedful of Tel Hesani’s warning.

Tel Hesani regarded the girl coolly as she glared at him. She swung the staff around and struck at him from the right. Again he didn’t react, and again she stopped short of contact. Snarling, the girl pirouetted away from Tel Hesani and thrust the tip of the staff at Jebel’s stomach. He flinched but held firm and gritted his teeth. The staff tapped him lightly, but it didn’t hurt. The girl raised the tip and nudged his chin so that his eyes came up. She stared into them aggressively. Jebel squinted back, wanting to knock the staff aside but fearful of the consequences.

Finally the girl lowered her weapon. “I am Hubaira of the Um Siq.”

“It is an honor to meet you,” said Tel Hesani.

Hubaira sniffed. “You said you were on a quest to Tubaygat. Do you go to see the mountain beast?”

“Beast?” Jebel repeated indignantly.

“A monster dwells within the mountain,” Hubaira said. “It has five heads and thirteen arms. They say it devours all who come before it except the few it takes a liking to. It empowers those and sends them forth to conquer its enemies.”

“The Um Aineh believe that a god lives in Tubaygat,” Tel Hesani said. “He is called Sabbah Eid. But god or beast, he is much like your people believe.”

“Gods!” Hubaira snorted. “There are men and animals, nothing more. Only fools worship make-believe gods.”

Jebel flushed. In Abu Aineh this girl would be executed for saying that. He wanted to slap her, but there might be other Um Siq in the hills, waiting for an excuse to cut him down. Better to hold his peace for now.

Hubaira circled the man and the boy, studying them. She paused behind Tel Hesani and ran a finger over some of the scars on his back. Her fingernails were long and sharp, and the Um Kheshabah shivered at her touch.

“You must be a great warrior,” Hubaira said.

“Some are from fights,” Tel Hesani said. “But most came from those who have owned and traded me.”

Hubaira paused. “You’re a slave?”

“Yes.”

She stepped forward, expression grim, and pointed at Jebel with her staff, her free hand going to the dagger by her side. “Are the whip marks his dirty work?”

“He is my current master,” Tel Hesani said. “But I chose to travel with him, and he has never struck me.”

“Are you telling the truth?” Hubaira’s eyes were hard. “He cannot harm you here. The Um Siq despise slavers. If you like, I can kill him, and freedom will be yours.”

Jebel went cold. He had a vision of dying at the hands of a girl — a girl! The disgrace would be unendurable. If word ever reached his father and brothers, they would probably take their own lives rather than live with the shame.

But Tel Hesani smiled ruefully and shook his head. “I’d rather you not harm my young master. I travel with him for reasons of my own. He is important to me.”

“As you wish.” Hubaira lowered her staff and smiled. “It’s lucky you’re Um Kheshabah. One of your people came to Abu Siq in my grandfather’s time and spent several years with us. He was a healer and saved the lives of some of our people. If you were of any other race, I’d have run you off or killed you.”

“That is indeed good fortune,” Tel Hesani said, then asked if they could lower their hands and collect their weapons.

“Yes.” Hubaira watched as they rearmed themselves, keeping a close eye on Jebel. When they’d finished, she pointed to the rock towards which they had been headed. “That’s what you’ve been looking for — the entrance to the siq. I’ve followed you for the last few hours. At first I thought you might be prospectors.”

“No,” Tel Hesani said. “We are questers, interested only in progressing through the siq before the snows fall.”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” Hubaira said. “There won’t be any snow for at least a week. But I’m not sure I can let you pass. I don’t yet have a vote. That’s why I’m here — to become an adult, one of the tests is to spend a month outside Abu Siq armed with only a dagger and staff. I’ve survived that month and am now returning home, but this is only one test of many. It will be a long time before I can have any say on an issue like this.”

“But if we were to travel with you to your city,” Tel Hesani pressed, “and you were to make a plea to your elders on our behalf…”

“They might respect my wishes,” Hubaira said. “But I can make no guarantees. If you travel with me, that doesn’t mean you’ll be granted safe passage. The elders may decide to kill you.”

“If you’ll share the path with us, we will take that risk,” Tel Hesani said.

Hubaira thought about it, then nodded. “Very well. I’ll present you to the elders and let them decide — but only because you’re Um Kheshabah.” She shot Jebel a dark look, then strode to the rock. She walked with long steps, almost bounding. Jebel and Tel Hesani had to half-jog to keep up.

“I’m not sure I trust her,” whispered Jebel.

“Um Siq are honorable,” Tel Hesani replied. “She won’t betray us.”

There was a wide crack in the hill behind the rock. They squeezed through on their stomachs, Hubaira first, Jebel next, Tel Hesani bringing up the rear. After a short crawl, it opened up into a tunnel, and they were able to stand. The tunnel ran a long way. The walls of the rock were pitted with sharp, spikelike outcrops. Jebel caught his shoulder on one and cursed. He was in a foul mood when he stepped out of the tunnel, and started to complain to Hubaira. But the words died on his lips as his eyes soaked up the sight ahead.

They were at the lip of a narrow canyon that dropped away sharply underfoot. The base of the canyon lay far beneath, shrouded by shadows. Even though the evening light was weak, Jebel could detect an incredible variety of colors in the walls — reds, yellows, blues, greens, and many others, including some he had never seen before, various shades and shapes. Some swipes of color appeared to have been painted on. Others were arranged in a series of circles, spreading out like ripples after a stone has been dropped into water. Certain colors caught the dying rays of the sun and sparkled, while others absorbed the rays and seemed to pulse.

Jebel and Tel Hesani stood at the mouth of the siq, wordlessly studying the floor and walls. Then their gaze wandered ahead to where the siq stretched far in front of them. Neither had seen anything like it before. It was beyond beauty, the work of some higher power, far more glorious than any human construct.

Hubaira spat and grunted. “Don’t worry,” she said. “This is the dull bit. It gets prettier farther in.”

With that, she led them forward on a descent into wonder.