Brian Aldiss - Helliconia

As he had calculated, there was no response. At this time of day, Sifans should be engaged elsewhere. He pulled Usilk in.

He had stood outside this door many times, but had never entered it. He was at a loss. He helped Usilk to sit, leaning with his back against a wall, and groped about for the lamp bracket.

After some blundering against furniture, he found it, and spun the chert wheel attached to the bracket. A spark flew, a tongue of light grew, and he lifted the lamp from its socket and looked about him. Here were all Father Sifans’ worldly goods, few in number. In one corner stood a small altar with a statue of Akha, greasy with handling. There was a place for ablutions. There was a shelf supporting one or two objects, including a musical instrument, and a mat on the floor. Nothing more. No table or chairs. Lost in shadow was an alcove which Yuli knew without looking would contain a cot where the old father slept.

He moved into action. With water from the basin, piped from the rock, he washed Usilk’s face and tried to revive him. The man drank a little water, puking as he did so. On the shelf in a tin was some doughy barley bread; Yuli fed some to Usilk and ate a chunk himself.

He shook Usilk’s shoulder gently. ‘You’ll have to forgive my temper. You provoked it. I’m only a savage at heart, not fit to be a priest. Now you see that I spoke truth — we are going to escape from here. With a rockfall in Twink, it should be easy to get away.’

Usilk merely moaned.

‘What do you say? You’re not that bad. You’ll have to move for yourself.’

‘You will never trick me, monk.’ He looked at Yuli through slitted eyes.

Yuli squatted down beside him. The movement made Usilk flinch away. ‘Look, we have already committed ourselves. I have committed myself. Try and understand. I’m asking nothing from you, Usilk — I’m just going to help you get out of here. There must be some way to escape through the north gate dressed as monks. I know an old trapper woman called Lorel, not many days journeying north from here, who will allow us shelter while we grow used to the cold.’

‘I’m not moving, man.’

Smiting his forehead, Yuli said, ‘You’ll have to move. We are hiding in a father’s room. We can’t stay here. He’s not a bad old boy, but he’d surely report us if he discovered us.’

‘Not so, Brother Yuli. Your not-so-bad old boy is a grave of secrets.’

Jumping up, Yuli turned and stood face to face with Father Sifans, who had emerged quietly from the alcove. He put forward a papery hand in a protective gesture, fearing attack.

‘Father…’

The gesture became one of reassurance as Father Sifans blinked at him in the wan light.

‘I was resting. I was in Twink when the roof fell in — what a mess! Fortunately, I was not in great danger, but a piece of rock flew and bit my leg. I can advise you that there will be no escape through the north gate; the guard have closed it and declared a state of emergency, just in case the worthy citizens do something unwise.’

‘You’re going to report us, Father?’ From the olden days, the days of his adolescence, he had kept one possession, the bone knife which his mother had carved in her well days. His hand crept beneath his cassock and grasped the knife as he asked his question.

Sifans sniffed. ‘Like you, I shall do something unwise. I am going to advise you on the best route to take to leave our country. I am also going to advise you not to take this man with you. Leave him here, I’ll see to him. He’s close to death.’

‘No, he’s tough, Father. He’ll recover quickly when the idea of freedom really sinks in. He’s been through much, haven’t you, Usilk?’

The prisoner stared up at them, across a blackened cheek which had already swollen enough to close one eye.

‘Also, he is your enemy, Yuli, and will remain so. Beware of him. Leave him to me.’

‘It’s my fault he is my enemy. I will make amends and he will forgive me when we are safe.’

The father said, ‘Some men do not forgive.’

As they stood regarding each other, Usilk made clumsy movements to rise to his feet, and stood gasping, resting his forehead against the wall.

‘Father, I hardly can ask you this,’ Yuli said. ‘For all I know, you are a Keeper. Will you come with us to the outer world?’

The eyes blinked rapidly. ‘Before my initiation, I felt I could not serve Akha, and I attempted once to leave Pannoval. But I was caught, because I was always one of the docile kind, and not savage like you.’

‘You never forget my origins.’

‘Oh, I envied savagery. I still do. But I was defeated; my wish was subverted by my nature. I was caught and treated — well, as to how I was treated, let me merely say that I also am a man who cannot forgive. That was long ago. Since then I have gained promotion.’

‘Come with us.’

‘I will remain here and nurse my injured leg. I always have my excuses, Yuli.’

Taking a stone from the floor, the father drew a sketch on the wall for Yuli, explaining an escape route to him. ‘It is a long journey. You must travel beneath the Quzint Mountains. You will find yourself at last not in the north but the more clement south. Stay well, and prosper.’ Spitting on his hand, he erased the marks on his wall and tossed the stone into a corner.

Finding nothing to say, Yuli put his arms round the old man, so that his frail arms were pinned to his side, and hugged him. ‘We’ll go at once. Farewell.’

Usilk said, speaking with difficulty, ‘You must kill this fellow, kill him now. Or, as soon as we leave, he will give the alarm.’

‘I know him and I trust him.’

‘It’s a trick.’

‘You and your damned tricks, Usilk. I won’t let you touch Father Sifans.’ This was said in some agitation, as Usilk came forward and Yuli put out a detaining arm to keep him from the old priest. Usilk struck at his arm, and for a moment the two wrestled together, until Yuli pushed him off as gently as possible.

‘Come on, Usilk, if you’re fit enough to struggle. Let’s go.’

‘Wait. I see I’ll have to trust you, monk. Prove yourself true by freeing a comrade of mine. His name’s Scoraw and he worked with me at the fish pool. He’ll be in Cell 65. Also fetch a friend of mine from Vakk.’

Stroking his chin, Yuli said, ‘You’re in no position to dictate anything.’ Every delay meant danger. Yet he saw that it was necessary to make some gesture to placate Usilk, if they were to agree at all. Sifans’ plan made it clear that they had a dangerous journey ahead.

‘All right, Scoraw. I remember the man. He was your revolutionary contact?’

‘Are you still trying to interrogate me?’

‘Very well. Father, may Usilk stay here with you while I collect this Scoraw? Good. And who is the man in Vakk?’

A kind of smile moved briefly over Usilk’s broken face. ‘Not a man, a woman. My woman, monk. Name of Iskador, queen of archery. Lives at the Bow, Bottom Alley.’

‘Iskador… yes, yes, I know her — I knew her once by sight.’

‘Get her. She and Scoraw are tough. We’ll see how tough you are later, monk…’

The father tweaked at Yuli’s sleeve, and said softly to him almost inserting his nose into Yuli’s ear. ‘My apologies, I have changed my mind. I do not dare to be left alone with this surly and stupid person. Please take him with you — you have my assurances I shall not leave my room.’ He clutched fiercely at Yuli’s arm.

Yuli clapped his hands together. ‘Very well. Usilk, we go together. I’ll show you where you can steal a habit. Put it on, go and collect Scoraw. I will go down into Vakk and collect your girl, Iskador. We will meet at the inner corner of Twink, where there are two passages leading off, so that we can escape if necessary. If you and Scoraw do not come, I shall have to leave without you, knowing you have been captured. Is that clear?’