Michael Foster - She Who Has No Name

‘She was warned of the dangers. We can’t turn back now. Why don’t your kinsmen go to her aid?’

The girl looked at Ambassador Canyon and Horse, striding just behind Daneel. They seemed oblivious to the plight of their countrywoman.

‘They will let her die. So will you.’

‘Of course we won’t,’ Samuel said with disbelief.

‘They warned her not to come, but she would not be dissuaded. Serving me is all she knows.’

‘What about you? Would they let you die as well?’

The girl looked at him as if he werea fool. ‘Of course not. I would not be allowed to perish.’

‘I suppose they value their god over their fellows. Fair enough. What do you want me to do?’

‘Order her to go back.’

‘Haven’t you already tried that?’

‘No. Canyon would not order her to break her bond with me. It would be demeaning to him. She also cannot do it for herself. You are not of our people. If you command her to leave, she will object, but then concede. It will save her pride-and her life.’

‘You people have very strange ideas. Would you rather die than be offended? And what if I do tell her to leave? Won’t I lose my pride, too?’

‘You have no honour to uphold,’ she said dismissively. ‘Your people are arrogant and rude, so nothing will be lost.’

Samuel sniffed, holding in a curt reply. ‘It’s too far and she would not find the way. Without someone to take her, it is not possible. She will just have to come with us, and we will take care of her. We will not make a fuss of it, if that will make you feel better. Perhaps she will not even know.’

‘Well done, Magician. That is acceptable,’ she said, and through the gap in her hood, Samuel caught a glance of her smile.

The girl turned about and hurried back towards her escort, waving to the lady and calling for her to hurry along.

Samuel hauled up his pack and strode to the front of the procession, breathing heavily as he forged past each of the others, until he gained Daneel’s side.

‘The woman is having trouble,’ he stated and Daneel only gave him a glance to show he had heard the comment.

A few moments later, Daneel gestured ahead and,barely twenty paces in front,was another tiny shack, even smaller than the others, with smoke billowing out of its chimney. He gave a shrill howl and another echoed back at him from inside the hut, signalling that someone was waiting for them inside.

‘I will see to it,’ Daneel then said to Samuel.

An old couple lived inside and they, too,had prepared a meal for the group. Samuel had no idea of how Daneel had sent wordaheadof theirimpendingarrival, but they were all just glad to have warm food, a fire and a roof over their heads.

‘From here it will becomemoredifficult,’ Daneel announced, as they banged their elbows together over their meal. ‘We will climb into the ice country and from there it will be up to the magicians to provide for us. There will be one more roof over our head after tonight, but then we must move quickly. It will take many nights to make the crossing if our luck holds, but we will die unless you can use your skills to warm us. From here, we can only eat what we can carry.’ He took a sip of his bitter milk tea and pointed a finger to Lady Wind. ‘She will go back,’ he said. ‘Our hosts will escort her down the mountain tomorrow.’

Lady Wind tried to object, but there was no support for her in the room. Finally, she nodded her agreement and looked quite relieved by it.

Before they slept, the old couple waved goodbye, chattering to Daneel in his dialect.

‘They will stay with friends and return in the morning,’ Daneel explained to Samuel, noting his look of concern. ‘There are several families still living this high, but most will be heading to the lowlands soon.’

‘I didn’t see anyone. Why would they live in such a place?’

‘Why wouldn’t they?’ was Daneel’s only reply and he stepped outside to fetch in more firewood for the evening.

‘Have you solved my riddle yet?’ Sir Ferse said softly, squatting beside Samuel on the shin-high stools these mountain folk seemed to employ. The others were busy with their tasks and too busy to take notice.

Samuel had been thinking of little else all day. ‘I only have one answer, but it seems preposterous.’

‘Go on.’

‘You admit that I killed the Emperor and you suggest I also have killed you. Given the circumstances, I can only guess that you, then, are the Emperor. Clearly, however, you are not.’

Sir Ferse seemed pleased with Samuel’s response. ‘I may not be the same man, Samuel, but inside this shell I am not what I seem. I am, or at least I was until you killed me, Edmond Calais, the Emperor of Turia.’

Samuel was stupefied. He could now feel everything about the man slipping into place-his words, his movements, his mannerisms. If it were not so obvious it would have been a ludicrous statement, but Samuel immediately knew it to be true. Still, he struggled to come to terms with the concept, while the man beside him waited for a response. ‘But…how?’ was all Samuel could finally manage to say.

Sir Ferse made sure his voice was lowered as he began to tell Samuel what had happened. ‘As well as everyone,I had heard the whispered prophecy of my demise but,being the man I was, I of course ignored such nonsense. It was not that I did not believe it could happen-for,as you know,I trust the visions of Master Celios above all-it was just that I imagined it happening after I was old and grey, and such a death at that time would probably even be welcome. Then, the day of my death happened, as you are well aware, given that you were there, and I was quite surprised to find myself waking up in this body. You see, in the days leading up to my demise, Master Celios’ visions had grown stronger and he had secretly devised a method of capturing my essence and ensuring that my consciousness was not lost.’

‘Sorry, I have to interrupt you there because that is just not possible. No magician can do what are describing. It is just not within our capabilities.’

‘Then I suggest you have a chat to Master Celios yourself, because he seems to know quite a bit more about magic than you. Don’t worry, I have quizzed him on the matter quite exhaustively, but he can only reveal that the method came to him in another inexplicable vision. It had taken him every moment since the vision to prepare and, unfortunately, a body did have to be found.’ With that, he gestured to himself, as if to exhibit the point. ‘Sir Ferse was a likeable and steadfast fellow, but he was required to serve me one last time, in his way. Don’t fret, for the process did not kill him. My essence was borne into his, for that is the way it has to be, and our thoughts became one. Poor Lady Ferse was correct when she said something had happened to her husband, but he is still here, in here with me.’ And he tapped himself on the temple.

‘So is this you or Sir Ferse speaking?’

‘Both of us but,as it turns out, some personalities are stronger than others, and some souls-or whatever term we should use-are more developed than others. Over the first few weeks of our beingconjoined, Sir Ferse became less and less dominant and I became more in control. Our personalities merged and perhaps that explains my subtle change of heart. Being the megalomaniac that I was perhaps explains the fact that I ended up being much more dominant, but we are both here, joined as one.’

‘Can it be undone?’ Samuel asked.

‘Oh, gods no,’ the man declared, struggling to keep his voice lowered. ‘At least, I hope not. We are one person now, mixed and mingled like two coloured inks. There are not two people to separate any more. I am Andor Ferse and also Edmond Calais, once-Emperor of Cintar. Also, I don’t have a body to return to, as mine was buried long ago, so I would not find the prospect of being “unhomed” very attractive.’