David Gemmel - Midnight Falcon

Spinning on his heel the old soldier strode back into the main room. The furniture, three couches and four deep chairs, had all been shipped from Stone, and their quality only made worse the contrast with the badly plastered walls and clumsily wrought ceiling. But then what carpenter or stonemason worth his salt would want to live here? he thought.

There was a tap at the door, and the stoop-shouldered surgeon Ralis entered.

'How is he?' asked Appius, gesturing the man to a chair. Ralis sat and ran his thin hand over his balding head.

'The fever has broken. He will be fine. I have instructed one of the servants to sit with him. I would guess he swallowed river water and it contained some effluent that has upset his system. I managed to get him to swallow a herbal tincture. That should settle his stomach. And I have set his arm. It was a clean break. His heartbeat is strong, and I would think he should be back on his feet in a day or two.'

Appius offered his guest a goblet of wine, and they sat in companionable silence. Appius had known the elderly surgeon for years. Ralis had accompanied him on three campaigns. His skills were solid, though without flair, and he had performed his duties well. Appius glanced at the man, remembering the scandal. Ralis had exiled himself to this desolate place following an affair with a young senator, whose wife had subsequently committed suicide. Her relatives had killed the senator, and sent assassins to despatch Ralis. But the surgeon had been warned, and had fled the city during the night. The scandal surrounding the affair had been talked of for years in Stone.

'The young man looks familiar,' said Ralis.

Appius nodded. 'He is the half-breed son of Banouin, the Ghost General.'

'Well, well,' said Ralis, 'Banouin, eh? Didn't he become a troubadour, or something?'

'A wandering merchant. He was killed in the Perdii campaign almost twenty years ago.'

'Men say he was as good a general as Jasaray.'

'No-one is as good as Jasaray, but he was skilled,' said Appius. 'He was a charismatic leader, worshipped by his men. But, more than that, he had an intuitive feel for battles.'

'Didn't he marry some slave, or such like?'

'A northern witch woman.'

'Baffling,' said Ralis. 'He could have been rich and powerful in Stone. Instead he took to the highlands and married a savage. I wonder why?'

'We'll never know. Do you miss the city?' asked Appius suddenly.

Ralis gave a rueful smile. 'Who would not? But we are doing our best here. This time next year the roads should be paved, and Macrios is raising funds to complete the bathhouse by the spring. Small beginnings, I know. But progress at least. Is Barus coming back this year?'

Appius shook his head. 'He has been given a command in the east. Lia and I will look after his house for a while, until we decide whether to settle here or go home.'

Their eyes met, and Ralis had the good grace to look away. No citizen came here through choice. Either their funds had vanished or they had made powerful enemies back home. 'How are things in Stone?' asked the surgeon.

'Lively,' answered Appius, and did not expand on it.

'Well, they are not so lively here, General. We have no Crimson Priests, and people feel they can speak freely, and live their lives according to the wishes of their hearts.'

'Sounds pleasant,' observed Appius. 'Though perhaps ill-advised.' He rose, signalling to his guest that the conversation was over.

Ralis bowed. 'It was good seeing you again, General. If there is any worsening of your guest's condition, please feel free to call upon my services.'

Appius shook the man's hand, walked him to the door, then returned to the balcony. In the garden below Lia was walking with Bane. She seemed happy and carefree. It mattered nothing to her that they were thousands of miles from home. The sound of her laughter hung on Appius like a lead weight.

There were no Crimson Priests in Accia.

Not yet.

It was just past midnight when the scream ripped through the silence of the night. Bane was the first to react. Coming awake he rolled from the bed and raced naked into the next room, where Banouin was sitting up in bed, pointing towards the far wall. He screamed again. Bane ran to him, grabbing his friend by the shoulders.

The walls are alive!' shouted Banouin. His face was drenched in sweat, and gleamed in the pale moonlight. 'And there is a demon hunting you, Bane. Ah! I see him. Talon and claw. He is coming for you.'

'If he is, I'll kill him,' said Bane. 'Don't fret. Lie back. Sleep.'

'Watch out for him, Bane. Watch the tail. It flicks just before the demon leaps!'

'I'll watch the tail. Now, do as you're told. Lie back.'

Banouin sagged against him, then let out a long sigh. He allowed Bane to lay him down. His eyes flickered. 'It was not a dream,' he said, his voice calm. 'It was a vision, Bane. You were walking through… through corridors, but the walls were alive and writhing. You were carrying a short sword, and there was a man with you, an older man. And a demon was stalking you.' He shuddered. 'A terrible beast of incredible speed and strength.'

'All in all,' said Bane softly, 'I would have preferred your first vision to have been of a beautiful young woman – maybe two beautiful young women – nursing me back to health after killing the beast. But no matter. Rest now.'

Banouin's blue eyes closed, and his breathing deepened. Bane rose and walked out into the torchlit corridor beyond. Appius was standing there, dressed in a pale grey nightrobe. Beyond him was Lia.

'He had a vision,' said Bane.

'Yes, yes, we'll talk about it in the morning,' said Appius sharply, moving to stand between the naked Bane and his daughter.

'Are you all right, Appius?' asked Bane. 'As I said, it was only a vision. And it didn't concern you at all.'

'Lia! Go to your room,' snapped Appius, without turning to look back at her. Bane moved to the right.

'Sleep well,' he said. Lia laughed aloud, shook her head and moved from sight.

'You are naked,' said Appius sternly.

'So are you beneath that robe,' observed Bane.

'Exactly! Beneath the robe. In civilized societies it is considered… offensive to parade naked.'

'What is a parade?' asked Bane.

'To appear naked in public.'

'And why would that be?'

'Why? Because… it just is. I don't know why these customs appear. But it is especially offensive for a man to appear naked before a young virgin.'

Bane grinned. 'Are you mocking me, Appius?'

The older man sighed. 'No, I am not mocking you. If you appeared naked on the streets of Stone you would be arrested and flogged. And if you appeared so before a young woman of good family you would be either hanged or thrown into the arena to fight for your life. Now go to your room, take the robe that is hanging on your door and put it on. I feel the need of a goblet of wine. Then you can tell me about this… vision.'

Moments later, garbed in a fine robe of white, ankle-length cotton, Bane entered the main room. Appius handed him a silver goblet and the two men sat on the balcony, overlooking the town of Accia, and the star-dappled sea beyond.

'Why are you going to Stone?' asked the old general.

Bane shrugged. 'I promised Vorna I would see Banouin safe. He is not a fighter, but he draws trouble like flies to cow shit.'

'That's another thing you might want to consider,' said Appius. 'Your language. You speak Turgon well, and seem to have picked up some… interesting phrases. In polite company you should avoid using words associated with bodily functions or the nature of human intimacy. A citizen of Stone, for example, doesn't rise from the dinner table, as you did this evening, in order to "piss". He excuses himself and says he will rejoin the company presently. He doesn't open his leggings in order to scratch his privates.'