Sam Barone: Conflict of Empires

After two futile attempts at conversation, Yavtar gave up and concentrated on his surroundings. Gemama’s house lay almost half a mile from the docks, and that through the oldest part of the city with its narrow and refuse-filled lanes that twisted and turned back on themselves. Inside Sumer’s walls, the distasteful odor of too many people and animals living too close together blotted out even the scent of the sea that wafted up from the south. Yavtar noted the bustle of the crowds and the stalls of the merchants who seemed to occupy every available space, all of them calling out the worth of their wares to every passerby.

In the last few years, Sumer had grown almost as rapidly as Akkad, and now it matched the northern city in the numbers of its inhabitants. Untouched by the barbarian invasion in the north, thousands had migrated to Sumer and the other villages that nestled in the river’s delta. Everywhere Yavtar gazed, new homes and shops were under construction, much of it paid for by Akkadian gold for overpriced goods needed during the barbarian invasion. Tallest of all, near the center of the city, stood the house of King Eridu, surrounded by walls more than seven or eight paces high.

Not really a house, but a large complex of buildings, barracks for the king’s guards, storerooms and dwellings for the servants and slaves who attended their master. The walled compound provided security for the king and his followers. Yavtar saw soldiers pacing along the wall’s parapets, and another half dozen hard-eyed men guarded the main entrance. The king apparently wanted to make sure he and his family had as little contact as possible with the rest of Sumer’s inhabitants.

A bare pole rose up from the highest point of the walls. When in residence, a large yellow banner would hang limp in the moist air, announcing King Eridu’s presence.

Lady Trella would call this place a palace, Yavtar decided, a compound built to showcase the glory and power of Sumer’s ruler. The vast structure sent another, and not very subtle, message — that King Eridu didn’t care about the rest of Sumer’s people, as long as he and his possessions remained protected.

They reached Gemama’s house and passed through the interior courtyard, where flowers bloomed at the base of the outer walls, and a good-sized tree shaded a long table pushed up against the side of the house. A fat lamb already turned on the fire pit beside the entrance. In Sumer, most of the cooking and food preparation took place outdoors, as the summer heat made any such work indoors too unpleasant. Gemama’s wife and two daughters were presented to Yavtar, but he scarcely had time to mouth a few words of greeting before the Sumerian led the way upstairs and onto the roof. A small table, beautifully carved, sat under a wide white awning. A mix of red and yellow flowers floated in a bowl. With his guards watching the house and the grounds from below, the merchant and his visitor enjoyed their first private moment.

“Let me examine the stones first,” Gemama said, settling in his chair with a deep breath of relief. He took his time unfastening the cord that bound the sack, then spread the opening wide. Carefully he removed its contents, each lapis stone wrapped in its own square of linen.

“There are twenty-eight stones,” Yavtar offered. “Not all the same size, but some are truly magnificent.”

Gemama unwrapped each stone, lining them up in three rows by approximate size. The intense blue color drew the eye, and the tiny gold flecks sprinkled within the stones glinted in the fading sun. “Incredible,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything of such excellence before. These came from the Indus, you’re certain?”

“Nothing of this quality is to be found in these lands,” Yavtar said. “You know Nicar the merchant? His son, Lesu, traveled to the east and back. Took four months. Lesu started with forty porters and guards, but lost almost half his men to bandits and thieves. Only twenty-two returned. Even then, he might not have made it, but King Eskkar sent soldiers to the edge of the mountains to wait for his return, and escort him and his goods back to Akkad.”

“How many stones did he bring back?”

Yavtar shrugged. “Nicar didn’t say.”

“Yes, I’m sure he didn’t. Well, as long as the Akkadian doesn’t flood the market with more gems, it doesn’t really matter.” Gemama returned his attention to the stones. He took his time, examining each, murmuring an occasional word of praise for every special attribute.

“These gemstones are worth the lives of fifty men,” he said when he finished his inspection. “When polished and set into amulets and pendants, they will make any woman willing, every man a rod. Anyone who can afford the price will want one. Even the grindings will be collected and sold, used to heal wounds and keep the limbs healthy.”

Yavtar knew the lore as well, though he had his doubts about the stones’ effectiveness as an aphrodisiac. Still, what a man believed often became the truth.

Gemama set down the final lapis with a sigh. “When you quoted your price on the ship, I had my doubts. But after seeing these, one hundred gold coins seems very reasonable. I would have expected to pay more, much more. Even after gifting a few of the finest to King Eridu, I’ll still earn a handsome profit.”

“Well, I can certainly raise the price, if you’re concerned.”

Gemama ignored the jest and raised his eyes to meet Yavtar’s, pulling his chair a bit closer to the table. “Perhaps there is something else you need. Something I can do in return for Akkad’s and your… generosity?”

Yavtar nodded. “Well, I would like to learn what I can about King Eridu and his plans for Sumer. If I had time to poke around the city myself, I would, but I see that Akkadians are no longer welcome here. Besides, I must leave Sumer by sunset tomorrow, so I have little time.”

The Sumerian lowered his voice. “King Eridu’s plans are secret. No one, not even the leading merchants, know all that he intends. And revealing what little I know could bring trouble down upon my house.”

“I understand. But a little gossip between old friends… and it might be possible to arrange another shipment of lapis lazuli in a few months. A more private shipment, one that perhaps will not pass through the eyes of the dockmaster.”

Gemama took his time thinking over this subtle proposition. The dockmaster had certainly noted the well-guarded leather pouch, hence the need to gift a few of the lapis lazuli to King Eridu. A private delivery, perhaps concealed within a sack of grain or jar of oil, would be even more profitable. He weighed the risk against the chance of future profits. “I suppose old friends could gossip among themselves. As long as it remained among themselves.”

“I will talk to Nicar about another shipment of lapis. It will be smaller, say a dozen stones, but I’m sure it can be arranged soon. And perhaps at a much lower price.”

Gemama smacked his lips, then took a deep breath. “You are wise to learn what you can. How else can an honest trader prepare for the future? But what little I know will not help you or Akkad. You arrive too late, I fear.”

“Too late? Too late for what?”

“By now everyone knows about the bandits raiding the borderland between Akkad and Sumeria. In the last few months, Eridu has assembled a strong force of well-armed horsemen. These are the ‘bandits’ pillaging the lands claimed by Akkad.”

Yavtar couldn’t keep the surprise from his face. As far as he knew, no word of this had reached Akkad. “Is King Eridu with them?”

“Who can say? Eridu dreams of conquest and loot these days. He might want to partake of the glory himself.”

“Well, I expect that any fighting will be over soon,” Yavtar said. “No doubt King Eridu knows by now that Lord Eskkar has marched south with a large force of archers and horsemen, to confront the bandits raiding across the Akkadian border.”