Julian Stockwin - THE SILK TREE

‘Ask what? “Are you going to Constantinople, sir?” Nobody here’s even heard of it!’

‘For fuck’s sake! We ask to go somewhere on the way, o’ course!’

‘Do you know any town on the way? You can’t, because the Sogdian’s keep very quiet about it. They don’t want any outsider connecting east and west and turning into a business rival, so they keep it all a great secret. No one else knows because they pass the silk between themselves. We’re stuck, Marius, admit it!’

‘Please try, gentlemen,’ Ying Mei pleaded. ‘I’ve heard camels can’t walk in snow. What do they have to carry the loads? If we can find a caravan without camels perhaps we can see if-’

‘No idea. You, Marius?’

He scratched his head. ‘Never really thought about it. Hannibal did well with his elephants but I’ve not seen many around here…’

Ying Mei looked blank at the foreign words.

‘I’ll explain later,’ Nicander said hastily. ‘Right now time’s short. Su’s caravan could be along at any time, and this one will be on its way soon.’

Marius lifted his chin and growled, ‘I’ve made a decision.’

‘And what’s that?’ Nicander said archly.

‘While the ladies and I go to the caravan master and tell him we’re stepping off and need to settle up, you, Nico, will go around the caravanserai and, any way you like, find out about mountain caravans and stuff. Right?’

Nicander smiled wryly – all the blame would be his if he couldn’t find a way out.

He returned late with mixed news. ‘I made out I had a cargo needing to be shifted west and they all said the same thing – that it would be going through the Terek Davan Pass. Wouldn’t say where to, but at least we’ve got a direction.’

‘That’s wonderful, Ah Yung. But you also said bad news?’

‘We’re too late. The last freight has gone through and now the pass is closed by snow. Nothing now until the following travelling season, next year.’

‘Next year?’

‘About seven months to wait.’ He paused. ‘But I did hear from one of the cameleers that if they’ve got need to get hold of more carrying capacity, they hire a small crew on a temporary basis to follow on independently. This lot are Kyrgyz and while unreliable, know the mountains well. Could be they’re running for a little while longer…?’

Marius beamed. ‘We find ’em! Ask what they’ll take to get us through!’

‘Ah. Now there’s a problem.’

‘Bugger you, Nico. Always coming up with something as will queer things! What is it now?’

‘Our friends the Sogdians. Nobody’s saying, but it’s clear that if they’re keeping their whole system end to end a secret they’ll slit the throats of any who let through spies. And we look just that – a couple of western barbarians and their Chinese concubines.’

‘Ni lao na ! I resent that!’ Tai Yi spluttered. ‘In front of the Lady Kuo, as well!’

‘Yes, yes. But look at this from our caravan master’s point of view. Is he going to risk taking on spies and having the Sogdians down on his neck? I don’t think so. We have to come up with a good story.’

Ying Mei gave a little smile. ‘What if I’m a Chinese princess who’s been taken with a lover. I flee from the palace but my father is so angry he vows to slay me. I fly, but his vengeance follows me everywhere I go. In the end, accompanied only by my faithful attendant and two foreign slaves I find I have to seek exile in the only place he cannot reach – beyond the mountains.’

‘A disgraceful tale!’ remonstrated Tai Yi.

Nicander beamed. ‘That’s just the story we want! How can such as we be business spies? And it shows we have to move fast and secretly – well done, Ying Mei!’

Early the following morning Marius and Nicander hired two horses and headed towards the foot of the mountains.

They had a name and a place and quickly found the outlying compound. A modest collection of snug timber buildings, it had a bare pasture at the back with many horses and a few donkeys. Was this an operation that could cross those titanic snowy peaks and take them to the Western Lands?

They were met outside the largest building by a young man in red and black with ornate boots and tassels. He was not of any of the races of people Nicander had come across and his fierce, dark-tanned features had no trace of the oriental. He carried a whip which he passed from hand to hand as he snapped a question at them in a strange tongue.

Ignoring it, Nicander asked in Chinese, ‘We come to offer business. Who shall we speak with?’

‘In here!’ came a reply.

They entered a smoky room and sitting at a table was the most ancient old man he had ever seen. He barked something at them.

Taken aback by his vigour Nicander repeated what he had said.

‘Who are you to come here asking stupid questions?’ The man replied in near-faultless Chinese.

‘Are you still crossing the Terek Davan Pass?’

‘If I am?’

His heart skipped a beat. Dare he hope?

‘You were recommended by Kashgar to take a late freight. I’ve got one that has to get over before the end of the season. Can you do it?’

‘Why aren’t you using an agent?’

‘Because this is a special, I want to organise this myself.’

‘No.’

‘Why not? You’re crossing still, aren’t you?’

‘You’re new around here, stands out like a tree in a desert. The Sogdians have a hold on everything here, that’s why. Don’t want trouble with ’em, they spying me taking a freight away from them. See?’

‘I can understand that. But this isn’t cargo, it’s people. Let me explain…’

Before the man had chance to interrupt he launched into their story, telling of harrowing times fleeing unjust retribution, the constant fear, the trust they were putting in himself at that very moment.

‘… so all she asks is to be taken beyond the mountains until his wrath is spent. Surely you have enough pity in your heart? Your Sogdians wouldn’t care if you took just four across – they’re only being taken there into exile, it’s not as if you’re robbing them of freight.’

The man stroked his straggling beard then shook his head. ‘I’ve never taken travellers. It’s too hard on them who aren’t used to it. And a princess! No, this is not for me.’

Nicander, however, saw an opening for a commercial negotiation. Names were exchanged and within the hour a deal was done.

He, Yulduz, would take them for a fee and on conditions they dress as Kyrgyz and supply their own gear, which he specified. It would be a freight run, the usual when not hired by the Sogdians, which comprised goods needed by the mountain folk on the way up and taking theirs to sell down the other side. Therefore there’d be no fancy treatment as they’d enjoyed in a proper camel train.

‘Osh! Did you hear that, Ah Lai? We’re going to Osh!’

‘Now, don’t get too excited, Ying Mei,’ Nicander cautioned. ‘Yulduz told me it’s going to be the worst journey we’ll ever take and he can’t do much about it. And there’s not long to get the gear he said we’ll need.’

‘Why can’t I be excited? We’re saved!’

‘How do you know? Where’s this Osh anyway? – I’ve never heard of it,’ Marius rumbled.

But there was no suppressing the general optimism.

They quickly arranged to purchase new kit – mainly warm clothing; leather boots, a double-thickness padded coat and a peculiar felt pyramid that wrapped around the body. With a pair of fur-lined leather gloves and their existing sheepskins, they were ready.

Yulduz met them with a gap-toothed grin. ‘Which one’s the princess?’

Ying Mei froze him with a glance.

The smile disappeared and he gave a clumsy bow. ‘Is Your Highness ready to depart, M’ Lady?’