Wow was that ever messed up. Anyway, this is the very end of "the trap" and may serve to explain (or not) why everybody in "the blow" (the next chapter) is acting so crazy. Enjoy!
10
16 2025 ♃
All of this is copyrighted material and that means you're going to ask me if you can reprint or use any of it. To date, no one has – and no one has my permission to use it, therefore.
WARNING: Please don't read if you're offended by:
• Naughty language, blasphemy, sacrilege, etc.
• Insensitive and uninhibited references to disabilities and/or differences
• Recreational drug use and alcohol abuse
• Paganism and unconventional beliefs/practices
• Homosexuality
• References to the supernatural
• People praying and saying "praise God" and so on
• References to slavery and slavery-related subjects
• Expressions of misogyny, "homophobia," and so forth
Also, do not read any of this stuff – any of "JTPYO" – to children or allow them to read it. It's not for kids. Come on, you know that! If you've let your children read this at any point in the past, you're already having problems. (Actually, no one should read it, but that's another topic for another day.)
Anyway, yeah: Back to teh children. Tell the other parents before it's too late. Form a support group; you could call it "nax-alt" or something like that, i.e., a wholesome alternative for kids (and retarded adults) who have become a nuisance because they're constantly trying to act out scenes from my stories.
If you have made use of any of my writing – especially including past chapters, etc., from "JTPYO" that have been published in this blog – you should let me know ASAP by contacting me by email: rscribes@gmail.com. I'm not necessarily indemnifying you, but we should talk.
––––
JTPYO – King of the Waste [3] / the trap (excerpt: welcome to a life of worry and strife)
Copyright © 2024, 2025 by Kristi A. Wilson
(JTPYO – King of the Waste [4] the trap was first published in this blog in 2017)
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Which is me.
BRIEF SYNOPSIS: This is the very end of "king of the waste – the trap." Naxosos and Naemas have made it to the end of this ordeal and the Goddess-on-Earth's Second Nirith has just finished washing and oiling them. After inviting Naemas to sleep in her personal enclosure she saunters back to the where the assembly is still, in spite of adverse climactic conditions, assembled, leaving them to their own devices.
This is the very end of "the trap," when they have returned from the adventure of saving Thais's warriors from – guess what? – a trap where they're assailed by more than fifty armed men as they're obtaining water for the Children of God on the desert. When finally he returns, the tribe's children present him with gifts for saving the.
This is what goes on just before the beginning of "king of the waste – the blow" and serves to explain why everyone's temper is up, besides that they're all drunk.
Cuetio is Okocas's son, seen at the very beginning of "the trap," although you have read only a scanty bit of that part. He (Cuetio, a youth of fourteen) offers his pledge at the segment of "the trap" called "the children's gifts."
Memitha is one of the tribe's children under the age of fifteen and she has offered for her gift ("since our King has too many things already") a song that she made up especially for Naxosos their King and savior, with a dance. Naxosos is emotionally stirred by this and her parents' tale of how they escaped slavery to join the Children of God.
The references to a "dead man's clothes" have to do with Naxosos being dressed in the long-sleeved woolen shirt and breeches of a Jaraturi desert raider, booty from the place where their group took refuge immediately after liberating the warriors from "the trap" – the trap being a box canyon with very high walls, in a place the Children of God call "South Water vale."
"Did
you hate your master then?" Naxosos inquired of Arem and the man
said, with a twitch of an
embarrassed
smile, "No, Sire. I
still do not blame him; it was his, his…"
Arem
trailed off a bit here, searching for the right expression, then
said, "It is
his business. I'm sure Memitha
would
not have been mistreated, but…"
"At
the end, it didn't matter," Arem said matter-of-factly. "We
had to leave. It was a great, a great gong ringing in my ear."
"Right?"
Korsis agreed.
"Our
God was talking to us, even though we did not know who he was or how
to speak to him," Arem said simply.
"Did
you desire freedom?" Naxosos pressed, feeling that this guy was
a good, honest
guy
and they could talk without a lot of stilted politeness.
Uteyra
spoke
up now and, looking Naxosos in the eye, said, "To tell the
truth, Great Lord, I never wanted it!" Once
more she
grinned her shy, dazzling grin.
Arem
said, "I am not sure what to think about freedom, Great Lord.
Except
for one thing."
"Say
on."
"The
governor's agent came to my home one
day,
after
I
had been let from work and was eating the
evening meal, and
he had two men with him, our house steward's men. They
did not say why they were there and they acted very friendly, and
it was not unusual to see them, but
I knew somehow,
our God let me know, they
had come to
take Memitha and sell her into another house, and –" here Arem
had to pause when his voice caught. "And, and Uteyra and Memitha
were by the stream but I told them my
wife was in
the south
field
helping some other women finish with
work
– I knew a large group of women worked there, you see."
Arem's
is not the only one whose
voice catches,
Naxosos considered, before he said, carefully, "Yes, our Father
knows his children before they know him!" and Korsis and Naemas
muttered as one: "Even
so!"
"As
soon as their backs were to me,"
Arem went on, "I
ran – I jumped out the window and ran.
I did not even try to get anything, my scrip or cloak
anything.
The
agent and our house steward trusted that I would never try to run
away; the Steward has known me since I was a small child. They, all
the three men, went to find Uteyra and Memitha because, I think, they
knew she might fight them when they tried to take, to take Memitha."
"God
will always save us," Thais murmured, and Naemas and Korsis said
again, "Even so!"
"I
found my wife and child by the stream and we
ran from there, without anything except some money I had with me at
the time –"
Thais
said, "Memitha was a toddler; Arem
and Uteyra ran
through the night, as
quickly as they could,
carrying her, without
stopping and without
anything else, without
a weapon or their cloaks, or
food, and
their lord's slave-takers perhaps an hour behind them."
Nirith
said, "They were menaced
and chased
by wild animals several times just during the first night."
"Only
when they were beyond Ha'a-quah'n's
lands did they stop to rest for a few hours," Thais said.
Nodding,
Arem said, "Yes,
this is so. At
the moment the agent came
to my door and inquired about Uteyra, asking where she had gone, and
somehow she
happened
not to be in the house at that moment – My
thought
was,
then,
at that moment, that no other person in my family would be born into
captivity, ever
again, and that I
and
mine would
live
and die
a
free
man,
and that I
would give my last breath to make sure of that."
That
was all it took, as things turned out.
"He's
crying," Naemas explained some moments later after no one spoke.
Uteyra
and Arem moved forward and – rather awkwardly, as they seemed
unsure
of
what
to do and
there was no one to instruct them
– knelt in the sand in front of Naxosos's chair, and embraced his
knees.
"Never
weep,
Lord!" Arem exclaimed. "I
know it now: We
are free, whether
we will or not!"
and
then he said, "And I still do not know what to think about it
except that it's what the, our God willed!" and
the assembly – some of whom were also weeping – cried out "Even
so!"
Because
he was unable to speak, Naxosos clasped Arem's forearm –
the
other returned his grasp quite strongly – and he placed his hand
upon the woman's head.
"The
Children of God are always free," Thais stated matter-of-factly,
and the people returned "Even
so!"
Thais
then said, "Uteyra, Arem, we will speak on these things later at
great length, for –"
Here she spoke up to address the greater assembly "there
is much more to the story, and our Lord will want to hear it all in
the proper setting and state of mind."
"Do
not cry, Lord!" Nirith whispered.
"I
suppose I shall, anyway," Naxosos replied.
"At
least his face is cleaner now," Thais commented.
The
girl Memitha, meanwhile, had
drawn aside to stand a
short distance off
with
her hands behind her, struggling
to maintain a calm demeanor,
though, comically, every
few seconds her
mouth and eyebrows would
twitch
into shapes
of ecstatic
gleefulness.
The
Children
of God
milled in seeming – perhaps tipsy – confusion.
"Yes,"
Naxosos was finally able to say. "I will talk to you at length
later, Arem and Uteyra;
there
are a lot of questions in my mind. But
we must consider poor
Cuetio, awaiting us all this time!"
Memitha's
parents arose and – with
a great deal more poise
and cheeriness
– each
performed a bow, and they went with their kid to stand behind the
gifts. Memitha
then
began to caper
and
make
droll
faces, and
the three of them conversed
quietly
in
their original language while the tribe gathered around,
congratulating them.
The
sun climbed higher,
a
blessing as now as it
put most
of the area beneath the awning in shade.
"Are
you going to be all right?" It was Korsis who inquired this
time; he had returned to stand nearby during Memitha's dance.
"I
will be once I have been able to sleep for ten or so hours,"
Naxosos answered, rubbing his sweaty
neck
and
tear-streaked face with
his headscarf. Glancing
up
he
saw
the girl Memitha
with
her parents and all their well-wishers; she
was looking at him.
"As
you can see, young lady," he said to Memitha, "I am
overcome with emotion at your gift and with the experience of meeting
your mother and father. May the Great Nameless God smile
upon your family and grant you all the peace, happiness,
and fruitfulness you deserve." As
he spoke, everyone grew quiet.
Naxosos
continued, speaking to Memitha: "Will
I seem impertinent if I say that I would enjoy learning that one
sequence you started with? I have seen others doing this and I wanted
to try it, but
I was too busy at the time."
Chuckles went up from the collective.
"I
hope you can take the time to show me."
To
his enormous relief, the child nodded eagerly and again capered and
made a shrill noise of utter delight. (No
shyness here! God smile upon her!)
Into
the silence that ensued, Nirith spoke: "For the life of me, I
have been trying and trying to guess what Cuetio's gift is and I
simply can't!" and Thais said "You are speaking my
thoughts."
"We're
not
ignoring you, Cuetio!" Naxosos called out. "And by the way,
you have already made a gift to me, of this demonstration. We will,
after we have had a chance to rest and gain back some of our
strength, want to speak with you and your dad
at length."
"Please,
if you will, Cuetio," Thais said, "we are anxious to know
what your gift is. You are holding nothing in your hands – and
you are resistant to my attempts to read your mind." This raised
chuckles.
Grinning,
the
youth Cuetio stepped forward once again. Before he could speak,
Nirith said brightly, "Cuetio's father Okocas is a tribal elder,
even though he is not yet fifty years of age. His
mother was the Keeper of a fisher settlement but she chose to live
with the tribe in the desert when she married Okocas. Cuetio's
sister Fiyani
was
born at the Home of the Elite and so was Cuetio."
Nirith
went on: "Cuetio
will soon be fifteen – we have already asked him whether, after
he comes of age, he
will choose to live with the Children of God in some other place, or
stay in our desert dwelling, and he says he will most likely stay,
for which we are glad!"
"Yes,"
Thais agreed.
Here
the youth Jechelo – Naxosos could tell it was him – was heard to
make a sneering noise, which Cuetio ignored.
Hm,
now I know them all and their names, and everything,
he considered morosely. They
will want for me to greet them when I see them. Their mothers will
flirt
with me; I will no longer be able to get away with ignoring them.
Thinking
as he suppressed
a sigh: Perhaps
I should reconsider the life of a shiftless vagabond.
Cuetio
now said in a sprightly tone: "Naxosos
King, it's easy to see that, after
saving the Children
of God
from disaster, you
are at the limit of your
endurance. I apologize that this has taken as long as it has – but
on the other hand, you seemed to like it, if
I am not mistaken."
A
number
of people laughed at the youth's presumption.
"I
speak for my friends here as well as myself, when I say it was much,
much better than expected," Naxosos
replied. All
the assembly laughed at this, especially the children. "And, you
kids, just so you will know: I will gladly risk my life again for you
– collectively or for
any
one of you. I
mean that from the depths
of
my heart. None
of you had to reward me, nor will you ever have to. That you live and
thrive is enough."
"You're
getting drunk," Naemas muttered.
Naxosos
did turn this time, and looked Naemas in the eye. "Your nerve!"
The
other grinned.
Cuetio
said, "Lord, I did not have to think long before I knew what my
gift would be. May
I approach?"
"Certainly,
Cuetio!" Thais cheerily replied.
The
boy approached until he stood directly in front of Naxosos. "Here
is my gift, Sire," he said and pulled his knife, a simple blade
of steel fitted into a wooden handle, from its sheath on his belt. A
couple of onlookers gasped and
there was a general mild stir as almost
everyone
present
shifted uncomfortably.
The
youth gave him a somewhat challenging look.
Curious
in spite of the fatigue that threatened to incapacitate him, Naxosos
nodded for
him
to
proceed.
(Glancing
around at the assembly and his own cohort, he
noted more than a few expressions of alarm.)
"Here,
then, is my gift," the boy said and kneeling
he laid
the weapon on the sand at Naxosos's feet, and
folded
his hands and bowed his head. "I will offer our King a lifetime
of service." After a moment of absolute silence – even
Naxosos
could think of nothing whatsoever to say – Cuetio stated further,
"I know I am not yet of age, but I will of course take this vow
again as soon as I am let
to do so."
"I…"
Naxosos stammered.
Thais
said, "This is wonderful, Cuetio! And very unexpected!"
She
started to speak further, but suddenly another of the kids, Jechelo,
now hurried up almost
bumping into Cuetio, who managed
to remain
in place.
"I,
too, want to offer my service, Sire!" Jechelo
declared and
now his knife was in his hand.
(Oh,
no!)
And
now all the other boys, and
a few of the older
youths
and the
men,
and
a
couple
of
the
acolytes – one
of whom was his
brother –
sprang forward.
Suddenly
Naemas and Korsis were between him and the increasing multitude
of people
wanting to offer their lifelong service to Naxosos King
–
who
observed
the
space
between him and
the cloth bearing
the
gifts growing
littered
with an assortment of bladed objects.
(Oh,
dear!)
"You
guys!" Korsis roared,
"this is stupid
and you know
we can't do this right now!" and
Naemas cried, his tone bordering on panic, "Don't do it! Don't
do it! I'm telling you! Don't!"
Naxosos
observed – though his view was limited – that
girls and women were now surging forward to
offer their service as
well.
(Fortune!)
"Cuetio!"
Thais said, in her most commanding voice, "Do not move! Everyone
else, retire to your former place!"
"Do
not get sand upon the gifts, or tread upon them!" Nirith warned.
"Take
your weapons and withdraw!" Thais demanded again, in a bit
louder tone.
At
last the
horde receded;
each individual collected
his
or her blade
and
withdrew.
"Where
is my brother?" the Goddess-on-Earth inquired. "If he's not
asleep I would ask him to attend us now – and
if he is asleep, bring one of the others who is still awake,"
and someone, a woman, called from the midst of the assembly, "We
will fetch him, Goddess!"
The
youth Cuetio remained in the same posture, eyes
down,
his plain steel knife on the trampled sand.
Thais
said, "I want everyone here to pay
close attention,
as it seems all here will do it: I will instruct our Lord, our
Naxosos King, on this – in a very abbreviated form – and if you
are serious about pledging yourself, you will remember it. That
is, I will instruct him, our King, on how to receive a pledge and to
the rest how
one effectively offers
a pledge."
Naemas
and Korsis withdrew as the tribe receded from the space around
Naxosos's chair.
Except
for Ember, who had
drawn near during the melee and stood watching
keenly.
(Ah:
She has seen this.
It
was something from the time
of
his birth, he
remembered her telling
him of shepherd-men placing their blades on the ground before her as
she sat with him, Naxosos, in her arms.)
No
one had to wonder what to say; addressing
Naxosos, Thais
spoke: "Cuetio
has offered his pledge, our King; if you accept it, simply nod, and
I'll tell you what to say next." (In
reply,
Naxosos nodded.)
The
Goddess-on-Earth spoke on: "Cuetio, it's true you're not of age
yet, to offer such a bargain; in this you spoke well. We
will consider this a temporary allegiance until
you are of age."
(Throughout
this part, Naxosos was aware of the man Okocas's weeping and the
muted utterances of the two women of his
company as
they tried to comfort him.)
The
youth stayed in the same attitude, keeping
his eyes down and hands folded.
Thais
said, "Until our King is more accustomed to this, I will act for
him – if you are willing, that is, Lord!"
After
a few seconds Naxosos was able to speak. "Let it be as you say,
darling!" and the Goddess-on-Earth replied "Very well!"
In
a swift motion she bent to pick Cuetio's knife up from the ground.
She seemed to check it for cleanliness; then, with
the hilt in her right hand, she
turned
the blade toward the youth who continued to kneel in an attitude of
supplication.
"Cuetio,
Okocas's son," the Goddess-on-Earth pronounced. "Are you a
baptized and dedicated Child of God?" and the youth answered
quickly "Yes! Yes, I am!"
Here
Nirith said, "I will attest that he is baptized, for I was there
to witness and a number of others who are with us today were there!"
"That
is well," Thais said. "Since
you are baptized, our assumption is that your intention in offering
your service is untainted by corruption,
so we will not interrogate
you, Cuetio."
"The
priests may question me at any time, Goddess," the boy murmured.
She
said then:
"Okocas, we all know you – will you allow your son to
apprentice himself unto the house of our Lord, the Gorardeno Naxosos
of Viragos, until
he is able to make his own decisions?" and the man uttered
through his tears, "Yes!"
"Therefore,
we
take responsibility for your life, Cuetio Okocas's son," Thais
announced, "and accept your temporary
vow
of service." With
a delicate action, she
then touched the flat
of the blade to each of the boy's shoulders; he
looked up
at
her and grinned, then; they grinned at each other.
"You
are bound to this house until you come of age, at which time you may
rededicate or renounce yourself,"
Thais finished.
She
then placed
the
knife back onto the sand between Naxosos and Cuetio, its hilt toward
the youth's right hand. "Take
up your weapon and rise, then."
Beaming,
Cuetio
stood, brushing
the knife off and replacing
it
in
its sheath.
Not
wanting further conversation or displays of any type, Naxosos said
quickly: "Cuetio, I have decided on an order for you, now that
you're in my service." (The youth couldn't stop smiling and his
soulful eyes brimmed with tears) "Are you hearing me?"
"Yes,
Lord!" Cuetio replied briskly.
At
this moment the warrior Merelioides came up, his horse ambling
in his wake.
Thais
waved him back and so
he
stood
waiting.
"Cuetio,
Okocas's son," Naxosos said, "my first order is that you
attend to your family and its property as though they, people,
animals, and objects, were your sole responsibility. Do this with all
diligence. Do not fail me! I will be watching!"
With
a chuckle: "Yes, Lord!"
"I
have nothing further at this time," Naxosos sternly
continued.
"However,
I will probably think of something! When
that becomes the case, I will send for you!"
"Yes,
Lord."
Naemas
spoke now, quite unexpectedly: "Hey, Cuetio," and the boy
looked up and said "Yes, ah, yes, Lord?"
"Cuetio,"
Naemas said, "when you have performed all the duties that the
King assigned to you –" (this caused general laughter)
"will you then help with a task? It's a one-time-only type of
thing, just for today and maybe tomorrow."
"Naemas…"
Naxosos complained in a faint tone.
Ignoring
this,
Naemas said, "Find the four donkeys we rode to the South Water,
and check their hooves and their hides; make sure they have extra
feed. I think they're
all right, but I'm so tired…I just want to lay down and sleep for a
day. Maybe
longer."
"That's
a great idea!"
Korsis pronounced
authoritatively.
"I
have no problem with that," Naxosos affirmed. "Let it
be so."
"I
obey my lords!" Cuetio said – seeming
a bit relieved.
A little cheer went up.
"Help
me, someone,"
Naxosos now grumbled in a low tone. Nirith
took his elbow and helped him to stand.
Korsis
also darted forward but by then Naxosos already had his feet under
him. The dancer took his other
elbow
anyway.
As
he stood trying to control his wobbling,
Naxosos saw that Korsis wanted to say something. "What?" he
asked.
"You
are all dismissed to your rest, work,
and
prayers," the Goddess-on-Earth announced to the tribe. "However,
I have called my brother Merelioides here in case anyone would like
to learn about the pledging ceremony. He will be more than happy to
spend time in instruction and answering questions."
Without
missing a beat, the warrior spoke up: "We
are overjoyed
to help our
people,
Goddess!"
Korsis
leaned close. "About the one girl, little green-eyes, right?"
He was talking about Coledini being upset by his bantering; Naxosos
nodded.
"Don't
worry about her too much," Korsis whispered. "The kids get
used
to men being rude around them while
they're still little.
They
usually, especially that one – she's
a saucy vixen! – they
take it in stride. All us
guys,
we
all know
about
the long
and painful death we'll
have if we,
you
know, try
anything."
"I
wasn't –"
Naxosos began defensively,
but Korsis said, "No! Listen! It wasn't what you said, Naxo! It
was that the Goddess was there!" With
a laugh: "You're lucky Thais was
there, you might be in real trouble if there hadn't been so many
people around." The
dancer then
kissed Naxosos noisily upon his cheek and put
his head-covering up, saying
"Get
some sleep, Naxo!
See you later!" before turning and trotting off.
Stay
away from my mother,
Naxosos thought, despising himself somewhat for not being brave
enough to say it aloud.
"Let
us collect the gifts and secure them," Thais was saying.
Naxosos
didn't expect for anyone to want to linger
– the heat seemed almost lethal now, with
the
sun only
in
its second hour of rising. However,
Merelioides (Red) strode in and stood before the assembly,
between the cloth bearing the gifts and Naxosos's chair: His
giant form blocked out a great deal of the light; Naxosos
was glad for the shade
and
tarried for a few moments even as Nirith plucked at his sleeve,
trying to get him to come along with her.
"I
will
be the
King," Red
solemnly
joked,
atypically
speaking
in the first person.
"And
whoever wishes may pledge to me, and I will instruct him."
Naxosos
barely
managed
to get
out of the way before
Red – with nary
a
glance to make sure the way was clear – seated
himself upon the chair he'd just vacated. The chair groaned and
creaked, and made
other
alarming
noises.
"Ah,"
the warrior declared, making a regal gesture as he sat with his knees
sticking up on the ridiculously small chair. "That's better!"
His imitation of Naxosos was not lost on the gathering, though
audible laughter was sparse and somewhat fearful.
"Would
anyone like to speak to Merelioides about the pledging?" Thais
said; to Naxosos's surprise many
people, including
the kids – who were
unexpectedly energized
– vociferously
agreed.
Thais
spoke up again and said "The pledging for girls and women is
somewhat different, but Merelioides can instruct you in this as
well." Again the exuberance was greater
than anticipated.
"Let's
go, Lord," Nirith said, tugging on Naxosos's arm. "This
is the best time to leave."
Naemas
was there, suddenly, and caught hold of his other arm. "She's
right," he said. "Just walk as you can. We're going to go
to our left, here, and then we'll walk all the way to the other end
of
the latho –"
"Eighty
yards!" Nirith said, giggling, which drew a weak laugh from
Naxosos.
"Then,"
Naemas said as they steered
him and began
to walk in the direction indicated, "you'll
be washed off
and
oiled!"
With
a laugh: "Remember when we were
sad
that
our
wash water wasn't fresh? But now we're saying: 'Remember when we used
to be able to wash?'"
"You're
trying to insult me, aren't you?"
They
were half-carrying him but it was all right; he was making every
third or fourth step. Their progress was slow enough that it wasn't
so obvious his toes
were dragging, he told himself. Everyone
was paying attention to Red, and
to Thais; nobody was watching him anymore. He
wondered where the other five warriors were – their horses could
be seen gamboling
and
lolling in
the water with the other animals.
"I
want to burn these clothes,"
Naxosos commented bemusedly as
behind
them, those
remaining
to
hear the warrior Red talk about pledging roared in laughter at a
jest.
(Dead
man's clothes!)
"No,
we are going to preserve them!" Nirith said. (He couldn't tell
if it was a joke.) "And you will want to wear them again – the
color is becoming!"
He
already knew,
but again was reminded that Nirith was a great deal stronger and more
agile than her manner and appearance suggested. That
she could carry him as easily as though he was a woven basket,
however,
presently
occupied less
of his conscious
attention
than the proximity
of her large breasts and the fact that one of them was bouncing
merrily against
him as they walked.
"How
can they stand this heat?" Naxosos inquired,
in
an attempt to think
of something else.
"You'll
feel better once you've had a wash," Naemas, whose
attention presently
seemed
far away, reiterated.
"There's
food, too," Nirith said. "And
some wine."
"How
is it we didn't run out of wine days ago?" Naxosos wondered.
"The
closer we get to the hills, the
more caches there are. There's
a big one
pretty close
to here,"
Naemas said. "It has books in it, and
some wine and some water.
I
hope we get to see it."
At
this moment the
gathering burst into laughter at something the
warrior said.
It
all
sounded
quite far away now.
"Is
he making fun of me?" Naxosos fretted.
"Probably,"
Naemas said.
Passing
the latho and its frolicking animals, they traversed the camp.
Naxosos did not see, nor did he hear, any sign that anyone was in
residence. The entire assembly, including all the priests and all the
women, had remained to hear the warrior Merelioides speak to them
about pledging service to the King.
"There's
our tent!" Nirith said when the white awnings, billowing
in the updrafts
created by rapidly-heating air,
came
into view.
The
Goddess's tent –
so-called – was
usually not one, but an assortment of canopies,
screens,
and
enclosures. It
was almost always at
the
easternmost edge of the camp, facing
north.
As
before, no one stirred or called out. No one was heard snoring
or
talking. The
noise of the assembly faded
to a whisper.
The
sun punished,
but as soon as they were
among the
Goddess's
tents its
heat
became negligible and the breezes appreciably greater.
There
was a mat laid out in front of the main enclosure,
as
always, and
a few seats. No
one was there. (Naxosos felt the Second's intense relief and
gratitude, as though it was his own, that she would soon be able to
wash and change into clean garments, and rest in her own bed. Naemas
was, as always, intent upon the next stage of the adventure in
whatever
form it might take.)
"Do
you have clean clothes in your scrip, Naxo?" Nirith inquired.
"If
you do not, I will fetch some for you – and you, Naemas, if you
wish!"
Naxosos
found he was relieved that she was paying attention to Naemas,
offering to help him wash and dress.
Before
he could formulate an entire thought about this,
however,
Naemas's clothing and scrip, and belt, and cloak
and
everything, lay
on
the ground and he was sitting on a nearby camp-stool, unlacing his
boots.
"I
suppose…"
Naemas said briskly,
answering Nirith. "And,
if
you will get me a
razor and a mirror, that would also be well."
To
this Nirith replied with
an amused little snort,
"Don't you have your mirror and your razor, Naemas?"
"I
would rather use yours! You asked me what I wanted!"
"All
right. And you, Naxo?"
"Yes,
please bring me smallclothes,
breeches,
and a shirt – you know I'm one size smaller than Naemas."
Chuckling,
she disappeared into a nearby tent.
The
women used magic, too,
he reflected unhappily.
But they are worlds better off than I!
Again he
wondered how they had made that noise, then
remembered Tolalo lecturing him about discipline.
Naemas's
boots were off. "Ah!" He cried, vigorously
shaking
out
his
hair that
was matted
with dust
and sweat. "Look,
the jars are sitting right there!"
"Don't
you think we should –"
Jumping
up,
the
other went
to inspect a nearby jar. "There's
a dipper and there's a gourd – and, look! The water's
been filtered – I'm sure it's from the latho, but it's clean…just
don't
drink it!"
Naxosos
had to laugh at his friend's insouciance.
"Why
do you still have your clothes on?!" Naemas wondered.
"I'm
cold," Naxosos joked, although
he really was cold.
Shakily,
he
removed his (dead
man's!)
breeches
and tunic and
Naemas
dumped water on him. The
water,
tepid and stale, was
nonetheless
refreshing.
Chills
racing up and down his spine and each of his limbs, Naxosos sat to
pull off his boots; Nirith returned at that moment with their fresh
clothing.
"Oh
my!" she exclaimed in false startlement. Then:
"Yes, that is the water for you to wash with, though it was
mostly meant for our Lord. If
you are both going to use it, be sparing!"
"Are
you going to go to your tent?" Naemas said. He dipped out some
more water and poured it over Naxosos's head.
It
was the most refreshing thing he had ever experienced, though he
shook with chills from head to toe.
"Eventually,"
Second
said.
Then:
"I
have to go help Thais, she can't be left to manage things by herself
just
now.
But then I will go to my tent. You are welcome to wait for me there,
Naemas. You know you do not have to ask." (Naxosos
could feel her looking at him when she said this, and
was
careful not to return her glance.)
She
set some things down on another bench. "See? Here are my razor
and mirror – and you will return them in spotless condition, by the
way! – and
some cloths, and here is a little bit of oil. Again, I thought it
would only be Naxosos. But there is enough for both of you if you are
careful with it." Then: "Naxosos, please do not bring
your
boots into the Goddess's tent."
"I
hear you," Naxosos replied – she was definitely flirting with
him, because no one had to be reminded not to wear his boots in here.
Later.
The
Second then strolled away, casting a final flirtatious glance over
her shoulder, back toward the assembly, presently cheering and
clapping over something.
"They're
all getting drunk," Naxosos remarked.
"You
put some water on me, now,"
Naemas said. "Do you want for me to cut your beard?"
"No,
thank you; I'm
much too tired." Naxosos took the water-gourd and splashed
the other's
scalp, hair, and neck; Naemas
had to sit next to him so he could do this.
"I
can barely hold it,"
Naxosos commented about
the gourd and his unsteady hands.
"There, is that all right?" With
a weak laugh: "Look how my arm is shaking!" Then:
"Luckily Thais knew what to do about that poor kid, Cuetio,
because I would likely have dropped the blade on him and given him a
cut."
At
this Naemas
snorted
and
said "You're splashing water everywhere."
With a shrug: "Let
it go; I'm a lot better than I was." Then: "You
try to stand up for a few seconds and I'll splash you some more. Go
on: Stand up. You can do it!"
"Oh,
Fortune…" Trying
not to look down at himself, knowing that he was a great deal
scrawnier and
poorer-looking than
he had been only
a few days ago, he stood. I
look like I have a wasting disease…
Naemas
splashed him with water; he
then gave him a cloth to wipe off his face, neck, and
arms, then
another one – because by then the first one was entirely begrimed –
and Naxosos managed to get himself reasonably clean.
Naemas
put some oil on his scalp
and
on his sunburned
shoulders and neck
– "Sit down and I'll do
your
feet. Let's use all this up before Korsis comes looking for us!"
he advised.
"He
won't do that! Not today." Naxosos held up one foot, then the
other, as Naemas used up about half the ampule of oil on him and the
rest on himself. "He's for bed."
"But
with who?" Naemas joked.
"Please
forbear, Naemas," Naxosos replied.
"They're
gonna get in trouble," Naemas said simply, talking about
Naxosos's mother and the dancer Korsis Zarodi. He bent to place the
empty ampule carefully into the edge of his scrip.
Naxosos
said,
"I
wonder why there aren't more insects here? I do not see them; I do
not hear them. It seems strange, for there is vegetation and
animal dung."
"With
the rain, they're probably a lot closer to the foothills. The streams
are running."
"That's
likely the reason," Naxosos said after thinking it over.
Naemas
added,
"Sooner
or later they'll
show up."
He
sat
down again next to Naxosos.
They
remained
in silence and stillness for a good minute, listening to the assembly
guffawing and cheering at
what seemed a great distance.
Where
will we get more wine?
Naxosos worried. There
isn't a village or even a farm within miles!
(Though
he had viewed it only once, the great map was imprinted in his mind
now
and
he kept seeing parts of it and – as on Jechelo's map – seeing
them both from the air and from the ground.)
"As
long as we're sitting here naked –" Naemas began.
Naxosos
responded,
with some ire,
"Not on your life! Did I make a mistake asking not
to be carried? And
you were just sitting here talking about Korsis coming in search of
us!"
I
sound silly.
"How is
it no
one can
believe
I'm
mortally exhausted?
He
was about to remonstrate further, but the other cut him off with a
laugh. "Can't you take a joke?"
Secretly
relieved that Naemas would be occupying
Nirith's
time and attention in the near term, Naxosos
then
regretted
having spoken so sharply and was about to apologize,
when "Just
asking!" the
other chuckled.
Picking
up
the clean clothing Nirith had brought, and
his
other things, and
the small
bundle that was Nirith's razor and mirror, Naemas
said,
"I'll see you later, then," and without
a backward glance, dripping
water, he
sauntered
to the Second's tent a short
distance away
and
disappeared – to sound as well as sight, while
Naxosos
fought an urge to call him
back.
To
casual observation Naemas had no one
feature that
set him apart from other men (unless
one were
by
chance to
recognize
him as one of the Tagros's
sons),
or
any quality that would mark him as more lovable or
more respected than
most; he
was
moreover
woefully
deficient
in many
desirable traits.
However,
Naemas seemed
always to cut
a legendary figure, and could
be counted on to come
through stunningly at
times when another
with
greater advantage
would have given up.
And
at
the end it
was
all
a
lark. Always
a lark.
There
were many better
at running or scouting,
piloting
a boat or hunting,
or making
friends
with people in a new place,
or
escaping pursuit, but in any region one
might visit, when the
nickname Long-Legs was
mentioned,
all knew who was meant.
He
saved my life again. And
Naimejo did,
too. Again.
(As
well, the other had just done him a favor by making sure Nirith
didn't get more
of a
shot
to
take advantage of him, the
prospect of which was beginning to make him rather uneasy.)
Naxosos
dressed in his clean
smallclothes
and breeches; he picked up his clean
tunic and belt
and scrip, and his dagger, and his cloak, and
left his
dirty
clothes and boots
lying.
He
looked around to see if anyone approached
– there
was nothing in view except sand and awning-poles, and tents;
only
a glimpse of the sky could be seen.
Distantly,
the
collective
applauded,
erupting
into
little spasms of clapping and singing; laughing along with them was
the
warrior Merelioides,
who seemed to have no
difficulty pretending
to be the King, doling
out sage
advice
on courtly manners and
protocols, and
not-so-subtly
mocking Naxosos.
Good
for him.
Then:
I
didn't save his life. He would have got out one way or another.
Naxosos
sovereign of the Children
of God turned
and went
into the Goddess's tent.
The
great enclosure's
anteroom
he well knew, and the layout of the rest of it; he went through
without calling out, for it was clear there was no one present.
Muslin
tenting overhead billowed gently, letting
light in, keeping out heat and dust.
Mats
and rugs lay
underfoot.
It
was always cooler here, and hushed:
This
was Thais's art. And
no one could hear what was going on inside from outside the tent, if
she didn't wish it to be so.
In
the
Goddess's complex
no
one including
the warriors ever
had to stoop, even through a doorway. There
was always plenty of room.
The
main partition of the tent contained a great area of cushions and
coverlets, and there was an
additional canopy over the
sleeping-place,
creating an area of greater shade without
the loss of air movement.
Usually five or six, and sometimes more women would
sleep
here – the Second, though
she had her own tents, usually
slept
here.
It
was rather perfume-y, but not
to the point of offensiveness.
Naxosos
threw himself upon the main grouping of cushions and arranged his
scrip and other effects
to
have everything close
to hand. He was still a little damp; he decided to sit up for a few
minutes until all the water in his hair had run
down into and
been absorbed by the
waist of his breeches.
However,
he awoke some time later and though
the inside of the tent was shaded he could
tell a
couple of hours
had passed; he had it
seemed slumped
over and fallen asleep almost as
soon as he had sat upon
the cushions.
Thais
was not there and
there was no scent or other sign indicating that she, nor
anyone else, had
been – not
surprising, for she had been away from the tribe for a number of days
and
her duties were many.
Pulling
up
a
satiny coverlet, Naxosos lay back on the cushions. A
couple of hours of rest had done little
against his many
hurts. He
was still shaken with chills. His
sunburn from the javelin-contest still smarted. He
remained unsettled
about the deaths he had witnessed. The
pain from a
donkey-ride of some miles, it seemed, might
be with him forever.
There
was worry about
the number of desert men mustered against him, apparently a
thing
unprecedented. Only
a couple of weeks ago, after the javelin-contest upon the Pleaghi
Marthea, he and
Naemas had discussed that after his use of sorcery and because of the
gambling that had gone on at the contest, he
would now be required to worry about pursuit.
The
silence of the Goddess's tent was welcome, but not
so trustworthy
as before,
he found:
What if pandemonium reigned outside and
him sitting here, comfortably
oblivious?
And
his very next thought was for the tribe's children: Now
knew each
by
sight, name, voice, and all sorts of other particulars. (And
they had seen him at the weakest point, probably, in all his life.)
Were
they in danger? An
urge, unfamiliar and dark,
beset him now as he found himself wishing to rise and go see what was
happening out in the camp.
In
particular he was tormented by thoughts of the baby Quilli being
threatened: The way she had clapped her hands and been excited about
him ("Ba,
ba, BAH!")
and,
giggling, had
covered
her mouth like a grown-up girl. That
such a creature might ever
be in fear or in pain seemed beyond any tolerance.
He
recalled, suddenly,
feeling
thus
about
his sisters when they had been newborn:
That some sort
of
menace, heretofore unperceived, hung over the family, and that from
this point forward his constant vigilance would be required. (And
found
himself thinking:
They would have been better off if you had run off into the desert
when you first met Naemas and he asked you to, King of Fools!)
That's
silly: Someone would have fetched me by now.
It
was true that the relative silence and calm of the Goddess's tent was
always hard to get used to at first.
Stretching
out, he strove to pacify his mind.
If
from now on, having pledged their
service,
men and women (and children) began dogging his every
step,
trying to do things for
him, that might get to be troublesome.
Then:
I
will
not try to guess the fathers of Unimi's and Gyesha's children…
Yes,
it was all
going
to be troublesome. He had barely noticed any of the kids before; they
stayed away from him, under the
customary directive
to
leave all adults except for family members alone. But
now – he knew this as he knew little kids – he belonged to them.
And
their mothers – not so much their dads, luckily,
who might
be helpful in keeping the women, and their kids, back.
Oh,
Father Ivask! We are going to have some words!
The
girl Coledini had been upset by his bantering; Korsis
had reassured him, but he
would have to make it
up to her
sooner
or later.
Any overture, no
matter how friendly or well-intentioned, might
cause further disturbance. He would have to be very careful. (Of
course, he
considered, women
and girls, including very young girls, seemed to find Naemas charming
and funny no matter how ignorantly
he
behaved.
I
should ask his advice; he
was right about the warriors, and not a moment too soon…)
He
thought then that perhaps Cuetio might be of some help in that
regard, seeing how well
he
knew and
could somewhat anticipate
all the other kids.
At
least his brother was one person, he considered, that he didn't need
to worry about…very
much.
That
idea
brought
with
it a
concern, that of whether M'jo was going to say anything, the next
time he saw Dad, about Mother having a boyfriend. That made him
feel an unease that was slow to drizzle
away;
in fact it didn't, quite.
Korsis
and M'jo had formed an attachment and considering the circumstances
it was something to be desired. (Is Korsis one of the fathers?!
Did Mother see how he was flirting with Unimi and Gyesha?) But in
the long game, it would – yes, it would be a problem.
He
knew in his heart of hearts that he should already have said
something to Ember, or to Korsis, or perhaps try to embarrass them
both at once – it was his duty. He was being weak.
His
stepfather Nathaniel
and Korsis's father, a well-heeled and
influential Celan
noble, not only knew each other, but were friends. He had not given
this much thought before – now he found it preying on his mind.
Here
we all are, out of danger at least, and NOW I am worrying.
Then:
Is
it just
that
I'm wondering
where she is?
But of course he wasn't. Thais never excused
away
or set aside her duties to the tribe. If she had been present upon
his falling asleep,
it was more normal for him to awaken and find her gone.
The
food and drink Nirith had mentioned now occurred to his mind. He knew
he likely didn't have to go back outside for
these
things, for in
the Goddess's tent there
was always some viand laid out – although it was usually in the
anteroom or some other partition, and he didn't feel like wandering
about looking for it.
When
Thais comes in, she will wake me up and I'll get her to bring some…he
considered drowsily. Then:
Do
I need to pee?
He
couldn't decide. Am
I drunk?
There was little
way to tell.
Naxosos
fell quickly and deeply to sleep.
this excerpt: 11 July 2024 / 26 August 2025 / 16 October 2025
22 October 2017 / 2 February 2022 / 18 – 28 April 2022 (the call to service) / 4 June 2022 – 17 March 2024 (flashbacks the arrest and at the Sha-halom monastery) / 23 July 2022 (on the first part of the journey) / 27 July 2022 (however long it takes) / 4 August 2022 (the snipers) / 15 August 2022 (the call to service) / 20 August 2022 (the arrest) / 22 December 2022 (the rescue/the dragon's egg) / 22 May 2023 (Cuetio) / 15 July 2023 (trapsprung) / 22 May – 7 April 2024 – 23 June 2024 (the children's gifts)
###
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