Warriors Of Latan

One of these days I am going to strangle River Over Stones with my bare hands and claim I was just getting rid of a public nuisance, thought Blade. He really didn't care for the idea of having somebody like that at his back, no matter what the Guardian might say.

First things first, again. Get the Guardian on your side, then stuff something in River's big mouth.

Blade waited until River and Crystal seemed to run out of breath. So did the Guardian. Then, before anyone else could join in, Blade stepped close to the Guardian and gave him a military salute.

«By this sign of the warriors of England, I submit myself to your judgment of the lawfulness of my magic. Your name is honored among the Uchendi for your knowledge of the Spirit world and your great sense of judgment. Therefore I do not fear receiving other than justice at your hands.»

The Guardian gri

«Father-«began Crystal.

«Be silent!» shouted River. «You speak when the Guardian listens to another. The law-«

«IS BETTER KNOWN TO ME THAN TO EITHER OF YOU!» bellowed the Guardian, in a voice that made everyone around him jump. Blade's ears rang, and two men working on the gateway were so startled they fell into the ditch.

«Very good,» said the Guardian, «now that my ears are no longer being beaten by words heavier than a smith's hammer and not nearly as useful… River Over Stones, be silent now or face being made silent for a longer time.» The young warrior glared but held his tongue. «Daughter, you did not tell me that this man Blade had come for judgment.»

«You were too busy arguing with River Over Stones. I forgive you for shaming my teaching, just this once. The next time you forget how I taught you to always tell all things that need to be known, I shall not be so gentle.»

The Guardian turned back to Blade. «You have indeed come for judgment of your magic? All your magic ways?»

«I do not know all the ways of magic among the Uchendi,» said Blade. «Certainly I will submit to your judgment in all ways known among the English. The rest may be judged by the Spirits, if judgment is needed.» He smiled. «I know I will receive a wiser judgment here than they sought to give me among the Rutari.»

That went over well, judging from the new grins, and it was also perfectly true-at least if Blade was judged by Crystal's father. But if River Over Stones had been giving the judgment…

«May the Spirits desert us if this is not so,» said Crystal, and her father nodded.

«Now, Blade, I think it best we go to my house-«

«Open judgment, open judgment, open judgment!» screamed River Over Stones. Several people took up the cry. Crystal looked ready to castrate her suitor, and the Guardian was frowning.

«If there is a call for the judgment to be reached with others present, I must submit to it,» he said. «It seems to me this is not wise with unknown magic, but it is the law.»

«My magic may not be lawful by the ways of the Uchendi,» said Blade. «But if my oath means anything, I give it here, that I will use no magic in the judgment and no man witnessing it need fear me. Is that enough?»

«More than enough,» said the Guardian, in a voice daring River to disagree. The young man gritted his teeth, then also nodded.

Blade let the Guardian and Crystal lead him away from the village, toward a patch of open ground just short of the fields. He couldn't really say that being probed telepathically-which is what the judgment consisted of-and maybe being rendered helpless in the presence of at least fifty possible enemies was his favorite way to spend a morning.

On the other hand, if he passed the judgment in the eyes of all the witnesses, he would be sure of his acceptance among the Uchendi. There was always a moment when you had to stop ru

Chapter 15

Blade didn't know what to expect after they reached the open ground. He settled for breathing slowly and deeply, to get his mind and body under as much control as he could.

He also kept a watchful eye open for an escape route. He did want to stop his ru

The Guardian's wife Kyarta also wanted to get a good look at Blade, but Eye of Crystal stopped her. The two women started another half-serious argument, too far from Blade for him to hear more than one word in three. Winter Owl did not intervene-he was too busy placing the handful of armed men at precise intervals around the circle of witnesses. River Over Stones also kept his mouth shut for once. Probably he expected Blade's testing to prove that he'd been right all along about the Englishman's having evil magic.

While all this was going on, the Guardian was standing in the center of the bare ground, his feet slightly apart, his arms crossed on his chest, and his eyes on the ground. It was impossible to tell whether he was hypnotizing himself, communing with the Spirits, or simply trying to fight off boredom.

Finally the Guardian raised his head.

«Blade, come here.» He might have been addressing a puppy who'd made a mess on the floor. Blade swallowed his resentment at the tone, assuming it was part of the ritual, and obeyed the command.

«Blade, stop right there.» Blade did so, about six feet from the Guardian.

«Is it the custom among the English to use the Seed of Wisdom?»

«By this, do you mean what the-your enemies-call the kerush?»

«That is their unlawful name for the sacred seed, yes. You are forgiven for using that name in this place-once.»

«I will have no need to call it by other than its lawful name now that I know that name.»

«You certainly have some wisdom. So, do you use the Seed of Wisdom in English magic?»

«No. But I did use it when I was among your enemies. It made it easier for them to learn about my magic. It also made it easier for me to learn how unlawful their wishes were for me. I do not know if your magic is like your enemies' magic, or if you and I will also need the Seed of Wisdom. And that is not seeking to gain knowledge I must not have. It is just the wisdom of knowing that I do not know everything.»

Blade hoped this effort at tact would pay off. He only knew as much about Uchendi telepathy as the Rutari had told him, which wasn't much. It certainly didn't include what form of the kerush the Uchendi used, and he didn't like the idea of taking unknown quantities of drugs even among a people who'd treated him decently.

In fact, he didn't even know if he would be telepathic without either Cheeky or the kerush. But he wasn't going to hint at that possibility, not with someone as shrewd as the Guardian.

There was a long silence. It seemed to Blade that this trip to Dimension X was full of long silences, while he or somebody else decided what to do next. He'd read science fiction stories in which telepathy solved all human problems. All his experience with telepathy so far suggested that it caused more problems than it solved. The only thing he'd really gained from telepathy was Cheeky-and then he'd lost the feather-monkey to a case of the hots!

Blade's eyes roamed around the circle of witnesses. River Over Stones was looking nakedly triumphant. Winter Owl's face was unreadable, but his eyes moved back and forth, from the Guardian to Blade. Eye of Crystal was frowning, but this might be her mother's fault. Kyarta looked ready to shout advice to her husband.