Intermix Nation

“Yes, Miss Nation,” Solomon murmurs. “As Isaid before, there are men of honor and there are honorable men. Inthose final moments, the Khan was neither.”

“What exactly did he say?”

“Very bad things,” Solomon whispers. “Youmust understand. The Khan was not evil, but his desire forvengeance locked evil inside his heart. So his final words wererife with hatred, tarnished by rage.”

“And they were?” Nazirah presses.

Solomon clears his throat. “I believe it wassomething along the lines of ‘Victoria is a pretty whore. I willspend the rest of my life hunting down everyone you care for andmaking pretty whores out of them. Starting with your intermixbitch.’”

Nazirah is appalled. “The Khan saidthat?”

“He did,” Solomon replies. “I do not believeit was Khanto’s true intention, but his eldest boy took those wordsquite literally.”

“You think?” she asks, giving a teary laugh.Even Solomon chuckles, just a little.

#

They depart after breakfast, silent andquick. Solomon gives Nazirah a lengthy, sniffling goodbye. EvenOlag embraces her gruffly at the door. Solomon assures Nazirah thattheir friendship is only begi

They travel north by train for several hoursto the furthest reaches of Solomon’s influence, exiting at the laststop before crossing the Ziman border. Nazirah looks around theplatform, dropping her luggage in surprise.

This is still the Red West?

Rubiyat was chimerical, strange and fabulousand wild. This landscape is barren, desolate, and empty. There isno warmth, no dust, no snow, no spice or song, no life. It is notquite the Deathlands, but not quite Zima either. Nazirah thinks itis a transition area, unable to make up its mind, lacking anidentity of its own.

“Intermix,” she whispers. Nazirah wraps herarms around her body, shivering, hopping from foot to foot. Abitter chill hangs in the air, warning them of what lies ahead.

Aldrik marches up to her, fidgetinguncharacteristically. He twirls his beard nervously and licks hispalm, slicking back his straggly hair. “It’s not that cold,Nation,” he scoffs, glancing around.

Nazirah’s chattering teeth disagree. “You’refrom Zima,” she snaps, not wanting to talk to him at all. “You’reused to this weather.”

“This isn’t even Zima,” he says, readjustinghis eye patch. “Let alone NoZima. It’s about to get a whole lotcolder.”

Nazirah only huffs in response, watching herbreath condense before her. She blows again, fascinated, but stopswhen she notices Adamek staring at her in amusement. She forgothe’s trained in Zima too.

A wiry woman, wearing a fur pelt and tallboots, strolls up to them. Her hair is bone white, skintranslucent, eyes liquid silver. She appears harsh, with deepangles, emaciated. Nazirah ca

The woman circles Nazirah slowly, inspectingher face, all visible bruises. “Weak,” she says.

“What was that?” Nazirah asks, offended.

She stops directly in front of Nazirah,sterling stare. “I said … you are weak.”

“I’m not weak,” she snaps.

The woman harshly grabs Nazirah’s chin,ru

“Luka, relax,” Aldrik says gruffly. “It’sbeen a trying few days.”

“Okay,” Luka says. “I’ll relax.” She walksup to Aldrik, inhaling deeply and spitting on the ground. “Youstink, Aldrik. I do not know which foul odor is worse … the slut orthe cheap wine.”

Nazirah glances questioningly at Adamek, whowatches their interaction in uncontained amusement. “Nation,”Aldrik mutters, coughing, “This is Luka, Lady of Shizar … mywife.”

“Wife?” she asks, bewildered.

“Estranged wife,” Luka corrects. Sheunstraps her pelt, dropping it onto Nazirah, who struggles to holdit up. “You are a tiny thing, aren’t you?”

Nazirah’s eyes narrow. She already loathesthis woman. “I’m big enough.”

“We will find out, won’t we?”

“Yes, you will.”

Luka ignores Nazirah. “Hello, ‘Renatus,’”she says in a mocking tone. “I can’t say I am pleased to see you,either.”

Adamek nods stiffly. “Luka.”

Luka leads the three of them to a largewhite truck. It has fluorescent headlights, black windows, and hugesnow tires. She nods at Nazirah. “Southies first,” she says.

Nazirah scrambles inside the truck, whichshe guesses will lead them safely through Zima and into Shizar. Shenever imagined that the Lord of Shizar would be a Lady, much lessAldrik’s wife. And Luka is so incredibly unpleasant. She and Aldrikmake a perfect couple.

Nazirah wraps the pelt around herselftightly. Adamek get in beside her, while Luka and Aldrik speakoutside. “What’s her problem?” Nazirah asks quietly.

“Many things,” Adamek responds, “Chiefly,her husband’s philandering ways.”

“She knows?”

Adamek nods. “How do you think he lost thateye?”

“Are you serious?” she whispers,perplexed.

“As a slum fire,” he says. “Don’t worry toomuch about Luka. She truly cares about her people, but she’s acomplete witch.”

“Yeah,” Nazirah mutters. “With a capital‘B.’” Adamek snorts. “So,” she asks, “Aldrik is Lord ofShizar?”

“No,” Adamek replies. “Shizar is Luka’sbirthplace, her childhood home. She returned there after shefinally left him. Slome’s from SoZima.”

“Where?”

“Southern Zima,” Adamek says. “When theyfirst got married, it was a huge deal. The fact that he was of alower class was already an issue. But a NoZiman marrying a SoZimanis practically unheard of.”

Nazirah sighs. “There’s even racism betweenpure Zimans?” she asks. “Life for intermix in Zima must beunbearable.” Adamek doesn’t respond. “How do you know her?”

Luka and Aldrik enter the truck, preventingAdamek from answering. The engine roars to life and they begintraveling down the desolate road. “It’s been a long time, Luka,”Aldrik says, peering nostalgically out the window.

“Not long enough,” she snaps. “What happenedto your hair?”

“Salty wench.”

Luka focuses on Adamek. “Don’t think yoursiding with this rebellion erases the past between us,” she hisses.“I am the laughingstock of Zima because of you! Shizar took you inwhen you were younger, not that we had much of a choice. Yet yourepay our kindness by killing countless NoZimans, under the guiseof maintaining the Median order? It is a pity you have amnesty;much of Shizar is eager to see you dead, myself included.”

“I know it,” Adamek says simply.

Nazirah observes their interaction closely.Solomon said that Adamek trained in Zima. Could it have been inShizar? It would make sense why Luka hates him so much.

“Aldrik,” Luka says, “what updated news ofthe southie rebellion? I have heard of the turmoil in Eridies.”

Aldrik shakes his head. “You’ve heard of theslum fire, then? And the redistribution of food? Eridian intermixand refugees are migrating to headquarters by the thousands,essentially seceding from the nation. The Chancellor is in anabsolute uproar. He’s dispersed troops throughout the southern halfof Eridies, trying to quell the turbulence before the rest ofRenatus realizes what’s happening.”

“What?” Nazirah cries, panicking. “Rafu isin anarchy?” Nazirah thinks of everyone she’s left behind, ofCander and Caria and the remaining Caals. She thinks of her smallcottage, waiting in solitude on the beach. She thinks of home.

“It’s a very recent development,” Aldriksays. “A small battalion, spearheaded by Ivan Grigori, LordGrigori’s bumbling oaf of a brother. They have started a slow marchtowards Krush, burning everything in their path from homes toinfrastructure. It is a scare tactic, Nation, an attempt tointimidate us. The Commander did not want to burden you while stillon campaign.”

“Screw my brother!” Nazirah shouts angrily.“We need to go back and help them! The rest of my family isthere!”