The Space Between Read online

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  Tuki watched Keyman Kuwisa suspiciously in the shifting light of the torches. The man examined the skyglass for a long time, twisting it this way and that in his hand as if it would make a difference, twisting it as if it might catch the light at a different angle and spring into life. Not once had the human tried to speak to it. How could he expect to get any results at all?

  After several more minutes, Tuki rose painfully to his feet and made his way toward the Keyman. It was a slow journey conducted under the gaze of everyone in the long, low, narrow room. He tried to ignore them: they were only men after all. He stopped when the two other soldiers surged to their feet, long knives in hand.

  Tuki stared at the floor. "You must speak to it," he said to Kuwisa between the tense forms of the other men. "Ask questions, and it will answer."

  "Answer?"

  "Not in words, but you will receive an answer."

  "Show me."

  Tuki looked at the man before drawing a breath and walking forward. The soldiers parted to let him through.

  After sitting down on the cold stone floor, Tuki reached out a shaking hand to take the skyglass. He could not cover the last fraction of the distance, and his hand hovered there. He concentrated on breathing once more as he shifted his gaze to the Keyman's face. He turned his hand over, so the skyglass could be given to him.

  As soon as he touched it, the 'glass started to warm and Kiva materialized.

  Perhaps talking is not enough, he thought. Perhaps you have to believe.

  Tuki polished the surface for a moment, enjoying the smooth, solid feel of it in his hands.

  The blue dot representing the skyglass was clearly visible with no yellow comet-dots nearby, though there were still many all around the world.

  "It is safe to go outside," he said, though the thought of all of those monsters just out of sight over the horizon scared him immensely.

  "How do you know?"

  Tuki kept his eyes on the ball, though he felt the tension in Kuwisa as the other man considered rising.

  "How do you know?" An angry spitting of words, as if he did not want to admit the lack of knowledge in himself.

  "Because all the comets have gone. Moved on to somewhere else." He showed him the dots.

  "But does that mean the bats and monsters have gone as well?"

  "Poti would not lie." But, in truth, he wasn't sure. "We cannot stay in here forever," he added, as if that might make up for the lie.

  "You can, as far as I'm concerned."

  Tuki didn't look up from the 'glass. He didn't know why the humans hated him. Only Sha Yukima spoke to him as if he were a man. "I did not ask to be given the skyglass, Keyman Kuwisa," Tuki said. "I would rather it were the mo'min who was here. But the Mother Blower chose me."

  "I don't care about your Goddess, boy," Kuwisa said.

  "And yet She sent me to help you."

  "Sure She did."

  "Are we to stay here? Or do we go back outside?"

  "You're staying here." The Keyman took the skyglass. It died in his hand. He swore as he rose to his feet and went to speak with the Councilor.

  Tuki couldn't hear what the two men were saying, and he didn't care. He was battered and bruised. His face ached. It was swollen and tender. He almost thought he could feel the blood throbbing beneath the skin. The Mother Blower had sent him to the humans, and he'd done nothing to repay Her faith. He didn't know what to do. He hadn't even had the chance to talk to any women. All he could do was sit and wait, so that was what he did.

  After a few minutes of hushed discussion, Keyman Kuwisa spoke to the group at large. "It has been decided that we will stay here for a while longer and then go and see what has happened."

  Sha Yukima gave a bark of laughter in response.

  "What's so amusing, Sha?"

  "Keyman, it is your duty to protect the citizens of Payota. It is what you are paid for, and yet you argue with Councilor Nasinwa to stay safely locked down here while the citizens are above ground."

  "You led the way down here, Sha."

  "And today is the day you start listening to a priest?"

  "In times of crisis, we turn to Anas, Sha. It has always been so."

  "Yes, and you turn away as quickly afterwards."

  Tuki was shocked. "Keyman, you do not pay homage to even your own gods?"

  Kuwisa turned to look at him coldly. "Praying doesn't save lives. In the end, it is always strong doors or strong arms that do that."

  "Perhaps," Tuki agreed, "but it is always the Goddess, or gods, who make sure life is worth living."

  Councilor Nasinwa smiled. "There are three strong sets of arms here that could have been helping above ground, Kuwisa, instead of guarding some old men. And, if the threat has now passed, then the Council should be up there to lead the way."

  "Very well, then. If you insist." Kuwisa broke away from the rest of the group and made his way to the stairs. He paused there and looked back over his shoulder.

  "We can't stay here forever, Keyman," Nasinwa said. He had the skyglass again but was paying it no mind, tossing it absently from hand to hand as he spoke. He was going to steal it. Though the human couldn't use it, and probably would not know how to read the messages of the Goddess if he could use it, Nasinwa would keep the 'glass anyway.

  "We could wait until morning," Kuwisa said. "Just to be sure."

  The Councilor didn't say anything, merely glared, and the other man climbed the stairs to the stone door. A moment later, the humans were all making their way back to ground level, nervously following the soldiers into the daylight. Tuki tried to follow as well but the door was slammed in his face. The closing cut off angry words from Sha Yukima.

  Tuki stayed where he was, listening as the bolts were slipped into place. He sat on the bottom step to wait.

  The skyglass was gone.

  18: More Trolls

  Tuki sat on the step for a long time, examining the comet tattoo on the back of his hand, before thinking to try the door above him. He discovered that, with a little bit of effort, he could make it move. It was not a door designed for keeping people in.

  It took only a moment for him to realize that he could leave at any time, but considerably longer to decide if he should.

  Did the human men have the right to lock him up without so much as a nod from the women? And if they had the earthly authority in general, did they have the right in his case? He'd done nothing wrong. He went through the events of the last few days just to be sure, but they had said as much themselves: he was being kept on the suspicion that he was a troll.

  Eventually it was not a question of the rights of the humans, or even his own rights, that decided him. It was the skyglass. Councilor Nasinwa didn't know how to use the 'glass. He didn't understand its importance. As far as Tuki knew there were but two skyglasses in the entire world — he could not let one of those be lost through his own inaction. He gripped the edge of the stone door and pulled. It protested, resisting, but only for a moment.

  Outside, the wall of the hallway sagged dangerously, ready to fall at any minute. The rest of the building was no better. It leaned at a crazy angle. Stone blocks were scattered everywhere. Half the tiles from the roof had slipped down to the ground.

  The rest of the city was much the same. On either side of the street a line of rubble, both timber and stone, had taken the place of the buildings. They all looked the same now, but it was hardly harmonious. Close to where he was, Tuki could only see three structures still whole. Bodies lay everywhere, strange cold worlds in the expanse of the street. Tuki tried not to look.

  Farther away, upright structures were more regular and signs of life could be seen. A thin man dragged a sack out of one house and into the next. A child ran behind a dog. Or perhaps he was with the animal.

  Tuki couldn't move. It seemed that while he was underground another world had replaced the one he'd left just hours before. The pain and humiliation that had been inflicted upon him by the humans wa
s completely understandable compared to the destruction wrought by the strangers from the sky. Or perhaps it was exactly the same thing — fear, confusion, misunderstanding — on a much larger scale.

  He stood where he was for a long time, eyes turned to the sky so he could pray for the Mother Blower to bring back the world he knew.

  He eventually moved away from the tilting, half collapsed remains that had sheltered him. There was not a lot of difference between street and buildings, but at the next corner Tuki went left and at the first standing wall, a hundred and eighty meters from his starting position, paused to get his bearings. He needed to find the skyglass but had no idea where he might start to look. Councilor Nasinwa probably had it in his possession, but where was the Councilor?

  Away to the west was a river. A real river filled with an unbelievable amount of water. And nearby, a large group of people were congregating beside a small platform and a tree. They milled about as if they had no idea why they were there, beyond the fact that everyone else was there.

  Tuki started down towards the river, because everyone else was there.

  Perhaps the Councilor has found a woman to set things right. He hoped so, for he didn't want to be caught with only the men in charge.

  There were indeed women in the crowd, but they appeared to be as confused as the men. They cried and shuffled and waited for somebody else to tell them what needed to be done.

  Tuki watched from inside a wrecked warehouse. One of the planks had fallen away from the wall, leaving a gap through which he could watch without being seen. His heart was racing. He set his hands against the old, grey timber to steady their shaking.

  Near the edges of the group, guards watched silently. They had their big knives out and seemed eager to use them. They prodded at anyone, women or men, who caused even the slightest stir. They elicited startled shrieks and smiled amongst themselves.

  Just when Tuki was ready to move his search to other areas, glad of any excuse to be on his way, the Councilor stepped up onto the platform at the very edge of the river and held up his hands for silence. He held his position for a long time before he was satisfied.

  "My good people, quiet, please."

  Beside the platform were other elderly, serious looking men and women. The Council, Tuki assumed, though there were many more men than women and one wore similar clothes to those worn by the soldiers.

  "Some quiet, please."

  The rumbling of the crowed died further.

  "Thank you." Nasinwa lowered his arms. "We have suffered grievously today. It has been terrible for all of us, and we know not how any other cities in the area have faired. The Priman has sent runners out to Assinabon and Sarsin and through Salisha Valley to Klamoth, but they will probably not return for a week at best. So we must assume we are on our own. We must work together to make sure we have food and shelter. If we all put in and help, we will make it through this."

  A disbelieving grumble ran through the gathering, but Nasinwa ignored it.

  "There is food aplenty in the market yards. Some of the livestock have escaped, but they will not go far. And several of the warehouses remain untouched. This is a black day for Payota, but we will go on."

  Tuki continued to listen as the Councilor organized the running of the city. He ordered men to prepare suitable shelter and others to see to the livestock. Women were directed to the warehouses to collect what they could. Children were to scavenge, finding anything they thought might be useful and passing it on to those older than they.

  Some looked as if they might do as they had been told, but the majority of people continued grumbling. Someone shouted for Nasinwa to make shelters himself. Another said that if anyone were hungry they could slaughter their own food.

  The group surged towards the nervous council members. A dozen guards were close by, but they weren't going to last long against the mob. Tuki saw the look of fear on Nasinwa's face before the old man lurched backwards and fell to the ground. It wouldn't be long before his protective cordon was overrun. Knowing what the old man was going through, Tuki rose from his hiding place and ran a few steps into the clear. He went all the way to the back of the crowd.

  He hesitated, but before he could think of what to do, someone nearby turned and saw him. Tuki and the human stared at each other. The human was a little man with a missing tooth and crooked nose. His eyes were wide with shock and fear, but he reacted quickly, setting up a new shout that instantly spread through the crowd. The nearest people stepped back, crowding those behind.

  Within moments the focus of the angry crowd had shifted from Nasinwa and his companions to Tuki.

  Tuki suddenly wished he had stayed hidden. All eyes were on him, staring. He didn't know what to do. He might have run, but the skyglass had to be reclaimed. He took a hesitant step forward, heart thundering in his chest.

  The crowd edged away. Tuki took another step, and another. A path cleared, and he walked all the way to the river without coming within two meters of a human.

  The Councilors watched him come. Nasinwa appeared angry, as if he would rather be attacked than saved by a troll. The others were fearful but stood their ground. Sha Yukima was there as well, looking unsure.

  When he reached the base of the platform, staring at the ground while the humans stared at him, Tuki didn't know what to do next. There were women present so he thought he should wait for instructions, but nobody seemed about to offer them. So Tuki did nothing more than turn to look towards the crowd.

  Nasinwa, straightening his robes, held up his hand for silence again though nobody was saying anything. "The strangers from the sky are still out there somewhere," he said. For a moment the crowd shifted their focus from Tuki to the Councilor, but only for a moment.

  "What's the troll doing?" someone in the crowd shouted.

  "Yeah. Is he with us?"

  "Are more trolls coming?"

  "Yes," Nasinwa said after a moment. "Umm... Yes. The troll lost his village to the sky-men a week ago and came to warn us. More will come when they have seen to their own."

  "Trolls don't have villages."

  Nasinwa opened his mouth to speak but was obviously at a loss for words. Still nobody looked at him. Tuki became more nervous under the steady gaze of all those strangers. He turned for a moment to look at one of the councilwomen. She smiled to him and nodded.

  Tuki took a small step forward. "We..." It came out as barely more than a whisper. He cleared his throat and looked to the woman for more encouragement. "We do not have villages," he said. The lie was burning on his tongue, but the woman was telling him to go on. "But we, ummm, we have permanent camps that we call villages." He was sure that only those at the very front of the crowd could hear his words, but they were whispered away from him on other tongues.

  "Trolls don't have permanent anything," someone shouted in response.

  "It's, ummm, a permanent camp, but the population comes and goes." He would have gone on, but he knew less of trolls than these people did and was afraid that his lies would be discovered. He clamped his mouth shut against a babble of explanations. The crowd stared. Tuki felt like running for cover, but the people blocked any escape route except into the water. He doubted they would melt away like before, and he could never walk into water. He stared at the ground instead, and waited for someone else to take up his lie.

  Councilor Nasinwa did. "The trolls come to offer us their strength against an enemy worse than any either of our people have ever seen, but we must have something to give them in return: shelter, food, stability. Please. I need a hundred volunteers to see to the rounding up of livestock and the repair of the market yards. We need to search the city for foodstuffs. We need shelter."

  This time when a rumbling went through the mob they were organizing themselves into work parties, galvanized by the thought of allies to help win the fight.

  Tuki followed the Councilor when he walked away along the river a while later. A dozen or so others followed as well. They crowded around behin
d the old man, all talking, and all trying to bring his attention to some important matter or other. Soldiers followed behind them, knives drawn but no longer held with any threat.

  Night fell soon after, but it didn't lessen the frenetic activity. A camp had been set up on the banks of the river. Rough lean-tos and tilting shacks had been erected, and more still were going up. Dozens of fires burned, eating through what had once been buildings or furniture. Beasts had been put to death so their flesh could be cooked and eaten. Tuki's protests had no effect in this regard, and he had listened to the animals' bawling and, even worse, to the moments of silence that punctuated. He tried not to watch. He tried not to hear. But he could as easily hold back the desert. Nobody else seemed to care.

  Piles of food were growing. The beasts were being treated with salt and herbs that were supposed to make them last, but Tuki felt they would have lasted longer had they been left alive. Fruit and vegetables were being collected in baskets from wrecked houses. Bread and cakes and bisca, too.

  Tuki, sitting still and quiet, was near one such pile. There was some bread: a fine, white loaf. There was fruit, rich and ripe, and he could smell porridge. There were things he couldn't recognize to which he attached all description of wondrous taste.

  Sitting on the other side of the fire, not excluding him but not inviting him into the talks, were the members of the Council. Nasinwa was there with the skyglass resting in his lap, as if he cared for its safety. The old, uniformed man was there as well. Apparently he was the Priman, the leader of the guards. There were half a dozen women in the group, but they didn't add their voices to the proceedings. They sat and listened with the same tired expressions as Tuki. Perhaps they had already talked amongst themselves, or would later. One by one they drifted away while the men continued. Sha Yukima was nowhere to be seen. He had sat close by earlier, taking part in the discussions, before saying there were important things he could be doing and going away.

  Tuki sat with the Council well into the night as they talked themselves into knots. He said nothing, was asked nothing. There were some women grouped about a fire nearby that Tuki could have spoken to, but Nasinwa had the skyglass and he was loath to go anywhere with out it.