49 - So I Don't Get More Job Offers

I paused at Iska’s desk again on my way out. He was back from wherever he’d gone. “I require the services of your gate guard for a tenth, fessas. I came without escort. I will send him back expediously.” His eyes widened for a moment before he could school his expression and flicked back to the empty spot where my Mahid usually stood. “That guard is one who already knows I am here, and I wish to be inconspicuous.”

He visibly gulped. “As… as the enlightened and intelligent Splinter of the Ineffable Light commands.” The man sent a boy scampering off, and came with me as I pulled my hood up and went down the hall.

“Guard.” He came to his feet looking intriqued. “I require your attendance.”

He looked at Iska. The fessas manager nodded and then at the guard… “The gate is covered, Nisas, you come back when he lets you go.” He saluted and he stood aside to let me out the gate.

It was very different being escorted by someone not Mahid. He was more inclined to talk, for one thing. “So, the exalted, glorious one likes Raikas, huh?”

“Um. Yes, I do.” He actually paced beside me, scanning the shadows of the buildings on either side of us as we went.

“The divinely gifted one is faster than this lowly worm thought, as was said. This clot has noticed the Spark’s speed on the exalted faib skates. Does the Ineffable enjoy playing faibalitz? It would suck if the most-high weren’t tah bein’ allowed.” I agreed solemnly that that would, indeed, suck.

At the corner with where I was offered the twins, their procurer took a look at the guard, fully geared and obviously on duty, lamellar armour and all, and decided not to solicit any business. “He says they’re twins. And says she’s too young to be pure…”

He snorted. “Ai, ai, ai, she doesn’t look a day under nine if yah ask this clot of dirt. But then she might never be purified, given the unfortunate’s line of work. She mayn’t ever be.” He flexed his arm as though considering making the twin’s lives better by making them orphans. “There’s father’s ‘d send their girls to Hayel fer a few chains. Sh’d be strung up by their ownself’s fambly jewels if y’ask me.”

We left them behind in their dark alcove, unstrung. “The fellow who offered me a job has also vanished. I wonder what kind of position?”

“Kinda job where the Divine Spark would have to accept a man’s meat inside – one place or another.” He didn’t say, what did you think? But I could see that clear as a shout. I should have thought of it. “Of all kids in all Arko, the untouchable one would need that kind of job the least.”

He looked at me as though I was dumber than dirt, and suddenly I could have smacked myself. Of course. A job out of an alleyway? In the middle of the night? A sex-boy and probably a low-class one in this neighbourhood. I felt stupid.

I nodded. It was so strange, so late at night, talking to my guard, who wasn’t Mahid. It was almost like the times after a nightmare when the unreal part of the night happened. “I’n this lowly worm might… throw a prayer upwards… this’n could hope… When the Divine Spark becomes the Imperial Sun… it’ be a good thing… a kind thing… if the streets were… cleaned. An’ not jes washed if the Ineffable one gets this clot of dung’s drift.” He gazed out, making as though he were not addressing me, but the air… in the neutral, almost equal to equal mode… “Course mayber there’s not enough water nor salt in the whole ocean… nor clear water in the lake… to wash th’evil out of men’s souls. It sticks.”

“Hmm. The problem is to see that most people get fed first. Then they can think about something else other than empty bellies. And maybe not have to do bad to eat.”

He shrugged, his armour squeaking, still addressing the air, when I didn’t take offense at his familiarity. “Some’s aren’t slightest bit good though they’re fat-fed.” His eyes glinted in the lamplight as he glanced to see if I would take it wrong. “Y’must know sommat like that.”

I pressed my lips together. That was a pretty good description of Ilian, I thought, but what I said was. “I’ll certainly think about it. They need to learn not to be rude. I know some like that.”

“I’ll bet the exalted one might.”

“Too many full fed, and don’t care,” I continued, and wondered why the guard looked so grim as if his thoughts tasted bitter. We were already on the Boardwalk by then so I knew I didn’t have time to ask him, so our feet on the boards were the only sound for a bit. “You like working the Mezem?”

“Course. Pays well. This’un, wonders…” I looked at him and didn’t interrupt. I was learning a lot I’d never thought before, from a lower solas Mezem guard. “See’in all the fans… curly black wigs, wearin’ crystals, learning bits o’ Yeoli… ta be like Raikas. Fawn on th’guy like he’s a God… while we chew up his country.” The regular reports from the war front… the new war were coming out every Pages. “Y’wonder what they think – y’can never read their eyes.”

“Oh they think we’re crazy,” I said. He looked down at me. “They think we love and trash something all at the same time.”

“How’d the Spark of the Divine Sun learn that?”

I shrugged. “Talk to them… talk to Raikas… Read some.”

“Raikas speaks his mind more’n most.”

“He’s a good representative for his people I think. The others… don’t talk to me much and I don’t bother them a lot… but I’ve talked to them, too.”

“The Spark of the Sun’s Ray certainly knows a great deal. Or thinks your exalted self does.”

“Know th’enemy,” he said. Even if he wasn’t right I wasn’t going to try and convince him otherwise. “This lowly’n heard what Raikas said when the writers went swarmin’ around like buzzards on a carcass. That one said…’I’m not gonna speak ta a hairy soul o’ ya. ‘Cept the one who swears on’s hope o’ Selestialis he’ll write the exact n’ whole truth o’ what I say,” sez that ‘un. ‘Course they scattered like rats.”

“I’m not surprised.” If Intharas found a writer who could swear to that, I’d read every word.

“Too much truth’s not good.” We were at the edge of the square, still back in the trees. I stopped and so did he.

“I’d like to give you a tip, for taking you out of your way and away from your post –“ he cut me off with a snort. I was glad of his informality in a way, glad he wasn’t noticing how easy he was being with me.

“This’ns not a waiter. The elevated one should keep that’ns riches, Spark of the Sun’s Ray, like all the most high kind. This lowly one has all this one wants.” I was surprised. He didn’t want anything? Really? “Best ‘o the evenin’ to th’ most high, Spark of the Sun’s Ray. Hope that one isn’t in trouble.”

“No, I’ll be all right… but…” I must have looked like a fat little fish with my mouth falling open. “I don’t want to be rude to you.”

He turned back to me, a serious look on his face. “This lowly one knows, and it confuses the Hayel out of all the ones beneath your most high self. Where’s the rude Spark of the Sun’s Ray?”

I had no answer for him. It was as though that me had evaporated but I could feel the shape of him inside me. “I don’t know. He’s kind of hard to find, lately.”

“Have that nasty exalted one hidden away somewhere? Up the most high sleeve? If’n that one stays hidden all the illustrious life long, while your elevated self'’s Imperator… Your exalted self’ll have done a magnificent thing.”

I stared at the man, hearing in the solas accent, in the dark of the city night something I had first heard out of Shefenkas’s mouth. The guard… I had never looked twice at him. I didn’t know his name. I couldn’t see him now, in the dark between two street lamps on the edge of Presentation square. In the weird time of the dark it was as if he were all Arko talking to me.

“I hear you. I’ve promised some people to try. I promise you, now. I’ll do my best.”

“Do that for this one, Spark o’ the Sun’s Ray and this one would need no more ever.”

I nodded. “I understand. Gods night to you, then.”

“Same to the illustrious ‘n from this low worm.” He thumped his chest with his fist and turned around to swing away down the Boardwalk, whistling. I waited until his tune faded, and the sound of his firm steps were gone before I slid behind the statue and opened the door.

At the top, I cracked open the door at my fountain, and caught the fading lamplight as Binshala checked the fountain room. She wasn’t calling… yet. But I had to wait until she went to the next room over and I could sneak out of the floor. I pulled my sandals off my feet, tiptoed into my room to stuff them and the cloak under my bed.

I slid into the window seat in the hall between the library and my office, behind the half-drawn curtain and lay down in the pillows. “Nurse? Binshala?” I called her from her search.

She came with the light and exclaimed over the nightmare that must have gotten me into such a filthy sweat.