“And to convince me he brought proof, firstly bringing my daughter alive and well.”
That really stupefied them. Like the Sakae, they had no knowledge of any way into their country except the gate, and thought that, if we were men and not evil spirits, we must have carried off Aryenis into the desert. The last thing they ever imagined was that she had been brought back to her own people. And so doubtless they hoped to put the blame on to raiders, and then, by inducing Kyrlos to cease his preparations, to fall upon him unawares, even if they were not able to inveigle him into their country, where they would murder him and his men.
Before the envoy could speak again, Kyrlos took the helmet from my hand, unwrapped it, and threw it down at their feet, saying:
“And there is the helmet of one of the murderers, with upon it the device of the chief Shaman’s guard, brought by the man who slew him, he who stands here now”—and he indicated me.
Then he went on. “Therefore will I ride before long into your country to do justice. But I will not ride with a company of my men. I will ride with all my people; and when I come to the Shaman fortress, I will gorge the vultures in the gate, and their last and fittest meal shall be your master’s heart.” He pointed to the nearly leafless trees. “Tell him that sent you that I swear by God, that, before the spring buds show, he and his friends shall lie out in the Gate of Death and the land be purged of the Shaman curse that we have suffered these late years.
“Go. You have my leave to depart.”
But, as the envoy turned to go, Atana, whose face was convulsed with rage, spoke up.
“Your message shall be delivered, and, as you say, the vultures shall be gorged before spring. But we will feed you to them slowly, so that you may see how white-skinned Aryenis likes living with me and my archers in the gate. We rejoice that she is not dead, for the kept women there lack variety, and it went to my heart when my uncle bade me put her out of the gate so soon, and waste such pleasing charms ere we had tasted them a space.”
I wonder Kyrlos did not kill him then, but apparently it was a crime beyond all words to touch an envoy or his party.
But Henga stepped up to him, and, looking into his face, said slowly: