Duality, Rowan Erlking [best ebook reader ubuntu txt] 📗

ought to know that the laws (if not just custom) of our people has been imbalanced in favor of men over women for forever, and there is no law in Maldos against a man taking up a second wife or concubine. And if a man is wealthy enough to support another wife in Jonori he usually does. In our village it isn’t custom so really we never saw any of that. But, Bernum, I need to tell you, I never agreed with his plan to make me his concubine.

“I’m sure you’re wondering how I got stuck in this mess. I’ve been going over and over it so many times. The guy is smart.” Malkia’s voice paused, sighed then continued with an even more mournful tone. “He is very smart. He knows his laws. He knows his strengths, and he seeks out details on other people’s weaknesses.

“Merchant Omoni figured out pretty easily that Ludy was an Herbalist. Actually, anyone who knows about certified midwives knows that about sixty percent are Herbalists. In Jonori the public mood is extremely polarized. They don’t like women taking on any role that man traditionally has, so women doing magic is so ‘out’ here. They also don’t approve of outsiders having any precedence (whether real or not) over a local, so the lawmen listen and trust locals first.  So you can imagine what happened when Ludy found out we were being scammed.

“Ok, I guess I am jumping over the events. Sorry. I’m just so upset. Seeing you here is wonderful and terrible. I miss you so much. That moment when I saw you I wished that you had leapt up the balcony, summoned some dragon to fly down, take us up, and burn their house down. But you are more prudent than that. I know it. But he is sneaky, Bernum. Sneakier than you and I both put together. You need a snake to defeat this snake.

“Anyway, back to what I was saying about the events. First off, we were in Donleri, and Merchant Omoni arranged for his steward to meet with Ludy concocting this story that his wife was having a difficult pregnancy, and he needed help caring for her, and he heard about Ludy’s reputation as a woman who has never lost a mother yet. Well, Ludy was flattered and agreed, but I was all ready for going on to the Northborder Township. She convinced me to stay for one last job, something I wish I never agreed to, though it would be likely that Merchant Omoni would have sent thugs after me if I went off on my own anyway. Well, we came back to Kibilla, I tried to write you a letter, and I guess it is still sitting on the desk. Maybe you found it. I don’t know. One day when this is all over, you can tell me how you found me. Anyway, they interrupted us, sent this huge carriage to pick us up and were so pushy to get us to hurry, that I could barely tell anyone where I was going.

“So, this carriage took us to Jonori. At first both Ludy and I were so impressed with the city and his place. We tended to his wife who really was pregnant, but Ludy and I started to suspect things when we realized that his wife was not in any danger and the local midwives were enough. That, and I noticed Merchant Omoni constantly staring at me when I was in the house.

“We lived in the house for just a month, helping with the birth and post-natal care for his wife and the baby. I was already counting the days to our departure when suddenly Merchant Omoni accused Ludy of cursing the house. He made such an uproar about her being a witch. And scarier, everyone in the community suddenly got into this mob mode. And I’m serious—they grabbed their brooms, pans, pots, fire pokers and practically chased Ludy from the neighborhood. I tried to stop them, using whatever spell I could (I used a flock of birds), and she almost got away.” Malkia started sobbing as she talked, though she sounded tired, as if she had already cried so many tears that she hardly had any left. “I mean, she did get away, and yet she was not going to leave Jonori without me. But that merchant had her caught and they drowned her in the ocean.

“I was screaming at them, calling them murderers, crying out for the law to stand up and see what really was going on, but the people (manipulated by that merchant) were convinced that she had brainwashed me and was trying to turn me into a witch. Ugh! It is so infuriating!

“I tried to run off, but stupidly, I had accepted this gift earlier that prevents me from going too far from where the merchant wants me. It’s this silver circlet choker with fine writing on it. At first I just thought the writing on it was decoration and I stupidly let the servants put it on me, but now I can’t get it off. I’ve tried every spell I know. I even tried to saw it off. Nothing works.

“So, after a while I decided to embrace the whole witch accusation—drive them to let me go. I wouldn’t let them harm me. I set a hate ward around me, and I invented a lust ward to keep the merchant off me. But I started to attack them. I’ve sent flies, spiders, cockroaches, birds, all sorts of animal infestations on the Merchant’s house. I’m telling you, he won’t let me go, no matter what. He’s a megalomaniac. He refuses to lose.

“I even made a deal with that circus’s wizard. He said he could get the collar off of me, but only if I get them their contracts so they can leave the country. So I tried summoning them to my room. But I ended up with this huge cabinet in my room instead. Before I could figure out why, the merchant found me with it and he had it hauled back to his office. I think the contracts are in it. I couldn’t open the thing in time. The real front is sealed up with spell paper, and the back…I could only get two locks open before he arrived.

“So, that option gone, I have used my last resort. Bernum, I have summoned a demon to take care of Merchant Omoni. I want you to stay out of the demon’s way. He will handle the merchant for us. So, I am asking you to please leave Jonori now.”

Her voice paused with heavy sighs. Bernum had been listening with his hand on his mouth, going over in his mind all the things she had just said.

“He said that he made sure Dad would never interfere with…that Omoni is such a disgusting man. I think you know Omoni did something bad to Dad. I can only hope and pray to the four gods that Dad is all right. All I know is that Dad didn’t come for me, and Omoni gloated about it. I keep wishing I could really curse him, but I dare not accidentally turn that man into a demon. He’d make a frightful demon.

“So, for the last time, get out of here. Hide yourself and Dennik from Omoni. I haven’t told the old snake anything about you, but Merchant Omoni is very resourceful. He would figure it out eventually. So, go back to your school. When I get out of here I’ll contact you.” She sighed. “Be careful, Bernum. And go quickly.”

The sound quit.

Bernum picked up the shell, hoping for a replay, but nothing happened. Peering at the spell, he wondered slightly it if it was a good idea to send a message to her with it. Shaking his head, he rose, walking over to his luggage. He pried open the top of the suitcase, reaching in for his stationary. All of it he set on the low table, grabbing the nib pen and ink bottle to write.

His letter was brief.

 

Malkia

If you expect to get rid of me that easily, then you have forgotten that I never quit. I’m not waiting for some demon to save us. I’ll be careful, but we are getting out of here together.

Your Brother 

 

The moment the ink was dry he folded it in half, drawing one spell on one side to send it directly to her, and another spell on the other side that she could enact with a phrase to set the letter on fire. She would know it.

Going to the window, he opened the glass and held the letter up. “Out from the North. Right from the East. Down from the South. In from the West. Go to Malkia. My letter.” He let it go, snapping his fingers. “There.”

Immediately the paper swooped up on a breeze that gusted in, and whipped right out the window. Bernum watched it, hoping and praying Malkia would be able to read it without interference.

 

Chapter Seven: The Circus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Merchant Omoni’s steward took Bernum to the circus grounds the very next morning. The steward was stiff sort of man—all business. They walked to the actual grounds, which were in a tented amphitheater, going in the servants’ entrance; but upon entering Bernum’s eyes widened at the scene before him.

Under the primary colors of the tent stripes, was the strangest collection of people he had ever beheld standing about the cages, large wardrobe chests and colorful props of all kinds used in a regular working circus. If the locals of Yolund thought Dennik was a freak, they should have come into that circus to reassess their view on things. For starters, most of the people in there were foreigners. Bernum could pick out in one glance a fair skinned woman with long blood-red hair and green eyes, a man just slightly darker than her wearing a white and black-flecked feathered cloak with equally white hair though the bottom edges looked like they had been dipped in black ink, also flecked as if his head were feathers as well. There was also a man so short he looked like someone had shoved him into the ground, his hands and head regular sized. Then there was the islander with blue eyes wearing exotic copper armor, as well as the two Perri performers, a man and a woman, both in skimpy, somewhat sheer clothes and holding an enormous green snake like they were talking to it.

Bernum couldn’t take a step in at first. It was as if his heart stuck to his lungs, his breath caught in his chest. The steward leaned to his ear, whispering, “You should know, they won’t like you being here. You have to be strong or they’ll stare you down…among other things.”

The steward then led the way, gesturing for Bernum to drag himself and the magic chest Head Magician Jimmit had prepared for him along.

All eyes turned, watching them travel through their territory.

The circus wasn’t just filled with strange foreigners—there were Maldos performers as well but looking poorer off. They did the dirty work mostly. Several of them were clowns, all peering up drunkenly at Bernum with a degree of pity that he too had been snagged into the