Chapter 74

Quara froze. The Kadi was merely ten feet away from her when the giant predator attacked. She heard the panicked screams of the fleeing crowd but it was just a murmur in her ears. Even after the sabertooth had vanished, she still stood frozen into place. When she finally woke up out of her stupor it was with a start and she slumped to the ground. All the while, she had clutched her son to her chest. Her heart was racing and her body trembling as she cowered on the ground but even then she was still shielding his body with her own.

Tanju’s soft, small hand touched her cheek. “Quah-rah.”

Her body stopped shaking and her heart stopped beating.

“Mom-mah,” Tanju tried anew and a smile broke out on his face.

Quara cried out and embraced her son even tighter. A large group of riders chased past her into the night while heaving sobs shook her body. More time passed as rivers of tears, old and new, streamed down her cheeks. She was still crying when a woman’s voice accosted her.

“Why are you crying?” the cold voice asked. “You’ve been acquitted.”

Quara looked up at the woman through her tear-blurred eyes. “Iolani?”

“Yes it’s me,” the woman answered. “Bayani Nikhara sent me to take you home. Now get up and follow me.”

Quara wiped her eyes and scrambled onto her feet.

“Where is the rest of your baggage?” Iolani asked while gazing at Tanju, who clung to his mother’s neck.

“He ... I mean Lord Jab-- ... I mean Jabbit,” Quara stammered. Then she took a deep breath. “Jabbit gave me a mule.”

As if on command, the buckskin mule, dragging the travois with their baggage, stepped into the light of the surrounding torches and trotted toward them.

Iolani stared at the mule but then her eyes returned to Quara. “How?” she asked. “How did you manage to get a god’s protection? Is your cunt made of gold?”

“He never touched me,” Quara answered, almost too low to be heard.

“Spare me your lies,” Iolani dismissed with a wave of her hand. “The Kadi acquitted you but we both know you’re guilty of everything you were accused of.”

“Jabbit never touched me,” Qura persisted but rather weakly.

“Jabbit,” Iolani scoffed.

“Jabbit!” Tanju happily squealed.

Iolani frowned as she watched the little boy’s smiling face. “What kind of name is Jabbit anyway? It surely doesn’t sound like the name of a god.”

“Why don’t you ask the Kadi?” Quara said and smiled at Tanju as she lifted him onto the mule’s back. “Maybe the riders will find his remains.”

Iolani swallowed. “He is a god, is he?” she asked with much less bravado in her voice.

“Yes, he is,” Quara answered and took the reins of the mule. “Let’s go.”

Iolani nodded and turned to leave but halted. “Bayani Nikhara has neither forgotten nor forgiven your betrayal. You won’t survive a fortnight when you return.”

“My life never belonged to me,” Quara said. “If the Bayani wants to take it, I can’t stop her.”

“I doubt the Bayani has any more claim on your life than you do,” Iolani replied. “You belong to a god now and I won’t help steal from a god. I’ll tell the Bayani you were gone and I couldn’t find you.”

“But I’ve nowhere to go,” Quara said.

“Return to your god,” Iolani suggested.

“Jabbit!” Tanju merrily agreed.

The buckskin mule turned and trotted into the given direction.

After the dramatic conclusion of the trial, Evanis, Jabbit, Aishen Mashuren, and Zaya followed a young woman to the tent the Alsani’s helpers had erected for her divine guest to spend the night. They had to walk for quite a while since, like the previous night, the tent was situated in a secluded location at the eastern outskirts of the humongous main camp. During their walk, Evanis was held back by Zaya.

“Will you ask him tonight?” Zaya whispered.

“Ask him what?” Evanis wondered.

“Shush! Not so loud,” Zaya hissed. “You know what we talked about. So, will you ask him?”

Evanis frowned. “Why so eager all of a sudden?”

“After what happened at the court tonight, his presence will no longer be a secret. Every aspiring clan will offer him their eligible daughters.”

“They won’t get past me,” Evanis growled.

“Only the stupid will try to get past you,” Zaya countered. “The smarter ones will go through you.”

“Through me? What do you mean?”

“Oh please! Let’s be honest, Evanis. You’re a sucker for every pretty face that comes along,” Zaya chastised. “Today you asked me what I want. Now I ask you the same. What do you want?”

Evanis glowered at Zaya but gave no answer.

Zaya shook her head and sighed. “No one gets everything they want.”

“Yeah,” Evanis muttered, “except, of course, if you are a god.”

Zaya smiled. “So, will you ask him?”

“I’ll think about it,” Evanis grumped. “And now shut up.”

They walked on in silence. When they finally reached their destination, there was a large group of horses grazing not far from the tent.

“Look, there is your stallion,” Zaya pointed out.

“Yeah,” Evanis noted, “but where did all these other horses come from?”

Zaya grinned. “He’s the god of horses and the Yorak sent him concubines.”

“Very funny,” Evanis groused.

“I’m serious,” Zaya said. “Every man of the Yorak who saw or even only heard of your stallion will send his best mares, hoping your stallion will mount them.”

“He’s my stallion,” Evanis stated, “and no one asked for my permission.”

“And neither will they ask for your permission when they send their daughters to Jabbit.”

Evanis burned Zaya with a gaze from her blazing green eyes. “I told you to shut up,” she snapped and stormed off toward the tent.

Zaya took a deep breath before she left to return to her family’s campground. On her way, she encountered Quara, who was following her mule, instead of leading it.

“Where are you going?” Zaya asked. “And where is Tanju?”

“Tanju is sleeping,” Quara answered, pointing at the little figure, lying beneath a blanket on the travois. “I’m searching for Jabbit.”

“And your mule knows the way?”

Quara shrugged. “He gave me the mule.”

“And what do you want from Lord Jabbit?”

Quara lowered her gaze. “Bayani Nikhara sent someone to retrieve me but it was one of the younger concubines who doesn’t hate me as much as everyone else. We even were friends before ... before I...”

“You don’t have to tell me,” Zaya soothed.

Quara exhaled a forlorn sigh and then continued, “She warned me Tanju and I wouldn’t be safe if I returned to the Great Dobhan’s household. So I’m searching for Jabbit. I hope that maybe he will take us in. I have nowhere else to go.”

“I understand but now is not a good time to ask him to take you in,” Zaya said. “I hope tomorrow it’ll be much easier.”

Quara cast a puzzled look at Zaya.

“Ah, it’s ... it’s complicated,” Zaya wavered. “Let’s just say I’m working on a solution to your problem, which is my problem as well. But I have to work through Evanis Danjala. You know her, don’t you?”

Quara nodded.

“Then I don’t need to tell you why it’s complicated,” Zaya decided. “Tonight you’ll stay with my family and in the morning I’ll take you to Lord Jabbit.”

“But your father is one of the Great Dobhan’s Tömujins,” Quara worried.

“That’s true but it doesn’t matter,” Zaya dismissed. “Their Bayanis are no friends at all, which is to say, Bayani Matusha will gladly take you in if even for the sole purpose to irk Bayani Nikhara. Now come with me; it’s getting late.”

Quara and even the buckskin mule dutifully followed Zaya’s lead.

After Jabbit had entered, he sat down in the midst of an arrangement of pillows in the center of the spacious tent. Four pleasant young women, dressed in thin, translucent pantaloons and bustiers were ready and waiting to serve him. Sadly, the few oil lamps lightening the tent didn’t allow a more detailed view of their eye-catching apparel. As soon as he was comfortably seated, one of the young women handed him a fresh cup of black tea and another served him a plate with sweet treats.

“I wish you would have warned me of your plan to kill the Kadi,” Aishen Mashuren noted.

“Shat taishtsh groit,” Jabbit praised, chewing on a sweet treat. “What’s it made of and how do you call it?”

“We call it Gambir, my Lord,” the young woman answered. “It’s simply flat water and flour dough, fried in a pan, spread with jam and crème and then rolled up.”

“But maybe you no longer want me to serve you in this world,” Aishen reminded Jabbit of her presence. “Please let me know, my Lord, so I can prepare my transition to the afterworld. I’ll gladly leave this world and hope my spirit will be of better service to you.”

“What transition?” Jabbit asked. “One moment you’re alive and the next you’re dead. There is no transition. Besides, people don’t get smarter when they die. If you were stupid when alive, you’ll still be dumb when you’re dead. So don’t kill yourself on my behalf... , “ he paused to smile at the young woman handing him another piece of Gambir. “I’m very pleased with your service as it is.”

“You are my god and I am your servant, here or in the beyond,” Aishen clarified, her voice a little strained. “But I cannot serve you well if I’m not privy to your plans.”

“Oih hoad no ploan to koil tche Koadi,” Jabbit mumbled before he swallowed. “His death was a result of his own decision. The Smilodon wasn’t very hungry. It would have abstained from an old man’s tough meat but the Kadi wanted to be young again.”

The Alsani opened her mouth to respond but apparently couldn’t find the right words and just stared at Jabbit.

“Don’t worry,” Evanis comforted as she strode into the tent. “In time you’ll get used to his abstruse explanations and then you just won’t ask anymore.” She stopped in front of the cushion island, looked at each of the four scantily clad young women and shook her head. “Stop spoiling him, dammit. Next, he’ll expect me to dress like that as well.”

Jabbit smiled at her. “You’re always pretty, Eva, no matter what you wear or don’t wear.”

“Just pretty?” Evanis asked with a smirk. “You need to show more effort when you kiss up to me. I want to be referred to as mesmerizing, breathtaking, or ravishing, but definitely beautiful and not just plain old pretty.”

Jabbit’s smile grew even wider. “I’m sorry; I fear your no-touching rule clouded my perception.”

“Then you should remember the reason for this rule and may refer to me as devastatingly dismissive,” Evanis coolly replied.

Aishen Mashuren huffed and stomped out of the tent.

“I guess she believes I should act more reverent when I talk to her god,” Evanis surmised. Then she looked at the four remaining young women. All of them kneeling, heads bowed and their eyes directed on the floor. “You may leave as well so you won’t have to witness your god punishing me for my insolent behavior.”

Evanis snorted as the four jumped up and rushed out of the tent.

“I thought you liked pretty girls,” Jabbit commented, “but lately you always chase them away.”

“Not always, only when you’re around.”

“So, I’m not punishing you but you are punishing me?”

“You’re not allowed to touch me but you still can look at me,” Evanis answered as she unclasped the fastenings of her armor. “That’s already more than you deserve.”

“I’ll take that as your opening offer.”

“What?” Evanis froze, halfway out of her armor. “I’m not negotiating with you.”

“No?”

“No,” she said and loosened the remaining strings and buckles.

Jabbit watched her one-footed balancing act while she pulled off her new riding boots.

“Today I learned a lot about the customs of the Yorak,” she casually remarked as she wriggled out of her equally new tight leather pants. “That got me thinking.”

“Really?” Jabbit asked as all she wore was a thin white linen shirt, which barely reached her thighs. “I was also thinking just now. You were right – you’re not merely pretty, you’re mind-numbingly gorgeous.”

With a grin, Evanis lifted the shirt a bit and slapped her bared left buttock. “You just love my ass.” She laughed and went to a nearby chest. “And if you weren’t such a lying and cheating bastard, then you still would be allowed to do much more than just leer at my ass,” she said as she fetched some furs and blankets out of the chest.

“Yes, that’s a tragedy,” Jabbit said and stood up.

“It doesn’t have to be a tragedy,” Evanis said as she rearranged the cushions and blankets while he undressed. “I don’t even demand to be your only lover. You just have to stop cheating on me.”

“And what exactly do you constitute as cheating?”