Black Leopard, Red Wolf

He pointed at what I was wearing, the same as he, and as many of the men and boys who passed us, a long tunic and a cloak clasped only at the neck. But only in the colours I saw before: gray, black, and blue. Some men, all older, wore red or green caps over their bald heads, and red and green sashes at the waist. The few women passed by on carts and open caravans, some in white gowns with wide sleeves like wings, the tops split open to plump up breasts, and head wraps in several colours pointing to peaks like a high tower.

“I have never seen you so dressed,” he said.

A cart pulled by two donkeys passed us, with an old man and a boy in it. They went to the edge as far as I could see, then vanished. At first I thought the man rode the cart off to his death.

“The road spirals around, sometimes in and sometimes out of the tree. But at some point, if they want to leave the citadel, one of those bridges that pulled us up must take them down,” Mossi said.

“One night and you are guide to all things Dolingo.”

“You learn much in one night when you miss sleep. Like this. The Dolingon build on high because of an ancient prophecy that the great flood will one day return, which many still believe. An old man told me this, though he might have gone mad from walking the streets and not sleeping. The great flood that consumed all lands, even the Hills of Enchantment and the unnamed mountains beyond Kongor. The great flood that killed the great beasts that roamed the land. Know this, I have been to many lands and one thing they all seem to share is this great flood that came to pass and another that will one day come true.”

“Seems what all lands do share are gods so petty and jealous that they would rather destroy all the worlds than have one that moves on without them. You said we must speak.”

“Yes.”

He took my arm and started walking faster. “I think we should assume we are being watched, if not followed,” he said. We went over the bridge and under a wide tower, with a blue stone archway taller than ten men. We continued walking, his hand still grabbing my arm.

“No children,” I said.

“What?”

“I have seen no children. None last night, but I thought that was because it was night. But so far into this day, none I have seen.”

“And your complaint is?”

“Have you seen even one?”

“No, but there is something else I must tell you.”

“And slaves. Dolingo is not Dolingo because of magic. Where are the slaves?”

“Tracker.”

“First I think the servants who scrubbed me are the slaves, but they seem like masters of their craft, even if the craft was back scrubbing and balls scraping.”

“Tracker, I—”

“But something is not ri—”

“Fuck the gods, Tracker!”

“What?”

“This night gone. I was in the Queen’s chambers. When the guards took you to your room, they took me to mine only to wash me and take me back.”

“Why did she call you back?”

“The Dolingon are a very direct people, Tracker. She is a very direct queen. Don’t ask questions where you know the answer.”

“But I do not know.”

“They took me back to her chambers, on the same caravan that we came over. This time four guards went with me. I would draw a sword but then I remembered they took our weapons. The Queen would see me again. I mystified her, it seems. She still thought my skin was magic and my hair and my lips, which she said looked like an open wound. She had me lie with her.”

“I did not ask.”

“You should know.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know! I do not know why I feel you must know, since it means nothing to you. Curse this. And she was cold, Tracker. I do not mean she was distant, or that she showed no feeling, not even pleasure, but that she felt cold, her skin colder than northern wind.”

“What did she have you do?”

“This is what you are asking me?”

“What do you expect me to ask, prefect, how did it make you feel? There are many women I could ask that question.”

“I am not a woman.”

“Of course not. Woman is supposed to look at this as a natural course of events. Man, he falls on his knees and screams what a horror, what a debasing.”

“How you have no friends mystifies me,” Mossi said.

He walked away. I had to skip to catch him.

“You asked for my ears and I gave you a fist,” I said.

He walked several steps before he stopped and turned around. “I accept your apology, such as it is.”

“Tell me all,” I said.