Chapter 12: The Power and Magic of Dreams

Soon after, the Campus Guard dispersed the crowd and I had Eshendisa follow me to the aqueduct to talk while I waited for the next water shuttle. We stood apart from the other waiting passengers and I asked her where she lived.

 “I rent a room from an old widow with a small country house not far from the academy,” she told me. She sighed, staring at the long shaft of water rippling before us. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to pay her rent in two weeks time. Not now.”

 I gently squeezed her shoulder. “Come back with me to the city and Mala and I can treat you to dinner. We don’t have much to eat right now, but you’d be among friends.”

 Eshendisa gladly accepted my invitation and soon the galley pulled up and we boarded it. When we were sitting atop the main deck and watching the valley beyond through the tall vertical windows either side of us, Eshendisa enquired as to how I could be so wise to people in matters of love.

 “I’m sorry if this sounds callous of me,” she said, “but you did say you were mostly just a prostitute before becoming a sell-sword.”

 I smiled. “You forget the part about my being a court astronomer’s apprentice.”

 “Oh, my apologies.”

 “It’s okay. No, but you don’t seem to realize that the men I was with sometimes liked to talk, especially if they became regular clients. Among other topics, they’d complain about their wives and girlfriends. After a while, I just began to notice patterns-- which is probably why my mentor thought I’d make a great astronomer.”

 “You can still realize that dream, Syndeeka.”

 I looked ahead. Row upon row of tall windows hurtled towards us like illuminated cypresses on a tree-lined path. Through them I could make out Riga Etirsuki resting on its hill.

 “I don’t know anymore. In the next month, the whole world could come crashing down on our heads. Maybe now, a far-off island in the middle of nowhere is all we can still hold out any hope for.”

 Dinner with Eshendisa and Mala was a relaxed but cathartic affair. It was obvious to me that being able to talk with friends in a secluded setting over a simple meal of dates, bread, and cheese seemed to elevate Eshendisa’s spirits. Our little repast also helped to soften some of the anger I’d been feeling towards Mala most of the day. 

 Eshendisa explained that her family all lived far to the north and that she didn’t have enough funds to pay for fare on a ship that sailed to the so-called Barbaric Kingdoms.

 “Also,” she said, “my country is landlocked. I’d have to get through several neighboring kingdoms before I could even lay eyes on my mother, my father, and my two brothers again.”

 Mala and I assured her we would do anything within our power to help Eshendisa find employment, but we both knew our friend might still have a difficult time securing another job. Having been terminated from a place she’d worked for the past three years, she had no references.

 We let her stay the night, and since there were only two cots between Mala and me, I offered mine to Eshendisa while I opted to curl up in a blanket on the floor.

 “Trust me,” I assured her when she raised an objection, “I’m a mercenary. I’ve had worse accommodations.”

 I thought I’d have trouble clearing my mind of all the past few days’ trauma to even consider sleep, but my weary body had other plans and I quickly drifted off.

 It was on the following morning, before Mala or Eshendisa had awakened, as I sat rubbing Mala’s own special balm into the skin of my leg (a truly healing concoction) that I considered my position at the academy. Mala’s slip two nights ago had compromised my anonymity and now the Giant and his people knew the name of his would-be assassin. At the same time, Bardrakeu’s newfound nationalistic militancy had a whole mob of students ready to go down into the catacombs and rout out the conspirators. 

 Where did all this leave me? Continuing my job as Tulonan’s personal assistant made me (and possibly also Mala) a target. Fodineo had wanted me to find the Sepulchral Giant. Well, I’d succeed there, but now my own front was shattered. 

 And here was poor Eshendisa, the latest victim of a senator’s petulant son, with no prospects and soon no home. She shared my love of astronomy. Maybe it was best for me to cut ties with the philosophy academy and move on. Maybe Demitos’s escape plan was our last and only hope.

 Mala, still bedridden and forced to rest on her side or even her stomach, stayed in her cot, asleep. But Eshendisa had awoken. I told her we needed to head to the academy now.

 “But I’m in no hurry to go back to that place,” she said.

 I smiled. “If I have any say in the matter, you will be.”

 It was when we were on the first water shuttle of the day that I explained my plan.

 The low sun cast a faint golden light on the flagstones as we crossed the courtyard to the Natural Philosophy building.

 “I don’t know if I’m qualified to be Tulonan’s assistant, Syndeeka.”

 “Trust me. I’ll advocate for you, Eshendisa.”

 We cut through several columns of the arched colonade that rimmed the building’s ground floor until we saw the main entrance. Standing by the tall ironwood double doors was a small gathering of students talking amongst themselves.

 One of them was Aldro.

 His brown eyes widened upon seeing us and he quickly threaded through the other young men to block our way.

 “What is she doing here?” he asked me in a nervous, angry tone.

 “That’s my own business, Aldro,” Eshendisa replied, her voice low, humorless. 

 “Let us pass,” I said, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.

 He flinched away from me.

 “She shouldn’t be here, Syndeeka! Eshendisa is no longer employed at this institution. She’s a woman with no ties to this school.”

 I exhaled through gritted teeth. “If you continue to block our way into this building I will be forced to take action.”

 “What?” he grinned, giggling shrilly. “Would you dare assault a senator’s son?”

 “No, not if I don’t have to. But I am employed by the Emperor, and he hardly likes your father.”

 His grinning face melted into a shocked expression.

 “You serve that tyrant?”

 I sighed. “Life is sometimes unfortunate that way. But I’d like you to stay here and I’ll be back in a few minutes to talk to you.”

 “Can I talk to her instead?” He pointed to Eshendisa.

“After what you did yesterday,” she said, “that’s not likely. I offered to be your friend…”

 “Why would you treat me so cruelly? I’m probably the kindest, most decent man you’ve ever been in a relationship with your whole life. But you’d probably rather just be with beastly men like Garsa.”

 Eshendisa laughed mirthlessly. “Yes, of course. Because you’re too kind and I’m too cruel.”

 “Let’s just go,” I said, taking Eshendisa by the arm. “Aldro, I hope you’ll still be here in a few minutes. I promise I’ll let you speak your peace.”

 He frowned but stood aside and let us enter the building.

 Tulonan was shocked, surprised, and saddened by my proposal. 

 “Why would you leave?” he asked, sitting on a corner of his desk, his hands clasped before him.

 An arctic sea seemed to flood my whole chest. I tried to hold back a sigh, but the air still hissed through my lips.

 “Suffice it to say, Tulonan, I’m now a wanted woman. I’ve managed to cross a lot of people, and it’s more than likely the next one I anger will be the man living in the palace.”
I formally introduced Eshendisa to my employer and explained her merits as an unofficial student of the stars.

 Then I let them get acquainted with each other while I stepped out to find Aldro.

 Aldro wanted someplace quiet and isolated to talk so we went to the other side of the Natural Philosophy Building. Here there were only flagstones and the wall that rimmed the campus.

 He leaned his back against a column and looked at me.

 “What is it you want to tell me, Syndeeka?”

 I didn’t wish to offend him, so I chose my words carefully before speaking.

 “I know what you’ve been going through emotionally. I’m assuming this is your first rejection, isn’t it?”

 He glanced at the flagstones, chuckling. “No. I’ve known plenty of rejections over the years.”

 He returned his gaze to me. “Does that surprise you?” he asked.

 “I’m not really surprised, but this must have been the first rejection you’ve had after getting so far. Trust me, Aldro, I know how it feels.”

 “Why did you take her into the Natural Philosophy Building? Was it so she could talk to Tulonan? Why else would you do that?”

 I smiled wryly. “You’re a smart one, I must admit. You’re certainly suited to this place.”

 “You want her to speak with Tulonan, don’t you?”

 “I’m not going to stay at this school much longer, Aldro. My assignment was to find this mysterious Sepulchral Giant people were whispering about. Find him and kill him.”

 Aldro smiled. “Looks as if Bardrakeu is going to do that for you. You want Eshendisa to have your job, then.”

 I stared up the length of the campus wall. “My job was mostly a front. But I have grown fond of Tulonan.”

 “Don’t you realize what you’ve done to me?”

 I returned my gaze to Aldro. “What I’ve done to you? You fired me and then you used your family ties to make Eshendisa lose her job. What, by the gods, have I done to you?”

 “I’ll have to see her every day of school now. I got her terminated so I could avoid her.”

 “You certainly didn’t consider the consequences of your actions, did you? She’s just a poor young woman with no family in this part of the world. You’ve made things very hard for her. She could wind up homeless and destitute. Is that what you wanted?”

 Aldro laughed under his breath. “It would serve her right for mistreating me. Who knows? Maybe she’d have to take up your old profession.”

 I could feel hot blood coursing through me. “Aldro, you can hardly imagine what people in my old profession are forced to endure. All the pain, all the degradation, all the violence. I knew prostitutes far younger than you who chose to end everything because they couldn’t handle the suffering and despair any longer.”

 “You survived.”

 “I’ve become hardened by life, sir. If I hadn’t grown a callus around my inner self, I don’t think I would be here today.”

 Aldro ran his hands through his curly hair. “I don’t want to have to see her every time I go to Tulonan’s lectures.”

 “Just ignore her. I’m sure she’ll do the same for you.”

 “It’s tearing me up on the inside.”

 I exhaled slowly. “I’m afraid that’s just a cold, dark wave you’ll have to ride out. But you are a senator’s son; don’t people of your class get into arranged marriages?”

 “That was how my mother met my father. They never loved each other. I always noticed that growing up. My father barely hid his mistresses. And my poor mother just maintained the household with a quiet pain behind her eyes. Can you understand why I’d want something better?”

 “Then maybe you should just walk away from this life.”

 “What? Do you mean I shouldn’t follow in my father’s path?”

 I shrugged. “Why not? I’m sure you’d like to be an astronomer.”

His mouth pulled into a smirk. “Look how it worked out for you.”

 I sighed. “You wouldn’t have the obstacles I’ve had.”

 Aldro stared at his sandals. “My father would cut me off if I did that.” He returned his gaze to me. “I’ve never worked before.”

 “Ah, Syndeeka! There you are.”

 I looked behind me and saw Calendra coming towards me, Dusana in his wake.

 “Oh,” I said. “Calendra. Can we talk later? I’m in the middle of a private conversation.”

 “No, I think we’re finished here,” said Aldro, stepping away from the column.

 “We wanted to play you a new song we’ve been working on, Syndeeka,” said Dusana, holding his flute up.

 Aldro walked up to his friends. “Can I hear it, too?”

 “Oh!” Calendra slapped his forehead. “I forgot my mouth harp. Aldro, I think I left it over by the sundial.”

 “That wasn’t too sharp of you. Somebody could steal it.”

 Calendra patted Aldro on the shoulder. “Well, then, looks like I’m nominating you to retrieve it for me, Aldro, old boy.”

 “Okay, I won’t be long.” Aldro looked back to me. “Thank you, Syndeeka. For letting me tell you my side of things.”

 “I’m glad we were able to talk, Aldro,” I said, smiling.

 He quickly sprinted away.

 Dusana grinned at me, holding the flute’s mouthpiece just under his lips. “You’ll like this song, Syndeeka. It’s all about the power and magic of dreams. I can’t think of anything more magical.”

 I chuckled. “Well, so long as they don’t turn into nightmares.”

 “Now what kind of talk is that, Mistress Syndeeka?” asked Calendra, placing an arm around my shoulder.

 “You can unhand me, young man.”

 Calendra fished a small pouch from his belt, laughing. “Young man. I like that.” 

 He stared into my face, his eyes bulging and his overbite hideous.

 I grabbed the hand that was squeezing my shoulder and tried to pull it off, while Calendra tossed the pouch to Dusana. Then I noticed the holes on Dusana’s flute were sealed up with some sort of amber substance.

 “What is this? I asked, elbowing Calendra in the chest.

 Calendra gasped as his breath was knocked out of him and released me.

 Dusana smirked knowingly, pouring a white powder from the pouch into the bottom end of his flute. 

 “It sounds better when you cover the holes with wax,” he said, placing the mouthpiece to his lips.

 As I tried to turn to run, something cold and coarse as gravel hit the side of my face, then the skin of my cheek went numb…

 I could feel my body sinking into a liquid darkness.

 Darvino stood before me in a bright red room, smiling. He was decked out in the gold lame outfit he’d worn on the night I’d first met him and his hands were behind his back.

 “Thank you for giving him to me, Syndeeka.” He held out a bloody hand.

 I made no move to take it in my own. But then I noticed my whole body felt numb.

 I tried to step back from him, but couldn’t. My legs, my arms, my torso were all frozen in place.

 Darvino kept smiling, but his eyes grew pained, as if he’d felt slighted by my inaction.

 He ran a red hand through red hair. “Very well, then. I’ll leave you two alone to get reacquainted.

 Darvino stepped to the side and was gone. I could now see what he’d been blocking with his body.

 In an iron chair, crumpled, bloody, his armless shoulders bearing cauterized stumps, was Nebiat. His one good eye stared through me. The other dangled from a long, ropey piece of bloody tissue hanging from a gaping socket.

 He was dead, and yet he wore the saddest face I had ever seen.

 I wanted so badly just to weep. Instead, I awoke.