Helliconia Summer - Brian W. Aldiss [115]
‘I wish you to come back into the protection of the barricades, ma’am,’ he said. ‘You are not safe, living in this ruin. I cannot protect you here in the event of a raid.’
‘Vry and I prefer living here.’
‘You’re under my control, for all your reputation, you and Vry, and I must do my best to protect you. All you other women – you should not be here. It is too dangerous outside the barricades. If there was a sudden attack – well, you can guess what would happen to you. Shay Tal, as our powerful sorceress, must please herself. The rest of you must please me. I forbid you to come here. It’s too dangerous. You understand?’
All evaded his gaze except the old midwife, Rol Sakil. ‘That’s all nonsense, Aoz Roon. This tower is safe enough. Shay Tal’s scared off the fuggies, we all know that. Besides, even you have been here on occasions, haven’t you now?’
This last was said with a leer. Aoz Roon dismissed it.
‘I’m talking about the present. Nothing’s safe now the weather’s changing. None of you enter here again or there will be trouble.’
He turned, raising a beckoning finger to Laintal Ay.
‘You come with me.’ He marched down the steps without a farewell, and Laintal Ay and Dathka followed.
Outside, he paused, pulling at his beard. He looked up at her window.
‘I’m still Lord of Embruddock, and you had better not forget it.’
She heard his shout from within, but would not go to the window. Instead, she stood where she was – alone despite the company – and said in a voice loud enough for him to hear, ‘Lord of a rotten little farmyard.’
Only when she heard the squelch of three pairs of boots retreating did she deign to glance out the window. She watched his broad back as he trudged with his young lieutenants towards the north gate, Curd trotting at his heel. She understood his loneliness. None better.
As his woman, she would surely not have lost stature, or whatever it was she valued so highly. Too late to think of that now. The rift was between them, and an empty-headed doll kept his bed warm.
‘You’d better all go home,’ she said, afraid to look directly at the women.
When they got back to the muddy main square, Aoz Roon ordered Laintal Ay to stay away from the academy.
Laintal Ay flushed. ‘Isn’t it time that you and the council gave up your prejudice against the academy? I hoped you’d think better of it since the miracle of Fish Lake. Why upset the women? They’ll hate you for it. The worst the academy can do is keep the women content.’
‘It makes the women idle. It causes division.’
Laintal Ay looked at Dathka for support, but Dathka was gazing at his boots. ‘It’s more likely to be your attitude that causes division, Aoz Roon. Knowledge never hurt anyone; we need knowledge.’
‘Knowledge is slow poison – you’re too young to understand. We need discipline. That’s how we survive and how we always have survived. You stay away from Shay Tal – she exerts an unnatural power over people. Those who don’t work in Oldorando get no food. That’s always been the rule. Shay Tal and Vry have ceased working the boilery, so in future they will have nothing to eat. We’ll see how they like that.’
‘They’ll starve.’
Aoz Roon drew his brows together and glared at Laintal Ay, ‘We will all starve if we do not cooperate. Those women have to be brought to heel, and I will not tolerate you siding with them. Argue with me any more and I’ll knock you down.’
When Aoz Roon had gone, Laintal Ay gripped Dathka’s shoulder. ‘He is getting worse. It’s his personal battle with Shay Tal. What do you think?’
Dathka shook his head. ‘I don’t think. I do what I’m told.’
Laintal Ay regarded his friend sarcastically. ‘And what are you told to do now?’
‘I’m going up by the brassimips patch. We’ve killed a stungebag.’ He exhibited a bleeding hand.
‘I’ll be there in a while.’
He walked by the Voral, idly watching the geese swimming and parading, before following his friend. He thought to himself that he understood both Aoz Roon’s and Shay Tal’s points