Helliconia Summer - Brian W. Aldiss [331]
Edging round the perimeters of BranzaBaginut, Billy said, ‘My ship was of metal, a ship entirely enclosed, carrying its own air. I can make all this comprehensible with the aid of diagrams. Our science is advanced, and could aid Borlien … The ship brought me down to Helliconia safely, then left, to return on its own to my world.’
‘Has it a mind then, this vessel?’
‘That’s difficult to answer. Yes, it has a mind. It can calculate – navigate through space, perform a thousand actions by itself.’
JandolAnganol bent in a careless way and lifted up a wine jar, elevating it slowly until it was above his head. ‘Which of us is mad, creature, you or I? This vessel has a mind – yes, yes, it too can navigate all by itself. Look!’ He flung it. The jar flew through the air, crashed into a wall and broke, splashing its contents all about. This small violence caused everyone to become as immobile as phagors.
‘Your Majesty, I endeavoured to answer your—’ He sneezed violently.
‘It’s guilt and anger only that forces me to try and get reason out of you. But why should I bother? I’m deprived, I have nothing, this place is an empty larder, with rats for courtiers. All has been taken away, yet still more is asked of me. You too ask something of me … I am confronted by demons all the way … I must do penance again, Archpriest, and your hand must not be light upon me. This is SartoriIrvrash’s demon, I do believe. Tomorrow, I will endeavour to address the scritina and all will be changed. Today I am merely a father who bleeds a lot …’
He said in a lower voice, to himself, ‘Yes, that’s it, simply, I must change myself.’
He lowered his eyes and looked weary. A drip of blood fell to the floor.
Ice Captain Muntras gave a cough. As a practical man, he was embarrassed by the king’s outburst.
‘Sire, I come on you at a bad time, as I see. I am just a trader, and so had best be on my way. For the past many years, I have brought you the best Lordryardry ice straight off the best slice of our glaciers, and at the best prices. Now, sire, I will give my grateful thanks for your custom and hospitality at the palace, and take my leave of you for ever. Despite the fog, it’s best I was off back home.’
The speech seemed in a measure to revive the king, who put a hand on the Ice Captain’s shoulder. The eyes of the latter were round in innocence.
‘I would I had such men as you about me, talking plain sense all the time, Captain. Your service has been appreciated. Nor do I forget your assistance to me when I was wounded after that fearsome occasion in the Cosgatt – as I am wounded now. You are a true patriot.’
‘Sire, I am a true patriot of my own country, of Dimariam. To which I am about to retire. This is my last trip. My son will carry on the ice trade with all the devotion I have shown you and the – hm – the ex-queen. As the weather grows hotter, your majesty will perhaps be needing additional loads of ice?’
‘Captain, you good trader in better climates, you should be rewarded for your service. Despite my dreadful state of penury, and the meanness of my scritina, I ask – is there anything I might present you with as a token of our esteem?’
Muntras shuffled. ‘Sire, I am unworthy of reward, and do not seek one, but supposing I said to you that I would make an exchange? On the journey here from Oldorando, I, being a compassionate man, rescued a phagor from a drumble. He is recovered from a watery ordeal, often fatal to his kind, and must find a living away from Cahchazzerh, where he was persecuted. I will present this stallun to you as a slave if you will present me with your prisoner, whether demon or not. Is it a deal?’
‘You may have the creature. Take it away, together with its mechanical jewel. You need give me nothing in return, Captain. I am in your debt if you will remove it from my kingdom.’
‘Then I will take him. And you shall have the phagor, so that my son may call on you in the same civil terms as I have always done. He’s a good