Helliconia Summer - Brian W. Aldiss [460]
‘When there will be more contentious matters—’
‘Or, indeed, to incommode your majesty with—’
‘Enough!’ shouted Sayren Stund. ‘Come to the point, the pair of you! Enough procrastination!’
‘Precisely what we both said to ourselves a few hours ago,’ agreed Esomberr, bestowing his choicest smile on the gathering. ‘Enough procrastination – perfectly put, Your Majesty … Therefore, with the powers entrusted in us by those above us all, we solemnised a state of matrimony between JandolAnganol and your beautiful daughter, Milua Tal. It was a simple but touching service, and we wished that your majesties could have been present.’
His majesty fell off the couch, scrambled up, and roared.
‘They were married?’
‘No, Your Majesty, they are married,’ said Guaddl Ulbobeg. ‘I took the ceremony and heard their vows for His Holiness in absentia.’
‘And I was witness and held the ring,’ said Esomberr. ‘Some of the King of Borlien’s captains were also present. But no phagors. That I promise.’
‘They are married?’ repeated Sayren Stund, looking about wildly. He fell back into his wife’s arms.
‘We’d both like to congratulate your majesties,’ said Esomberr suavely. ‘We are sure the lucky couple will be very happy.’
It was the evening of the following day. The haze had cleared toward sunset and stars shone in the east. Stains of a magnificent Freyr-set still lingered in the western sky. There was no wind. Earth tremors were frequent.
His Holiness the C’Sarr Kilandar IX had arrived in Oldorando at midday. Kilandar was an ancient man with long white hair, and he retired straight to a bed in the palace to recover from his journey. While he lay prostrate, sundry officials, and lastly King Sayren Stund, in a fever of apology, came to tell the old man of the religious disarray in which he would find the kingdom of Oldorando.
To all this, His Holiness listened. In his wisdom, he declared that he would hold a special service at Freyr-set – not in the Dom but in the chapel of the palace – during which he would address the congregation and resolve all their doubts. The degrading rumour that ancipitals were an ancient, superior race would be exposed as complete falsehood. The voice of atheists should never prevail while strength was left in his ageing body.
This service had now begun. The old C’Sarr spoke out in a noble voice. There was scarcely an absentee.
But two absentees were together in the white pavilion in Whistler Park.
King JandolAnganol, in penitence and gratitude, had just prayed and scourged himself, and was washing the blood from his back with jugs of hot spring water poured by a slave.
‘How could you do such cruelty, my husband?’ exclaimed Milua Tal, entering briskly. She was shoeless, and wore a filmy white gown of satara. ‘What are we made of but flesh? What else would you desire to be made of?’
‘There is a division between flesh and spirit, of which both must be reminded. I shall not ask you to undergo the same rituals, though you must bear with my religious inclinations.’
‘But your flesh is dear to me. Now it is my flesh, and if you hurt it more, I will kill you. When you sleep, I will sit on your face with my bottom and sufflicate you!’ She embraced him, clinging to him until her dress was soaked. He sent the slave away, and kissed and petted her.
‘Your young flesh is dear to me, but I am determined that I will not know you carnally until your tenth birthday.’
‘Oh, no, Jan! That’s five whole tenners away! I’m not such a feeble little thing – I can easily receive you, you’ll see.’ She pressed her flower face to his.
‘Five tenners is not long, and it will do us no harm to wait.’
She flung herself on him and bore him down onto the bed, fighting and wriggling in his arms, laughing wildly as she did so.
‘I’m not going to wait, I’m not going to wait! I know all about what wives should be and what wives should do, and I am going to be