An Autumn War(130)

She sat on one of the beds and let her eyes close. She had not slept all the long night. She wouldn't sleep until the battle was ended. Which meant, of course, that she might never sleep again. The thought carried a sense of unreality that was, she thought, the essential mood of the city. This couldn't be happening. People went about the things that needed doing with a numb surprise that hell had bloomed up in the world. The men in their improvised leather armor and sharpened fire irons could no more fathom that there would be no tomorrow for them than Liat could. And so they were capable of walking, of speaking, of eating food. If they had been given time to understand, the Galts wouldn't have faced half the fight that was hefore them now.

"Mama-kya!" a man's voice said close at hand. Nayiit's. Liat's eyes flew open.

lie stood in the aisle between beds, his eyes wide. I)anat, paleskinned and frightened, clung to her boy's robes.

"What are you doing still here?" Liat said.

"Eiah," Nayiit said. "I can't find Eiah. She was in her rooms, getting dressed, but when I came back with Danat-cha, she was gone. She isn't at the cart. I thought she might he here. I can't leave without her."

"You should have left before the sun rose," Liat said, standing up. "You have to leave now."

"But Eiah-"

"You can't wait for her," Liat said. "You can't stay here."

I)anat began to cry, a high wailing that echoed against the high tiled ceiling and seemed to fill the world. Nayiit crouched and tried to calm the boy. Liat felt something warm and powerful unwind in her breast. Rage, perhaps. She hauled her son up by his shoulder and leaned in close.

"Leave her," she said. "Leave the girl and get out of this city now. I)o you understand me?"

"I promised Kiyan-cha that I'd-"

"You can't keep it girl fourteen summers old from being stupid. No one can. She made her decision when she left you."

"I promised that I'd look after them," Naviit said.

"'Then save the one you can," Liat said. "And do it now, before you lose that chance too."

Nayiit blinked in something like surprise and glanced down at the still-wailing boy. I Its expression hardened and he took it pose of apology.

"You're right, \lother. I wasn't thinking."

"Go. Now," Ifiat said. "loo don't have much time."

"I want nay sister!" I)anat howled.

"She's going to meet its there," Nayiit said, and then swept the boy up in his arms with it grunt. I)anat-eyes puffy and red, snot streaming from his nose-pulled back to stare at Nayiit with naked mistrust. Nayiit smiled his charming smile. His father's smile. Otah's. "It's going to he fine, I)anat-kya. Your mama and papa and your sister. They'll meet its at the cave. But we have to leave now."

"No they won't," the boy said.

"You watch," Nayiit said, lying cheerfully. "You'll sec. F,iah's probably there already."

"But we have the cart."

"Yes, good thought," Nayiit said. "Let's go see the cart."

lie leaned over, awkward with his burden of boy, and kissed Hat.

"I'll do better," he murmured.

You're perfect, Hat wanted to say. You've always been the perfect boy.

But Nayiit was rushing away now, his robes billowing behind him as he sped to the end of the gallery, I)anat still on his hip, and turned to the North and vanished toward the back halls and the cart and the North where if the gods could hear Liat's prayers, they would be safe.

I lot si: SnY:AN l HAD OFFERED VP IFS wAREnot SES FOR ILP. kttnuiM-Machi and Cetani together-to use as their commandery. Five stories high and well back from the edge of the city, the wide, gently sloped roof had as clear a view of the streets as anything besides the great towers themselves. A passage led from the lower warehouse on the street level into the underground should there he a need to retreat into that shelter. In the great empty space-the warehouse emptied of its wares-Nlaati wrote the text of his binding on the smooth stone wall, pausing occasionally to rub his hands together and try to calm his unquiet mind. A stone stair led tip to the second-floor snow doors, which stood open to let the sun in until they were ready to light the dozen glass lanterns that lined the walls. The air blew in bitterly cold and carried a few stray flakes of hard snow that had found their way down from the sky.

Ideally, Alaati would have spent the last day meditating on the binding-holding the nuances of each passage clear in his mind, creating step-by-step the mental structure that would become the andat. Ile had done his best, drinking black tea and reading through his outline for Corrupting-the-Generative. The binding looked solid. I Ic thought he could hold it in his mind. With months or weeks-perhaps even days-he could have been sure. But this morning he felt scattered. The hot metal scent of the brazier, the wet smell of the snow, the falling gray snowflakes against a sky of white, the scuffing of Cehmai's feet against the stone floor, and the occasional distant call of trumpet and drum as the armsmen and defenders of Nlachi took their places-everything seemed to catch his attention. And he could not afford distraction.