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Back Iron Winter Save as PDF
Chapters (89)
  1. Title page
  2. Contents
  3. Map
  4. ONE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. TWO
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. THREE
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. FOUR
  77. 70
  78. 71
  79. 72
  80. 73
  81. 74
  82. 75
  83. 76
  84. 77
  85. 78
  86. 79
  87. Afterword
  88. By Stephen Baxter
  89. Copyright

‘No. A trader. That fellow Ogul. Never did trust him. At the moment of eclipse the locals went crazy. Ogul and his buddy took the chance to get rid of us, I think, and get their hands on our stuff. Once you were down they rushed us, the traders and the bearers.’

He considered that. ‘Yet I’m alive.’

‘True enough.’

‘The scholar?’

‘Jamil saved him. Fought like a lion – Jamil, that is. Killed two of them before they overwhelmed him.’

Avatak had to work through this news step by step. ‘He’s dead. Jamil is dead.’

‘Yes. But he saved Pyxeas. Once Jamil was down they turned on me. I got rid of one – Ogul, actually, and good riddance – and I scared off the rest.’

‘How?’

‘I threw the oracle at them. It bounced off a fellow’s hard head and smashed to pieces.’

Avatak winced. ‘Pyxeas won’t like that.’

‘I’ll let you take the blame. The local men thought the god was broken, or something, and ran off for the horses. Pausing only to grab most of our goods.’

‘Are you all right?’

‘More or less.’

‘So we’ve lost Jamil. And the luggage?’

‘They took the blankets, clothing, trade goods, food, water, medicines. We still have the paper bundles, Pyxeas’ learning. So, we lost nothing important.’

Avatak actually laughed, but the pain in his head burst anew. ‘And no horses.’

‘No. But . . .’

Avatak heard a soft ripping sound. He turned and saw the mule cropping patiently, as if unaware of the devastation of the night.

‘They tried to take that mule. Kicked one of them so hard I’ll swear I heard a bone snap.’

Avatak laughed again. ‘So what now?’

‘Now we fix you up. We’ll put poor Jamil under a cairn.’

‘It will have to be a big cairn.’

‘He would have smiled to hear you say that. Then we’ll gather up what we’ve got left.’

‘And then what?’

‘And then on to Cathay,’ Pyxeas said. The scholar was sitting up, rubbing his head. ‘After all, there’s still a world to save. Well, don’t just sit there, boy, help me up!’

33

Barmocar’s flotilla at last approached Carthage.

The passengers crowded on deck. The Carthaginians chattered excitedly, understandably glad to be coming home at last. The rest were more apprehensive, Rina observed, wondering what kind of welcome waited for them in this formidable city.