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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. The deal was that you should get us established in Carthage. A place to live, work—’

He laughed. ‘What work? What use is a Northlander Annid here?’

Anterastilis, his wife, touched Barmocar’s arm, and whispered something.

Alxa frowned. ‘I can’t quite hear. I think she’s saying you’re not worth the scandal. “Send her to . . . ” Jexami? “He might help.”’

‘Jexami?’ Rina had once known a Jexami, cousin of Ywa. ‘You’re sure that was the name?’

‘Jexami,’ repeated Barmocar, leaning from his carriage. ‘You heard right. Bought property here years ago. Your countryman. Maybe he’ll have something for you. I’ll have a carriage-man take you there. Would that fulfil our “contract”? Now, if you’ll let go of my horse—’

She stepped back. The driver flicked a rein, and the carriage rolled away, followed by carts bearing the rest of Barmocar’s baggage. The rest of the passengers dispersed too. Rina and her children were left standing, with their pathetic bits of luggage at their feet.

Only one man remained, a tall but scrawny man with big, powerful hands, standing by a two-wheeled cart.

Rina sighed. ‘All right. Look, I’ll take the luggage. I’ll get out to Jexami as fast as possible and get things sorted out. I’m sure he’ll put us up. Come back here at nightfall. I’ll send this man to collect you if I can’t make it back. In the meantime stay out of trouble.’

‘We’re not children,’ Alxa said.

Rina stepped closer to her. ‘Look after your brother.’

Alxa glanced at Nelo with impatience, then resignation. ‘Just don’t forget about us when you start in on Jexami’s mead, all right?’

Rina kissed her on the cheek, hugged her son, picked up the rough bags and walked determinedly to the waiting carriage-man and his cart.

34

The carriage-man’s cart jolted with every step of his jogging pace, and the bench on which she sat was hard as growstone. Yet she had suffered a lot worse during her long journey from Etxelur, her backside was probably tough as leather by now, and she endured.

Beyond the city wall the North African countryside opened up. They were heading west, towards the setting sun. The road ran dead straight across the plain, and was well built, properly drained – a good road, but there was no sign of an iron rail, and Rina coldly relished that fact. A sandy dust covered the roadway, just like the dust that had blown over the Carthaginian boat from the dried-up plains of Ibera.