The Shattered Goddess by Darrell Schweitzer Page B

everywhere. Peril lurked behind every closeddoor and shutter. It was as if he had drifted from a pleasant, secure dream of distant memory into a nightmare of shrieking terror, thence into the waking world which was scarcely better. Hadel had described breaking out of a trance as escaping from one prison inside another inside another. It was like that. Which one were they in now?
    In time, as the streets filled with traffic and theshopkeepers unfurled their canopies, Ginna realized that Amaedig did not know her way around as well as she thought she did. And she admitted it. She had, once or twice, been into the lower city on various errands in the company of serving women, but the corners and lanes were all alike to her.
    “It looks a lot easier when you’re up on the walls,” she said. “You think you can just walk straightto the Sunrise Gate because you can see it. But there’s a maze in between.”
    They dared not ask directions, lest they draw attention to themselves. Ginna noticed something he had not previously been aware of. The folk of the lower city had their own secret language. There were occasional words he did not understand, but he had listened to the common people from the walls before, so therewere only a few. But he wasn’t prepared for the gestures. The various castes, merchants, artisans, news-criers, beggars, and the like had a whole vocabulary of signs they made between one another and among themselves, just like the nobility did, only the gestures were different. This was yet another reason for not approaching anyone. Although they had never been anywhere else, they were strangersin Ai Hanlo.
    Once they did confront a company of soldiers marching in strict formation, spears pointed upward, and they scrambled to get out of the way, both trying not to betray themselves in their fear, but in this they were like everyone else. All the people were afraid of the soldiers and hid their faces from them, only to speak in contemptuous tones when they passed.
    “Butchers!”hissed an old woman, pointing to the ground, then crossing her fingers. “Unnatural sons of dogs!”
    “They had a feast in the palace yesterday,” said another. “A real roast.”
    “The Powers preserve us,” said the first, making another sign.
    “What good will that do? The Powers are on the side of the monster.”
    Ginna and Amaedig hurried away. Ginna had no doubt who “the monster”was. How had Kaemen shown his true nature in the lower city for all the world to see? He didn’t pause to find out.
    They wandered through the city for much of the day. They drank from a public fountain, conserving what water they had in their bottles. When they came to a street of food vendors, it occurred to them that the smith and his wife may have equipped them for a journey, but stillthey had no money. It was time they got on with their journey.
    At last they came to a large open area filled with people and booths. Beyond it was one of the four immense gates of the city, hanging open on its huge hinges, guarded by a dozen soldiers in unadorned helmets and breastplates and armed with spears. Most of them were leaning on their spears, looking bored. In the middle of theopen space a hundred or more people were securing burdens on the backs of camels and pack horses, while three men in tall, conical hats raced back and forth on katas , shouting orders.
    Ginna watched them with fascination. It was the first time he had ever seen anyone riding one of the creatures, except for stable hands breaking them in. They almost danced with fluid grace. He noted how peoplekept well clear of the spiked tails.
    This is our chance,” whispered Amaedig. “We’ll join the caravan.”
    When the man in the red hat waved to the other two, who wore blue, and one of them clanged a pair of cymbals, the camels lurched to their feet and the caravan began moving through the gate. The leader leaned down from his kata and handed a small purse to one of the guards, who