The Old Woman lifted the heart and showed it to Anindais. ‘Here it is,’ she said, ‘the secret of life. Four chambers and a number of valves, arteries and veins. Just a pump. No emotions, no secret storehouse for the soul.’ She seemed disappointed. Anindais said nothing. ‘Blood,’ she went on, ‘is pumped into the lungs to pick up oxygen, then distributed through the atria and the ventricles. Just a pump. Now, where were we? Ah yes, the Kalith.’
She sniffed loudly and threw the heart back towards the table; it hit the cadaver, then fell to the dusty floor. Swiftly she rummaged through the books on a high shelf, pulling one clear and flicking through the yellowed pages. Then she sat at a second desk and laid the book on the table. The left-hand page bore a neat script, the letters tiny. Anindais could not read, but he could see the picture painted on the right-hand page. It showed a huge bear, with claws of steel, its eyes of fire, its fangs dripping venom.
‘It is a creature of earth and fire,’ said the Old Woman, ‘and it will take great energy to summon it. That is why I need your assistance.’
‘I know no sorcery,’ said Anindais.
‘You need to know none,’ she snapped. ‘I will say the words, you will repeat them. Follow me.’
She led him further back into the cave, to an altar stone surrounded by gold wire fastened to a series of stalagmites. The stone sat at the centre of a circle of gold, and she bade Anindais step over the wires and approach the altar, upon which was a silver bowl full of water.
‘Look into the water,’ she said, ‘and repeat the words I speak.’
‘Why do you stay outside the wire?’ he asked.
‘There is a seat here and my old legs are tired,’ she told him. ‘Now let us begin.’
Chapter Five
Oliquar was the first of the Immortals to see Druss striding down the hill. The soldier was sitting on an upturned barrel darning the heel of a sock when the axeman appeared. Laying the worn garment aside, Oliquar stood and called out Druss’s name. Several of the soldiers sitting nearby looked up as Oliquar ran to meet him, throwing his brawny arms around Druss’s neck.
Hundreds of other warriors gathered round, craning to see the Emperor’s champion, the famed axeman who fought like ten tigers. Druss grinned at his old comrade. ‘There are more grey hairs in that beard than I remember,’ he said.
Oliquar laughed. ‘I earned every one. By the Holy Hands, it is good to see you, friend!’
‘Life has been dull without me?’
‘Not exactly,’ answered Oliquar, gesturing towards the walls of Resha. ‘They fight well, these Naashanites. And they have a champion too: Michanek, a great warrior.’
The smile left Druss’s face. ‘We’ll see how great he is,’ he promised.
Oliquar turned to Sieben and Eskodas. ‘We hear that you did not need to rescue our friend. It is said he slew the great killer Cajivak, and half the men of his fortress. Is it true?’
‘Wait until you hear the song,’ Sieben advised.
‘Aye, there are dragons in it,’ put in Eskodas.
Oliquar led the trio through the silent ranks of warriors to a tent set up near the river’s edge. Producing a jug of wine and several clay goblets, he sat down and looked at his friend. ‘You are a little thinner,’ he said, ‘and your eyes are tired.’
‘Pour me a drink and you’ll see them shine again. Why the black cloaks and helms?’
‘We are the new Immortals, Druss.’
‘You don’t look immortal, judging by that,’ said Druss, pointing to the bloodstained bandage on Oliquar’s right bicep.
‘It is a title – a great title. For two centuries the Immortals were the Emperor’s hand-picked honour guard. The finest soldiers, Druss: the elite. But twenty or so years ago the Immortal general, Vuspash, led a revolt, and the regiment was disbanded. Now the Emperor has re-formed them – us! It is a wondrous honour to be an Immortal.’ He leaned forward and winked. ‘And the pay is better – double, in fact!’