Shadowland. Spider World 06 by Colin Wilson

“No. He will be at the palace until dawn.”

The captain asked: “Would it not be better if I remained here?” Niall sensed that he felt uncomfortable at the thought of mixing with a crowd of humans.

“Oh no. The karvasid would wonder where you were.” As they left, Katia stood at the door; she looked at Niall with a sad expression.

“You’re lucky to be invited to the palace. I’ve never been there.”

As they were climbing into the cart, Niall asked Gerek: “Couldn’t you arrange an invitation?”

Gerek seemed slightly shocked.

“Oh no. Servants are not allowed.”

When they reached the bridge across the river, Niall was surprised by the number of carts drawn by gelbs, and by the crowds of pedestrians on the sidewalks. Even the blue-green waves of the river seemed to share in the holiday atmosphere. The only thing that seemed strange was that it was all so silent. This, he knew, was an illusion, since all these people were engaged in telepathic communication.

Niall asked Gerek: “Who are the people who have been invited?”

“Some are privileged citizens — those who have contributed to the welfare of the city. Then there are many guests from the two levels — overseers, managers, supervisors.”

“Any workers?”

“Yes, one from each factory. They are the ones who have achieved the highest production.”

“And what is this reception for?”

“Twice a year all the managers and overseers present their reports in a general meeting. This should be ending about now.”

“Does the karvasid preside over the meeting?”

“No. He dislikes dealing with people. Typhon acts as his intermediary. The karvasid will make an appearance later.”

They took the road that led directly to the palace, whose green front was illuminated by floodlights. With its Roman arches and strong, thick columns, it looked like something built in antiquity. The road itself was made of a sandy-colored stone speckled with white and black, and since the surface was smooth and unbroken, Niall assumed it was some form of cement. Five hundred yards along, the road was divided by a roundabout, in the center of which stood an enormous dark tree, whose trunk must have been five feet in diameter. Its seaweed-colored leaves gleamed in the light of the circle of lamps that surrounded it. Its huge branches seemed carved out of stone.

Niall asked: “What kind of a tree is that?”

Gerek said: “It is not a ‘kind’ of tree. It is the kalinda tree, which was planted by the karvasid before the city was founded.” He smiled, as if he wanted Niall to know he did not blame him for his ignorance.

“Where did it come from?”

“The Vale of Thanksgiving.”

A moment later, as they passed the roundabout, Niall experienced an unmistakable sense of power that emanated from the tree, so strong that it made his nerves tingle. He asked: “What are those women doing?”

Several woman, scarcely visible in the darkness under the branches, were facing the trunk, and apparently embracing it.

“Hoping to conceive. They think it has magical properties.”

The road that led from the kalinda tree to the palace was impressive, for it was the only road in this city that ran uphill. At least a hundred carts with gelbs were waiting in line along the road, but Gerek drove straight past them all, over a drawbridge across a moat, then through two farther gateways to ten-foot-high bronze doors that stood wide open. The Magician, Niall reflected, liked to impress his subjects.

Close to these gates, the carts had formed something of a traffic jam; this was due to the fact that two of them had locked their wheels. As Niall watched, two very tall men emerged from the gates and strode over to the obstruction. Niall guessed their height to be seven feet. Both had gaunt, angular faces and big ears; their hair was bright red. The purposeful way they strode suggested that the drivers of the carts were in trouble.

What happened then was that each of the men grasped a cart on the outside and gave a violent heave. The interlocked wheels both came off and rolled down the slope, while the unbalanced carts tilted over, spilling out the couples who had been in them. The two guards pointed back down the hill, and their meaning was unmistakable. Even from twenty yards away, Niall could see that both couples looked shattered, and that the women — who were wearing bright party dresses — were close to tears.

Niall asked Gerek: “Can’t we do anything for them?”

Gerek shook his head. “Unfortunately, no.”

“But don’t you have the authority?”

“Not here. That’s the man in charge.” He pointed to a big man with a black mustache and jutting chin, who waved at Gerek. “Jelko’s the commander of the Palace Guard. But even he wouldn’t dare to show partiality. You see, everybody must obey the law. When you’ve been here a few days you’ll begin to understand.”

The two couples were walking back down the hill looking listless and miserable. Niall was saddened — so much so that he felt he had lost all appetite for the party.

The two seven-foot giants were directing the carts to a large courtyard to the left; their manner struck Niall as rude and peremptory. They saluted Gerek and allowed him to drive into an empty courtyard to the right, although one of them looked as if he intended to question the captain’s right of entry. But since even this giant stood six inches shorter than the spider, he seemed to change his mind.

Niall was not mollified by their special treatment; he was still thinking of the disappointment of the two couples who had been turned away. He asked Gerek: “Why are they so rude and irritable?”

Gerek said evenly: “That is their job. They are here to keep order.”

At close quarters, Niall could see that the stone of which the palace was built was not natural. Like the material of the approach road, it was flecked with black and white fragments, and consisted of blocks three feet long and eighteen inches tall. Niall nevertheless had to acknowledge that it was more impressive than the black marble of the Spider Lord’s palace.

They dismounted and went through the nearest door. The room was evidently an office, with a desk and file cases. Since the walls were made of undecorated green stone, this looked incongruous.

Gerek said: “This is Typhon’s office.” He motioned Niall to take the comfortable chair behind the desk, and opened a cupboard, from which he removed a carafe of golden wine and some tumblers.

“We don’t want to go in yet. We’ll only have to make conversation.” He looked at his watch. “The committee meeting should be over by now.” There was a sound of footsteps in the corridor. “Ah, this should be Typhon.”

Typhon seemed surprised to find them there. Niall thought he looked tired and preoccupied. Nevertheless he smiled at Niall and the captain, and Niall was again struck by his good manners.

Gerek poured wine into a tumbler and held it out to him. Typhon shook his head. “No, I won’t drink.”

Gerek looked surprised. “Why not?”

“It wasn’t a good meeting. Nearly everyone had failed to meet the new production targets.”

Gerek groaned. “Oh no! What went wrong?”

“I don’t know. But the karvasid is going to be displeased.”

Gerek was looking concerned.

Niall asked: “What are the new production targets?”

“There are still five miles of the city wall to be built. It was supposed to be finished by January. Now that’s impossible.”

Niall was puzzled. “I don’t understand. Surely a wall is to keep out enemies? And if the treaty is signed, it won’t be necessary.”

For a moment, Typhon and Gerek looked blank, as if Niall had said something incomprehensible. Then Typhon smiled.

“Yes, you have a point.” He turned to Gerek. “I’ll have that drink after all.” He accepted a tumbler from Gerek and raised it. “To the peace treaty.”

Niall raised his glass and drank. But he still had a feeling that there was something that had not been said.

After what he considered a polite interval, he asked the question that had never been far from his thoughts: “Did you speak to the karvasid about my brother Veig?”

“Indeed I did. He says he will speak to you about it later. But when I told him that it happened a week ago, he seemed to feel there was no urgency.”

“And did you speak to him about the peace treaty?”

“Of course. And like me, he was baffled by how a boy like you became ruler of the spider city.”

Gerek said: “I can explain that. Niall told me the story as we were driving out to the northern lake.”

“I shall be fascinated to hear it.” He turned to Niall. “But now, I wonder if you would excuse us while we go into the next room to discuss some business?”