Niall learned more of the history of Kazak’s people at the feast that took place that night. They ate at low tables made of slices of tree-trunk. The floor was covered with rugs made of animal pelts, some of them consisting of dozens of skins of small rodents sewn together with artistry and skill. Ulf sat beside Kazak, with Niall on his other side, and since Kazak’s voice was deep and impressive, Niall could hear every word. Kazak described how they had discovered tools in the great fortress on the plateau — metal axe-heads and saws, hammers and pincers — and how paintings on the walls of tombs had taught them to use these. The slabs of stone had to be moved by night, because of spider patrols; even the “shepherds” who looked after the ants had to take them out an hour before dawn and bring them back after dark.
At first, the greatest problem for the inhabitants of the underground city had been lighting. Although there was an abundance of the green “copper beetle”, from which oil could be obtained, there were not enough of them to provide oil for the whole community. Then one of the men who had explored on the far side of the lake told of a black, tarry substance that bubbled to the surface in a remote inlet, and whose smell resembled that of burning beetle oil. Kazak despatched two men to fetch samples. And he discovered — as he expected — that this black, sticky oil burned with a smoky flame. And if the flame was kept small enough, there was no smoke. From then on, the black oil was mixed with the oil of the copper beetle, and the underground city had its own street lighting system. Teams of men took it in turns to bring the oil from the other side of the lake — a six-day journey — while women and teenage girls had the job of replenishing the oil lamps and trimming the wicks to avoid smoking.
Niall listened to all this as he ate his way through course after course. He had never seen such an abundance of food, and much of it was completely new to him. Jomar had told him about fish, but he had never tasted any; now he ate three different varieties, caught in the river that ran into the salt lake. There was also a great deal of meat, most of it heavily salted. (Kazak spoke with pride of their food store, which — he claimed — was so large that they could sustain a six-month siege.) Niall was particularly delighted with a tiny mouse, hardly bigger than the tip of his finger, which was skinned and roasted with some kind of seed; he ate a whole bowlful to himself. The drink was either honeydew diluted with water or fermented fruit juice. This juice was far more intoxicating than the kind he had tasted at home, and he observed with sly amusement that Ingeld drank far too much of it, and became increasingly talkative. She also made no secret of her interest in Hamna, and in Hamna’s younger brother Corvig, stroking Corvig’s shoulder-length yellow hair and squeezing Hamna’s biceps. Halfway through the meal, the attractive girl who was serving the guests tripped on the rug, and emptied a bowl of an oily salad over Ingeld’s head. She apologised profusely; but Niall, who had seen exactly what happened, was aware that it was no accident; he caught the girl’s eye and smiled, and she smiled back demurely. Ingeld, trying to conceal her fury, had to retreat to the dwelling that had been assigned to her to wipe the oil out of her hair. But she was back half an hour later, her hair tied back with a ribbon, and was soon as talkative and demonstrative as ever.
Kazak was an impressive figure of a man, in spite of his double chin and fleshy nose. But he obviously enjoyed exercising his authority, snapping orders at the serving maids and generally treating his subjects as though they were unruly children. Everyone showed him the greatest respect, and agreed with everything he said. After his third cup of wine, Kazak became boastful, and told stories that illustrated his wisdom and foresight. There could be no doubt that these stories were basically true; but Niall still felt that it was unnecessary for such a great chieftain to proclaim his own virtues.
At the end of the feast Kazak stood and proposed a toast to the guests. Everyone stood up and drank to them. Then Kazak slapped Ulf on the shoulder and suggested that he should bring his family and come and live with the people of Dira. Niall was thrilled and delighted at the idea; the thought of living permanently in this magnificent palace struck him as too good to be true. Yet he knew his father well enough to realise that he was altogether less enthusiastic; he could tell this by the way Ulf nodded slowly, keeping his eyes averted. He resolved to use all his powers of persuasion to try to change Ulf’s mind.
After the toast, Kazak asked his daughter Merlew to sing. Niall found the idea puzzling and rather embarrassing. His mother used to sing him to sleep as a child, and she still sang lullabies to his sisters. But the notion of singing as a public entertainment struck him as altogether incongruous.
His doubts vanished when Merlew opened her mouth. Her voice was sweet and pure. The song she sang was about a girl whose fisherman lover was drowned in the lake, and there was something about its simplicity that made Niall want to cry. When the song was over, everyone applauded by banging their clenched fists on the tables; Niall applauded loudest of all. Now he knew beyond all doubt: he was not simply in love with Merlew; he regarded her as a goddess, someone who deserved to be worshipped. Everything about her intoxicated him, from her slender figure to her copper-gold hair and her brilliant smile. Merely to look at her made him feel as if he were dissolving inside. It would have been ecstasy to die for her.
Merlew sang two more songs: one a lament of a queen for a warrior killed in battle, and one a light-hearted ballad about a girl who fell in love with a big, shiny fish. Again, Niall laughed and applauded louder than anyone else, and then was suddenly stricken with embarrassment when she looked across at him and smiled. He sat there with his heart pounding against his ribs, aware that his face was red, and hoping that Ingeld had not noticed. The thought that Merlew had not only noticed him, but also smiled at him, filled him with bursting happiness.
After Merlew sat down, Hamna stood up and recited a stirring ballad about a king marching to war against overwhelming odds. It was Niall’s first experience of poetry, and again he felt moved to the point of tears. He also felt relieved that Hamna was Merlew’s brother; he was so handsome, and recited so impressively that Niall was sure no woman could resist him. When Hamna sat down, Ingeld took his hand and kissed it, and Hamna looked embarrassed.
After this, there were many more songs and many more poems. For Niall, it was a magical experience; each song and each ballad seemed to carry him away into another land, so that when it was over, he felt as if he had been on a long journey. The tales of heroic deeds made him feel proud to be a human being; at the same time, he felt sad that his own life had been so devoid of heroism. He resolved that, at the first opportunity, he would do something to prove his own courage. He kept glancing cautiously sideways, hoping that Merlew would smile at him again; but it was obvious that she had forgotten he was there. On the other hand, he frequently glanced across to the opposite table and found Dona watching him. Her obvious admiration flattered him; but he accepted it as his due, as he accepted the admiration of his sister Runa. If he had been told that Dona’s feelings about him were exactly the same as his own about Merlew, he would have been embarrassed but indifferent.
A point came when a boy came and whispered something in Kazak’s ear. The chieftain stood up, raised his arm for silence — a quite unnecessary gesture, since there was instant silence when he rose — and announced that it was time for the herdsmen to take out the ants to the lakeside. Half a dozen young men stood and went out, halting at the door to bow to Kazak. This seemed to be taken as a signal that the feast was at an end. Merlew also went out, terminating Niall’s interest in the proceedings. Kazak beckoned to Ingeld to come and take her place, patting the seat beside him, and she did so obediently. Other people began to drift out, all making a bow to Kazak as they left the hall; he was too absorbed in Ingeld to notice them.