[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
only neighbors and friends, coming and going as they will. And the will of the Sacrifice was observed in
this, as in all things.
So I read years later, in a fragment from a Chyurda holy tablet, and so finally came to understand
Jhaampe. But that first time, as we rode up the hills toward Jhaampe, I was both disappointed and awed
at what I saw.
The temples, palaces, and public buildings reminded me of the immense closed blossoms of tulips, both
in color and shape. The shape they owe to the once traditional stretched-hide shelters of the nomads who
founded the city; the colors purely to the mountain folk's love of color in everything. Every building had
been recently restained in preparation for our coming and the Princess's nuptials, and thus they were
almost garishly bright. Shades of purple seemed to dominate, set off by yellows, but every color was
represented. It is best compared, perhaps, to chancing upon a patch of crocus, pushing up through snow
and black earth, for the bare black rocks of the mountains and the dark evergreens made the bright
colors of the buildings even more impressive: Additionally, the city itself is built on an area fully as steep
as Buckkeep Town, so that when one beholds it from below, the color and lines of it are presented in
layers, like an artful arrangement of flowers in a basket.
But as we drew closer we were able to see that between and among the great buildings were tents and
temporary huts and tiny shelters of every kind. For at Jhaampe, only the public buildings and the royal
houses are permanent. All else is the ebb and flow of folk coming to visit their capital city, to ask
judgment of the Sacrifice, as they call the King or Queen who rules there, or to visit the repositories of
their treasures and knowledge, or simply to trade and visit with other nomads. Tribes come and go, tents
are pitched and inhabited for a month or two, and then one morning, all is bare-swept earth where they
were, until another group moves in to claim the spot. Yet it is not a disorderly place, for the streets are
well defined, with stone stairs set into the steeper places. Wells and bath houses and steams are located
at intervals throughout the city, and the strictest rules are observed about garbage and offal. It is also a
green city, for the outskirts of it are pastures, for those who bring their herds and horses with them, with
tenting areas defined by the shade trees and wells there. Within the city are stretches of garden, flowers,
and sculpted trees, more artfully tended than anything I had ever seen in Buckkeep. The visiting folk
leave their creations among these gardens, and they may take the form of stone sculptures or carvings of
wood, or brightly painted pottery creatures. In a way, it put me in mind of the Fool's room, for in both
places were color and shape set out simply for the pleasure of the eye.
Our guides halted us at a pasture outside of the city and indicated it had been set aside for us. After a bit
of time it became obvious that they expected we would leave our horses and mules here and proceed on
foot. August, who was the nominal head of our caravan, did not handle this very diplomatically. I winced
as he almost angrily explained that we had brought with us much more than we could be expected to
carry into the city, and that many there were too weary from traveling to relish the idea of the uphill walk.
I bit my lip and forced myself to stand quietly, to witness the polite confusion of our hosts. Surely Regal
had known of these customs; why had he not warned us of them so we would not begin our visit by
appearing boorish and unaccommodating?
But the hospitable folk tending to us swiftly adapted to our strange ways. They bid us rest and begged us
to be patient with them. For a time we all stood about, vainly trying to appear comfortable. Rowd and
Sevrens joined Hands and me. Hands had a slosh or two of wine left in a skin, and this he shared, while
Rowd grudgingly reciprocated with some smoked meat in strips. We talked, but I confess I paid little
attention. I wished I had the courage to go to August and entreat him to be more adaptable to the ways
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
of this people. We were their guests, and it was already bad enough that the groom had not come in
person to carry off his bride. I watched from a distance as August consulted with several elder lords who
had come with us, but from the motions of their hands and heads I deduced that they were only agreeing
with him.
Moments later a stream of sturdy Chyurda youths and maidens appeared on the road above us. Bearers
had been summoned to help carry our goods into the city, and from somewhere bright tents were
conjured for those servants who would stay here to tend the horses and mules. I much regretted to find
that Hands would be one of those left behind. I entrusted Sooty to him. Then I shouldered the cedar herb
chest and slung my personal bag from my other shoulder. As I joined the procession of those walking
into the city, I smelled meats sizzling and tubers cooking, and saw our hosts setting up an open-sided
pavilion and assembling tables within it. Hands, I decided, would not fare poorly, and almost I wished I
had nothing more to do than tend the animals and explore this bright city.
We had not gone far up the winding street ascending into the city before we were met by a flock of
litters carried by tall Chyurda women. We were earnestly invited to mount into these litters and be carried
into the city, and many apologies were made that we had been wearied by our trip. August, Sevrens, the
older lords, and most of the ladies of our party seemed only too happy to take advantage of this offer,
but for me, it was a humiliation to be carried into the city. But it would have been even ruder to turn
down their polite insistence, and so I surrendered my chest to a boy obviously younger than myself, and
mounted into a litter borne by women old enough to be my grandmother. I blushed to see how curiously
the folk on the streets regarded us, and how they stopped to talk quickly together as we passed. I saw
few other litters, and they were inhabited by those obviously old and infirm. I set my teeth and tried not to
think what Verity would have felt about this display of ignorance. I tried to look out pleasantly on those
we passed, and to let my delight in their gardens and graceful buildings show on my face.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]