The Sorrow of the Waters (Kalika Magic Book 3) Page 14

  After a while, Indie stopped, her hands aching, but Jabar refused to give up. He pulled the knife from his belt and used it to gouge the edge of the wood.

  ‘It’s impossible,’ said Indie. ‘You’re not even making a scratch.’

  It was true. The knife left no mark. Jabar leaned back against the wall, frowning.

  ‘Why would the river spirit send us here if we can’t get out?’ muttered Indie.

  ‘Maybe she’s angry too,’ said Jabar. ‘Or maybe this is her way of testing us.’

  Indie gave him a doubtful look. ‘Do you really think nature spirits do things like that?’

  ‘How would I know?’ Jabar slumped back against the wall. ‘I didn’t even believe in nature spirits until I came to the island.’

  ‘What about your hawk?’

  ‘That’s different.’ He gave the wood a savage punch, which did nothing except rattle the boards and pour more dirt on their heads.

  ‘Stop it,’ said Indie. ‘If this is Nagara, we don’t want anyone to know we’re here.’

  ‘So we just sit quietly and die of hunger?’ Jabar gave the wood another punch. ‘Not me.’

  He punched the wood over and over. Dust rained down on them; and Indie noticed the cracks split a little wider with every punch.

  Jabar fell back against the wall, puffing.

  ‘I want to try something,’ said Indie. She braced her back against the wall, and wrapped her arm around the rope like an acrobat in a travelling circus. Then, lifting her legs above her head, she drove both feet into the boards.

  ‘Wait!’ Jabar shuffled around the ledge until he was beside her. He leaned back against the wall and put his feet against the boards. ‘Okay,’ he said. ‘On three.’

  They counted together. ‘One … two … three!’

  The boards split with a loud crack.

  Jabar gave her a big grin. He reached up and grabbed the top of the rope.

  ‘Hold on,’ said Indie. ‘I want to go first.’

  ‘No chance,’ he said, turning at the same time so they were squashed together, clinging to the rope. ‘You’re the princess, remember. I’m supposed to protect you.’

  Indie looked at his gangly frame, his broad shoulders, the snake tattoo winding up his arm. He was thin, but he looked strong, and he carried the silver knife in his belt. He looked like he could protect her – but that didn’t mean she wanted him to.

  ‘I am the princess,’ she said, looking him straight in the eye. ‘So I command you to let me go first.’

  Jabar shook his head. ‘You don’t act like a princess,’ he muttered, but he moved back against the wall, and watched in silence as she pushed aside the splintered boards and climbed out of the well.

  Chapter 20

  The Temple of Tears

  Indie could hear the clatter of feet and the hum of voices. She was in a busy market square. Jabar was right behind her. He pulled her back behind some large barrels, crouching low so they wouldn’t be seen, but no one seemed to pay them the slightest attention.

  ‘It’s our fair skin,’ said Indie. ‘We look like everyone else.’

  ‘Except we’re dirtier,’ said Jabar. ‘And our clothes are different.’ He peered out from behind the barrels. ‘Aha!’ he said. ‘I know what we need. Follow me.’

  He crept out, looked around to make sure there was no one watching, and then ran into a narrow back street. Indie followed.

  Jabar stopped when he came to a cluster of houses with washing slung on lines to dry in the sun. Grabbing a brightly coloured robe, he disappeared through a doorway and came out dressed all in green. Indie did the same, emerging in yellow and struggling to tie the long cords around her waist.

  ‘Here,’ said Jabar. ‘You have to wrap it around a few times.’

  He took the cords and wound them around her, tying the ends in a knot at the front.

  ‘There,’ he said. ‘You look great.’

  ‘I look like a sunflower,’ said Indie, frowning. ‘And you’ve tied it too tight.’

  Jabar shrugged. ‘Tie it yourself then.’ He stepped back, and Indie was left to tug and pull at the cord, growing more frustrated every minute.

  ‘This is Nagara,’ said Jabar. ‘See the round houses and the golden roofs. And look, there’s the emperor’s palace high on the hill, overlooking the city.’

  Indie looked to where he pointed. She could see the domes and turrets of an enormous golden palace in the distance. It was nestled back against the green hills, surrounded by high walls.

  ‘The city is so big,’ she said. ‘How will we ever find Nima and Kai?’

  ‘They’ll be looking for the boy with the monkey,’ said Jabar. ‘I guess we should look for him too.’

  They walked back to the bustling square. There were hundreds of people rushing around, buying from the market sellers, gossiping in groups, playing games at tables in the sun. Indie couldn’t see an animal of any kind, let alone a monkey. There weren’t even any dogs.

  ‘But where do we start?’ she asked.

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Jabar. ‘You’re the princess, where do you want to start?’

  ‘Better not call me that here.’ She glanced around, relieved to find that in all the hubbub no one was listening.

  Jabar watched a small group of children roll their hoops along a nearby street. They were about the same age as Sami, with cheeky smiles and happy voices. ‘I think we should start there,’ he said.

  Holding out his hand, he walked over to the closest child, a little girl in a ragged dress, her hair pulled back in a short brown ponytail. ‘Hi,’ he said, smiling at her. ‘I’m looking for someone – the boy with the monkey. Do you know him?’

  ‘No monkeys around here,’ said the girl. She picked up her hoop and ran back to the other children.

  ‘That worked well,’ said Indie, sarcastically.

  Jabar frowned. He walked to the other side of the square and sat beside an old man at one of the game tables. The old man didn’t look up. He was concentrating on a chequered hobela board with bright green and white squares. There were silver horses spread across the squares, and piles of round gold tokens stacked beside the board.

  ‘Shh,’ he said. He rolled the dice and moved one of the horses three squares to the left.

  The old man on the other side of the table chuckled softly. He moved his horse in a single jump, taking the first man’s horse from the board.

  ‘Now see what you made me do?’ said the first old man, handing over a gold token.

  Jabar apologised. He walked back to Indie.

  ‘Hey,’ she whispered. ‘I know how to play that game. Kai and I play it all the time.’

  She walked over to the old man and stood beside him. She watched for a little while, and then she leaned over the board and pointed to a green square. The old man smiled at her, picked up the silver horse on the square, and jumped three of the other horses.

  After the next two moves, the old man invited her to sit on the bench beside him. After a few more, he let her move his silver horses and collect the gold tokens. By the end of the game, the other man had lost all his horses and his tokens were piled high on Indie’s side of the board.

  ‘You are a brilliant young lady,’ the old man said, turning to her with a smile. ‘Now, what can I do for you?’

  ‘We’re looking for someone. A boy with a monkey.’

  ‘Ah. You’ll need to go to the temple. The only monkeys in Nagara are in the temple grounds.’ He turned back to the board with a dismissive wave. ‘Run along now.’

  As they walked away, Indie gave Jabar a self-satisfied grin. ‘There,’ she said. ‘That’s how you do it.’

  ‘Very clever,’ said Jabar. ‘But where is the temple?’

  Indie stopped. Damn. She hadn’t thought of that. ‘We’ll ask someone. It must be here somewhere.’

  Jabar looked around the square. Indie followed his glance. They were getting curious looks from some of the people. The old man with the chequerboard, the one she
had beaten, was talking in an agitated way to a few of the other men, gesturing in their direction.

  ‘I don’t like this,’ said Jabar. ‘We need to leave this place.’

  He took Indie’s elbow and hustled her through the square. Behind them there were voices and the sound of running feet. Indie looked back and saw three men in white uniforms bursting through the crowd.

  ‘Run!’ she cried.

  Jabar dropped her arm and ran. She followed. They pushed and shoved their way through all the people, knocking over baskets and bowls, running as fast as they could. Behind them, the guards shouted and swore.

  In and out of the stalls they ran, out of the square and down the alleyway, through a door that led into a long dark corridor, bursting out the end into dazzling sunlight and row upon row of tiny terrace houses.

  ‘This way,’ said Jabar. He pulled Indie through an old wooden gate and down a green path into an overgrown garden. Trees with drooping limbs and thin golden leaves stood around the edge, the tips of their branches touching the ground.

  Pushing aside the branches, he dragged Indie underneath and threw himself down beside her, so they were completely hidden by the leaves.

  Indie held her breath. She could hear footsteps and shouts in the distance. The footsteps pounded along the street and stopped at the gate. The gate squeaked for a moment, and a voice said, ‘I don’t care who you are chasing. This garden is sacred. You cannot come in.’

  There were muttered apologies, and then the gate creaked open again and slammed shut. For a long time Indie could hear nothing. She looked at Jabar, who frowned, shook his head, and put his finger to his lips. There was a rustle of grass, the sound of hurried footsteps, and then two slim hands reached inside the branches and pulled them back.

  Indie blinked. She couldn’t believe her eyes. It was the woman from the island, the river spirit who had sent them through the water to Nagara.

  ‘Ama,’ she gasped.

  Ama smiled. She was no longer a spirit of mist and swirling colours. She looked like a normal woman, dressed in a blue silk robe tied at the waist. Only her dark hair gave her away. It was glossy and sleek, and looked like she had just stepped out of the water.

  ‘Hurry,’ she said. ‘Follow me.’

  She seemed to glide over the ground, her feet barely touching the grass. Indie and Jabar followed, marvelling at how large and overgrown the gardens were. There was water everywhere: streams that bubbled in hidden beds, pools that appeared from nowhere and vanished into the grass, stone fountains covered in grey lichen and soft green moss. The water was cloudy; the grass and reeds thick and untamed.

  Indie looked, her eyes wide. ‘It’s so beautiful,’ she whispered.

  They reached the steps of an old temple, crumbling and derelict, with images of water dragons carved into the door. Ama led them inside. It was cool and damp, and there was a pleasant scent in the air, like flowers after the rain.

  Ama turned and spread her arms wide. ‘Welcome. You are in my sacred grove, the home of the water spirits.’

  ‘How can this be here?’ asked Jabar. ‘The emperor won’t allow any temples in Moto unless they are dedicated to him.’

  Ama laughed a soft silvery laugh. ‘This is the Temple of Tears. It is ancient. It was built long ago when the Kalika still lived in this land.’

  ‘This is a Kalika temple?’ Indie looked around in wonder. There was so much she didn’t know about her mother’s people.

  ‘Of course,’ said Ama. ‘The emperor has tried to destroy it many times, but water is powerful – it adapts and flows.’

  For a moment she looked sad. ‘This dark power that has returned to the land, this blackness that pollutes the river and kills the fish ... It is far more dangerous than the emperor. See the water?’ She pointed out to the flowing streams. ‘It was once blue and crystal clear, sparkling and singing in the sunshine. Now it is grey and cold, and nothing can live in it.’

  ‘Because of Sofia,’ said Indie.

  ‘Yes,’ said Ama. ‘I’ve brought you here to help us stop her.’

  ‘Did you have to send us through the well?’ asked Jabar. ‘It was dry, you know.’

  ‘Of course it was dry,’ said Ama. ‘I didn’t want you to drown.’

  ‘But it was sealed shut.’

  ‘I know,’ said Ama. ‘I’m sorry. The water in Nagara is so polluted now that there aren’t many portals to choose from.’

  ‘Well, you could have warned us,’ muttered Jabar.

  Indie put her hand on his arm. ‘It doesn't matter,’ she said. ‘We got out. We’re here now. We need to find Nima and Kai. And the boy with the monkey, whoever he is.’

  ‘The boy with the monkey is here,’ said Ama, but her face was grave. ‘He works in the palace kitchen. He will not help you.’ She sighed. ‘The monkey is an akuna, a shadow spirit – ’

  ‘A what?’ asked Indie.

  ‘Everyone has one,’ she explained, smiling at their puzzled faces. ‘Power animals have two sides, a side that gives you confidence and helps you feel good, and a side that walks in the shadows. After your mother died, Jabar, your father walked with the shadow wolf. He forgot to talk to the brave loyal side of the wolf, the side that brings protection and love.’

  ‘We must destroy this monkey creature,’ said Jabar, bitterly.

  Ama shook her head. ‘You can’t destroy a shadow,’ she said. ‘If you fight against it, it grows stronger.’

  Indie frowned. ‘We need Shaman Yanti. He tamed Mugadi’s wolf. He’d know what to do.’

  ‘Shaman Yanti is beyond my sight,’ said Ama. ‘He’s in terrible danger, but I cannot help you find him. If you insist on meeting this boy, I can show you a secret way into the palace. That is all I can do.’

  ‘But then what?’ asked Indie. ‘What do we do if he won’t help us?’

  ‘You’ll have to face that when you come to it.’

  When night came, Ama left them in the temple. Her voice wafted back. ‘You will be safe here. Go to sleep. I will wake you in the morning.’

  ‘Wait!’ cried Indie. She ran to the door and looked out. The streams whispered in the moonlight. She was sure she could hear voices in the grass and laughter in the air, but there was no sign of Ama.

  ‘I’ll keep watch,’ said Jabar, settling down against one of the doorposts.

  ‘We’ll take turns,’ said Indie. She sat against the other doorpost, and gave him a shrewd look. ‘I’ll take the first half, in case you forget to wake me.’

  Jabar shrugged. ‘If that’s what you want,’ he said. He stood and walked to the other side of the temple, curling his lanky body against the cold stone wall.

  For what seemed like hours, Indie sat gazing out the doorway into the night. The cool breeze made her shiver, and she wrapped her arms tightly around her body, rocking back and forth to keep warm. She tried to keep her eyes open, but it had been a long day and exhaustion seeped into every part of her body. Her bones felt tired and old. Her breathing grew heavy. Her eyelids fluttered shut.

  When she woke, the sun was shining and she was draped in Jabar’s cloak. He was sitting by the doorpost, yawning. ‘So much for keeping watch,’ he said.

  ‘Did you stay awake?’ asked Indie. She hoped he had slept too; then she wouldn’t feel so bad.

  Jabar stretched his arms above his head. ‘Nope. I’ve been awake all night, listening to you snore.’

  She looked at him closely. He had dark circles under his eyes and his face was white. She thought he was probably telling the truth.

  'Well, you should have woken me.’ She jumped to her feet and stomped out into the garden. He was so annoying! Now he would be tired all day, when they both needed to be alert and ready for anything. And he would blame her.

  She tried not to think about how he had given his cloak to her; how she had slept right through the night because he was there, keeping watch.

  ‘Stupid idiot,’ she muttered, kicking at the grass. ‘He should have woken me.’

  The
re was a tinkling sound, and she realised it was laughter. Ama was standing beside her. ‘Don’t be too hard on him,’ the river spirit said, in her soft musical voice. ‘He would do anything for you.’

  ‘I don’t want him to,’ said Indie. ‘I can do it myself.’

  The river spirit laughed her tinkling laugh. ‘You will change your mind, in time.’

  Indie frowned. ‘I doubt it,’ she said.

  Chapter 21

  The Emperor’s Kitchen

  The Emperor of Moto sat back on his velvet cushions and picked at the green spinach stuck between his two front teeth. ‘Come here, boy!’ he roared, spraying small bits of spinach all over the floor.

  Kai crawled across the marble floor with his head bent. The chains which bound his hands and feet were joined at a band around his throat, making it impossible for him to stand. When he reached the emperor, he pressed his forehead to the ground.

  ‘Hurry,’ said the emperor. ‘There’s something between my teeth.’

  Kai kneeled before the fat man, almost overpowered by the sickly sweet smell of his perfume. He took a gold toothpick from the low table beside him and grimaced as he probed between the emperor’s teeth. The emperor’s breath washed over him in a rank wave. The emperor’s spongy tongue looked like a piece of raw meat. For a moment Kai tasted vomit at the back of his throat, but he swallowed and held his breath, praying that he wouldn't be sick all over the emperor’s fine robes.

  ‘Where’s the girl?’ demanded the emperor, when Kai sat back on his ankles, looking helpless. ‘Let her have a try.’

  Kai looked on, his fury mounting, as one of the guards pushed Nima into the room. She too was clad in a white robe and silver chains, but her chains were only on her hands and feet, so at least she could walk.

  She had no more success than Kai with the toothpick. In the end, the emperor sent them both away in disgust.

  ‘Useless,’ he said. ‘A waste of time and space. I don’t know why she insists on keeping you.’

  A shiver ran down Kai’s spine. He knew exactly who ‘she’ was. He’d felt her from the minute he entered the palace. There was a sense of foreboding in the air, a heaviness that filled every corner of the building from the wide golden halls to this enormous room with its mosaic walls, marble floor and rugs woven from the softest yellow silk.