The Dragon of the Ishtar Gate
- Автор: Де Камп Лайон Спрэг
- Год: 1968
- Язык: английский
- Год: Lancer Books
- Жанр: Научная фантастика
Электронная книга - «The Dragon of the Ishtar Gate». Краткое содержание книги:
Dragon is probably closest in mood to de Camp's fantasy novels, while Bronze God and Arrows are closer to his science fiction, with their description of engineering problems, and personality clashes among researchers and engineers. Dragon also reflects de Camp's then-recent acquaintance with the Conan stories and other works of Robert E. Howard. Bessas, the huge Persian nobleman, is not only a close match for Conan in physique, but his mood swings, fixation on his mother, and tendency to toss of verses, seems a reflection of Howard himself. (Fortunately, his poems reflect de Camp's verbal dexterity and wit, not Howard's melancholy.)
"How about the people of Kush? Are they as faultless and virtuous as Homer asserts of the Ethiopians, which I take to be the same folk?"
"I have not read your Homer. But, from all I hear, the Kushites are but mortal men, and you know what they are. Besides, does not every virtue, carried to excess, become a vice? May the Hidden One preserve me from faultless men!"
"Another thing, sir. The problem of the shape of the earth has long beguiled your servant. Now, in traveling hither from Syria, I have observed that the constellation we call the Lesser Bear, which wheels about the celestial pole, circles lower and lower in the sky, the farther south we proceed. So the pole itself must be lower. And I have striven to imagine what form the earth could have to cause this change. If the earth were curved convexly, like a section of a sphere, this effect would ensue. But then we should find ourselves walking down a slope that becomes ever steeper, and the Nile would flow south instead of north."
"That were as impossible as that the sun should rise in the west!"
"No doubt; but what says the wisdom of the priests of Amon about these astronomical matters?"
"I know not; some effect of increasing distance from the pole, I suppose. You make me feel very ignorant, my Greek friend."
"I am sorry—"
The First Prophet cackled. "Tsk, tsk; apologize not. I, like other men, own up to minor failings in hope of convincing others that I have no major ones. Continue."
"Well then, what say the priestly archives about the shape of the earth?"
Jed-hor: "That the earth is a hollow oblong box, with mortals creeping about like ants on the floor thereof. However, I am not qualified to dispute such a matter. The exigencies of trying to please the gods, placate the Persian government, and guide the masses absorb what effort I have to give. Now tell me of Artabanus the minister ..."
Myron gave up, as it was plain that Jed-hor was not in the least interested in the shape of the earth, or the fauna of Africa, or any other general question, any more than the Phoenician merchants had been. Myron realized that the old man was no superhuman sage after all. Instead, Jed-hor was a shrewd and cynical politician, determined to wring from his guests every scrap of court gossip and rumor that could possibly help him in his bloodless but unending struggle with the Persian government.
So Myron cautiously talked of Persian politics with Jed-hor, while jugglers, singers, and naked dancers performed. Jed-hor spoke of many matters, and thus Myron learnt of the smashing victory which Kimon the Athenian had lately won over the forces of the Great King at the mouth of the Eurymedon, in Asia Minor.
Skhâ drank deeply, tried in vain to make an assignation with a dancer, and finally went to sleep in a corner. Bessas followed the dancers with burning gaze, while Kothar ignored the entertainment to speak to his neighbors of spiritual matters.
The only untoward incident occurred when a young priest sitting opposite Shimri suddenly sprang to his feet, shook his fist at the Judaean, and poured out a flood of abusive Egyptian. Shimri sat in popeyed, open-mouthed astonishment. Jed-hor called out an order, and two other priests hustled the angry man out.
"Our humble apologies to our guests," said Jed-hor. "The young man drank his wine faster than was good for him. This deplorable conduct will be remembered when the time comes for his promotion. Now, Master Myron, tell me more of the affairs of court. If that of Xerxes be like others, there is usually a knot of the discontented who rally round an opponent of the minister or favorite of the moment; for hatred of favorites is nought but hope of favor ..."
After the party had broken up and the travelers had been led to pilgrims' quarters, Myron said: "Kothar, what happened between the priest and Shimri?"
"You know how Shimri spits as he speaks. He insisted upon talking to this priest, though neither could understand the other. And a tiny drop of spittle flew from the mouth of Shimri to the robe of the priest. To be touched by a foreigner, and worse yet by the spittle of a foreigner, rendered the priest unclean, so he must needs undertake a tedious ritual of purification. Hence the fellow was wroth."
"I can see how he might be. But what did the priest say?"
"I believe he called Shimri a flea-bitten sand dweller, a god-detested son of Seteh, and a spy of that dung-eating tomb robber Achaemenes, if you will pardon the expressions."
Bessas, who had overheard, gave a low rumble of laughter. "Demon land has no fury like that of a priest who is asked to pay taxes as ordinary folk must." He followed Myron into the cell set aside for the twain of them.
"How did you make out with old Jed-hor? He talked to you much more than to me, you garrulous Greek!"
Myron told of his bitter disappointment in the prophet's wisdom. Bessas clapped him on the back in a rough but not unkindly way. "It is even as I told you, man."
"However," said Myron, "a useful thought occurred to me during our conversation." He repeated what Jed-hor had told him about the tombs of the kings across the river and the gangs of grave robbers that plundered them.
"Now," he said, "there may be a more hazardous.pursuit than cutting off the ears of living kings, but if so I haven't heard of it. Could we not, however, get in touch with these grave robbers and arrange to buy an ear from the mummy of one of these long-dead kings? Thus we shall obtain at least one of the objectives of our quest."
Bessas' mouth fell open. "You have the wisdom of the lawgiver Oroxaeus, little man. Kothar!"
The Syrian put his head in the door. "Aye, Lord Bessas?"
"Come hither; I have a job for you...
As Bessas explained, Kothar's mouth turned down. "Ah, me! I forelooked an evening of quiet communion by spirit with a colleague in Hind. Instead, I must prowl through reeking dives and consort with unwashed ruffians."
"There is no help for it," said Bessas. "You speak fluent Egyptian, whereas we know only a few phrases like 'where is the latrine?' Withal, I suspect that, despite your fastidious pose, you have had more to do with the underworld than either of us. So be on your way'"
Next morning a red-eyed Kothar reported: "By the grace of the invisible spirits, I found the man you seek. His name is Tjay, and he plans to lead his gang tonight to the robbery of a tomb at the southern end of the Valley of Kings, as yet unplundered. When I told him what you sought, he demanded fantastic prices, but I chaffered him down to ten shekels for the royal ear. He does impose but one condition: that you and Myron accompany him on the raid."
Bessas frowned. "Why? It seems not in character, for any thief to discover to outsiders the source of his loot. I sense a hidden gin in this jungle."
"The reason Tjay gives is that he would have you satisfied that the ear is forsooth that of an authentic king and not of some royal cook or second butler. Myself, I suspect that he wishes your strong arms in case of conflict. These gangs parcel out the City of the Dead among themselves, assigning plundering grounds by treaty, with metes and bounds like sovran nations. But, like sovran nations, any gang will poach on the territories of another if it thinks it can do so without scathe. Tjay's band, being small, needs reinforcement for such a razzia."
Bessas drew his sword and tested the edge with his thumb. "O Myron, is your blade good and keen?"
"Sharp enough to shave with, did I wish to adopt the Egyptian fashion," said Myron lugubriously. "Had I known what I was getting into, I should have been less ready with suggestions."