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  SAVAGES: A TRIPTYCH

  (c) Brendan Ball, 2015.

  All rights reserved.

  Table of contents

  LONG LIVE THE KING

  THE DEPOSITION

  LUNAR SEAS

  Acknowledgements

  LONG LIVE THE KING

  ‘Now primitive peoples, as we have seen, sometimes believe that their safety and even that of the world is bound up with the life of one of these god-men... What catastrophes may not be expected from the gradual enfeeblement of his powers and their final extinction in death? The man-god must be killed as soon as he shows symptoms that his powers are beginning to fail, and his soul must be transferred to a vigorous successor before it has been seriously impaired by the threatened decay.’

  Frazer, The Golden Bough.

  The King of Men stood naked before the Eye of Vision. He listened for footfall on the sand outside his house, but in the heat of morning heard only mosquitoes under the roof, flies on the wall among the hanging skulls of his enemies, and upon the floor the spiders and lizards and crawling things of the earth. In the Eye of Vision was the King of Men, and in the King of Men was Fear.

  Of a devil came the Eye, a devil on a throne on the shoulders of men, carried flat from the sunset forest with fever in its bloodless skin. Half a moon it lay so, raving in tongues of its kind. And its men waited and watched, guarding (not it, but its burdens), saying only that it came for trade, no devil but a man, from a land across great water.

  In that same moon went the King his father to rest as the King his father’s father before him, his father after the fall of a tooth, his father’s father after the coming of a white hair one morning in the days of the rain. In rightness carried they the King-Spirit, and in rightness gave it: the rainmakers brought the eggs of the rainbow-bird, and the first wives the Draught of Passing. And with the King his father still between worlds, lo, from fever rose the devil.

  Of gain were its thoughts and for women its goods - for hair, ears, arms, fingers - and before the eyes of his people the King gave of them to his wives. And the devil asked, speaking with its white hands, to see the King alone. Unto the King’s house went the King and the devil, the King his father new asleep in the next. By the door waited Dancing Flame and Mighty Lion, and tall with his spear stood the King of Men.

  On the devil’s white face were no markings of kind. In the house of the King it bared its head; and the colour of its hair was as men’s, but as ploughed with ashes. With its hands it told its sickness, its rising and its thanks.

  And the King made no reply.

  The devil took from its shoulder a stitched skin, and from the skin a jar and a comb. The jar was of a rock that let through light, and in it was a blackness not as water nor as sap. The devil opened it and took of the blackness, and through its own hair ploughed it with the comb. And lo, the ashes were no more, and the hair black as a child’s. The devil looked into the eyes of the King of Men.

  The King made no reply.

  And the devil took from the skin a squared light as of hard water, and bade the King look upon it. The King looked; and lo, it captured his spirit.

  With a shout as of war the King raised his spear; with the scream of a woman the devil fell, a crawling thing, beneath the skulls. Its hand let go the trap, and free was the King’s spirit. The King held his spear to the throat of the devil, and called unto him Dancing Flame and Mighty Lion.

  From the earth of his house the King raised the spirit trap. Cut into its handle of wood were markings of the devil’s kind. It captured the roof; then across its face of hard water fell the skulls, then Mighty Lion’s arm and club, then again the head of the King. He drew back and was free, looked again, and again drew back. For in the spirit trap was an Eye of Vision.

  And the King was as one understanding.

  He spake unto Dancing Flame:

  “Father of Full Harvest, is thy heart true unto me?”

  And Dancing Flame said unto the King:

  “As thou art the King of Men.”

  The King spake unto Mighty Lion:

  “Father of Midnight Storm, is thy heart true unto me?”

  And Mighty Lion said unto the King:

  “As thou art the King of Men.”

  And the King of Men stood tall in his house. He held in his hand the Eye of Vision, and unto them he spake:

  “Take you hence this devil that would capture the King-Spirit, and do unto it as your hearts command.”

  Thenceforth before the Eye of Vision came none but the King.

  Now, in the quiet of morning, he stepped back to see in it the whole of himself, his teeth white, his chest strong beneath the spirit-charm, his limbs, his manhood: in all his days none failed. But it was of no meaning. He lifted his hand to the one white hair between ear and eye. He pulled upon it, but it was not of length to pull.

  He listened: all was still. Unto his bed went the King of Men, and thence from deep among the skins took he the mud of the devil.

  The seal of the jar came not. To break such a thing made noise and pieces. He tried again as a man kills fowl, and unto his hand came the seal.

  There in the mud were the smell of evil and the track of the dead devil’s fingers. The King looked again in the Eye of Vision. In it were the door behind, the skulls hanging, himself a warrior, and Fear.

  The mud to the touch was as that which eats a man. Unto his head the King brought his fingers, and so too the mud, and so too the touch of the devil. And lo, the white hair was no more.

  Unto the door came footfall. The King of Men with the heart of a thief and the speed of a lizard hid again the jar. And the King stood tall in his house.

  “Enter.”

  Mighty Lion entered with the pot of water, and bowed at the feet of the King. In the hair of Mighty Lion, who carried not the King-spirit, whiteness even of bone were of no meaning.

  “Rise, father of Midnight Storm.”

  Through the eyes of Mighty Lion passed a shadow. There was silence in the house of the King. And the King spake unto Mighty Lion:

  “This day the King washes alone.”

  Mighty Lion bowed and went from him, but the footfall stopped beyond the door. The King listened, and when it went, it went not unto the house of Mighty Lion.

  The King of Men turned, and lo, upon his throne was the Eye of Vision. With the legs of an old man went the King unto it. Behind his eye on the side of his spear hand, the length and width of a scorpion-tail, as blood from a wound, ran the devil-mud. And the King was as one in the eye of the death-snake.

  He washed, touching not his hair, till the mark was no more. In the Eye of Vision he looked upon one side of his head and upon the other. Light spake wetness, but shadow spake it not.

  Unto the door came footfall. The King hid again the Eye of Vision. He sat his throne and looked to the height of a man’s eyes. And it was higher than his head. So the King sat not, but stood tall in his house.

  “Enter.”

  Singing River entered with the King’s breakfast, her eyes lowered in rightness upon her breasts. She laid it before him.

  The King spake unto her:

  “Rise, mother of Aim Unfailing.”

  She rose. From the hand of the first wife took a King, in rightness, the Draught of Passing. The King knew not if she ever thought upon it.

  “Wife, is thy heart true unto me?”

  She smiled.

  “As thou art the King of Men.”

  In her look was a question not of food or water. Of five children unto him was she mother. The King held high his head.

  “Send unto me Drum of War.”

  She bowed and went.

  The King dressed and sat his throne to eat. But when he
looked upon the water, he set down the food as one whose taste dies from him. There beneath the surface lay the blackness of the devil-mud, growing down as trees. His hand moved unto his head, but stopped and touched it not. He looked to the door.

  The King of Men knelt and put his hands to the pot. And lo, a storm blew the evil-trees through the water. He looked to the floor as one seeing them painted there; and he poured it not, but carried it behind the throne to a place in the eyes of none.

  The King sat again before the food. None in the night saw the colour of water, but in the night stood a guard before the house. None, day or night, saw drink inside a man. But what killed not by touching the skin, killed perchance by touching the heart.

  Came footfall. He put the food from him, and stood.

  “Enter.”

  Drum of War entered. Pale were his scars in the morning shade, for great were the deeds of his arm. He knelt before the King, and the King spake unto him:

  “Father of Born in Thunder, is thy heart true unto me?”

  And Drum of War said unto the King:

  “As thou art the King of Men.”

  “Rise.”

  The King looked upon him. And the King, as one to whom an answer comes, stood tall in his house.

  “Father of Born in Thunder, one seeks my death.”

  Terrible were the eyes of Drum of War as he said unto the King:

  “My arm is ready and my spear thirsts.”

  The King of Men spake as one in pain:

  “It is Mighty Lion. Come.”

  And the King led Drum of War behind the throne.

  “Lo, in the water he brought unto me. Evil.”

  And Drum of War came not near it. The King spake unto him as one whose heart is heavy:

  “He goes now my name in the forest to speak. Unto the darkest spirits gives he it, in hate for my love of thee. The King my father tells it in my sleep. Be thy heart true to the King my son.”

  And Drum of War, a mighty man and brave, struck his breast and sware:

  “King of Men, there in the place of his evil shall he himself die unto them.”

  And the King was as one who wills a thing not, saying:

  “Such a death brings Fear among a people.”

  And Drum of War said unto the King:

  “In silence will I strike, and it shall be to them as the act of a beast.”

  Upon the King’s face was sorrow. And he spake unto Drum of War:

  “Thou art a true son of our people, and must do as thy heart commands. But beware thou his magic: for thy safety, strike before he speaks.”

  Drum of War bowed and went from him, and the King of Men was alone. In quiet returned he again unto the Eye of Vision.

  Large inside its hard water was his head captured. Upon him now lay no scorpion-tail nor white hair. But lo, the skin beneath his eyes was not as before, but as fruit fallen from the tree. And to the King of Men his skull was as the skulls upon the wall.

  He sat before the food but ate not. Time passed as under a burden.

  Higher grew the sun and hotter the day. Came footfall.

  “Enter.”

  Drum of War entered, blood upon his spear. And there was silence in the house of the King.

  “Speak.”

  And Drum of War said unto him:

  “King of Men, my heart is true unto thee. Feast my enemy upon my tongue if ever of this I speak.”

  Into his eyes looked the King of Men. And the King knew not what was true. He said unto Drum of War:

  “Father of Born in Thunder, not of my first son is my love greater than of thee.”

  Drum of War bowed, but the King of Men saw not what was in his heart. And the King bade Drum of War:

  “Take thou hence this water and its evil. And as thou lovest me touch it not, for thou to me art more than many wives and animals.”

  Drum of War bowed before the King, took up the water and went from him.

  And the King of Men, upon his throne in long silence, knew not his heart.

  At time of rightness every day came the King’s son unto him, and the King knew the footfall.

  “Enter.”

  Into the house of the King came his son, Aim Unfailing, that was to carry the King-Spirit in time to come. He was in strength but a boy, and soft were his feet with the softness not of Warrior Spirit but of woman, there in the unseen steps of Drum of War among the spiders and lizards, for even the crawling things feared him not. Many yet were his days. And the King of Men looked upon him as one hating.

  Aim Unfailing bowed before the King. And the King of Men spake unto his son:

  “Thou knowest thou art King in time to come.”

  And Aim Unfailing said unto the King:

  “As thou sayest, Father.”

  His eyes were as the eyes of a fed goat. And the King said unto him:

  “I at thy years had three skulls.”

  “As thou sayest, Father.”

  And the King asked of him:

  “What is the greatest of the beasts thou hast killed?”

  And Aim Unfailing looked upon the earth.

  “The rock-snake, Father.”

  “And that in its time was well, but thou hast now the years for a wife. A King must thou be to our people. When they see thee on this throne, shall their hearts take fire?”

  “As thou sayest, Father.”

  And the King said unto his son:

  “A man who kills a lion or a leopard is such a man.”

  The boy looked upon the King of Men as one who wakes from sleep, and said:

  “Father, what is thy will?”

  Cold upon the King’s head sat unseen the devil-mud. And he said unto his son:

  “Learn thou to face danger in Warrior Spirit. I send with thee Drum of War, a mighty man and brave. Be thou as he.”

  There was silence in the house of the King. And his son said:

  “Father, sendest thou with me no others?”

  The King looked down upon him, and said:

  “Seest thou others upon this throne?”

  The boy looked up to his father. And the King said unto his son:

  “Our speaking ends.”

  Aim Unfailing bowed before the King. Unto the door came footfall.

  “Enter.”

  And in the door of the house stood Crocodile, first among rainmakers. At his back was the light of morning, upon his face and chest were spirit-signs, and his hair was as forest branches. With covered basket entered he the house of the King, and the rainmakers walked behind him.

  “Speak.”

  They bowed, and unto the King spake Crocodile:

  “King of Men, our hearts are true unto thee.”

  From the basket took he the leaves, and lo, white-blue into the shadow of the King’s house shone the eggs of the rainbow-bird.

  And the King of Men spake not. Crocodile, first among rainmakers, bowed again, and said unto him:

  “King of Men, call we now the mother of Aim Unfailing? The Draught of Passing waits.”

  And there was silence in the house of the King.

  The King of Men looked beyond them to the light beyond the door, and none saw his heart. And he spake unto Aim Unfailing:

  “Son, is thy heart true unto me?”

  And Aim Unfailing said unto the King:

  “As thou sayest, Father.”

  The King as a man in dream walked unto his bed, and took the devil-mud in its skin. Behind the throne, in the eyes of none, laid he also in the skin the Eye of Vision. And the King before the rainmakers stood tall in his house.

  And the King of Men spake unto Aim Unfailing:

  “My son, take thou this, open it not, and bury it with me. To you as your father command I this, and to all here command I it as King.”

  Crocodile bowed, and the least among rainmakers went from them. The King looked into the eyes of his son.

  “Understandest thou?”
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br />   Aim Unfailing took the skin, and looked not upon it.

  “As thou sayest, Father.”

  The King of Men saw not his son’s heart. And he saw not the time to come, even as he spake into it:

  “My heart is true unto thee.”

  THE DEPOSITION

  We keep the odd door around the place as a concession to new arrivals. They have no idea what they are doing or why, but they come along and report. What choice do they have?

  At the knock I said, “Come in.”

  He drifted through and with a kind of bemused sorrow took in the table, the chairs - two on our side, one on the other - and me.

  He said, “Melchizedek?”

  I live - to use the word loosely - in the hope that, one day - to use that word also loosely - one of them will come in and pronounce it properly. But if I had breath I wouldn’t hold it.

  “Melchizedek,” I said, “yes, old chap, just so. Welcome. Have a seat. No, no, this side. You’re one of us now - or will be, we hope.”

  The poor lad came and sat beside me. I always feel sorry for them when they think they should introduce themselves but haven’t been issued a name.

  “I’ll call you JD for now,” I said. “Junior Daemon is a bit formal between colleagues.”

  He was lax with his mind - they always forget we can read it, especially as the transparency only goes the one way.

  “It’s regrettable you find me patronising,” I said. “And I wouldn’t call it management training either. But I’m rather past thinking in those terms.”

  He started on an apology but I brushed it aside - even in eternity we don’t have that sort of time. He tried to gag his brain with the furniture. The room was a standard template, something between an office and a classroom in a sort of high-ceilinged Regency style.

  “We choose the surroundings,” I said, “for the respondent we’re expecting. Chap called Gubbins, as you’ll have seen in the file, plain enough sort of fellow. Jobbing plumber on the other side. This ought to impress him just enough without distracting him, you see?”