Demon Child Ch. 21

For an instant, Miss Mallinika's eyes narrowed. She was used to being treated with more respect, but now this girl was beyond her influence or any ability to exert control. She swallowed down her pride. "Please, Aylanna, I need to speak to you about the state of the women's quarters."

"I do not have time. I am expected back. Come tomorrow, come earlier. Join our mother and me in the swimming pool and speak to me then." Aylanna knew that Mallinika had to know of the rendezvous she had having with the old priestess, that in all likelihood, everyone in the city knew by now of the bizarre meetings, the improbably duo standing naked, out of reach of prying ears. It went without question that many would have given half their wealth to know what they discussed.

Aylanna smiled to herself as she quickly made her way back from the women's quarters to the Aga Khan's conference room. Anyone who managed to listen in they would be almost as frustrated as the old priestess. After weeks of talks, she knew hardly more than she had when she first laid eyes upon the enigma that was the demon witch.

Aylanna never lied, but she had developed an infuriating skill at diverting the focus of their conversations away from subjects of magic. She had told the high priestess her mother's story of abduction and subsequent revenge, she even told of finding the northern tribe that her mother had been a member of, a tribe that Aylanna was a member of by birthright. She never once mentioned the mummy of her father or how his spirit had been trapped there by the cold iron of chains and hate. She had shared some details of her childhood among the Ramaldi but instinctively shied away from speaking too much about the witch doctor, avoiding his words of destiny or finding her own magic.

The old woman was careful never to press too hard, patiently held her frustration in check and listened with both her heart and mind. Aylanna knew that the ancient priestess learned as much from her omissions as she did from her stories. They had developed a wary respect and the seeds of trust had been planted and the beginning of a friendship had begun to germinate.

Her days with Jhardron had developed a routine that made one day blend into another, she hardly listened to the dull repetitive reports that had more to do with tariffs and trade, progress on various public construction and maintenance projects and the obsequious appeals of various court rulings.

She and Jhardron had almost without any discussion worked out a system of silent communication. If Aylanna sensed that the person speaking was being deceptive, she would stretch and yawn, step away from her position against the wall and sidle to stare out the single window or pour a cup of water. She would not even look toward the Aga Khan or the man who was attempting to lie. Jhardron would deftly delay his decision stating that he needed to "look into the matter further" and the false witness would be exposed and marked as untrustworthy.

Word spread quickly that the new Aga Khan seemed to have a sixth sense and would not tolerate deception of any kind. Those that tried to lie soon found themselves busy with mundane and powerless positions at best, or stripped of citizenship and working with their hands and backs at worst.

There was no need for jail or torture. One of the first things that Jhardron had done when he was named Aga Khan was to order the cells of the dungeon emptied and the few of surviving political prisoners brought before him. Many had been incarcerated for stubbornly speaking the truth rather than dissembling. Many others had been named by the victims of the wizard, abducted in the night and then tortured into more false confessions, forced to implicate others innocent of any crimes against the state.

The wizard had personally conducted the questioning and Aylanna had shuddered and suffered as each of these broken innocents had relived their months in the dark bowels of the court of the Aga Khan, telling tales of torment, torture, mutilation and horrific vivisection, live men and women subjected to bizarre medical experiments, their bodies flayed out, their very hearts beating before their eyes. It was clear that for every one that had survived, tens had died at the hands of monster.

Aylanna had tried to go down with Jhardron when he went to view for himself the places where the sadistic wizard had indulged his twisted appetites but the lingering echoes of horror were beyond bearing and she had turned and fled. Jhardron was clearly as repulsed as she had been and had ordered the entrance to the dungeons sealed. Just the awareness that those empty rooms remained there, that the screams of horror and the weight of despair still echoed in the darkness chilled her spirit.

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Both Mallinika and the old priestess were waiting in the pool, already talking to each other when Aylanna hurried in to the bathing room. She washed quickly and glanced up at the surrounding windows as she waded out to the two older women. There were so many faces peering out at them from both the wives and courtesans quarters that she could not help but pause and give into the impulse to smile and wave. Many of the faces withdrew, but more than one hesitantly returned her gesture.

Aylanna respectfully greeted each of the women, formally touching hands and foreheads. She looked expectantly at the two. "It seems that either I am late or perhaps you are early." She turned to Mallinika. "You wished to speak to me?"

The mistress of the women's quarters nodded. "Yes, I was hoping to ask you what you knew of the Aga Khan's intent for the disposition of the women's quarters. He has not visited; he does not send for entertainment, he has not even moved his wives here. And there is the delicate subject of the wives of the old Aga Khan."

Aylanna frowned, "I know nothing of the Aga Khan's intent but to be honest, I am not sure if he has devoted much thought to it. This is a subject that I have little knowledge of. What is customary?" Again her eyes lifted to the windows and the watchers there. She understood the curiosity now, clearly everyone in the women's quarters was aware that Mallinika was discussing their fate.

Mallinika began to speak but the high priestess interrupted her. "Customary? In the past custom would have had the wives of the Aga Khan join him on his funeral pyre, but mercifully that custom was deemed barbaric many generations ago. Now there are other options; moving in with the family of a daughter or a son, the choice of being given in marriage to another, or joining the temple as a priestess are most common."

Aylanna nodded. "And the courtesans?"

Mallinika spoke this time. "The courtesans are the property of the new Aga Khan, inherited from the old Aga Khan. But this new Aga Khan has seemed to forgotten our existence." Mallinika's eyes shifted and she chose her words carefully. "The new Aga Khan seems to have little need for the diversions of the women of the court. He seems satisfied with just one."

Aylanna laughed and ruefully shook her head. "If it were only so. The new Aga Khan devotes all his energy to the business of state. He exhausts himself with scrolls and numbers and much of the time seems to have forgotten that I am female at all. Since he has taken office, I can count the times he has made use of my venya on the fingers of one hand. But you are correct, the new Aga Khan has forgotten the existence of the courtesans and I suspect that he will continue to do so."

Mallinika laughed along with her. "It is true; people speak widely of the industriousness of the new Aga Khan, of how he is devoted to duty. He is a leader that puts the needs of his people before his. But the question remains, what to do with the courtesans? They grow lax and restless. They neither fear the dungeons nor my authority. They bicker and fight among themselves."

The high priestess cleared her throat and suggested, "Perhaps the solutions will be much the same as for the former wives."

Mallinika shook her head. "You know as well as I that it is widely held that a courtesan makes a poor wife and I wonder if many of them have the depth of character to make the sacrifices required of a priestess. No, I think the only feasible option is to set them free. Give each a reward for their service, enough to establish a household, and establish themselves as independent courtesans." The old woman looked thoughtful, "Though I think that the refuge of the temple may be the only choice for me. If there are not courtesans to teach or chivy from one assignation to another, if the wives are sent away, this will become a lonely place."

The high priestess slipped her arm around Mallinika, "Your teaching and management skills would be a welcome addition."

Mallinika shook her head, "The skills of a courtesan are those of appearance. We practice to look attentive, to feign enthusiasm, to pretend love. We practice the art of dalliance, to give our bodies without sharing our hearts. There is no error so painful for a courtesan as to lose her heart to another. I wonder what skills I have to teach." She blinked and looked around the courtyard. "This place has been my home for too long. The prospect of leaving fills my heart with sadness."

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Aylanna placed the dish of food before Jhardron and cleared her throat. "My Khan, I am reluctant to disturb your meal, but you have been busy all the day. I have a bit of minutiae to bring before you."

Jhardron looked up from the food he was efficiently shoveling into his mouth. He spoke as he chewed, "You ask little, pretty demon, and yet you attend to my needs and stand at my side when I can tell your spirit wishes to be anywhere but here. What is it that you wish to speak about?"

"This morning Mallinika spoke to me in the women's quarters. She wished to know when you were going to attend to the disposition of the widows of the former Aga Khan. She also is of the opinion that if you were not going to make use of the courtesans than perhaps it would be a kindness to set them free to ply their trade on the streets of the city."

Jhardron frowned and pushed the bowl of food away, "Ah, the women's quarters. I had all but forgotten about them." He rubbed his hand across his face and yawned. "And I must confess I have no idea as to what to do about this issue. It is not an issue of the state. It is just the daily difficulty of running a household. And truthfully, I have no desire to become embroiled in the drama of women. It just brings to mind the tension and bitterness between the wives of my father." In this unguarded moment, Aylanna knew he spoke of his adopted father, Jhar'drakon. In fact he never referred to the former Aga Khan as his father.

Aylanna pushed the bowl back in front of him, "Please, my Khan, eat. Even an Aga Khan must consume sustenance. Let me deal with the issues of the women's quarters. But I do have one further suggestion."

Jhardron mechanically began to eat again, nodding absentmindedly. "Yes, you are right. I am hungry. I am just tired too. What else do you wish to disturb me with?" His voice was good humored, if resigned.

"Once the widows of the old Aga Khan have been dealt with, I think it would be a good thing if the wives of the new Aga Khan took up residence. Your children grow up with no knowledge of their father. It will not be many more weeks before your second son is born. I also think that it would be a good thing if you mother was to come here to live." The corner of Aylanna's lip turned up. "And I remember once a warrior telling me that he cannot expect to harvest sons if he is not home to till the fields. If you cannot go home, perhaps it would be wise to bring the fields to the farmer."

For an instant Jhardron choked on the food in his mouth and as Aylanna rushed and struck him soundly on the back, he coughed and began to laugh aloud. He finally reached for a cup of water and took several deep swallows. "You surprise me once again, pretty demon. A second son you say? You have knowledge that even I am not party to." But then his face darkened and he shook his head, "I have no wish to expose my sons to this place."

Aylanna had not lifted her hand from his back and sensing pain in his neck, began to rub at the knots she found in the muscles there. "This place is not longer what it once was. You have purged much of the evil that was once there. I cannot help but believe that the sounds of children's voices, the laughter of happy women will go far to exorcise the last of the poison that once filled these halls. And it will bring balance to your heart."

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To Aylanna's surprise the wives of the former Aga Khan were easier to dispose of than the courtesan's were. They had been expecting to go; though they were more than a little taken back when Aylanna had told them that the choice was theirs. All three had adamantly rejected the suggestion that a new husband might be found for them. It was clear that none had fond memories of marriage. Two had chosen to go to live in a daughter's household and the third had been grateful for the chance to join the priesthood.

The bevy of courtesans had not been even a fraction so cooperative. Their reactions when Mallinika gave them a choice between joining the temple as a priestess or being freed were violent.

It was clear that the sacrifices that accompanied a priestess's life were regarded as beyond bearable. Balla's hands had swept up to her hair, crying out that she did not want to shave her head. Another had snapped at the hysterical girl that shaving one's head was the least of a priestess's burdens, that a priestess was expected to work from dawn to dark and then to spread their legs to any commoner that stood at the temple door all night. The words 'work' and 'commoner' were met with such expressions of loathing and disdain that Aylanna could not help but shake her head. Not a single courtesan seemed prepared or willing to contemplate a life of service.

Mallinika did not seem surprised at all at the response to that proposal. What did astound her was the pure confusion and fear that met the alternative of being freed. Again it was the youngest and most fragile that put voice to the thoughts of all the others. Balla had wailed, "By myself?" and burst into sobs. To Aylanna's surprise the girl had thrown herself into the arms of Tindy, one of the courtesans that had been quickest to express her scorn and belittle the girl. In fact, all of the courtesans had moved to wrap their arms around each other, staring out at Mallinika and Aylanna with frightened and angry eyes. Tindy hugged Balla close and spoke angrily, "So you intend to throw us out into the street?"

It was Aylanna's turn to be surprised when Mallinika answered, "No, not alone and not on the street, if that is what you fear. If you wish, you can come with me. I have found a house in the city, a big house large enough for all of us if you choose to join me there. But I must warn you, that it will not be the same life you have led here in the court. It has taken nearly all of my savings to purchase the house." Aylanna's eyes had noted the absence of the heavy gold necklaces that were the mark and pride of every female that served the goddess. "I have no more money to hire servants or to put food in your belly. We will have to work and work hard." Mallinika paused and looked at the faces of the women, "But I am sure that there are many rich businessmen that would pay very well for what was once reserved for the Aga Khan and the aristocracy." Mallinika then laughed, "And for that matter we are among the last to go. There are many former members of court that have taken up residence in the city, men with a pronounced taste for the skills of a trained courtesan. I think that we will be in very much demand."

Slowly the expressions of the courtesans changed from wary to curious. Mallinika cautioned, "We will have to work together. Living in my house will be your choice, but it will also be at my discretion. If you do not contribute or if you choose to become a disruptive influence, you will no longer be welcome. You will find yourself once again choosing between the temple or the street."

As Mallinika walked with Aylanna out of the women's quarters, she sighed. "The more I thought about the temple, the more I knew I am too old to change. I had thought I could not give my heart to another, not even the goddess, but when I contemplated leaving this place, I realized it was not the place, it was my girls that I could not be parted from. They are my children and they need me." Mallinika paused, "And I need them."

Aylanna hugged the older woman, "It is a good choice. And if there is ever a time you need assistance, come to me."

"It will be good to have a friend in court."

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Aylanna made sure that each of the courtesans was given rich gifts to ease their transition, dresses and many strands of gold and precious stones to add to their necklaces. She had encouraged Mallinika to select the finest of furniture, rugs and tapestries from the nearly empty palace of the Aga Khan to adorn their new home. She made sure that no one in the city thought for an instant that the girls had been banished for any transgression or failure to perform their duty. And ultimately, it was seen throughout the land as one more demonstration of the new Aga Khan's fanatical devotion to duty that he eschewed the distractions of the whores of the court.

Mallinika had sent word that almost before they had settled into their new home that they had been besieged with requests for a taste of the rare and exclusive favors of a former courtesan trained to serve the court of the Aga Khan.

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"Come, pretty demon, an old friend is here that wishes to see you again."

Aylanna had stared at Jhardron in confusion. She had been late arriving to his offices this morning, busy in the women's quarters conferring with Magdellyn, Jhardron's adoptive mother, assisting her in the task of settling of the three young women and their tired children in their new home. It seemed like half the household of the Twisted Dagger had accompanied them; servants, nursemaids, cooks and teachers all had to find places. Jhardron had been there to greet them when the entourage had arrived late the night before, but he had seemed guarded, just slightly uncomfortable with all the noise and confusion. He had held his son briefly but quickly handed off the fussy baby to a nurse maid. He had spoken formal words of approval at Annalla's apparent good health and swollen belly. He seemed to hardly notice Similandra and Aylanna could not help but notice that his middle wife had hung back and avoided his eye.

Magdellyn had taken over quickly, leading everyone off to show them their new quarters, ordering the servants to leave the task of unpacking for the morning. It was late in the night when Jhardron slipped from his bed and Aylanna did not question what task took him away. The creation of sons was a duty, especially for an Aga Khan. She sent a brief wish to the goddess that this union bear fruit and was asleep when he returned.

Aylanna blinked and shook her head, deliberately casting out the distracting thoughts, "Who?"

Jhardron had laughed and held up his hand in admonition. "Let me surprise you for a change." He held out his hand in invitation and she took it.

As they walked Aylanna wondered who he could be speaking of. An old friend? Someone from her past, one of the Twisted Dagger warriors? She was reviewing names and faces in her head, Tim'kah? Kwal'kek? But why would they not come to Jhardron's meeting rooms, why did she have to go to them? She kept sending curious glances as Jhardron's face, but he revealed nothing. But then when they approached the stables and the smell of hay and horses began to filter up the hall, she laughed out loud with happy anticipation and began to hurry, pulling him along. "Xin'sha, it is Xin'sha, my happy little horse!"