The River Ghasts of Lid and Other Stories

The Eidola and the Tree Serpent - 1

In the tomb city of Anu, the dead easily outnumbered the living. The city sprawled over a huge, unmapped area; and the inhabitants of the cenobium were a little spark of humanity between the shrieks of the jungle and the silence of the graves.

Hebdha was gathering penny fruits, which grew on vines hanging from the great stones. Predators stayed out of the tomb city, and it was perfectly safe to wander among the dead, so long as you knew your way back. She always enjoyed the quiet, away from the bustle and bells and lessons of the cenobium.

So, when someone cleared their throat behind her, she was startled but not afraid; and she put her fruit basket down gently before turning around.

The woman was middle aged, dressed well, but not opulently; and was looking around in surprise.

'Hello, ma'am. Are you lost?'

The stranger didn't answer immediately. Instead, she lowered herself to sit on a marble lintel that had long ago tumbled to the ground, took her hat off and set it beside her, and stared towards the tree line.

'I suppose I am. This is Anu, is it?'

'Yes, ma'am, it is.'

And then she realised that she was, of course, an eidolon, one of the souls of the dead that flitted through the city. Which was a surprise, given Hebdha was not supposed to be able to see them until two years from now.

The ghost tried to pick up a pebble near her feet, and was surprised when her fingers slipped through it.

'You won't be able to move anything, ma'am. You only touch things because your soul believes it can. If it stops believing, you will be able to move through it.'

The eidolon nodded, slowly, patting the marble under her.

'Begging your pardon, ma'am, what is your name?'

She looked at her properly for the first time.

'Thomasine, I think. Thomasine of Hiermarch. I can't tell you much more than that, I am afraid: I don't remember very well.'

She curtseyed, because that seemed appropriate; and replied, 'my name is novice Hebdha, thank you, ma'am.'

Her curtsey was dismissed with a wave, however.

'Massy is fine, thank you. We both know there are no titles after death. I think we can extend that informality to first names.'

Massy looked up again at the tombs, at the trees, at the huge sky; picked up her hat, and stood.

'I think I shall take a look round, if you don't mind. See what sort of place I am going to spend eternity in. Good day, Miss Hebdha.'

She nodded, unsure as to the protocol.

'Good day, Mistress Thomasine of Hiermarch.'

The ghost nodded back, and walked away, fading as she went.

'They are always like that. Now pass me that knife.'

'Like what?'

They were in the kitchens, preparing meat pastries for the visiting delegates. Sister Annabelle was the most approachable of all the priestesses, and so Hebdha had volunteered for cooking duty with her, despite the sweltering heat of the ovens.

'They don't remember what they are. And it happens more than you'd think, meeting your first a while before your ceremony. Never heard of it this early, though.'

She pushed a stray hair away that had clung to the sweat on her forehead.

'Have you told anyone else?'

'No. I didn't know what to do.'

Sister Annabelle nodded thoughtfully, folding the dough. Hebdha chopped vegetables into tiny chunks, ready to mix into the next batch.

'Well, you've done no harm. It must mean something. I'll tell the high priestess. Perhaps you can take her to the consultation, if you can call her back. Now, hurry and chop! We have another twenty to make before third bell, and you have barely started!'

And so, eight hours later, she found herself in the little Southern temple alone with the high priestess, calling the eidolon. They burnt tangle tree bark and whispered summons, while the tree serpents called out Holp! Holp! and the tiny blue day bats wheeled and shrieked, and the sun slowly lowered itself down the sky.

Just as she was about to despair, there was another cough behind her: an amused one. She turned and saw Massy of Hiermarch strolling through the wall. She was rather better dressed, carried a jar of something that looked alcholic, and had a red and gold hunting bat perched on her shoulder.

'You rang, Miss Hebdha.'

'Mistress Thomasine! This is her Learned Majesty Theqa,' and she bowed formally this time, remembering her lessons and desperate to impress the High Priestess.

The High Priestess was a woman with a mind of fire-hardened bronze and the scars of a warrior. There was a rumour among the novices that she had once fought a mud sloth and won, and they were all fascinated and terrified of her.

She turned her glare upon the stranger, and harrumphed.

'I can't see it.'

The eidolon strolled up to her and waved her hand in front of the Priestess's nose. Hebdha gasped at this suicidal display of bravery.

'She can't, either', continued the ghost, cheerfully. 'I can see you, though,' she continued, pointing at an empty space. 'King Gracious III?'

Hebdha gawped into the space that Massy was pointing at, and suddenly, like she was focusing on something for the first time, she could see a man standing there. It must be King Gracious IV, the High Priestess's favourite eidolon. He was in full regal dress and looking at them both as if they were green mud scrapings.

He yawned. 'She's real enough,' he said to the High Priestess. 'Some scoundrel that could afford the fee.' Massy made an ironic bow at this. 'Well, the girl was telling the truth.'

The Priestess nodded, slowly.

'And she can see you too, which is unusual,' she observed, obviously having watched Hebdha's expression. 'Well, novice Hebdha, this must mean something. You will be party to the coming consultation. Because you are a novice, during this consultation you will not be permitted to speak directly, but you may ask questions to be directed through me. Mistress Thomasine of Hiermarch, you are our honoured guest, and as part of your payment to the sisterhood, we ask that you help answer the questions of the living. And, as a novice, you will still perform your hospitality duties, Hebdha. You are both dismissed.'

Hebdha bobbed and backed out of the temple into the late afternoon humidity. She could feel the eyes of the the High Priestess on her, her thoughts unreadable.