02 Quetzals Flock

QUETZAL'S FLOCK
"Eridos will not remain with you. I, Quetzal, claim him for the Masters of Psi.
He will leave with me when their purposes are satisfied. Think, Hammadi. He has
acknowledged you as his son. You are the product of the union between Eridos and
Ajanta. In you, you carry the inheritance of the reunion of the People of the Ship. In
you, the Division and the Enmity is at an end. The Ship will come soon. I counsel you
to let him live. He will no longer rule a half-tribe. You will rule the whole tribe! Give
him to the Masters of Psi - and be careful that you do not resist those who must be
obeyed!"
Hammadi stared down at Eridos, the gaze was returned without wavering.
"Is that the way it is to be? Will you stay with Quetzal?"
Eridos didn't answer, then he seemed to relax. He looked suddenly weary, as if
he was tired of the whole business. He smiled slightly.
"Why not, my son?"
Hammadi removed his sword slowly and Kane breathed a ragged sigh of
relief. Eridos picked himself up and looked down at the body of his enemy. There was
no expression of victory or accomplishment. He looked around and picked up a grey
cloak, this he placed over the corpse. He walked over to Kane and stood by his side,
he said nothing. Hammadi looked around the ring of silent observers.
"From this day, there will no longer be black cloaks or grey cloaks. Quetzal,
the Lord of the Flock, has decreed that we shall all wear a cloak which is undyed - a
white cloak. This will be a sign between us that there is no longer a Division and that
the Enmity has ended. The two camps will mingle, no longer will there be the camp of
Eridos and the camp of Obeid. There will be one camp and one herd. Let us attend to
the injured and bury the dead."
It was a fine speech, there was no great acclaim. The crowd started to disperse,
talking quietly amongst themselves. The heat had gone out of them, the death of
Obeid and the stripping of authority from Eridos was more than enough to assimilate
at that moment. The former enemies looked at each other without friendship. It would
take time. Hammadi and Eridos remained. They looked at each other like strangers.
Hammadi turned to Kane, his voice was bitter.
"Thank you for reminding me that I am my father's son. This battle has
brought us no victories, the cost has been heavy. Eridos may have killed Obeid, but I
saw that as inevitable. One of them had to die! Your Masters have decreed that Eridos
should live. As you said, Obeid slipped and fell on the sword himself. As for myself, I
have gained no victory. I might now be called Tepe Hammadi, the Lord of the People
of the Ship, but I no longer have anyone with which to share the honour. I unleashed
the herds as a weapon against Eridos, but it became a weapon I could not control. My
woman was crushed to death, when they trampled the tents of Obeid!"
He lapsed into silence and Kane could find nothing to say to him. Eridos
observed quietly.
"We all have to pay the price, it seems. That is the true obscenity of the
Division and the Enmity. The final obscenity of conflict is that no one wins. There is
always a cost, even for the victor. I say this to you, Hammadi. If you want to be leader
and to stay the leader, you must be prepared to pay the price. There is no glory in
being a leader or ruler. You always know that somewhere there is someone who wants
you dead, so that they can take your glorious position. When they achieve it, there is
nothing but ashes."
Hammadi looked at him without warmth, as one who would speculate about a
stranger.
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