01 Taxilas Children

TAXILA'S CHILDREN
his anatomy. Eventually, the camp settled down once more and finally, he managed to doze
off with the thought that the next day promised to be interesting.
They made an early start. He had to endure a certain amount of sly mockery from Danyk,
who gave a plausible imitation of his exhibition during the night. It was useless to try to
explain that he was the product of a very sheltered upbringing and that he had never been
exposed to any species other than man.
There was a change in pace when finally they set off on the remainder of the journey. Steve
assumed that it wasn't far to the city. The brook seemed to be a kind of unofficial boundary,
even the terrain changed. Previously, they had walked on an approximately horizontal plain
after leaving the hills near the temple, now the ground became more tumbled. It was still
heavily wooded but there were great boulders scattered among the trees. It felt as if they were
steadily climbing again. The trail twisted and turned, as if trying to lose itself among the
trees. He became disoriented, he had no reference point, even their star was hidden above the
canopy.
The two young Adepts took an active hand in assisting Zayez. They handled him like a
precious object, Steve found it incredible that the old man could manage such a journey at all.
Quite suddenly, they came to their destination. One moment, they were still scrambling
among bushes and rocks and the next, he stood on the fringe of a vast cleared area. He let out
his breath in a great shudder, it was hard to say what he had expected but it had been nothing
like this.
It was utterly alien, like something he had seen in the imaginative pictures of on the covers
of the cheap literature the SCI-FI fraternity pulped out to satisfy the bored masses of New
Earth. It was one of his conditions of employment that he had concessional access to all that
Network produced.
This city was built in flowing lines, with spires soaring into the blue sky. At that time of the
day, it was in the full light of their star. The lines were unbroken, one continual flow of
smooth curves and pinnacles, filling the open space and deep, to the remote forest line on the
far side.
The rest of the party stood in silence, almost as if they were in mourning, he quickly
looked at their set faces but they were hard to read - emotionless, wary, as if they expected
the devils that had driven the population away in long past centuries, to emerge and scream
defiance at their approach. A single path led from the edge of the forest, almost at the point
where they had emerged. Steve had to commend their navigation skills. Zayez led the way
forward with his two companions flanking him, whilst Steve and Danyk plodded silently
behind.
The path led to a gap in the wall which corresponded to a city gate. It was longer than he
had thought, Steve estimated that it was a two hour plod in unshaded heat, before they stood
under the looming flank of the entrance. He realised how deceptive the perspective had been.
This city was immense, towering far into the sky - almost a home for giants. He felt crushed
down by the sheer enormity of it and more so, when they walked through dust unblemished
by footprints, into the space between the walls and on to a broad road that stretched far ahead
in a direct line into the heart of the city. Danyk's thought entered his mind.
"Only the Adepts use this way, few others come here - it is a place we avoid."
It was as if he didn't want to utter the words aloud, for fear that something might be
awakened. The hair on the nape of Steve's neck had risen, he had the feeling of eyes on his
back, as if they were under the inspection of some nameless force that occupied the immense
structures. He looked around instinctively and then upward, but the walls to each side were
unbroken, bland and featureless - blue grey, granite-like, hiding whatever secrets they
contained. After a while, his nervousness subsided and it became boring and hot and
uncomfortable.
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