One king struck his head with his fist-a blow that would have pulverized a mortal. "You desire that Dahnash?"
"Well, I know him," Hasan said, wondering whether it was such a good idea after all. "If you could turn him over to me for the duration, so I wouldn"t have to bother you with little things . . . Well, you could go home, or what- ever it is you do in your off hours, until-"
"Fair enough, Master!"
A clap of thunder deafened his ears. The seven enor- mous kings were gone, and in their place: "Dahnash bin Faktash reporting as directed," the single ifrit said. Then it looked again. "O brother!"
Hasan smiled. This was his ifrit, all right.
Shawahi took Sana"s arm. "Come, my daughter. I know some ancient medicines that will heal your injuries in no time. Leave this business to Hasan." They departed with the children, although Nasir looked as though he would rather have stayed to talk with the ifrit. Hasan dreaded to think what mannerisms the boy might pick up from such exposure.
He got down to business. "I am now the owner of this rod of power over the jinn," he said.
"Let me see that, mortal," Dahnash said respectfully.
Hasan handed it over, then abruptly wondered what he had done. The ifrit smiled. "Alas, the power of such command is not granted to such as me," he said. "This rod is marvelously well counterspelled. Anyway, it would lead to a paradox, because I"m already under the indirect command of the rod."
"Paradox?"
"You wouldn"t understand. What other information do you require from me?"
Hasan took back the rod and studied its design. "I"m having a little trouble discovering the extent of this talis- man"s usefulness. When I asked to see all the tribes it commanded, they gave me some-"
"That is easily explained, mortal. The rod is designed most carefully to give the owner absolute power over the jinn, and to protect him from the consequences of its use.
Believe me, mortal, you need such protection! So the kings couldn"t show you their legions."
"I don"t understand."
"It figures." Dahnash tried again. "Let"s say you gave the order and they obeyed. Then you took one look at the horrendous shapes of their minions and went mad from the vision. What use would the rod be to you then?"
Hasan got the point. No wonder it had taken so long to fashion the implement. It had to guard against human stupidity and inhuman ingenuity. But for that, he would already have blundered twice: once in looking upon the mind-destroying jinn, and once by giving the rod to Dahnash. "Then I can never look upon them all?"
"You could direct them to appear in alternate shapes, such as dancing girls, or eunuchs, depending upon your taste."
"Suppose I just tell the kings to carry us all back to Baghdad?"
"Null program, mortal."
"Why not? They"re strong enough, aren"t they?"
"Certainly-but they happen to be bound by the covenant of Solomon, son of David, which prohibits them from bearing the sons of Adam upon their backs. It"s all part of the rod"s defensive configuration."
"But you carried me on your back."
"I was operating as an independent agent. Now you have my services through the command of the rod, which means the covenant applies. Matter of Demonical Prece- dent, bin-Bishr vs. al-Khawwas, Pleistocene period."
Hasan shook his head in bewilderment. " "This all seems very complicated."
"Naturally-to you."
"Well, what can these ifrits do for me?"
"O mortal, they can do many things. They can advise, they can fight, they can bring you all manner of riches and banquets, they can foretell the future. There is a variety of ifrit for every purpose."
Hasan brightened. "Well suppose I ask them to predict how I"m going to get back to Baghdad?"
"Negative, mortal."
"But you said-"
"Law of exclusion of self applies."
"What are you talking about?"
Dahnash laughed in his most insulting manner. "Haven"t you heard the one about the barber? He bleeds every citizen in the village who doesn"t bleed himself. So does the barber bleed himself or doesn"t he?"
Hasan stared at him. The ifrit sighed. "Take my word for it, mortal-an ifrit can"t predict the future when he is himself to be the agent of that future."
The more he talked with this insolent spirit, the more con- fused he became. "All right. Can you give me any advice on how to get home?"
"Certainly. What made you think I couldn"t?"
"Do it, then."
"Make the kings harness you horses of the jinn, that can carry you and your company to your own country."
Now he was getting somewhere. He avoided inquiring why jinn-horses could carry people when the jinn them- selves couldn"t. "How long will that take?"
"Well, it"s a seven year journey by foot, but the horses can make it in less than a year. You"ll have to endure terrible perils and hardships and horrors and all the usual, and traverse thirsty valleys and frightful wastes and horri- ble mountains without number-"
This was beginning to sound familiar. "Can we get safely off Wak, at least?"
"We cannot promise you that, mortal."
"Are you telling me the jinn have no power against common mortals?"
Dahnash looked nettled. "It isn"t as though we operate in a vacuum, you know. We-"
"Vacuum?"
"Never mind, mortal. The point is, the rulers of Wak have powerful counteracting magic. For one thing, when one of their weapons strikes one of us, that ifrit is permanently put out of commission in his present form. Those amazon armies are the worst of all. They-"
Now Hasan understood why Shawahi had not been con- cerned about their journey through the Land of the Jinn, when the amazons were marching. But now, of course, it was a different matter, since their party was on the side of the jinn and the amazons were the enemy.
"Can you bring us the horses, or do I have to summon the kings again?"
"I can handle it, mortal." And Dahnash struck the ground with his foot and dropped into the gulf that opened under him. "Cla.s.sy exit, no?" His voice said as the ground closed. In a little while he reappeared leading a fine black horse, saddled and bridled.
Hasan checked the animal while the ifrit went for an- other. A pair of saddle bags hung from the bow, with a leathern bottle of water in one pocket and an ample supply of human food in the other. Good-it was tempting to order the ifrit to bring them a sumptuous repast complete with servants, right here in the canyon, but it was essential to get as far away from the Queen as possible. He realized that the rod was not an automatic solution to all his problems; it was merely a tool that gave him a fighting chance against the might of Wak.
Dahnash returned with a second horse, similarly provis- ioned, and Hasan rounded up his party. Sana looked much better; the old woman had done a fine job of restoration and medication. He wondered whether the ifrits could recommend additional remedies, but decided to leave well enough alone.
The third horse arrived. Hasan mounted the first, taking Nasir before him, while Sana took Mansur on the second. Shawahi brought up the rear.
"Dahnash," Hasan said, "You can go now-but come as soon as I call you, in case I need you again."
"I can hardly wait," the ifrit replied sourly, and whirled into nothing.
Chapter 14. Battle
Hasan urged his steed, and it began to run with a strong, easy stride. The others followed, faster and faster, until the wind sang past their ears and tore at their clothing.
They were on their way.
All day they fared on the tireless horses, riding through the steep mountains and misty valleys, past leaning palms and giant flowers and jungle-thick vegetation. This was the richest country he had ever seen. The horses seemed to know the way, and their only delay was the need to give Sana periodic rests.
Just before evening a black object appeared far ahead, like a tremendous column of smoke twisting skyward. Hasan"s muscles tensed. He recited portions of the Koran and Holy Writ and prayed to Allah for safety from the malice of the Queen. But the thing was ahead of them, and he did not dare delay their escape by turning aside.
It grew plainer as they approached. It was an ifrit of monstrous size, with a head like a huge dome and tusks like grapnels and jaws like a city street and nostrils like ewers and ears like leather bags and a mouth like a cave and teeth like pillars of stone and hands like giant forks and legs like masts. Its head was in the high clouds and its feet plowed the bowels of the earth.
Hasan held up the rod, ready to summon the seven kings, for he was certain this creature was not of their number. If the Queen had conjured it to head him off- But the giant bowed and kissed the ground before him. "O Hasan of Ba.s.sorah, have no fear of me. I am the chief of the dwellers in this land of the jinn. I am a Moslem, and not many here are of my faith. I have heard of you and of your coming; when I learned how disgracefully the Queen of the mortals of Wak had treated you, I became distressed at this place of magic and terror, and I decided to leave it forever and dwell in some other region, far from man and jinni and void of inhabitants, so that I might live there alone and worship Allah in peace until my fate ran out. Let me accompany you and be your guide until you depart from Wak. I will not appear except at night, and in this manner you can cover much greater distance and insure your safety."
When Hasan heard this he rejoiced. "Allah reward you well, O n.o.ble ifrit! Lead on."
And the towering spirit flew ahead and guided them, a glowing pillar of smoke in the night, so that they accom- plished a full day"s journey when they would otherwise have had to stop for the night. They talked and laughed among themselves, no longer weary, pleased at their deliv- erance and sure of success.
In the morning they stopped and took food and water from the saddlebags and refreshed themselves. The world looked very good, and Hasan was especially pleased to see how well Sana was doing.
Ahead thrust the mighty conic mountain of the marid that had so alarmed Hasan during the approach to the Queen"s city. This time he saw it from the south side, and the landscape amazed him.
They were on the slant of a verdant mountain pa.s.s. Close at hand the green jungle vegetation was solid and teeming with life-but it soon fell away to a wasteland of black ash and jagged rock. Ridges of dark material were formed into roughly circular patterns, concave within, as though the land were an ocean caught in the act of splash- ing. There was no life at all in this area, and somber wisps of smoke hung over the cauldrons and gulleys. Beyond, the land ascended into the slope of the major cone, a monstrous and sinister ma.s.s.
To one side, miles away but made close by the scope of this calamitous landscape, stood the temple Shawahi had spoken of. It was a terraced mound of stone, built tier upon tier to form a wide low pyramid with elaborate arches and decorations lining every level. In the center rose a pointed dome not unlike that of the Caliph"s palace in Baghdad. But if the dome were of similar size-and while distance made certainty impossible, Hasan thought it was-the temple itself was many times the size of any structure in Harun al-Rashid"s empire. It dwarfed the dome completely.
How many centuries had it taken to fashion this temple? Or had the labor been done by the jinn? He started to ask Shawahi, but her attention was elsewhere.
Behind them appeared an ugly dust cloud that walled the horizon along the ridge of the hill as far as the eye could see and darkened the day. When Hasan saw this he turned pale, not even having to conjecture what kind of host could raise a cloud of dust even in the moist jungle.
A frightful crying and clamor struck their ears. "O my son," Shawahi said, "this is the army of Wak, that has overtaken us in spite of our haste. The Queen will soon lay violent hands upon us."
"What can we do, O my mother?"
"Summon the kings of the jinn. This time they will have to fight, and we must pray that their power can prevail against that of the Queen."
Hasan struck the earth with the rod. The ground broke open and the seven kings rose up to stand before him again.
"Can you stop the army of Wak?" Hasan asked them.
Giant heads turned to contemplate the pursuing clouds. "Master, we can try. But the forces of Wak are the most powerful array on earth, and our magic is as nothing against this. The Queen has potent counterspells. We shall have to fight them hand-to-hand."
"Is there any way we can escape without doing battle?"
"No, master."
Hasan sighed. "Meet them, then. Turn them back if you can, but kill them if you must. I commit the matter to your hands."
"Master we shall have to summon our entire horde. You must go far up the mountain, so that the sight of our minions does not harm you and you are safe from the carnage of battle. We know you are right and the Queen is wrong, and this gives us strength-but the conflict will be cruel."
"I understand. We"ll go to the temple there."
"No!" cried Shawahi. "All the records of the empire are there, and the priests are loyal to the Queen. The moment we set foot in it, we"ll be in her power."
Hasan turned his eyes dubiously toward the cone. "There?"
The giant ifrit who had guided them appeared. "O mortal, do not go near that mountain. I am the chief of all the jinn of this land, excepting only those of the seven kings," he paused to nod at the standing royalty, who returned the gesture with aloof courtesy, "but I have no power there."
"I don"t understand," Hasan said. He wished he didn"t have to repeat himself so frequently.
"The kings govern forty-nine jinnish tribes of the world," Shawahi explained, "while the chief has authority over the local spirits. But the mountain is the home of Magma the Marid."
"I think you told me that before." Hasan didn"t see why that should be so significant.
"A single marid has more power than all the creatures of the Land of the Jinn," the chief said.
"And all our kingdoms too," the kings added.
"And the forces of Wak," Shawahi said.
Hasan looked at the cone with dubious respect. "All that in one little mountain?"
They nodded gravely.
"Well then. Why don"t we ask Magma for help?"
The kings stood around and shuffled their feet like small boys, and the chief averted his face. Even Shawahi seemed to be at a loss for words.
Hasan had a suspicion he was being stupid again, and it made him angry. "All right! Kings, go set up for your battle. I"ll have Dahnash bring me progress reports." They vanished. "-Chief, if you want to help, you can set up a personal guard for the women and children so they don"t get hurt in case there"s a breakthrough." The chief van- ished. "Dahnash!" The ifrit appeared.
"A regular little Caesar," Dahnash remarked.
Hasan drew him to one side. "What"s the situation with the marid of the mountain?"