Gods and Pawns by Kage Baker Read Free Book Online

goddess,” said Lewis.
    “The end of the damned world, in fact,” said Agueybana gloomily. “Except for us, of course. And your master, obviously.” He gave Lewis and Mendoza a speculative look. “Tell me, has he any live servants at all?”
    Careful, Mendoza transmitted.
    “A certain number,” said Lewis. “And great multitudes of our kind, of course.”
    “But surely it is not mannerly to interrogate our guests without refreshment!” cried Atabey. “Tanama! Tanama, attend at once!”
    “Yes, mother,” replied someone from the depths of the house, and a moment later a second girl came forth. She seemed no more than ten or eleven, small and thin, and wore a plain robe of brown cotton. She blinked in surprise to see visitors, but folded her hands and bowed low.
    “Fetch chairs for our guests, child, and then bring wine. Bring it in the good service,” ordered Atabey.
    “At once, mother,” said the little girl, and hurried away.
    Within a few moments Lewis and Mendoza found themselves seated somewhat uncomfortably on cane chairs, watching as the little girl poured something fruity and fermented into cups of pure gold. She presented them with a brief dazzling smile.
    “Here is your drink, dead people,” she said. “It’s made from guavas. Is that right? Can you drink the same as us? Because all the stories say—”
    “Do not presume, Tanama!” said Atabey.
    “It’s quite all right,” said Lewis, smiling as he raised the cup in salute. “We don’t need much. Thank you.”
    What on earth is it? transmitted Mendoza, who was staring into her cup in a mixture of fascination and loathing.
    It doesn’t matter. Drink, Lewis replied, and sipped. Guava brew, fermented by human enzymes. Without shuddering, he set his cup aside and smiled at his hosts.
    “Now, oh great ones, what message would you have me carry to my master?”
    “First,” said Agueybana, “extend our greetings to our most mighty fellow divinity—before whom the stars and planets prostrate themselves, before whom he who sends the rain gusts feels inadequate—and so forth and so on.”
    “And tell him we do apologize abjectly for not communicating with him earlier, but our situation here—” began Atabey.
    “Don’t tell him that! Gods never apologize to anyone!” said Agueybana indignantly.
    “Perhaps you ought to say,” said Orocobix, “that we, ancient and powerful as we are, have been so preoccupied with the administration of our own realm that it had not occurred to us to survey its outer regions in some time, and that therefore the discovery of great Maketaurie’s proximity to our neighborhood comes as a pleasant surprise to us.”
    “And that we are happy to extend our hospitality to a pair of his servants,” added Atabey.
    “Whose undoubtedly unintentional trespass into our dominion we will generously forgive,” said Orocobix, with a graceful inclination of his head in Lewis and Mendoza’s direction. “That they may serve as couriers of our will. Which is, that we propose to our brother Maketaurie a dynastic union of great advantage to himself.”
    “We offer young Cajaya,” said Agueybana, raising his voice, “of immaculate and perfect pedigree, in whose bloodline runs the wealth of the earth and golden immortality.”
    “I hear,” said Lewis gravely. He remembered a timbered hall on a green hill, where he had watched a druid preside over the betrothal arrangements for a chieftain’s bride in almost exactly the same terms. Not quite the same, though. Golden immortality?
    “And in return for this magnificent gift,” said Agueybana hurriedly, “we expect no less than the girl is worth.”
    This is like a Jane Austen novel, for God’s sake, transmitted Mendoza.
    I’m sure the Company can come up with a suitable trousseau, Lewis responded. Aloud he said: “I hear and will convey your message, great ones. I hope you’ll permit a few discreet questions on my master’s behalf?”
    “Naturally,” said