The Black Rose Page #9

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supposed to do here?

You will live here to ensure a continuance

of the good fortune you have brought.

For how long?

I have told you,

this will be your home.

You mean

we're prisoners?

The chains that bind you are golden ones.

But I would not try to leave.

Now, look.

I can't just sit here.

I came to talk

to the empress about peace.

- You tell her that I come from the Bayan general himself.

- It is too late.

Her Excellent Kindness is certain

that you were sent by the gods.

So now,

we have nothing to fear.

The gifts are meant to fit

your station as gods.

And I'm commanded to tell you

that if you have any desire...

you have only

to express the wish.

Well, if that's true,

there is something I'd like to have done.

There's a girl. She was with my friend

when he was taken prisoner.

If you know where she is,

I'd like to have her brought here at once.

I will send someone

to carry out your command.

This house is called...

the Abode of Everlasting Felicity.

I hope it does not fail

that name for the young gods...

and the young gods

do not fail their obligation...

to a people that

they have committed to war.

I think he'd like

that one better.

Oh. What's this?

Oh, I think

he'd like that too.

- Walter! Walter!

- Not now, Maryam. Go away.

- But I have to show you.

- What?

Oh, look. It's beautiful.

They are made of silk to go on legs.

- I'll see them later.

- All right, Walter.

But it's wonderful!

Well, I don't see what

you're so particular about.

It took me a half an hour to convince

four girls they weren't going to bathe me.

- Where is he, Tris?

- I don't know.

He said he was going to find out if the gods

could still have anything they asked for.

Did he talk to you, Tris?

About himself, I mean.

No, not exactly.

But I think he's sorry

he was angry with you.

- So he ran away from the Bayan general to be with you.

- No.

Oh, you shouldn't say

such things.

He's here,

and he's not angry anymore.

And he comes

to go with us to England.

You really have learned

to believe hard enough, haven't you?

Yes.

No. He came on a mission

of some kind for Bayan.

I didn't want to talk to him about it.

You know how he is.

You can make him say things

he doesn't mean.

There's one thing. He can't do anything

about it while we're shut in here.

And there's something else too.

It's about these.

He got very interested.

He said they weren't written by hand...

and they're not

on sheepskin.

It's something to do with soaking wood

and making this out of it.

And using these.

I tried to figure it out.

But he says he knows a man in England

who would gladly give his life...

to know of such a wonder,

so there must be something to it.

Only they don't know

about it over there.

- And then last night-

- Well, you could look a little happier, bowman...

sitting right in the middle

of the wealth of ages.

And here's some more for you.

You know, I was right.

I thought if they have books, they must

set down matters of science in them...

like the direction needle

and how to make the books.

And look what else I have.

What do you think this is?

This is that powder

that disappears in a flash of light.

It's what they use

in the fire tubes.

And if you-

If you close it in somewhere-

Now, look.

You see that? Bayan was right.

There's the wealth of ages.

He'd rather have that

than all thejewels in China.

Do you know what you just heard?

They don't know it yet, but you just heard

the walls of Rome begin to crumble.

The young gods already know, of course,

the news that we have just received.

No. What news?

The armies of Bayan have taken

four cities since you came here.

One that resisted

exists no more.

Soon, that army

will be before our walls.

But the young gods

have done nothing.

Well, what can we do?

- It wasn't our idea to be gods.

- Nor was it mine.

I'm in

an unfortunate position.

If anything happens

to the young gods...

I will die very quickly

for I am responsible for them.

But I will also be among the first

whom Bayan will kill...

if the city resists.

So if I must die...

I will take the way that

will save the city from destruction.

You're trying to say, I imagine,

that if you have to die...

you prefer the choice that may convince

the empress that we're not gods.

Say if we were found

very mortally dead.

That is possible.

If you have a better remedy,

I would find it quickly.

- Walter?

- Huh?

What's the matter?

I couldn't sleep, Walter.

I want to talk. Please wake up.

Oh, can't it wait until morning?

No. I don't know

if I can say it now...

but if I think of it anymore

I won't be able to say it at all, I think.

All right.

What is it?

If it's true what he said, that we shall

never leave here until- until we die...

then- then-

Go on.

I know it's true

that you do not love me...

but if this other

is also true...

then you can never find

anyone else to love.

- Isn't that so?

- Yes, I- I suppose so.

Well, then,

I was thinking.

Since you cannot love

anyone else...

and since it may be

a very short time that we are here...

maybe you could pretend

for a little while that you loved me...

like it was in the miracle.

Oh, I would like it

very much...

and you wouldn't have

to pretend very hard.

But if you did pretend for a while,

maybe it would get to be true...

since there is no one else.

You're strange.

But the house is called

the House of Everlasting Felicity...

and I would rather be with you

even for a- for a little while...

and even if

you only pretended...

than to have all the rest

of my miracle or anything.

Maryam.

What's the matter?

Wake up, Tris.

I think he loves me.

Oh, that. Why do you have to pick

on a time like this to find it out?

Maryam?

- Maryam-

- Where have you been?

- Can you sew?

- Yes, a little.

Good. Now, I want you

to take these coats...

and sew as many of those jewels as you can

into the linings, and do it quickly as possible.

- Did you find a way to get away from here?

- Yes, I have.

You know, I thought our friend last night

was pointing at something.

So I took a look around. Now, there was

a door that was heavily barred before.

Now I could open it. There was a room

behind and a passage leading to the river.

I followed it.

There are boats on the river.

Now, the attack must be close because

a lot of people are leaving down the river.

What-What I don't like

about it is it's all too neat.

Now, I tried to think

like our Chinese friend.

Just letting us get away

isn't good enough.

But if we were killed doing itjust when danger

threatened, we wouldn't look very godlike...

and he could easily

convince the empress that...

we hadn't just returned

to our celestial paradise.

It would give him a chance

to save his city and his skin.

What do you think,

Tris?

Well, he didn't give us

much choice.

Well, we'd better wait until night.

We'll stand a better chance at the river.

Come on. Get ready.

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