The Conqueror Page #4

Bortai.

He has suffered much.

Deny not the heart.

Bring food,

and lead him to the horses.

[Laughing]

Let us see if the Mongol sleeps.

Let us!

Yes!

Bring the bear.

We"ll have sport

with Temjin!

[Laughter]

[Laughing]

The bear!

Make haste with the bear!

We"ll tie him with Temjin.

[Laughter Continues]

Guards!

The Mongol"s gone!

Up, you dog!

Where is he?

Here, Lord.

Fool!

Rouse the guards!

Search the camp!

Where are your men?

[Shouting]

Guards! Guards! Guards!

You are lost, Mongol.

This will spare you

much agony.

[Hoofbeats]

He cannot go far!

Search the reeds!

Over there!

[Arrow Whistles]

Temjin!

Lord, we believed

you slain.

Death comes not easy

to Temjin.

Believing me slain,

whom did you acknowledge

as Chief?

Who else but

your blood brother could

lead us in our adversity?

His joy will be great.

[Shouts Command]

Ho! Give greetings

to Temjin!

Our leader has returned.

Temjin lives!

[Cheering]

Temjin!

Temjin!

Temjin, my brother.

I have returned, Jamuga.

My son!

My son, a miracle

has been wrought!

You live!

You didn"t suckle me

to be slain by Tartars,

my Mother,

but to destroy them.

Here. Burn these foul rags!

[Groans]

Oh, my son. Oh.

Small wonderJamuga

thought you dead.

Jamuga erred.

Temjin!

Stay, my son.

Kasar, fetch my healing leaves

and ointments.

I see no betrayal there.

But this, the blackest

kind of treachery,

can thus masquerade

as brother"s love.

Speak then! Deny it!

I will not.

To deny it would give

substance to your thought.

This shame

l"d spare you!

Curb that silver tongue!

Speak straight!

Did you betray me to the Tartars?

No!

Hunlun, my mother.

Come tend my wound.

[Hunlun]

I come.

This he shall pay for

tenfold.

We march against

the Tartar.

With Wang Khan?

With the legions of Wang Khan,

and the Mongol clans I gather.

What folly do I hear?

We march against Kumlek.

Jamuga, depart tonight

for Urga.

Let Wang Khan know

I await his forces...

in the hills of Kerulon

at the full moon.

My brother,

I know your plan.

But I doubt if-

Kasar, go you with Jamuga.

Your brawn may serve

to complement his wit

in case of trouble.

Let us be on our way, Kasar.

Come, my Mother.

Work your healing on this.

Would that I could cure

the madness that possesses you.

Is that your woman"s way

of saying...

you oppose my plan to seize

this chance for power?

Can you speak thus to me,

your mother?

Did I not hold our tribe together,

and raise you with but one thought:

to regain your father"s power

and avenge his death?

Now you"d thwart me

and let our vengeance cool

still longer.

You lie, my son.

You seek no vengeance

for your father.

No, not even for yourself.

You seek this Tartar woman!

My compact with

Wang Khan calls for-

Wang Khan?

He will betray you

into disaster,

or rob you of your spoils

in victory.

Were you not blinded by lust

for this woman, you would see-

Lust?

You, too, are blind,

my Mother.

Blinded by your hatred

for her.

Daughter of Kumlek?

Even were you right

about Wang Khan, yet would

I venture this unaided.

For I will have Bortai,

though I and all of us

go down to destruction.

For good or ill,

she is my destiny.

Envoys ofTemjin,

Chief of the Mongols.

[Shouts]

[Shouts]

[Sighs]

Precious musk ofTonking, Lord.

Oh, no! The scent of musk

fits ill the celestial signs.

Ah, bring civet.

Lord, two Mongol emissaries

seek audience.

Mongols? Bring them to me.

My hat and beads.

Be gone, be gone.

We bring greetings,

O Khan, from our Chief,

Temjin.

He lives?

Approach, Jamuga.

Word reached me

that he was slain by Kumlek.

A Tartar lie, O Khan.

They tried in vain

to hold him captive.

My heart rejoices.

My Shaman!

My presence is desired,

O Khan?

Ah, my Shaman!

Always at hand.

Jamuga and Kasar bring word

ofTemjin"s escape from Kumlek.

A miracle indeed!

What say you, Shaman?

My heart rejoices.

We come to name the day

and place where Temjin

will await your forces.

Speak!

The slaves, their tongues

have been cut out.

Speak freely.

The hills of Kerulon

at the full moon.

Ah, all is well.

I have-

These envoys must be weary,

O Khan.

Oh, true.

Rest and refresh yourselves.

We"ll talk again

in the cool of the day.

But, Jamuga-

We accept your hospitality,

O Khan.

I like not this tale

ofTemjin"s

miraculous escape.

I catch the scent

of treachery here.

Treachery?

Treachery.

How say you, Shaman?

I have long thought

on this, O Khan.

Were the Mongol"s

secret purpose to trick us

into war with Kumlek,

he would not act otherwise.

To what end?

To fatten on our flesh,

O Khan.

Remember, they say

that when Temjin was born,

a clot of blood was found

in his clenched fingers.

A certain augury

of greatness.

Beware, O Khan, beware...

lest the Mongol"s greatness

be achieved at your expense.

What say the spirits,

Shaman?

I was consulting them

when these emissaries arrived.

The signs are yet unclear,

and time presses.

With your leave, I will,

myself, look further

into Temjin"s designs...

before our forces

are committed.

My faithful Shaman.

Should ill befall you-

Jamuga is much beloved

ofTemjin.

Hold him, O Khan,

the young bull also,

as hostages

to my safe return.

Well, if our brother

did not await-

Shh.

[Claps Hands]

The slaves are at

the command of the

Khan"s honored guests.

Remember your father

Yessugai.

What?

Touch no meat nor drink.

Poison?

Maybe.

There"s something afoot.

Then why stay?

Why not return?

If there is treachery,

we must penetrate it.

To do so, we must stay-

listening, not shouting our suspicions.

Sit down.

Whatever we learn will

serve our brother naught

while we remain here.

I say he should be warned!

They would have stopped us

had we refused to stay.

None would stop me-

Shh, shh.

What?

[Grunting]

Wait!

We"ll need more than brawn

for this enemy, Kasar.

All is well, Shaman.

Should they escape-

They shall not escape,

Shaman.

The dead never escape.

And beneath

the cloak of darkness,

who shall know what befell?

[Speaking Native

Language]

I do not see what use

this will be.

Pry it loose!

Come.

Between the bars.

Thus!

Ah!

[Grunting]

At last, a purpose

worthy of these muscles!

Go first, Jamuga.

And cease henceforth

to twit me for my brawn.

Henceforth, l"ll

proclaim it far and wide!

Yeah.

My brawn

now holds me captive.

Take my hand.

I think- I think-

The Mongol!

After him!

Wherefore such haste,

Mongol?

For want of a thrush,

we eat starling!

Seeking Temjin,

we find his blood brother.

Tie him

on the horse.

The full moon is long since high.

He promises much,

this whelp of Yessugai.

[Hoofbeats]

If we"ve aroused

our clans for naught-

Lord, for close on a day"s

march distant, there"s no sign

of Wang Khan"s forces.

Ah.

You"ve traveled far.

Refresh yourself.

He let himself

be tricked by Wang.

My vassal chiefs tremble.

Will you meet

Kumlek"s men alone?

You assured us Wang Khan"s

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