0:04

You wake in a strange room. Your

0:08

clothes are foreign and the walls are covered

0:10

in objects from a different world. You

0:13

don't know where or when you are or if

0:16

you're still dreaming. There

0:19

are footsteps in the hall. Jumping

0:21

up, you race out of the room and into the streets.

0:24

You have just entered the

0:27

Twilight Histories.

0:33

You have entered the Twilight Histories,

0:36

an audio adventure that casts you

0:39

as the hero.

0:41

Today, our Bronze Age

0:43

summer rumble will continue with

0:46

a daring story by Josh Hutchins.

0:49

As the world crumbles, a

0:51

tribe lost to history struggles

0:54

to carry the flickering light of civilization

0:57

against great waves of violence

0:59

and destruction.

1:01

When you're done listening to this story,

1:03

make sure you join us on Patreon

1:06

where Josh is launching a massive

1:08

bonus track just for our supporters.

1:11

And now, listen to

1:14

Shekelish by Josh Hutchins.

1:26

Some events in history, like

1:28

the Dark Ages, the bubonic

1:31

plague, the burning

1:34

of the Great Library of Alexandria,

1:37

and the Little Ice Age. These

1:40

events had a stagnating effect on humanity

1:43

insofar as the advancement of technology,

1:46

culture, and trade. Other

1:49

events and eras, like slavery under

1:51

the Roman Empire, slavery

1:53

in the New World, Mongol

1:56

conquest, and to a great

1:58

extent communism. stunted

2:00

humanity in ways we still

2:02

have difficulty measuring. But

2:05

even greater than ease was

2:08

the collapse at the end of the Bronze

2:10

Age. Great empires

2:12

like the Egyptians and the Hittites fell

2:15

before, well, we

2:18

really don't know what happened at the end of the

2:20

Bronze Age. There

2:22

are records of drought and famine, war,

2:25

great migrations, civil

2:28

uprisings, piracy,

2:30

plagues. When

2:32

humanity reached its peak during the Bronze

2:34

Age, civilization entered

2:36

a steady downward spiral.

2:40

Records of this period are very few. For

2:43

more than two centuries, cities

2:45

were burned and the practice

2:47

of recording history practically vanished.

2:51

Please choose some clothing from

2:53

the shells behind you while I continue

2:56

your briefing. We

2:58

are sending you to a world very similar to our

3:01

own, at the time of the Bronze

3:03

Age collapse.

3:05

You are going to the island of Sicily

3:07

in the Mediterranean. Of course,

3:09

it isn't called Sicily, it's called

3:12

Shekelesch. The

3:15

island is under the loose rule of

3:17

a petty chief king of sorts

3:20

by the name of Tegesch.

3:23

Although Shekelesch isn't a vassal

3:26

of the Egyptian Empire, King

3:29

Tegesch does answer to the Pharaoh's

3:31

requests.

3:32

Many peoples of the time did. Our

3:36

agent has made arrangements with a man named

3:39

Vybor. He is an

3:41

advisor to King Tegesch. He

3:43

has large amounts of land being

3:46

farmed by slaves and servants, and

3:49

you'll be managing them.

3:51

I know it doesn't sound glamorous, but neither

3:54

did a gong farmer either, and we

3:56

all know how that worked out.

3:58

Besides. Vybor has

4:01

a habit of bringing his top servants with

4:03

him to important meetings before

4:05

the king,

4:06

so you'll be privy to some interesting

4:09

information.

4:11

Based on your past world splits, I

4:14

think you're really going to enjoy this. Now,

4:18

let me look you over. Yes,

4:21

a long yellow tunic with a wide leather belt

4:24

at the waist. Very simple.

4:27

These were simpler times.

4:30

The feathered hat is a nice bit too, though

4:33

you may wish to carry it for

4:35

the time being, rather than wear

4:37

it around. Based

4:39

on ancient hieroglyphs and writings, we

4:42

think the Shekalesh wore feathered hats into

4:44

battle.

4:45

You'll figure it out. If

4:48

you have no questions, please step

4:50

onto the platform and we'll get you on your way.

4:55

As you know, you'll feel

4:58

disoriented at first, but

5:00

your senses will return to you soon. One

5:03

last thing. We don't

5:06

know much about the culture of Shekalesh,

5:09

but what we do know is that

5:11

they were listed as one of the Sea Peoples

5:13

who attacked Egypt and vanished

5:16

afterwards.

5:16

You can handle yourself.

5:19

Good luck.

5:41

You wait to the sound of a crowing rooster.

5:44

The orange bulge of the sun is just

5:46

beginning to show above the eastern horizon

5:49

on the sea. It

5:51

rained last night, so the valley

5:53

between you and the bay is coated with

5:56

a frothy layer of fog. The

5:59

air is crisp.

5:59

The dull red coals

6:02

of the fire and the nearby stone hearth are still

6:04

just visible under a blanket

6:06

of grey ashes.

6:07

You roll yourself

6:10

upright onto your low wooden bed and stretch,

6:13

smelling leather and cedar. There's

6:16

a wrap on the doorway and a slender man

6:18

enters.

6:20

Don't give me that look, Ashwa. When

6:24

the sun gets up, I get

6:26

up. You

6:28

push your thin blanket under the bed and stand,

6:30

stretching some more. As

6:33

always, my father, the rooster

6:35

and I are in league with one another, conspiring

6:38

to wake you before the great sun

6:40

reaches its zenith in the sky. He

6:43

smiles and gestures with one hand towards

6:45

the door. Morning meal

6:47

is ready.

6:50

Minutes later, the

6:53

two of you enjoy a breakfast of hard bread,

6:56

tinder goat meat slathered in butter and

6:58

a mild peppermint tea.

7:01

You're joined by nearly three dozen

7:03

others who sit on the ground with goat

7:05

meat stuffed into their bread.

7:08

Afterwards, they all brush their teeth with the frayed

7:10

end of a stiff twig. You

7:13

still are entirely accustomed to them

7:15

copying everything you do. Ashwa,

7:19

you say,

7:20

and the man puts down his tea and looks at

7:22

you.

7:23

When you finish, set everyone

7:25

to work on the same western edge of the north field,

7:28

then bring Betty to my working shed. He

7:31

squints, Betty? But

7:33

we'll be using Betty in the field. You

7:36

can spare her for a short while. I

7:39

have something I want her to try on. You

7:42

smile and he shrugs. Yes,

7:44

my father. He sips

7:46

the last of his tea, bows, and

7:49

turns to the others. He

7:51

claps his right hand against his left forearm

7:53

twice and holds both arms

7:55

above his head. My people, he

7:57

says, loud enough for them all to hear.

7:59

They stopped chewing and looked

8:02

at him, eager to hear his words. In

8:08

less than fifteen minutes, you and Eshua are

8:10

maneuvering a stout wooden cart into

8:13

position behind Betty.

8:14

She is the epitome

8:17

of stoicism as she chews

8:19

her cud, seemingly bored

8:21

with the whole affair. Just

8:23

a little closer. Good. See

8:26

that strap there? You point to a spot

8:28

near Betty's flank. Eshua

8:30

nods. Slide the handle into it.

8:34

You gesture for him to stand back.

8:37

Excellent work, my father, Eshua

8:39

says. You have built for us

8:41

a new dung cart. He

8:44

smiles at you. It's not

8:47

an ordinary dung cart, Eshua. Watch

8:49

this. You reach down at

8:51

the front of the cart and pull a thick oak

8:54

pin out of its slot. Gently,

8:56

the upper frame of the cart tips backwards.

9:00

You give it a nudge and the far back touches

9:02

the ground. Then you push it back

9:04

down and replace the pin. His

9:07

eyes bulge slightly. What

9:10

do you think, you ask, holding

9:12

your arms toward the cart like you're a game

9:14

show host? Rucks,

9:17

he says, looking at it with his

9:19

hand to his doubled chin. You

9:21

nod. Dung, he

9:24

asks, looking at you. You nod again.

9:28

We use it today, my father. He

9:30

turns to two young boys standing nearby watching.

9:34

Take Betty and this magnificent

9:36

tilting dung cart to the north

9:38

field. He claps

9:41

his hand and forearm. They

9:43

lead Betty away. You

9:45

know, my father, Eshua starts, looking

9:48

at you over his shoulder. You

9:50

do not need to keep making things. We

9:53

are not complete invalids. He

9:56

shrugs, smiles, and

9:59

scratches his wrist.

9:59

rear with a stump of a hand.

10:36

I should have a better estimate on the number

10:38

of bushels we can expect after I

10:41

see how much fuel we clear this week. My

10:43

father, you say, walking briskly

10:46

in a wide dirt path through

10:48

the heart of a bustling village. He

10:51

takes long, smooth strides

10:54

with his hands clasped behind his

10:56

back. He turns his head

10:58

only slightly to look at you.

11:01

You forget yourself. You

11:03

forget your position with me. I

11:06

care not how many bushels of grain they

11:08

produce, so long as it

11:10

is sufficient to feed me and

11:13

my household.

11:14

For now, he gives

11:16

you a quick glance. That includes

11:19

you.

11:21

You see the wisp of a smile on his lips. His

11:24

long, green tunic makes subtle,

11:27

soft sounds as he begins

11:29

walking up the hill with you struggling

11:31

to match his pace.

11:34

It would be easier for them to work

11:36

if they had two hands, my

11:38

father. He says

11:40

with a shrug, another

11:42

man would have whipped you for saying

11:44

such a thing. You

11:46

feel your chest tighten and goosebumps

11:49

on your arms. Such

11:51

as it is, he continues. And

11:54

because you've been remarkably

11:56

helpful for the last month, I'll

11:58

explain something to you.

12:01

He stops and faces you, others

12:03

in the street veer away and give

12:05

you and the man a broad berth. One

12:08

woman carrying a basket with

12:10

three chickens stuffed into it gives

12:13

you a look of what, pity,

12:16

sadness? I'll

12:19

only say this once,

12:20

your master says. Aishwa

12:24

and those other half-wits I took from

12:27

Egyptis are not here

12:29

to grow grain, they are

12:31

here as punishment. Growing

12:34

grain is merely a useful bonus

12:37

to me. I had their

12:39

hands removed to prevent them

12:41

from becoming a threat to me or

12:44

to the king. He

12:47

looks back towards his house and farm where you

12:50

and he left a mere ten minutes ago.

12:53

One more thing, he

12:55

leans in closer. Tell

12:57

that worm, Aishwa, that

13:00

if he speaks to Samun again, I'll

13:03

have his other hand as well, along

13:06

with his tongue. He

13:08

leans back and stares at you, clearly

13:11

awaiting a response. Yes,

13:14

Master Vybor, my

13:16

father, I will see to it. He

13:20

gives a curtain on and continues his walk.

13:23

The activities in the village fade to the back

13:25

of your mind as you picture Aishwa

13:28

with no hands and no tongue. The

13:31

sharp smell of smoke wakes you from your thoughts.

13:35

You and Vybor enter a spacious, flat

13:37

clearing. At its center

13:40

is the large stone structure with a dome,

13:43

which looks as if it's been plastered over

13:45

and made smooth, then painted

13:47

a bright aqua blue. Squared

13:51

timbers jut from the top edge of the walls

13:53

just below where the dome begins.

13:56

The walls are painted orange, green

13:58

and white with strange,

13:59

geometric designs on them. Nearby,

14:03

a pig is being roasted on a spit.

14:07

Several people have gathered around and appear to be

14:10

praying or maybe they're singing.

14:14

Inside, Leibor starts. Then

14:17

he cuffs you on the ear to get your attention. Oh,

14:20

my apologies, my father. I was... You

14:22

must control your thoughts if

14:25

you are to control the world around you, he

14:27

says, brushing dust from his sleeves.

14:29

As I was

14:32

saying earlier, when we go

14:34

inside, do not speak unless

14:37

either I or Tejesh

14:39

speaks to you. I do not

14:41

expect that to happen, but

14:44

nor do I wish you to make a fool of me. He

14:47

squints, do you understand?

14:51

Yes, my father, you say, nodding. But

14:54

why are you bringing me here at all if you're

14:56

concerned about my behavior? He

14:59

smiles,

14:59

because if for

15:02

any reason I may be absent

15:05

from here, I expect you

15:07

to stand in as the king's advisor. He

15:10

gives a conspiratory look from side

15:12

to side, because

15:14

I do not want others, someone

15:17

unknown to me, to take my place. You

15:21

nod in understanding, then follow

15:23

close behind him as he approaches the front door

15:26

of the building. A large,

15:28

heavy leather curtain is

15:29

pulled aside by an older man

15:32

sitting on a stool nearby. The

15:34

man greets us with a whistly voice. Leibor

15:38

gives him a very slight bow and enters. Inside,

15:42

the room is lit by open

15:44

windows you didn't notice from the outside. A

15:47

shaft of light teeming with moats of dust

15:50

shoots down from an orifice at the top center

15:52

of the dome, coating the dirt floor

15:54

in an alien-looking white glow. A large

15:58

man wearing a gray skirt.

15:59

With his torso bare, stands

16:02

near his sidewall with his back to you. Tejesh,

16:06

my father, Vybor

16:08

says with a short bow. You mimic

16:10

him and make a bow as well. Thy

16:14

timing is impeccable, it is always,

16:17

Vybor. I

16:19

offer my apologies, my father. My

16:22

servant and I will leave you in peace to finish

16:25

relieving yourself. Tejesh

16:28

grunts. No, tis

16:29

fine. His

16:32

shoulders seem to shiver. I

16:34

was just finished. He

16:37

turns to face you both, smoothing

16:39

the wrinkles on the front of his skirt. A

16:41

man steps from our corner of the room, picks

16:44

up the load pot the man had just been

16:46

urinating into and carries it

16:48

out a back door. Vybor

16:50

follows the man with his eyes. Ahh,

16:54

carrying my filthy pot outside.

16:58

Tis a task none of thine folk then

17:01

thus accomplish. Do ye

17:03

wish now that you had

17:05

spared all those hands? He

17:08

smiles at toothy grin. Vybor

17:11

shrugs.

17:11

As I said, my father,

17:14

your safety and the

17:16

endurance of the people of Shekalesh are more

17:18

important to me than the productivity

17:21

levels of my slaves. I

17:23

would do the same again if faced with a choice.

17:28

Tejesh gives his own shrug, then

17:30

squints his eyes at you. My

17:33

father, I'm sorry, you say, a

17:35

bit of a panic touching your voice. You

17:37

quickly lower your eyes. Search

17:40

to call him.

17:41

Tis for every

17:44

day. But not

17:46

this day. He stretches

17:48

his neck and repeats. Not

17:51

this day. My

17:53

father, Vybor says. Visan

17:57

and Tejal should join us anon.

17:59

I have summoned them moments

18:03

before you arrived. We have

18:05

a message from Sheridan."

18:09

Bybor's eyes bulge and he looks

18:11

around the room. My father,

18:14

when you said my timing was impeccable,

18:17

you mean a jest. It

18:20

was indeed. He smiles, then

18:22

he turns to you again. This day,

18:25

young servant, do

18:28

not shy away from meeting

18:29

my eyes. Today

18:32

is a day of light and dark. Today

18:35

is a day of action, a choosing

18:37

day. I dare not make

18:40

choices for my people without

18:42

the courage of meeting their eye. You

18:46

slowly raise your head and lift your

18:48

eyes, meeting his gaze. Yes,

18:51

my father, you say. You

18:53

hear muffled voices from outside the door. A

18:56

tanned woman throws the leather curtain aside

18:59

and enters the room

18:59

with the flourish. My

19:02

father, she says, giving a low

19:04

bow, and her brown flowing skirt

19:06

just touches the floor. Her

19:09

dark hair is curly and

19:11

pushed up in a loose bun at the back of her

19:13

head, with several tresses

19:15

dangling loosely. No,

19:18

Tejesh says, holding

19:20

his arms out flatly. He gives

19:22

a sideways look at Bybor, with a

19:24

fierce glint in his eyes. This

19:27

day it is my

19:30

king. A woman

19:32

raises her head, the whites of

19:34

her eyes expanding by only. My

19:38

king? My king,

19:41

Bybor echoes with a slight quaver in his voice.

19:44

Tejesh nods and places

19:46

his hands on his hips and exhales. Yes,

19:50

today I am king

19:53

Tejesh, for we

19:56

are at war. My

19:59

king.

19:59

Then the woman shouts and

20:02

bows again, her voice nearly

20:04

reverent. Another

20:06

person enters. He's dressed in

20:08

a blue tunic with a strange scarf

20:10

around his neck. He walks next

20:13

to the woman and gives a weak bow.

20:15

"'My father,' he says. The

20:18

woman slaps him on the arm. "'He

20:20

is keen today, not father. If

20:23

you had been timely, you would know,' the

20:26

man scowls rubbing his arm.

20:28

Looking to jesh, he holds out both his hands

20:30

towards the woman. "'Oo, Pisan,

20:33

my daughter. Stand

20:36

beside me this day.'

20:38

He turns to his servant in a nearby corner

20:41

and gives a curt nod. "'I

20:44

do not understand,'

20:46

Vibor says. "'No,

20:48

do I,

20:48

my king,' the

20:51

other man says with a rasp. "'Cherdan

20:55

has come with a message from Pharaoh

20:59

of Egyptis,' to jesh

21:01

says as he leads Pisan to sit on

21:04

a nearby low bench. He

21:06

turns back to the man in the blue scarf. "'Takal,'

21:10

he says and points to the empty

21:12

spot on the bench next to Pisan. Takal

21:15

has an uneven step when he walks

21:18

and he slowly lowers himself into his seat, giving

21:21

Pisan a sideways glare. "'Where

21:25

is your

21:25

mask, my brother? This cloth

21:27

around your chin fails the work of hiding

21:30

your face,' Pisan

21:32

says without even looking at him.

21:34

The leather curtain at the front opens again

21:36

and a large man wearing a red tunic

21:39

enters. He carries a burnished

21:41

metal helmet under his arm with long

21:44

metallic horns protruding from the

21:46

crest. "'Thank

21:48

you for water and wine, King to jesh,' the

21:51

man says, smiling. "'And you are King,

21:54

yes.' "'I

21:56

am King, just

21:59

as you are.'

21:59

King and shirt in this

22:02

day. Are you not?" The

22:05

man nods, I am.

22:09

He walks to stand just inside the circle

22:11

of pale light. Then we

22:13

sail for Egyptas and answer

22:15

the call of the pharaoh. Tejesh

22:18

nods and turns to Vybor.

22:22

Send out the call, Vybor. Ten

22:26

thousand we can summon, but

22:28

will ten thousand answer. By

22:31

my word, in three days,

22:34

we sail for Egyptas. Pisan

22:37

moves to kneel next to the king

22:39

and holds up her hands. Oh,

22:42

my king, I beg thee, take

22:45

me to Egyptas. Let me serve

22:47

you as you answer pharaoh's call.

22:50

Let us spill blood together. Tejesh

22:53

looks down at her with a smile

22:56

crinkling the skin around his eyes. So

22:59

fierce. You have the

23:01

courage of five men, my beautiful Pisan,

23:05

but you do not have the strength of arms of five

23:07

men.

23:09

If you made war alongside me, it

23:12

would be the greatest honor

23:14

of my life. But

23:17

behold, your new husband

23:20

would not be well pleased if you were

23:22

injured. She looks

23:24

up at him with a wrinkle between her

23:26

eyebrows. New husband.

23:31

Sheridan steps forward and holds a

23:33

hand to her. Our two islands are

23:35

joined by our union. Our firstborn

23:37

shall rule them both.

23:39

She looks from Sheridan

23:41

to Tejesh, each smiling

23:44

and nodding and replying. Then

23:46

Tejesh looks at Tikal. My

23:51

son, he says, with

23:53

a strange dissatisfaction in his voice.

23:57

Tikal slowly stands and shuffles closer.

23:59

Then he too kneels. Thy

24:03

face is a shadow to mine,

24:06

but you too will answer

24:09

the call of the pharaoh. Yes,

24:12

my king, Tikal says, looking

24:14

at the floor. Tejesh

24:16

grabs Tikal by the chin and lifts

24:19

his head up sharply. First

24:22

get thee to the far western shore of

24:24

the island. On the way,

24:27

summon and raise any able

24:29

men for an army.

24:29

If they have not

24:32

a spear or a sword, I

24:34

shall supply one to them. Return

24:37

her the third day. On that day

24:39

we sail.

24:41

He lets go of Tikal's chin and

24:44

shoves him back by the top of his head. Be

24:46

gone, he shouts, and

24:49

do not disappoint me again, my

24:53

son. Tejesh

24:56

gently raises Pisan by the hand and

24:59

leads her to stand with Shirden, who in

25:01

turn holds her possessively. The

25:04

king then turns to you and Vybor.

25:06

My

25:09

greatest advisor and friend, he

25:12

says, grasping Vybor firmly

25:14

by the shoulder. Will you

25:17

travel to Egyptus with me once

25:19

more? Vybor nods,

25:22

only death can

25:24

stop me from doing so, he replies.

25:28

Tejesh gives you a glance, then

25:30

smiles at Vybor.

25:31

I

25:34

would prefer thine servant to remain

25:36

here. Pisan is bold

25:38

and strong, but she lacks

25:41

the gift of patience. She

25:43

could use his counsel. Tejesh

25:46

gestures at you, then continues.

25:49

My son, he

25:51

shakes his head. He

25:54

is all patience and nothing

25:56

more. My dreams

25:58

tell me.

26:18

We can call it whatever we want, Eshua.

26:22

He moves his head from side to side. Yes,

26:25

my father. But will

26:27

it not still take many hours to

26:29

split this tree into many parts? So

26:31

many?

26:34

Yeah, but the planks will all be the

26:36

same width. And they aren't splitting

26:38

the tree, they're cutting it. This is much better

26:40

and faster. Also there will

26:42

be fewer splinters.

26:45

Eshua crosses his arms, looking

26:47

down at the two men, pushing and pulling a bronze

26:49

saw back and forth through a

26:51

long section of tree.

26:53

Very well, he says, exhaling

26:56

heavily. Now

26:59

if you would be so kind as to explain again

27:01

your idea for harnessing the power

27:03

of the river to do work for us.

27:07

You and Eshua walk towards

27:09

the village at the edge of Vybor's lands,

27:12

cresting a small bare hill. You

27:15

stop and turn, putting your hands

27:17

on your hips.

27:19

Do you ever just stop and look at that?

27:22

You ask, gesturing with your chin.

27:24

Eshua looks over his shoulder.

27:27

It is most lovely, yes, and

27:30

terrifying. Much like looking

27:32

into a dark pool of water.

27:35

Yeah, I

27:38

think it's called Mount Etna.

27:42

I cat, he says, and

27:45

you nod. After

27:47

a minute or two, you both walk to the bank of

27:50

the river. You explain how you

27:52

want to dam a small portion of the river where

27:54

it drops and flows fast and

27:57

build a stone building for a water mill there.

28:00

By harnessing the power of the river, you

28:02

tell him you intend to mill flower,

28:05

operate a bellows, and saw wood.

28:09

While you are explaining to Eshua how a crew

28:11

of one-handed people would be

28:13

able to operate the devices, you

28:15

hear an unnatural rustling in the nearby forest.

28:19

Eshua snapped his attention towards it also.

28:22

Who is there, you shout, as you

28:24

place one hand on the oaken cudgel at your side?

28:27

Who, who, by

28:30

the gods. You ask

28:32

more questions than any man I will ever

28:34

know. The

28:36

small frame of a woman steps into the clearing

28:39

nearby you. After a sigh,

28:41

you relax. You both

28:43

give a small bow of respect.

28:46

Lady Samun, you say, rising

28:48

from your bow. Eshua remains

28:51

bent at the waist. You may

28:53

rise, she says, in her

28:55

gentle voice. Then she smiles

28:58

at you both. What foolishness

29:00

are you two planning now? You

29:03

detect the faint scent of flowers, and

29:06

you turn and gesture to the river. It's

29:10

something to help do the work faster. She

29:13

looks down her nose at it and turns

29:15

her eyes to you. And what

29:17

if you die? Die? Die?

29:22

Ladies, you heard me. What

29:24

if one of you, or both, died? How

29:28

would we continue this project without

29:30

you?

29:31

What's more, how would

29:34

we operate it with you gone?

29:36

You and Eshua exchange glances. I

29:41

guess I'll have to show several

29:43

people how to finish it and

29:45

how to operate. Clays!

29:48

Clays, you fools. Scrolls.

29:52

Can you not draw the instructions

29:55

on such things? Oh,

29:58

well, yeah. Yes,

30:00

I can do that. You nod." She

30:03

smiles again with a satisfied look on her face.

30:07

In Egyptis, before I was

30:09

brought to this island, Shekelesh,

30:12

my father's father, Tulum,

30:15

spoke words which lay upon the papyrus.

30:19

When I was just a girl, I

30:21

listened to a man from Cana

30:23

speak the words from his mysterious

30:26

talking clays.

30:27

She mimics the motion of holding a clay tablet

30:30

and reading from it. Would it not

30:32

be beneficial for us to do such

30:34

a thing?

30:36

To do what? Print

30:38

books?

30:40

A slight wrinkle forms between her eyebrows.

30:42

Books?

30:44

You shrug. I mean, you

30:46

think we should draw

30:49

the words on the clay tablets here too?

30:52

You make a gesture of pressing a read

30:54

into the soft imaginary clay in your hand.

30:58

She nods. More than that,

31:01

I think we should draw all of our knowledge

31:04

onto the clay tablets and

31:06

keep them safe in the place

31:08

where everyone can come to read them.

31:11

Sure, like

31:13

the great library of Alexandria, She

31:17

smiles

31:18

and frowns at the same time.

31:21

The great what of what? You

31:24

give yourself a small chuckle. A

31:27

library is a place where books are

31:29

stored. Well, clays

31:31

and scrolls of papyrus.

31:34

She nods. And what is an

31:36

Alexandria? It's

31:38

nothing. You wave your hands.

31:41

You're talking about building the

31:43

great library of Shekelesh, right?

31:47

She gives an approving nod, then

31:49

raises her eyebrows. I

31:52

suspect, however, that thy border will

31:54

not approve.

31:56

She continues to smile.

31:58

So... if we are

32:00

to build such a thing, it must

32:02

be done discreetly, you say. And

32:06

it must not interfere with the other work," Ashwa

32:09

adds.

32:10

Samoon nods.

32:12

However, my father, I see one tiny

32:14

problem. Ashwa faces you.

32:17

I do not know how to speak the words from the

32:19

talking clays. Do you? He

32:22

puts his hand on his hip. You

32:24

squeeze your lips together and arch both

32:26

your eyebrows. Looks

32:28

like I'm developing an alphabet for the

32:30

Shekalash language while I'm here. You

32:33

whisper it to yourself. Yes,

32:36

you say aloud to them. Pisan

32:46

is shouting so loud, you can hear it from

32:49

outside the dome of the building. You

32:51

pull the leather flap aside from the door and enter,

32:54

stamping the mud from your bare feet. You're

32:57

a fool, Tikal. Those who

32:59

don't obey the summons of our father deserve

33:02

death. Our father is king. Pisan

33:05

shouts, pointing finger at Tikal,

33:08

who's sitting on the stone seat with his head resting

33:10

on one of his hands. Father,

33:13

don't invoke our father, Tikal. He

33:15

is not here. You should be

33:18

gone as well, she snaps.

33:21

Our father left you here,

33:24

dear sister. I,

33:27

however, was not left

33:29

here. I was merely

33:32

unable to return in time to board

33:35

father's ship. Pisan

33:38

throws up her hands. That was your

33:40

fault, too. You clear

33:42

your throat and Pisan snaps her eyes at you. Oh,

33:45

look, your advisor is here

33:47

now. If

33:50

I am intruding, you start bowing

33:53

your head slightly. Nonsense, Tikal

33:56

says, smiling at you. Vibor

33:59

and

33:59

Then my father asks that you

34:02

advise me. I am

34:04

now in great need of your counsel." He

34:07

ways you to approach. You

34:10

step towards them. The storm outside

34:12

increases and scattered raindrops cause

34:14

the small fire to hiss and spit. What

34:19

seems to be the passant

34:21

faces you with her hands on her hips.

34:25

Men from the western portion of the island refuse

34:28

to answer Farrah's call to arms. She

34:30

turns face to call, in open

34:32

defiance of our father, the

34:35

king.

34:37

I know this passant.

34:40

Then do something. You

34:43

have instructed me to do

34:45

something many times now.

34:49

What exactly do you suggest to

34:52

call Blairs up at her? Nothing,

34:54

but you choose to do nothing. Perhaps,

34:58

you say, to call wants

35:00

to avoid making a bad

35:02

situation worse. That

35:05

may be, but this isn't what the call

35:07

is doing. He simply

35:10

doesn't want to act. He is afraid

35:12

of our father's disapproval, the

35:14

son says, with a

35:15

smile turning up once out of her mouth. Takal

35:19

glares and walks to a nearby stone

35:21

table and pours wine into a clay

35:23

cup.

35:26

How many men are we talking about, you ask,

35:29

Takal shrugs.

35:31

No more than twenty. Maybe

35:33

as few as three. I'm

35:36

not sure. See,

35:39

passant shouts, holding her hands

35:42

toward Takal, then letting them drop to

35:44

her sides. Only three

35:46

men. Or

35:48

twenty, you say. Twenty

35:50

is a great many, considering we have no more

35:52

than five in the city right now. You

35:56

turn to Takal. And what are

35:58

these men doing presently?

36:01

Right now," he smiles, "'I have

36:04

no idea,

36:06

tilling the ground, fishing, sleeping.

36:09

I don't know. But whatever

36:11

they are doing, I can tell you

36:13

what they are not doing. They

36:16

are not on ships sailing

36:19

for Egyptus alongside

36:21

my father.'

36:23

You should assemble every strong man

36:25

at your command and march

36:27

westward," Pisan barks. "'And

36:30

do what,' you snap." Pisan

36:32

points a slender finger at you. "'Watch

36:34

your tongue with me. My father

36:36

is king. You do not want me

36:39

to speak ill of you in his ear

36:41

when he returns.'

36:43

Vybor and

36:45

my father told me

36:48

of your skill with a blade," the

36:50

call interrupts. "'I have watched

36:52

you myself when you practice.

36:56

I say there is no one, man

36:59

or woman, who could match you.'"

37:02

You give a polite bow. "'That

37:05

may be true. I

37:07

have learned many things over my years. Many

37:10

of them with a sword in my hand, many

37:13

of them at sword point. And

37:15

if these ten, twenty, or

37:18

three men were to attack

37:20

me each in turn, we may have

37:22

a chance. I doubt

37:24

they will do such a foolish thing, however, which

37:27

means my skills would be wasted." You

37:31

exchange glances with them. "'What

37:34

do you suggest?' the call says.

37:38

"'Perhaps a duel,' Pisan blurts out,

37:41

barely holding back her laughter. You

37:43

can scarcely refrain from slapping your

37:45

own forehead. I...

37:49

well, sure,

37:52

I'll do it.' Pisan's

37:54

difference. "'I didn't mean you,' she

37:57

jerks her chin at the call. I

37:59

mean him.' My dear brother, ferocious

38:02

and deadly as a lion." As

38:05

a lion? I seriously

38:08

doubt that, a man says

38:11

with a streak of sarcasm in his tone. He

38:14

swaggers into the room, the pale

38:16

light casting shadows on his sharp

38:18

facial features. He

38:20

begins tapping a crooked sword against his

38:22

thigh. Lord

38:24

Tikal here couldn't even muster the courage

38:27

to raise his voice in my presence, much

38:30

less fight me. He

38:32

smiles again. I am here

38:34

to remind you, Lord Tikal, that

38:37

I do not answer to you or to

38:40

your father. The entire

38:42

army of Shekalesh has sailed to Egypt

38:44

as they. Then

38:46

there is no one here to protect you. He

38:49

looks at you and sniffs. Then

38:52

he strides towards Tikal. You

38:54

reach over your shoulder, looking for the sword

38:56

that's sat there for years. Nothing.

39:00

You hold your hand there, as if grasping

39:03

an invisible sword hilt. That's

39:05

close enough, you bark. He

39:07

stops and licks you up

39:09

and down. His lips

39:12

ooze into a smile, which

39:15

touches his eyes with a hint of madness. Oh,

39:19

and what if I don't think it is? What

39:22

if I decide I want to run this blade through

39:24

his guts? He

39:27

gestures with the point of his sword towards Tikal,

39:30

then carry her home over my shoulder. He

39:32

points his chin at the sun. I

39:35

must merely walk over

39:37

your cold, limp body. You

39:40

can't stop me. You

39:42

are but one man. You

39:45

level a glare at him. You

39:47

are welcome to test that assumption at

39:49

your earliest convenience. You snarl.

39:53

Two other men walk in to flank the

39:56

man. They have shaven heads,

39:58

broad chests.

40:00

These are my brothers, Nadine

40:03

and Natan. He beams at

40:05

you, but his eyes scream murder.

40:08

And what is your name? I

40:11

am Spag, so

40:13

you will know who killed you. Three

40:16

on one, very brave. They'll

40:20

sing songs of you this day. You

40:23

glance at the floor. And

40:26

my name is... You kick a large

40:28

lump of sand and ash into Spag's face.

40:31

He tries to block it with his hands, and

40:33

he takes several steps away, reeling. In

40:36

the process, he drops his crooked

40:38

sword. You tuck and roll

40:40

forward, snatching up the blade and swinging

40:43

it back in a wide arc. The sound

40:45

of bronze on flesh rings

40:47

its familiar tune in your ears. You

40:50

dart to the side, just out of reach from

40:52

a heavy sword blow. Spag

40:55

regains his composure. One

40:57

of the two men, Nadine or

40:59

Natan, you don't really care, is

41:02

down on a knee,

41:03

holding both hands to a deep cut on the back

41:05

of his thigh. Blood is already

41:08

running down his leg and splattering on the dusty

41:10

floor. You swing the sword

41:12

around a couple of times, trying to

41:14

loosen up your wrists and get a

41:16

feel for its balance.

41:18

Natan, Spag shrieks, looking

41:21

at the injured man. Your

41:24

years in Britannia and on the Saxon-Roman

41:26

frontier taught

41:28

you to strike when you see such

41:30

hesitation

41:30

from enemy.

41:33

Nadine jumps back and swings wildly,

41:36

but you turn your attack on him

41:38

into a faint as you flex and turn the point

41:41

towards Spag. The blade cuts

41:43

several inches into the meat of his

41:44

side.

41:46

A hard swing upward separates

41:50

Natan's right hand from his arm. You

41:53

carry the upward arc into a downward one and

41:55

bury the sword into the neck of Spag. Blood

41:58

hisses out of his jugular chest.

41:59

and he drops to his knees. The

42:02

Dean swims at you clumsily. It's

42:05

so clumsy that you barely parry

42:08

the blow. It cuts a long

42:10

shallow line across your left forearm. You

42:13

can tell this man is strong from years

42:15

of manual labor, but he knows

42:18

nothing of a sword fight. The

42:20

first rule of sword fighting is

42:22

that there are no rules. Secondly,

42:26

calling it a sword fight puts

42:28

a person in the wrong frame of mind.

42:30

It's not a sword fight,

42:33

it's just a fight. You

42:35

happen to both have swords, but

42:38

you can use anything.

42:40

You stomp the Dean's toe with your heel.

42:43

He yelps. You slap him flat

42:45

across his cheek with your free hand. He

42:48

stumbles back and you swipe the

42:50

tip of the sword downward across his shin. The

42:52

bronze kisses the bone. You

42:55

crouch and lunge forward, kicking one lap back

42:57

for balance. His lumbering swing

43:00

flies over your head. The

43:02

point of your blade finds the

43:04

soft skin of his inner thigh. There's

43:07

so much blood on the sword, you

43:09

can't tell how far

43:10

it's penetrated his flesh. He

43:13

falls completely back and drops

43:15

his sword clutching his leg.

43:18

You stand and quickly examine

43:20

each of them, watching for signs

43:22

of further resistance. Are

43:24

they dead? Pisan says, holding

43:27

her hands over her mouth. You

43:30

point the sword at Spag. He

43:32

is. Then you gesture

43:34

to Natan and Nadine. They

43:37

will probably live, but

43:39

they'll have a few nasty scars. You

43:42

turn and face T'kal and Pisan. When

43:45

you said you wanted me to fight a duel,

43:48

I didn't know you meant right now.

44:15

The

44:19

man shouts, Make way for the

44:21

king! A throng

44:23

of people moves along with a small clutch

44:25

of men, carrying someone

44:28

on a large litter. Make

44:30

way! The man repeats in a hoarse

44:32

voice. Several

44:34

people along the way weep aloud. A

44:37

long line of soldiers makes its slow way

44:40

behind them all. In the distance,

44:43

the red sunset casts its glow

44:46

on the sea's ripples, making it appear sea

44:48

of blood. A man

44:50

wearing a green cloak strides up to you and grabs

44:53

you by the shoulder. My

44:55

father at Master Vibor, he manages

44:58

to stand around. His eyes are wild

45:00

and his voice is tremulous and low. We

45:03

must speak. We must

45:06

speak now, but

45:08

not here.

45:35

That was Shekelish by Josh

45:38

Hutchins. If you enjoyed this

45:40

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