JULIEN

II

Chapter 13

Love, not war!

What little private life …

The time Julien valued most was when the adults had retired and left him and his friends alone together. Of course, Xarax was always lurking unobtrusively in a corner, but as well as being more or less invisible his strange relationship with Dillik did a lot to lift him out of the ordinary 'adults' category. There was an unspoken agreement to avoid the subjects they had been talking about during the day, even though they still sometimes found themselves having the sort of serious discussion that could dampen their usual happy mood. Oddly, they were still capable of laughing and messing about even though they had recently come within a hair of being killed. They hadn't forgotten about it, but they were still able to put it to one side once they no longer needed to worry about it.

Dillik, who was partnering Niil in a hard-fought game of cards against Julien and Ambar, was currently doing his best to distract his opponents using some rather underhand means.

“Dillik,” Julien warned him, “it's no use pretending that your laï is too short. Sit properly or I'll make you go and put some underwear on.”

“Don't pick on me – I didn't start it! Look at Ambar! It's his fault Niil keeps playing like an idiot and costing us points...”

“That's nonsense. Ambar's just too hot – and, anyway, Niil isn't interested in that sort of thing. Everyone knows that.”

“Is that what you think? Don't forget that Karik's been gone for five days now.”

“What's that got to do with anything?”

“Well, it's obvious Niil is missing him.”

“I suppose I can understand that – after all, Karik can be quite witty at times.”

“It's not his wit he's missing – it's his...”

“Dillik!” interrupted Niil.

“...cuddliness in bed,” finished Dillik, ignoring him.

“Would you please stop talking about me as if I wasn't here?”

“You should be happy Karik isn't here,” said Julien, pretending that he hadn't heard Niil. “With him out of the way Niil will be likely to spend more time with you.”

“Can we get on with the game?” asked Niil.

“Oh, he is spending time with me,” said Dillik. “And I'm glad about that. But he says there are some things I can't do as well as Karik does.”

“I'm sure he's just teasing you,” said Julien.

“No, we tried. He says that my sang neh... well, it's too small, apparently!”

“Dillik!” cried Niil.

“That's nonsense,” said Julien. “Your sang neh is perfect!”

“Well, it's still smaller than Karik's. In fact yours is smaller than Karik's, too, even though you've got some hair now.”

This was a rather flattering exaggeration: true, there were a few colourless, translucent hairs just starting to appear at the base of Julien's penis – a fact which delighted their owner – but you had to be under a bright light and close enough to just about touch them with your nose to be able to see them.

“Well, all right, but you know that size isn't the only thing that matters,” Julien pointed out.

“He says it still has to be big enough to... well, mine isn't, anyway. He says that Karik is perfect for it. But I expect that you could...”

“Dillik!!”

“...you could do it. Ouch! Stop hitting me, Niil – you'll make me drop my cards!”

“I'm not jealous, or anything,” said Ambar. “I don't mind if he does, provided that he does it with me first...”

“Ambar!” exclaimed Julien.

“What? Just because he's older it doesn't mean he has to be first in line... oh, good, that's it – we win again. It's quite late, isn't it? Perhaps we should go to bed – Yes, I think you're definitely ready for bed...”

“Move your hand, you moron! Whatever will people think?”

oo0oo

In spite of appearances and all the suggestive remarks the common kang wasn't a place of unbridled debauchery. Although the boys did spend some time perusing the Delights they approached their subsequent explorations with a certain restraint due not to shame or embarrassment but rather from the tenderness that was at the root of their relationship.. It was accepted that anything went, that you could try anything and say anything, provided that you clearly respected your partners. That respect meant that there was never any danger of an older boy forcing a younger boy to do something that he didn't want. Of course it had taken Julien a long time to get used to this: sometimes he was propositioned to do things which shocked to the core that part of him which was still a young French boy from a conventional middle class home, and he quite often said 'no' to such suggestions even though the rest of him was clearly thinking 'yes'.

Ambar had become expert at bypassing Julien's defences by making jokes about things that would otherwise have embarrassed him. Niil often played along by taking the part of an older brother who was outraged by his younger brother's shameless behaviour. And once Dillik worked out how the game was played he was happy to take on the part of an enthusiastic and rather sensuous young creature who was ready for just about any adventure on offer. So the scene which had just taken place had a meaning which everyone understood perfectly: it was an invitation for Julien to perform certain acts with two or more consenting partners which would have scandalised polite society. But they had approached it in the way they had because, while Julien was happy for such subjects to be approached obliquely, he would have run a mile if Dillik had said something like 'Niil and Ambar want you to take them up the bum, and Niil really wants you to because my dick is too small.' Furthermore, it would have totally betrayed the spirit in which the suggestion had been made.

So Ambar was claiming the right to be the first one to try this brand new pleasure with Julien. And Julien, who had so far resisted several attempts to persuade him to take a step which he thought was a step too far, had to admit that if he was finally to give in to temptation it was only right that he should do it with the person he truly loved. So, after an unusually tame evening bath – after all, it wouldn't have done to dissipate his precious energy – he went to the bedroom, where he found Ambar sitting on the bed and holding a precious ceramic jar full of an ointment that gave off a delicate flowery scent and which was, more importantly, a most excellent lubricant. This ointment, the recipe for which was given in an appendix to the Delights, wasn't new to Julien: it had already been used for a number of different activities that involved rubbing one's more sensitive parts.

Scrupulously following the advice given in the Book, Ambar carefully prepared the serki dodjeh, the 'Golden Sceptre', by copiously anointing it with the wonder balm, while taking great care not to overdo the stimulation – after all, the idea was to delay the final event for as long as possible. Then he got into the recommended position, on his back with his knees pulled up to his shoulders, and thus presented Julien with the soul-stirring sight of a pink-centred light brown flower blossoming in the hollow of a valley between the golden orbs of velvety buttocks that simply cried out to be kissed. Julien was unable to resist the invitation, although a last reflex from his rather more inhibited past almost prevented him from touching his lips to the centrepiece of the arrangement. But since he'd already committed himself to crossing the Rubicon he overcame his reluctance, and was rewarded with a big surprise: who could ever have thought that it could feel so good to kiss an....? Never in a million years would he have guessed that being in this position - his nose gently tickling the raphe, that tiny ridge linking scrotum to anus, and with his lips pressed to the delicate pink and brown flower - could fill him with such a feeling of total and absolute intimacy and tenderness towards the one who was offering himself so completely to him, holding nothing back. It actually took something of an effort not to prolong that kiss and perhaps to develop it in audacious ways that he thought might be possible. But he managed to break away and return to the path suggested by the Delights, applying good quantities of the scented balm to the gawa kortchung, the 'small pleasure ring”, and its surroundings and not forgetting to ensure that a decent amount of the balm was placed within the entrance with the help of a fingertip.

In fact Ambar's 'pleasure ring' wasn't completely unprepared for this, or even to accommodate a 'golden sceptre' even larger than that of his friend, because for some time now he had been experimenting with vegetables of appropriate form and texture. In fact he'd started doing so at an age when the average European boy is barely out of kindergarten, and so he knew that it was possible to do this without damage, and even with a fair amount of pleasure. But Julien, because he was scared of causing pain – or possibly because he was overestimating the size of his equipment – said that he didn't want to do it like that, and instead he lay on his back and invited Ambar to sit on him.

Ambar gladly accepted the invitation and sat down. He did so with calculated slowness, allowing Julien to savour every second and every sensation of this new realm which he was just beginning to experience for himself.

Julien felt the head of his penis press against the yielding surface, slipping a little in the lubricant before it settled into the perfect spot. And then the supple muscle against which he was pressing began to open, widening into a ring that gradually admitted him, slowly extending the area being stimulated until finally he was completely engulfed and Ambar could lower himself no further.

His eyes closed, Ambar seemed lost in a world of bliss, radiating intense satisfaction that he had finally achieved his goal. His soft scrotum rested on his friend's groin, the skin almost translucent and revealing the outline of his two little eggs, and his small penis hard, the skin slightly retracted to reveal the dark cherry of his glans. Julien took hold of it, enjoying as he did every time he did this the texture of the skin and the warmth of the organ, both surprisingly hard and velvety soft at the same time.

And then, finally, Ambar grabbed Julien's hands in his own as he allowed himself to reach orgasm, jerking and writhing and squeezing Julien's organ with his insides in a powerful and irresistible caress. Julien went into spasms of his own as he was dragged into an overwhelming climax, at the height of which he arched his back, trying to bury himself yet further inside his partner as he reached that moment of perfect and impossible union with the boy he loved.

oo0oo

Chapter 14

Recruiting

As usual it was still dark while they ate their breakfast. The noise of the blizzard seemed to have dropped an octave, suggesting that there might actually be a lull in the storm before too long. Dillik and Niil were obviously keen to find out what had happened between Julien and Ambar the previous evening, but neither made any attempt to raise the subject: they were happy to wait for Julien to offer an account – if, in fact, any was to be offered at all. They knew that Ambar would definitely not tell them anything.

As had been decided the previous day, after breakfast Julien transported Tannder to Zenn R'aal, into a chaotic landscape strewn with massive granite boulders that seemed to have been dropped haphazardly into a valley covered with low-growing vegetation. In this valley was a house occupied by an old man wearing his silver-grey hair in a style that had probably been out of date even before Tannder was born, he also had a neatly-trimmed moustache and goatee, which were rare enough in the Nine Worlds to be noteworthy. His dark eyes were surprisingly lively and offered a contrast to the wrinkles of age on his face, and his whole appearance radiated strength and character. If he found Julien's Imperial Marks surprising he gave no hint of it, offering only a courteous attention while Tannder made the introductions.

“My Lord,” he said to Julien, “this is Master Dennkar of Meh Tchenn. Master, I'm sure you recognise your guest.”

“Indeed,” said the old man. “I'm glad to be able to confirm in person what I had heard. You've been absent for far too long.”

“I'm sure you've also heard, Master,” said Julien, “that I don't have a lot in common with the Yulmir you knew before. I've seen his image and I know that I don't look anything like him, and I can't remember anything about the life he lived. I wanted to make that clear from the start so that you don't find me too much of a disappointment.”

“I'm sure I won't be disappointed,” replied Dennkar, pointing to one corner of the room. “If your haptir over there is still loyal to you, I'm sure that nothing will prevent me from serving you too.”

Julien was impressed: as far as he was aware this was the first time that anyone had seen past Xarax's amazing ability to camouflage himself and lurk inconspicuously in dark corners.

“The Honourable Tannder will explain why we're here,” he said. “I hope you'll agree to help us.”

Their host prepared some hot, nicely flavoured herbal tea, and while they drank it Tannder explained the whole situation in short, concise sentences.

“If I understand you correctly,” said their host when he had finished, “you want me to come out of retirement to become a teacher to two boys.”

“You could see it like that, yes.”

“So what makes you think I might accept? Other than the fact that it's not easy to say no to the Emperor, of course.”

“Well, it seems to me to be a terrible waste to leave you mouldering away in the exile the Council imposed on you.”

“Ah, so you know about that?”

“It wasn't hard to guess. Logically you ought to be head of the Order by now, if it hadn't been for political intrigue resulting in getting you banished you here instead. Why do you think I chose to sign on with Aldegard instead of going after a headquarters post myself? You're not too old to serve, you're just too honest and too indifferent to power. Virtue is often anathema to those who don't possess it themselves.”

“Did you explain that to His Lordship?”

“No. It's not my story to tell, and I wasn't prepared to talk about it without speaking to you first. Come with us, Dennkar – you'll like your pupils, and you’ll also be able to offer advice to the Emperor without offending the Order. After all, what they don't know about can't annoy them.”

“Someone will leak it, I'm sure.”

“No, they won't. Our Council is very limited. We can't afford to share our secrets with the entire mechanism of government.”

“And what does His Lordship think?”

“His Lordship thinks,” replied Julien, “that – to quote a friend of ours – you can't really know a man until you've shared a bag of salt with him. And I'm sure you feel the same way. But if Tannder is vouching for you, I'm definitely ready to try to get to know you.”

“That sounds honest.”

“There's one other thing: 'His Lordship' prefers to be called Julien when we're not in public. I'm ready to do everything I can to put things right in the R'hinz, but I want to be allowed to be myself.”

“And might I be so bold as to ask who, or what, you are?”

“I'm a thirteen-year-old boy who is in a world which isn't his own and in which everyone is trying either to use me or to kill me... well, all right, maybe that's a slight exaggeration. It's not quite everyone – I do still have some friends.”

“If that's truly the case you're better off than most people who wield power. You're lucky.”

“I'm starting to realise that. I don't know how Yulmir managed to live when he distrusted everyone. I certainly can't live like that.”

“That's why it's a good thing that other people can do the distrusting for you. I'm sure Tannder is excellent at it.”

“I honestly don't know what Tannder does. All I know is that Xarax trusts him and that I trust Xarax. Xarax is the Emperor's Haptir, and he's also my friend. Although, to be honest, the more I get to know Tannder, the more I think he isn't just helping me because I'm the Emperor.”

“What makes you think that?”

“My father often says 'No man is a great man to his valet'. Tannder isn't my servant, but I'm sure he knows me better than my parents do. He knows my faults and he knows I'm not what people think I am. He also knows that I don't always do what people want me to. He's never tried to manipulate me, the way some people would, and he always speaks to me honestly like a friend. I know I make things really difficult for him sometimes – like when I insisted on keeping my friends with me - but he's never complained. He just tries to cope without it making things too difficult for me – or, like today, he tries to finds ways to strengthen our team.”

“You flatter me.”

“No. I don't go in for buttering people up. I might not really be the Emperor of the R'hinz, but I'm not stupid. You might be a great teacher, but we didn't need to come all this way to find someone to teach a couple of kids grammar or history – even though Tannder says appointing you is important for security.”

“So why do you think I'm needed, then?”

“Maybe Yulmir would have known, but I don't yet. I can only suppose that Tannder thinks you're the kind of man we want, someone who won't only be thinking of himself. Of course there's a lot I don't know, and probably I don't need to know most of it. All I can say is, so far Tannder hasn't made any mistakes – or at least, none that really mattered – but I think he's afraid that it could happen and so he's looking for someone who could help him to see clearly. But he might have a different purpose altogether for all I know. Either way you should be aware that it's likely to be a dangerous job. Sometimes I feel as if I have a big target drawn on my chest.”

“I'd more or less gathered that. But life here is a little too uneventful...”

“Does that mean you're prepared to come with us?”

“Of course. Is there some sort of oath I have to swear?”

“Definitely not. I prefer people to work for me of their own free will, not because they've sworn some stupid oath. Anyway, I'm sure there are plenty of traitors who haven't let a little thing like an oath stop them from stabbing someone in the back if they feel like it. However... you will have to let Xarax taste you. I'm not quite sure myself how that works, but he does insist on it.”

Xarax jumped noiselessly onto Julien's shoulder.

I don't need to do that, he said inside Julien's head. I know Master Dennkar, even though he's got a bit older since we last met.

“Apparently he doesn't need to,” said Julien. “So – welcome to the team, Master. I expect you've got a few things you need to sort out. When would you like me to come back to pick you up?”

“I live on my own,” said Dennkar. “I just need to say a few words to the old companion who looks after the house, and after that we can leave at once. I always keep a trunk ready with some clothes and a few personal bits and pieces. We can go whenever you're ready.”

oo0oo

Once they were back in Djang Kang, Dennkar expressed his surprise.

“I have to say, My Lord, that I wasn't expecting to be transported by the Emperor himself. Have the Guides withdrawn their service?”

“Not at all. It's just that we prefer to have as few people as possible know where we are. The only Guide who knows how to find me is my friend Aïn. He's very busy, and so if it's just a question of a straightforward journey that doesn't need any particular talent I deal with it myself. I've only lost one passenger so far.”

This was a bit much even for a master of the stone face like Dennkar: he simply couldn't hide his shock at his host making such a monstrous admission.

“Don't look at me like that,” said Julien, laughing. “It was a ghorr, the one that jumped us in Kardenang. Xarax told me where to take it – actually it was on Zenn R'aal. It was a sort of peak in the middle of a volcanic lake of acid. Tannder wasn't able to tell me who had the insane idea of installing a klirk in a place like that – or, indeed, how it could have been done in the first place. You wouldn't happen to know, would you?”

“I think that has to be Duktchenn Kortso. The peak in the centre of the lake is all that is left of a belvedere that was built to serve as an observatory for those who love that type of landscape.”

Julien looked bewildered, and now it was Dennkar's turn to laugh.

“You'd be surprised how many people there are who are fascinated by that sort of thing. As you may know, Zenn R'aal is a fairly young world where volcanism is still very widespread. People love the volcanoes, even though a lot of people are scared by them, and there have always been pilgrimages, or more normal organised tours, for those who love to see nature at her most wild. Seeing a volcano close up offers you a glimpse of terrifying beauty. The soul is strengthened and the viewer regains a healthy sense of humility. Anyway, that peak – it's probably all that is left of a volcanic chimney – was once connected to the rim of the crater by a narrow isthmus which was destroyed over a long period by the elements and the corrosive fumes from the volcano. The platform was once a lot wider. It's been centuries since anyone went near it: nowadays they just contemplate the lake from the lip of the crater. I had no idea there was still a klirk there.”

“There's now nothing there except a klirk,” Julien told him. “There isn't room on it for more than one person, so I'm afraid I can't take you there for a personal visit.”

“I think I can survive without one. And let me congratulate you again on a brilliant feat.”

“It really wasn't down to me, you know. Xarax told me where to go. Without him I would certainly have been eaten. Anyway, now I'd like to introduce you to your students, and after that you can take a little time to get acclimatised. But don't get too settled: I suspect we'll be moving on before too long.”

“I won't start redecorating my room, then.”

oo0oo

“Julien,” said Tannder, “if you don't mind, there's one more person I'd like to have join us.”

“You know I'm happy to leave that sort of thing entirely up to you. So who were you thinking of?”

“Master Subadar.”

Julien whistled softly. “I can think of one person who won't like the idea,” he said, “and that's Subadar himself.”

“I don't suppose he'll be the only one, either.”

“Do you think he'll agree?”

“To be honest, I was relying on you being able to persuade him.”

“Of course you were. So what will I have to offer him to get him to come?”

“I don't think anything you could offer would actually influence him one way or another. But the job of teaching...”

“You're joking! Do you really see Subadar teaching Dil... oh, hang on: it's me he's going to be teaching, isn't it?”

“Yes, in a manner of speaking. He has a great deal to teach you, and I should think he'll jump at the chance.”

“But why does he have to stay here with us? I could go and pick him up every day easily enough.”

“Because every time you do that there's more chance of someone finding out about it, and then he'd be in serious danger. So would you, come to that: I don't want you spending too much time away from wherever we end up staying – I can't protect you properly if you're for ever jumping about the R'hinz. I'd imagine that the first place they'll be watching out for you is Bakhtar Tower, but the Seat of the Order of the Major Arts is probably a close second.”

“Then perhaps it would be safer for me not to go near him at all.”

“My thoughts exactly. That's why I suggest you send Aïn to go and collect him and bring him back here where you can talk to him in safety.”

“Yes, but he must have masses of things to do – I'm sure he can't just disappear from his normal work. He's still Grand Master of the Order, isn't he?”

“Well, obviously it'll have to be up to him, but I suspect that in this sort of situation day-to-day activities become a lot less important. I think you'll find that his duty calls him to make sure you get all the training necessary to be able to fulfil your duties to the R'hinz. Anything else will come second to that.”

“Oh, that makes me feel so much better – I mean, there's no pressure there at all, is there? Clearly I can just relax and stop worrying.”

“That's not what I meant.”

“I know. Go and ask Aïn to go and fetch Subadar.”

oo0oo

“Master Subadar,” said Julien, “this wasn't my idea, but I can see the logic of it.”

“Oh, it's definitely logical. I'm just surprised that you agreed to augment your team with someone who is going to take from you what little free time you still have left.”

“Well, recently I've been spending my free time getting rid of ghorrs and trying not to get assassinated. That sort of free time I can manage without.”

“I'd still like to submit a request, if I may?”

“I'm listening.”

“I'd be most upset if I had to part with Yol. Even though he isn't quite the way he was, he's still my chenn da. I think you can understand what that means.”

“He's my friend too, you know. I don't think Tannder will argue too much if that's all you want in return for joining us.”

oo0oo