“This is Mkololo, the first tree and seat of the Queen,” Sadogo said.
The moon moved in so close she eavesdropped on us. We walked on a wide stone bridge that curved over a river and met a road that had no bend. I wanted to ask what kind of science makes a river flow from so high, but the palace stood before us, as if it only now rose from the ground, as if we were mice beholding trees. The moon made all the walls white. On the lowest level, a high wall and a bridge to the left above a waterfall. On the next level, something I have only seen in lands of the sand sea. An aqueduct. Above that, the first floor, with lit windows and two towers. And above that still more chambers and rooms, and halls, and towers and grand roofs, some like the dome of a calabash, some like the pointed tip of an arrow. Rising to the right, a long platform with people, throwing shadow beneath us, as we came to a double door about three men high. And standing guard, two sentries in green armour, with neck gorgets that rose right below the nose, and long lances in one arm. They grabbed the handles and pulled the door open. We walked past them, but my hands were on my axes and Mossi grabbed his sword.
“Don’t insult the Queen’s hospitality,” Sogolon said.
Twenty paces in flowed a moat, with a bridge no wider than three men aside, taking us over to the other side. Sogolon went first, then the Ogo, Venin, the buffalo, Mossi, then me. I watched Mossi look around him, jumping at the slightest splash, or gasping from a bird above, or the crank of gears from the platforms outside. I watched him more than I did where we were going, and besides, Sogolon clearly knew. Heat came off the water, but fish and fish-beasts swam in it. We crossed the bridge and walked towards steps, watching men, women, standing beasts, and creatures I have never seen, dressed in iron plates and chain mail, and robes, and capes, and headdresses with long feathers. The men and women had skin the darkest I have ever seen. On each step stood two guards. At the top step, the entrance rose taller than I could measure.
Here is truth. I have been to magnificent dominions across the lands and under the seas, but where would one start with this court? Mossi stood still, struck with wonder, as I too stood still. The halls reached so high I expected the women and men to be as tall. In the great hall stood guards at positions along the walls, twenty plus ten more, and other guards, six, who stood facing us. They all had two swords and one spear and showed their faces, which were all a dark black-blue. Their hands as well. And the people who moved about the great hall, even those covered in colourful robes, still had the darkest skin I have seen since the Leopard when he moved like a cat. Guards stood on our landing as well, two of them. I wanted to see the make of their swords. This hall had gold on every pillar, and running through the trim of every armour, but gold would have been a terrible metal for a sword. The hall floor sunk lower than our platform, but the throne floor rose the highest, a pyramid that was all imperial seat, with a ledge or step all around on which several women sat, and above them, the actual throne and the actual Queen.
Her skin, like her men, a black that came from the deepest blue. Her crown, like a gold bird had landed on her head and wrapped her wings around her face. Gold also lined her eyes and glimmered from a small spot on both lips. A vest of gold straps hung loose from her neck and her nipples peeked out when she leaned back.
“Listen to me now,” she said. Her voice was deeper than the hum of monks. “Rumors I already hear them. Rumors of men the colour of sand, some even the colour of milk, but I am Queen and I believe what I wish. So I did not believe they lived. But look at the one before us.” The Dolingon tongue sounded like Malakal’s. Sharp sounds spoken in the quick, and long sounds that linger on purpose. Mossi already furrowed his brow.
He nudged me. “What does she say?”
“You don’t speak the Dolingon tongue?”
“Certainly. A fat eunuch taught me at four. Of course I don’t speak it. What does she say?”
“She talks of men she has never seen. You. I am almost sure of it.”
“Should I call him sandman?” she said. “I shall call him sandman, for I find this a funny thing …. I did say I find this a funny thing.”
The entire hall broke into laughter, clapping, whistling, and shouts to the gods. She flashed a hand and they quit in a blink. She waved Mossi over, but he did not understand.
“Tracker, they laugh. Why do they laugh?”
“She just called you sand boy or sand person.”
“This amuses them?”
“Is he deaf? I had bid him come over,” the Queen said.
“Mossi, she speaks of you.”
“But she said nothing.”
“She is Queen, if she said she spoke, she spoke.”
“But she said nothing.”
“Fuck the gods. Go!”
“No.”
Two spears poked him in the back. The guards started walking and had Mossi not moved, their blades would have pierced his skin. They went down the steps of our platform, crossed the vast floor and the women, men, and beasts of the court, and stopped at the foot of the throne floor. She beckoned him to come up, and the two guards blocking the steps shifted away.
“Chancellor, you already go to more territories than they write in all the great books. Tell me, have you ever see such a man as this?”
A tall slender man with long and thin hair stepped out of the floor, to speak to the Queen. He bowed first.
“Most excellent Queen, many time and here is the thing. He—”
“How come you never purchase one for me?”
“Forgive me, my Queen.”
“Are men even lighter than this?”
“Yes, Most Magnificent.”
“How frightening, and how delicious.” Then, to Mossi, “What is your name?”
Mossi stared at her blankly, like he truly was deaf. Sogolon said he did not know their tongue.
A guard came forward and gave the chancellor Mossi’s sword. The chancellor looked at the blade, examined the handle, and said in Kongori tongue, “How come you by such a sword?”
“’Tis from a strange land,” Mossi said.
“Which land?”
“Home.”
“And that is not Kongor?”
The chancellor, facing the Queen, said to Mossi, “Clearly somebody did name you. What is it? The name, the name.”
“Mossi.”
“Hmm?”
“Mossi.”
“Hmm?”
The chancellor nodded and a spear poked Mossi’s side.
“Mossi, most excellent Queen,” Mossi said.
The chancellor repeated to the queen.
“Mossi? Just Mossi. Men like you fall from sky and just pick up names? Where do you hail, master Mossi? What house?” the chancellor asked.
“Mossi from the house of Azar, from the lands of the eastern light.”
Chancellor repeated in Dolingo tongue and the Queen bleated out a laugh.
“Why would a man east of the sea live in these lands? And what is this disease that burned all the colour from your skin? Tell me now, since nobody in this court likes when you annoy their Queen …. I said, nobody in this court like if you annoy the Queen.”
The court erupted in nos and uh-uhs, and shouts to the gods.
“And yet his hair is black as coal. Lift that sleeve …. Yes, yes, yes, but how is this? Your shoulder is lighter than your arm? I can see it right there, did they sew arms onto you? My wise counsel had better start counseling.”
I was looking at all this and wondering if only the South had mad kings and queens. Sogolon stood back when I expected her to say something. I tried to read her face but hers was not mine. If you disgusted me, you knew as soon as I bid you morning greetings. The Queen was playing and what was play to her? The Ogo stood still but his knuckles cracked from him squeezing too hard. I touched his arm. Mossi was no better at hiding his mind from his face. And Mossi standing there, looking at everything, understanding nothing.
He saw my face, and his fell into worry. What? he mouthed to me, but I did not know how to say anything to him.
“I will see more. Remove it,” the Queen said.
“Remove your robes,” said the chancellor to Mossi.
“What?” Mossi said. “No.”
“No?” the Queen said. That she understood despite the Kongori tongue. “Shall a queen wait for consent from a man?”
She nodded and two of her guards grabbed Mossi. He punched one straight on the cheek but the other pushed a knife against his throat. He turned to me and I mouthed, Peace. Peace, prefect. The guard used the same knife, lodged between the garment and his shoulders, and cut it off. The other guard pulled his belt and everything dropped on the floor.
“No gasps? I hear no gasping?” the Queen said, and the room erupted in gasps, coughs, wheezes, and shouts to the gods.
Mossi, thinking, These are the things that must happen to me, straightened his back, raised his head, and stood. The women and men and eunuchs, who sat at the foot of the Queen, all crawled closer to look. What was the mystery, I did not know.
“Strange, strange thing. Chancellor, why is it darker than the rest of him? Lift it, I will see the sac.”