Page 64 of Embrace the Serpent

I woke with Rane’s arm around me. But something was wrong. The wagon was slowing.

Rane’s arm squeezed me, and he mumbled against my neck. I could tell the exact moment he woke up—he released me and put a foot of distance between us.

“There’s something up ahead,” one of the drivers called back. “They’ve closed the road.”

Maras slid open a small wood window. “Imperial Guards,” she said.

A moment later, a knock came. “Everybody out.”

We all scrambled out into the sunshine. The earth was flat and dark. The road wound through a stone arch, a checkpoint. The gates were closed. On the high ground, overlooking the gate, squatted a lumpy-looking fortress. From its turrets flew flags that bore the crown of the Empire, as well as ones bearing a symbol of a frog on a shield.

A reedy-looking guard tapped the hilt of his sword against the wagon’s painted side.

“We’re a theater troupe,” said Barad.

The guard frowned. “All of you?”

“Yes.”

He called to another guard, this one with an important-looking mustache. “Them says they’re actors.”

“Can’t take ’em at their word,” the mustached guard said. “Remember the priestesses.”

Rane glanced at me.

“Well?” the reedy one said. “What can you do?”

“We can do anything you’d like,” Barad said. “Perhaps a wedding play? We can do delighted ones, somber ones, ones with murder. Maras here is a particular student of death. She can make death sublime. Khoshi and Ruda can manufacture any sort of love you desire. Anything you want to believe, we can make-believe.”

“I like weddings,” the reedy one said.

The mustached one grunted.

Maras clutched her bosom and toppled into Barad’s arms. “Mysweet love!” he shouted. He burst into a monologue as the others enacted strange little snippets of plays. The doe-eyed one vowed vengeance on the musician, the drivers did a silent comedy routine, even Rane threw himself into a long soliloquy about not knowing if he truly was a man or a worm.

“What about her?” A guard pointed at me.

I swallowed.

Rane came to my rescue. “She’s deep in character. An orphan with a heart of gold. See the pain in her eyes? And the sweetness of her smile? It’s our newest play. She doesn’t know who she will become, if she’ll allow herself to fall in love, or if she’ll let the horrors of her past keep her from the joys of her future.”

Uncertainly, I smiled.

“That’s real good,” the reedy guard said, nodding like he was impressed. “You can really feel a sense of ’er fragile hope.”

Behind him, Rane winked at me.

“All right,” said the mustached guard. “You check with the commander if they’ve got a place for you inside, or else you’ll have to camp outside the fort.”

Rane spoke up. “We were hoping to continue on.”

“No can do. Road’s closed.”

“Until when?”

The guard shrugged.

There were times to act and times to keep my head down and gather information. The frog-like fortress had a drawbridge like an upturned mouth, and with one look at the painted wagon, the guards there allowed us through.