LEGEND of the LAST VIKINGS - TAKLAMAKAN by Halsted John

Author:Halsted, John [Halsted, John]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Abela Publishing
Published: 2006-12-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

EVACUATION

We were asleep, wrapped in each other’s arms, when I heard the door being unlocked. We had briefly wondered when we would be let out, as the candles had almost burned out.

The door was slightly ajar, and Iksander called out, “Are you decently attired?”

“No. Give us a few minutes.”

“Alright. I’ll be back shortly.”

Lydia stirred, “Was that Father?”

“Yes. Our incarceration is over.”

Hugging me, she said, “Oh well. All good things must come to an end.”

“I hope not for another thirty years, at least!”

When he knocked a few minutes later I bade him enter.

“Well children, your incarceration is over.”

“I would hardly call it that. And, please, less of the children bit.”

He laughed. “Come. We have prepared your new home, albeit a temporary one.” We were led down to the lower level. Passing through the mess hall, we were greeted as if we were an old married couple. There were few signs that a ceremony had taken place only a week previously.

Two of the storerooms had been cleared out and our new home had been prepared. A doorway had been knocked between the two. All the condiments of our marriage were there. Our chupah, minus its poles, hung over our bed decorated with our ribbons and flowers. The symbolic foods were all containerised, some in expensive Sogdian glass jars. Our garlands and crowns had been neatly arranged upon our pillows. The gifts, and there were many, were neatly laid out, all labelled along one side of the room. If a gift wasn’t made from silver or gold, then it had the precious metals inlaid or overlaid somewhere on it. The generosity was overwhelming. Lydia had to bite her lip to stop herself from crying.

The first signs of spring had shown themselves a few days into our internment. Iksander had sent the word out for the remainder of the clan to start buying horses and camels, with the instruction to do so in small numbers so as not to raise suspicion, and start shipping them to us.

The complex had started to resemble a goods warehouse. Most personal belongings had been packed, the library had been left until last. Only five of the sixty-four families had decided not to come along, and they were mainly older couples who no longer had children. They would take over the caravanserai and continue to live in and around the village.

Then the packing of the library began in earnest. We estimated that we had about four to five weeks before the first camels and horses would begin to arrive. Iksander was most particular that all crates should be appropriately labelled so that when unpacking in Kyiv it would make re-categorisation to the Kyiv system easier. We were well under way when Ibn came over with a scroll. “Iksander, this piece by al-Nasawi—I don’t recognise it.”

“Let me see.” He handed over the scroll. Iksander unrolled it and said, “Ah, this is the rough copy of his first work, The Four Treatise of Number Classes. You will find the original document under the same reference number but with the character that looks like a W.

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