by Guy Antibes
“I have decided to take the carriage,” Lin said. “The weather is tolerable, and I’m a bit leery about taking the lower level to the Floury’s mansion although they are closer than the embassy.”
Jack didn’t care. “Whatever. I suppose it is time to go.” Jack’s focus wasn’t on the ball. He only had one objective, to make friends with Annette’s brother, Grier, and the brother’s friend, Terry Hortine.
They arrived along with a few other coaches, but Jack suspected that most attendees would be arriving at the lower level.
Things had already begun. They were announced as they entered a larger ballroom than the one in their townhouse. They had to pass Lord Floury, a woman who must have been Annette’s mother, and Annette.
“I am so glad you have come,” Annette said to Jack.
“I’d like to introduce you to my new wife,” Jack said, taking Penny’s hand.
Annette looked crestfallen. “Married?”
“Last week,” Penny said, “by Archbishop Tolmoux.”
“That is wonderful news,” Lord Floury said. “That makes your wintering worth it, and winter hasn’t truly struck Bristone yet.”
“It will make our stay more fun,” Penny said, squeezing Jack’s hand. “We will be leaving Bristone for a quick honeymoon.”
“Where will you be going?” Floury’s wife asked.
“It is a secret,” Penny said conspiratorially.
“Enjoy yourselves,” Lord Floury said.
Annette looked a little pouty, and Jack didn’t feel bad about that, at all.
The scale of the ball was much more modest than the royal ball, but Jack recognized some of the same people. He didn’t see Pol Asoule, but Princess Glorie was surrounded by people. Lorton hung around on the periphery, probably hoping to have a word or two with the princess.
The music began to play, and Lord Floury took his daughter out on the dance floor to polite applause. A dashing man in a uniform tapped on Lord Floury’s shoulder.
“Grier!” Annette said. She hugged her brother, and they proceeded to dance.
Jack looked around the floor and saw one other guard dressed in a similar uniform to Annette’s brother. His quarry identified, Jack grabbed Penny’s hand and walked around the edge of the dance floor and introduced himself to Annette’s beau.
“You are Terry Hortine?” Jack asked.
“I am,” the man said. He looked much too old for Annette.
“Annette said she liked her brother’s companion,” Jack said.
“You know Annette? You don’t look like you live in Bristone.”
“I am Jack Winder, and this is my wife, Penny. We accompanied Lord Floury and his daughter from Boxwood not long ago.”
“The Corandian!” Hortine smiled. “Married. Is that a recent development?”
“Last week,” Penny said.
“That would disappoint Annette. She has multiple targets at any one time. I’m not sure if I qualify anymore.”
“You hope not?” Jack asked.
Terry nodded. “She has had a crush on me for a few years now. You are spending the winter in Bristone, I understand?”
“We are,” Penny said.
“If you get bored, you should come out and drink with Grier and me,” Terry said. “There is little for the guard to do this winter.”
“I would think winter would be the time for nefarious plots to be hatched,” Jack said.
“That might have been the case, but Payare Bellet has established an investigative arm to do all the ferreting,” Terry said. “It is a shame, really. I used to enjoy a more active role in keeping Bristone safe.”
“I am sure there are others who agree with you. Penny did a little investigating back in Dorkansee with her companion, Sera Waters. In fact, Lord Lorton, Lady Lin’s bodyguard, spent significant time in the Dorkansee police. Perhaps you should get to know him. He might have a unique perspective on how to investigate on a more discreet basis,” Jack said. “You might be interested in keeping your skills fresh.”
Terry’s eyes flashed. “I might take you up on that.”
The dancing stopped, and Grier Floury walked over.
“You are the Corandians?” he asked. “You disappointed my sister, but,” he smiled at Penny, “I’m sure you made the right decision.”
“There never was a decision to make,” Penny said.
They all laughed at Penny’s little joke. Terry told Jack about Lorton’s police experience. “Perhaps we might do a little work on the side,” Terry said.
Grier raised his eyebrows. “If we do, it is on a secret basis,” he said. “But, I am intrigued. If you will allow me a comment, Payare Bellet is no friend of the queen’s, and neither is her consort, Richard Raimon.”
“It seems the factions are restless,” Jack said. “I am new to Bristone, but we have been attacked three times.”
“I am aware of that,” Grier said. “We were told to stand down after Princess Glorie’s attack at your embassy.”
“Payare Bellet?” Penny asked.
“Not that time. Charl Masson was the responsible party. The city police report to him.”
“I’m not telling you to do your business, but I am afraid Bristone is about to burst into a factional war,” Jack said.
Terry and Grier looked at each other. “Please keep that to yourself. The queen is more worried than her husband,” Grier said.
“Perhaps we can meet after Penny and I return from our honeymoon. It might not hurt to establish a connection with Lorton Reedbrook. He is currently talking to Princess Glorie,” Jack said.
“You have Bristone’s best interests at heart?” Grier asked.
“A little self-interest. I would like to enjoy the winter in Bristone, but after that, I would like those in our party to be safe,” Jack said. He patted Penny’s hand that had sneaked onto his arm. “That includes my new wife.”
The orchestra began to play again.
“Shall we?” Jack asked Penny.
“We shall.”
On the dance floor, Jack noticed Grier Floury make his way toward Princess Glorie. Lorton had just taken his leave, and after bowing to the princess, Grier continued on to stop Lorton.
“Our purpose has been achieved,” Penny said.
“One less thing to worry about, if the two guardsmen were telling us the truth and not baiting,” Jack said. “That is up to Lorton to decide now.”
“He is better at not trusting than you are,” Penny said.
Jack knew better than to contradict her; besides, Penny was right.
Chapter Thirty-Three
~
J ack put a thick cloak on over his clothes. He wore a wool tunic over leather shorts with his black leather belt and very thick socks that barely fit in his Masukaian boots. The conical wool hat covered his head. He left the eastern gate as warm as one of those Antibeaux ceramic heaters.
Penny had laughed at his outfit.
“It is my honeymoon in Antibeaux. I should dress like the locals, right?” Jack said.
“The Bristonian locals don’t dress like that,” Ari said, chuckling along with Penny.
“I am warm. Doesn’t that count for something?” Jack asked.
“It may count for everything,” Ari said, “but you look foolish, at least here. If you were traveling on a herdsman level, not so much. There aren’t any herdsmen between here and the Great Blue Glacier, though.”
Jack shrugged. He could take the ribbing since he had had so much practice.
They traveled east for a bit until Penny pointed out the northeast road. They spent the first night in a small village inn.
“Two rooms,” Ari said. “One for me and one for the couple.”
“Wait a minute,” Penny said. “One for me and one for the two of them,” she said.
“Does our marriage mean nothing to you?” Jack asked.
“It will mean nothing if we spent the night in a room together,” Penny replied.
“We are newlyweds,” Jack said t
o the innkeeper.
“It happens,” the man said. “Give her time.”
In the morning, after putting up with Ari’s ungodly snoring, the thought made Jack smile, they left after a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, and fried bread along with warmed ale. Before breakfast, Jack had changed back into the normal clothes that he had included in the bags that their packhorse carried. Surprisingly, he was warmer with the costume.
“Two more days. We spend the next night in an inn, and then the rest of our nights will be on the glacier. Hopefully, only two,” Ari said, “One going and the other returning.”
“Assuming we can locate the mask,” Penny said.
“We can make our first try tomorrow.” Ari smiled at Penny. “You have your bone seer with you?”
“We’ve come prepared,” Jack said. We even brought along our own god, he thought, but he didn’t vocalize that. He knew Ari wasn’t any more a god than Jack was at that point.
The next morning after staying at a tiny inn where all three had to share a dormitory with two other locals, they ventured out onto the glacier.
“This is the honeymoon I have always dreamt of,” Penny said, looking ahead.
All Jack could see was white with occasional blue streaks on the horizon. He pulled out the Battlebone and closed his eyes, picturing a mask hidden in the ice. There it was! It sat in a decaying wooden box in a fissure miles ahead. The mask was a wooden oval with slits for the eyes and the mouth. It was very plain and so old the paint consisted of curly flakes that Jack figured he could blow off.
“That way,” Jack said, handing the Battlebone to Ari.
The wizard nodded. “I can’t get the bone to detect another mask or any guards within miles. If there is a trap, it is superb.”
Penny pulled out her bone seer and unrolled the map. She pulled out a pencil and marked the spot.
“Not too far,” she said.
Ari looked at the map. “More than a day, but that is to be expected. How could anyone find the mask without a bone seer?” He said, pointing out into the glacier. “We should skirt the center for as long as possible and come in from the side,” he said, tracing their path with his finger. Ari handed out spectacles. They didn’t have glass lenses but screens. “These will cut down the sun’s reflection making it easier to see across the glacier.”
They put the spectacles on, and Jack could feel the lessening of the pressure of the relentless bright light on his eyes.
“What about the horses?” Penny asked.
Ari shrugged. “Have you ever seen a horse with spectacles?”
The rest of the day was very boring. When the sun went down, it took all the heat with it. Jack was more than happy when they put up their tent. They had brought blankets for the hobbled horses.
Jack changed back into his costume. They might reach the fissure late in the day when they checked the bones again.
Their path toughened up as the ice began to get rough. They used the bones often to detect hidden fissures and cracks under the ice-encrusted surface. They had to spend another night, short of their goal. The time came to hobble the horses and proceed on foot.
“What are you doing?” Penny asked as Jack patted his clothes.
“Making sure I have all my objects of power,” he said. “I don’t want to wait to do it when we arrive. In and out. That is my goal.”
Penny did the same, but she only had the bone seer and the sword that Jack had turned into an object of power to increase the reach of her wizard bolts.
They reached the fissure at midday. They ate a quick meal of travel rations, and Jack walked out to the fissure.
Penny and Ari looked around for traps or hidden guards, but the archbishop was correct. Why would they need to guard the mask when no one could find it?
Ari held the long metal spike while Jack pounded it into the ice to hold the rope he would need to descend to retrieve the mask.
After checking with the Battlebone one more time, Jack took a deep breath and descended. It felt like plunging into water as he lowered himself into the crevasse. The mask was embedded in the ice about fifteen feet below the surface of the glacier. He set up a telepathic connection between the three of them and then decided to include Fasher, who made himself free until the mask had been retrieved.
I am going down the rope, Jack said. He looked down and tried not to gasp. The fissure looks bottomless.
If you are going to die, I’d prefer to have a body to weep over, Penny said.
There is always teleportation, Jack said. I won’t forget this time.
I am close to the mask. Jack lowered himself a few more feet, and he could see the hazy outline of the box in the blue ice. From here, I can’t see the mask itself, since it is surrounded by the remains of the wooden box.
Jack took out his Serpent’s Orb and caused the liquid fire to spurt out, melting the ice. It melted quickly, dripping down until the water froze. Jack melted more ice and used his magic to shape a crude ice platform that was large enough to stand on.
I am using my orb to create an ice shelf, Jack said. The shelf was about four feet square. I now have a clear path to the mask.
He reached in and used a long chisel to break the remaining ice. He described his progress as he worked. The wooden box disintegrated when he touched it. The mask was in reach when the connection with everyone closed off. It was like the sun disappearing behind thick clouds.
“Did you think to touch the mask without my knowing?” Yvessa said, speaking from behind him. “Your communication is cut off. This the heart of my domain,” she said. “Try teleporting.”
Jack’s throat constricted as he realized he could almost feel Yvessa pressing in on him. He gasped for breath and pulled out the mask. He knew as soon as he touched it, the mask was a fake. “All this for a counterfeit mask?” Jack asked Yvessa. The platform wasn’t wide enough to permit him to turn around.
“Isn’t it too bad? I’ve waited a thousand years for someone to get this far. Only you succeeded. I don’t know how you did it, but here you are. You might have fooled another goddess, but you tripped the ward when you touched the box.”
“Does the mask really exist?” Jack asked.
Yvessa laughed. “Of course it does. It is north, but not the north everyone thinks it is. Even my archbishop thought the mask was here. Since you won’t be able to retrieve it, the mask is on the north side of my statue in the north nave of the main church in Bristone.”
“What is it like to use?” Jack asked.
Yvessa paused. “It is useless to me. I am a goddess and already have the power to see into the future, however murkily. The mask was created to look into the future, but a person swatting a fly can change what might happen going forward. An odd event can change the future that the mask has shown, but looking back, the fly is always dead.”
“Then why hide it?”
“Why not? I never wanted anyone to use it. The mask has been sought for ages, although not so much in the last thousand years.”
“Who put it where it is now?”
“One of my archbishops. She was a dear. I hated to end her life.”
“That isn’t permitted, is it?” Jack asked.
“Don’t tell me what is permitted or not. Who was there to see? I have the power to hide my actions. That is why your friends can’t hear our little conversation. I think it is time for your pitiful existence to end, Jack Winder.”
Jack could feel power building up behind him. He didn’t know how Yvessa was going to end his life, but it would be in the next few moments.
Jack pulled out the new version of Takia’s Cup that he had made before they left the townhouse and invoked Takia’s protection spell before he turned around and shoved the cup into Yvessa’s midsection. He poured all his power and his will into the stream of fire.
Yvessa screamed. “What are you doing with that!” she wailed. Jack slipped out his orb and dripped liquid fire on her head while the goddess screamed in pain. Yvessa’s face began to b
urn. She tried to push Jack away, but the platform was so small, she slipped and fell into the crevasse. All he heard were Yvessa’s wails until the sound finally stopped. Jack remembered the demise of the patriarch, but he had no illusion that he had killed a goddess. He tried to communicate, but the barrier persisted.
Jack looked upward at the sky, not that far above him. The rope no longer dangled from the edge of the glacier. He tried to teleport, but that didn’t work. He tossed the mask models they had made down the crevasse There was no need to fool anyone. Jack slipped the fake mask in his pack and began to cut a pathway into the ice with the orb, creating smaller steps similar to the. Slowly he began to rise until he reached the surface of the glacier.
“Jack!” Ari said. “You made it out.”
“I suppose I did,” Jack said. He saw Penny on the ground.
“Is she?”
“Asleep. I could resist Yvessa’s power, but not Penny. She isn’t close to being as far along as you. We need to get out of here.”
Jack and Ari fashioned a sliding platform from their packs and blankets and pulled Penny across the ice toward the horses, still a fair distance away. Jack described his experience with Yvessa, but while he spoke, Jack could feel the block on his magic vanish.
“When will she be back?” Jack asked.
“Not for months or years,” Ari said. “She had to have returned to her spiritual domain to recover. Until that happens, she will be lost to the world.”
“What will happen to the WWS?”
Ari shook his head. “Do you think she runs that? Borigore probably has more influence on the WWS at this point than Yvessa. Archbishop Tolmoux might detect a loss of inspiration, but I suppose she didn’t do much there, either.”
“What do gods do when they aren’t meddling in the affairs of men?”
“Meddling in each other’s affairs. There are other things, but I am not permitted to talk about them.”
“You would be censured?” Jack asked as they continued toward the horses.
“I want to return. To do that, I have to be a good boy and perform a few services along the way. This might qualify as one of them.”