Lord of Lies

by David Zindell

  I considered this as I gazed at the little stone that Maram had yet to put away.

  'It may be,' Master Juwain continued, 'that the akashic crystal holds the wisdom of the Elder Ages.'

  The ancient stones of which the library was made suddenly seemed small and cold. The Brotherhood school, built in the Age of the Mother, was many thousands of years old - almost as old as any building on Ea. And yet it was said that even this great span of time was really very little. As a year is to an age, so is an entire age of Ea to one of the Elder Ages, before Elahad and the Star People bore the Lightstone to earth.

  'But how could it?' I asked. 'The knowledge that Elahad and his kindred brought with them perished with them. This is known. This you taught me, even when I was a boy.'

  Master Juwain sighed and said, 'It would seem that some of what is known is known wrongly.'

  'Then how do you know,' I asked, pointing at Maram's thought stone 'that the knowledge contained in this gelstei and the others, is true?'

  'I don't,' Master Juwain said. 'It must be tested, as all knowledge and supposition must be. But it has been tested, many times, by the ancients who placed it there. And I have tested it against all that I know and have experienced, and through reason. There is a certain flavor to that which is fact and another to wild fancies.'

  I bowed my head to him that this was so. I told him, 'If you believe it's true, that's good enough for me.'

  'I believe that the wisdom of the Elder Ages was preserved. Somehow. And that, once a time, this akashic crystal did exist. The question is, does it still? And where might it be found?'

  'Not in Khaisham, I hope,' Maram put in. 'When I think of all the books that burned there, the people, too ... and the gelstei, so many, too many, too bad.'

  For a moment, Maram lost himself in memories of that horrible night in which Count Ulanu the Cruel had ordered the destruction of one of Ea's greatest wonders. But Master Juwain, I saw, was looking toward the future instead of the past. His eyes were bright with dreams.

  'It would seem,' I said to him, 'that you believe the akashic crystal does still exist. And that you know where it might be found.'

  We smiled at each other then, and he said, 'Well, Val, I admit that here knowledge must yield to supposition. But late in the Age of Law, a Master Savon recorded that the akashic crystal was hidden away to keep it safe. There are verses that tell of this. Do you remember the famous one about Ea's vilds?'

  I remembered very well the Lokilani's magic wood which Master Juwain called a vild and the verse that described it:

  There is a place 'tween earth and time,

  In some forgotten misty clime

  Of woods and brooks and vernal glades,

  Whose healing magic never fades.

  An island in the greenest sea,

  Abode of deeper greenery

  Where giant trees and emeralds grow,

  Where leaves and grass and flowers glow.

  And there no bitter bloom of spite

  To blight the forest's living light,

  No sword, no spear, no axe, no knife

  To tear the sweetest sprigs of life.

  The deeper life for which we yearn,

  Immortal flame that doesn't burn,

  The sacred sparks, ablaze, unseen –

  The children of the Galadin.

  Beneath the trees they gloze and gleam,

  And whirl and play and dance and dream

  Of wider woods beyond the sea

  Where they shall dwell eternally.

  As I recited this well-known work, the words seemed to hang in the library's still air like dreams. Flick flamed brightly and whirled about to the verses' music. When I had finished, Master Juwain smiled at me and said, 'Very good. And very true, as we have seen. But someone -I couldn't determine who - rewrote these lines to tell of another Vild where the crystal must have been hidden. Listen:

  There is a place 'tween earth and time,

  In some secluded misty clime

  Of woods and brooks and vernal glades,

  Whose healing magic never fades.

  An island in a grass-girt sea,

  Unseen its lasting greenery

  Where giant trees and emeralds grow,

  Where leaves and grass and flowers glow.

  And there the memory crystal dwells

  Sustained by forest sentinels

  Of fiery form and splendid mien:

  The children of the Galadin.

  And they forever long to wake,

  To praise, exalt and music make,

  Breathe life through sacred memories,

  Recall the ancient harmonies.

  Beneath the trees they rise and ring,

  And whirl and play and soar and sing

  Of wider woods beyond the sea

  Where they shall dwell eternally.

  'Do you see?' Master Juwain said. 'If Kane told true, we know that there are at least five Vilds somewhere on Ea.'

  'Kane told true,' I said with sudden assurance.

  'And if these verses tell true, there must be a lake somewhere in the middle of one of Ea's grasslands, and an island in the middle of it.'

  'Why a lake?' Maram asked. 'The Vild we discovered in Alonia was in the middle of the forest, and yet the verses described it as "An island in the greenest sea".'

  'Because the new verses,' Master Juwain said, 'tell of a grass-girt sea. That can only be a lake.'

  'Metaphors,' Maram grumbled as he yawned. 'Poetic fancies.'

  'No, I think not,' Master Juwain said. 'There is a certain precision here. The maker of the verse might have written of a grassy sea, mightn't he? Why grass-girt, then?'

  'Ah, who could ever know?'

  Master Juwain smiled at Maram's crabbiness, then said, 'I once read of an invisible island in the middle of a lake. Until tonight, I thought that story was a fancy.'

  Something sounded deep within me and I looked at Master Juwain through the candles' flickering light. 'And where was this lake, then?'

  'At the edge of the Wendrush. Where the grasslands come up against the curve of the Morning Mountains, above the Snake River.'

  I nodded my head, for I had once seen this lake on a map. 'That's Kurmak country I perhaps Atara has finished her business in Tria and has returned there.'

  I gazed out the windows at the stars in the sky to the west. It seemed that, just then, these bright bits of light could be no brighter than my eyes.

  'Val!' Maram half-shouted. 'I hope you're not thinking what I think you're thinking!'

  'I must know,' I said to him.

  'But Val, why do we need to go looking for this Vild and some old crystal? Almost everyone already believes you to be the Maitreya. And when we reach Tria, I'm sure you'll prove this to everyone's satisfaction.'

  'I must know, Maram,' I said again. 'Before we reach Tria, I must truly know.'

  I drew my sword then and held it straight out toward the west. Once this bright blade of silustria had pointed me toward the Lightstone; now it pointed me toward my fate.

  'This lake,' I said, 'lies along the way to Tria.'

  'A way without roads,' Maram grumbled. 'A way through the Kurmak's lands and then through unknown parts of Alonia.'

  'The Kurmak will give us safe passage,' I said with sudden certainty. 'Sajagax will. He is Atara's grandfather, and he'll have to offer her friends hospitality.'

  For a while, as dawn's red glow brightened the windows, we stood among the books and little gelstei telling tales of Sajagax, the Kurmak's famous chieftain. We debated whether to seek the akashic crystal in his lands. Master Juwain seemed willing to risk his life - if not the Lightstone itself - in discovering what knowledge the crystal might contain. I held that we would face risks along whatever road we took, and of what use would the Lightstone ever be if we never learned its secrets?

  And so in the end even Maram agreed to this new quest. Master Juwain locked the drawers containing the thought stones and returned the keys to Master Tavian. Then we rejo
ined the Guardians where they waited in the cool air in front of the Library's doors. It fell upon me to tell them what we had decided. Only a few of them seemed dismayed at the prospect of venturing into the Wendrush. But Baltasar - and many others - counted it as a reasonably safe journey. They reaffirmed their allegiance to me as Knight of the Swan. In the end, as Baltasar said, it was upon me to decide whither the Lightstone should go.

  We rode back down to the Tournament Grounds in the quiet of a lovely morning. Dew sparkled from the blades of grass by the road, and bright birds chirped all along the way. It was good to see our familiar pavilions flapping in the breeze. The news that the Guardians would be riding through the Wendrush spread quickly through our encampment - and then through the whole of the Tournament Grounds. Lord Lansar Raasharu approached me to request that he accompany us on our way toward Tria, and I could not refuse him. Estrella, at first, clung to my waist, and then followed me about like a lost puppy for the rest of the day. Finally Lord Harsha took me aside and said to me, 'She refuses to return home with our other countrymen. The girl is half-mad, it seems, and is determined to remain with you.'

  'Yes, it's impossible to dissuade her,' I said. 'And perhaps there's no need. She can ride well enough now to keep up with us.'

  'You shouldn't be taking her on what might be a dangerous journey, Lord Valashu. But since you're determined, yourself, it should be said that a young girl should not go forth alone in the company of a hundred and twenty men.'

  'What do you propose, sir?'

  'That she rides with Behira and me, and sleeps in our tent as she did along the way to Nar.'

  'Very well then,' I said. 'But would you take your daughter into dangerous lands?'

  Lord Harsha sighed and rubbed his crippled leg. His single eye fastened on me like a grappling iron, and he said, 'It would seem that Behira is determined, too. We're a determined people, aren't we? The Wendrush might prove dangerous. But Tria certainly will, for Sar Maram, who seems determined to drink or dally his way to his doom. And that is why we, who still love him, must go with him to protect him.'

  'Oh, it's a matter of love, is it?'

  'Indeed it is. My love for my daughter and my hope for her happiness, in whatever strange soil it might take root.'

  'My friend will no doubt be pleased with your devotion.'

  'Well, Sar Maram has proved himself a great knight, hasn't he? Then, too, it's said that no one should die before he's seen Tria.'

  In the end, I agreed to take Lord Harsha with me. I would be glad for the fellowship of this crusty old warrior, not to mention his sword. Then, too, as he had said, it would be good for Estrella to keep company with Behira, who was almost like a mother to her.

  Late that afternoon, our numbers increased by five more. True to his word, King Danashu chose his finest knights to take vows as Guardians. One of these - Sar Hannu of Daksh - had won a fourth in the long lance and had done quite well in archery and the sword. The other Valari kings, seeing this, insisted that their knights should join us, too. I could not refuse them. And so by the time evening settled over Nar, our encampment swelled with these new knights: ten Lagashuns and ten from Waas, and fifteen Atharians. My uncle, Lord Viromar, found twelve Kaashans eager to ride with us, and one of these was Sar Laisu who had made his own quest to find the Lightstone. So far, this put 171 Guardians under my command. Although I felt sure of every one of them, I remembered too well that I had possessed similar confidence in Sivar of Godhra. I remembered, too, that it had been Lord Harsha who had originally proposed Sivar for the Guardians. He still suffered from the shame of this misjudg-ment. Therefore, to redeem him in the eyes of his friends, and in his own, I asked his help in approving these new knights. This he gave After some hours of grilling them and looking at them closely with his blazing eye, he found all of them worthy. And so he found himself worthy to give service to his king's son, and we were both glad for

  that.

  The last king to ride into our encampment with a contingent of knights was King Waray. He held his sharp nose high as he presented Sar Varald, Sar Ishadar, Lord Noldru the Bold and seventeen others. Although he didn't say it, I knew that he wished to choose at least as many Taroners as there were Ishkans for the Guardians. I was glad for these new men, and told King Waray this. But, as I had with King Hadaru, I admitted that it would not do to take more than these 191 Guardians into the Wendrush and then into Alonia.

  'Sajagax will have to welcome Master Juwain, Maram and me,' I said to him. 'It's to be hoped that he'll also welcome knights who ride with me - but certainly there is a number beyond which even he will grow wary.'

  'Your concern for the concerns of our enemies is touching,' King Waray said.

  'Sajagax is no enemy of the Valari.'

  'Is he not? He has fought two battles with the Ishkans and has thrice tried to invade Anjo.'

  'Yes, but there has been peace between them these last ten years.'

  'Even so, he would not welcome King Hadaru or King Danashu on his lands. And likely not King Sandarkan, King Mohan or myself. Neither King Kurshan. And so we all must take the Nar road to Tria.'

  'It's likely to be the safer road.'

  'It is. And that is the point. We believe that the Lightstone should take the safest route.'

  'The Lightstone,' I said, 'will be safe enough with the Guardians. You have my promise that we'll bring it into Tria.'

  'By yourselves. As you'll bring yourself, Lord Valashu. But you should know that some of the other kings believe your place is with us.'

  'Does King Mohan say this, then? King Hadaru?'

  'Well, no, not yet. They're inclined to ride with their own retinues, by themselves, to Tria. But if the Maitreya - the man who would be proclaimed as such - if he were to take the Nar road, then all of us might be persuaded to ride with him.'

  It was a grand thing that King Waray proposed: the kings of the Valari riding together into Tria, their helms and armor shining brightly, their emblems bold beneath the sun - and with me and the Lightstone in the lead. For a moment, I was tempted to abandon my quest to recover the akashic crystal. But then I shook my head and said to King Waray, 'You know why I must journey into the Wendrush.'

  'Yes, I do know why,' he said; 'And you must be honored for this. Just as you must be honored for another thing.'

  Beneath the noise of our encampment, King Waray's shining eyes grew quiet with a sad sincerity. For moment, I trusted him. I saw that he was truly a man of aspirations who had never been able to live up to his ideals.

  'Lord Valashu,' he told me, 'it's said that you have the power to make others feel what is in your heart.'

  'Sometimes, that is true.'

  'Then you must also have the power not to persuade others this way. You must know how I, of all men, appreciate your restraint in this with me.'

  I did know this, and I bowed my head to him. I said, 'You speak of honor, King Waray. But how can one honor anyone while doing violence to his soul?'

  'How indeed, my young friend? Perhaps you should ride with us to Tria. But since you can't, perhaps I can keep the spirit of your dreams alive among the other kings.'

  'Thank you,' I said, bowing my head again. 'You honor me.'

  'Excellent,' he said. 'Now I must excuse myself and wish you well on your journey. Until we meet in Tria.'

  And with that, he clasped my hand in his and rode off into the night.

  The following morning, the Guardians assembled along the road outside our encampment. With hundreds of horses pawing the earth and men laughing in the early light, I arranged for the new knights to ride among the old, as I had with the Ishkans. I left Baltasar to see that this was accomplished. And then I went inside Asaru's pavilion, where my brother had been moved, to say goodbye to him. For in a few moments I would be traveling north and east, while he must recuperate here before returning to Mesh.

  'This farewell,' he said, 'pains me almost more than when you set out to find the Lightstone. And it truly pains me more than my sh
oulder.'

  He winced as he sat up in his bed and looked at me. Yarashan, who had hardly moved from his side for most of two days, handed him a cup of steaming tea, and said, 'All right, then, we'll remain here until Asaru is well enough to ride. Another week, and we can -'

  'Two weeks would be better,' I broke in. 'As Master Juwain has prescribed.'

  'All right, two weeks, then,' Yarashan muttered. 'Long enough that we'll miss the conclave, even if we start out after you.'

  Asaru smiled at him and said, 'We'll have to hope our little brother can conclude this affair without us.'

  His eyes were like two stars as he looked at me. He seemed to sense that my becoming champion had changed something in me. He grasped my hand and pulled me closer to him so that he could embrace me. 'Farewell, Valashu,' he said to me. 'Return home soon.'

  After I had embraced Yarashan as well I went outside and climbed on my horse. And so I led the Guardians out of Nar along the King's Road as we had come. As in our entrance into the city, many people lined the way to cheer us along. And to cheer me. Cries of 'Champion!' 'Lord of Light!' rang out into the air and almost drowned out the thunderous clopping of the horses' hooves. The gold medallion that King Waray had given me pulled heavily at my neck even as the Lightstone (now borne by Sar Hannu) impelled me down the road toward the west, where I might finally learn its secrets.

  It was good to go forth with friends and companions into the fresh summer breeze blowing across the land; soon we reached the rippling wheatfields outside the city. I remained alert for sign of discord among the Guardians, for now it wasn't just Meshians and Ishkans riding together, but Anjoris, Kaashans, Atharians, Taroners, Waashians and Lagashuns. Now there were many more possibilities for knight falling out against knight and renewing old hatreds. But these knights, it seemed, during the week of the tournament, had grown tired of fighting - at least of fighting each other. In their easy laughter and recounting of feats, I sensed a camaraderie growing as it often did with men who suffered dangers together. Then, too, they were men of honor who strove to honor their vows and their charge to guard the Lightstone. They could not do this as quarrelsome individuals loyal to their kings, but only as Valari knights who rode with me. My gaining of the championship, I knew, had been vital in gaining the devotion of these proud men. For no Valari warrior likes to be led by one of unproven prowess, and in my victory they saw the possibility of their own achievements and the realization of their deepest dreams.