Hearing a gasp behind them, Alusin glanced over his shoulder to see Dez and Lunas’ greyed faces at the doors. “Stay inside,” he said, and moved to catch up with Tristan.
Shoulder to shoulder, in their safe zone, they studied the ghostly octopi.
The creatures stilled as if aware of the scrutiny.
“I am wondering if they are able to hear.” Tristan narrowed his eyes. “The soltakin could hear.”
The daetal nearest him, directly in front of him, in fact, with just the silvery line keeping them apart, suddenly hurtled into a spinning vortex of motion, its tentacles retracting. Just as suddenly it ceased, and popped its feelers back out.
“I think that’s a yes,” Alusin grumbled.
“Next question, considering you can hear me; are you able to see or do you work on smell alone?” Grabbing his chin, Tristan appeared thoughtful, much like a scientist with a strange new bug before him.
The rounded upper section that remained after its tentacles lowered abruptly shuddered, and four pinprick holes appeared in a vertical row, centred where one expected a nose to reside on any other face. Shining as if the brightest light shone from within it, it focused those tiny ‘eyes’ on Tristan. Thin beams shot out, much like lasers, but brilliant white rather than the hues technological lasers assumed.
The beams snuffed and reappeared. Unseen eyelids?
“Hmm, interesting. You can hear, see and smell. Can you communicate? You understand me, therefore you possess some kind of organic processor, but has it gifted you speech of any kind?”
The ‘eyes’ vanished and a jagged tear appeared instead, in the central position. The tear moved, but no sound emerged. The creature waved a tendril in a vicious up and down action.
“That looks like frustration,” Alusin murmured.
Tristan inclined his head, ever more thoughtful. “You are able to speak, but I am unable to hear you.”
The pinprick eyes reappeared to blink once.
“Once for yes, twice for no? I must have it wrong.”
It blinked twice.
Puffing his cheeks and deflating them again, Tristan murmured, “You have reasoning ability. I wish I could hear you, for I am certain you have a story no one knows about.”
It blinked once.
“How about a truce? You retreat to the edge of the garden and attempt to find a way for your words to be heard, and we will leave our doors open as a sign of trust while we figure a means to hear you.” Holding his breath, Tristan watched the daetal.
The response was immediate. It blinked once, and took a step back from the line. The other daetal likewise stepped away.
“Hive mind,” Alusin realised.
Swiftly then, the daetal retreated to the other side of the garden, spaced further apart due to the perimeter being wider.
Tristan glanced at Alusin. “There’s a chance they have been coerced into this.”
Alusin was as thoughtful. “Might be. It explains the sense of despair we felt when we witnessed them consuming those men and their mounts.”
“Indeed.”
Nowhere
HE BEAT HER. Not physically - psychically. Many days had passed since she last viewed her grim surroundings. He would choose to kill her soon, she understood. What prevented him doing so, she did not quite fathom, but he reached a point where it no longer mattered.
She sensed the initiation of communication across the species barrier, and could merely blink her agreement.
The darkness of oblivion claimed her anew.
Titania
JONAS HAD JOINED them in the private workspace Gabryl organised at the library, and thank Aaru he did, for he made swifter progress than Chaim and Jimini together. The man from Lintusillem was a wizard with search engines, whatever the hell that meant.
Thus far, the earliest record of someone named Gabryl went back to a time before Beacon was settled. A long time ago, but that was humankind’s timeline.
He threw his hands in the air. “There’s nothing in the records that aren’t human and I’m not even sure this Gabryl is our Gabryl.”
“And if it is, you’re saying the history is too young,” Jimini understood.
Jonas nodded, frowning at the screen.
Chaim murmured, “You have not seen him. The manner of his dress. That,” and he gestured at the report Jonas had on display, “fits closely with the timing of his attire.”
Jimini peered over Jonas’ shoulder. “Seems he was a swindler of note. Look at all the arrest decrees for him, and that’s a mighty reward even by today’s standard.”
“Are there any likenesses for him?” Chaim asked, stroking his white whiskers thoughtfully.
Jonas huffed and started tapping, saying, “He appears to have moved in important circles, always with a wealthy patron. He infiltrates high society and ends up walking away with the loot.”
“A thief, in other words,” Jimini said. She shrugged her mystification. “Sorry, but that’s, you know, normal. Nowhere is he accused of murder or misusing magic or anything, well, dastardly.”
Jonas grinned. “Dastardly?”
“You had to have seen him to know what I mean.” She cuffed him one. “He was old-fashioned.”
“This is why he wasn’t too concerned about us looking into his past,” Chaim said. “There is nothing important to find.”
“Aha!” Jonas exclaimed. “Found something. It’s a drawing, but pretty detailed …”
“Let me see,” Jimini said, leaning in again. “Could be him, yes, in a general way.” She straightened. “So, what now? This tells us little.”
Chaim sighed. “We talk about this.” He gestured at his screen.
“Put it on the big one.” Jimini gestured at the monitor on the wall. They worked from the smaller screens inset into the desk, and her neck ached from all the craning.
“How do I do that?” Chaim asked, staring at Jonas, who laughed and got up to do it for him.
He and Jimini then move to the wall monitor.
“Is this real?” Jimini blurted a moment later.
“Oh, my,” Jonas whispered, scratching his head.
Chaim sighed. “Alusin has some explaining to do.”
The image on screen was of a verdant forest and a pristine beach. An azure ocean lapped in clear waves upon the shore. Smoke wreathed through the canopy, proving it was inhabited, and a well-travelled path ended in an area paved with rounded rocks above the high water mark.
In the bottom left corner, words told the real tale.
Orbitor Yelan/Beacon/Year 18908
Star Map T6f3/Higunalsier
“That image was captured less than fifty years ago,” Chaim added. “It seems ancient Eurue is very much a viable world.”
The Dome
FUMA AND AMUNTI returned to the Gatherers’ Circle first, informing Belun that the search for quicksilver was not feasible. Xen III’s extensive records proved that.
As Belun slapped the marble slab in frustration, Fuma said, “It’s something else, Belun, this quicksilver thing. An old name for a transitional metal, correct? And maybe an old name for a transitional something else, hmm?”
“Sorcery,” Belun muttered.
Fuma nodded.
“Then let’s work that angle.” Belun pointed at the computers, books and scrolls on board, and swung away to head to the console, intending to delve it for information.
Fuma and Amunti got to work as well.
CHAIM, JIMINI AND Jonas chimed in a few hours later and grimly headed to the slab. Jonas dumped a pile of paper on the expanse, and gestured at it, shaking his head.
Belun groaned. “Bad news?”
“Might be,” Jimini murmured.
She was about to launch into it, when more ogives chimed.
Prima, Kila, Assint and Mahler strode in, their expressions as grim.
“We found them. It’s not good,” Kila stated.
Belun scrubbed at his face. “Fuma, Amunti, join us. Seems we need to unravel stuff here.�
�
“Have Gal and Shedo not returned?” Chaim queried, looking around. “No? When they do, they will have quite the tale to tell, I believe.”
Eurue
SAVIER LED THEM to a village amid giant trees. It was immediately obvious that both trees and village had been there a long time.
As villages went, there was a common - a clearing in the forest - a well for water, drinking troughs for various animals, a section for trading - both informal and established venues - a tavern - four at first glance, actually - an inn, and many homes with both gardens and vegetable patches. However, contrary to villages elsewhere on other worlds, here the streets were paved, the windows were double-glazed, and electric lights were on.
It was old style with more modern conveniences.
Galarth attempted to initiate a conversation while they walked inland, but Savier ignored him. He had simply said, “Follow me,” and started walking, and thus they had no idea where they were in the grand scheme that was Eurue’s population.
Shenendo shook his head as they entered the village. “Gal, the universe is about to be turned on its head, much as Torrullin did for it.”
Ahead of them, Savier came to a halt. Slowly he swung back to face them. “Did you know Torrullin Valla?”
The two Kaval men shared a look and Galarth said, “Torrullin was our leader.”
The Kemir stared at them, slapping at his thigh. A strange smile curved his lips. “You knew Elixir.” He offered it as a statement. “Did you know Alhazen?”
Shenendo murmured, “Elianas was a difficult man to know.”
Savier blinked, and then barked a laugh. “Indeed. Oh, this will be interesting. You are correct; the universe is about to fall upside down.”
He strode onward, lengthening his stride.
Chapter 14
Judges are not always objective
~ Scroll of Wisdom ~
Petunya
Frond
The Chateau
LUNAS WAS THE most irate when they returned indoors, leaving the double doors open.
“Are you insane?” he croaked. “Now you want to talk to them? We heard you! They annihilated all of us! We are the final six on this entire fucking continent still alive, and you want to talk to them? How dare you!”
“Hush, Lunas,” Jala admonished.
He rounded on her. “I will not keep quiet!”
Fleur gripped him by the collar. “You can shout all you want after we hear their reasoning. Hear me?”
Glaring at the older man, Lunas was about to launch into a renewed tirade when Tristan shoved his face into the man’s personal space.
“Tell me something, friend. If your sweetheart is held as leverage against you, forcing you to kill someone in the next village in order to secure her freedom, are you an evil man? Yes, you are a murderer, but are you as guilty as first appearances suggest?”
Lunas blinked, and jerked free of Fleur’s grip. “It’s not the same.” He prodded Tristan in the chest. “And they devoured my sweetheart.”
Dez muttered, “We all lost our loved ones. Keep quiet. Let’s hear what Tristan’s thinking is.”
The fair Valleur paced away. “Truthfully, I’m not certain what I’m thinking. Right now I’m simply following an instinct. Something just doesn’t fit.”
“One issue is now proven,” Alusin put in. “Like to darklings, soltakin, Mysor, draithen and their ilk, these daetal are sentient. They not only hear, see and communicate, but are able to think.”
“And make decisions,” Tristan murmured. “There is the factor that has my instinct in overdrive.”
“Only because Gabryl is absent,” Alusin murmured.
Frowning, Jala said, “Are you suggesting Gabryl has some kind of leverage over them?”
“Maybe.” Tristan’s tone was introspective. “That kind of leverage scares the crap out of me.”
“Truly,” Alusin sighed.
Scratching at his head, Lunas offered, “I see where you’re headed. You need to understand the bigger picture. There might be something more, something we’re not seeing …”
“… because we’re too traumatised,” Dash said, his tone neutral.
Lunas nodded. “So I’m sorry I freaked.”
Tristan sent him a grin. “You think I’m not freaked? Leaving those doors open is making my skin crawl.”
The young man blinked and laughed. “Okay.”
The Kaval leader was then serious. “Whatever happens, they are guilty and no one here expects you to overlook that, and yet they may be more blameless than we now suspect, which, long term, may lead you to a state of forgiveness.”
Lunas snorted, but Jala and Fleur both nodded attentively.
A rhythmic sound intruded into the study area, and Alusin shifted cautiously towards the doors. “A daetal at the barrier, rolling a rock back and forth. No doubt to get our attention?”
Tristan scrubbed at his face. “That was quick. I expected a few hours at least to go by.” Inhaling, he stepped towards Alusin, saying to the others, “Be wary. Keep those tipped arrows to hand.”
They had discovered the tips were coated in mercury; it further explained their survival in the barn.
Nodding vigorously, Dez and Lunas ran to the foyer where their bows and arrows waited.
TRISTAN BRACED A foot removed from the shining barrier in the turf, Alusin beside him. Only the one creature waited for them; the others remained at the edges of the garden.
It lifted one tentacle to shake it significantly. A spike erupted from the end of that limb, and again it wiggled the appendage with meaning.
The two men nodded once, attention on it.
The spiked tentacle lowered to the earth … towards the mercury line. At the point of touching, the daetal paused and a shudder clearly went through its ethereal form. Then, decisive, it jabbed the spike into the frothy metal, and as swiftly withdrew.
It was soundless, but the sense of a mighty scream filled the air.
“That hurt,” Alusin whispered.
The daetal lifted the shuddering appendage and jabbed it towards them, pinhole eyes bright.
Puffing his cheeks, Tristan lifted the forefinger on his left hand, and wiggled it as if in question.
The daetal blinked once.
Hunkering, Tristan extended that finger to the silvery liquid metal. Alusin hissed warning, but did not do more. Before he could think about it, Tristan jabbed his finger in and, as the daetal had, swiftly retreated.
A scream tore from him, his shatteringly loud.
“For fuck’s sake,” Alusin blurted, before hauling him away from the barrier.
Swallowing, Tristan muttered, “That shit is ensorcelled.”
It has been altered, yes.
Tristan’s head jerked up. “I can hear it, Alusin.” He stared at his coated finger. “This bridges not only the divide, but enables a connection.”
Without hesitation, Alusin crouched and inserted a finger in. He did not scream. Wide-eyed astonishment clambered onto his face, and then terrible understanding. Standing, he stared at his finger in both horror and fascination.
You are Kemir. The quicksilver does not harm Kemir.
Alusin closed his eyes. Already they had fathomed Gabryl might be Kemir, and now it was obvious. He wielded the quicksilver as a deterrent because he was genetically able to do so. More and more, the origin of the manipulation pointed to his, Alusin’s, kind.
After watching Alusin with something approaching wariness, Tristan swung to face the daetal. “How long will this connection last?”
We do not know. We have not attempted this before.
“Then let us discuss the important issues. Where are you from?”
Everywhere. In ancient time the miasma was widespread.
“You were formed somewhere,” Alusin said expressionlessly.
We are not concerned with naming states of matter. We do not know the name of the world where we opened our eyes. It matters not, for we no longer reside there.
“That is not important in the present, agreed,” Tristan inserted. “Did Gabryl summon you from behind the veils?”
Veils? If you refer to the spaces between, then yes.
“How many are you?”
A multitude. Yet a mere few answered the summons. We believe this is a result of the strength of the entrance into this material place, for we act and react as one. We should all be here.
A multitude. By all gods. Tristan asked, his voice somewhat hoarse, “Are you able to communicate with those between?”
No. We feel them only.
“What is your role? I mean not here and now, but in the grand design that is Time,” Alusin asked.
We are the nightmare. We are accusers.
Nonplussed, Tristan said, “What does that mean?”
We are called in to cull from the multiverse those deserving of judgement. That was our role, however, for few are able to call to us now.
“Who judges? And what are the criteria?”
We do not know who or what acts as judge. We only know we are summoned when great evil requires eradication. We are not ourselves on the dark path, but our actions are construed as such. Because we can, do and have, does not translate as we are.
Tristan flung an arm out. “These people were not evil!”
We are aware, which is why we are now communicating.
“Then why?” Alusin blurted.
Someone judged and someone summoned. We follow those commands.
Tristan shook his head. “Too simplistic. You blindly followed a command? If you are not on the dark path, then you had to know this is wrong.”
The daetal blinked rapidly, as if thinking. Being severed from our ultimate mind, those of us here are able to reason without the constraints. We believed we followed a prime directive from our source, and yet now we understand we were used. We do not know what form the coercion has assumed for our brethren.
Eurue- The Forgotten World Page 11