The Myst Reader

by Robyn Miller

  “Well, Atrus,” the king said, standing back a little, his voice raised so that all in that great chamber might hear, “do you like our land of Terahnee?”

  “It is a land of wonders,” Atrus answered, smiling at the other man. “And your people have been most kind. We could not have asked for better treatment.”

  Ro’Eh Ro’Dan grinned broadly. “That is good. But we must show you the full richness of Terahnee hospitality. Tonight you will be our special guests at a grand feast, and you will tell me then of D’ni.”

  “You have heard of D’ni, then, King Ro’Eh Ro’Dan?”

  “Not before four days ago. But now I feel I know it well. Or as well as any scholar in my land.”

  “Then it is known to you in your books?”

  Ro’Eh Ro’Dan laughed. “Mentions of your land are rare, Atrus. It was some while ago, it seems, since last our lands had congress. But I have had my scholars scour the great libraries of the capital and they have discovered several references to D’ni.”

  “Then there is a link?”

  “Do you mean, are we cousins?” Ro’Eh Ro’Dan grinned once again. “It would certainly seem so. The language, the fact that we both write Books. Both facts speak eloquently for a distant split between your people and mine, Atrus. For what reason, who knows—we cannot fathom it from the ancient books—but now that breach is healed. Those who were parted now have come together. And I am glad it is so. Most glad indeed.”

  IT WAS LATE WHEN THEY FINALLY RETIRED. Of all the feasts they had attended in Terahnee, this had been the most sumptuous, each course a feast in itself, such that after a time they had not eaten so much as tasted the food before complimenting their host. Not that Ro’Eh Ro’Dan had seemed to mind. He had been far more interested in what Atrus had to say of the D’ni Guilds and the Common Book Rooms and all of those many other things that were, it seemed, quite alien to Terahnee life. In particular, he had been fascinated by the mention of the Maintainers, and had questioned Atrus a full hour and a half about their practices.

  “Astonishing!” he had said finally.

  “Why so?” Atrus had asked. “If anything, the absence of such a body is what I find most incredible about your land, Ro’Eh Ro’Dan.”

  “You think so? Why, I would find it strange indeed if, in a land where everyone has all they wish for, anyone should want what another has enough to take it. And as for quarrels, they happen, yet if a society is civilized enough, and the people distant enough from each other not to let it bother them, then violence cannot take seed. Still, I suppose it is all a question of what one is used to.”

  “That is so,” Atrus had agreed. “Yet it is still quite astonishing to find that in an orchard so vast and varied as Terahnee, one does not find a single rotten apple.”

  Ro’Eh Ro’Dan had inclined his head at that. “It has all to do with good horticulture, Atrus. True breeding brings the best results, wouldn’t you say?”

  But there the conversation had ended, as the great gong sounded and the entertainer—a scholar, versed in the ancient prophesies—had stepped up to begin his recitation.

  Now, three hours later, Atrus sat down on the edge of the massive bed and began to pull off his boots.

  “I think he will be receptive to the idea, Catherine.”

  Catherine was standing before the mirror. Looking up, she met Atrus’s eyes in the glass.

  “He seems a kind and cultured man.”

  “Indeed. A man after our own minds. Yet having spoken to him one thing troubles me.”

  “What thing is that?”

  “What he said about his people. About their breeding. It made me consider our own people.”

  “They are good people, Atrus.”

  “Oh, I know that. Yet can we vouch for every single one of them? D’ni and Averone and all? What if one bad apple among them spreads contagion? This is a land without contention. I would be loath to introduce it to them.”

  Catherine smiled and turned to face him. “I think you worry too much, Atrus. You know our people. They are the best. They will fit in easily here. So put your proposition to him, then burn the Books and seal the Temple up.”

  “And Chroma’Agana?”

  “Oh, I shall miss it, but it’s a small price to pay.”

  “Are you happy here, Catherine?”

  She came across and took his hands, smiling down at him. “Very. Now put your doubts aside. This is what you wanted. So reach for it. Heal the breach and bring the D’ni home to Terahnee.”

  He smiled and squeezed her hands. “It shall be so.”

  IN THE DAWN’S FIRST LIGHT THE PINNACLE OF the king’s high chamber, a slender tower separate from the rest of that great stone pile, jutted from the great bowl of darkness beneath, its whiteness touched with gold. A narrow bridge of stone linked it to the rest; a curving line of white etched delicately on the black.

  Looking across at the king’s tower from the recessed doorway in which he stood, Atrus hesitated, thinking of the meeting to come, then stepped out onto the bridge, his booted footsteps echoing in the silence, his cloak flowing behind him in the cold morning air.

  He had woken while it was still dark and, dressing quietly so as not to wake Catherine, had ventured out. It was not that he had expected to see the king so early—indeed, he was surprised to learn from the steward that Ro’Eh Ro’Dan was already in his rooms—merely that he felt he needed to walk and consider precisely what it was he was to say to the king that morning.

  Yet here he was, before the sun was fully risen, stepping out across the dark to meet with him.

  Halfway across, he stopped and, grasping the balustrade, leaned out, staring down into the shadowed depths. Down there—a mile or more below where he stood on that narrow parapet—the city slept, oblivious of him. He took in the pattern of the parks and buildings, the endless bridges and canals, pleased by what he saw, then raised his eyes, looking to the distance, to rolling hills and wondrous mansions stretching from horizon to horizon.

  It truly was a land without equal.

  He took a long breath, then let it out, giving a single nod, as if in that moment he had confirmed some fact that until then had not been certain.

  “Atrus?”

  He turned. Ro’Eh Ro’Dan was standing at the far end of the bridge, his head bare, his dark blue cloak wrapped tightly about him.

  “Come … there’s breakfast if you want it.”

  The very informality of the words and the casual gesture that accompanied them reassured Atrus. The friendly intimacy of the previous evening was still there between them, and as Atrus stepped up to Ro’Eh Ro’Dan, the other took his arm and, with a smile, led him inside.

  Inside was a large circular chamber, at the center of which was a massive desk. Five elegantly robed ancients stood about, several of whom Atrus had met the night before. As Atrus and the king entered, they lowered their heads respectfully. It was a cozy room, its luxuries surprisingly simple ones. The stone walls to either side of the doorway were bare, while, on the far side, a twist of stairs followed the curve of the wall, leading up to a recessed wooden door.

  After the magnificence of the audience chamber, this was unexpectedly low-key, yet Atrus, looking about him, found himself more impressed by this than the grandeur he had seen elsewhere, for this spoke of the more human side of Terahnee.

  “Gentlemen … we can continue later.”

  Smiling at Atrus, the ancients departed, leaving him alone with Ro’Eh Ro’Dan. The king turned, facing him.

  “Did you sleep well, Atrus?”

  “Wonderfully.”

  “Good.” He smiled. “You know, I am glad to have the chance to speak with you alone. But come. We can talk while we eat.”

  Atrus followed the king up the twist of stairs and out into daylight. Five narrow steps led up onto a platform. Stepping out onto it, Atrus stared in real delight, for it had been laid out as a tiny formal garden, at the center of which was a low table and two long chairs.

&n
bsp; A breakfast meal had been laid out on the table, but it was not that which caught Atrus’s attention; it was the beauty of the delicate flowers that lay on every side, their tiny blooms cascading over the edges of the platform.

  Atrus went over to the edge and stood there, looking out. There were no walls. If he stepped out now he would fall a mile or more, and it was that—that absence of any barrier between this and what lay beneath—that gave this place its unearthly beauty. All around him was the world, and here this tiny perfect garden.

  “It’s beautiful,” he said, turning back.

  “I am glad you think so.” Ro’Eh Ro’Dan gestured toward the seat. “Won’t you join me, Atrus?”

  Atrus took a seat, conscious that beneath him was a mile of empty air. A cool breeze blew, ruffling his hair. He let his eyes wander over the perfection of the garden, then looked to Ro’Eh Ro’Dan once more.

  Ro’Eh Ro’Dan was watching him attentively, his deep blue eyes trying to fathom something. And then he seemed to relax. Once more he smiled.

  “You seem surprised,” he said brightly.

  “Everything here surprises me.”

  “Has D’ni not its wonders?”

  “Compared to this?” Atrus shook his head. “No. Not even at its height.”

  “I see.” Ro’Eh Ro’Dan looked down, frowning. “You speak almost as though your land were in decline.”

  “Decline? No, that is no word for it. The truth is D’ni fell. It is no more. Unless you count its ruins.”

  Ro’Eh Ro’Dan sat back, clearly shocked. “But I thought …”

  “There are survivors,” Atrus went on, “and I have been trying to rebuild. Even so …” He met the young king’s eyes. “I wish to ask you something, Ro’Eh Ro’Dan.”

  The king seemed stunned; even so he nodded. “Ask.”

  “I would like to bring my people here from D’ni, to settle permanently in Terahnee.”

  “Of course. There’s room for everyone.” Yet the king seemed distracted now. “D’ni fallen …” He shook his head once more, then stood. “You must tell me all that happened, Atrus. Everything … right from the beginning.”

  CATHERINE WAS AWAKE WHEN HE RETURNED.

  “It is done!” he said joyously. “Ro’Eh Ro’Dan has agreed to have us here. Space will be found for all our people.”

  Catherine stood. “That’s wonderful!”

  “We spent a long time talking, discussing D’ni, our people, and the tragedy that befell us. And it was strange, Catherine, for I sensed that whilst he was shocked and sad for us, another part of him reacted differently. I don’t know what it was, for by no sign or word was he unkind, yet …”

  He stopped, conscious suddenly that Eedrah was in the doorway.

  “Forgive me my intrusion,” Eedrah began, “but I think I can explain. Not many know of these things, but the king most certainly would.”

  “Know?” Atrus asked. “Know of what?”

  “Of the ancient prophecy. That Terahnee would fall. That a great cloud of darkness would descend and destroy it with its poisoned breath.”

  Both Atrus and Catherine now stared at Eedrah.

  “So you see,” Eedrah went on, “your tragedy might prove our joy. At least, that is one interpretation. Since our earliest times we have dreaded this calamity and now you come and tell us it has already happened, and that we, here in Terahnee, have come through it totally unscathed. You can be sure right now that Ro’Eh Ro’Dan is meeting with his close advisers and telling them this news.”

  Eedrah smiled. “It will do your people no harm, Atrus. No harm at all.”

  “Maybe not, yet if I had known this beforehand I might have broached the matter differently.”

  “My husband does not believe in prophecies,” Catherine explained. “He thinks them unscientific.”

  “As they are. But Eedrah is right. And what’s done is done. Our task now is to unify our peoples and to bring them here to their new home in Terahnee. Nothing else must distract us. The king has given his permission. Space will be made.”

  “He knows how many are to come?”

  “I said five thousand.”

  Eedrah looked surprised. “Is that all of you that remain?”

  “On D’ni and on Averone, yes. And fortunately so, perhaps, for how would even a great land like this take on any bigger number?”

  “With ease,” Eedrah said, a strangeness in his voice. He looked away a moment, then looked back. “Did the king say he wished to meet with you again?”

  “He did. But not today. He has given his permission for us to return at once to Ro’Jethhe, there to organize the linking through of all the D’ni.”

  “Then I shall see to things,” Eedrah said, and, turning, hastened from the room.

  Atrus looked to Catherine. “All will be for the best.”

  “Yes.” But she seemed distracted, too. “Forgive me, Atrus, but I wish to speak with Eedrah a moment. Something he said …”

  “Of course. I shall pack, then see the others. There is not a moment to be wasted.”

  “No.” She smiled. “I shall not be long.” Then, turning from him, she hurried after Eedrah, anxious to catch up with him.

  EEDRAH WAS SILENT ON THE JOURNEY HOME, withdrawn, and when Catherine asked him what it was he would not say, preferring to look away from her rather than answer her question.

  Atrus, however, was full of plans, and spent much of the journey back discussing with Catherine and the rest how best to transfer all their people through.

  Marrim, when she first heard of Atrus’s plan, had fallen silent, and for almost half a day had said nothing. It was only when she understood that Atrus meant to include those from Averone that she perked up again. But even then she had reservations. These she resolved to keep to herself until she had a chance to speak privately with Atrus.

  That chance occurred the first night of their journey back.

  “Atrus?” she asked, closing the door quietly behind her.

  Atrus looked up from where he was writing in his notebook, then gestured for her to come across. She was silent while he finished.

  “Well?” he asked, closing the book.

  “What if they will not come?”

  “Your people, you mean?”

  She nodded. “It is their home, after all.” She hesitated, then, “Could you not write a Book, from here to there?”

  “No, Marrim.”

  She looked down.

  “It will be all right,” Atrus said. “They will be happy here. There must be seas on this world. We’ll ask Ro’Eh Ro’Dan to find a place for them beside one. So do not let it trouble you anymore. There’s a great deal of work to be done, arranging the move. Let that fill your mind over the coming days.”

  She looked up and smiled.

  Atrus returned her smile. “Eedrah tells me we are to start early and travel direct to Ro’Jethhe tomorrow. It will be a long journey, so get what rest you can.”

  Marrim laughed. “You speak almost as if we shall be walking back, not sailing in a boat!”

  In answer Atrus handed her the notebook. “Take this. I want you to read the last ten pages. And then, tomorrow, I want you to consider the best way of persuading your people that this move is in their best interests.”

  Marrim bowed her head, giving a single nod.

  “Good. Then go now. Tomorrow will be a long day.”

  JETHHE RO’JETHHE HUGGED ATRUS TO HIM, then stepped back, looking about him at the others. It was late evening now, and the lamps that hung from the flower-strewn balconies threw a pearled light over the pool and the silken awnings of the boat.

  “I hear that everything went well!” Ro’Jethhe said. “Indeed, I hear that your people are to join us here in Terahnee.”

  Atrus smiled broadly. “That is so, Ro’Jethhe. It is a good day for both our peoples.”

  “An excellent day. And we must celebrate.” Ro’Jethhe clapped his hands. At once a door opened in the wall behind them and a ramp descended.
As Atrus turned, he saw that two ledges of stone had extended from the sides of the pool to cover all except the boat, which lay completely enclosed at the center. “Come,” Ro’Jethhe said, leading them across, “I have invited a few friends.”

  He turned to Atrus, smiling as he walked on. “Oh, you are quite famous now, Atrus. There are many who wish to see you. Why, there would not be room, even in the governor’s halls, for so many. But I have asked one or two whom you might find interesting.” He raised a hand quickly. “Oh, and I know you have traveled far today, but we shall not keep you up all evening. Besides, I did not wish the moment to pass when we might toast the joint future of our peoples.”

  Atrus smiled. “Nor I.” And with that he let Ro’Jethhe lead his party up the ramp and into the great hall where a good number of Ro’Jethhe’s friends awaited them.

  THE EVENING HAD GONE WELL, BUT NOW IT was late. Irras had been dispatched to the plateau once again to warn Master Tamon of their imminent return, and Atrus would have followed would it not have offended their host. And so he sat on, doing what he so rarely did—socializing late into the night.

  Talking to the local landowners, it was clear that none of them felt threatened by the proposed influx from D’ni. It was just as the king had said—when everyone had so much why should they begrudge others sharing their good fortune?—and that, as much as anything, had convinced Atrus finally that everything would work out for the best.

  Catherine, looking across at Atrus, smiled, for she had rarely seen him in such good humor. Now that the king had been informed, he was free to talk of D’ni and its ways, and was enjoying doing so. Just now the talk had turned to the art of writing and to the kind of Ages the D’ni wrote. Ro’Jethhe’s friends plied Atrus with question after question, fascinated by the whole notion of Guilds and particularly the Guild of Maintainers, though they clearly found it hard to comprehend just why such a Guild should exist in the first place.