Torrullin and Elianas glanced at each other. Lowen would inform the others of the situation and they in turn would share their side of the tale. Hopefully all would be circumspect. Hopefully Valen had not received a covert signal to do something about the strangers.
Torrullin lowered into the chair vacated by Lowen. “Is something wrong, Sire? I have the distinct feeling there is something amiss.”
Nemisin stared at him for a few beats. “Do not presume to know me well enough to read me.” Again he waved expressively. “No matter. Something is amiss, yes. There was a disturbance in the fabric today. It concerns me.”
“We felt it, yes, and found Valen there.”
“Well, what was it? Did you deal with it?”
Torrullin leaned forward, hands on knees. “I think it may be the signal to build the mountain city, my Lord, and, yes, it is dealt with.”
“Explain!” Nemisin snapped. He waved the other nobles out of hearing and then waited while they were cleared away. “What signal? How?”
“If something is imagined, Sire, it begins to take on reality. You have imagined and now you delay. Forgive my bluntness, my Lord.”
“You are suggesting I am prompted to begin?”
“Yes.” Sometimes it paid to be as direct as possible. Not that Nemisin would appreciate it.
“Elianas?”
“I concur, my Lord.”
Nemisin pulled a face. “So much work, so hot.” He sighed. “How long can I delay?”
“You cannot,” Torrullin said. “Either do it or remove the blueprint from your mind.”
Nemisin was silent, and then muttered, “I shall have a decision by morning.”
Torrullin smiled.
Nemisin leaned towards him. “This outworlder situation.”
“Yes, my Lord?”
“I do not like it. Until now we thought of ourselves as alone in the universe and now it is not so. What do you know?”
“I confess, Sire, I am as surprised as you. I happened upon Lowen by chance, and then ran into her companions.”
The quality of silence that ensued suggested Nemisin did not quite trust that. “What do you suggest we do?” Enough trust, however, in Torrullin’s abilities.
Torrullin gave the appearance of deep thought. “The simplest and most direct method of investigation would be for Elianas and I to put them through a series of tests.”
Nemisin smiled, a cold and satisfied thing, and sat back. “We have our differences, but I knew I could count on you in what really matters to the Valleur. Do it. Do not hold back. Torrullin, they could be a danger to the Valleur; do whatever you feel necessary.”
“It would require privacy. We cannot allow scandal.”
“Of course. Take them where you must. Take them now, including the beautiful Lowen. I do not trust her words.” Nemisin paused. “I shall command the city’s building to commence in the morning, considering you will not be here to remove the blueprint. I shudder so at disturbances.”
Torrullin nodded. “A sound choice, Sire.”
Nemisin inclined his head. “You have one week to present answers to the outworlder situation.” He offered a smile. “I do not care what happens to them, but that is an interesting little creature you created - it would be fine to bring him to court for our amusement. Perhaps we can teach it speech and song.”
“Of course.” Torrullin rose. “Until then, my Lord. Come, Elianas.”
Nemisin pouted as Elianas rose, and blew him a kiss.
The two left as quickly as was decently possible.
“CLEVER, ABOUT THE SIGNAL,” Elianas murmured.
“I nearly pulled his head from his shoulders,” Torrullin muttered.
“Relax; he is always like that. This outworlder thing could well stir him to war.”
“That was the idea.”
“Now we need to orchestrate the Throne.”
“Lowen may have more on that.”
Elianas fell silent.
“And how do we get Neolone into the picture?” Torrullin wondered as they walked through the trees.
“Maybe Lowen will know,” Elianas said.
Torrullin pulled him to a stop. “Are you going to be childish about this?”
“And who was the one who almost flew into Nemisin for touching where you do not want him to?”
They glared at each other and then both laughed.
They went on.
THE LODGE WAS A large cabin built around a deep pool.
Changing rooms were open around this inner, watery courtyard. When Torrullin and Elianas found it, they found everyone vanished into a room to change.
Valen was gone; they met him along the way and he supplied direction - clearly he had received no covert signal - and thus only Lowen paced the wraparound deck.
Lanterns swayed in the breeze, and there were more shadows than light.
Torrullin and Elianas walked through the open entrance, and there Elianas halted. “You go an alone. I do not want to see this.”
“We have been apart ten years; nothing will happen,” Torrullin said. He did not dare say it, but Elianas was the barrier he needed against Lowen’s larger than life presence.
Lowen came to a halt, silky robes rustling in the silence. She watched the two men close in, but her face was in shadow and thus they could not read her. She could not read them either.
She shrugged and said, “We haven’t had time to talk. Valen just left.” She gestured at the changing rooms.
Remarkably, all sounds from within those rooms suddenly deadened.
Lowen grinned, shook her head, and moved into an area where there was more light. Her eyes were startling even in the dimness.
Torrullin laughed, ignoring the wrench in his gut, and closed in. “You look well, Lowen.” He was immediately serious. “Thank the gods for that. You have no idea …”
She held one hand up, signifying caution. “Nemisin has been attentive.” She frowned into nearby shadows as if attempting to pierce the gloom for listeners. “We must get away from here.”
“It has been arranged.” Torrullin raised his voice. “Hurry up! We are leaving!” He delved into those shadows, but there were no listeners yet.
Elianas and Lowen eyed each other, each sizing the other up well. Both instantly understood the situation. Then they ignored each other.
Torrullin pulled a wry face as he focused again to catch their movements, and asked, “What happened, Lowen?”
“Not here. Too many listening ears.”
There were not, he wanted to say, start bloody talking, but that would be the height of stupidity. He swirled his tongue in his mouth, glanced at Elianas, and nodded. The situation was strange, and there was indeed danger, and it was also clear Lowen kept him at arm’s length. What did he expect? Was he not relieved?
Elianas murmured, “Right now you do not know what you want.”
Lowen gave a laugh. “That is not new.”
They scowled at each other, and then both turned away.
Torrullin threaded a hand through his hair.
Teighlar was out first. “That is Nemisin? What is he? He seems to want to sleep with anything that moves.”
“It is a ploy,” Torrullin muttered. “No one ever knows where they stand with him.” He put a finger to his lips. “Be circumspect; we can talk later.”
Teighlar nodded.
Caballa approached. “How did you get us out of this?”
“The Lord Sorcerer has been charged with testing the outworlders,” Torrullin said.
“We can use that,” she murmured.
“Exactly.” He looked around, noted all were present. “We will be heading to the Lord Sorcerer’s summer retreat.” He grinned. “Yes, seems I had delusions of grandeur. Follow me.”
They transported out.
SECONDS AFTER THEY VANISHED Valen led a squad into the guest quarters. Nemisin, it seemed, wanted the outworlders dead. Immediately.
The Valleur were in danger, he declaimed.
Chapter 56
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. You are my friend and you are as well- I expect you two to get along.
~ Unknown
Ancient Akhavar
IT WAS A SIMPLE stone cottage beside a waterfall and pool in the mountains, about ten sals from Nemisin’s current location.
Not so grand. Not easily traceable. And not visible. It was dark in the approaching night shadow of the ancient rock and they stumbled about with muffled curses.
Elianas made his way unerringly to the door, pressed something there. Lights came on. The rudimentary abode came into view.
“Solar, like Valaris,” Torrullin explained. “Elianas installed them.”
“This is like living in the dark ages,” Teighlar muttered.
Lowen understood something else. “You have remembered.” She studied Torrullin, staring into his eyes as if reading his soul. “All of it, Torrullin?”
He looked at her. “Yes.”
“Are you sure?”
“As sure as I can be.”
She nodded. “And Elianas knows anything you may not be aware of. Good, then what I have to say will be easier.”
“We wait with bated breath.”
She stared at him some more and then gazed around. “I expected you, Quilla, Teighlar and Agnimus … or should I say Sabian?” She marked Sabian with that bright blue gaze. “Why so many, and you are two short of fourteen.”
“Two went back. You are stalling.” He frowned and went inside, snapping on lights as he went.
The cottage possessed an unused feeling, smelled like old leather and damp corners. As a summer retreat, it was not amazing. In fact, the sun tended to overlook it, but then, was not coolness the point? Gods, his mind was a mess.
Lowen, entering, asked, “Saska?” She ignored Elianas leaning against the door jamb. He pretended to ignore her.
“Saska went back, yes.”
“Peace?”
“No.”
Elianas’ one eyelid flickered over that clipped word from Torrullin. Clearly, the ease with which he apparently dispatched her back to Akhavar had no bearing on how he felt about it.
Saska, like to Lowen, featured.
The others trickled in as Lowen looked around. A cold, empty hearth, a threadbare rug, a few wooden benches, a scratched table and mismatched chairs.
“My Lord Sorcerer’s summer retreat?” Her tone was disbelieving.
As Elianas muttered under his breath and headed to the hearth to build a fire, Torrullin said, “This was a place to hide.”
“After you were cursed for Kalgaia.”
“Lowen, you are in a time when none of that happened. How can you possibly know?”
She pointed a finger at him. “No, Elixir, today I am in that time you speak of. A time of ignorance. Yesterday Nemisin poured gold into a mould to fashion the Throne and you and him were viciously discussed. What did you do between then and now? Today Nemisin knows nothing.” She was still pointing at Elianas, and dropped her arm.
“Him is Elianas.”
“I know who he is. Lord Elianas, Nemisin’s son-in-law.”
Elianas threw a log across the room.
“Well, well,” Sabian drawled.
Teighlar raised an enlightened brow, and the cousins looked at each other.
“Except …” Lowen went on.
“Do not say it,” Torrullin warned.
“That was a juicy secret. And seems there is more to it,” Sabian laughed. It earned him baleful stares, particularly from Elianas.
Lowen drew breath, let it out and looked away from Torrullin. Moving to a bench, she said, “Yesterday he made himself Vallorin, and today he has not felt the need for the hereditary line.”
“And yet he is Lord Vallorin.”
“Yes, well, he cannot undo something that intrinsic.”
“Ambitious bastard,” Sabian muttered.
Lowen glared around and focused on Torrullin. “You took us out of realm into reality, didn’t you?”
“Not deliberately.”
“Well, everything will change if this continues.” She sat, gave everyone another cursory study and her gaze returned to him.
She was studied in turn. A journey across time and worlds was undertaken for her. She appeared incredibly self-possessed. Lowen’s self-possession could hide many things. Torrullin knew that about her.
“We know. It was accidental.”
Torrullin approached the fire and sat with his back to the blaze, leaving Elianas room to continue working at it. It was the kind of implicit support not lost on the others.
Teroux glowered as he hunkered against a wall.
“Accidental? Then it was accidental I landed up here,” Lowen remarked.
“How did that happen?” Teighlar asked. “Last I heard you spent time with the paintings and then, poof!”
“It wasn’t the paintings that drew me to Grinwallin, although I did look them over. It was the void.” She glanced again at Torrullin, and then stayed with him. “By now you have worked through the dangers of that entity, but, Torrullin, you have to set it free.”
Elianas turned, jostling Torrullin. He stared at her; they all did.
Lowen laughed. “I have your attention.”
“And you had better explain very well,” Torrullin snapped.
“I will try.”
She stood and seemed for a moment disconnected. Torrullin drew an inaudible breath. It was unusual to see Lowen at a loss, if only briefly. There was silence and then the crackle of a fire broke the tension. Lowen touched her forehead as if to check she was real and then started speaking.
“It began in the Dome. Jonas worked on a new program to keep track of missing people and I was looking over his shoulder. The screen would go blank and he didn’t see it. I thought he was losing information, but he noticed nothing. He kept right on working. Yet I knew, I knew, something swallowed everything he entered. And then suddenly the screen was awash with images of water and he still saw nothing amiss. He was losing and drowning and only I could see it.”
“A glitch,” Declan murmured.
“That is what I thought, yes, and almost convinced myself of it, and then the visions began. They assailed me whatever I did. For a while I thought I hallucinated. Nemisin, Nemisin, Nemisin. I nearly went mad. I went to his world …” She paused and then added, “Saska did not know. And I am impressed by what she achieved there. Anyway, there were more visions and they led me to Sanctuary - previously Orb - and there the first clear images arrived, like snapshots pieced together. Orb was a world of inundation, still is, and once a race thrived there, the Diluvans. I headed for the Academia on Luvanor, but there was no written record. Titania told a more complete tale. I assume you did the research.”
Teighlar said, “We established Diluvan became Luvan became Senlu, and we know Nemisin took a forward hop to murder those who survived the final flood on Orb.”
She glanced at him. “I hope you realised redress is a fool’s notion.”
Teighlar pulled a face, but he nodded.
“Good. That is the first connection - Akhavar, Orb, Luvanor.”
“Go on,” Caballa murmured. She watched Elianas more than Torrullin. Never had she seen such a carefully schooled expression.
“Titania gave me something more. Xen.”
“What has Xen to do with this?” Tristan frowned.
“It stumped me as well. In Kora City I was granted access to the secret archives.”
Torrullin groaned.
“Secret archives?” Declan snapped.
“A Dalrish safeguard,” Torrullin murmured. “None of your business. It does not affect the Kaval.”
Tristan frowned. “If the Dalrish have secrets …”
“Everyone has those,” Torrullin interrupted. “And the Dalrish are rulers.”
Lowen frowned at the interruption. “Xen was where I learned of the void.”
“Impossible. Xen cannot know.”
“But Taranis did, Torru
llin.”
“What?” he whispered.
Elianas’ eyelids flickered.
“Your father was plagued by dreams around the time the Guardians erected Xen’s domes, so much, he spoke to a Mind Delver like Fuma. This man wrote it down, page after page after page. Anyone who reads it now will think it illusionary dreams, but I saw them as visionary. Taranis did not know what he saw, and eventually the dreams released him, but he described Grinwallin inner city as if he lived there all his life. Nobody then knew of Luvanor, never mind Grinwallin.”
“Gods,” Torrullin whispered. “No wonder he hated dreaming.”
Elianas’ shoulder pressed against his, imparting comfort.
“I am sorry,” Lowen murmured. “I also think he forgot what he saw. He never claimed familiarity when we got to Grinwallin, did he?”
“But he was the one who had the dreams that led us into the Forbidden Zone and ultimately to Grinwallin. Never mind - go on.”
“Well, I went to Grinwallin, what else? My visions had shown me the paintings, so I had a look, and they, if one looks real close, pointed out the void.”
“They do not,” Teighlar said.
“Yes, Teighlar. If you look at them as a computer program and see the blank screen, then the water, there is a pattern - a map.”
Teighlar swore.
“You didn’t attempt it?” Tristan asked. “Gods, we nearly killed ourselves and we were fourteen.”
She smiled. “No, I returned to Akhavar.”
“Where the opposite portal is,” Teroux said.
“Right.”
“Besides Taranis and the void, we figured most of this,” Torrullin said.
She came over and knelt before him. Bright blue eyes speared him.
“And I hoped you would. I trusted you to. But I also saw you. I saw you then, now and in the future. I saw you imagine Grinwallin, the Throne, Kalgaia, and I saw what you did to that city, and why.” She held his gaze tight. “Through the portal on Akhavar, the one we roil in right now, I saw your past, many pasts, and the prophecy made sense. What Nemisin did took on sense. And I saw the portal beside the void and knew it was Grinwallin. I saw that you forgot, and he remembered.”
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