Genereef walked up to Mirrorwing. “Which way do you lean? Can we help you decide?”
Mirorwing locked eyes with Melissa. “Your eyes are best. Count for me the Claws upon each summit.”
Melissa bowed and turned away. “Seven Whites. Fourteen Reds. Thirteen Browns. Five, no make that six Greens.” She faced Mirrorwing again. “One Silver.”
“And one Rainbow. Forty-two. A perfect clutch-wing.” Mirrorwing turned. He asked for the right to be heard, and now he had to speak. “Many Browns died valiantly fighting for us on that last day, so I lean towards Tongaroi. But Reds have difficulty making the long flight over water to Garden Isle, so despite Anspark’s abominable acts of late, they are least likely to have committed the unspeakable treachery. My fellow Silvers hid quietly among the Whites for seven long years and were never exposed. Only Browns and Greens live close enough to have betrayed my people. My perplexity threatens to undo me.”
One of the Silvers said, “The first scout mission to Garden Isle after the attack was sent by Seakeep. Perhaps they removed traces of their deeds.”
“I flew on that mission,” snapped Genereef. “We took nothing back but our sadness. All valuables we gathered and locked in vaults on the island, where they remain to this day. What we need to ask is who is capable of commanding the animals? Jessnee, on your world, are animals wild or tame? What success have you in managing them?”
“Animals are wild, but their spirits can be broken.” said Jessnee. “Horses – like quaggas, or elephants – like our tuskers – are commonly ridden and put into service. But we have a population of six billion people building roads, fences, walls, and dams. Hunters drop the fiercest beasts with ease. Ranchers with a few men on horseback and some dogs can herd a million cattle.” Jessnee studied the faces around him. “Had we such resources here, we wouldn’t be at the mercy of nature, if hlisskans can be called natural. Hands did not attack the Silvers.”
Thedarra held out her wrist while Callyglip dabbed it with drops from a blue bottle. She leaned over and sniffed. “Cally, wherever did you get it? It’s my new favorite.” She leaned over and kissed him, saw Melissa and Jessnee staring and blushed.
“Browns can talk to animals,” said Melissa.
“Animals that never listen,” said Mirrorwing.
“Then why do they keep trying?” Melissa ran her paw back and forth in a rapid motion. “Why do they fly the length and width of Kibota doing something they know is futile?” She looked at Jessnee.
Jessnee smacked his head. “Reverse psychology! Why didn’t I think of that!”
“What are you talking about?” said Mirrorwing.
“Tell a child to do one thing and they do the opposite,” said Melissa. “Tricky parents tell a rebellious child not to do the thing they want them to do, and the child falls for the deception and does exactly what the parent desires. Animals are like children.” Melissa’s nose caught the scent of Thedarra’s perfume. Click. “What is the Silver’s gift?”
“Smelling the motives of the heart,” said Mirrorwing.
“What scent masks it most effectively?” said Melissa.
“Reekacheek perfume,” said Genereef.
“Who made that perfume fashionable?” said Melissa.
“Menagerie,” said Thedarra. “A couple years before the Silvers disappeared.”
“I do not need to hear any more,” said Mirrorwing. He walked back to his speaking tube. “Mirrorwing of Garden Isle casts his vote for Anspark of Blaze, the next Hlissosak of Kibota. May all his years be blessed.”
There were two last items of business. First, all the klatches pledged increased assistance in looking for a way to rescue those trapped in Nehenoth. And last, the date for the formal ceremony of investiture was set for the thirtieth.
After everyone was dismissed, Melissa asked, “Where is R.J.?”
“Minding the equipment,” said Jessnee. “Don’t worry, Makri is with him.”
“With the klatches pledging support for a real search, should we disclose our capabilities?” asked Melissa. “They might fail without the things we have learned.”
“I say wait,” said Mirrorwing. “It’s harder to sabotage two efforts than one. If the time comes when sharing our machines and knowledge with others promises greater chance of success, we will.”
When he was one Silver, Mirrorwing was content to let her lead. But with a couple dozen friends to back him up, that was changing. Keeping a coalition together is exhausting. Melissa told her friends she’d meet them at the boat, then waited for the sky to be clear of departing Lissai. Apart from Hands packing the remaining food, she was alone among the pyramids. The accession of Anspark chased away the image of the beautiful pageantry she had witnessed and brought in its place another. They had just made Count Dracula king.
Chapter 35: The Necromancers
April 26th. Silverthorn River.
Flying over the barge was like being a balloon on a string. Melissa was the balloon, seemingly free, and the tether was the aroma of Thedarra’s breakfast preparations. Sweet rolls, fish, a soup of greens and tubers and a zaffberry tart formed as strong a chain as could be found on Kibota. Callyglip sat contentedly peeling vegetables and tossing scraps to the seasick moskat sitting in a cage beside him, while Jessnee stared at wiring diagrams and tried to keep from burning himself with his soldering iron as the boat rocked, while R.J. stared over his shoulder and told him what he was doing wrong. Makri hopped a boat heading upriver to attend to the shop.
The strong current meant they only needed towing from Melissa, Mirrorwing and Genereef when bypassing shallows. This left them free to watch for river monsters. Melissa stared at her reflection in the stream, no longer surprised to see a dragon’s face looking back. The multicolored moiré patterns crawling along her wings gave her as warm a feeling inside as the sun’s blessing above.
The other Silvers flew on each flank over the fields and woods north and south of the river, seeking signs the klatch that betrayed Silverthorn was ready to finish what it started. Apart from an occasional glint, they were invisible, reflecting the sky’s blue, ghosts of fire and claw.
When Melissa’s shift ended, Genereef left the barge. The normally calm and deliberate lissair appeared fidgety and eager to take to the air. Melissa landed and helped herself to Thedarra’s goodies. “What’s in the pudding?”
“My secrets,” said Thedarra, who sat on a bench at a long table.
Melissa’s tongue did a happy dance around the inside of the bowl. “It’s no secret how happy you are these days.” She nodded her head in Callyglip’s direction. All at once she was jealous again, because Callyglip was here, and Shoroko was not. He’s off riding with Orokolga and a bevy of jummaxes. Maybe he just has a thing for dragons. She’s only gold. Look at me, I’m the whole blooming rainbow!
Thedarra turned and gave Callyglip a sweet smirk. “He needs work.” She faced Melissa again and whispered, “I’m a hard worker.” She stood and leaned over to caress Melissa’s wing. “Aww, the glow is fading. You really dazzled us all at the accession. White Talon could fashion the most amazing glassware, but nothing as fine as you standing in the sun, spreading your wings.”
Melissa hadn’t noticed. She looked at her floppy appendages, then up at the sky. The few clouds drifted well clear of the sun. “Full sun; that’s odd.”
“It reminds me of something White Talon used to say,” said Thedarra. “She called it ‘the light within’. Her best pieces had a spot for a candle. They looked fine in the sun, but in the dark, with that dancing flicker at work, they became magical. It’s like the first warm day of spring after winter. It makes you happy, yet the midsummer sun shining on the sorrowful can’t reach the chill to chase it out. True warmth doesn’t come from outside, so don’t look for it there.” She reached up and stroked Melissa’s white mane. “You’re both headed the same way. You have to meet again. Then you’ll shine – for him.”
To resist the temptation to cry, Melissa cast about for something
to do. Staring at the equally lovesick moskat didn’t help. Genereef was gone. Melissa took a running leap off the bow and flew to the nearest Silver along the north bank. “Have you seen Genereef?”
The Claw pointed down and Melissa dove. The Green Lissai was half-hidden under the canopy of a flowering tree, coated in white petals, leaning backwards against the trunk and nearly toppling it. As she got closer, the trunk and branches appeared forbidding. It had the thorniest mess of wood-quills on the planet, worse than any cactus. Genereef was scratching his back against it.
“If you needed your back scratched, I’ve got these.” Melissa landed, raised her right paw and flexed her talons. She sniffed the air. It smelled of smoked mango and cucumber, with a hint of sage. “Marvelous fragrance.”
“Citrabrada sap is the best ointment for itchy scales. The thorns feel good, too.” He itched a few more times before stepping away from the tree. Gone was the anxiousness he displayed earlier. Back was his easy confidence, candor and unflappable perseverance – at least that’s how he smelled. Maybe I should scratch prickly trees when I’m stressed.
Melissa would have grabbed her own citrabrada tree, except for the screams. She cantered to the river’s edge with Genereef close behind. Out on the water, the barge floated by. She drilled in with her eyes until she could pinpoint the source of the howling. It was the moping moskat, whiskers all aquiver, sniffing for the scent of its mate. It switched to clawing at the bars in a frenzy. I feel like howling too, missy. A second later, the howling resumed – from behind her. Jessnee said he needed another. “Genereef, it’s the moskat’s mate. Let’s capture it. It may yield answers.”
“Answers? Yes.” Genereef put his paw on a large stone, latched his claws into a seam, and pulled it back to reveal a scurrying hive of beetles. “You are all about looking for answers, clawing into every crevasse until you find them. Must everything be a question with you? Long ago we had answers to much we don’t understand today, yet it didn’t spare us our current troubles. Our existence is a long exercise in survival across great gulfs of ignorance. There are whole species of virtue not bound up in answers, but in habits, commitments, and actions.” He dropped the rock.
“I agree,” said Melissa. “My habit is to seek answers. My commitments are to the truth, and to my friends and family. And right now, my action is to find a squeaky rodent because my friend Jessnee thinks it may help.” She trotted off in the direction of the sound, little considering how difficult it would be for a lumbering beast to corner a tiny critter that could climb trees and hide in logs and crevasses. Fortunately, she didn’t need to. She just needed to apprehend the Hand who’d already captured and caged the male moskat. With Genereef’s help, the man had nowhere to run on his motorcycle. Melissa would get to collect on her wager. Ren Fa was theirs.
* * *
R.J. clapped his hand on Ren Fa’s shoulder. “Melissa was trouble before she sprouted wings and a tail. I told you hiding from her was a bad idea, but you didn’t listen.”
Ren Fa sat on a coil of rope on the barge’s deck, worrying his mustache with his thumb and forefinger. He and R.J. were encircled by Jessnee, Thedarra, Callyglip and the three Claws. A few idle crew members stood at a distance, pretending to work. Also in the circle was a cage holding two purring moskats, nestled together and licking each other clean.
Everyone had their eyes on Ren Fa, except Melissa. She was captivated by the happy slapping of two tiny tails against the deck. “Ren Fa, we had a wager. You owe me answers.”
“You flew off.”
“You could have spoken with my friends. No matter. I could never be sure if you were truthful or complete, but you solved that problem for me.”
“How?” Ren Fa wasn’t the only one with a baffled look on his face.
Melissa ignored them and concentrated on the reunited lovers. When their physical display cooled, the words flowed.
“Isska missed Purrda. Pretty Purrda.” Isska sniffed his mate. “Cage good if Purrda in it with me.”
Purrda reciprocated by wrapping her tail around his. “We float to the stone now. Better, no? Less walking. Tall hairless ones feed us sweet roots. You like food. And no needles. No needles here. Good place.”
Melissa recalled her capture and trial. She’d been a prisoner for weeks and won her freedom. While a prisoner, she was his prisoner, but now that she was free, he was elsewhere. “How’d you survive while you were apart? What gave you hope?”
Now everyone stared at Melissa. A squeaking, purring dragon was a peculiar sight and an incomprehensible sound, except to the two caged ones.
“She is the one,” said Isska to Purrda. He pointed with his tiny paw. “She brought us back together.” He bowed his head at Melissa. “Isska thanks firebird. How does firebird know our speech?”
“Silly Isska,” said Purrda. “Firebird didn’t do it. Caller did it all. Caller spoke, and we were guided together again. Caller gave us words, so Caller gave firebird same words, too.” Purrda walked to the edge of the cage nearest Melissa. “We knew we would be together again. We trust the Caller. The Caller always calls, and we always come.”
“The Caller?” said Melissa. “Do you mean the Census Stone?”
“The stone?” Isska squeaked with mirth. “Stones don’t talk, silly. The Caller is near the stone, but it is not the stone.”
“You say this Caller gave you words. What does that mean? Did it teach you how to speak?”
“Oh, yes,” said Purrda. “We were simple moskats, almost as dumb as rocks.” She looked at Isska. “Or at least one of us.”
“And always getting sick,” said Isska. “Then Caller gave us strength.”
“Where did this change happen?” Moskats speak rapidly, but Melissa easily doubled their pace both in speed and excitement. “Here on Kibota? Or on the other world, where you were born?”
“Other world?” said Isska. “Some world. Glass boxes, shiny tables, and wood shavings. And always needles and funny lights and big hairless people and that smelly stuff that makes you sleepy. We never saw any world, just moskat babies born, moskat babies growing, and moskat brothers and sisters dying. Then more moskats. Red ones, tan ones, black ones, white ones, moskats with two tails, and big moskats with sharp teeth. And those poor naked moskats shivering with no fur. They was sad to look at.”
“Why were they studying you?” said Melissa.
“It was better before we had words,” said Purrda. “Just water dribbler and bowls of food and spinning wheel to run in. Sometimes my cage was in the window. I saw birds and dogs and rabbits and sun and clouds. I thought the hairless ones were my servants. I thought I was a queen and they loved me. Then we understood.”
“Yes,” said Isska. “Then we understood. It was all about the holes. They only loved the holes.”
“Holes?” said Melissa. “Were they in the air?”
“Yes,” said Purrda. “Holes in the air. There were the babies, and the testing to see if we were the same, and the counting, and when the count was sixteen–”
“Or fifteen,” said Isska. “But at least seven boys and seven girls–”
“Then the other needle.”
“And no waking up. They died.”
“But not all of them.”
“And one day it was our turn. The others like us died.”
“Then the hole opened,” said Purrda. “We got our words, the Caller told us where to go, and we hopped through the hole. Then another hole.”
“And we were in Kibota,” said Isska . “We thought our brothers and sisters would be here. We looked. But they never came. But now the Caller is bringing us to the stone to be counted. Maybe we will see our friends there.”
“Maybe,” said Melissa. “Thank you for explaining things so clearly. I came from your world, too. This is a better one for you, I think.” She turned to Ren Fa and spoke in English. “You’d better explain things to me, because if the Lissai find out what you’ve been doing, I’ll be the only one inclined to protect you. The mo
skats told me what went on in your lab, how you used engineered extinction to create new species, increase their population enough to register as worthy of protection by the Lissai apparatus, and then kill them to trigger the portal to Kibota. That portal was created at great cost to the Lissai to save lives, but in your hands you casually kill to make it serve your lust for exploration and conquest. Such an inversion of its purpose must rank as the greatest possible affront to their philosophy, nay, their religion. I’m a doctor, and I’m finding it a challenge to keep from snapping your neck myself.” She’d been so intent on her words and studying Ren Fa’s face, that she lost control of other functions. The deck at Ren Fa’s feet was on fire.
Splash. One of the crew tossed a bucket to douse the flames.
R.J. and Jessnee knew what she said, but for the benefit of the others she said, “I interrogated the moskats. I know some of what these men have been doing, and they will now tell us the rest. It will sicken you; promise me you will not kill them; we need them to finish what we began, and I ask you to accept their permanent exile back to Earth as punishment.”
“Without first hearing the nature of their crimes?” said Mirrorwing. “If anything but instant death were deserved by these Hands, you would not ask this. How can we agree? You would bind us to their protection, and set the four klatches against us. Unacceptable.”
Melissa looked up at the sun. It was bright, yet she felt dull. “As you wish. On my world, we have a custom that a defendant cannot be compelled to testify against himself.” She turned to Ren Fa. “I release you from your debt. You may keep your secrets, but I doubt that will long spare your life. Your motorcycle is near the riverbank. Hope you can swim.”
Ren Fa walked to the edge of the barge. Shadows slithered by in the watery depths. He turned to face Mirrorwing and Genereef, whose gritted teeth and smoky exhalations showed they mistook Melissa’s gesture as offering a real possibility of his escape. “I’ll talk. What do you want to know?”
A Most Refined Dragon Page 37