Convergence

by Sharon Green

  “It always pleases me to reach the final week of categorization,” Ollon told them after leaning back in his chair, letting his cold gray gaze touch each of them in turn. “There will be no further applicants arriving until after the beginning of the new year, and then this process will start all over again. Some of you will find it possible to pursue other interests until then, and I do believe I’m beginning to envy you. Twenty-six years of seeing this through to its ever-surprising end has grown rather nerve-wracking in my old age.”

  Eltrina joined the others in giving him the polite laughter his joke had called for, a variation of the same joke they said he made every year. This was the first time she’d heard it personally, but she’d certainly chuckled over it secondhand before. An ever-surprising ending to the sorting out indeed.

  “We’ll begin with those of you who have closed out the residences you’ve been responsible for,” Ollon said once the laughter had ended. “You may submit your final reports and then leave.”

  Four people, three men and a woman, rose to come forward clutching their reports. One by one they handed over the paperwork, told Ollon it had been a pleasure working with him, and then they’d made good their escape. For supposed members of noble families, their craven behavior annoyed Eltrina no end. But at least the girl was gone, which was quite a relief. Among the remaining ten there were only three women, and Eltrina was now the most attractive of them.

  “This year our efforts have a double purpose,” Ollon said once the four had left and closed the door behind them. “In most respects it will be business as usual, but I caution you again to keep in mind that this is a twenty-fifth year. There must be an absolute minimum of five challenging common Blendings to match the five put forward by our noble brothers, so you mustn’t waste anyone capable of being put into one. Begin thinking now about which of your charges will be saved, and which will be fed to our Seated Highs.”

  “Sir,” one of the younger men said, raising a questioning hand. Eltrina recognized him from parties and such, but couldn’t remember his name. “I still have three residences filled with advanced applicants, but I’m told that most of them won’t even make the competitions, much less win in them. Two or three of them have the proper temperament to make adequate Adepts, but the rest I’d expected to send to my father. I happened to see him last week’s end when he came home for a brief visit, and he mentioned that he needs them.”

  “I’m aware of your father’s needs, Lord Kogrin,” Ollon replied, frowning at the situation rather than at the man he spoke to. “He took the opportunity to visit me as well, but there’s only so much I’m able to do for him. A twenty-fifth year finds us short in many areas, and we can do nothing other than cope. For instance, we have more than enough Adepts right now. Use the best you have as members of a Blending and substitute the ones you would have used as Adepts to challenge the Seated Highs. The Highs have been cautioned to destroy only the very strongest of their challengers, leaving the rest alive to help fill our other needs. Does that sound workable to you?”

  Young Kogrin nodded and settled back in his chair already sunk in thought, obviously having no idea how ridiculous he was being. This was Ollon’s second twenty-fifth year, which meant his suggestions had little need of being approved by a child. Everything would work out just as it was supposed to, adding another marvelous triumph to Ollon’s record.

  “All of you have written reports, I know, but I’ll need an oral summary for my own preliminary report,” Ollon continued after sipping at the cup of tea which servants had provided before the meeting began. “I have an appointment with one of the Advisors this afternoon, after which he means to leave for a few days of personal enjoyment. By the time he returns everything will have been settled and I’d very much like to tell him then that nothing but small details need be added to my report. Lady Eltrina, you may begin.”

  “Of course, Lord Ollon,” Eltrina replied with her best smile, privately laughing at the others. They would now be terrified of giving Ollon incorrect information but she had nothing of the same to worry about. “I still have four residences under my wing, and I’ve already begun to rearrange them with an eye toward this being a twenty-fifth year. I expect to have at least one full Blending to offer for the Grand Competition, possibly two.”

  A murmur went through those seated at the beautifully polished oval table of gray wood, a sound of surprised dismay which widened Eltrina’s smile only on the inside. Some of those present had fairly powerful relatives, and it simply wouldn’t do to flaunt her superiority.

  “Most of those in my residences have already completed their sessions, of course,” Eltrina went on as though unaware of the reaction she’d caused. “Six of the remaining ones might well qualify today, and I’ve put them in a single residence together. If they do qualify, they’ll already be settled in and will simply go on to the practice sessions. If they don’t, their disposition will be the same as any of the others who haven’t managed to qualify.”

  “What if some qualify and some don’t?” Lemmis Admen asked in the nasal whine she used for a voice. The woman was horse-sized in both face and body, had the frizziest hair Eltrina had ever seen, and considering the clothing she usually wore, was probably colorblind. If Lemmis had been the least bit intelligent she would have kept her mouth closed unless it was absolutely necessary to speak, but what she said usually showed how little intelligence the horsy thing had.

  “I mean, it is possible some of the six will qualify and some won’t,” Lemmis whined defensively when Ollon moved his gaze to her. “I don’t intend to rearrange my residences until after today, when I’ll know for certain which will be which. You never do know for certain until it happens, you know.”

  “And yet, with the help of the sessions Adepts, it’s possible to make educated estimates,” Eltrina replied smoothly once Lemmis ran down. “Most of the six are expected to qualify, so no more than one or two will need to be moved again. All of my residences now contain at least one of each of the aspects, which was the main reason I took the opportunity to move people around. After the dust of final decision settles I’ll know just what I have in the way of possible Blending members, and what I’ll need from the rest of you to round them out.”

  This time there was more of a muttering to be heard from the others, low vocal resentment that she had managed to get a jump on them. If she was properly organized while they were not, she would end up above them all.

  “Has anyone else arranged the same thing in their residences?” Ollon asked, looking around at them blandly. “No? Well then, the organization of the next phase indicates itself. We’ll use the lady Eltrina’s established base, and supply her requirements before any other dispositions are made. You’ll also show her the compositions of your various residences and she’ll choose one to house a full Blending. When she does, the residence will be added to the four already … under her wing.”

  Ollon smiled when he said that, which kept the others at the table quiet despite their displeasure. Eltrina had managed to become his second in command, and it was no longer possible for any of them to stop her.

  “Now Lady Eltrina will tell us about the possible Blending she mentioned a moment ago,” Ollon continued, moving his smile to her. “Are they all quite marvelous and strong, with an excellent chance of winning the Fivefold Throne?”

  “What else?” Eltrina responded with a laugh, one which some of the others joined in. “They do happen to be strong, and all six in the residence have passed the first step in qualifying for the competitions. The one duplicate aspect is Water, and I haven’t yet decided which of the two to include in the Blending. One of them is a low-class peasant who doesn’t fit in with the other four at all and knows it, but the second has quarreled with the female representing the Fire aspect.”

  “And you’ll certainly choose the one most likely to make the most trouble,” Ollon said with an approving nod. “Tell us about all six, and why you consider them such excellent candidates for
membership in a challenging Blending.”

  Eltrina glowed, only a short step from preening herself. Ollon was letting her tell the others what to look for, intimating that she knew and they didn’t. If there hadn’t been people present who were close to her husband she might have kissed Ollon.

  “These people are suitable only for being in the same Blending,” she explained, looking around at the others with a half smile. “Each of them is quite strong in his or her aspect, and we certainly wouldn’t want them where their strength could be fully utilized. The first Water candidate I mentioned, the low class one, is bitter because he’s been rejected by his former cronies and just doesn’t feel comfortable with his new acquaintances. He’ll keep a certain amount of himself back from any Blending, causing it to be considerably less than an effective whole.”

  “And the other one?” Ollon prompted after nodding his approval. “Is his argument with the Fire female the only strike against him? If so, I would certainly assign him elsewhere. Arguments have been known to be made up.”

  “That’s the beauty of it,” Eltrina told him with an amused laugh. “It doesn’t matter whether he makes up with the female or not, because he has a personal problem that may well cost him any victories in the competitions. It was … noticed after his test that he was desperate to get out of the testing building, so he was watched during the sessions. He was terrified every moment of the time he spent in the sessions room, and couldn’t wait to get outside again. He can’t bear to be enclosed, so how deeply into a Blending do you believe he’ll be able to go?”

  Her only answer was matching laughter, sharing the delicious joke. No one with a disability like that could ever become a full member of a Blending, and that no matter how strong he was.

  “Now, the female with Fire magic is another story,” Eltrina went on after the laughter had quieted. “She’s attempting to avoid another forced marriage by pretending to be strong and fearless, but only her Fire talent is strong. She herself is a fearful little thing who came close to attacking someone with her ability, showing how uncertain she is and how lacking in adequate control. The leading aspect of any Blending is always the Fire talent, who has to be the strongest and steadiest of the lot. This particular leading aspect will surely panic, and lead the others into wasting their strength before any real danger approaches.”

  Ollon nodded and smiled while the others murmured or chuckled, so she took a sip of tea and continued.

  “The Earth magic member is a backwoods clod who seems to be terrified of burning himself out. He’s managed to qualify so far, but his fear makes him hesitate in a way that will ruin the balance of the others. The Air magic member is that ridiculous son of Hallina Mardimil, the one she always bores everyone with when she drags him to parties. Until now he’s been incapable of thinking or doing anything for himself, but she’s finally pushed him into rebellion. He’s in the process of declaring himself a grown man, and has even discovered the difference between boys and girls. Between that and the persistence Hallina will show trying to get him back under her thumb, he probably won’t even notice what else is happening about him.”

  The laughter was much more raucous and ridiculing this time, as Hallina had inflicted her doltish offspring on all of them at one party or another. It served her right that she was now having trouble recovering him, as he never would have been assessed strong enough for testing if she’d excluded him the way she should have.

  “You haven’t yet mentioned the last member of your Blending,” Ollon prompted, obviously as amused as everyone else. “Does he or she have a similar personal problem?”

  “No, Lord Ollon, the young lady doesn’t,” Eltrina replied, smiling only to herself as she avoided his trap. “Even those tiresome neutral judges would notice if every member of a challenging Blending had personal problems, so the Spirit magic member is the one who seems to be completely well adjusted. She’s the one who will represent the group in public, and the others look perfectly normal. It’s the balance I think every challenging Blending should have.”

  “And so they shall,” Ollon agreed, sending her a personal smile before giving his attention again to the others. “Make sure Lady Eltrina is fully informed about every applicant in your residences, most especially in the matter of the sorts of problems she’s mentioned. All five of the challenging Blendings must look capable, but we certainly don’t want them to be anything but handicapped. Do any of you have questions for Lady Eltrina or myself? No? Then let me ask a question you’ve heard before, but one which is still supremely important. Have any of you seen even a hint that one of your people may be one of those mentioned in the Prophecies?”

  A muttering ran through the group as they exchanged bothered glances, and the resulting headshakes looked tentative and unsure. Ollon had just asked the question they’d all been worrying about, but personally Eltrina had decided that the fuss was really covering nothing real. She had no idea who had decided that the Prophecies were true, but they must have been senile or stupidly innocent to believe in them. None of her people could possibly have fit the requirements, so her headshake was firm and positive when Ollon looked at her.

  “That’s something of a relief,” he said when he had denials from all of them. “We expected to begin seeing people matching the first Prophecies by now, and the fact that we haven’t is beginning to change the minds of some of us. Not everyone believes that the Prophecies will come true, but those who do are more powerful than those who don’t, so we’ll certainly continue to watch. And each of you is to report anything at all that might support an appearance. Is that clear?”

  This time the nods were much firmer, more like the one Eltrina had already given. They were afraid of those who supported the idea, and would be happiest when the time was past and no one was able to claim they’d missed a vital clue.

  “Very well then, let’s get on with what we’re here for,” Ollon said, turning his attention to one attendee in particular. “Lord Miklas, would you do us the courtesy of being next with your verbal report?”

  The tiresome Miklas began to drone out his report, but Eltrina had no need to listen. The man would end his speech by summarizing everything he’d said with the brevity he should have used in the first place, and Eltrina would be able to listen then. In the meantime she leaned back in her chair with her teacup between the fingers of both hands, and simply enjoyed the heady flavor of success.

  Yes, success at last. Eltrina breathed deeply with the pleasure of the thought, knowing she’d finally found her proper footing. One day soon she would have Ollon’s position, and when that happened she’d also have the power to rid herself of the tedious bore she’d been forced to marry. Then she would be free to do as she pleased, but first she had to prove her brilliance by making all of Ollon’s plans go as he wanted them to. Just that, with her as his fully-acknowledged second in command, and then it would be time for a terrible accident to befall poor Ollon…

  Eltrina smiled to herself as Miklas droned on, then she made a deliberate effort to listen to the man. She intended to know everything necessary, so that nothing would ruin her plans and Ollon’s. Nothing would go wrong, not with all the preparations she’d made, and then, after the unfortunate demise of all those challenging Blendings, she’d have her reward. She’d earned it, she deserved it, and soon she would have it…

  * * *

  Those of you reading this in what we consider the future must now be wondering just when I’m writing this account. The others didn’t want me to say, but how can you decide how to take it without knowing that piece of information? I don’t think you can, so I’ll tell you—in a way. I don’t want you to picture me sitting in the Palace of the five, grandly writing our history after we won the day. We’ve done only a little winning, and the most important battle is still ahead of us. Before the day of facing that comes, we wanted to put down everything that’s happened until now.

  Because chances are good that we won’t survive. The Prophecies say that we
’re needed to win, not that we will win. There’s a big difference there, and every day that passes brings us a better understanding of that difference. Thinking about it is enough to make some of us ill, so that same some of us try not to think about it. Great lot of good it does…

  But I still haven’t come really close to what the five of us consider present day, so I’d better continue with this. The opposing five we ultimately came up against were already together and getting ready for us, but happily we didn’t know that. We had other problems, big and small, and the first thing to happen was…

  CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  Vallant spent most of the coach ride sunk deep in agitated thought. He’d fully expected Tamrissa to show something in the way of reaction when he told her the truth, even if that happened to be accusing him of lying. That he could have coped with, but her absolute refusal to hear him had been the most frustrating experience of his life. How do you cope with being turned invisible by the woman you’ve discovered you don’t want to get along without? If someone knew the answer to that, it wasn’t Vallant.

  When the coach finally stopped beside a metal representation of the Water symbol, he still hadn’t thought of anything. But Holter was leaving the coach, so he had no choice but to do the same. Mardimil had already left without Vallant’s noticing, and he himself was outside with the coach beginning to move before he realized he hadn’t said anything to Coll. It wouldn’t have hurt to wish the other man good luck, and then he might have even gotten the wish returned…

  But the opening in the milky-white resin wall didn’t seem to lead into anything but more outside, so Vallant followed Holter with only the smallest hesitation. Just beyond the wall was an open space, with tables and chairs arranged to the right. Straight ahead about fifty feet away was a line of odd-looking cubicles, and unless Vallant was mistaken there were no back walls or ceilings to them. That came as an incredible relief, even with the presence of a large, round, white resin building visible a short distance beyond the cubicle. It might be possible to avoid going into that building, at least for a time.