by Jean Lorrah
From sunken depths, Barak’s eyes fixed on Wulfston. “Queen Ashuru, everything I know of Lord Wulfston agrees with the reassurances he gives. But a man may change his mind without breaking his word.”
“Indeed,” said Ashuru, her eyes flicking from Wulfston to Tadisha and back again.
“We must know whether to accept Lord Wulfston’s offer,” said Barak. “Queen Ashuru, you must surely realize that this man will not go home without his brother. If he must, he will go alone to his rescue. He could be captured and used by Norgu, Z’Nelia, or the Savishnon. He could simply fail in the rescue, and blame you for refusing to aid him. Or he could find other allies.”
“There is no guarantee that a Ceremony of Vision will give us the answers we seek,” said Ashuru, “but it will risk my daughter’s life.”
“We can minimize the risk,” said Bark, “and at the same time increase our chances of obtaining knowledge. Tadisha has the power of Vision very strongly, but you also have it, Ashuru. Enter the Vision with her-and so will I. Possibly my powers will enable us to find out what we seek.”
The queen nodded slowly, reluctantly. “Yes, we can at least provide an anchor for Tadisha’s spirit, lessen the danger of her being lost. My daughter?”
“You know I am willing, Mother.”
“I want to be there,” said Wulfston.
“No,” Ashuru replied. “You know nothing of our ways. You could distract Tadisha at a crucial moment.”
“Barak.” Wulfston looked straight into the old man’s eyes. “I have worked with Readers hundreds of times, and never distracted them. As a matter of fact, I once participated in a circle of power that drew a Master Reader’s mind back to his body when it had been wandering, lost, for days. Verify that I will not distract you.”
A small smile curved the Grioka’s lips. “How quickly you have learned to use me, Lord Wulfston. You know that if you demand it, I must tell Queen Ashuru that you speak the truth.”
“It makes no difference,” said Ashuru. “I do not want you there.”
— I do.”
Ashuru’s head turned sharply as she stared at her
daughter.
Tadisha continued, “Lord Wulfston is the subject of the Ceremony of Vision, and I am the Seeker. It is my decision.”
Wulfston was fast learning the negative aspects of Reading; Ashuru made no attempt to conceal her cold fury, but she was trapped. “Very well, Tadisha. Now, we must prepare.”
Wulfston did not know what the preparations were for the Seekers. The two women and Barak went off to the temple, while Kamas was called upon to be Wulfston’s host for a hearty meal. Studying the heavily laden board, Wulfston asked, “When will the ceremony take place?”
“It will begin at midnight,” Kamas replied.
“May I trust you, Kamas?”
The younger man studied him. “To do what?”
“To wake me in time to dress and make any other preparations. Are you a Mover?”
“To a degree, although my Seeing powers are greater. I may be called upon for either function tonight.”
“You know that I am primarily a Mover,” said Wulfston. “If I eat well of the meal you have provided, especially the meat, my body will seek healing sleep, because there is still poison in my blood.”
“Poison? Oh, you mean the kleg. It is not a poison, Lord Wulfston. It does no lasting harm. In proper dosage, it inhibits the powers of either a Mover or a Seer.”
“It rendered me unconscious, twice,” Wulfston reminded him.
Kamas nodded. “In a large dose it does that to anybody. We had to make certain we could capture you the first time, and after you regained consciousness Laruna overdosed you accidentally when the small dose she first gave you did not prevent you from Seeing. We meant you no permanent harm, but Norgu had said you were extremely dangerous.”
“I am. But only to those who attack me first.”
“Then you are a danger to Tadisha.”
“No. She feared I had come to attack your people. I mean her no harm-nor you, Prince Kamas. And I understand your situation perfectly.”
“What do you mean?”
“You have just reached manhood, but have years yet before you will attain the height of your powers. As a man, you feel you should be a protector to your sister, but because she is older, her powers and experience are greater than yours. There are times when you resent her strength, and times when she resents your efforts to protect her.”
Kames stared at him. “How can you know that? Have you some of the Grioka’s talent-or are you that great a Seer?”
“Neither.” Wulfston laughed. “I’m younger brother to a very powerful Lady Adept!”
For one moment Kamas glared at him-and then broke into a grin. “Just don’t tell me things will be better in a few years.”
“All right, I won’t. But may I tell you that things got better between Aradia and me as our age difference came to mean less an less?”
Kamas nodded thoughtfully. “Yes-at least that’s more encouraging than the stuff of legends. Savishna and Shangonu are still fighting, as they have been since the world was new.”
“The two gods?” Wulfston asked. “You worship Shangonu, I understand, and the Savishnon-”
“Savishna, the war god. They are gods, of course, and so can take either sex if they have reason to assume a form recognizable to men. But it is said that Savishna is most terrible in the form of an avenging woman. Her warriors declare themselves faithful to her, and will not touch a human woman until they have won the territory she commands them to take. They lost the battle at Johara four years ago, because of a woman, a rival to Savishna. Savishna is not a forgiving god.”
“Is Shangonu?” Wulfston asked.
“Yes. He is a builder, Savishna a destroyer. But that is the way of gods. Savishna and Shangonu were born of the Great Mother to be the opposing forces that continue life, for the old and weak must make room for the new and strong. But human brothers and sisters should not be opposing forces… and my sister wants you at her Ceremony of Vision. I will do nothing-nor neglect to do anything-to oppose her desire.”
As he had promised, Kamas woke Wulfston before the Ceremony of Vision, and took him to an anteroom of the temple to prepare. They were garbed in plain brown, featureless garments, and Wulfston reluctantly handed Lenardo’s ring over to an attendant, who had also taken Kamas’ chain and pendant.
Then they paused to wash faces, hands, and feet before entering the temple itself.
The temple was a part of the castle, with the castle wall as its front wall, allowing the people of the city to enter for worship. Tonight, however, that door was closed and barred.
Wulfston had seen screens and benches piled up in hallways and anterooms they had passed through on their way here; obviously at times the huge temple was divided with colorful hangings into smaller areas, and worshipers could sit on benches for the ceremonies. Now, though, the temple was empty except for a low round dais in the center, amid a circle of flaming candles set in high wooden holders. Their light flickered across images painted on the ceiling high above, but Wulfston could not make them out.
At the very center of the ceiling, directly above the dias, a circular hole revealed the stars above.
The room could have held hundreds of people. Tonight there were only five: Tadisha, Ashuru, Kamas, Barak, and Wulfston. Wulfston and Kamas silently approached from one side, Ashuru, Tadisha, and Barak from the other. All wore the same plain brown garments.
As they entered the circle of candlelight, they stepped up onto the platform, which appeared to be wood covered with the same plain brown cloth as their robes. Tadisha stepped to the center, the other four around her.
Ashuru said, “This is a Ceremony of Vision, a Seeking to know what the presence of Lord Wulfston of the Savage Empire means to the state of Africa. Shangonu guide us to a true Vision, and protect my daughter while her spirit wanders under his guidance.”
Tadisha bowed to her mother, a
nd received her kiss on the forehead. Then she turned from Ashuru and sank into the cross-legged position used by Readers and Adepts for concentration. Ashuru was now behind Tadisha, Wulfston directly in front of her, facing the Karili queen. Barak was on Tadishas right side, Kamas on her left.
The four who were standing joined hands, as Ashuru said, “We form a circle of protection for Tadisha.
Once we are seated, that circle must not be broken. Lord Wulfston, do you understand?”
“I understand,” he replied. “We must not break the circle.”
Ashuru’s eyes glittered in the candlelight so that he could not read them, but she was apparently satisfied- perhaps because with her Seer’s powers she could tell that this experience was not so alien to Wulfston as he had expected it to be.
The setting was different, the people were different, but the sense of shared energy he felt as they clasped hands was exactly the same as he had known time and again working with Lenardo, Torio, Julia-
The four let go of each other’s hands, but the sense of energy suspended between them remained as they stepped back.
Tadisha sank onto the platform, lying on her back, carefully smoothing her robe beneath her so that nothing would cut off her circulation.
When Ashuru, Kamas, and Barak settled into the cross-legged position that could be held for hours without fatigue, Wulfston did likewise, sitting at Tadisha’s feet. She lay prone, relaxed, eyes closed.
Wulfston had seen the process a hundred times before, but always the moment when the Reader’s face went slack, as if she had gone into a coma, disturbed him. Reading Tadisha’s personality suddenly disappear, he discovered, was even worse.
He composed himself, expecting a long wait. But only a few minutes passed before Tadisha’s eyes opened again and she quickly sat up. She looked around the circle, confused. Then her eyes fastened on Wulfston’s.
The eyes were still green, but they blazed with the light of hatred.
It was not Tadisha!
To his horror, he realized that no one else was reacting. Ashuru, Barak, Kamas, all remained in a kind of trance, oblivious to the change in Tadisha.
The look she gave him was rabid. Wulfston had once been called upon to destroy a dog with that look in its eyes, an animal he could not control. He had had to kill it.
But he could not kill Tadisha!
What he Read from the creature facing him, though, was a stranger’s mind awhirl with fragments of memory… and of madness. Incredible emotional agony fed the need to destroy, to kill.
She became unReadable, but not before he realized that the whirlpool of destructive passion could only be-
Z’Nelia!
He jumped to his feet, and so did Tadisha’s body, now a living weapon set to strike him down. A cruel, triumphant smile came to her lips as her arms came up in an unmistakable gesture.
Wulfston braced his Adept powers, hoping all his strength had returned.
“The circle!” cried Ashuru, eyes snapping open. “Don’t break-” A scream choked off her words as Tadisha’s body whirled, lightning streaming from her fingertips as Wulfston Read Ashuru’s agony of recognition that this was not her daughter-too late to protect herself!
Ashuru slumped, burned, and Z’Nelia turned back toward Wulfston.
“Mother!” Kamas gasped, and Wulfston left Ashuru to her sons attentions.
Z’Nelia could use all the force she wanted, and know Wulfston dared not retaliate for fear of harming Tadisha!
Wulfston dropped off the platform to the floor, sending out an Adept command to Z’Nelia to sleep.
A fireball nearly singed his scalp.
Tadishas body was already sleeping; his command had no effect on the evil currently inhabiting it.
Old and feeble as he was, Barak flung himself at Tadisha’s body as she stalked toward the edge of the platform, readying to attack Wulfston again.
When the old man got in her way, she tossed him aside with Adept strength. Wulfston heard the crack of fragile bone snapping as the old man hit the stone floor. One of the candlesticks fell over on him, igniting his robe. Wulfston spared a thought to put out the flame-
But now Tadisha towered above Wulfston, a perfect target that he dared not attack! She reached toward him-
He squatted beside the platform, got his hands under the edges, and lifted.
The next fireball burst against the ceiling.
Tadisha’s body let out a surprised yelp and fell off the platform hard, arms flailing.
More of the tall candlesticks clattered to the floor.
Wulfston frantically looked for cover.
He dived behind the upturned dais, narrowly evading a bolt of Adept lightning that charred even the stone floor.
He peered around the edge as Tadisha’s body lurched to its feet.
Wulfston crouched behind the heavy platform, using Adept strength to roll the unwieldy shield to protect Ashuru and Kamas, who had toppled off when he spilled Z’Nelia.
The dais exploded into fiery shards.
Tadisha’s body faltered, staggering to keep its balance, but there was still terrible hatred in the eyes. Both hands slowly came up to point at Wulfston, and he braced his Adept powers, still not knowing how to defend himself without hurting Tadisha’s body.
He remembered the image of Norgu, Adept strength used up, killing his father’s assassin by flinging the diamond-headed spear with simple muscle power.
Wulfston grabbed for the scattered candlesticks, flinging them one after another at the woman before him. She deflected them, her attention diverted while he thought desperately, needing a solution before he ran out of projectiles or she flung another lightning bolt at him.
Why hadn’t she?
And then he saw. Even in light of the few remaining candles he could see Tadisha’s face turning an unhealthy yellow. Her body staggered more with each bat at an oncoming candlestick. Her movements became weaker, less coordinated-
Blessed gods! Tadisha is no Lady Adept, no great and powerful Mover. Z’Nelia is draining her strength, killing her! I’m killing her! But if I stop, she’ll kill me.
Nonetheless he stopped, realizing even as he did so that there was no longer enough strength in Tadisha’s body for Z’Nelia to seize upon to kill him.
He got up, and grasped her by the arms. “Let her go, Z’Nelia!” he demanded. “Get out of Tadisha’s body. If you harm her, I promise I will hunt you down and kill you with my own hands!”
The green eyes fixed on his, and the mouth grimaced into a parody of Tadisha’s sweet smile. Her hands came up and grasped his arms, nails digging in. “So you do believe in revenge, Beast Lord. You need not hunt for me. We will meet again. And next time, no frail girl will stand between us!”
Suddenly, the hands dropped. Life went out of the eyes and the body slumped backwards. Desperately, Wulfston Read for heartbeat, breathing-and found none.
Chapter Six
Open to Reading as he searched for signs of life in Tadisha’s body, Wulfston Read Kamas broadcast a call for help with the full extent of his Seeing powers. The younger man then tried to take Tadisha’s body, but Wulfston brushed him aside, laying her carefully on the stone floor and invoking his Adept powers to force her heart to beat, her lungs to expand and contract.
“See to your mother and Barak,” he instructed. “Don’t move Barak till I can help him, though!”
“Healers are on the way,” Kamas assured him. “We must summon Tadisha back to her body.”
Wulfston remembered Tadisha insisting that “blood will tell.” Never mind the reason; her brother’s mind was familiar, a signal she would feel safe in following. “Summon her,” he replied. “I will keep her body alive.”
Kamas knelt beside his sister, concentrating. Wulfston wanted to join Kamas in Reading for her wandering spirit, but dared not, for each time he stopped pumping her lungs and heart they stopped functioning.
Unwanted memory reminded Wulfston that when Master Clement had been lost on th
e planes of existence his body had continued to function. What was there in Africa that threatened Seers who left their bodies? Did Z’Nelia control it, or was she controlled by it? Had she trapped Tadisha, or had the souls of both women been captured by some other force?
Wulfston turned his attention to what Kamas was doing, and Read a strange, tenuous beacon reaching out from the younger man in a tie of blood-kinship. He Read Tadisha in that beacon-and yet not Tadisha, but those characteristics that she shared with Kamas, being of one womb born.
In the warm feeling of fraternal love, Wulfston felt like an intruder. He almost blanked out of the rapport when he felt-
Tadisha’s presence! Gratefully, she reached for her brother and followed him back, her spirit reentering her body.
Once in her body, though, Tadisha lost consciousness.
Where were those healers? Wulfston was just drawing breath to ask Kamas when Tadisha’s chest rose and fell. Her heart fought the steady rhythm Wulfston had imposed, and he let it beat wildly for a moment, until it settled into a fast but even tempo.
Tadisha coughed, then moaned. “Lie still!” Wulfston told her.
Her green eyes opened, dilated with fear. “I… I can’t See!” She tried to lift a hand to her face, and gasped in pain.
“That’s why you must lie still,” Wulfston explained. “Let me heal you, Tadisha.” He concentrated on encouraging the healing force of Tadisha’s own body, but she had little energy left for him to work with.
“What happened?” she asked weakly. “Why did you move my body?”
“It wasn’t us,” Kamas said grimly. “While you were on another plane, Z’Nelia took over your body and attacked us.”
Tadisha’s eyes widened in astonishment. “She can do that? And rob me of my Seeing powers?”
“It’s temporary,” Wulfston assured her. “Z’Nelia used the energy of your body. Let me put you into healing sleep, Tadisha. That will rid you of your pain, and a few days of rest and food will restore your powers.”
“No-I must tell-” She tried to sit up, but fell back with a moan of pain and frustration. “Where is Mother?”