The Namura Stone

by Andrews, Gillian

  “Tartalus!” Six frowned; again Grace thought she saw a spark of something kindle inside him.

  She pressed home her advantage. “—And I am not sure Ledin and I will know exactly how to protect Raven. After all, you are the one who can command guards and private palaces on Coriolis, not us.”

  There was a lengthy silence. Then Six straightened up.

  “But how will I know … if her canth … if it begins …”

  “The man who speaks to canths will be here. Arcan is almost fully recovered now, and he could bring you over in a flash.” Her voice dropped a tone, trying to convince him. “You cannot let Raven go alone to Coriolis. Diva wouldn’t like it.”

  He considered and then gave a heavy sigh. “Oh, all right. I suppose I ought to come.”

  Grace gave him a quick hug. “Good. Then we need to put you in a bath of some sort. You simply can’t arrive on Coriolis looking and smelling like that.”

  “Whatever.” He hunched his shoulders.

  “You don’t have to think about anything. I will take care of it all. Now, first we have to get ourselves back to the canth keeper’s house, and then …”

  She continued chattering on, while gently taking him by the elbow and leading him out of the corral. She felt pleased, yet the sadness in her heart was just as heavy as it had been before.

  THEY ARRIVED ON Coriolis to what looked at first sight to be celebrations. There was bunting adorning the buildings, and all the children in the streets were carrying Coriolan flags on little sticks, which they waved incessantly. As they walked into the palace in Mesteta, the guards were galvanized into action.

  “Ring the bells, bonehead, the lady Divina’s consort is here …”

  “Quick, fool, call up the guard of honour …”

  “Fall in on each side, come on, we haven’t got all day …”

  Raven looked around at all the colours with eyes like saucers, but clutched at Tallen’s hair for reassurance. She was perched on his shoulders, riding high above the rest of them; the only one of them who was enjoying all the noise and fuss. She hadn’t understood that her mother was dead, only frowning fiercely when she registered that she wouldn’t see Diva soon.

  Traveling on top of Tallen’s shoulders, though, she was in her element. The people of Coriolis shouted to see her, and she reacted naturally, waving at them and smiling in return.

  Her father was not so pleased. His mouth had been clamped firmly shut since their arrival, and he had neither waved nor smiled at anybody. Raven could sense that the others were unusually sombre, too. Bennel, her very favourite, was dragging one foot and seemed to be in some pain, for his jaw was set, and he was making an effort not to wince, despite the limp. Grace and Ledin were walking slowly at the front of the small procession, but neither of them had smiled since they had arrived. A small frown crossed Raven’s face. Where was her mother?

  “I want my mother,” she said, tugging imperiously at Tallen’s hair.

  “Why you little …” He reached up and detached her hand from his locks. “That hurt, little one!”

  She gave a chortle. “Hurt! T’an hurt!” She waved her arms in the air in glee. Then her face fell. “Mother. Raven wants mother.”

  Tallen stopped for a moment and deposited her on the ground. He crouched down to her level.

  “Your mother can’t come, Raven. She can’t be with us anymore.”

  Raven stamped her leg. “Want her!”

  “I know. We all do. But she can’t come.”

  Raven kicked out at Tallen. “Bad person!”

  “Ouch!” Tallen glared back, rubbing his shin. “I hope they teach you some manners at some stage, you little Tattula cat!”

  Bennel had turned back. “What is the problem?”

  Raven’s face illuminated. “Be’ll Raven up?” She stretched out her hands. “Up, please?”

  The Coriolan companion allowed her to scramble up, until she was perched above one hip. Then he started to walk. Tallen moved quickly towards him, worried that he wouldn’t be able to take the extra weight with his stretched muscles, but was waved away for his trouble.

  “Raven wants mother!”

  Bennel smiled slowly. “Your mother is watching you, Raven. She is always watching you.”

  Raven looked around. She couldn’t see Diva.

  Bennel touched the little girl just above her heart. “Here!”

  Raven lost interest in matters so advanced and turned her attention back to the crowds. They were all waving, and it seemed that they were waving at her!

  DIVA’S MOTHER AND father were standing between the two carved pillars. Cimma and Vion were only a few steps behind them, to one side. Grace smiled softly at them both. She saw that Vion’s wife, Mercy, was there too, and Samoso, from the Kwaide Orbital Space Station. Mercy, she saw, was about to have her second child.

  Indomita inclined her head as the group approached. Her beautiful face was serene, but sorrowful.

  “We welcome you back to our home, Six,” she said. “This is a sad day for Coriolis. Our body heir is dead—” she shot a suspicious glance in Six’s direction, “—which we understand to be due to some sort of an explosion aboard the New Independence, leaving no trace of any remains. This is strange, but we must accept the information given as veridical and apodictic.”

  Grace glanced at Six. In other times he would have had something to say about Indomita’s vocabulary. Now, he was simply staring blankly at the magmite wall in front of him. She gnawed at her lip.

  Diva’s mother was continuing. “—We therefore invite all of meritocratic Coriolis to attend the ceremony of the dead, with the corresponding announcement of Raven … err … Sextus Senate of Coriolis as the legitimate heir to the meritocracy.”

  Even the changing of his own name to sound more important failed to cause the slightest spark of interest on Six’s face. Grace doubted that he was even listening. The greater part of him seemed to be totally absent. She edged a little closer, to let him know she was there for him.

  They were led to the central chambers of the palace, to where an ornate coffin was lying in state.

  Tallen’s eyes flashed as he saw the jewels which encrusted the casket.

  “What a waste,” he whispered to Bennel. “She isn’t even in there!”

  For once, Bennel was inclined to agree. He couldn’t help but wonder how long his own family would have been able to live on all those precious stones. It did, indeed, seem somewhat of a waste. “You may be right.”

  Tallen stared at the older man, astonished. “Did you just say what I think?” he asked.

  Bennel managed a small smile. “I did.”

  “Then I shall dig this coffin up, as political disobedience, and we shall split the proceeds,” promised Tallen magnanimously. “Valhai Diva would not have wanted to be buried like this, in any case.”

  Bennel, who knew that this was mere posturing, couldn’t help but feel he was right. “Where would she have wanted to be buried?”

  Tallen’s eyes flashed. “That’s easy. She would have wanted to join Petra in the sacred marshes. Free, with no box to contain her. She would have hated that ornate, pompous monstrosity. I feel compelled to liberate it.”

  Bennel grinned down at the Namuri. He gave a sigh. “I think I have spent too long in your company. You are converting me.”

  Tallen raised his eyebrows. “Maybe you are not such a sycophant, after all.”

  “I will take that as a compliment.”

  “It was meant as such.”

  Ledin was staring at them both meaningfully, so they subsided into silence, each quite unexpectedly pleased with the other.

  THE HUGE CASKET was carried through the streets of Mesteta, where it was greeted by thousands of waving flags and cheers from most of those present. Ledin
did notice quite a faction who were holding their flags down to the ground and refraining from joining in the ceremony. These people did raise their flags, he noticed, when Tartalus’s group meandered past. Then, they waved with all their might and shouted themselves hoarse.

  Tartalus, very much on his best behaviour, seemed not to notice this adulation, although his eyes glittered, and he made one or two comments in an aside to those meritocrats who were walking with him. As the procession wound on, Ledin saw that there were more and more of these.

  Eventually, they turned back towards the palace, and the procession made its majestic way towards the burial field, on a hill up behind Mesteta.

  Once there, the coffin was escorted up to a magmite tomb, right at the top of the hill.

  Raven, who had been carried for the whole procession in a small litter borne by four guards, was set down near to the coffin.

  Maximus bent towards her. “You may kiss the magmite, Raven.”

  Raven stared at him. “No,” she said.

  “It is expected.”

  “Won’t!”

  “This is your mother’s coffin. Say goodbye.”

  Raven shook her head, and her eyes flashed, which made her look surprisingly like her mother. “NOT!”

  Maximus stared accusingly in Six’s direction, clearly feeling that he was responsible for the rebellious streak in his daughter.

  Grace noticed that the crowd had tensed. She walked over and picked Raven up. Then she made her way to the ornate carving of the magmite casket and leant towards it.

  “Pretend, Raven,” she told the little girl. “You don’t have to really kiss it.”

  Raven dutifully bent close to the shining material and made a smacking noise with her lips, giggling to herself at the deception.

  The watching crowd relaxed, and a long and tedious ceremony began.

  Ledin sat next to his friend throughout the ceremony. He wanted to be there for him, knowing how much Six detested such things.

  But Six seemed unaware of what was happening around him. If he was uncomfortable he certainly didn’t show it; he barely moved at all during the long hour for which the funeral lasted. If proof had been needed to convince his friends that he was not himself, this was it. Grace couldn’t remember one single public event that Six had not complained heavily all the way through. It was heart-breaking to see him so indifferent. She wondered if he knew where he was.

  Even when Maximus got heavily to his feet and made a long speech before announcing Raven to be the next heir to the meritocracy, Six made no move. It was as if only his body were present, an empty shell with no vestige of his spirit inside.

  Then it was over, and they were all being escorted back to the palace. Grace had taken advantage of the relaxation of formality to walk with Cimma. They were chatting earnestly together. From the glances they gave in Six’s direction, Ledin knew exactly what they were discussing. He sighed. It had been a long day, and they would not be able to have much sleep before the next day’s long march to the sacred marshes of the Namuri. Arcan had asked to meet them all there. He had said that he wished to fulfill the sibyla’s prediction Diva had told him about, and thought that they should be there when he did.

  WHEN THEY REACHED the palace, they found that a large repast had been laid out in the consort’s palace. Namiba, Six’s Lady of Chamber, greeted them with a low curtsey.

  “My condolences, Valhai Six.” She bobbed low and then signed to two other women to take Raven. “These ladies will take care of the lady Raven. If you would like to take your guests through to the formal chamber …?”

  Six allowed himself to be shepherded into a large area, with table upon table of sumptuous delicacies.

  Tallen frowned in distaste. “More extravagance.”

  Namiba raised an eyebrow. “People must eat, Namuri.”

  “Eat? You call this eating? I call it gluttony.” Tallen looked ready to tilt the tables over.

  Bennel held up a hand. “Don’t spoil this, Namuri. It is a sign of respect for Valhai Diva.”

  Tallen raised his jaw. “They didn’t even know her. My whole village could eat for a month on this.”

  Namiba examined him with a sour expression. “You do not wish to show respect for Valhai Diva?”

  “Hmm.” Tallen turned away, looking pained as his eyes caught the overflowing tables again. He muttered something and then disappeared.

  Grace, who had been a silent witness to this exchange, turned around to find Vion and Mercy at her side.

  Vion bent to kiss her on the cheek. “Six looks terrible,” he said.

  “He is taking this very hard,” she admitted. “And he has Raven to look after. I don’t know how that is going to go.”

  Vion wrinkled his forehead. Then his brow cleared. “I might have just the answer for that,” he said. “It would be mutually beneficial, I believe.”

  “What would be?”

  “Well … I had been meaning to talk to you about Bennel’s wife.”

  Grace raised her eyebrows. “Bennel’s wife? Is something the matter?”

  “He finally plucked up the courage to ask me to take a look at her last year, but there was nothing I could do. She has an allergy to vaniven and develops asthma if she is within a few miles of them. Since her husband’s stipend was cancelled, they lost their house, and she and the children had to move back to his brother’s farm. They survive there, with the help the brother can give, but Lannie has been suffering infernally from asthma attacks since they went back.”

  Grace was staring. “Six knows nothing about all this. We only knew that Diva had met his family, here on Coriolis. Nothing more. Why did Bennel not tell him?”

  Vion shook his head. “These Coriolan companions have their own code, you know. They sign covenants to put their job above all else. I believe Bennel would feel he was failing in his job if he mentioned his own troubles to Six.”

  “But … but …” Grace began again: “How long is it since he was last paid?”

  Vion considered. “Since he abandoned Coriolis without permission to search for Diva. I’m not sure exactly how long ago that was …”

  “Long enough.” Grace was looking horrified. “Six will be furious. He will hate to think that he has been the cause of Bennel’s family suffering.”

  “That is why I thought I would mention it now. Six needs somebody to look after Raven, and Lannie needs to get away from his brother’s farm. She is a really nice person, Grace: warm and caring. She would be able to look after them all, not just Raven. And she has two children. They are much older than Raven, of course, but they would be some companionship for her.”

  “And she wouldn’t suffer the asthma attacks! Or would she? There are canths on Xiantha, you know.”

  “I believe she is only allergic to vaniven. I don’t think she would be affected by equines. And there aren’t many vaniven where you live, are there?”

  Grace shook her head. “Not at the lake, no. None for miles and miles. We occasionally get a cart going by, but nothing more.”

  “That would be fine. She would improve in no time. And – if Bennel is going to stay with Six – she would be able to be with her husband. It would be heaven for them, especially after all they have gone through.”

  Grace nodded. “I will arrange it. Six is in no state to decide anything at the moment. I will tell Bennel to go and get his family.”

  Vion smiled. “And you, Grace? Are you managing? I know how you must miss Diva.”

  Tears came to Grace’s eyes. “I do.” She wished she could have taken Vion into her confidence, told him about the canths, the trimorphs, the hope they all had that Diva wasn’t completely gone, at least not forever. But it wasn’t her secret to share, and she knew she couldn’t. “I am fine,” she finished, lamely.

  “
If you need any help …”

  “I know, Vion. Thank you. You have always been there for me.” She kissed him on the cheek again, before turning to Mercy. “Congratulations!”

  “Thank you. And to you, too.”

  For a moment Grace wondered what she was talking about. Then she caught her breath. Temar! How could she have forgotten Temar? What sort of a mother was she?

  “Thank you.” They talked in a friendly way for a few more moments, then Vion and Mercy left the gathering. That seemed to be the sign for the rest of the participants to leave too. Within an hour the only ones left were the ones who had arrived that day.

  Cimma gave them all a hug, especially Six. Her eyes filled with tears as she said goodbye, but she was expected back in Kwaide, and Samoso was waiting to escort her in a trader. She wished Six didn’t look so breakable, and was worried about Grace, too, but she had lived long enough to know that there was no cure for their ailment.

  When she had left, the others went to find somewhere to sleep for a few hours. They were due to leave Mesteta for the sacred marshes at first light the following day. They all lay quietly in the dark of their chambers, but few of them could sleep.

  Chapter 13

  THE NEXT MORNING Tallen led the way out of Mesteta and along the roads towards the sacred marshes. He had come this same way only months ago, with Valhai Diva, and it was painful to remember that journey. He couldn’t help but feel apprehensive, so he was scouting out the path in advance of the others, slightly hampered by the weight of Raven, who was still tired from the previous day.

  Ledin saw his predicament and came forward to take the little girl. She was sleeping, quite secure in the knowledge that she was being protected by Tallen. Yet as soon as Ledin took her out of his arms, she woke up and glared at him, opening her eyes widely, showing she was quite ready to bawl her disagreement with the change.

  Ledin jiggled her in his arms. “Sshh, Raven! You are safe with me, too.”