Vale of Tears: A Thalassia novel
Page 16
Diego glanced at Jineva. “Vitor wasn’t around long enough to suspect anything.” He coughed in embarrassment. “Rumor has it that he had mistresses in a number of different cities.”
Isabela gave Jineva a sad and knowing look. “Camila was his favorite when he came here. Sorry.” Jineva swallowed her tears and took a long drink of her wine. Vitor was a stranger to her that patted her head when he stopped by on his infrequent visits home. Diego was the one who watched over her and raised her. Bel turned her eyes to her brother. “Who is this Thallia Jineva mentioned?”
Diego reddened. “Just a friend.”
“Thallia is an associate who keeps asking Diego to cook for her. The feijoada may not be the only thing cooking that evening.”
“Roast Diego.” Bel’s laughter was low and delighted. “How appropriate.” Jineva could have hugged her new aunt.
“Thallia is probably busy anyway, so...” Diego’s mouth was still open when the voice spoke out of the air.
“I would be delighted. I assume that you make the feijoada with chouriço, morcela and farinheira?”
Diego glared at his sister, who simply smiled in return. “Yes, Thallia. Just make sure the blood sausage is fresh.”
“It will be. Do you mind if I invite Medin? This is a dish he would particularly like.”
“It would be an honor to meet him.” Diego replied.
“Good. I’ll have the ingredients ready by midafternoon, with the dinner planned for sundown in the observatory. Sunset should be especially nice from there.”
“I look forward to working with you this afternoon.”
“Thank you, Diego.” Thallia’s voice was warm, and Bel raised an eyebrow.
“Just from listening to the lady, I’d say you’re in trouble, brother.” Diego groaned.
~~~
If she had been thinking of a twenty foot dark cobwebby room where old men sat about rickety telescopes looking at the stars, she was sadly mistaken. The observatory was a two hundred foot clear dome, scattered about with comfortable overstuffed chairs and set with small cozy fires. The air, as always in the moon, held the faint resinous scent of cedar trees, and hovered just on the warm side of goosebumps. A wealth of stars and the sweep of the golden Thalassian rings took her breath away. In the far distance the sun was just touching the curved edge of the planet. Jineva couldn’t speak—she could hardly breathe.
“What is this place?” Isabela’s cool reserve had evaporated the moment they arrived, and she clutched Jineva’s arm fiercely.
“Welcome to the moon Elysium.” Thallia’s smooth contralto coming from behind them was soothing and reassuring. “This is the observatory. It hasn’t been used since the moons were originally developed and activated.”
“Mmmmm...” Isabela seemed to be having trouble getting the words out.
Thallia walked past Jineva, gently touching her shoulder, and turned to face Bel. She looked regal as ever in a long formal black sheath dress that just swept the tops of her sandaled feet. To say that it fit her perfectly was a gross understatement. Her hair was held back with a golden band. Holding out her hand, she gave Isabela a wide smile. “It’s very nice to meet you, Isabela, and you too, Ailill. I suppose that I should welcome you to the family. It is a rare few that ever see an observatory, and fewer still that can call it home, as you and Jineva and Diego can. I finished up the repairs Ailill had started on you, and made a few minor corrections, just as I’ve made corrections to your niece and your brother.”
The sound of a footstep made them turn. Diego stood there, looking splendid in formal black breeches, a plain white silk shirt with narrow wrists and puffy sleeves, a black doublet and a long black cloak. The pants, doublet and cloak were all piped in silver.
Jineva looked down and noticed, to her dismay that she had on similar attire to Thallia and Isabela. She ran her hands down her hips. “Gods!” She whispered, almost to herself. “I feel absolutely naked.”
Thallia ran a hand down her own hip. “It is a nice fabric, isn’t it? We’ll see how well I’ve chosen when Medin gets here.”
“Medin?” Bel’s voice was a little shrill. “As in the moon?”
Thallia nodded. “Medin is the guardian of the moon that bears his name, just as I am the guardian of Elysium.”
Isabela swallowed. “And how does Jineva fit into the scheme of things?”
Thallia turned calm gray eyes to the embarrassed young woman. “We are all trying to shepherd Thalassia into a stable, self-governing future. Medin, myself, and the few dozen or so planetary administrators.” There was a twinkle in the gray eyes. “That would include Jineva, her father and you, now.”
“Me?” There was a note of distress in Bel’s voice now. “What can I do?”
Thallia smiled and touched her arm. “You might be surprised. Young Jineva and her father have already stopped one war. Now they are trying to prevent genocide, and they desperately need your help, but we can discuss that later. Here comes Medin now.”
The man that stepped out of the shadow was a moderately tall, well-proportioned older man. His graying hair was cut short, and a neatly trimmed Van Dyke accented his already long face. His eyes were a glacial gray and his bearing martial. The black suit he wore was obviously tailored to fit him, snug in the waist but emphasizing his wide shoulders. Accenting his white silk shirt were black pearl stud buttons topped off with a black bow tie. The back of his coat came down to two points, half way between waist and knees. His eyes widened when he noted the three women, and he bowed deeply.
“He likes the outfits.” Jineva heard Thallia whisper.
“Ladies.” Smiling, he picked up Thallia’s hand and kissed it. “Thank you for inviting me, Thallia.” He offered the woman his arm, she took it and they turned toward the table.
Diego, who had come quietly up behind the women, bent to his sister’s ear. “I thought I was a debonair, man-about-town. Compared with him I’m just a yokel playing dress-up.”
“You?” Bel was almost in tears. “Look at her. We’re wearing the same dress but compared with her we look like cows.”
“Ahhh, but two very lovely cows.” Grinning, he offered each an arm, which they willingly took. “Then please let this old yokel bull escort you to the table.”
Isabela stood on her tip toes and gave Diego a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, Diego. I love you, brother.”
Dinner over, the five sat around the large firepit, sipping café caliente and watching the stars come out in the night sky. It was the most magnificent thing Jineva had ever seen. Isabela, however, sat unseeing, her empty cup clutched in her hands.
“From what I gather, Carlos sent half the fleet out to gather men and arms. They will be back within the week. After that the entire fleet will set out to hunt the sealkies. I understand that half the fleet refused Carlos’ orders to kill the water dwellers. He will have them executed just as soon as the rest of the fleet returns.”
Diego chuckled. “He will have to find them, first, sister dearest. Admiral Para should be slipping his fleet and men out of Soledad as we speak, en-route to Isla Lemuy.”
Bel raised an eyebrow. “You have been busy.”
Diego raised his arms in mute supplication. “Don’t blame me. Your niece sold him the idea. I swear that she could sell water to the Krathaa. You know them as sealkies.” He corrected before Bel could comment.
“Now I see why Thallia chose you.” Isabela mused. “But that still leaves the question of what to do.”
Diego nodded to Jineva, and she cleared her throat in embarrassment. “We’ve gathered about as much information as we need to put a plan together. I think that it’s about time for our meeting.” Behind her a meteor blazed a brilliant finger across the Thalassian sky.
Thallia nodded thoughtfully. “That’s a good idea. The rest of the group should have had time to gather what information they require. Will mid-morning tomorrow be good for you?” The gray eyes held Jineva, who just swallowed.
“Tomorrow morning
would be fine—I guess.”
Thallia smiled. “Don’t be diffident, child. Make a decision, right or wrong.”
Jineva almost grinned. “Mid-morning would be fine, then.” She held her head up, defying anyone else at the table to smile. “I suppose that we should go now so that...”
“If you like, you may spend the night on Elysium.” Thallia and Medin were already standing. “The observatory is large, and it would be no problem to arrange three private sleeping areas. You could take a swim in the morning before breakfast, and we could have the meeting right here.”
Jineva gazed up at the starry firmament over her head. “That would be wonderful, however, I can’t speak for Diego and Aunt Bel.”
“I’ll have to go back to the Silver Garter and make arrangements for tomorrow, but I wouldn’t miss sleeping under the stars for the world.” Bel sounded like a teenager, and looked to be a girl in her mid-twenties, now that Ailill and Thallia had had their way with her. Her smile was infectious.
Thallia nodded graciously. “Let me know when you wish to return.” Bel was gone.
Medin gave Diego a deep bow. “That was a fine meal, Diego. I specialize in pasta dishes with tomatoes, Northern Italian style I believe they called it. When this is over you will all have to sample my cooking.” There was a soft pride in his words.
“I would love to.” Diego returned the bow. “And I know that Jineva likes to eat.”
“Fine. I will make suitable arrangements with the others for the meeting tomorrow.” Giving Diego and Jineva a wink, he turned, and with Thallia on his arm, disappeared into the shadows.
Diego poured a glass of dark wine for the two of them and sat before the fire.
“I’m scared, Father.” Jineva took a little sip of her wine and set the glass down. “I’m being forced to do things I don’t understand. If I don’t start a war tens of thousands will die. If I start a war thousands will die. I don’t want anyone to die.”
“Life isn’t always black and white, poco de amor, and decisions never easy. Someone is going to die. Carlos has seen to that. It is up to you who that someone is, and how many.”
“You make the decision, Father. You have experience at this.” Her eyes were pleading.
“It is your destiny, Dama. The decision is yours. I would only counsel that you follow your heart.” He gave her a look that was filled with compassion. “The war that you dread has already started with the death of your family.”
They sat for a long time, sipping wine, the silence broken only by the occasional pop and crackle of the fire.
~~~
Thallia and Medin sat at opposite ends of the long wooden table, for which Jineva was very grateful. She sat between Diego and Isabela, slumped down, trying to hide.
Thallia gave her a hard look. “Sit up, dear, and don’t slouch.” Jineva sat straighter, blushing red. “Better. To my left is Logan MacKennit, a former captain and formidable tactician. He is on Medin’s permanent staff.” The wide shouldered, gray haired man with startling blue eyes gave her a comfortable wink. “Next to him is Tam Kirby, formerly sergeant and now Mayor of the biggest city on Medin.” Jineva sincerely hoped that she would just shrink down and disappear. Her father touched her arm and gave her a reassuring smile.
It was Logan MacKennit who began the conversation. “So, what do we have going on here?” Sipping a steaming cup of coffee, he looked completely relaxed.
“Normally, this would be a standard political grab for power, with the brother-in-law supplanting the reigning monarch with his own family.” Thallia’s voice was calm, and almost monotone. “However.” She paused, looking around the table. “This uncle is a madman, and is happily slaughtering everyone involved. His next target is a relatively peaceful sea-dwelling variation of the land dwelling Zzzkntti. Jineva has already prevented one war with the Krathaa, and initiated a profitable trading venture for both sides on one of the islands in the archipelago. If Carlos is successful, however, he will exterminate the Krathaa; all twenty five thousand of them.”
“You prevented a war—all by yourself?” Logan sounded impressed.
“No, no.” Jineva protested “I just...”
“She just took a crossbow bolt in the chest to save the head of the Krathaa tribes. That’s all.” There was an edge of anger in Diego’s voice. “She’s my daughter and I love her dearly, but she’s a little impulsive sometimes.”
“After Carlos has finished with the Krathaa.” Thallia continued as if no comments had been made at all. “He plans to level Isla de la Luna, and take the Temple of Selene for himself.”
“There are tens of thousands of innocent people on Isla de la Luna.” Diego began slowly.
“Fifty seven thousand, eight hundred and twenty two men women and children to be exact.” Thallia finished for him. “They will all, probably, be killed.” The gray eyes shifted inexorably to Jineva. “If you don’t do something.” Somebody coughed nervously, and Jineva hoped that it hadn’t been her. “This job belongs to Jineva, and her family. They will handle it, since it falls within what is now their administrative area of responsibility.” Jineva groaned.
“I have something that might be of interest.” All eyes turned to Logan. “I was researching the geology of the Isla Rivero area. Did you know, Jineva, that the castle in Soledad sits squarely on a dormant volcano?”
“Volcano?” Jineva replied numbly. The developments at the meeting had left her feeling dazed. “As in lava?”
“As in lava.” Logan gave her a supporting smile. “I discovered that the entire Soledad harbor is the ancient caldera for a huge super volcano that erupted two or three hundred thousand years ago. Things have been fairly quiet lately, but that hill the castle is built on is a recent and still developing magma dome. Someday it will go bang! End of castle.” Jineva’s emerald eyes were glued to his face. “There are myriad underwater tunnels running under that castle. If one passed close to the magma chamber, and if it could be persuaded to collapse...” His blue eyes watched Jineva intently.
“All that seawater would flow into the lava, and make a really big explosion.” She turned to look at Isabela. “Could we evacuate the part of the city closest to the castle?”
Bel smiled. “If I were to spread a rumor that people in the castle were coming down with the plague, the entire city would evacuate itself.” Jineva’s smile was predatory.
Logan glanced over at his friend sitting next to him. “I feel vaguely superfluous in this meeting.”
“Things a little quiet at home?” Tam asked, grinning.
“Not with a toddler running around. He gives a new meaning to the words ‘natural disaster’.”
“Do you have anything to add, Mayor Kirby?” Thallia’s gray eyes turned to the politician.
“The Salvana family have a simple international philosophy; you do what we tell you to do, or be destroyed. To back this up Carlos is paying vast sums to Isla del Diablo for the use of its soldiers, who are reputed to be the most deadly and bloodthirsty in the world. When his half of the fleet returns it will swell the number of soldiers at his disposal to over ten thousand. His strongest competition at this point comes from Isla Lemuy, although he isn’t aware of it yet. When he does become aware, Isla Lemuy will, like the others, fall beneath his soldiers and ships. It make take a while, and cost Carlos many soldiers, but what does he care?”
The attendees sat in silence as they absorbed the import of Mayor Kirby’s words.
Thallia’s voice was soft. “So, what are your thoughts, Jineva?”
The younger woman never looked up from the table. “I guess I go swimming. I need to find a water-filled channel that runs close to the magma chamber. The Krathaa can lead me.”
“But you can’t breathe under water!” Tam was leaning across the table frowning. Trusting his daughter, Diego was smiling.
It w
as Medin who finally spoke. “Of course she can breathe under water. Are you saying that you can’t?” He said this with a completely straight face, but his gray eyes were sparkling.
“Is there anything else we can do to help?” Logan seemed anxious to change the subject.
“The task falls to Jineva and her family.” Thallia reiterated. “But thank you for your assistance.” Logan gave the guardian a deep bow.
Jineva found Thallia watching her carefully. “If I can awaken that volcano, I can destroy the castle and everyone in it.” Her hands were trembling, and a bead of sweat ran down her back, under her shirt. “My biggest problem, after the volcano, is getting the noncombatants out of harm’s way.”
“The last problem I don’t have a solution for is the issue of the families of the soldiers in the castle. I’m guessing that there could be a thousand women and children living there.” Her voice broke on the last sentence, and Bel touched her other arm.
“That shouldn’t be a problem, Jineva.” Jineva thought it odd that her aunt was smiling. “If I can start one rumor I can start two. When the people from the city begin to leave, I’ll spread the rumor that they really aren’t leaving, but dying, and the relatives are throwing the bodies in the harbor. Carlos won’t let his soldiers out, but I’m sure that those that can will get their families out of the castle and out into the countryside, away from the plague.”