by Sharon Green
The five young people exchanged glances and shrugs, as if to say that the silliness wasn’t worth arguing about. The matter was more ridiculous than silly, but there was no need for Idian to mention something they all knew.
“The coaches will come for you tomorrow morning,” Idian continued, “but not particularly early. The first competition will begin at noon, and although you need to be there well ahead of time, it’s nonsensical to keep you sitting around for hours. Do not, however, use the opportunity of a less than early beginning to practice, as that will wear you out and leave you easy prey for your opponents. You must make as good a showing as possible, to keep your failure from reflecting on the rest of us as a group.”
They barely blinked at that, which Idian found extremely satisfying. If they’d penetrated the lies they’d been told and had realized the truth, they would have reacted in some way to what he’d just said. The lack of reaction meant they were still under control, just the way they were supposed to be.
“Assuming you’re successful against your opponents tomorrow, you will be returned here for the night,” Idian went on. “The second competitions are scheduled for the second day, of course, but only four of the five remaining Blendings will compete in it. On the third day there will be two Blendings competing, and on the fourth day our new Seated Five will be decided on. By then there will be near hysteria in the city, and we’ll all do well to avoid the crowds completely.”
“What if we’re not successful against our opponents?” Kambil interrupted to ask, the question casual and almost one in passing. “Will we go somewhere other than here?”
“Yes, actually, you will,” Idian responded, annoyed that the point hadn’t been bypassed as he’d hoped it would be. “You’ll go instead to the temporary headquarters established by my superiors, where you will each give a detailed description of your individual view of what Blending has been like. While you’re about this your possessions will be packed by the servants, and will arrive at your various permanent places of residence not long after you do. Are there any other questions?”
Once again the five glanced at one another, and a second series of shrugs was his reply. They had no other questions, and so it was time for him to leave.
“I’ll see you all tomorrow, then,” he said as he moved himself to his feet. “I mean to be there to wish all of my people good luck.”
The smiles and nods they gave in answer were perfectly polite and correct, so Idian was able to dismiss the group from his thoughts as soon as he left the house. One or two of the others would give him a good deal more trouble, and he certainly wasn’t looking forward to it…
* * *
“He’s gone,” Kambil came back to report, reclaiming his chair among them. “And as far as I could tell, he noticed nothing at all.”
“That’s a considerable relief,” Delin said, speaking for himself and probably for the others as well. “We took a rather large risk, and on the eve of the most important day of our lives. If he’d noticed our little trick, it could have been all over for us.”
“How could he have noticed what he never consciously saw?” Kambil asked, keeping his tone reasonable and reassuring. “Our Blending projected an illusion for him, the details of which he himself supplied. In it he went through the routine he expected to, and received only the most ordinary reactions from us. We did ask a single mildly annoying question, but one he had no trouble responding to. After that he simply left, remembering nothing of the real question and answer period.”
“But I remember it,” Bron said, sounding sober and bleak. “If we lose tomorrow we’ll be sent somewhere to ‘describe our experiences as part of a Blending.’ An interesting euphemism for being quickly put out of the way, which is what will really happen. What lovely, grateful people they are.”
“Don’t forget that they’ll take us on separately,” Homin pointed out with disgust in his voice. “We’re expected to be almost useless as a Blending, but they’re still frightened enough of us that they won’t face us as a group. It makes me sick to think that I used to consider myself one of them.”
“The only thing we’re one of now is this group,” Selendi said fiercely, looking around at each of them. “They don’t expect us to be one of the winning Blendings, but they’re in for a very big surprise. We’re going to be the only winning Blending when the competitions are over, and then we’ll see who gets sent where.”
“We certainly will,” Kambil agreed, blocking out Delin’s usual vague dissatisfaction. “We’ll have a very large house to clean, but it’s well past time that it was done.”
“And I know just where we’ll start,” Delin put in, finally finding something to agree about. “Once we win, I’ll tell the rest of you all about it…”
* * *
“Yes, that’s truly marvelous,” Lord Twimmal said to the group of peasants, pretending he cared how their latest practice had gone. “But we do have other things to discuss, and I would prefer to get to them without any further delay.”
“Of course,” the female Spirit magic user said with a smile. “Please do go on.”
The woman was rather attractive for a peasant, as was the other one, the Fire magic user. Twimmal wouldn’t have minded keeping either of them for a while once their usefulness to the empire was over, but the matter would have been more trouble than it was worth. Powerful men had already expressed an interest in the girl of Fire, and as far as the other one went, Twimmal knew his wife would never understand…
“As you know, tomorrow is the big day,” Twimmal continued after clearing his throat. “The first of the competitions will be held, so I’m afraid there won’t be any partying permitted tonight. You must all get your sleep tonight, so that you’ll have sufficient strength tomorrow.”
Two of the male peasants made sounds of disappointment, and the third simply looked extremely annoyed. They’d all undoubtedly been spending gold like water, and now disliked the idea of stopping. Well, that was just too bad about them. They’d had their pay, and now it was time that they worked for it.
“What sort of thing will be involved in the competitions?” the Spirit magic female asked. “I mean, will we and our opponents both be trying to do the same thing, or will we be competing directly against each other?”
“My dear girl, do I look old enough to have attended the last twenty-fifth year competitions?” Twimmal countered in annoyance over being interrupted. “I have no more idea of what will be done than you, which, I understand, is the way my superiors want it. May I continue now?”
Her nod looked properly chastened, so Twimmal felt considerably better.
“Tomorrow morning, the coaches will be here for you rather early,” he said, picking up his dropped thread of thought. “Everyone wants to be completely certain that you’re prepared to do as you must, and you will also require a short time to change your clothing. Traditionally, everyone in these things competes wearing white hooded robes, therefore you will wear the same.”
Twimmal was certain one of them would interrupt again, but his earlier rebuke of the Spirit magic female had undoubtedly impressed the rest into keeping silent. That result was more than gratifying, as it allowed him to wind things up.
“I’ll be attending the festivities tomorrow along with Lady Eltrina, so I’ll see you all then,” Twimmal said as he began to struggle out of the chair. “Enjoy the rest of today, but do practice as much as possible. In fact, if you’re able to rise early enough to practice in the morning, by all means do so. It can only sharpen you for the actual event.”
And with that, the last of it, said, Twimmal made his escape. These peasant places always stank of filth and squalor, which usually made him quite ill after he visited them. He kept the illness from taking him over until he was home, of course, but then he was forced to empty himself. Thank whatever Higher Aspect there was that the torment was nearly over. And the next time his wife and her father banded together to insist that he accept an appointment, he would be much
more firm in refusing it…
* * *
“… and his carriage is leaving the drive now,” Rion heard Jovvi say. “He’s obviously not going to be coming back, so now we can talk.”
“A point of interest has occurred to me,” Rion said, looking around at his groupmates where they sat. “The Advisors prefer to have as few people as possible knowing about Blending, but Twimmal is one of those who has learned the method of accomplishing it. His knowledge is sloppy and skimpy to be sure, but it’s knowledge nevertheless. What do you suppose will be done with the fat fool now that his usefulness is at an end?”
“That’s an excellent point,” Jovvi said with a startled nod. “It hadn’t occurred to me that they would be quite so ruthless with their own, but they must be using this opportunity to cull their ranks. Pick the ones they most want to be rid of, have them learn what no one is supposed to know, and then dispose of them. Two birds with a single stone.”
“More than two,” Lorand pointed out. “They also want to be rid of any possible competition for their chosen Blending, so they also dispose of all challengers. And since you didn’t initiate the Blending while Twimmal was here, I’m assuming we were right to believe that he knows little or nothing.”
“He was all but reciting by rote,” Jovvi confirmed with a nod. “They told him what to say and he said it, and then he left. He simply isn’t bright enough to wonder about any of it.”
“But we are,” Tamrissa put in, looking annoyed. “Go ahead and practice in the morning, he said. Are we supposed to still have no idea how draining Blending can be? Even after they mentioned the point? With everything else being equal, if we practiced and our opponents didn’t, they’d start out immediately with an edge.”
“But all other things aren’t equal,” Jovvi reminded her with amused satisfaction. “We’ve built our Blending strength up to the point where we actually could practice and not lose much if anything, so that’s one less worry. We won’t do it, of course, but we could. Now let’s talk about the things we do have to worry about, like how the other groups are doing. Vallant? You got back just before Twimmal arrived, so please tell us now what you learned.”
“I learned that Holter is doin’ better than fine arrangin’ things,” Vallant said as Rion joined the others in giving him their full attention. This was rather important… “He told me that four of the five competin’ Blendin’s are now free of that drugged state, but we can forget about the fifth. They were too busy enjoyin’ themselves to want to hear about anythin’ that might help.”
“The ten gold dins apiece were obviously too much for them,” Lorand said with a sad shake of his head. “It’s really too bad, but I consider us lucky for losing only one of the five.”
“We’re luckier than that,” Vallant told him, leaning forward a bit. “As usual, Holter thought of somethin’ the rest of us missed. Before gettin’ rid of the drugged orders from the fourth group, he thought to ask if they’d already been given any orders. They weren’t told much, but it’s somethin’ we all need to know about: how to respond properly when the time comes that we are given orders.”
“Bless that brainy little man,” Jovvi said with her own headshake. “We’ll certainly have to pretend to be accepting their orders, but without being able to give the proper response we would have been wasting our time. What’s the right way to do it?”
“We’re supposed to say, ‘At your command, my lord,’” Vallant replied, his expression twisting into one of disgust. “That will tell them they’re doin’ it right, so they don’t have to worry. It’s goin’ to take somethin’ for me to say that, but I mean to make the effort. Seein’ their faces afterward will make it all worthwhile.”
“Yes, it certainly will,” Rion agreed, forcing his scandalized feelings well away from himself. “And afterward I mean to do more than simply look at them.”
“I’ll join you in that,” Vallant agreed with grim anticipation, then he continued, “And Holter had more good news. The two people moved out of his residence and put in that extra Blendin’ were happy to sneak back, and the five of them Blended without any trouble at all. They’ve been spendin’ their time practicin’ like crazy, and at the last minute they intend to substitute those two for the woman with Air magic they can’t abide, and our old friend Drowd.”
“And it’s unlikely anyone will notice,” Tamrissa said, obviously tickled by the idea. “If Drowd is still drinking and carousing the way Pagin said he was, even he probably won’t notice. But isn’t it strange that they were able to Blend with two different people after Blending the first time with others? For some reason I thought that that wasn’t possible.”
“I think we’re all learnin’ that things are possible which aren’t supposed to be,” Vallant said to her, his smile tender and personal. Rion was delighted to see her return it impishly, as though they shared some private memory. The last few days had been so much better, now that the two were together as they were obviously meant to be. And, happily, it seemed Tamrissa had no idea that the help Lorand and Jovvi had given Vallant had been all Vallant’s idea…
“I agree with Tamma,” Jovvi said, clearly swallowing a smile over the way Vallant had been sidetracked. “None of the officials tomorrow is likely to notice the substitution, and the residence officials won’t be able to tell them about it until it’s too late. What about our suggestions concerning accepting any hospitality from them?”
“Holter said everyone agrees with us completely,” Vallant replied after tearing his gaze away from Tamrissa. “Those of us who win tomorrow will insist on returnin’ to their various residences. If they try to insist that we stay somewhere else, we tell them we won’t compete in the followin’ contests. Since they have to hold public challenges, they shouldn’t have any choice but to agree.”
“I hope you mentioned that they may try force,” Jovvi said, obviously concerned about the issue. “At that point they’ll be desperate to get us back under control, and might not be willing to give in without an argument.”
“I did mention it, but someone else had thought of it first,” Vallant said with a nod. “That means the others have already agreed: if they force us to it, we Blend against them. It’s doubtful they know what that means, but if they push us they’ll surely be findin’ out.”
“What about the flasks for water and tea we suggested they buy?” Lorand asked. “And that special oiled wrap for sandwiches? If we keep the things with us at all times, we’ll be able to know that they aren’t tampered with.”
“Holter liked the idea, and he had another suggestion,” Vallant replied. “Before we eat or drink even from our supply, our Earth magic member ought to check everythin’ over. Holter and I could both put tainted water in a flask without ever comin’ near it, so it would be foolish to think they couldn’t.”
“He’s right again, so I’ll be sure to remember,” Lorand agreed. “It looks like we really are lucky to be working with the others on this. Did you get a chance to ask Holter if Twimmal was the only instructor he and his group saw? We haven’t seen or heard a thing about that so-called Lord Carmad since the day he was here.”
“I did, and Holter knew nothin’ about another instructor,” Vallant returned, now looking disturbed. “He didn’t believe any of the others had been visited either, so we still have a mystery on our hands. Who was he, and why was he here?”
“And how did he find out the way to make a Blending?” Jovvi added with her own disturbance. “Considering how close the government is with the secret, that’s the biggest mystery of all. Is there anything we can do to get even one or two of the answers?”
“Short of finding the man and questioning him?” Tamrissa said with a very unladylike snort. “I don’t see what, and even that isn’t practical. It’s too bad we didn’t know enough to grab him on the spot.”
“Yes, it is,” Jovvi said slowly, “but there’s something even more important that we ought to talk about now. I try not to pry so I haven’t been sure, but�
��Tamma, are you still touching the power?”
“Well … what if I am?” Tamrissa replied, a faint uneasiness behind the confidence which Rion had noticed but hadn’t really seen. “It isn’t doing me or anyone else any harm, so why shouldn’t I? It isn’t as if anyone can regret not seeing what I’m like when I’m not touching it…”
“How do you know it isn’t doing you any harm?” Jovvi countered gently with a good deal of concern. “With as little as we know about using our abilities… Tamma can you release the touch?”
The last was asked as though Jovvi had had a sudden revelation, and at first Rion found himself joining the other men in producing sounds of protestation. Jovvi’s guess couldn’t possibly be right, but then Rion saw Tamrissa’s expression.
“I … can’t retain the touch when I fall asleep, but as soon as I wake up again it’s … there,” Tamrissa admitted slowly and reluctantly. “I don’t know what it means or even if it really does mean something, but I can’t seem to control it. It’s something you all ought to know, even though I can’t find the condition doing me any harm. I’m not exhausted all the time or even compulsively active…”
“Maybe we can use the Blendin’ to find out,” Vallant said when her words trailed off. He’d left his chair to crouch beside hers and take her hand, his expression one of confident support. “I feel like a fool for not noticin’ sooner, but don’t you worry, love. We’ll all help you take care of it.”
“We certainly will,” Jovvi said briskly as she rose from her chair, dispelling the air of worry which had settled over all of them. “But right now we all have things to do, including finalizing our party arrangements for dinner. We may all be going to bed early, but first we’re entitled to a pre-victory celebration. Rion, please remind Naran, and tell her that her presence is all arranged for.”