Extending his mind, he found he was wrong. The city was not completely abandoned. Some had refused to leave, preferring to die at home than leave their world, or believing that the stories of the Raen’s death were lies. A few were doubting their decision, wondering if they had time to reach one of the other groups in the world, waiting for their turn to be transported to their new home. But they doubted they’d get to one in time. They could only hope they’d survive, when the enemy returned.
Which, Tyen was finally able to discern, was not the conquering army of a neighbouring world. Once every fifty-two years of this world, lights streaked across the sky. Meteors, Tyen realised. The local people did not understand what they were, only that—before the Raen had struck a deal with the leaders of their world—the celestial attack had brought devastation. Only the Raen had been strong enough to protect the world, and in return their artisans competed to make the most beautiful of objects, the best of which he would choose for his palace.
But the Raen had not returned, and the sky fires had begun to fall. For the first time, the entire world had united, so that they could plan an evacuation to a new world.
So who stripped the first world on their journey, and why? Tyen wondered. Had someone in the destination world done it to stop the mass migration? Had an enemy of this world seen the opportunity to strike at them? Or had an enemy of the destination world sought to prevent an alliance between it and this world’s people? It could even be a former rebel or rebels, exacting revenge on these people for their reliance on the Raen in the past.
“It’s not often you see a newly abandoned city,” a voice said.
Tyen spun around. Dahli was twenty paces away, sitting halfway down the stairs. He looked younger. Though his hair was still white, it and the beard had been cropped short.
“Why?” Tyen asked.
Dahli’s eyebrows rose. “Why is it abandoned? Haven’t you yet read the minds of those left behind? Or of the stranded escapees in the previous world?”
“Why are you showing me this?” Tyen clarified.
Dahli’s lips pressed into a humourless smile. “Because I don’t think you’d look at the proof if I told you where it was.”
“Proof of what?”
“The destruction the Raen’s absence has created. The chaos.”
Tyen scowled. “You’ve only shown me what supports your claims.”
“I’m sure Baluka would show you only examples of worlds that have benefited from the Raen’s absence, too. What you need to do is to seek the whole picture. Or look into my mind. I cannot lie to you, after all.”
Tyen was already reading Dahli’s mind. He knew that Dahli believed everything he had said. But Dahli could be wrong. He could be seeing what he wanted to see.
“Can you ignore all this suffering?” Dahli asked. “Can you allow it to continue?”
“You have caused enough of it yourself over the centuries,” Tyen retorted.
He instantly regretted it. If Dahli thought Tyen disapproved of him, he might no longer seek Tyen’s help—and then Tyen would have no excuse to keep an eye on the man.
Thankfully, Dahli only nodded. “I have. I have done terrible things in the belief that the worlds would benefit, in the long term. That Valhan’s orders were just. I’ll admit, sometimes they weren’t. Valhan was by no means infallible, but he was very rarely wrong.”
Dahli’s unwavering belief made it hard to deny what he claimed. But Baluka is just as certain the worlds will flourish without the Raen.
“Look at what’s happening, Tyen,” Dahli continued. “Then you’ll know that sacrificing one life in exchange for the safety of thousands of worlds is not such an unreasonable act.”
Tyen crossed his arms. “Is this why you wanted to see me?”
Dahli looked away. “No.” His shoulders rose and fell, then his back straightened. “If I give you Valhan’s notes on his experiments in resurrection—and let you use a method and body you approve of—will you do it?”
Tyen stared at the man. He’s offering me everything the Raen knew about resurrection. He was suddenly conscious of Vella’s pouch resting lightly against his chest, under his shirt. Everything she needs to regain the life stolen from her. But the price is bringing the Raen back.
He looked into Dahli’s mind. The man intended to keep his side of the bargain. Even if it risked giving up the secrets he guarded, only to find Tyen could not resurrect the Raen because he would not kill anyone to do it.
It was also his last attempt to persuade Tyen to help him. If Tyen refused, Dahli would begin to search the worlds for someone else strong and clever enough to bring Valhan back—or attempt it by using several strong sorcerers instead of one powerful one. It might take a long time—maybe many cycles—but he’d find a way eventually.
Tyen realised he was breathing quickly. If I don’t agree to this, Dahli will stop meeting me. I won’t be able to keep an eye on him. I won’t know if the Raen is about to return.
If he did agree, he would be the most hated man in the worlds. Yet he would become a hero to as many. Well, I’m already hated by most of the former. At least the latter would stop trying to kill me.
Tyen realised, then, that he didn’t care how either side regarded him. He’d only ever tried to reduce the harm of whatever action he took. So if Dahli was going to find a way to resurrect the man eventually, would it lead to more or less harm if Tyen was involved?
Yes, he realised. If the Raen returns and learns I refused to help Dahli, he’ll kill me. He’ll kill Rielle whether I bring him back or not. Unless … unless I can make a deal with him. Bringing him is no small favour, so perhaps I can ask for one in return. Perhaps I can ask for her life in exchange. The chance of the Raen agreeing to such a deal seemed slim, but that was better than no chance at all. If I help Dahli, I will know if and when he is going to succeed. I can warn Rielle. She might be able to find a place to hide before the Raen returns.
She wouldn’t like that he was helping Dahli, but when he explained why, she would understand. Though it would be better that he didn’t tell her straightaway. If it turned out that he couldn’t resurrect the Raen, then she need never know that he had even attempted it.
But if I can … I’ll make sure it takes a long time, Tyen thought. If I draw out the experiments and do multiple tests every stage, she’ll have plenty of time to find a safe place to hide.
He would warn Baluka too. Perhaps his friend could help Rielle, and she him. Perhaps Baluka would be able to raise another army, and this time defeat the Raen.
Footsteps sounded behind Tyen. He turned to find Dahli climbing the stairs.
“You’re hesitating,” the man noted. “Yet I have offered you the terms you’ve demanded all along.” His expression was unreadable, but Tyen could see his mistrust growing.
“I am considering it,” Tyen admitted. “Weighing up the consequences.”
“Like?”
“I will be taking a side.”
Dahli nodded. “Obviously.”
“I’ll need to learn pattern shifting.”
“I will teach you.”
Tyen considered the sorcerer. He knew that Dahli had taught this to only one person before: Rielle. Dahli was thinking that he’d needed to see into Rielle’s mind in order to train her quickly. It was doubtful Tyen would agree to that.
“Thank you for the offer,” Tyen replied, “but I have another way to learn it.”
Dahli frowned. “Someone else?”
“In a manner of speaking.”
“The book?” Dahli’s brows lowered even further. “That may take a very long time.”
“It might; it might not.” Tyen spread his hands. “I will not let you into my mind unless there is no other choice.”
“But we …” Dahli grimaced. “I don’t know how long the hand will hold its information. Valhan was unsure of its permanence.”
“Will another cycle make a difference?”
Dahli sighed. “I don’t know.”
“I have a house in a world sympathetic to our cause, where we should find all the supplies you need.”
Tyen nodded. He’d have to leave Doum for a while. If he wasn’t going to tell Rielle what he was doing yet, he’d have to come up with another plausible reason. He wanted to spend more time with her before he left. Visiting her when he was working for Dahli would put her at risk. He might lead Dahli straight to her, or to Tarran.
He also needed to settle this conflict between Doum and Murai.
“I can’t say how long I’ll need,” Tyen told the man. “Perhaps a quarter cycle. Perhaps more.”
The sorcerer’s mouth pressed into a thin line. Impatience and scepticism warred with hope, but both fell before resignation. He needed Tyen’s willing cooperation. And that reminded him of another matter he’d intended to raise.
“Very well. Before you go, I can tell you that my people have learned that a group of rebels who have split from the Restorers, claiming they are too soft on the former allies, have decided to track you down. They know you carry a treasure that contains the secret of agelessness.” His mouth thinned in a grim smile. “I can deal with them, if you wish.”
Tyen paused. It was tempting. He could do without the constant worry that sorcerers might be hunting for him. If they succeeded in finding him, it could make saving Doum and restoring Vella more complicated and dangerous. But …
“No,” he replied. “If you do, there will always be a risk—even a small one—that Baluka will discover you did so for me. He’d have to wonder why you’d do me such a favour.”
“I won’t require you to spy on Baluka any more if you do this work for me.”
Tyen shook his head. “I suspect the connections I have will prove useful in future, if not for you then for me. It might even help us with our work.”
Dahli nodded. “Then I take it you are agreeing to my terms.”
“Yes.” It came out as a sigh.
“Then let me know when you are free to begin.”
Tyen nodded. “I will.”
“Do you know where you will go to learn pattern shifting?”
“Not yet.”
“I can tell you of a few magically rich worlds that might be suitable.”
“I’d rather nobody knew where I was.”
Dahli’s mouth twitched. Almost a smile. “Very well. Keep me informed. If there are any materials or tools you know you will need, send me a list. I will acquire them in anticipation.”
He stook a step back, then began to fade. In a few moments, he had disappeared.
Turning away, Tyen walked to the very top of the stairs and gazed down at the city. When the meteor showers came, some of those left behind would survive. They must have before, or there would be no recollection of a time before the Raen came.
Could he stop the meteor showers? He had no idea how the Raen had done so, and an attempt might make things worse. Perhaps, instead, he could do something about the other groups, waiting to be transported to a new world. He would tell Baluka of this place. He couldn’t imagine his friend abandoning them to the meteors out of revenge for them relying on the Raen for their survival.
Right now he needed to get back to Doum. The Claymars might respond quickly to his threat to leave. They might respond badly.
I can’t help all the worlds, he reminded himself. But I can help Doum. I can help Rielle survive when the Raen returns. In the process, I might even find a way to restore Vella.
Even so, all he felt was a hollow in the depths of his stomach. It was an old but familiar sensation.
It’s because I’ve been in this situation before, making a deal with a dangerous, ruthless sorcerer, knowing that I can’t stop them, but hoping to reduce the harm they do.
Only this time he wouldn’t be spying. He would be experimenting and building something, this time with flesh rather than machinery.
That didn’t make him feel any better, so he pushed out of the world and started the journey home.
CHAPTER 10
You will need a world unusually rich in magic, Vella wrote. Rich enough that you can make the transformation as well as leave when you are done.
An unpopulated world, Tyen added. One people don’t travel to or through, either. I don’t want to be responsible for stranding people in a world. A world with no or few people was unlikely to contain much magic, but occasionally one became inhospitable to humans through a disaster of some kind, leaving it unpopulated but not yet depleted in magic.
Tyen thought of the world of the meteors. It had been rich with magic, no doubt because the population had been creating treasures as payment for the Raen’s assistance. He had sent a message to Baluka alerting him to that world’s situation, so it may have been evacuated since his visit. However, once news of the newly depopulated world spread, other sorcerers would come to take the magic. If Tyen was there when they did, they might leave him stranded.
While you are there you will be in danger from the meteors, Vella pointed out.
Which raised another question. How long will it take for me to learn pattern shifting?
It could take a quarter cycle or many cycles. The process will be faster if you can spend almost all of your time concentrating on the task. The help Dahli offered was more than just the knowledge you require. You need someone to provide food, remove distractions and protect you when you are vulnerable.
I’d have to trust whoever that was. I don’t trust Dahli.
Then who do you trust?
Tyen paused and slowly shook his head. I’d trust Baluka, but he has the Restorers to look after. I might trust Rielle in future, but I don’t really know her that well yet and someone should stay and watch the Emperor. Tarran would be trustworthy, I think, but he can’t abandon his students for a half cycle. Do I really need someone else to be there?
If you prepare well, you can minimise distractions. Choose a location where food is in abundance or will not spoil quickly.
An abundance of food probably means an abundance of humans. He sighed. There has to be another way to do this. Could I gather magic and take it to the location I settle in?
You could. It will take a long time to gather and deposit enough. In the meantime, other sorcerers might find and use that magic.
Not if it is known to be a dead, unpopulated world. How long would it take?
That depends on how much magic you take from other worlds to fill it. If you don’t want the occupants to notice the depletion of their world, it may take several cycles.
He shook his head. I thought learning pattern shifting without a teacher was going to be the hard part. Anyway, I can’t start anything until these negotiations are over. His stomach grumbled—more a sensation than a sound. I’d better get something to eat. Goodbye, Vella.
Until next time.
He closed her covers and slipped her back into the pouch hanging around his neck. Tucking it under his shirt, he buttoned up the vest he’d begun wearing to conceal her. It meant he was a little overdressed for Glaemar’s climate, but his workers and the locals assumed he wanted to look more formal because he could be called on at any moment to negotiate with Rielle again. Some approved, while others thought he had become a little self-important since taking on the task.
A few of his employees were still in the workshop downstairs, finishing off an urgent order. He asked if they wanted him to bring them back some food, but they were nearly done and had meals to return home to. Leaving them applying the last details to the wheels, he headed to one of his favourite local eating establishments.
It was a short walk away, but the streets were busy with Glaemarans setting out for their evening meal. Before he’d reached his destination, he heard his name called by an unfamiliar voice. He sought out the source, and found a messenger hurrying towards him.
“Tyen Wheelmaker,” the man said. “You are required immedi
ately at the Claymar House to meet Rielle of Murai.”
Tyen’s heart skipped a beat. He nodded. “Thank you.”
He glanced wistfully at the door of the restaurant before he pushed out of the world. So far, the food served at his meetings with Rielle had been good, but it did not live up to what he could buy in his neighbourhood.
Following his usual route, he skimmed across the worlds to the Island of Tiles. He found Rielle waiting on the bridge, looking as beautiful as ever. She was talking to Abler. The official radiated admiration—and regret that such an elegant woman was representing Murai rather than Doum. He found Tyen a bit insipid and untidy in comparison.
Too important to some, not enough to others, Tyen mused.
“Good evening, Rielle Lazuli,” Tyen said, bowing to her as the pair turned to face him. He nodded to Abler. “Abler Tithen.”
“Tyen Wheelmaker,” the official replied. “I must congratulate you. The Emperor has agreed to a modified version of the terms you and Rielle of Murai presented to him.”
“And the Claymars have approved it, with some changes the Emperor has conceded to,” Rielle added, her eyes bright.
Tyen looked from one to the other. “Truly?”
“Yes,” Rielle replied, then laughed at his surprise. “I was as startled.”
“The final document will be duplicated tonight, by Doumian time,” Abler told them. “Then presented for signing and stamping tomorrow.” His lips widened in a formal smile. “At which point your task is complete, Tyen Wheelmaker. I and the Claymars thank you for your patience and persistence in this difficult task.”
Tyen nodded. “It was the least I could do for a world and people so welcoming, and that I hope will have a stable and prosperous future.”
Abler turned to Rielle. “And we extend our thanks to you, Rielle of Murai, for your common sense and fairness, and tolerance of a people you must have found stubborn and contrary at times.”
Her smile was breathtaking. “I hope my efforts were of benefit to both Doum and Murai.” She looked at Tyen. “I know my mentor, a man of great wisdom, will be proud.”
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