She spoke to him as to an emperor, answering politely, agreeing more often than not, never straying too far from the most cautious answer. Still, he cherished every moment of it and he wondered if, given the chance, he could arrange for the final leg of their journey to never end.
****
A cry sounded from the lookout on the eighth day.
‘What is it?’ Captain Merryweather called to the man and Leopold strode out upon the main deck, staring up at the heights to await the reply.
‘An island,’ returned the call of the man with some doubt in his voice. ‘Or a mountain.’
‘An island or a mountain?’ the captain mused aloud, perplexed.
Leopold followed Merryweather up onto the foredeck and they both peered ahead. Something huge lay directly ahead, a perfectly cylindrical stone structure, rising up directly from the sea. It was grey in the distance. Clouds gathered about its flattened crown.
‘It is neither,’ Samuel said, somehow now beside them.
‘Then what is it?’ Merryweather asked with intrigue, plucking up the spyglass from his nearest man and ogling the distant shape.
‘A trap. From Poltamir. It reeks of his magic.’
‘What will we do?’ Leopold asked.
‘There is little we can do, except spring it,’ the magician stated assuredly. He turned to Leopold. ‘I have no doubt that Lomar may speak to you again. He has a way of appearing whenever I am lured away. I don’t know what he is trying to achieve, but humour him. If talking to you is what he wants, let him talk. There is nothing he can gain from you that will help him, and I think by now you know well enough not to believe him. He is obviously not intent on stopping us from reaching his master or he would have tried to sink our ship long ago. I am curious to see what he is trying to achieve.’
Samuel walked to the tip of the vessel, then sprang away like an arrow shot from a bow. The sailors called and pointed, gasping at the sight once more.
‘Ease the sheets, Mister Chapman!’ Merryweather commanded his bosun. ‘Keep us moving, but we don’t want to get any nearer to that thing than necessary. Bring us wide.’
Leopold continued watching until Samuel had disappeared into the distance, lost amongst the clouds gathered around the mighty pillar’s head.
‘Where do you think it could have come from?’ Leopold asked. He waited for a reply. When none came he turned to Merryweather and was shocked to find the man locked rigid, seized stiff as if time had stopped around him. Likewise, Mister Chapman and the crewmen next to him were entirely motionless.
Leopold reeled around to find the deck covered with such immobilised crew, the masts hung with unmoving human decorations. He ran to the edge of the foredeck and looked down. Everyone there was similarly affected. Kali, Phoenix and Destiny were caught gazing out towards the island and Leopold hurried down the steps to see if he could help them.
The sea and sky were reflected in Kali’s dark eyes, but he could not move her. Her brow was furrowed, frozen with concern. Her skin was cold and hard, but she would not answer his calls and he could not move her even an inch. In his efforts, he found he could lift her: then it occurred to him what might happen if he dropped her—would she break or shatter?—and he carefully removed his hands.
‘Intriguing, isn’t it?’
Leopold whirled about to find Lomar standing nearby, donned in magician’s robes, looking altogether like a taller, darker brother of Samuel.
‘This is your doing?’
‘Of course,’ Lomar replied. ‘They will not be harmed. I wanted to speak with you.’
‘Samuel will be back soon,’ he said, hoping to warn the magician from causing harm.
‘I realise that. I don’t need long. I’m only here to cast my words into your ear. There is nothing you need fear ... my dear.’ He emphasised the rhyme of his words childishly, looking pleased with himself.
As the magician spoke, Leopold cast his thoughts towards the mountain in front of them. The crewmen had been frozen before completing the change of course. Some of the sails were unbalanced and now whipped about. The breeze was light, so hopefully nothing would break for the time being. It was only crashing into the almighty rock that worried him.
‘Like statues, aren’t they?’ Lomar said, inspecting the lifeless crew. ‘Frozen in a single moment. Look at their expressions! You can virtually read each thought hanging off their faces. That is the ultimate goal of many an artist, and here I have accomplished it with one quick flick of my hand. I sometimes wished I had pursued some other talent—painting or sculpting perhaps. I am definitely not a poet. I am not so gifted with words, as you may have perceived. But I do so admire artists of all kinds. They capture fleeting moments of beauty and preserve them forever, in whatever medium they excel. Mine is just a poor rendition, and these statues will all awaken soon enough.’
He strode to Kali and bent his face nearer to hers, pointing to her nose with a long finger. ‘Look at her perfect little face? Is that love I see in her eyes?’ Then he laughed to himself. ‘No, it must be my imagination. Still, I wonder what thought has been caught in her head. And look at this one!’ He hurried to be in front of Phoenix. ‘I think she is jealous!’ He sniggered to himself, before turning back to Leopold. ‘How I enjoy observing such emotions, preserved and pure. In life, such moments are so brief and far-between, but in clay and on paint, or chiselled from stone we may gaze upon such wonderment forever—inspiration at our fingertips. How I envy those with the gift of creation, when I am only cursed with the power to destroy.’
‘Stop speaking tripe and get to business,’ Leopold told him impatiently. ‘I know you’re not here to tell me such things as this.’
Lomar smiled again, amused at the young Emperor’s newfound courage. ‘You are getting nearer to your destination, Leopold. Poltamir—my old master—awaits. Not here. He left this fortress long ago. He waits for you in Euda, ahead, upon his throne. It is time to let you know everything. The players are now set. Samuel’s plan is near its fruition. Your time to act is nearly at hand.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Samuel has been misleading you all along, as I am sure you know or suspect. You are not a complete imbecile, after all. He does not intend to kill the Demon King. He is full of demons himself! And he would never harm his son. He never planned to. This whole crusade has been to rescue Samuel’s son from the start. He thinks his demon child will appreciate his efforts and love him in return, but I do not share such a meagre hope. No, bringing this ship and all of you aboard has been the core of his plan. If Samuel is to release his son from his duty, someone must inherit that legacy. Simply severing it would be the end of us. That is why he brought all of you here. That is what this is all about.’
‘What are you talking about? What duty are you talking about?’
‘Protecting us, of course,’ the tall magician explained. ‘Marrag Lin, the Demon King as he is called, is the sole protector of this world, and although his methods have gained him the title of demon, he is really performing a crucial task. He keeps the real demons at bay—the ones darker and far worse than him, that would strip this place of all life without reserve. At least he spares a few of us. That is what he has been trying to do all along—preserve humanity at any cost. Admittedly the cost is high.’
‘You’re saying Samuel has been right all along? That his son is good after all?’
‘Good? No. Doing some good? Perhaps. It does depend on your perspective. Let’s just say he is the lesser of two evils. If you compare decimation with total annihilation, I suppose one demon can look better than another.’
‘So what does this have to do with me? With us?’
‘Samuel means to free his son, and take up his role as our protector. That is why he has been preparing himself like this, gathering more power unto himself. Not to destroy Lin, but to attain enough power to achieve the great leap, to leave his body altogether and become our god, the caretaker of us all—our shepherd if you will. In truth, Mar
rag Lin has been the only god this world has ever known, if not a cruel one, and Samuel—named Darrig in his first incarnation—intends to become the next.’
‘Go on,’ Leopold prompted him, mindful of their approach towards the rock.
‘Time is short, but I will relay the true history of this world to you as quickly as I can. It is important, if you are to understand what is happening now. Once someone does become a god, or demon—for in truth there is little difference in my mind—they cannot arbitrarily return to a physical existence. Gods and demons have no bodies, by their very definition. They need a host to inhabit. That is the role that Samuel has played until now, siring the Demon King back into the world to end each Age, but if Samuel leaves that position to become a god, it will be granted to another.’
‘Me?’ Leopold asked with concern.
Lomar grinned as if the notion was ridiculous. ‘No. He has other plans for you. I suspect that Captain Orrell has been chosen for that task.’
‘The captain? Why him?’
‘He is solid, reliable. He has what it takes, and quite importantly, he is in love with Jessicah. Samuel has done a spectacular job of manoeuvring the two together. No doubt they would not suspect any effort on his behalf. They shall be Samuel’s mother and father for eons to come, bearing him back into the world as required. Once they are set to the task, their souls will become immortal, reborn every lifetime at opposite ends of the world, destined to forever search each other out, driven to it.’ Leopold rolled the prospect over in his mind. ‘This is where you fit in. It is not enough for Samuel to simply return to physical form. There must be souls readied for him to harvest—plenty of them. Samuel will chose some of his most trusted companions to stay behind, to farm humanity—to raise back the civilisations so they can be devoured upon his return. Rei, Thann and Poltamir must be replaced. That will be you, Leopold. Faithful Daneel will be another and the last shall be her.’
Leopold followed the man’s subtle gesture. ‘Kali?’
‘Yes. That is why she is here, not to be your partner, as you obviously desire, but to be your competitor. She is not capable of love, but she is certainly capable of war. She is to you what Rei was to Thann. That animosity proved very successful over the millennia.’
‘I find all this fantastic.’
‘Believe me, it is very real. Samuel brought you along, sorting you from the others he had to consider ... others he has left by the wayside, people like Tulan. You three have been chosen, Leopold, to be his sentinels, his guardians, his soldiers. Everything is now in place. All he needs is to defeat Poltamir and gather the last of the power he requires.’
‘So why are you telling me this? Do you want me to stop him?’
‘That is up to you, Leopold. I am only an observer. Who am I to pass judgement? Perhaps you would enjoy immortality? To become one of his servants?’
‘Of course not. I do not want such a curse. Who would?’
‘Then there is little time remaining for you to act. Samuel is transforming already. He foolishly tainted himself with the black arts, and now he is losing control. He thinks he can last, but the demons will overcome him long before his plan comes to realisation. I’m sure you have seen something of this.’
‘I have,’ Leopold admitted.
‘And the more powerful he becomes, the faster it will happen. Samuel becomes more dangerous with each victory—a danger to us and himself. Hiding in his casket can only delay the inevitable. Remember, Leopold, it is the nature of demons to be deceptive, to build your trust. He may even believe he is following some noble cause, but do not doubt for an instant that the evil inside him is directing him as surely as a helmsman steers his ship.’
‘Are you saying that as soon as he kills Poltamir this will all happen?’
‘Almost certainly. Obtaining that much power will put him past the brink. Once he has defeated Poltamir we must act quickly.’
‘You make it sound like you want him to defeat your master.’
‘Oh, Poltamir is no longer my master. I left his employ some time ago. Poltamir is not the man he was. He became obsessed with power and I could not subject myself to his abominable company. Now, I only seek to undo the wrongs of my past. That was his citadel.’ He gestured towards the almighty pillar that stood from the ocean. ‘But he abandoned it and went to Euda ... where the people are.’
‘But you know where Samuel’s son is, don’t you?’
‘I do,’ Lomar said, with a sly smile. ‘Fortunately, I found him first, but I am not telling. I looked far and wide and stumbled upon him quite by accident. I cannot tell you, or Samuel would surely pluck the answer from your head.’
‘Do you have him with you now?’ Leopold asked, fishing for clues.
‘I do not. It is the truth that I was responsible for losing the child and that did cause something of a rift between Poltamir and I. Still, it matters little.’
Leopold was dubious of it all. ‘Why are you so set against Samuel? What did he ever do to you? Can’t you just help us and end this terrible mess?’
‘Oh, I am helping you. You will discover that soon enough. As for Samuel, he was only ever guilty of being my friend. I am not set against him at all. Quite the opposite, I have been trying to save him from himself all this time. Believe me, Leopold. You must trust me, or all is lost.’
‘Trust you? A man who steals children from their mothers? From what I understand, you have cheated everyone you ever met. It was you who took me and my mother to Rei when I was just a boy. She almost killed us.’
‘Ah yes, an error of judgement on my part, but I remained there to keep you safe—to amend my failure. Such things were necessary to get close to Cang and stop his insane plan. I could certainly not challenge him with brute force; I was not so competent a magician back then. You see, I could not let Cang kill the Demon King, or we would all be dead right now—or worse. If Starfall had indeed been successful, even unlikely as it was, the countless demons that Marrag Lin kept at bay would have been upon us. In my folly I followed one mistake with another. I followed Poltamir’s instructions to the letter—until I learned he had selfish plans in store for the King of Demons. He wanted to use him and find a way to steal his power and I could not bear to be part of it. I am now doing my best to make everything well, despite how it may seem. We all must sometimes do things that appear unsavoury to outside observers. I am sure you have some experience of that, Your Majesty.’
‘Very well,’ Leopold said hesitantly. ‘It seems I have no choice but to believe you. What do I need to do?’
‘After Poltamir, he will find his boy. Let me know when that happens. That will be the time to act. But for now, just keep doing as you are. Before I leave, I do need you to tell me just one thing. It is very important. Tell me, what is now in Samuel’s casket?’ The tall magician waited expectantly, brimming with anticipation.
‘Why do you want to know?’ Leopold asked suspiciously.
‘It is important I know, in case he is plotting something else. I cannot open the box in this ethereal form and I do not risk coming here myself. Is the old fool in there? Is Salu, the brother of Janus Anthem, inside the box?’
Leopold considered denying it, but knew it was pointless. ‘He is.’
‘Ah. I felt a sudden flare of power just before he vanished. It must have been a considerable battle for Salu to need the sanctuary of the casket, and he has been in there ever since.’ He mulled over his thoughts. ‘If Samuel cannot cure the old man, he must be seeking more power from Poltamir to do so.’
Leopold was not about to correct him. Lomar snapped himself from his thoughts and returned his attention to Leopold. ‘You know, I sought out Salu many years ago, just as did Samuel—just as many of us did, when we had no one else to turn to. I did not take nearly so long to find him as Samuel, as I had already been plotting his wanderings for many years. I followed the old fool for many months, hanging on every deranged word that fell from his lips. Finally, from the detritus of his maddened utter
ings, I gathered one precious bead of sagacity.’
‘What was that?’ Leopold asked.
‘He told me of the Void.’
‘The Void?’
‘The Void. A wonderful place that I have been seeking ever since. A place that is pure in every sense, free of the evils of demons and the tinkering of fools. It is the only true answer to this constant peril we face, stuck in the middle between devils that wish to consume us, and meddlers like Samuel that wish to prolong our pain. One day, I hope to find it. It is only a matter of time, if only I can stop Samuel from destroying us in the meantime.’
‘Where is it?’
‘Well, that is the tricky part,’ the magician admitted.
‘Now I recall, Salu mentioned something of The Void to me as well.’
‘He did? Salu?’ Lomar said with a sudden enthusiasm. ‘What did he say?’
‘Oh ... I can’t rightly recall at this moment. I had quite a lot of other things to contend with at the time.’
‘Ah ...’ the magician said disappointedly.
Leopold hoped Samuel would return quickly, but remembered his instructions to keep Lomar talking. ‘But something just doesn’t add up.’
‘What’s that?’ Lomar asked, summoned again from his thoughts.
‘If you are trying to stop Samuel, why are you releasing these beasts across the world?’
‘Oh, I’m not,’ Lomar said. ‘That is squarely Samuel’s work. What better way to keep everyone in favour than to summon a monster, then act the hero dispatching it? He is a demon in the making, your Samuel, and a clever one. Isn’t it he who has killed all the magicians? And he destroys the relics, the only tools of salvation that common men may use to defend themselves. Yes, Samuel has begun his work of devouring the world, soul by soul. Every death adds to his power. He may even convince himself he is doing good at times, but that is his nature. He will never tell you the truth. He doesn’t know it himself. His demons pervade him. There will always be something he hides in every explanation—the hidden keystone that keeps all his deceit from unravelling. If you think Rei has a silver tongue, Samuel is by far her better. She is a timid little princess in comparison.’
The Ancient Ones (The Legacy Trilogy Book 3) Page 43
