“Annata’s Reach,” the others chorused.
Lyall put down his goblet. “Well now that that’s decided, there is another thing for us to take care of.” He reached into a pocket and pulled out a small box. He opened it carefully. Set within it were the two Speaker Rings that Keris had acquired back in Gort. “I think it is time for us to put these to use. Alondo has explained to Oliah where we are going. She has agreed not to tell Patris. She has also agreed to care for the Speaker Ring on this side, to keep us informed of developments here. Of course, we cannot be certain that the Ring will function across the Great Barrier, but Keris and I both feel that it is worth the risk.”
He passed one Ring to Alondo, who took Oliah’s hand and put it on her finger. The fair haired girl was looking up at him all the while.
“The Rings must first be Linked.” Lyall handed the second Ring to Alondo.
“What do I do?” Alondo asked.
“Hold the Rings against each other so that the stones touch.”
Alondo touched the Ring to the one on Oliah’s hand. They looked into one another’s eyes. After a moment an ethereal green light filled the space between them. Finally, the light died. Alondo handed the second Ring back to Lyall, who placed it back in the box and closed the lid. Oliah looked down at the Ring on her finger as if it were a thing of wonder.
“Thank you,” Lyall addressed her. “We will be relying on you.”
“I will not let you down,” she said.
“I have one more favour to ask. I need to talk to Shann and Alondo alone for a moment. Is that all right?”
Oliah smiled bravely. “Of course. Come on, Boxx.”
When the two had left, Lyall looked at Shann and Alondo in turn. Now that the moment he was dreading had finally come, he found himself torn by indecision. A part of him wanted to excuse himself. To say it was nothing, that it had all been a mistake. But he was locked onto a path that allowed no turning. He pressed on. “You have both been an essential part of this journey so far. I could not have asked for braver companions.” He paused, looking down at the table; then raised his head to look into their eyes once more. “Or truer friends.
“Now we are facing our greatest challenge yet. To save this world, we must attempt to cross the Great Barrier of Storms. Yet, even in spite of all of our planning and preparation, we may not survive. That is why I have decided…that the two of you should stay behind.”
“No!” It was Shann who reacted. Alondo just looked stunned.
“I have thought about this carefully,” Lyall pushed forward. “Boxx is essential to the fulfilment of Annata’s plan. He will only deal with Keris, so she has to come, too. Besides, there seems to be no safe place left for her here. Patris is needed to sail the ship. As for the two of you–well there is no compelling reason to risk your lives further. Besides, Alondo has…ties here now.”
“Oliah and I have already discussed this together,” Alondo said. “She believes in what we are doing and she wants me to go.”
Lyall had a wry expression. “You know little about women, my friend. She will tell you what you wish to hear, but I was watching her tonight. Her face betrays her true feelings.”
“This is about what happened at Persillan again, isn’t it?”
Lyall felt Alondo’s words hit home. “It has nothing to do with that. I simply will not risk more lives than is absolutely necessary.”
“Persillan?” Shann asked.
“It’s something that happened a long time ago, Shann. It has no bearing here.” Lyall looked at Alondo, willing him to silence.
Shann pulled down the collar of her tunic, exposing the bare olive flesh of her neck. The flame brand was clearly visible, the mark that he had put there with his own hand. “I got this trying to free the tributes at Gort from slavery to the Prophet. I am coming with you, whatever. Unless you intend to throw me off the ship.”
Alondo leaned forward. “That goes for me, too.”
Lyall looked at their earnest faces and felt his heart melt. His best friend and the girl who had saved his life twice. How could he forgive himself if anything happened to them? He wanted to plead with them both–to beg them not to add to his pain. Alondo was right. It was the pain associated with those events eleven turns ago that had shaped his life ever since. That pain had compelled him to attack a Keltar in Corte and to try in vain to free the tributes at Gort. Now it was driving him to hurl himself at the Great Barrier itself. Aune. Are you still alive somewhere? Will I ever see you again?
In that moment, the door flew open, and Patris appeared. His breath was short and his eyes were grave. “Keris–she’s disappeared.”
<><><><><>
Chapter 29
The room at the back of the Calandra seemed crowded. Shann, Lyall, Alondo and Boxx were joined by members of the thief gang. Oliah’s arm was linked in Alondo’s and the girl seemed to be leaning against him for security.
Shann too felt conflicted, but for different reasons. If the Prophet’s men had indeed snatched Keris, then that would suggest that her claims to have broken her ties with Chalimar were genuine. However, she could just as easily have gone with them voluntarily to make it look as if she had been kidnapped–perhaps as a last ditch attempt to delay their departure? If that were the case, then the best thing to do would be to leave her in the company of her Keltar friends and sail without her. However, something told her that Lyall would never agree to that.
Patris stood at the head of the table. “They have her at one of their safe houses.”
“Safe houses?” Lyall asked.
“The Prophet’s agents have several business fronts and safe houses in the city,” Patris explained. “Your companion is being held at one on Cyrran Street, near where the shipwright’s office is located.”
“Then we must go there and free her,” Lyall said.
Patris shook his head. “That would be unwise. She is being held on the uppermost floor and there are guards on each level. You would not get anywhere near.”
Lyall frowned. “What do you suggest?”
“I am not sure–I don’t see how I can help you. Our thief company is a co-operative–I can’t order them to undertake a mission such as this and to be honest; I wouldn’t even if I could. To do so could lead to open war with the Prophet’s forces here in Sakara–a war that we have neither the people nor the resources to sustain. I’m sorry. I won’t do it.”
“We could get straight to the top floor.” Shut up, you fool, Shann berated herself. Yet despite her misgivings, it still felt wrong to abandon someone–even Keris.
Lyall appeared lost in thought. Then he turned to Patris. He seemed to be weighing his words carefully. “I appreciate your situation. However, we must attempt a rescue of our companion. As you say, there is an element of risk. And…you have not yet been paid for your services on our behalf. If we were to meet up with an accident–”
“That would be most unfortunate,” Patris completed the thought.
“Yes,” Lyall said. “Yes it would…Of course, our chances of success might well be enhanced if there were some sort of unforeseen diversion–say for instance, a fire suddenly breaking out in an adjacent building?”
Patris quirked one side of his mouth. “I believe there is a blacksmith’s shop next door. It’s quite possible that a stray ember might spark a blaze of sizeable proportions.”
“Might such an accident occur later this evening?” Lyall probed.
“It’s a distinct possibility.”
“Then we have an understanding?”
“I believe so–oh, by the way, I wonder if you would excuse me. I have suddenly remembered some pressing business I must attend to.”
“By all means. Don’t forget to be aboard the ship by first light. Our departure will prove to be…somewhat hasty, I would think.”
Patris and Lyall exchanged a look. Then Patris signalled to the others in his group and they filed out.
When they had gone, Alondo turned to Lyall. “You had him eat
ing out of your hand.”
Lyall laughed. “I just played on his weak spot–money. Besides, I think he enjoys the thought of taking the Prophet’s forces down a peg. I just needed to show him a way of doing that without risk to his own people.”
Shann had a serious look. “You realise this may be a trap.”
“You’re right, it may,” Lyall said. “However, I don’t think we have much of a choice.” Shann saw the resolve in his eyes. No, I don’t suppose that you do. “Shann and I are the only ones who can get to the upper floor without having to go in the front door. So we will be the ones to free Keris.”
“What do you want me and Boxx to do?” Alondo asked.
Lyall put his arm around Alondo’s shoulders. “I’m glad you asked that. I have a special job for you, my friend.”
~
Ail-Mazzoth lay low in the west, casting a ruddy glow over the rooftops of the port city. Sounds of merrymaking drifted up from the various hostelries, as clothier and baker, seaman and sail maker, raised a stoup to one another’s health. In an alley to the rear of the safe house, hidden deep in the shadows, two cloaked figures were crouched down side by side, waiting.
A shout…then another. Not the sounds of casual revelry. These were cries of alarm. Patris’ little diversion was underway. Time to move.
Lyall and Shann moved stealthily along the alley until they were directly beneath the building where Patris had indicated that Keris was being held. The edifice rose before them, indomitable like a sheer cliff face, punctuated by lit windows at regular intervals. Four storeys. It would take a considerable leap to reach the uppermost level. Following the battle with the Kharthrun serpent, Shann understood the basic concept of co-operative mechanics. If they timed it correctly…
Shann made eye contact with Lyall, who nodded to her. Bending her knees, she jumped, using a weak natural source. She felt a rush of air behind her; then a crushing downward pressure on the refined lodestone in her cloak’s mechanism. She was slammed towards the ground. The natural deposit barely slowed her descent and she landed hard, barely managing to stay upright. How about next time I do that to you?
She peered upwards to see a hunched form on the roof and a rope snaking down to meet her. Shann wrapped the rope around her hand and allowed herself to be pulled up. As she reached the uppermost level, she passed a darkened window. Her feet found the ledge. She signalled to Lyall and the rope went slack.
With one hand, Shann held on to the casement and with the other hand, she reached inside a pouch, feeling the resistant pull of an oval shaped lodestone, dark as night. She held the stone against the window just as Lyall had instructed her earlier, and moved it in an upward motion towards the inside latch. After a couple of failed attempts and a rising sense of frustration, Shann heard the dull scrape of iron against iron as the latch was pushed upwards.
The freed window moved outward imperceptibly. As Shann pulled it all the way open, her other hand moved instinctively towards the staff at her back–Keris’ staff. As usual, the woman had taken her flying cloak with her, but had left her staff back at the Calandra.
As they were getting ready to leave, Lyall had handed it to her. “To replace your broken one.”
Shann stared at it as if it were about to turn into a serpent and bite her. “She would not let me take this.”
Lyall smiled. “You didn’t take it–I did. Don’t worry, Shann. If there is one thing Keris understands, it’s necessity.” I hope you’re right.
The room beyond the window was silent, swathed in shadow. Shann nimbly slipped inside. A moment later, Lyall’s feet appeared in the window frame and she helped pull him in.
Lyall took the lead, moving to a door set in the far wall. He opened it a crack. Artificial light washed into the room. It was largely empty, apart from a cabinet against one wall and a few packing cases. Lyall opened the door wider. The corridor was empty. She followed him out into the hallway. They followed the passageway as it bore to the left, passing a stairwell which led down to the floor below. All was quiet. At the first intersection, Lyall held up his hand and peeked around the corner. He stepped back and touched her arm to get her attention, holding up two fingers. Two guardians. They might just as well have put a sign over the door. He mouthed the words, “Follow my lead,” waited until she nodded once,; then rounded the corner confidently with Shann in tow.
The two guardians were clad in light serge, with short blades at their sides. They fingered the hilts and shuffled their feet nervously as the cloaked figures approached. Lyall’s instructions earlier that evening came back to her. “Use the wood and the flat of the blade.” It was a euphemism for the employment of non-lethal skills. She could just imagine what Keris would have to say about that. Still, these were obviously not Chalimar-trained soldiers; they were locally recruited grunts. With luck, their wits would be as dull as their blades.
Lyall stopped in front of the guardians and assumed an authoritative air. “We wish to interrogate the prisoner. Stand aside.” It was a calculated gamble. The flying cloaks Lyall and Shann wore were not only a tool; they were a symbol of authority. But would these men’s fear of the Keltar be sufficient to overcome their natural suspicion? Shann felt her body tense. The next few moments would be critical.
The guardian on the left had an older weather-beaten face, like a man who had spent too many days at sea. His eyes narrowed. “The prisoner was returned from interrogation only a short while ago. Our orders are that no-one be allowed in to see her without Girmala’s express permission.”
Lyall stood his ground. “We are sent by Girmala. There is some information she provided that he wishes to clarify.”
“Girmala sent you, Keltar?”
“You doubt my word?”
“No–no of course not.” His tone suddenly changed. “Forgive me, Lord.” He sounded solicitous–too solicitous. “Do you wish us to accompany you or shall we–”
In a split second, Shann saw the steel in the man’s eye. The subtle shift of balance onto the balls of his feet. The barest twitch of his fingers on the hilt of his blade. Suddenly, Keris’ staff was in her hand like a living thing, its movement a blur, faster than thought. The wood impacted against the guardian’s temple and he dropped like a sack of moba root. She shifted her attention towards the younger slender-faced, dark-eyed guardian, but Lyall’s staff was already in motion. He swung it with great force at the youth’s midriff. The youngster doubled up as every ounce of breath was forcibly expelled from his lungs. A moment later, Lyall brought the staff down on the back of his head. The boy fell to the ground face down and did not move. Lyall looked over at Shann, his brow knotted.
“He was going for his weapon,” Shann explained.
An odd flicker passed over Lyall’s face. “The key?”
Shann sheathed the staff and ran her hand over the guardian’s serge until she felt an irregular shape. “Got it.” She handed the large flat key to Lyall who opened the door. They quickly dragged the supine forms inside.
Shann peered into the dimly lit room. It was featureless save for a pallet in the far corner. As she moved towards the pallet, she saw a figure lying motionless. A figure in a dark suit, with long black hair. Keris. Shann bent over her and felt the warmth of her olive skin, a faint breath of air from her nostrils. “She’s alive.” As she examined the woman she realised with a jolt that the side of her face was badly bruised and swollen and there were contusions on her forehead and neck, smeared with drying white blood. What have they done to you?
Keris opened her eyes slowly and looked up at Shann. Her expression turned to disbelief. “You.”
Shann’s feelings of pity began to evaporate. Maybe we should just leave you here.
Lyall appeared behind her. “Keris, are you all right? Can you move?”
With some effort, Keris propped herself up on her elbows. “I’ll manage.” Her voice sounded thick in her mouth. Shann helped Keris to her feet. She unsheathed Keris’ diamond bladed staff and handed it to her. Keris
’ right hand was covered with a makeshift bandage ripped from her own clothing. Dried blood had seeped through. Shann wanted to ask her what happened but was gagged by the bile rising in her throat.
The solidness of Keris’ staff seemed to strengthen her, and she drew herself erect. She moved stiffly over to where the guardians lay and knelt next to the younger one, grabbing him with her unbandaged hand and shaking him by the scruff of the neck. He came to, groggily. Her voice rasped. “My things. Where are they?”
The guardian pointed. “Two doors down. Don’t–” Keris cuffed him back to silence. They exited the detention room. Lyall locked it behind them and led the way down the corridor. Stopping at the designated room, Lyall listened; then tested the door. It was unlocked. They slipped inside. The room was dimly lit, with a table at the centre and an assortment of cabinets lining the walls. Lyall watched the door while Keris and Shann began lifting lids and rifling through drawers. “Hurry it up,” he hissed.
Shann glanced across at the other woman, taking in the extent of her injuries, the way she winced when her body turned a certain way. She realised that her sense of shock derived not just from the damage done to Keris but the damage done to her own expectations. Ever since the Keltar had appeared in their path on the highway outside Gort, Shann had been convinced that she was the enemy. Keltar are the eyes and ears of the Prophet–everyone knew that. Later on the Eastern Plains, when she caught Keris using the Speaker Ring, there seemed no room for doubt. The timing of the woman’s ‘kidnap’ the night before their departure seemed altogether too perfect. Shann had fully expected to find a trap waiting for them. Now, seeing firsthand the abuse meted out to her by the agents of the Prophet, brought Shann face to face with a jarring thought–could I have been wrong about her all along?
“Here it is.” Keris extracted her pack from a small chest. She pulled out the flying cloak and cast it about her shoulders, fumbling one-handed. Shann went over and helped her secure the neck clasp. As their eyes met, Shann searched the other woman for answers. The side of her face was puffy and one eye was partly closed, but there was the same angular nose and lean features–the same black eyes, hard as diamonds and just as unfathomable. “Thank you.” Keris’ voice held an edge of concealed pain.
The Lodestone Trilogy (Limited Edition) (The Lodestone Series) Page 31
