Will it be enough? After I’m gone, will she have the strength and the courage to do what must be done? With some effort, he pulled himself back to the here and now. “You haven’t said what you think, old friend.”
“About Susan Gilmer? I don’t know. We’ve known her for less than a day. She’s hu-man, and hu-mans have caused nothing but ruin and death since they came to our world. It’s difficult to believe one of them would turn against her own people to help us, especially since it apparently involves sacrificing the chance to return home.”
“She says she wants to stay here and find the one called McCann,” Lyall pointed out.
“The one who spied on us at the Dais and who fought with Keris and Shann at the Tower of Akalon,” Alondo reminded him. “She’s also admitted to being allied with their Captain—our Prophet—although she claims she’s now working against him. She could be genuine... or it could all be part of an elaborate deception.”
“Which do you think it is?” Lyall asked.
Alondo grinned. It was a heartwarming sight. “Got a coin handy?”
Lyall laughed lightly. “Well, anyway, I asked Keris to keep a special eye on her. If it turns out that she is working against us, we will find that out soon enough. In a battle of wits between her and Keris, my money’s on Keris.”
“Mine too. When do you think they’ll be ready to brief the rest of us?”
“I’m not sure. Why?”
“Because I wanted a chance to Ring Oliah before we left.”
Lyall squeezed his friend’s shoulder. “Go ahead. If they call the rest of us, I’ll come and fetch you.”
Alondo stood up. “Thanks. I’ll just be a short distance away.”
Lyall watched his lifelong friend’s back as he walked off up the dry river-bed; then his eyes turned inward as dark contemplations swept down on him like terrible birds, claiming him once more.
~
“It’s time.”
The emerald-green stone at the centre of the Speaker Ring glowed gently in the gathering twilight as Oliah’s sweet voice issued forth. “Alondo, I’m afraid.”
“So am I,” Alondo confessed. “But it will all be over soon. Everything is ready to go. We have the four components of Annata’s device as well as the wristband that will allow us passage through the barrier that the hu-mans have set up. Some of them are even helping us.”
“Really?”
“Yes. When they found out that we were on the island, they sent their machines out to look for us. These hu-mans are different, Oliah. They’re opposed to what the Prophet is doing. All they want is the chance to go home. They showed us their ship. It’s... well, I’ve never seen anything like it before. Golden-coloured, with a shining blue power source—it filled an entire valley. Kelanni on this side have constructed some wondrous things, but nothing to compare with that. I would like to have found out more about it.”
“Look, Alondo. Don’t get sidetracked. Just do what you need to do and get out of there.”
Alondo smiled, even though he knew she couldn’t see it. “Don’t worry, that’s what I intend to do. One of the hu-mans—a woman named Susan Gilmer—is even coming with us to help us get inside the facility.”
“It’s hard to believe they would help us. Are you sure about this hu-man?”
“Not completely. But Keris is watching her. Everything will be fine. How are things back in Sakara?”
Oliah’s sigh was audible even across the vast distance that lay between them. “We’re still hanging on. But we’re very much on our own. The lords of Leota and Kalath-Kar have both signed pacts with the Prophet. Among other things, they have promised not to interfere with the takeover here. It is said that the Prophet’s influence now extends from Kalath-Kar in the east to Gan-Dathlie in the west. The Free Port stands alone.
“I can still see smoke rising from various parts of the city, including the harbour. The Keltar firebombed a number of vessels that were laid at anchor. Most of the remaining ship captains that were docked there set sail for either Leota or Kalath-Kar on the next tide. I can’t say I blame them, really.”
“Why would the Keltar do that?”
“We’re pretty sure it’s all part of a concerted effort to isolate the Free Port. The Prophet’s soldiers already have the roads blocked—to the north and to the south. When the trader captains spread the word that Sakara is not safe, she will effectively be cut off by both land and sea.”
“Trade,” Alondo mused. “Free trade is the very lifeblood of Sakara. Cut it off, and you strangle the city. Pretty soon, people will be desperate for a return to normality. They will do anything to restore it: cooperate with the Prophet, even turn against the Thief Guild and the rest of the city-based resistance. Clever.”
“The Skippers in the Thief Guild also believe it may be a prelude to a planned purge by the Prophet’s forces—an attempt to move in and crush any remaining opposition in a single concerted effort, ensuring that there will be no outside interference. They believe that the Prophet now has sufficient troops and Keltar assembled here to pull it off. If they’re right, then the purge is likely to happen soon. And... it’s likely that many of us will not survive.”
Alondo did his best to sound light-hearted. “Well, if things go according to plan, you won’t have to hang on much longer. The humans are leaving our world. After the weapon has been neutralized and their great ship has departed, there will be nothing left for them here. With the Prophet gone, the Keltar will be in disarray. You should be able to win back the city easily. I and the others will be there to help you, if necessary.”
“But... how will you get back here?”
“Don’t worry,” Alondo said. “It’s all arranged. The Scientific Directorate—the ruling authority here—has a craft that can fly above the Great Barrier of Storms. Shann says she can pilot it. We’ll all be home in a few days.”
“I can scarcely believe it. Things are so bad here; none of us has dared to hope. And yet you’re saying it could all be over soon?”
“Yes, Oliah, I believe that. Lyall, Shann, Keris, and Rael, the boy from this world—all of us have come through so much, we’re not going to fail now.” The gentle green illumination winked and flickered as an odd sound was transmitted through the Ring’s distortion. It took a moment before Alondo recognised it as crying. “Oliah? What’s the matter?”
“Nothing... nothing at all. Just... come home safe.”
“I will, I promise.”
The Ring glowed one more time, strong and steady this time.
“I love you.”
~
The party gathered in a loose knot at the centre of a circle of artificial hu-man lamps that burned steadily, pushing back the twilight. Holding centre stage were Keris, the tall, statuesque Kelanni, with her crimson cloak draped about her shoulders, and Susan Gilmer, the diminutive yellow-haired hu-man woman, dressed in pure white overalls. An odd pairing indeed.
Keris raised her voice. “The hu-man, Susan Gilmer, has graciously offered to help us gain entry to the weapon facility. She has come up with a plan; I will let her explain it to you.” She turned to Susan Gilmer and gave her a single nod.
The hu-man woman nodded in return and cleared her throat. “At the side of the building, there is a large set of double doors. They are used to allow access for trucks carrying equipment as well as hoppers bringing in refined lodestone. The hoppers are readily available and they are not guarded—there’s never been any reason to. One hopper would be large enough to accommodate all of you. I will drive it. I doubt that I will be challenged, but if I am, I will simply say that I am helping to make a delivery of lodestone.”
Rael had a dubious expression. “You want us to ride inside this thing?”
“That’s right,” Susan Gilmer said. “The idea comes from the Trojan Horse. It’s a tale from the history of my people. Ancient warriors hid inside a statue of a horse—an animal—and were thus able to get inside the city they were attacking.”
“And tha
t actually worked?” Rael marvelled.
“It broke a ten-year siege,” Susan Gilmer said, matter-of-factly. “At any rate—that’s the story.”
“Sounds a bit far-fetched to me,” Alondo grinned. “Of course, I love those kinds of stories.” Keris drew her brows together and shot him a warning stare. The musician beamed at her, much to her annoyance.
“What about Boxx?” Shann put in.
Keris dragged her eyes away from Alondo. “Perhaps it would be best if we were to leave it behind.”
Boxx moved its head from side to side. “Leave Behind?”
“You will stay here,” Keris explained.
“Why Will I Stay Here?” it trilled.
“You have done enough already.”
“Kelanni Are Safe? Chandara Are Safe?”
“Well... no... ,” Keris replied, suddenly unsure of herself.
“Then I Have Not Done Enough. I Will Go With Keris.”
The tall woman looked as if she had been slapped in the face.
Susan Gilmer looked from Keris to Boxx and back again, but it was clear that that particular debate was at an end. She took a deep breath. “Anyway, as soon as I have driven the hopper to a location inside the building, where the weapons are situated, there will be a fire alarm, arranged by our people.”
Shann frowned. “A what?”
“A fire alarm,” Susan Gilmer repeated. “It’s a loud siren that will sound throughout the building, signifying that someone believes that a fire has started somewhere. In accordance with our protocols, the place will be evacuated immediately of all personnel, me included. Just before I leave, I will bang the side of the hopper once. You will count to fifty, then exit the hopper and proceed to the weapons.”
“How long will we have?” Lyall queried.
“It’s difficult to say, exactly,” the hu-man woman replied. “During previous drills, it took about eight minutes to clear the building. Then fire marshals do a sweep of the building. If you are quiet, it may take them another five minutes or so to discover you.” She registered the blank expressions around her. None of those present knew the hu-man method of measuring time. “I’ll give you my watch. It’s a device that will tell you how many minutes have elapsed. But you won’t have very long. You’ll have to hurry.”
“Any questions?” Keris asked curtly. There was a flat silence. “Get your gear together. We will be leaving shortly.” She turned and strode away. Voices murmured and feet shuffled as the group broke up.
Lyall spotted Keris’s rapidly retreating back and hurried after her. “Keris,” he hissed, as soon as he was within range.
She stopped and turned to face him. Here, away from the artificial lights, the deep shadows lent her visage an appearance of stately severity. “Yes, Lyall.”
“What was all that about?”
“If Boxx insists on coming with us, there is little I can do to stop it.”
Lyall shook his head. “I don’t mean that. I mean this so-called plan of yours.”
“It’s not my plan,” she reminded him. “It’s Susan Gilmer’s.”
“You went along with it.”
“Yes,” she said. “Yes, I did.”
“Are you crazy?”
Her reaction was the one that Lyall had least expected— equanimity. “Why would you say that?”
Lyall blew through his teeth. “Well, I hardly know where to begin.
Leaving aside for the moment that there is absolutely no exit strategy, you have us all trapped together in an enclosed space, totally at the mercy of a hu-man that we have only just met.”
There was a pause while the raven-haired woman seemed to reflect. Finally she met his enquiring gaze. Her eyes shone in the nascent starlight. “Very good. I see that your time at the keep was not entirely wasted. Naturally, I am aware of the deficiencies of Susan Gilmer’s scheme. However, our meeting had nothing to do with strategy. I determined our plan of attack some time ago, before I knew of the hu-man woman’s existence.”
“Then what was the point of the exercise?”
“At the keep, did you play shassatan along with the other initiates?”
“Some. Not a great deal,” he confessed.
“A pity,” she said. “You see, there are some plays in shassatan that have no purpose other than to force the other party to show their hand. I had no need for help in planning a strategy. However, Susan Gilmer is an anomaly—a wild piece on the board. We must know her agenda before the action commences. The key to doing that is power.”
“Power?” Lyall repeated. “In what way?”
Keris sighed. “One of the things shassatan teaches is that most people have the wrong view of power. They believe that power rests in the hand of the one wielding it. Wrong. Real power lies in the hand of the one who is able to grant it. If we want to know what Susan Gilmer is up to, we need to give her the power she needs to carry her plan forward. Then we simply create the right moment to take that power away.”
“And then what?” Lyall asked.
Keris’s face broke into a secretive smile. “And then we see what happens.”
<><><><><>
Chapter 14
“Change of plan.”
Keris was a rock—as indomitable as the granite cliff that towered over them. Susan Gilmer was in the process of mounting the cab of one of a collection of battered, rusting hoppers, scattered about a roughly flattened loading area. She stepped back down and turned to face the tall Kelanni. A ring of steady lights on raised gantries shone down on them like the faces of a jury. “Excuse me?”
“Lyall, Shann, and I will go in by a different route,” Keris announced. Shann glanced at Lyall, but he seemed as surprised as her. She knew the tall ex-Keltar well enough to know that the woman had not simply changed her mind about the operation. She must have planned this all along. Clearly she was up to something. But what? “Alondo, Rael, and Boxx can use this carriage. We will be ready to intervene in case anything goes wrong.”
A chorus of objections sounded, with the hu-man woman’s voice finally gaining the ascendancy. “That’s not a good idea; if you are seen, then it will all be over.”
“That is our concern,” Keris replied.
“The heck it is,” Susan Gilmer exploded. “This is my butt on the line as much as it is yours.”
Shann was still trying to piece together the hu-man colloquialisms when she heard Keris say with utter finality, “The matter is decided.”
Rael shook his head. “No. I’m going with the three of you.” He was staring at the ground, but his voice was steady.
“I’m sorry. That isn’t possible,” Keris ruled.
Rael locked eyes with her. “Why not?”
“I’m afraid you don’t possess the necessary skills.”
“I’m going with you, no matter what.” His voice carried that same determined quality as it had at the observatory in Kieroth, and when he overruled her and decided to follow the floating mechanical eye.
Keris took a deep breath and drew herself erect, but it was Lyall who spoke. “And I’m not leaving Alondo inside that thing with only Boxx for company.”
The musician shifted the burden of the instrument he carried on his back, removed his cap, and ran a hand through his wavy brown hair. He appeared distinctly uncomfortable, being the focus of contention. “No. It’s fine. I’ll be all right—really.”
Shann felt a wave of sympathy for Alondo. The little man was a singer, an entertainer, a teller of jokes and stories. He was completely out of his depth taking part in a raid against a camp of hostile hu-man creatures. “Why can’t he and Boxx come with the rest of us?”
Keris looked straight at the girl. The tone of her voice, once edged with impatience, now carried the weight of the respect Shann had accumulated during their travels together. “The route we are taking will involve use of the flying cloak. We might be able to carry Boxx, but it would be a hindrance. Alondo is out of the question. I’m sorry.”
“Then I will travel with A
londo and Boxx,” Lyall said. “We will meet up with the rest of you inside.”
Keris turned to Rael, who was standing next to Shann. “This isn’t a practice session. There will be no time for Shann or me to wait for you or coach you. You will just have to keep up.”
The hard illumination cast shadows across the boy’s grim visage. “I understand.”
“Very well, then,” Keris said.
“Now just hang on one blasted minute,” Susan Gilmer blustered.
Keris faced her squarely. “Kelanni is our world, not yours, human. We will remove the threat that the hu-mans have created. If you wish to assist us, then you may do so. If not, then stand aside.”
Tension crackled in the silence as the two women stood off against one another. It almost felt as though Keris were deliberately trying to provoke a conflict with the hu-man woman. But to what end? Shann could not see that there was anything to be gained by sowing dissension in their ranks—not when they were this close to achieving the goal of neutralizing the hu-man weapons and saving their world.
Not many days ago she would have sounded off—challenged Keris’s authority—maybe even sided with the hu-man woman. Now, though, it was as if she had gained a new insight—an ability to see beyond the obvious. Keris would not be doing this without an extremely good reason—one that might ultimately prove critical to the fulfilment of their mission. Shann held her tongue.
Suddenly, a wave of resignation broke over Susan Gilmer’s features. “‘Oh brave new world that has such people in it.’” She looked around the quizzical faces of the Kelanni. “Something Shakespeare once said.”
“Interesting,” Alondo observed. “Who is this ‘Shakespeare’? Is he a member of your expedition?”
“Not exactly,” she said. “Although the setting was an island, not unlike this one.”
“A pity. I’d like to meet him,” said the bard.
Susan Gilmer smiled faintly as she climbed into the cab. “Where do you want to meet up?”
“Proceed to a point near to the central structure as planned,” Keris instructed. “We will join you when the time is right.”
The Lodestone Trilogy (Limited Edition) (The Lodestone Series) Page 83
