by Sharon Green
"One of the things we're not doing is racing around like chickens with their heads cut off," he soothed, his amusement for some reason returned. "There have been other organizations from time to time, but none of them were able to accomplish anything because they tried to attack the nobles themselves. We're out to show that the nobles are maintaining themselves in power by breaking the law. If we can do that, then we can take the individual nobles down without their being able to scream about lawless rebellion. And with the law on our side, most of the guard will have to support us."
"I don't see things working out that way," I said with another shake of my head. "Most people are content to live quietly even with things as they are, so you can't expect support from them. If you come forward—with just your supporters—claiming the nobles are breaking the law, those same nobles will laugh and tell you to take them to court and then they'll go about their business. That business will consist of delaying or outright squashing any charges being brought against them, in the meanwhile having you and your people quietly arrested. You can't bring charges in court if you don't come forward, and if you do come forward you'll never live long enough to see those charges pressed. You need to do something else entirely."
"Like what?" he asked, the amusement gone again. "Recruit an army and depose the nobles by force? Not only does that go against everything we believe in, it just isn't possible. It takes experience and training to use the talents of an army effectively, and no one among us has that. It's been far too long since our empire had an army, so any veterans we might have recruited are long since dead."
"How does the empire get along without an army?" I asked in confusion. "Especially since we're supposedly still expanding into what used to be other people's countries? No, never mind, the question isn't relevant. What is relevant is that your plans will never work. I'm sorry to have to tell you that, but I prefer to hurt your feelings rather than stand back and watch you die. Thank you for the tea. I think I'm ready to sleep now."
He rose when I did, but he made no effort to come with me when I left the room. He'd looked furiously unhappy, but he obviously couldn't think of anything else to say in argument against what I'd told him. I suspected he knew as well as I did that his plan would never work, and had kept on with it only because no one had been able to think of anything better.
Opening the door quietly to the spartan communal bedchamber showed that Naran now slept as soundly as Rion. I slipped inside and closed the door again just as quietly, tiptoed to the door on the far side of the room in an effort to locate privacy facilities, and was glad to find them just behind the door. I used them quickly, then returned to the outer room where I chose a cot to lie down on. I was hardly used to sleeping in my clothes, but if Naran had been able to do it then I had the hope of being able to do the same.
Hope ... I lay on my right side, the tiny pillow under my cheek, my gaze on Naran and Rion. Although both lay sound asleep, they nevertheless continued to hold hands. That was probably what being able to hope did for you, which was why I'd never have what they did between them. I could hope to fall asleep, but I'd never learn to hope for any situation which had the power to bring such incredible pain if it didn't succeed. When it didn't succeed ...
I closed my eyes, but sleep was a very long time in coming.
Twelve
Rion yawned and stretched, then got a good enough look at his surroundings to wonder where in blazes he was. The last thing he remembered was being at Mother's house.... "No, that's not the last thing," he murmured when he saw Tamrissa sound asleep just a few beds away. Memory now flooded back about the way he'd been rescued, and Naran had been there as well. He had a vague memory of traveling in a coach forever, and then of being carried. And Valiant had also been there ...
Without stopping to think, Rion swung his legs off the thin, narrow bed and stood, pausing to stretch again before realizing that he'd done it all without help. That abomination he'd been fed had finally worn off, then, and what a relief it was. Hobbling about like an old man, needing the help of others to walk without falling—
Sudden worry caused Rion to stand unmoving. His mind seemed perfectly all right, but he'd abruptly remembered what Mother had said about his talent. He was supposed to have been permanently damaged, especially since he hadn't been free to fight against the damage. Well, he seemed to be free now, so it might be wisest to see if something positive could be done.
Rion first took a deep breath to brace himself against what he might find, and then he gingerly reached toward the power. There was a slight drag to his efforts at first, as though he needed to break through some sort of delicate barrier, and then his touch was full and sure. Strength flowed into him, both physical and talent-wise, and once again he was aware of everything to do with the air about him.
"It's all there, just as it was before the betrayal!" he whispered ecstatically, needing to say the words aloud to make them absolutely real and true. But he had no wish to waken Tamrissa from the sleep she so obviously needed, and he also wanted to find Naran. It would be nice to know where they were, and also what they'd be doing next
A door at the far end of the narrow room opened on a privacy facility, so Rion made use of it before trying the other door. He also used the shaving gear near the basin to rid himself of stubble, and splashed water into his face to drive away the last mists of sleep. But finding a bath house would soon become an absolute, top-drawer priority. He'd never slept in his clothes before, and disliked the sweaty, rumpled sensation doing it had left behind.
The second door led into a corridor, and after closing the thing as silently as possible he followed the corridor to an archway at what appeared to be its end. As he approached he heard low conversation, and stepping inside showed him a room filled with tables and chairs and people eating. Hunger suddenly touched him as well, but Naran had seen him come in. He first wanted to give her the good news, and then he would find a plate to fill.
"Good morning, my love," Naran greeted him with a matchless smile once he was close enough, her lovely eyes shining. "I'm delighted to see you up and around again, and I apologize for not waiting until you awoke. When I opened my eyes I discovered that I was ravenous, and so had to come looking for something to eat."
"Apologies would be necessary only if you hadn't seen to yourself, my love," he returned, bending to exchange a quick kiss with her. "And I must say I agree with you. It's a very good morning indeed."
"Oh, Rion, you've completely returned to yourself!" she exclaimed delightedly, taking the hand he held out. "I knew you would, but there was confusion about when. Oh, excuse my terrible manners. This gentleman is Dom Paisin Phile, one of those who are so kindly helping us."
The tall, thin man sitting with Naran rose with a smile to offer his hand, and Rion took it while showing his own smile. It was marvelous to feel like a full man again, and also to be treated like one....
"It's good to see you up and about, Dom Mardimil," the man Phile said warmly. "Please help yourself to something to break your fast, and then I'll leave you and Dama Whist alone."
"It's difficult to be alone in a room filled with so many people, Dom Phile," Rion responded easily. "Please stay where you are, and I'll return in a moment."
Phile nodded his thanks for and acceptance of the invitation, so Rion went to locate the food he'd been able to smell ever since he'd walked in. The long counter he found it on wasn't precisely a buffet, and the platters holding the food weren't warmers. But there was still a circle of warmth around the eggs, bacon, and fried potatoes, as well as around the lightly toasted bread. Those four things were the only offerings, but there was enough of each that Rion was able to help himself with a free hand.
After taking a dollop of butter and one pinch each of salt and pepper from the bowls holding them, Rion prepared a cup of tea then returned to the table where Naran and Phile sat. It was faintly amusing that at one time Rion would have been unable to touch any of the crudely arrang
ed food, but Mother's prejudices happily no longer affected him.
"Dom Phile was just telling me what some of his people are doing now," Naran said when Rion sat with his plate and cup in front of him. "They haven't been able to locate Jovvi and Lorand either, but Dom Meerk feels they might pick up a clue from Valiant's situation. He was brought to that vile Eltrina Razas's house from somewhere, and the men who had been watching her house might just have followed the wagon which brought him when it returned to wherever it had come from."
"Unfortunately those men aren't here, or we would already know if one of them did follow the wagon back," Phile put in, his expression one of disturbance mixed with frustration and anxiety. "I sent people to search for them first thing this morning, as soon as the warehouse opened. We can't afford to have our men be seen coming and going from here at all hours unless there's an emergency, and your arrival during the wee hours was emergency enough for one day."
"When we do manage to locate them, at least I'll be able to assist Tamrissa in freeing them," Rion put in after swallowing. "I would have dearly loved being able to help with Valiant, even though Tamrissa had no need of my help. You have no idea how helpless one feels..." Rion shook his head, forcibly dismissing the memory, then added, "And speaking of Valiant, what became of him? He was neither in that sleeping room, nor, so far as I can see, is he in this room. Has he gone out of wherever this place happens to be?"
"We're in a secret section of a warehouse," Phile replied, then went on to describe the location of their surroundings before adding, "And Dom Ro was taken to a dormitory room with a window. I was told that Dam a Domon mentioned how uncomfortable he would find it to be in this area with us, so Alsin—Dom Meerk—had him moved."
"I would appreciate directions to where he is," Rion said with a nod after another bite. "Once I finish breakfasting, I mean to go and see how he's doing. I'm certain he'll be just as eager to help free Jovvi and Lorand as I am."
"And I'll go with you," Naran said with a smile. "I need to see both of you up and about for a time before I'll find it possible to wipe away the image of the two of you just lying there unmoving—Please excuse me while I go for another cup of tea."
Rion put a supporting hand to her arm for a moment before allowing her to hurry away, just to help convince her that he really was returned to himself. He hadn't fully understood just how frantic she must have been when none of them returned to the residence, but he was beginning to. Add to that the way he'd looked when Tamrissa had freed him ... It was a wonder that his poor beloved hadn't broken down in hysterics....
Naran was smiling easily again by the time she returned with a fresh cup of tea, giving Rion a better idea of the strength possessed by the woman he loved. He couldn't have been more proud of her, and he spent the rest of the meal gazing at her in wonder. How he had been so blessed as to gain her love was a mystery he would likely never solve, most especially now that he knew himself to be something other than a real noble. He was no more than a sham in that respect, but with Naran beside him he would forge a reality even stronger and more successful.
When Rion had finished, Phile offered to guide them to Valiant rather than simply supplying directions. Rion and Naran accepted the warmly given offer, then followed the man through the archway on the far side of the dining area. The place reminded Rion of that tavern he and the other men of the residence had had such a marvelous time in, the tavern where he'd first met Naran. No wonder he'd felt so immediately at home in the area, or rather, not at home ...
Phile turned right up the corridor, then, after a short distance, right again. This latter corridor proved to be rather long, but at the end of it was a crossing corridor which held three doorways fairly close together. Phile stopped there and indicated the door farthest to the left.
"Dom Ro was put in there, as there were already men in the other two dormitories," he said. "We've learned that those who feel discomfort in windowless places also dislike being in the midst of crowds, and it's in all our best interests to have Dom Ro recover as quickly and completely as possible. If you should happen to need me, ask any of the men you see to come get me. I'll be doing my—'job'—in the warehouse."
He left with a parting smile, providing Rion with a reason to admire his discretion. Another man might have hung about, having no idea that his presence might be an intrusion. It was pleasant to knock on the indicated door with no one but Naran beside him ... just in case Valiant wasn't as fully returned to himself as he should be....
Rion waited, then knocked a second time, but when he still received no answer he reached to the doorknob and quietly opened the door. His ability told him that someone was indeed in the room, and it was perfectly possible that Valiant hadn't yet awakened. If so, he and Naran would simply have to return a bit later....
And the person in the room certainly did prove to be Valiant. The big ex-sea captain lay on his back on the narrow bed closest to the large window, a window which had been swung open almost completely. The blank side of a building stood no more than feet beyond the window, but a rope and pulley arrangement at the window's side said that reaching the street outside would be no more than slightly difficult. Rion knew that Valiant must appreciate the arrangement quite a bit, at the same time realizing that the man was awake.
"Valiant, are you all right?" Rion asked with quickly growing concern when the man on the bed made no effort to see who had come in. "It's Rion, and Naran is with me. Is there something we can do? Can we bring you food?"
"I've already eaten, thank you," Valiant replied in a distant, emotionless voice, his gaze unmoving from the opened window. "A fellow came by earlier, right after I awoke. He said the eatin' hall is much deeper inside the maze, and so he brought me a plate with everythin' available. Because he knew I would never be able to stand goin' to the eatin' hall myself.
Rion exchanged a worried glance with Naran, but she seemed to be at as much of a loss as he. This wasn't the same Valiant Ro they'd known, speaking to them as though they weren't really there. Something was seriously wrong, and although Rion dreaded whatever he might learn, he still had to ask.
"Valiant, tell me what's troubling you," he urged in a gentle voice, stepping more fully into the room. "I want to help, but it's impossible for me to do so until I learn what I must help with. Are you still held in the grip of that hilsom powder?"
"No, that sedative wore off some time ago," came the response, still as distant and chilling with all trace of humanity gone. "I can get up and walk all by myself now, but I found that there's two things I can't do: go to the eatin' hall and have a meal there, and touch the power. I find it amusin' that I no longer even know where the power is, not to speak of touchin' it. If—people—thought I was useless and pitiful before, wait until they see me now ..."
The lifeless words trailed off, but the silence came far too late to keep Rion from being touched by ice. Mother had threatened him with permanent damage, but it was Valiant who now had to face the life of a cripple. Rion felt like weeping for his brother's loss, but tears had proven themselves useless in really serious situations, which that one certainly was. He held to Naran instead as she clung to him, trying to think of what in the world it was possible to say....
Valiant had to struggle awake, but once he got a grip on the condition he was able to retain that grip. In another moment he had his eyes open, and then he discovered that the more he did, the less he had to struggle. Sitting up led to stretching hard, and then he climbed to his feet.
"Better," he muttered as he looked around, running one hand through his hair. His enjoyment of the freedom wasn't yet complete, not when his muscles felt stiff and his mind fuzzy. It would obviously take a while before that drug he'd been given was completely gone from his system, but at least he could move around on his own while he waited for it to be gone. And the first place he meant to move to was the door in the wall opposite the line of cots. He needed privacy facilities rather badly, but if he'd needed help t
o use them...
But happily he needed no help, and when he emerged again he was able to look about a bit more thoroughly. The big open window at one end of the relatively small room had worked to calm his automatic unease, but when he opened the door leading out of the room his insides immediately knotted up. The corridors beyond the door were tiny and completely enclosed, and there was no telling where the next window or door to the outside might be found. Valiant felt a clutch of fear at the thought that he was trapped, and only the presence of the window in the room behind him kept him from falling into panic. Where in the name of chaos was this place, and what was he doing here?
"Hey, good morning," a voice said, and Valiant turned his head to the left to see a man emerging from the corridor a few feet away. "We thought you might be up and about by now, so I brought you some breakfast."
Valiant had already noticed the tray by then, and the aroma of the food had begun to take its turn knotting his stomach. He stepped back at the stranger's approach and managed something of a smile.
"You're the best-lookin' room maid I've seen in a long time," he commented, glancing around the sparsely furnished room again. "There's no table in here to eat at, but I don't mean to let that stop me. Just set that tray down on one of the cots, and I'll take it from there. And by the way— thank you for botherin'."
"No problem," the man returned amiably after putting down the tray. "My brother has your trouble, and when he's here he starts choking everywhere but in one of these dormitories. Walking down to the eating area is completely beyond him, since it's a bit like a maze that you walk through to get there. They finally moved my brother to another facility, and now he's a lot happier. And since I didn't know what you would like, I brought some of everything."
"Decent of you," Valiant said distractedly, suddenly not quite as hungry as he'd been. With half the nobility knowing about his problem, the matter hadn't precisely been a secret until now. But these people in whatever this place was ... now it seemed that all of them knew as well, which somehow made the situation more than mildly humiliating.
