Tahn dropped his gaze again. “Scalinou was right, wasn’t he?” Tahn wiped his lips, remembering the night he’d spent in the cosmology dome, just before he’d had to leave the Grove.
“He’s one fine astronomer for a cosmologist.” Martin laughed and slapped Tahn’s shoulder. “But it sure looks that way. Pliny Soray is off her course.” It was Martin’s turn to look up. “The grand clock is telling a funny time.”
“The math says more than that,” Rithy interjected.
Both Tahn and Martin looked over at her with questioning eyes.
She shrugged. “I don’t know what yet. But I don’t think it’s just a planet that’s found a different way around the sun. Something made her go astray.”
Martin rubbed his hands together. “I love a mystery. It’s the only thing that got me to quit the pageant wagons. These high-heaven secrets need our attention.”
“But why do you hide it on the chalkboard?” Tahn asked. “I’m sure there are plenty in the Grove who’ve seen Soray off her course.”
His old friend pointed at Rithy. “It’s like your friend says, the math tells more than that. And the math on that board belongs to Lour.”
My skies, Lour Nail. Lour used to be a member of the Grove. A philosopher. But he’d been run out. Lived north of the city. He’d become one of Tahn’s best friends while he was here.
“How is he?” Tahn asked.
“Foul as ever,” Martin said, smiling wide. “But I don’t know a better philosopher … or star man.”
Tahn wanted to see his old friend. But it would have to wait until after the argument with the College of Mathematics. Then, perhaps, Lour might even be of help to him. Especially in preparation for his Succession argument with Darius.
Shaylas’ babe uttered a weak cry, and settled back into her mother’s arms. Tahn wondered what dreams the child had that would cause its momentary distress. And who cradled me the way Shaylas cradles her child? He’d learned Grant was his father. But his earliest memories were of the Scar, and no wife or mother had lived with them there. Only later did Vocencia begin taking care of him in the Hollows. And as much as she’d loved him, she’d not been the one who would have soothed him as a babe.
The unanswerable question gave way to images of his father. The thought of Grant, and the Scarred Lands, and the babies left in the hollow of a tree for his da to try and place in a home … it reminded him of the wards of the Scar. Tahn’s friends. It reminded him that some of those friends had given up and taken their own lives in the wastes of that desolate place. Thirty-seven.
But the darker memories didn’t claim him tonight. He was comfortable. And happy. Perhaps never so happy. He was in the company of friends, and doing something he was good at. And for a damned good reason.
There was a lot of work ahead. A lot of reading and researching and arguing. They’d have to prepare to face the College of Mathematics, the College of Philosophy, the College of Cosmology, his own College of Astronomy. He was eager for every test. He nearly wanted to leave their celebration now and get started. It had been a long time since he’d felt so useful, so needed. So able and ready. He couldn’t help his sense of urgency and excitement.
There were large questions to answer. Perhaps one of them was the math on Martin’s hidden chalkboard. Tahn guessed it had something to do with his reason for being here. But for now, they needed to focus on the College of Mathematics.
“Rithy?”
She turned, sipping her chocolate.
“I was serious, you know.” He smiled, taking another healthy draught off his own cup.
“About me singing?” she said, not missing a beat. She really did know him in an uncanny sort of way.
He nodded. Laughed.
“I know what you meant,” she said. “We’ll have a look. But not tonight. Tonight we should be happy the physicists didn’t have their way with us.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
Tahn finished his cup and made his way to every person there, to thank them: Mother Polaema, Rithy—who he very nearly kissed—and the rest of his Succession team, Martin, and lastly Shaylas. She hadn’t been part of the argument. Nor even part of the discussion about Pliny Soray, their stray planet. But he went to her and thanked her anyway. Thanked her for a different reason. Thanked her on behalf of her child … who would never know a Scar. Not if he could help it.
GLOSSARY
Abandonment, the: The cessation of Creation at the hands of the Framers, and their subsequent abandonment and absence from the lives of men.
Aeshau: From the Language of the Covenant, meaning “gathered.”
Age: A reckoning of time roughly equivalent to a thousand years.
Anais (Ah-NAY): An honorific used for women, derived from Anais Layosah Reyal.
Ars and Arsa (AHRS and AHRS-ah): Alternate terms from the Covenant Language for “body” and “spirit,” denoting also the beauty and elegance of both sides of Creation individually and as a unified whole.
Artificer: See Quietus.
Ayron (EYE-rahn): A Far drink made of plain yogurt and water.
Baenel (Bay-NELL): Covenant Language term meaning “eternally left behind.”
Bar’dyn: Creatures created at the hands of Quietus to balance the efforts of the Council of Creation, and consigned to the Bourne at the Abandonment. Three heads taller than a tall man, they have a thick, fibrous skin as resilient as most armor. Due to its roughness, the skin often appears to move independent of the muscle and bone beneath. They have protruding cheekbones and long arms ending in hands with a thumb on each side of three taloned fingers. Still, they make use of weapons, and possess an unsettling intelligence belied by their brutish appearance. Their strength is expressed in a common folk myth that with their bare hands they could crush stone.
Blade of Seasons: A blade forged from a block of metal folded a thousand times. It is said to have the power of remembering.
boards, the: A term referring to the platforms where the human auctions take place.
Bourne, the: The great area north and west of the Eastlands where the races given life by Quietus were sent and sealed behind the Veil.
Castigation, the: When Regent Corihehn of Recityv sent the Sedagin people to almost certain death, the Randeur of the Sheason sent his Order into the court and council of every nation and caused them, upon threat of death, to reassemble in Recityv to honor Corihehn’s lie and go to help the Sedagin.
Chamber of Anthems: A great round hall in Descant Cathedral, where the Leiholan sing the Song of Suffering.
Change, the: See Standing.
Charter, the: A legendary code of principles and dictums, said to have been authored in the Language of the Covenant by the Council at Creation, it sets forth the fundamental covenants of life, the model for joyful living, and the universal laws that govern all Forda I’Forza. It is said to be the mind of the Great Fathers, the hope of man. Yet it remains largely a myth, with but a few of its tenets still uttered on the lips of men, and these known only by oral tradition too old to be reliable. Still, invoking the very name of this treatise inspires silence and reflection.
Children of Soliel: See Far.
Civilization Order: Order authored by the League of Civility that makes rendering the Will, or asking a Sheason to do so, a crime punishable by death.
Convocation of Seats: A council called first by King Sechen Baellor to answer the threat of the Bourne in the war of the First Promise. The convocation seated rulers from almost every nation known to Baellor. Its unified efforts helped bring the war of the First Promise to an end.
court wastery: Sewage area of a big city or palace.
Covenant Tongue (or Language of the Covenant): A language used by the Framers to put the world in place.
Cradle of the Scar: A dead, white tree not far inside the Scarred Lands. The tree bears a hollow at a height just above the head of an average-sized man.
Craven Season: The age that followed the High Season. Known as craven because t
he designs of the First Ones seemingly came to naught, leaving the land in a state of debility. During this period, the Veil weakened and gradually let slip those hidden up in the Bourne, resulting in the Convocation of Seats and the War of the First Promise.
crest of Mira Far: White banner with two red swords described in vertical lines, one pointing up, the other down.
crest of the Sodality: A quill dancing on the flat edge of a horizontal sword, typically rendered in white and black.
crest of Vohnce: A tree with as many roots as branches, typically white upon a crimson field.
collough (Kul-LAW): A term defining the standard military complement of the Bar’dyn; typically numbering about a thousand.
dark hour: Midnight.
Dissent: A legal term for a case or issue brought before a court.
Dissenter: A legal term for one who brings a Dissent or dispute before the court.
Draethmorte: Those first Adherents to the cause of Quietus, given the right and privilege to direct the Will by Maldea himself. Some believe they were created when the Artificer knew he would not be allowed to finish his work and at great personal cost formed from his belly and mind these sacred few to aid him in the ages that would follow.
Drum of Nicholae: A mythic instrument that, when played, it is said, causes the hearts of all those fighting beneath its drummer’s banner to beat in unison, effectively creating one great heart to thrust upon the enemy. The legend tells that the drum is an inelegant thing, with a dark origin.
dust gone up: A phrase used by traders and highwaymen to refer to the auctions held to sell human stock. It is derived from the chalk put to the feet of those to be auctioned. Alternately, the phrase refers to mortality, dust being the reduced Forda of mortal flesh, life.
earthsky: A common term, meaning horizon.
Emerit (EM-ehrit): A warrior with sworn fealty to men and women of station. His feats of prowess might only be surpassed by his keen intellect. It is a title bequeathed on only the greatest fighter by only the highest office of government.
Estem Salo (EH-stehm SA-low): The seat of Sheason leadership, inhabited primarily by those of the Order and their families. It is said to be a small city of energetic thought and applied principle.
Far: A race that lives in the Soliel Stretches and is known for exceptional speed and weapons handling. Legend holds that they live a shortened life, having been given a commission by the First Ones ages ago. Little is known about them, to the point that distant nations consider the Far nothing more than an authors’ story. Few have ever seen a Far, as they remain a reclusive and well-protected race in the harsh terrain of the Soliel.
final earth: Euphemism for either death or a grave.
First Fathers: See Framers.
First Ones: See Framers.
First Promise, the: A covenant to answer every injustice with an equal measure of justice. The First Promise was entered into by nearly every nation, kingdom, principality, throne, and dominion with a government to be represented at the Convocation of Seats. It was the beginning of the end of all things craven, and gave men hope again after the Abandonment. Fealty and honor meant something between friends and countrymen. Equity and fairness were the highest law, and scarcely anything needed to be codified or written, one’s word being as certain a thing as the dawning of another day.
First Steward: The honorific given to one who stands as witness to a melura’s Change.
Fleetfoot: See Far.
Forda (FOHR-dah): From the Covenant Language, meaning “matter” or “body,” and sometimes “earth.”
Forda I’Forza (FOHR-dah ee-FOHR-zah): The union of matter and energy, body and spirit, earth and sky, that makes up life. Even the First Ones are bound by the laws of this governing dynamic. One without the other collapses, and is brought to unhappiness or stasis. It is a delicate balance, upset by Maldea during the creation of the world and for which he was Whited and bound.
Forgotten Cradle: See Cradle of the Scar.
Forza (FOHR-zah): From the Covenant Language, meaning “spirit” or “energy,” and sometimes “sky.”
Framers: The gods who created the world of Aeshau Vaal.
gave me the crawls: A colloquial phrase meaning “it was creepy.”
handcoin: Worth ten jots or plugs. Sometimes called simply “a coin.”
Hargrove (HAR-grohv): A renowned poet, whose work often took historical themes.
High Council: A body of select representatives empowered to enact change and provision for Recityv in particular and the nation of Vohnce in general.
Hollows, the: A small town in the Hollows Forest. It’s name changed over time, as it was once known as “The Hallows,” consecrated to protect those residing therein from the Quiet, should they come into the land.
hostaugh (Hoh-STAW): A poisonous serpent from the Mal.
Inner Resonance: See Sheason.
Inveterae (In-VEHT-er-eye): If the stories are to be believed, the Inveterae are those creatures given life at the hands of the First Ones (not Maldea, but the others of the Creation Council), yet still consigned to the Bourne alongside the Quiet. Most Eastland folk consider this folklore created to keep children in line.
jaybird: A euphemism for the male genitalia.
Je’holta (Jeh-HOHLT-ah): A gathering of thought and feeling from things tangible—even if inanimate—and given form in a dark fog that coaxes those enveloped within it to experience their own fears. It carries voices that belong to souls lost while serving Maldea, tainted and languid because there is no redemption for them. They cry, their hollow voices audible within Je’holta, like a touchstone of awful remembrance. It is a unique instrument of the Quiet. It may be called spontaneously anywhere, having no imprisonment behind the Veil. See also Male’Siriptus.
Jo’ha’nel (JOE-hah-nell): Legend holds him to be the presiding member of Quietus’s servants. Rumors abound of diaries held deep in the libraries of Estem Salo that bear the handwriting of this Quietgiven. It is said that he was the first to follow Maldea. There are old stories about his first fight with Palamon for the lives of men.
Jurshah (JER-shaw): A compliment of four Leaguemen in which each of the four League disciplines is represented. Originally, each branch of the League represented simply the four directions on a map. Now, these disciplines pursue separate fundamental skills deemed needful by His Leadership: politics, justice and defense, history, and finance and commerce. Just as the directions on a map combine to indicate middling courses, so too are their factions with covert purposes unspoken of by His Leadership.
Kaemen Sire (KAY-men SIGH-er): The second organized entrance into the Eastlands by the Bourne was led by a creature of unknown origin. Some believed Kaemen Sire to be one of Maldea’s first creations, others a Draethmorte, and still others are sure it was Inveterae. Whatever the truth, its madness and rage was said to blind men for merely looking upon it. The defeat of the Quiet during the War of the Second Promise did not claim this creature, which escaped back beyond the Veil.
King Sechen Baellor (SEH-shen BAY-lohr) the Swift: The king of Vohnce—which later moved to a more representative government—at the beginning of the War of the First Promise. Baellor called the first Convocation of Seats.
Latae: Used with “dance” or “stance” to describe a series of battle motions learned by the Far for battle.
Layosah (LAY-oh-saw), the Great Defense of: Referring to one of the Wombs of War who shamed King Baellor into calling the First Convocation of Seats.
Leadership, His: Euphemism for the leader of League of Civility, currently Roth Staned.
League of Civility: An association of presumably civic-minded militants who believe that enlightenment trumps all. Self-appointed administrators of the law, they are dedicated to the quelling of insurgency that runs counter to their described goals: peace, equality, and prosperity. In the interest of their creed, they have made strict enemies of the Sheason by forcing ratification of a “Civilization” order (death) executable upon evid
ence of a Sheason’s exercise of the Will. The League holds that rendering the Will is at best an arcane practice with unnatural and unholy origins, smacking of stories that assume the reality of the Great Fathers, and ultimately becomes nothing more than a cover for deception and manipulation of the working class. With four branches—politics, justice and defense, history, and finance and commerce—the League has evolved to have political representation in almost every nation. Their sigil is four arms in a circle, each gripping the wrist of the next, now extolled as a metaphor for unity of the people, though originally a symbol of its four branches, each branch coming to emphasize particular goals in the interest of the League.
Leiholan (LAY-ih-HOLE-uhn): From the Language of the Covenant, meaning “Wrought by Song.” An inborn ability to exercise the Will through song. It is a gift of Resonance. The term is also used to refer to one who possesses the gift.
Lesher Roon (LESH-uhr ROON): A race run at Recityv by children ages twelve and below. The winner occupies a seat at the regent’s High Table as the Child’s Voice, and is thus a member of the High Council, able to cast a vote in all decisions that relate to Recityv and the nation of Vohnce.
Levate (LEH-vuht): One who practices the healing arts.
Library of Common Understanding: A repository of laws and codified principles by which all residents of Recityv, and to a larger extent Vohnce, may be reasonably expected to be held. It is also the immense library that serves the nation of Vohnce.
light storm: Also sometimes known as a Forza storm, this phenomenon appears as a series of light bursts with no apparent source.
Loneot: A renowned architect from the flourishing years of the Dispensation of Hope.
longblades: Euphemistic name for Sedagin. See also Sedagin.
Low Ones: A disparaging term applied to those born with abnormalities. Also sometimes used to refer to any not highborn.
Lul’Masi (Lull-mah-SEE): A race of Inveterae escaped from the Bourne during the War of the First Promise. Similar to the Bar’dyn in stature, they stand three full strides tall, and have broad, flat features. Most notable is the sheer size of their legs, which cause them to move in more of a gallop than a run, swinging each leg out around the muscled bulk of their thighs. Known for their stoic natures and generally reclusive tendencies.
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