by Kay L. Ling
“Never fear,” Klemmet said. “Officials will gradually reintroduce species while monitoring the effect on the ecology.”
“I went to the barns this morning,” Varkandian said. “Your maraku cattle have thick, curly coats and appear healthy, but they’re somewhat smaller than normal, probably due to their diet.”
Was that what he’d been doing there? Checking the animals and discussing his observations with others?
“Couldn’t wait for an official tour,” Klemmet muttered.
“As if you weren’t up early, taking a self-guided tour of your own,” Anatta said in a blistering tone. “When we asked where you were, a guard said you had gone to the dungeon.”
Klemmet laughed self-consciously.
Tyla stiffened. There was only one inmate there—Raenihel’s nephew Kaff. She could imagine what Kaff, who considered himself unjustly punished, had told the gem masters.
Apparently deciding it was all right to discuss Kaff openly, Klemmet said to Tyla, “It’s shocking to find Raenihel’s nephew in the dungeon. Wasn’t he part of the first group that went to the barrier, hoping to correct the Amulet’s malfunction?”
“Yes, Kaff was on the first Amulet Team. We didn’t include him when the second team went, despite needing experienced members. He’d been nothing but trouble during the first mission, and by then he was in the dungeon for kidnapping S.”
Frinkk said in an officious tone, “Based on your clan’s primitive customs, your elders decided Kaff was guilty and decreed his punishment, but that will never do. He must have an official trial in court and be sentenced according to Ahmonellian law.”
Tyla felt her stomach clench. Why should a distant court dictate Kaff’s punishment? Local clans had governed themselves for generations.
“We will notify the authorities, and officers will take Kaff into custody,” Frinkk said. “The nearest confinement and court of law are in Aberell City.”
“It appears Elantoth will be losing two prisoners,” Varkandian remarked drily.
“If you’ll excuse me,” Tyla said as calmly as she could, “I have matters to attend to while you finish breakfast.”
She needed to tell Raenihel before it became general gossip.
Raenihel took the news better than Tyla expected. He didn’t like the idea of Kaff being so far from home, but he wasn’t afraid the court would be too harsh. He was afraid they would be too lenient, perhaps even dismissing the charges if Kaff paid exorbitant fines or worked off his debt to society in some other way, and that would be a mistake. In a confinement, Kaff couldn’t pursue dark powers and destroy himself.
Raenihel was more concerned about what would happen to Sheamathan once officials removed her from Elantoth. Generations ago, her plan to take over Ahmonell had gone awry, and after being sealed inside the Amulet during the Battle of Last Hope, she had set herself up as queen over this smaller realm. Gnomes trapped here had suffered under her brutal rule ever since, and no one must give her a chance to oppress and enslave gnomes again.
Later that morning, Tyla told the delegates the office was unlocked and they were free to return. Klemmet and Frinkk were eager to go, but Gem Master Ertz said he’d rather stay in the library and look through S’s books. The woodspirits decided to stay, too, ostensibly to visit S, but S didn’t seem pleased to see them, and they had been doing most of the talking.
After lunch, Tyla and Raenihel took Frinkk and Klemmet to the alamaria mine where, until recently, gnomes had worked as slaves.
After surveying the operation from the cliff, and examining the equipment that hoisted alamaria up from the mine, Frinkk and Klemmet were clearly excited.
“We must resume operations as soon as possible,” Frinkk said. “There is only one other known deposit, discovered fifty years ago.” He held up a piece of the shiny, black stone he had found on the ground. “We call this nimest, and it’s very valuable. This deposit is worth a fortune.”
“Your region is known for its corrustone mines,” Klemmet said, “and there are other mines as well, but they don’t produce anything rare. Nimest will be a much-needed revenue source for your region.”
Predictably, Frinkk and Klemmet pocketed all the alamaria they saw on the ground, and then climbed into the maraku cart.
“It won’t be easy to get experienced miners,” Raenihel told Frinkk and Klemmet as they rode back to the fortress. “After being enslaved and forced to work here, who could blame them?”
At the ministry office, Terrilem told them the same thing, but Frinkk and Klemmet waved this concern aside, certain that miners would return.
“You’d be better off with breghlin miners,” Terrilem told them. “Many served as guards, and they’re familiar with the operation.”
“Out of the question,” Frinkk snapped. “Even gnomes would be tempted to steal a few pieces despite the risk of getting witnesses. Breghlin have nothing to lose. They’re already deformed.”
It was all Tyla could do not to stare at Frinkk’s pockets.
Raenihel glared at the gem masters and cleared his throat meaningfully.
“Oh, well, you see . . .” Frinkk sputtered. “We need a few samples—for official examinations and tests.”
“Of course,” Tyla said stiffly.
As soon as she and Raenihel were alone, she said, “Have you ever seen such hypocrisy?”
Raenihel shook his head and sighed.
When she and Raenihel accompanied the gem masters to the Pedestal Room later that afternoon, Klemmet took charge of the daily briefing between Mierek Fortress and Elantoth. He probably wanted to tell them about the nimest mine. The rizumen gem created a mental link, so she and Raenihel couldn’t listen in on the conversation. After Klemmet finished, he summarized the briefing in less than two minutes, and Tyla wondered how much he’d omitted.
That night at dinner, Frinkk said the delegation would be leaving in the morning, and Tyla was both surprised and relieved. So far, nothing more had been said about S’s gem collection, so they must not suspect they’d only seen a fraction of it or that Elias had the best gems. Elias’s name had only come up once, and Raenihel had assured them that Elias was living a quiet life at Strathweed, content to let gnomes manage their own affairs.
Tyla had expected the delegation to stay at least two weeks, considering one of the reasons they had come was to provide training, but perhaps the woodspirits had invited themselves along at the last minute.
After dinner, Frinkk, Klemmet, and Ertz went to their rooms, and the woodspirits announced they were going for a walk so they’d be tired enough to sleep through the gnomes’ snoring.
Tyla had been so busy she had nearly forgotten about Varkandian’s mysterious round object, and as she went to her suite, she realized he’d be leaving tomorrow and she’d never get to see it.
Lant looked up when he heard the door close. “You look tired,” he said. “Have you eaten yet?” He was on the floor with Eemie, playing with the wooden animals he’d carved for her. Tyla typically spent several hours a day working in the library, doing research and runes translations, so it was a blessing that Lant didn’t mind looking after Eemie. The brawny, black-haired gnome was a natural with youngones and had a knack for making up silly songs to keep them entertained.
“Yes, I had dinner with the gnome delegates. The woodspirits had theirs an hour earlier. After watching them bicker at breakfast, I decided they should eat at different times.” Eemie ran over to Tyla and held up her arms. Tyla picked her up, and cradling the toddler against her chest, sank into a chair.
“If they don’t like each other, I’m surprised they agreed to travel together.”
“So am I. But since the trip involved seeing S, I suppose neither side wanted the other to go alone.” She smoothed Eemie’s silky black hair and kissed the top of her head.
“Makes sense.”
“They’re leaving in the morning.”
“Really? I bet everyone’s glad to hear that,” he said with a chuckle.
; “I certainly am. Between the woodspirits and gnomes insulting each other, and the breghlin spying on the woodspirits, my nerves are frayed.”
“All the new regulations are setting my nerves on edge.”
“That reminds me. Kaff is being sent to the Aberell City Confinement until he’s judged and sentenced by their court.
“His family will be devastated. Does Raenihel know?”
“Yes, and he seems resigned to the idea, but Kaff’s parents won’t take it so well.” She looked down at Eemie. How would it feel to have a child grow up and disgrace you? “Let’s go out to the terrace and sit in the arbor. I could use some fresh air.”
The vine-covered arbor was inviting by day and romantic at night. It was pleasant to sit on a bench and look out over the grounds, and Tyla particularly enjoyed the view at twilight. Tonight, the air was humid, and a strong breeze from the west suggested it might rain overnight. As darkness stole over the grounds, the evening hush was broken only by insects’ soft serenade.
Something caught Tyla’s eye in the distance—two bluish lights, moving across the grounds. Someone was carrying lightgems.
Before long, she could distinguish two figures in silver robes—Varkandian and Anatta. They were walking along the driveway now, heading toward the rear entryway. As they came closer, Tyla realized the lights were not lightgems. They were Anatta’s hands.
Lant noticed at the same time. “Her hands! They’re glowing!”
“The same color as a lightgem,” Tyla whispered back. “I’ve never seen anyone do that.”
“She infused a lightgem? Is that even possible?”
“It must be.”
They strained to hear their conversation. Anatta said something about Kitana twisting things to her own advantage, but Tyla had no idea who Kitana was. Then Varkandian said gnomes would probably get custody of S, and Anatta said that would be disastrous. A gust of wind rustled through the arbor, and Tyla couldn’t hear anything for a moment. Then, Varkandian said Gem Master Ertz would be staying at Elantoth for an indefinite period of time. Anatta laughed and said Elantoth could keep Ertz and his dull lectures. After that, they fell silent and passed out of hearing range.
“No one said anything to us about Ertz staying,” Tyla said. “The delegation was supposed to stay a couple weeks to train us, but I think Anatta and Varkandian insisted on coming with them and had no intention of staying that long. If I had to pick someone to stay, it would be Ertz since he’s an expert on gnome history, but I can just hear Tina Ann now. She’ll say Mierek is planting Ertz here as a spy.” Tyla thought Lant would laugh at that, but he didn’t.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if he reports everything that goes on here.”
“We may as well get used to that. Officials will be coming on a regular basis to make sure we’re adapting to civilized society.”
Lant said nothing for a moment. When he spoke, he sounded sad. “We wanted to be part of Ahmonell and be more like everyone else. Why am I nervous about the future?”
“Maybe because things are different than we imagined,” Tyla said, stroking Eemie’s hair. “And it’s natural to be afraid of change.”
“Many of the changes are good, but there are too many laws, and we have no say in anything.”
“We will, eventually. Elantoth will have its own Council and vote on issues like the other fortresses do.”
“But Mierek seems to hold all the power, overriding everyone else’s votes.”
“It does seem that way, but we’re still learning about the way things work, and we need to keep an open mind.”
Lant frowned. “I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt in some cases, but not when it comes to Sheamathan. They shouldn’t transfer her out of the Amulet. Aside from the fact that there are thousands of woodspirits over there, I don’t trust our own people. Gnomes there don’t take the dangers as seriously as we do. I’d sooner remain sealed in the Amulet and forego all the benefits of modern society than see her escape or set free.”
Tyla sighed. “Sometimes I agree with Parcune. Maybe we should have killed her when we had the chance.”
Chapter 5
Tyla made sure that the lack of attention that had marred the delegation’s arrival did not mar their departure. Gnomes and breghlin gathered outside in orderly rows and watched Frinkk, Klemmet, Anatta, and Varkandian climb into the black erum-drawn carriage.
Tyla suddenly realized the carriage had no driver’s box. When it had passed the other day, she had been too busy worrying about the delegation’s early arrival to notice. With no visible or audible commands, the driverless carriage started up the driveway. Tyla stared in wonder. Which gem master was controlling the erum?
Something else occurred to her. They couldn’t make the trip in a day. Where would they spend the night? Gnomes had a unique ability. They could access trees’ inter-dimensional space, and it was much larger inside than the tree’s exterior dimensions. Most Amulet gnomes lived inside trees, so Frinkk and Klemmet could certainly spend the night in one. But the woodspirits had no such ability, and Tyla couldn’t imagine Anatta and Varkandian sleeping in the carriage. She would ask Gem Master Ertz where they had stayed on the way here. She looked around, but he was nowhere in sight.
Lant, holding Eemie, came up to Tyla. Arenia was with him.
“No driver,” Lant said in amazement.
The carriage pulled onto the main road and soon passed from sight. Arenia said, “We can finally relax now.”
Tyla laughed. “Really? You’ve forgotten about Ertz.”
“Compared to the others, he seems harmless. Yesterday, he spent most of the day in the library, and he was totally absorbed in S’s books. Probably looking for new lecture material.”
“S’s library should fascinate him,” Lant said. “Her books and scrolls are hundreds of years old.”
The crowd began to break up. Male breghlin headed off to the barns, talking and laughing. Parcune did a passable imitation of Frinkk, puffing out his chest and pretending to smooth a hook-shaped beard, and the gnomes around him burst into laughter.
“Time to put S back in the closet,” Arenia said as they went inside.
“If Ertz asks where we keep her, what should we tell him?” Lant asked.
Tyla hadn’t given that a thought. “He’s an outsider with gem powers, and we know little about him, so we should be careful. We’ll just say she’s in a secure location. He doesn’t need to know where.”
They went to the library, dismissed the guards, and Arenia took charge of Eemie so Lant could help Tyla with the cage.
S was uncharacteristically talkative. “At last they are gone. There is no one as self-absorbed as Anatta. She omitted none of her accomplishments from the last two hundred forty-three years.” S made rasping sounds that sounded like gagging. “A seat on the Joint High Council is nothing. She has no followers and seldom uses her powers. When she dies, she will be forgotten.”
“I’d rather be forgotten than remembered as a criminal,” Lant said.
S continued her tirade as if she hadn’t heard him. “Why should gnomes, inferior, short-lived beings, rule Ahmonell? It is contrary to the natural order of things. You have no free will. Your bodies punish you with deformities if you do not behave in a certain manner. Anatta is almost as weak as you gnomes, and Varkandian is little better, but the others may be more ambitious.”
It was just like S to insult them to their faces. “What others?” Tyla asked, annoyed.
“The rest of The Eight—woodspirits with gem powers. I was thought to be dead, or they would be known as The Nine.”
According to a book in S’s library, only one in seven hundred thousand woodspirits had gem powers. The woodspirit population was relatively small, but since woodspirits lived for hundreds of years, there were always a few with powers. If The Eight posed a threat, Tyla hoped gnome officials kept an eye on them.
She sent the mental command to the mirkstone lock, and she and Lant opened the door and slid the
cage onto the shelf.
“I’m going back to the library to get Eemie,” Lant said, and gave her a quick kiss. “I’ll see you later.”
When he was gone, Tyla watched S crawl around the cage. However superior S thought herself she was a lowly beetle now. “Enjoy your solitude,” Tyla said and shut the door. The lock clicked into place. She turned to go and let out a startled gasp.
Gem Master Ertz stood watching her. He hadn’t been there a moment ago. “So that’s where you keep her. And a mirkstone lock is an excellent idea.”
“I didn’t see—where did you—” she broke off helplessly, looking down the passageway. He had appeared from nowhere, so he must have been invisible and followed them from the library.
“Yes, I followed you.”
Now he was reading her mind, which was even worse. What if he . . . she glanced at the door.
“Yes, I have the password now, but you needn’t worry. If I had some nefarious purpose in mind, I wouldn’t let you see me, and I’d never admit I had the password.”
Too rattled to think clearly, Tyla didn’t know what to say.
“A human taught you gem powers, Tyla. A human who knows nothing about life outside the Amulet. Most gnomes do not have gem powers, and those who do shape every aspect of Ahmonellian life. You must learn to be cautious at all times, especially around gnomes with powers.”
“I—” she began weakly, but that’s as far as she got because she was staring at empty air.
Tyla invited Tina Ann to Ertz’s lecture, and Tina Ann huffed, “I has better things to do than listen to that sneaky gnome spy.”
“Spy?”
“At first, me an’ Maggie Ann thought we had ghostes in the kitchen. We turns our backs for a minute, an’ next thing we knows, two fresh-baked seed rolls be floatin’ toward the stairs. Maggie Ann near fainted away, and I be scared, too. Then I hears a cough, and I thinks, ghostes don’t cough!”
“Good point,” Tyla said, amused.
“Call me crazy, but I chased after them seed rolls. I got ter the stairs an’ ran inter somethin’ felt like a wall. Then I hear footsteps goin’ up the stairs.” Tina Ann planted her fists on her hips and said indignantly, “Ghostes don’t walk . . . they floats.”
