"I never thought I would hear myself saying this," Harjeedian commented, "but I wish we could consult the Meddler in this matter. He knows far more than we do about these gates and how they are used."
Firekeeper grinned at the aridisdu.
"The Meddler keeps a good watch on us, I think, but since we are here, the only way we can meet with him is to nearly die. I, for one, have no wish to do this."
"Nor do I," Harjeedian replied with heartfelt sincerity. "I assure you, nor do I."
XXXV
SOME DAYS LATER, Truth padded up to Firekeeper where she stood on the hilltop upon which the majority of the gates were built. The jaguar's charcoal-black tail with its strange flame-colored spots lashed with such agitation that Firekeeper expected sparks to trail after. "Are you stronger, wolfling?" the jaguar asked with a trace of her former arrogance.
"I can bend a bow again, and run from this cottage to the hilltop without losing my breath," Firekeeper said with some pride. It had taken hard and painful labor to achieve these goals. "But I am not what I was." "And Blind Seer?"
"He is stronger as well, though less than pleased with having to wear a coat other than his own."
This last was an understatement. To the eye, Blind Seer was not much changed from what he had been before. If he were a bit leaner, well, that only made him look all the more fierce. Appearances, however, lied.
In battling querinalo's fever - an ordeal of which the wolf still would not speak except to say that he had learned things about himself no one should know - Blind Seer's body had sought to cool itself by shedding all of the thick undercoat that normally insulated the wolf from extreme cold. Blind Seer, once able to sleep within a drift of snow, now found himself unable to tolerate a passing breeze. He shivered uncontrollably, and grew quite short-tempered as a result.
Derian suggested the solution, an artificial coat crafted from a thick wool blanket.
"We make these for foals born too early in the spring," he said, "and I can make one for you that won't restrict your movements in the least."
Blind Seer growled, "I will look the fool - and worse, weak, here where there are many wolves who may wish to challenge me."
Firekeeper faithfully translated, wondering how Derian would respond, for the young man was still sensitive about his appearance. Derian surprised her.
Derian reached up and touched his horse's ears. "I think I know more than you ever will about looking a fool. Didn't I once dress up as a carrot? Stop whining and come over here and let me fit you."
Blind Seer slunk over, shamed by his insensitivity to his friend's distress. Now he wore a skillfully cut coat in a shade of grey not unlike his own fur. None of the yarimaimalom had challenged him, perhaps scenting the blue-eyed wolf's buried fury, perhaps from gratitude for what Blind Seer had done for them, certainly from respect for his prowess.
"I am glad that you both are stronger," Truth went on. "I fear we have overlooked something, and only hope that we are not too late to deal with it."
Blind Seer had padded over to join them in time to ear the jaguar's words. Now he looked about uneasily, head back as if he could catch some sense in Truth's words on the wind.
"As I have grown stronger," Truth continued, "I have resumed my prowling. It is interesting what these eyes see."
She deliberately blinked those white eyes with their blue slit pupils. Oddly, they did not at all give the impression of blindness, but rather of seeing too much, so that Firekeeper shifted uneasily despite herself. Blind Seer as less impressed.
"I smell your tension, cat, though you try to hide it. Speak. Or is this matter not as urgent as your glands believe?"
"It is urgent," the jaguar said, "but I am not certain we can deal with it until darkness has fallen and the humans grow quiet."
"'Then it has to do with our prisoners?" Firekeeper prompted. "What have those white eyes seen?"
"Great activity where there should be little," Truth replied. "Two missing who should be more visible. Anticipation and anger warring in the same breasts. I think that those we think are our captives have come up with some plan to turn against us, to transform the hunters into the hunted."
Firekeeper frowned. "Two missing?"
"Ynamynet and Lachen - not missing as such. They are seen at the evening meal and occasionally elsewhere. However, when I began my prowling, I realized I could not find them. I asked the yarimaimalom, and they assured me the two Once Dead were about, but admitted upon being pressed that there were long chunks of the day that one or the other of that pair were missing."
"And no one wondered about this?" Blind Seer growled. "No one felt concern that the Ones of this strange pack vanish?"
"Not all creatures are wolves," Truth said stiffly, "to think in such a fashion. Most of the watchers were winged folk, and although they flock, the flocks rarely have leaders as such."
Firekeeper evaded a budding argument by raising another question. "The humans have been watched continuously since we have taken them. Their actions have been restricted to the counsel building alone. Only those few who must go elsewhere to perform their duties have done so - and those under escort. How could they act against us?"
"Our error," Truth said obliquely, "was in forgetting that although these southwestern yarimaimalom are indeed yarimaimalom, they know little of humans. Moreover, these humans speak languages we do not, so that they could talk to each other. As long as they hid the emotional sense of what they said beneath bland faces our watchers could not understand what was being said. Even so, when I questioned them, a few of the more nose-oriented watchers admitted being troubled by a strange odor of triumph they scented from a few of the humans."
Firekeeper nodded. "Eshinarvash is too large to have been among the watchers, and the ravens spent their waking hours watching over you. You are right. The yarimaimalom from the southwestern forests could easily be fooled. But what could the humans do, confined as they are in one building? We inspected that building before it was turned into a prison. I thought that we had removed everything that could be turned into a weapon."
"I do not know what they are doing," Truth said, "but the omens are clear. If we do not investigate this soon - and without our investigation being known of - events will turn against us."
"I know little of divination," Blind Seer said, "but enough to draw some conclusions from what you have said. This need for secrecy and speed would seem to indicate that whatever the humans have been preparing, it is nearly done - close enough that were our purpose to be detected they might spring their trap early."
Truth's tail began lashing again. "I fear you are correct, wolf. My first impulse was to make my way inside and inspect immediately, but the smoothly flowing river of the immediate future broke into foaming white water."
"Then for now the future flows smooth?" Firekeeper asked.
"Fairly," Truth said. "Few things move from now to then unquestioned."
They waited until nightfall, but not without making preparations. Their allies were briefed, and the yarimaimalom cautioned that the least change in their usual manner might mean disaster for them all. Perhaps these Wise Beasts would have been more contentious, but they were of Truth's faith, and the words of a jaguar marked so clearly with Ahmyn's sign were not to be lightly disobeyed.
There was the usual wrangle as Firekeeper convinced the others that she, Blind Seer, and Truth were the best adapted to undertake the investigation of the administration building.
"We all see well by night," she said, "and there is no need to translate among us."
"But you've been ill," Derian protested. "I know how I feel. I can't imagine you feel much better."
"Wild things," Firekeeper responded, "are used to being 'not better.' I not think I was 'better' all the years of my life until I meet you. Besides, we need you with Plik and Eshinarvash. Someone must take charge of making certain that yarimaimalom do not act foolishly, and that the humans do not flee."
Finally, the others agreed, an
d Firekeeper and Blind Seer ate a large meal and settled in to sleep. The wolf-woman might have boasted how much stronger she felt, but in reality she feared that her own weakness might betray them all.
PLIK WOKE FIREKEEPER and Blind Seer after full dark.
"The others are awake already," he said. "I saved you for last since I knew you woke clearheaded."
In reality, the maimalodalu's motives had been different. He knew well how weak he had been following querinalo, and he had wanted to give the pair as much rest as possible.
The twins had been told they must wait in the cottage that had been their own. Firekeeper respected the nursing the pair had done, but she did not yet trust them at her back. Somewhat sadly, for he was growing fond of both Tiniel and Isende, Plik had agreed. A brace of eagles, not yet recovered from their captivity, but fully able to deal with two rather plump humans, would lurk on the rooftop in secret watch.
Neither twin had protested, but Plik could smell their mingled disappointment and relief as they returned to captivity. He thought the disappointment was stronger in Tiniel, the relief in Isende, and wondered just what had so dismayed the young man. Was Tiniel looking to prove himself to them, or did he have some other motivation? Much as he liked the young man, Plik could not forget that Tiniel had been willing to use blood magic, a thing any sane person should shun.
As those who would be venturing out into the chill dampness of the night spooned down hot, thick stew, and wiped their bowls with coarse brown bread, Bitter briefed them on what they might expect. The ravens felt deeply shamed that they had not realized that the humans were plotting against them, and nothing the others could say would keep them from attempting to make amends.
"The building stands several stories high," Bitter began, "but we are fairly certain that whatever it is you seek lies below ground, not above. Today we winged folk have looked in through every window, and various of the yarimaimalom have done their best to sniff around without raising suspicion."
"Won't this in itself arouse suspicion?" Derian asked when this was translated.
"Not really," Bitter replied. "The yarimaimalom have always had some of their number go within the headquarters building. They might not be wise in the ways of humans, but they knew full well that they could not see all the interior through the windows. Fearing that any representative of their number might be attacked or imprisoned, however, they tended to send the larger, more dangerous beasts - especially the bears, for there seemed no way a bear could be slain without first giving ample warning. But bears are very bulky, and not as inquisitive as wolves or cats."
Derian nodded. "I understand."
"We have located the area that seems to be at the heart of the plotting," Bitter continued. "In the oldest portion of the structure, near the center, there is a stairway leading down. We did not know of its existence until today, for the doors were always closed."
Firekeeper looked at the floor plan Plik had produced based on the reports of the various yarimaimalom.
"I remember that door," she said. "It was locked - not only locked, but swollen shut. We checked the workings of the lock and found them fused. There seemed no way it could be opened, and so we left it be."
"This door is unsealed now," Bitter said, "but great care has been taken that it not appear to have been unsealed. That would be suspicious enough, but the bear who scouted today noted that both Lachen and Ynamynet's scents were strong around that area. However, she could not recall having seen either of them very frequently over the past several days."
"Certainly Ynamynet and Lachen are at the center of this attempt," Plik said. "I wonder if they are attempting some sort of magic?"
"Perhaps," Harjeedian replied. "Perhaps something more mundane. We cannot forget that they are the last of the Once Dead here and so the leaders of this community. They may be fitting sharpened spoons onto broom handles to make spears."
Plik hid a smile as Firekeeper gave a characteristic, almost canine, shake of impatience.
"We know when we know," the wolf-woman said rising to her feet, "and we not know until we go. So let us go.
YOU SHOULDN'T EXPECT to come out of wrestling with a deity untouched, but Truth hadn't quite expected Ahmyn's touch to be so hard or so permanent.
What she hadn't told the others was how these new white eyes of hers Saw all the time. Before she'd been able to slip in and out of her omen visions at will. Now she saw them all the time. Truth guessed it was Ahmyn's way of reminding her what she'd been ready to give up.
Well, Truth certainly was reminded, and pretty much constantly confused. She thought that eventually she would learn to see what was real and what was shadow. When Firekeeper had roused Truth from querinalo's hold, Truth had seen a gaggle of Firekeepers: one shaking her with her right hand, one with her left, another toeing her with a bare foot (and toeing her with the other foot), one prodding her from a distance with the end of her unstrung bow, another calling from a perch on Eshinarvash's back.
That had been confusing enough. More confusing were the actions Truth saw herself taking: slashing out with a paw, rolling over and clawing with hind feet, bolting for cover and running. When she'd answered Firekeeper's words with words of her own, Truth had hardly believed that this was her own real action.
In the days that had passed, Truth had learned to discern reality from possibility. Reality had acquired a brighter hue (or the visions duller ones). Yet even so the visions remained, ghost dancers overlapping the world she moved in with worlds her actions might create.
No, Truth hadn't expected to come from wrestling with Fire untouched, but she hadn't realized just how severely she'd be burned.
Oddly, Truth saw reality more clearly after nightfall than at any other time. This was because the visions persisted in appearing tinted with color, a faint wash that darkness did not grant reality. So she headed for the administration building with a fair degree of confidence, Firekeeper and Blind Seer pacing her, all of them moving with a bit less speed and confidence than was their wont.
When they came to the administration building's main door, a dog-fox was waiting for them. (And Truth saw the realities in which they had been met by a bear, a puma, a doe, an osprey, by no one at all.)
"The humans are quiet," the dog-fox said. "If they are not sleeping within their night lairs, then they are feigning such sleep. A few are awake in the kitchen, brewing tea and talking."
"Are any of our own within the place?" Firekeeper asked.
"A bear dozes in the kitchen," the fox replied, "and my mate and several raccoons keep covert watch in the upper reaches."
"And the cellar?" Firekeeper asked.
"None are there. We have obeyed orders that we not give away our awareness of that section of the building, but from what we can hear all is quiet."
"Lachen and Ynamynet?"
"Among those who were watched going from the public areas to their own - separate - chambers."
Firekeeper grunted acknowledgment and glanced at the other two to see if they had anything to add. Blind Seer shook his head after the human fashion.
Truth looked at the options before her and saw many questions that could be asked and answered, but none that seemed imperative. Letting Firekeeper open the door with those useful hands, Truth followed the two wolves inside.
The large building was comparatively still. Somewhere in the upper reaches, a baby was shrieking in high, rhythmic cries. Booted footsteps moved purposefully down a corridor and in their cadence Truth recognized the patient doctor.
A woman's belly laugh came faintly from the back of the house. Truth wondered if the entertainment being pursued included something more intoxicating than tea. However, although visions sought to become reality by luring her to investigate, Truth kept her course, fixing her gaze on Blind Seer's tail to eliminate distracting images.
Exterior impressions invaded nonetheless, each tempting the jaguar's attention to wander: an odor of fish from an otherwise pristine bit of carpet, a creak as
some building timber protested the damp weather, the sensation of her paws moving from carpet to stone flagging. Truth focused as hard as she could on the present moment, and was rewarded by seeing Firekeeper carefully unlatch the dusty double-sided door that led to the lower reaches of the administration building.
There was no lock, nor did the hinges creak under the weight of the old wood. A scent of fresh oil and ancient rust answered why, and Truth (fighting images of what might have happened had the door been locked, had the hinges squealed, had an alarm been rigged) found clarity in focusing on the quality of the hinges' construction and the care that had been taken that the door remain decrepit-looking, though the scent trails confirmed that this passage had seen steady use.
The area below was dark, and Firekeeper stepped back to let Blind Seer take the lead. She waited a moment to see if Truth cared to go before her, and when the jaguar hung back said softly, "Unless you can close the door, come quickly so I may do so."
Truth, her mind blossoming with all the possible ramifications of doors left open and shut, padded in and stood on the landing while Firekeeper carefully closed and latched the door. Not questioning why the jaguar did not go before her, Firekeeper hurried after her pack mate. Truth came last, struggling to dampen images of the ramifications of questions asked, not asked, answered and not.
The stair was carved from the rock on which the head-quarter's building had been constructed. As they descended, their way was lit by a faint glow that came from blocks set intermittently in the masonry of the wall. These were at foot level and did little more than illuminate the treads, but Truth imagined that humans would have found them useful.
In this glow, Truth saw marks of chisel and hammer on the stone. This place then had been worked by human labor, not magic. She thought of the work involved, and wondered what had been so important that such work should be done. The stair angled right, then went farther down.
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