The Devoured Earth

by Sean Williams

  Skender could see where he was going. Bring Chu back and he could use her to hunt the golem and bring its depredations to an end. But would she want to? Would it be asking too much of someone who had once been its victim, one of the very few who had survived?

  He told himself not to put the caravan before the camels. They had to bring her back, first. ‘How can I help?’

  ‘Guide me in finding her, just like she'll guide me in finding the golem. You know her best.’

  Highson waved him closer. Skender knelt next to the stretcher and made himself comfortable on the hard ground. Highson took one of his hands and placed it on Chu's forehead. Skender's other hand Highson himself took, forming a circuit between the three of them. Already, Skender could feel a ripple of the Change flowing through him: in through his right hand and across his chest, then out through his left.

  Chu didn't react in any way to the subtle invasion. Her chest rose and fell with a gentle, steady rhythm. Rosevear was observing closely, making sure they did nothing to hurt his patient. He didn't interfere, though. Skender knew that he had tried everything in his power to bring her back. All he could do now was watch and hope.

  ‘Hold on tight,’ said Highson. ‘If you get lost, wait for me to find you. I won't be far away.’

  ‘All right,’ he said. ‘But—’

  He didn't finish the sentence: Where exactly are we going? Suddenly, as though a wave of tar had crashed over them, the world went black. The bottom dropped out of Skender's stomach and he fell down through it into nothingness, and kept falling, weightless and disoriented, until he thought he might never stop.

  The touch of Highson's mind steadied him. Do you know where we are?

  It feels like the Void. He remembered the talk he'd heard after Highson rescued the twins from the Void Beneath. The hum every Change-worker feared when they pushed themselves too hard was gone forever. Rosevear's already looked in here for Chu and didn't find her.

  He doesn't have the experience I have. And he doesn't have you to help. Highson's mind roamed ever deeper into the endless dark. What's your heart-name? Mine is Guin if you ever need to call me.

  Galeus, Skender replied without hesitation, even as he cursed the fact that yet another person had learned his secret.

  What about Chu? Does she have one?

  At this Skender did hesitate. What right had he to divulge that information to someone who barely knew her? She had only relented and given it to him a second time after days of argument and tension.

  But this was different, he told himself. This was about more than privacy and identity. This was life versus death. If they couldn't call her she might never come back to her body, and in the Void Beneath the only way to call someone was with their heart-name.

  It's Hana, he said.

  Thank you. I promise not to betray her trust in you.

  Then Highson was moving again, moving in a way not dissimilar to the Goddess's Tomb, in no detectable direction but with great velocity, leaving Skender disoriented and wholly dependent on his guide's expertise. The last time he'd been in the Void, it had been Sal's connection with Shilly that had led them to freedom. Now, only Highson knew the trick of it. If they became separated, Skender might end up in exactly the same situation as Chu.

  Try calling her, Highson said. It can't hurt. There's no one else to hear down here now.

  All right. Skender focussed his concentration and hurled his mental voice out into the emptiness. Hana? Hana? Can you hear me? Are you out there somewhere? It's me, Galeus. I've come to take you back. It's safe now. The golem has gone. Answer me, Hana. Just call my name and we'll come get you.

  The silence of the Void was unbroken.

  Keep trying, Highson told him. I'll keep us moving. If she's here, we'll find her.

  You mean she might not be here?

  There's another place we can look. But don't give up on the Void too soon. It's not the infinite space it used to be, apparently, but it's still large enough to become lost in.

  Skender hardened his resolve. Together, he and Highson crisscrossed the empty Void for what felt like hours, taking turns calling Chu's heart-name. Sometimes strange echoes returned to them, bouncing off otherwise invisible warps in the structure of the Void. At every one, Skender's heart raced, but always it turned out to be nothing.

  Hana? Hana!

  His resolve began to crack. It was easy to give up hope in the face of such relentless discouragement. If he'd been using his throat, it would have long ago gone hoarse.

  It looks like Rosevear was right, Highson finally admitted. She can't be here—or if she is, she doesn't want to answer.

  Why wouldn't she? Skender responded angrily. She has no reason to hide from me.

  Maybe she doesn't realise it's you…

  Skender didn't push him to explain that comment. He could feel Highson concentrating on a new charm, one he had never seen before and couldn't unpick in the way Shilly might have. Again the Void moved around him. This time he seemed to be rising, faster and faster, towards an invisible surface.

  When they reached it, he felt them cross a subtle boundary, like surfacing from a bath in a pitch-black room. He knew they were no longer in the Void Beneath, but he could see and hear as little as he could before. They had switched from one Void to another.

  Where are we?

  Wait and see. Try calling her now.

  He did so, hearing a multitude of new echoes in response. This new Void was clearly not as empty as the last, wherever it was. He called again, feeling like a bat probing the darkness for prey. Some quarters returned his call more strongly than others, and Highson moved them in one of those directions, following an instinct Skender couldn't fathom. As his mind adjusted to the strange process, he came to think of the regions with stronger echoes as ‘bright’, and those that remained resolutely silent as ‘dark’.

  Hana? Are you in here?

  His voice became more and more plaintive as Highson led them from bright spot to bright spot, never finding more than just echoes. Skender began to wonder if Highson was humouring him, making him feel like they were doing something useful to find Chu when in fact there was no hope at all. He wanted to challenge Sal's father and force the truth out of him, but he was too afraid to. If it was true, where would that leave him? It would be very difficult to accept the reality of Chu's absence when, to all of his senses, she lay in front of him, apparently sleeping off another big night.

  Then, just as he was on the verge of giving up hope, a particularly bright echo came back at them. Highson turned to it, urging Skender to call again. He did so, and Chu's heart-name returned with the force of an urgent whisper. They moved closer, calling as they went, and the echo became louder and more intense, as though bouncing off a small object hanging in the Void.

  When it seemed that the object was directly in front of them, Highson brought them to a halt. Skender went to reach out, but Highson held him back.

  That's her, Sal's father said.

  What? How do you know?

  I just do. This is where she came when she woke up to find that the golem had taken her over. Not the Void at all. I was wrong about that. I'm sorry.

  Skender waved away the apology. But where are we? And how did you know she'd be here?

  We're inside her. This is her mind. It's empty now the golem has left, but she hasn't returned to fill it. She's been badly frightened. If we can convince her it's safe now, she can come out and be herself again.

  How do we do that?

  Talk to her, of course. No more shouting. I think that's only scaring her even more.

  Highson let him go. Skender felt a nudge on his mental shoulder, pushing him forward. He tried to concentrate on the task before him, even as he struggled to accept the reality of his situation. He was inside Chu's mind, but she wasn't in control of it. Nothing was in control. This was exactly what Kelloman's host's mind had been like when he hadn't been inside it. Emptiness. Hollowness. Absence. Like a cave sealed up deep in the
Earth and never visited again. Or an open grave…

  Hana, it's me, Galeus. He spoke softly, hearing his words echo back as sibilant whispers. Guin and I have come to rescue you. The golem has gone. You're perfectly safe. There's no reason to keep hiding.

  The brightness of the object contracted, as though Chu had curled tighter around herself.

  Take a look around, he persisted. There's nothing here but you and us, I swear. The fighting's over. Yod lost and we won. Come out and you can take a holiday. Sleep in as long as you like. I'll even find you some araq, if you want. My treat. He didn't want to mention her ruined wing, but he did try a different tack in the hope of getting a response. You can even get revenge. Highson is going after the thing that did this to you. He's going to make it pay and stop it from hurting anyone else. Would you like that? You can help him, if you want.

  Still nothing more than a determined shrinking, as if she was trying to vanish into herself forever. A moment of true fear greeted that thought. In her own mind, obeying her own rules, she might very well succeed.

  Please, Hana, come out and talk to me. I'm worried about you. You know how anxious I get about stupid things. Well, this time it's not stupid at all. You've been hurt and I want to make sure you get better. You need to get better. You need to come back to me. I miss you.

  He felt a slight loosening of the knot she had tied around herself. Galeus? whispered a faint voice beneath the relentless echoes. No—I'm—

  Good, said Highson. Keep her talking.

  Yes, Hana, it's me, Galeus. Please listen to me. You have to come out. For my sake if not for yours. How am I going to survive without you? Who's going to take me flying? I can't live without you.

  I hit you. The knot tightened again.

  Yes, you did, and my eye's still sore. I understand why you did it; I know you were just trying to protect me. I might have done the same as you, if I'd thought of it first. It's all okay now. I promise. It's all forgiven.

  Do you—? Her voice was weak and faltering, very different than it was in real life. It made him weep to hear it. Do you still—?

  Do I what, Hana?

  Do you love—?

  He thought his heart might break, even as he hit on the best way to get her to respond. Love was important, but it wouldn't be enough. Yes, Hana. Definitely yes. I love you, still and always. But I'm not going to sit here and watch you vanish up your own arse. If you really love me, come out and tell me in person. None of this ‘love me back’ stuff. That's not how I want to hear it. All right?

  A shocked silence was her only response.

  Come on, Highson, Skender said. Let's get out of here.

  Are you sure? Highson resisted Skender's efforts to move.

  Yes, I'm sure. Get us moving, fast. I can't stay here any longer.

  Galeus? Chu's voice came from behind them, as plaintive as a child's. Galeus, don't leave me, please.

  Come and get me, Hana. I'm a heartbeat away.

  But—

  No buts. Just do it!

  He sped through the darkness of her empty mind, trailing Highson closely and feeling as though he was leaving a large chunk of himself behind with her. If it didn't work, he would have left her in the dark, scared and feeling even more abandoned than before. If it didn't work, he might not deserve the feelings he hoped for in return. If it didn't work, what reason did he have to keep going?

  Behind them, a star blossomed in the Void. A tremendous rushing noise broke the silence. He had an uncanny impression of something very small blowing up very quickly into something very large, much as the glast had on the shores of the lake, only larger and faster still. Highson put on a burst of speed as the boundary of the thing swept towards them.

  Galeus!

  Swirling turbulence rose up like a tidal wave behind them. The Void exploded into fragmentary impressions—sights, sounds, tastes, touches, and smells—all jumbled together and engulfing them with one wild rush. Skender felt himself disappear into that sensory onslaught. He might have screamed, but he couldn't hear his own voice. He was lifted up and squeezed out, flattened like a leaf between two hands, and shot violently out of the chaos—

  —back into his body, which jerked as though pricked by a pin. Highson reeled back with a cry, breaking contact with Skender's and Chu's hands. A wave of dizziness made Skender worry that he might be violently ill. Rosevear steadied him and the feeling began to fade. He sat down and saw that Chu's eyelids were opening. She blinked, and tears streamed down her cheeks. Her eyes rolled as though not seeing anything, then focussed on him.

  ‘I hate you,’ she said. Her hands came up to grip the front of his robe and pull him closer. ‘I hate you!’

  Then she was kissing him, messily but with feeling, and all Skender's worries evaporated.

  Later, after she had fallen into a natural sleep and Rosevear insisted he go away so the healer could examine her, Skender braved eating for the first time in as long as he could remember. He hadn't realised just how hungry he was until the food was in front him. It wasn't much—some dried provisions brought by the Panic flotilla on their long journey—but it tasted like heaven. And the cup of tea that came with it was better than any wine. Most of the wardens and mages were sleeping off altitude sickness, or trying to, and nearly all the devel corpses had been cleared away, so the camp was almost peaceful. With stars twinkling in the sky above and even the lake quiet at last, it was difficult to believe just how close he had come that day to watching the end of the world. He still didn't know what decision Sal and Shilly had made and how it would be implemented, and he still hadn't had a chance to talk to his parents, but everything was bearable now Chu was back.

  Rosevear said that although her reflexes were impaired they should return to normal with time and rest. Her mind seemed as sharp to him as it ever had.

  ‘You're an idiot,’ he had told her when the excitement of her awakening had died down. Highson and Rosevear had given them some privacy, for which Skender had been profoundly grateful. It was all he could do to stop kissing her. ‘You can't even throw a punch right.’

  ‘And you're a pain. Follow me anywhere, you will, no matter how many hints I give.’ She patted his face, right on the bruise, and smiled at his wince. The gash down her right side, sustained when her wing had fallen in the turbulence inside Tower Aleph, didn't seem to hurt her at all. ‘Does Highson really think I could be a golem hunter?’

  ‘He seemed serious enough about it.’

  ‘Well, that puts us in a bit of a pickle, doesn't it? Worse even than your parents: a teacher and a Surveyor are only marginally better off than a teacher and a golem hunter.’

  ‘I'm sure we'll find a way around it.’

  ‘It's good you're so confident.’

  ‘Aren't you?’

  ‘Let's just see what happens, eh?’ She had gripped his hand very tightly. ‘It's been a tough couple of weeks.’

  ‘I know.’

  ‘But we'll talk about it soon, I promise. If it helps, I want the same thing you do.’

  He had left it there, telling himself to be glad she was back and at least considering a future together. After everything that had happened, that seemed more than he could possibly have hoped for. Barring a natural disaster, there was little he now had to worry about. They had all the time in the world to work things out.

  However long that was going to be…

  Sal was rinsing a bowl in the communal sink when Skender came to wash his dishes. For a moment, they didn't say anything. Then Sal shook his bowl free of drops, laid it on a towel to dry, and took Skender in a tight bear hug. Skender was so startled he almost dropped his own dishes, but he held onto them, and Sal too after a moment's embarrassment.

  ‘We made it,’ said Sal, pulling away. His long dark hair smelt of woodsmoke and salt. The injuries he had sustained during the fight didn't seem to bother him. ‘I can't quite believe it. Can you?’

  Skender shook his head and turned to wash his dishes. The hug had made him feel sur
prisingly better. ‘It's not over yet. We've got a new world to build, haven't we?’

  ‘No. We're keeping things as they are. That seemed simplest—even though it's turned out to be anything but. The charm needs to be permanently etched into the world or else it'll eventually wear out. Or it'll just stop when Shilly dies, since she's the one with it in her head. So we're working on a way to get her off the hook. She doesn't want to grow old staring at that thing. Not again.’

  ‘So no Cataclysm after all?’

  ‘No, thank the Goddess.’ Sal glanced up at the Flame, where Ellis Quick slept, watched over by her two ghostly attendants. ‘Nothing's going to change, for a change.’

  ‘Well, that's something.’ Skender didn't hide his relief. He hadn't been looking forward to a world without Stone Mages or Sky Wardens. His talent might not have been great, but at least he knew where he fitted in. He had read enough of The Book of Towers to know what happened when that order was disturbed.

  ‘Come on.’ Sal took him by the shoulder when he had finished cleaning up. ‘We're going to put the charm into effect at sunrise, physical form or not. I'd like to clear my head before then. Let's go check the wreckage of the balloon to see if there's anything left behind.’

  Skender agreed readily enough. Chu was in safe hands; Rosevear or Highson would call him through the Change if she woke and wanted him. As he and Sal headed off in search of the ravine, he explained how things had ended up with her, and Sal seemed impressed.

  ‘Highson, a golem hunter? That's not a bad idea at all.’

  ‘You could start a father-and-son business. Golems Our Speciality. No Mind Too Evil.’

  Sal smiled. ‘I don't think so. Fundelry is looking pretty good right now.’

  ‘Doesn't it seem weird to you that you and Shilly, who could change the world in an instant, might end up forgotten in some dusty old town?’

  ‘Actually, to me it seems perfectly appropriate. As long as the lesson is learned by everyone else.’

  They found the ravine entrance—a vertical slice through the crater wall with an irregular, snow-strewn floor—and made their way to where the expedition's blimp had crashed. By dim starlight, it looked like the bleached-white skeleton of some strange ancient beast half-emerging from the rock. It was cold and dead, with all residual potential absorbed by the surrounding stone. They picked through the wreckage, but there was nothing of importance left behind. Either the Ice Eaters or the devels had stripped it in the previous day and a half.