A Shadow on the Glass

by Ian Irvine

  Faelamor stared at Karan, knowing she had won but taking no joy in it.

  Karan looked up at Llian and a chaos of images flooded him: falling down the steps at her feet in the ruins; her frozen face as she sailed the Garr after the death of Rael; sharing food and wine in Shazmak, that night when she had been happy as a child; teasing him in the boat as they fled from Name… The images slowly blended into one another, became her now. “Do not be sad,” she seemed to be saying. “They were good times we had together, but now it is time to go.” She gave him such a tender, loving smile that it broke his heart.

  The guards stepped forward. Tensor bowed his head in grief. “Goodbye, little one. I am truly sorry.”

  They took her, one gripping each arm, and began to lead her away, and Mendark too.

  A berserk rage grew in Llian. The man beside him, a high official of the city, wore a ceremonial sword, and though Llian had never used such a weapon in his life, he reached out for it, preparing to violate the Conclave and die beside Karan.

  Tallia gripped his arm, saying “No!” in an urgent whisper, but he thrust her away so hard that she went backwards over the bench.

  “I spit upon the ancient traditions of Thurkad,” Llian said between his teeth. The sword came easily to his hand and he tensed, preparing to spring out among the guards to certain death.

  Then there was a noise on the balcony above, and Faelamor called out in a high voice, “Maigraith! At last! Come forth.”

  Every face in the room looked up. Maigraith came to the rail and threw back her hood. The glossy dark hair cascaded over her shoulders like bundles of chestnut silk. She was not wearing her glasses. She leaned out over the railing and the lights, suddenly bright, caught her wine-dark eyes so that they gleamed like rubies.

  She was looking directly at Faelamor, and there was an expression of fearful resolve on her face. She made as though to speak, but she never spoke.

  Tensor stared at her with shocked intensity and sudden recognition. “Do the Charon spring up again from the earth?” he cried. “Never more!” He raised his hand toward Maigraith; then, as if his courage had failed him, lowered it again. Faelamor was even closer to Nelissa now. Tensor bowed his head, shaking it slowly, then jerked up at a furtive movement by Nelissa.

  Karan gave a low moan that made Llian’s blood congeal. The guards let go her arms, staring at her. Llian stared too, and the sword slipped from his fingers and clattered to the floor. Her thick red hair was standing up, making a halo around her head, and her eyes had rolled back until only the whites could be seen. She shook her head and beat slowly at the air with her open palms. A sick horror gripped Llian.

  He heard Maigraith’s voice clear from above, “No, you cannot. You must not. No!”

  Tensor put out his hand, quite gently, toward Nelissa. There came a flash, the color of old blood, and a dull boom that echoed in Llian’s ears long after the sound had died away.

  Pain flared in his temples, as though his head was being ground between two boulders. His eyes seemed to boil, he was blind, then a gate closed in his brain, another opened, the pain eased and he could see again. He saw Nelissa, who still held the Mirror in her left hand. The dark cave of her mouth gaped in a scream that had no sound. Her stringy muscles spasmed violently and flung her backwards against the wall with a crack like an egg being broken. The Just were scattered like grain. The whole room went black.

  Llian picked himself up from the floor. People lay prostrate everywhere. Thyllan was frozen on his knees, unable to rise, a trickle of blood running from the wound on his cheek. Tallia sat on the floor, her hands folded in her lap, her lips moving though she made no sound. Mendark lay twitching next to the dais. Faelamor was crawling slowly down the room, away from the dais, blindly bumping into fallen chairs and table legs. Maigraith could not be seen, though a slim hand hung through the iron of the balcony.

  Tensor stepped forward and plucked the Mirror from Nelissa’s lifeless fingers. Llian looked frantically around the room. Why had he been spared? His courage wavered. What could he do when the powerful had failed?

  Then his gaze fell on Karan, crumpled on the floor between her guards, blood pooling on the floor beside her, her hair gone limp, the bruise livid on her pale face. A great anger grew in him, a fury at Tensor, at Mendark, at Thyllan and Faelamor and Nelissa; no, no longer at Nelissa, she was gone. At Tensor, especially at Tensor. Then he was on his toes and running silently across the room, picking up the stick that Nelissa had used to support herself, there where it lay beside the table, lifting it high and bringing it down with a crack on the back of Tensor’s head.

  Tensor stopped, then slowly turned around. The potency had hurt even him. His face and hands were ghastly white. He swayed. There was red on his lip and chin. His bloody eyes transfixed Llian and held him.

  “You alone are unaffected,” he breathed. “I have need of one such as you. Come to your reckoning, chronicler.”

  “I will not go with you,” said Llian, hating and fearing him, but though his will was as iron his legs would not obey.

  Tensor took him by the hand and led him, without even a struggle, from the Great Hall and out of Thurkad by a secret way, to the north.

  * * *

  GLOSSARY

  OF CHARACTERS, NAMES AND PLACES

  Aachan: One of the Three Worlds, the world of the Aachim and, after its conquest, the Charon.

  Aachim: The human species native to Aachan, who were conquered by the Charon. The Aachim are a clever people, great artisans and engineers, but melancholy and prone to hubris. After they were brought to Santhenar the Aachim flourished, but were betrayed and ruined in the Clysm, and withdrew from the world to their vast mountain fortress cities.

  Aachimning: A friend of the Aachim.

  Aftersickness: Sickness that most people suffer after using the Secret Art, or even after using a native talent. Sensitives are very prone to it.

  Alcifer: The last and greatest of Rulke’s cities, designed by Pitlis the Aachim.

  Almadin: A dry land across the sea from Thurkad.

  Alyz: Llian’s little sister.

  Assembly: The ruling committee of Thurkad. A body that is ineffectual in a crisis.

  Bannador: A long, narrow and hilly land on the western side of Iagador. Karan’s homeland.

  Benbow: A ruined village in the mountains between Chanthed and Tullin.

  Blase: One of Tensor’s Aachim band.

  Blending: A child of the union between two different human species. Blendings are rare, and often deranged, but can have remarkable talents.

  Booreah Ngurle: The burning mountain, or fiery mountain, a volcanic peak in the forests east of Almadin. The Charon once had a stronghold there.

  Callam: Llian’s older sister.

  Carstain: Nearest town to Fiz Gorgo.

  Chacalot: A large water-dwelling reptile, somewhat resembling a crocodile.

  Chain of the Tychid: A ribbon of seven very bright stars, and many fainter ones, visible in the winter sky at southern latitudes.

  Chanthed: A town in northern Meldorin, in the foothills of the mountains. The College of the Histories is there.

  Chard: A kind of tea.

  Charon: One of the four human species, the master people of the world of Aachan. They fled out of the void to take Aachan from the Aachim, and took their name from a frigid moonlet at the furthest extremity of the void. They have strange eyes, indigo or carmine, or sometimes both together, depending on the light.

  Chronicler: A historian; a graduate in the art and science of recording and maintaining the Histories.

  Cloak, Cloaked: To disguise oneself by means of illusion.

  Clysm: A series of wars between the Charon and the Aachim more than a thousand years ago, resulting in the almost total devastation of Santhenar.

  College of the Histories: The oldest of the colleges for the instruction of those who would be chroniclers or tellers of the Histories, or even lowly bards or king’s singers. It was set up at Chanth
ed soon after the time of the Forbidding.

  Compulsion: A form of the Secret Art; a way of forcing someone to do something against their will.

  Construct: A machine partly powered by the Secret Art.

  Council; also Council of Iagador, Council of Santhenar, Great Council, High Council: An alliance of the powerful. With the Aachim it made the Nightland and cast Rulke into it. After that it had two purposes—to continue the great project (q.v.) and to maintain the watch upon Rulke.

  Crayde: A town in Iagador.

  Darsh: An untranslatable Aachim epithet (very offensive).

  Dirhan: Customs officer in Sith and friend to Pender and Hassien.

  Dolodha: A messenger girl; one of Yggur’s servants.

  Droik: Idlis’s dog.

  Elienor: A great heroine of the Aachim from the time when the Charon invaded Aachan.

  Emmant: A half-Aachim, librarian at Shazmak. He also traveled in disguise as Flacq.

  Faelamor: Leader of the Faellem species who came to Santhenar soon after Rulke, to keep watch on the Charon and maintain the balance between the worlds. Maigraith’s liege.

  Faellem: The human species who are the original inhabitants of the world of Tallallame. They are a small, dour people who, by long custom, are forbidden to use machines and particularly magical devices, but are masters of disguise and illusion. Faelamor’s band were trapped on Santh by the Forbidding, and constantly search for a way home.

  Faichand: The name that Faelamor went by when she hid herself from the world.

  Farsh: A mild obscenity.

  Festival of Chanthed: An annual festival held in Chanthed, at which the Histories are told by the masters and students of the College.

  Fiz Gorgo: A fortress city in Orist, flooded in ancient times, now restored; the stronghold of Yggur.

  Flute; also golden flute: A device made in Aachan at the behest of Rulke, by the genius smith Shuthdar, stolen by him and taken back to Santhenar. When used by one who is sensitive, it could be used to open the Way between the Worlds. It was destroyed by Shuthdar at the time of the Forbidding.

  Folc: A flat dry country north of Chanthed.

  Forbidding:See Tale of the Forbidding.

  Fyrn: The family name of Karan of Bannador, from her mother’s side.

  Galardil: A forested land east of Orist.

  Galliad: Karan’s father, who was half-Aachim.

  Garr: The largest river in Meldorin. It arises to the west of Shazmak and runs to the Sea of Thurkad east of Sith.

  Gellon: A fruit, tasting something like a mango and some thing like a peach.

  Ghâshâd: The ancient, mortal enemies of the Aachim. They were corrupted and swore allegiance to Rulke after the Zain rebelled, but when Rulke was put in me Nightland they forgot themselves and took a new name, Whelm.

  Gift of Rulke; also Curse of Rulke: Knowledge given by Rulke to the Zain, enhancing their resistance to the mind-breaking potencies of the Aachim. It left stigmata that identified them as Zain.

  Gistel: A servant of Faelamor in Sith.

  Gothryme: Karan’s impoverished manor, near Tolryme in Bannador.

  Great Betrayer: Rulke.

  Great Conclave: A forum which may be called in Thurkad to resolve some great crisis afflicting the city.

  Great Library: Founded at Zile by the Zain in the time of the Empire of Zur. The library was sacked when the Zain were exiled, but was subsequently re-established.

  Great Mountains: The largest and highest belt of mountains on Santhenar, enclosing the south-eastern part of the continent of Lauralin.

  Great Project: A way sought by the Council to banish the Charon from Santh forever.

  Great River: see Garr.

  Great Tales: The greatest stories from the Histories of Santhenar; traditionally told at the Festival of Chanthed, and everywhere on important ceremonial occasions. There are twenty-two of these.

  Grint: A copper coin of small value.

  Hassien: A woman living with Pender in Name.

  Hennia: A Zain. She is a member of the Council of Iagador.

  Hetchet, Gate of Hetchet: A town to the west of Chanthed; once a great city.

  Histories: The vast collection of records which tell more than four thousand years of recorded history on Santhenar. The Histories consist of historical documents written by the chroniclers, as well as the tales, songs, legends and lore of the peoples of Santhenar and the invading peoples from the other worlds, told by the tellers. The culture of Santhenar is interwoven with and inseparable from the Histories, and the most vital longing anyone can have is to be mentioned there.

  High Way: A north-south road on the eastern side of the island of Meldorin.

  Hirthway: The main north-south road running through the center of Meldorin.

  Hythe: Mid-winter’s day. It is the fourth day of endre, mid winter’s week. Hythe is a day of ill-omen.

  Iagador: The land that lies between the mountains and the Sea of Thurkad.

  Idlis: The least of the Whelm, long-time hunter of Karan. Also a healer.

  Jark-un: The leader of a band of the Whelm.

  Jepperand: A province on the western side of the mountains of Crandor. Home to the Zain; Llian’s birthplace.

  Just: The arbitrators in a Great Conclave of Thurkad. They are also responsible for the administration of justice.

  Kalash: A drug given by Faelamor to Maigraith to disguise the color of her eyes.

  Kandor: One of the three Charon who came to Santhenar. He was killed sometime after the end of the Clysm, the only Charon to die on Santh.

  Karan, Karan of Bannador: A woman of the house of Fyrn, but with blood of the Aachim from her father Galhad. She is a sensitive and lives at Gothryme.

  Lake Neid: A lake in the swamp forest near Fiz Gorgo, where the half-submerged ruins of the town of Neid are found.

  Lasee: A pale yellow brewed drink, mildly intoxicating, and ubiquitous in Orist; fermented from the sweet sap of the sard tree.

  Lauralin: The continent east of the Sea of Thurkad.

  Lay of the Silver Lake: An epic romance that tells of the subjection of the tiny state of Saludith.

  League: About 5000 paces, three miles or five kilometers.

  Library of the Histories: The famous library at the College of the Histories in Chanthed.

  Lightglass: A device of crystal and metal that emits a soft light when touched.

  Lilis: A street urchin in Thurkad.

  Link, Linking; also Talent of Linking: A joining of minds, by which sensitives’ thoughts and feelings can be shared, and support given. Sometimes used for domination.

  Llayis: Llian’s father, a scribe.

  Llian: A Zain, and a master chronicler and a teller. A great student of the Histories.

  Magister: A mancer and chief of the High Council of Iagador. Mendark has been Magister for a thousand years.

  Maigraith: An orphan brought up and trained by Faelamor for some unknown purpose. A master of the Secret Art.

  Mancer: A wizard or sorcerer; someone who is a master of the Secret Art.

  Mantille: An Aachim; Karan’s paternal grandmother.

  Master Chronicler: One who has mastered the study of the Histories, and graduated with highest honor from the College.

  Master of Chanthed: Currently Wistan. The Master of the College of the Histories is also nominal leader of Chanthed.

  Meldorin: The large island that lies to the immediate west of the Sea of Thurkad and the continent of Lauralin.

  Mendark: Magister of the Council of Iagador, until thrown down by Thyllan. A mancer of strength and subtlety, though lately insecure due to the rise of his long-time enemy, Yggur.

  Mirror of Aachan: A device made by the Aachim in Aachan, for seeing things at a distance. In Santhenar it changed and twisted reality, and so the Aachim hid it away. The Mirror also developed a memory, retaining the imprints of things it had seen. It was stolen by Yalkara and used to find a warp in the Forbidding and to escape back to Aachan.

  Nadir
il: The head of the Great Library in Zile. Nadiril the Sage is also a member of the Council of Iagador.

  Narcies: Tragic heroine of the Lay of the Silver Lake.

  Narne: A town and port at the navigable extremity of the Garr.

  Necroturge: One who has communion with the dead.

  Neid: see Lake Neid.

  Nelissa:A member of the Council of Iagador and Prime Just of the Great Conclave.

  Nightland: A place, distant from the world of reality, wherein Rulke is kept prisoner.

  Old human: The original human species on Santhenar, and still by far the most numerous.

  Orist: A land of swamps and forests on the south-west side of Meldorin; the land of Yggur. Fiz Gorgo is there.

  Orstand: A justice and member of the Council. Mendark’s oldest friend.

  Pash-lar Whelm word for the Mirror of Aachan.

  Pellban: Fifth master of Chanthed and author of the Lay of the Silver Lake.

  Pender: A boatman who has fallen on hard times.

  Perion, Empire of: The Great Empire of Kandor. It collapsed after the Sea of Perion dried up.

  Pitlis: A great Aachim of the distant past, whose folly betrayed the great city of Tar Gaarn to Rulke and broke the power of the Aachim. He was the architect who designed Tar Gaarn and Alcifer. He was slain by Rulke.

  Port Cardasson: The port of Thurkad.

  Proscribed Experiments: Sorcerous procedures designed to find a flaw in the Forbidding which could be used to banish Rulke forever. Hazardous because of the risk of Rulke taking control of the experimenter.

  Preddle: A walled city on the Hirthway.

  Quilsin: A land to the south of Orist.

  Qwelt: A badly scarred man who worked in a stable in Preddle.

  Rael: An Aachim, half-cousin to Karan.

  Read: Truth-reading. A way of forcing someone to tell the whole truth.

  Recorder: The unknown person who set down the tales of the four great battles of Faelamor and Yalkara, among many other tales. He is thought to have taken the Mirror (after Yalkara finally defeated Faelamor and fled Santh) and hidden it against some future need.

  Rulke: A Charon of Aachan, known also as the Great Betrayer. He enticed Shuthdar to Aachan to make the golden flute, and so began all the troubles. After the Clysm he was imprisoned in the Nightland until a way could be found to banish him back to Aachan.