Sheri Tepper - Shapeshifter 01

by King's Blood Four(Lit)

  "The Wizard Himaggery. " My eyes did not stay long on the Wizard, for behind him rode one whose face I well remembered, that pawner from the Gathered Waters who had sought me, followed me. Well, I thought, run as we might he had found me. Blood gathered behind my eyes and I launched myself at him, shouting.

  The next thing I knew I was on the ground with two men sitting on me. There had been a sudden burst of heat from someone in the train, a Sorcerer mostlike.

  The Elators sitting on me had not needed it, however.

  They had needed only their own strength and my clumsiness. The Wizard sounded amused.

  "And what occasions this animosity, my good pawner? Is this the one you have been telling me about?"

  There was a mumbled reply before the Wizard spoke again. "Let him up, but keep your eyes on him. This is no time nor place to sort out such matters. We must look upon the bodies of our foolish young. " And with that he rode forward, almost over me where I struggled with the

  Elators, unwilling to give up. He stopped by the youth's body and spoke to Silkhands. A Sorcerer rode but of the train and offered her his hand so that she might draw upon his stored power if she would. She shook her head.

  Too late. The Wizard turned his mount and came toward us again. "Oh, stop squirming, boy. You will not be dealt with unfairly, " and rode away toward the forest.

  There were extra horses, evidently brought in the hope the duelers could ride home. Chance and

  Silkhands had one, Yarrel and I the other. Behind us the bodies of the duelers rose into the air to float behind us, a Tragamor riding before each with a Sorcerer between. Even irritated as I was, I admired the crisp way it was done, each knowing what to do and doing it. Yarrel did not notice. His face was glorious. There would never be anything in the world as important to Yarrel as, horses.

  The Gamesman who rode beside me, one I could not identify-gold tunic embroidered with cobweb pattern, magpie helm and gray cloak-began to talk of the ones who floated behind. "Young Yvery and even younger

  Yniod, " he said, "both having conceived a passion for the Seer, Yillen of Pouws, and having studied the madness of courtly love (much studied by them and some other few fools in Himaggery's realm) did each claim the other had insulted the lady. She, having been in trance this seven month, could not intervene. So was challenge uttered, and by none could they be dissuaded.

  Himaggery demands that all may have free choice, and so did this occur. "

  I found my voice somewhere beneath my giblets and got it out. "Which of them did the Seer love?"

  "Neither, She knew neither of them. They had only seen her sleeping. "

  "What is this courtly love you speak of?"

  The Gamesman gestured to Silkhands. "Ask your

  Healer friend, she knows. "

  Silkhands turned a miserable, shamed face to me.

  "Oh, yes, the Rancelman is right. I know. It is some factitious wickedness which Dazzle thought up and spread among the impressionable young. She may have read of it in some ancient book or come upon it in amusements for herself, and none will do unless there is combat and ill feeling.

  "That is why we were banished to the ruin. Three times we have lived in the Bright Demesne, and each time Dazzle has started up some such foolishness. It does nothing but cause trouble, dueling, death, stupidity. Each time Himaggery has sent her away... "

  "Her? Not you?"

  "No. " She seemed almost angry that I had asked.

  "Not I. Not Borold. But we cannot let her live alone... "

  "I would, " snorted Yarrel. Of course, he had not seen

  Dazzle. "So long as she has you to comfort her, why should she mend her behavior?"

  "So says Himaggery, " she admitted. "But this last thing must have started ages ago. Dazzle could not have

  "begun any new mischief. There has not been time. "

  I mumbled something intended for comfort. We went on through the fringe of forest and out into the clear, blue shining of the lake's edge. For a moment I did not understand what I saw rising from the earth. Fogs spiraled from steaming springs which fed the waters. The town was scattered among these mists, and I knew why

  Himaggery had taken the Lake of Yost and how it was that thousands could gather here.

  "There is power here, " I said as I felt the heat.

  "Yes, " Silkhands agreed. "There is plenty of power here, and not much is needed here. There is none out there, and that is where it is always needed. It is never where I need it!" Her voice rose in a pained cry.

  I said, "It hurts you! When you need to heal and have not the power, it hurts you!" The idea was quite new to me.

  "Yes. That is true for all Healers. And for all Seers, and all Demons, too. We who are the children of

  Gamesmother Didir have this pain. " She was speaking of the legendary grandmother of our race. Didir was progenitress of the mental powers, Gamesfather Tamor the progenitor of the material ones. Religion has it that all of us are descended from these two. I was not thinking so much of. that, however, as of the idea of pain.

  When Tossa had been wounded, I had felt her pain, felt her death. When Silkhands had felt pain, I, too, had felt it. What did this pattern mean? Understand, for boys of my age-and, I suppose, for girls too, though I had no way of knowing-the most important thing is to know what name, what talent we will have. We search for signs of it, hints, even for auspices. We beg Seers to look ahead for us (they never will, it is forbidden). What did this mean? Was I a Demon emergent, reading the feelings of others? But, no, this was foolishness. Tossa could not have been read in this fashion. It spun in my head endlessly, so I tried not to think about it.

  So, we were given food and water and proper amenities and brushed up to be presented to Himaggery in his audience hall as soon as might be. I heard water under the floor, the warmth of the stones telling their own tale of power. Dazzle was there, and the pawner. When they had been heard, Chance took our let-pass from his breast and gave it to the Wizard who perused it.

  "All right, lad, " the Wizard said. "You've heard the pawner say he was hired to find you, hired by a Demon and paid well for his work. You've heard Silkhands say you played a forbidden game to get a Healer to a wounded Immutable, something anyone could have told you wouldn't work. I've heard complaining from

  Dazzle, as usual, but you merit no punishment on that account. Now, let me hear from you. Why does this

  Demon want you?"

  "I do not know, sir. I have met only one Demon in my life, at the last Festival, and I don't even remember his name. "

  "Well, easy tested by a Demon of my own. " He gestured to a tall Demon who stood at his left, and that one fixed his eyes upon me. There was a tickling in my head, a fleeting kaleidoscope of colors and smells, quickly gone. The Demon shook his head and said to

  Himaggery,

  "He speaks only truth. He is only what he seems, a student, a boy, nothing more. "

  "Ah. So. Well then, why did you try to kill this pawner? He was, after all, in my protection. "

  "He killed Tossa, " I grated. "He killed her or had her killed. What had she done to him? Nothing. Nothing!

  And he killed her. "

  The pawner squirmed. "An accident, Lord. A... misunderstanding. It was not my intent to kill anyone, but one of the men in my train... he was caught up in the chase... "

  The Wizard said, "It seems to be explained. The boy has committed no wrong except for a bit of forbidden disguise. The pawner, however, has killed the governor's daughter, an Immutable. It is likely he won't live long to regret that. We'll cry you to them, pawner. I'll not have blame laid on me or mine. "

  "But, Lord... "

  "Be still. If you anger me more, I'll give you to them rather than merely cry you to them. As for you,

  Silkhands, you've done nothing ill except exercise poor choice in certain matters we've discussed before. And

  Dazzle is with us again... "

  He had stepped close to me as he spoke, putting his hand on
my shoulder. I felt the solid weight of it, smelled the mixed leather and herb scent of his clothing, and followed his glance to the window where Dazzle was posing like some exotic bird or silken cat. I saw her, then saw her again and turned sick with horror. One eye socket gaped empty. One side of her nose was gone, eaten away. From her jaw jagged splinters of bone and tooth jabbed through multiple scars, all as though one half of her face had been chewed away by some monster. I choked. Himaggery removed his hand, and the horror was abruptly gone. I reached out to him for support, and the vision returned. He saw the sick terror on my face, stooped toward me to whisper, "You saw?" then drew away, eyes narrowed in thought as I nodded, unable to speak.

  "Say nothing, " he whispered. "Be still. " He caught curious glances around us. "Tell them I am forbidding you to pretend to Necromancy. " Then he left me tottering there. I could not leave the room quickly enough to suit me. Even in my own room, I retched and was sick. When I had settled myself somewhat, I went out onto the little balcony and sat there, hunched against the wall, trying not to think of anything. I saw the pawner in the courtyard below me with some other men. In a few moments they mounted and rode away, turning south along the lake shore. At the moment it meant nothing to me. Later I was to wonder, why south? The

  Gathered Waters and the pawner's ship lay north of us.

  I had not long to brood over anything, for Silkhands came to fetch me to the Wizard.

  We found him in his own rooms, out of dress,

  Wizardly costume laid aside in favor of a soft shirt and trousers which could have clad anyone. He was examining a fruit tree in the enclosed garden.

  "They will not ordinarily grow this far north, " he told us. "Except that they find eternal summer among these mists. We have fruit when others have none, power when others have none. If we can find our way into the heart of life-within the Game or, likely, out of it-we may build a great people from this place. "

  I think I started at this heresy, not sure I wanted to hear it, but he pretended not to notice, grinning at me over his beard, blue eyes glittering with humor and understanding. He went on.

  "And you, Healer. Are you ready to admit that your presence does nothing to help Dazzle, indeed, only makes her worse?"

  "Lord, certainly I make her no better. "

  "Did you know this lad saw her?" Silkhands turned a shocked face to mine, was convinced by the expression she found there.

  "But how? None can. Except you, Lord, and I. "

  "He can, " said Himaggery, "though I cannot think why. Well, life is full of such mysteries, but it were better for you, boy, if you forgot this one. Am I right that you saw through my eyes? I thought so. Well then, it may be emerging talent of some kind, and no point in worrying about it. "

  "How did she... why is she... I... "I couldn't get the question out.

  "Why is she a hideously maimed person? Why does no one know it? Why? Ah, boy, it's one of those mysteries I spoke of. But, I don't think Silkhands will mind my telling you. " He looked to her for permission, and she nodded, eyes fixed upon her twisting hands. He patted her shoulder and told me the story.

  "There were two children of Fuller the Seer and his loved wife, a Tragamor woman out of the east:

  Silkhands, here, and her full brother, Borold, born two years apart. When they were still children, their mother died, and Finler took another woman, a Tragamor from

  Guiles whose name was Tilde. They had a daughter, some six years younger than Silkhands. Dazzle.

  "Silkhands and Borold manifested talent quite young, when they were about fifteen. Silkhands, being a

  Healer, was much respected in the place they lived as

  Healers often are, whether they merit it or not, though from everything I have learned I would judge that

  Silkhands merited it more than most. Borold showed flying early, and then moving, and was named Sentinel.

  Dazzle was a beauty, even as a tiny thing, and grew more beautiful than any in the place had ever seen. But she was not fond of Silkhands... "

  "It was Tilde's fault, somewhat, " interjected

  Silkhands. "She resented my mother even though mother was long dead. She was jealous of her reputation in the town, and of the fact that I, her daughter, was a Healer.

  We cannot blame Dazzle... "

  "Be that as it may, " the Wizard went on, "Dazzle deeply resented her half sister. And, when at last she manifested a talent of her own, it was along the lines she had first laid down, glamor, beguilement, powerholding, and fire-the measure of a Priestess or Witch.

  Because she was a power-holder, Silkhands sought her help in healing, for Dazzle could have carried power with which Silkhands could have healed many... "

  "She wouldn't, " cried Silkhands. "She would not do it. She would not carry power for anything except her own amusement and delight. If there were sick, she would turn away saying, "They are nothing to me. They stink, besides. It is better if they die. "

  The Wizard nodded. "So. And Borold fell under the spell of the girl and turned away from Silkhands and would not help her in healing, though at one time he had carried her through the air in search of the sick and wounded. He stopped that and flew only for Dazzle's amusement. "

  "Then came a Game, " said Silkhands in a monotone, as though reciting scripture. "A very great Game, the armies of it massing near the place we lived. And the

  Tragamors of that Game rained stones upon the opposing armies directed by the Seers and Demons of that

  Game, but something went awry and the stones fell upon the town and upon our house and upon us.

  "And my father died, at once. And Tilde lay with her legs beneath a stone, screaming. And the Game had pulled all the power so that I had none with which to heal her, so I called to Dazzle, as Borold and I tried to roll the stone away. 'Dazzle, your mother is sorely hurt.

  Give me power to heal her or she'll die. ' But Dazzle said, 'I am old enough to need no Mother now. I need my power for myself, to keep me safe,.. 'and she cowered in the corner weaving a beguilement for herself, about herself, that she was safe...

  "Then another stone came, shattering the roof, and a huge tile of the roof came down like a knife, shearing her face. Borold did not see. I saw and screamed at the horror of it. Her mind was not touched, only her face, and I begged her for power to heal her, but she only said, 'Don't try your tricks on me, Silkhands, I'm all right. Let me be. Don't try to get my juice for that old woman. '

  "And she went on weaving the glamor around her with all her power so that Borold could not see the wound and she herself could not see it when she sought her mirror, and so has she woven since. Tilde died. I could do nothing but ease the pain a little. It was very cold.

  Shortly the Game was over and help came, but it was too late.

  And Dazzle went on beguiling... "

  "Then she doesn't even know?" I asked, astonished.

  Himaggery made a sour face. "She does not know.

  She leches after me from time to time and is in perpetual annoyance that I do not return her lusts, but I cannot.

  Would not, even were she whole, for there is a deeper maiming there than the face. "

  "Can't she be truly healed, here, where so much power is?"

  Silkhands answered sadly, "The power of healing works through the mind, Peter, as all our powers do. If an old wound is long healed, the mind accepts it and will not help me fight it. I am no Necromancer to raise dead tissue to a mockery of life. "

  "So, boy, " said Himaggery. "I will appoint you judge of this matter. Sometimes we do this in the Bright

  Demesne-appoint a pawn judge of some issue or other... "

  "But, no, " I exclaimed. "Such a one would not know the rules. "

  "Exactly. You have the heart of the matter there.

  Well, since you do not know the rules, what would you rule in this case? I believe Silkhands should go away, that staying with Dazzle only makes matters worse.

  What say you?"

  Since there were no rules,
I could only use what sense

  I had. Though Chance had never thought me overburdened in that respect, I had sometimes resented his opinion, so did my best. I thought of the young Dragon and the young Cold Drake, dead because of Dazzle's machinations. I thought of Mandor as I had last seen him, full of envy, ready to destroy me because, of it. I thought of Silkhands and her pain that she could not heal more... and I said,

  "She should go away. If Dazzle is like one I have known, she will not hesitate to destroy you, Silkhands.

  If you are gone away, then part of the cause of her anger will be gone. "