Arrows of Time

by Kim Falconer

  ‘So you do know her.’

  ‘We had a visit.’

  A new game? he wondered.

  ‘She came to me with her little “problem”, which I didn’t see as a problem at all. “Just kill the man,” I told her, but she kept saying it was more complex than that. Muttering on about a balance of power within the temples and the furthering of knowledge for all people, men and women equally. Well, of course. That’s a given. But the man was an interference, so I suggested she remove him the old-fashioned way—with a knife.’ The Caller shook her head, tapping the cat’s nose when it nipped at her hand. ‘It’s only as complex as you want to make it, really. Matriarchy-patriarchy. Much of a muchness if you focus on the opposites.’

  ‘Perhaps easy to say from your position?’

  The Caller laughed. ‘Don’t be fooled by gender.’

  Jarrod looked at her again, his brow furrowed. ‘I’m not generally fooled by anything.’

  ‘Then get on with it.’ She clapped her hands. ‘I want Selene back here, and I want to see for myself that this world and her sister dimension are running in a balanced way again. I want to see births and deaths and births again, preferably in that order.’

  ‘People are dying now, I assure you.’ He drained his cup and stoop up.

  ‘Nell paid the price?’

  ‘In that world, yes.’

  The Caller leaned back against the cushions. ‘Full of riddles as ever, Jarrod?’

  ‘No more than you.’

  A breeze came in from the west. The chimes clattered like long-legged puppets unable to run fast enough.

  ‘Where are you off to next?’ she asked.

  He lifted his eyes. ‘Now that would be telling.’

  ‘Touché—but come, you can give me a hint.’

  He looked at her before moving to the door. ‘A hint? Watch for the birth closest to home. She will have something to teach you.’ Jarrod noted the look on the Caller’s face, and smiled as he disappeared into the golden afternoon.

  Rosette awoke to sunlight beaming across her bed and Drayco’s soft snores by her side. At first she thought she was still floating disembodied, but as she became aware, she felt the weight. It took a moment to work out why everything was so thick and heavy. She stretched, groaning.

  Maudi?

  I’m in my body, Drayco, and it’s like climbing a mountain after floating downstream.

  Stretch again, Maudi. It’s the best way to wake up.

  She took his advice and stretched like a cat, while listening to the whispers floating in from the other room. They were too soft for her to distinguish the words, but she didn’t care. She was back in her body, and though she had some creaks and cramps and very sore ribs, it felt good. Drayco stretched by her side, the warmth of his back like a full-length pillow along her spine. She sank her hand into his thick pelt and he purred.

  Feeling better now, Maudi?

  She rolled over and wiggled her fingers and toes. ‘Much. Where’s Jarrod?’

  Drayco jumped down and yawned, arching his back. Sleeping…deeply.

  ‘Don’t wake him, then. We’ll talk soon enough.’

  I doubt I could if I tried. It’s like he’s not there.

  She reached towards the ceiling, spreading her fingers wide. ‘Well, I’m here. Gratefully.’ She let her hands drop to her sides. ‘What are they nattering about out there?’

  A variety of things. Drayco licked his front paw and swiped his ears a few times.

  ‘Such as?’

  He tilted his head. The future of Temple Los Loma seems high on the list. Jarrod and you…the Lupins. They don’t mention me.

  ‘Don’t they?’ She laughed. ‘Does that sting?’

  He dropped his face to hers and stared, eye to eye. Suddenly, he licked her nose, making her squeak. Bees sting, Maudi. Inclusion or exclusion doesn’t have the same effect.

  ‘You’re such a philosopher.’

  I got that from you.

  She rolled onto her stomach and pulled the covers over her head. ‘Not today,’ she said, laughing into the pillow.

  And why is that?

  She rolled over again and looked out the window. ‘Because today I’m back in my body, the sun is shining, you are here, and I suspect there is some good hunting in these plains.’

  You’re optimistic. It’s a desert.

  ‘Yes! And I’m hungry too!’ She threw back the covers and looked at her naked body. She ran her hand down her left arm, caressing her temple cat tattoo, and followed the line of the serpent from her hip to the back of her knee, noticing the nick. ‘Where’s Grayson?’

  He comes. He’s bringing food for both of us. Good man.

  The knock on the door made her smile. ‘Enter all ye who bear my breakfast.’

  ‘Does lunch count?’ he asked, opening the door and looking in.

  She glanced out the window again and noted the sun’s height in the sky. ‘You’ll have to forgive me if I’ve overslept.’

  He chuckled. ‘You’ve been asleep far too long—like a fairytale princess.’

  ‘What kind of princess?’

  ‘Rosette,’ he chided, setting the tray down on a low table and pulling her into an embrace. ‘We must expand your literary knowledge.’

  She hugged him tightly before squirming away. ‘Certainly, but first I must eat. What have you brought?’

  I’d say the raw lamb shank is mine. Drayco licked his chops.

  Rosette pulled a sarong off the bed and wrapped it around her body, twisting the ends and tying them at the nape of her neck. She dropped her chin to let her hair fall in front of her, then gathered it and twisted it into a knot on top of her head as she straightened. Grayson handed her a chopstick and, kissing his cheek, she secured her hair with it. ‘I’m ready.’ She leaned towards the tray, inhaling. ‘Show me the goods.’

  He lifted the lid. There was a tiny bowl of steaming oats, a little jug of goat milk, honey and an even tinier dollop of stewed apples and rhubarb.

  ‘You must think I’m an infant. I could eat three times this much.’

  ‘That’s what Kali feared, hence the modest meal.’

  He sat next to her and circled her waist with one arm. ‘Your body’s been in cold storage, remember? You need to take it easy.’

  ‘How could I forget?’

  He kissed her lips. ‘Drink this first,’ he said, uncovering a small bottle of dark liquid.

  She wrinkled her nose and pulled back.

  ‘It’ll aid digestion. Otherwise…’

  ‘Don’t tell me any symptoms. You know what I’m like! Hear it today; have it tomorrow.’

  He laughed. ‘Then drink this and all will be well.’

  She took the bottle from him and drained it in one go. Her face contorted. ‘What was in that?’ She shook her head. ‘It’s vile.’

  ‘It’s Annadusa’s.’

  ‘Tastes like it.’ She took a spoonful of porridge.

  ‘Better?’ he asked.

  ‘Delicious,’ she said around another steaming mouthful.

  They chatted lightly for some time. She felt reluctant to talk about anything but the most trivial. No doubt there would be deep discussions soon enough. For now, she wanted to enjoy the day without any complexities. She wanted only peace and serenity.

  That won’t last, Maudi.

  Why do you say that?

  A trio of caws blasted through her open window. The branch outside swayed as the ravens landed, jostling for position, rustling their wings. They stared into the room, alternately squawking and preening, white down showing beneath black feathers.

  Because the Three Sisters are here.

  Rosette put down her spoon. ‘Kali!’ she yelled, making Grayson lean back. ‘Call off your spies.’ She laughed as the Three Sisters took flight. ‘Come in here and see for yourself if you want to know how I am.’ She smiled at the look on her mother’s face as she entered the room.

  ‘Nothing wrong with a little precaution,’ Kali said. She sat down on
the bed next to Rosette and took her pulse.

  Rosette pulled her hand away and reached for the stewed fruit, tipping it onto the oats before she took another mouthful. ‘I could eat three times this amount.’ She smiled. ‘The apples are very sweet,’ she added as juice trickled down her chin.

  ‘Thanks to you,’ Grayson said.

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Temple Los Loma has the only Gaelean apples on Earth.’

  Rosette lifted her face. ‘Demons. Those apples are my trees, aren’t they? How long have I been gone?’

  EARTH & TENSAR—TIME: FORWARD

  CHAPTER 42 (Continued)

  Jarrod awoke to dazzling sunlight. It beamed into his room, filtering through a stained-glass window above his bed. It decorated the walls and floor with half-moon shapes and stars, making cookie-cutter patterns of purple, yellow, red and green. The lower portion of the window was open, giving a clear view of the stables rooftop and the rust-red plains beyond. He stretched, his tulpa body protesting.

  He tapped around the orbits of his eyes and under his nose, his chin, his chest, his fingertips stimulating energy meridians to repair the disrupted flow. Kreshkali had come to him again, late in the night, and done more work herself, leaving only minor adjustments to attend to. She’d told him to stay put for at least a day, that there was plenty of time to sort out the threads of their web, though he had already ignored that advice. ‘You know patience wasn’t written into my original program,’ he had said to her.

  She’d smiled. ‘I suspect Janis Richter had Aries in mind when she designed you. I wonder who she modelled you after.’

  ‘A friend of her daughter’s. His name was Damien.’

  ‘Ruby’s?’

  ‘Not her. The older daughter, Loni. But can you blame Janis for using the first cardinal sign of the zodiac as reference? She knew I’d need all the initiative I could muster. And courage.’

  ‘And the spirit of adventure, too. No blame at all.’ She’d put her hand on his heart. ‘Jarrod, do consider that your body just took three million volts per metre of electrical current from the anvi-to-ground lightning strike. Even a tulpa would find that challenging. You might want to have a little rest.’

  He’d rubbed his chest. ‘I haven’t forgotten. That was some conjuring, wasn’t it!’

  Kreshkali was clearly pleased with it herself, and with all the Temple Los Loma clan. Reviving Rosette had been no small feat. Now it was time to set things in motion for a much more humble act, but miraculous just the same. He needed to ensure his continuation, and he needed Rosette’s cooperation for that. According to the Caller’s theory, he already had it, though he didn’t think Rosette knew. How would she react? The topic had never come up, though he’d tried to broach it a few times.

  Jarrod yawned and stretched as he kicked back the covers. When his toes touched the floor, a feeling of warmth rose in him—a rush of wellbeing. He rubbed the stubble on his chin and laughed. At the window he gazed down to the courtyard, spotting Teg near the fountain. The Lupin looked contemplative, one hand playing in the water, slowly swishing back and forth. The young apprentice shivered and turned to Jarrod.

  Have you seen her? Teg asked.

  The mental message surprised Jarrod. He wasn’t expecting that. Rosette? No, not yet. You?

  I thought I’d stay out of the way. Kreshkali’s with her now.

  Claustrophobic?

  A bit.

  Jarrod laughed. If I know Rosette, she’ll be feeling the same, and aching to hunt before the day’s out. Perhaps you’ll join us?

  Perhaps. Thank you. Teg shook water from his hand and headed towards the training ground. It would be interesting to see what developed there. Rosette was so unpredictable.

  Jarrod’s eyes drifted across the scene below. He marvelled at the lush greenery of the temple grounds. The contrast to the barren red plains was startling. Here the trees were in full bloom, carpeting the courtyard with purple, yellow and red blossoms and giving the atmosphere a rainbow hue. Willows and beech trees circled the manor, and a variety of fruit trees in the orchards beyond were also in bloom. How it had survived the trials of Earth’s last few centuries baffled him—a spell that lasted that long would take some heavy-duty generation. Who kept it going? Surely not the Richter-Paree line. Kali didn’t even know where this place was. It took her months to find it. Yet it had survived, and now it held a mixed population of the old Allied States, Gaeleans, Lupins and a variety of familiars and horses, goats and other livestock, birds, dogs, cats and fish. He wondered what Luka Paree would have made of it all, if he could see it now.

  The grounds were active with gardeners tending the vegetable, fruit and herb plots. Horses were being exercised and riding lessons under way. A small group of archers practised at the edge of the sword grounds, several artists sketching them as they slowly drew and released their bows. It was much like Treeon, save for the surrounding lands. They were a barren moonscape compared to most of Gaela. He sighed. Would they have enough time to establish this temple, if the portals kept running askew?

  He laughed at his question. Time wasn’t a commodity to have enough or not enough of. It didn’t measure in volume, not in grains of sand or celestial motion. It didn’t exist at all outside of an abstract, and peculiarly individual, perception. Why he still processed information from such an artificial reference point, he didn’t know. Because it’s so convincing? he asked himself. That might be it.

  He dressed and entered the central room, spotting signs of a hasty breakfast.

  ‘Everyone rested?’ he called out. ‘Well fed?’ He felt immediately that the place was deserted, but he called again anyway. ‘Shane? Selene?’

  Their cloaks were missing, their packs and swords gone as well. I had hoped for a final word. He turned to the door. ‘Enter, Kreshkali.’

  She knocked at the same time he spoke. ‘Did I make that much noise coming up the stairs?’ she asked as she opened the door wide.

  ‘You’re as quiet as a cat. I just happen to have exceptional hearing, as you know.’

  ‘Ha! I do know.’ She kissed him on the cheek and breezed into the room, a tray of fruit, hot chai and blueberry muffins balanced in one hand.

  ‘What’s this?’ he asked.

  ‘I brought myself breakfast, though you’re welcome to join me. I know you like to eat sometimes.’

  ‘I wouldn’t mind a bite.’

  ‘That’s news,’ she said, looking him up and down. ‘Maybe the electricity did you some good.’

  ‘One never can get enough of that.’

  ‘Electricity?’

  He laughed. ‘I meant good. How’s Rosette?’

  Kreshkali chuckled, sweeping the empty cups and bowls aside to make room for her tray. ‘Fit and saucy as ever. It’s as if she never died.’

  ‘More good news, then.’ He beamed a smile.

  ‘You’re in fine form today yourself.’ She poured tea and sampled the hot muffins. ‘Rested? Refreshed?’

  He sat opposite her and took a tentative sip from his mug. ‘Nearly perfect. Thank you for the tapping last night. It got me back in alignment.’

  ‘It helped me too. Always does.’ She looked around the room.

  ‘They’re on their way back to Tensar, I suspect,’ he said, answering her silent question.

  ‘On their own?’ She frowned. ‘That’s a risk. It’s just such travellers that are distorting the Entities’ signal. I wish I’d kept an eye on them.’

  ‘You had other things on your mind.’

  ‘As did you.’

  ‘At least their intentions would be united. That may keep them on track.’

  ‘I’m actually more concerned about the long-term effect on the portals than their smooth travel.’ She took another bite. ‘So they finally kissed and made up?’

  He nodded. ‘Seems so.’

  ‘And did you solve things on Tensar as well?’ she asked.

  His eyes shifted.

  ‘Don’t play coy with me. I know
you didn’t stay put last night.’

  Jarrod hedged. ‘It’s more or less unravelled. The Caller is a trickster, though. She enjoys her little games.’

  Kreshkali frowned. ‘Example?’

  ‘Mostly she plays with words.’

  ‘You mean she lies?’

  ‘Pretty much.’

  ‘That’s frustrating, though you would see right through them, yes?’

  ‘I’d like to think so.’

  ‘Then do!’ She watched him as she polished an apple on her sleeve. ‘I can’t stay long.’ She lowered her voice and looked towards the open window. ‘Teg’s waiting for me.’

  ‘He’s by the fountain,’ Jarrod said.

  She nodded. ‘We have three pressing concerns as I see them. Number one—the corridors are not running true. Do you have any idea why?’

  He closed his eyes for an instant. ‘I’d say the most likely cause is what you felt—travellers going in and out of the corridors who are not aligned to the Entity.’

  ‘Trackers?’

  ‘That’s one possibility.’

  ‘Letting Shane and Selene go was a mistake then.’ She frowned. ‘Secondly, we have the situation with your CPU. It’s the one thing that won’t replace itself.’

  ‘Have you thought of your option to have another…?’ He let the sentence trail off.

  ‘Another child?’ Kali’s face contorted. ‘Not going to happen. Besides, the spell’s passed on. Rosette has the activated DNA.’

  ‘But have you mentioned that component of the legacy to her yet?’

  ‘I was hoping Nell would do that.’

  ‘What are you saying, Kali? You are Nell, for great Passillo’s sake. What do you think Nell could say that you could not?’

  ‘I know. I know.’ She waved the idea away. ‘I am Nell, but I’m not. It’s hard to explain. Once you begin this whole “two places at once” scenario, things change. Nell’s got a better way with…delicate matters.’

  ‘It is delicate, isn’t it?’

  ‘Indeed.’ She tilted her head. ‘It would probably be best coming from you, now that I think about it.’

  Jarrod laughed. ‘Chicken.’

  ‘I’ll admit it. I am.’

  He took her hand and squeezed it. ‘It’s my life in her blood. Of course I’ll tell her.’