The central display changed to show interconnecting blocks, each with streams of data flowing through them. Pulses and arrows showed how data was flowing through the three-dimensional representation of the intricate city systems.
“Display Imperial Security Emergency Protocol command structure.”
“Unable to comply. No such protocol.”
“Fine, show me all current priority one or higher command protocols.”
A frame appeared in the large display area, listing 27 named command protocols. Duke read the list and shook his head. “System, are there any hidden or override protocols?”
“No, all command protocols listed.”
Duke laughed. “So, Muriel, you’re the culprit. How did you do this? Hmm… It has to be some kind of subsystem interaction.” Duke pondered the list, then studied the systems interactions being displayed, before shaking his head. “Okay, you win the first round. I’ll figure out how to clear your override later. But at least, no damage was done. System, restore all security locks.”
The central display changed back to the original words it had been showing. Glancing at the side display, Duke reviewed the few records showing on the list he had asked for. Duke looked back at the main display. “Have all repair bots been deactivated?”
“Two point six percent of bots are missing and presumed dissolved. All other bots have been accounted for.”
Duke leaned in closer to the display of the Empress’s vitals. He whistled. “Holy genetic lottery! That regenerative rate almost matches mine. Ticca, you are an amazing woman, inside and out.”
Duke stood and moved to the doorway. “System, after I leave, reseal all entrances, sanitize, and reestablish hermetic stasis. All systems return to minimal support operations.” Duke left and the door closed behind him.
A short time later, the hiss of antiseptics being pumped into the air began. The displays went dark, until only the large display in front of the three chairs remained lit. Then it, too, went dark. With the last lights out, a small glow could be seen in the back ceiling corner. The light seemed to be coming from nothing until the cloaking energy dissipated, revealing a small glass cube with some canisters attached to it. Sitting in the cube was a purple dragonfly which warbled its wings, making a sound much like laughter.
Ticca woke from warm dreams on a stiff bed. Voices were drifting around her. One pair was obviously Illa and Duke. Concentrating, she picked up the conversation.
“Damn it, Illa, I said no, and I mean it. Stop badgering me.”
Illa’s voice was raised, but calm. “Duke, you know he needs your energy if we have to face more of those wizards.”
“Listen to me, woman! I don’t care if Argos himself comes down here in person and orders me. NO! N…O! No, meaning I will never submit to being a follower for ANY GOD! So go away and pester someone else. I need to get this army out of here.”
Illa was not willing to accept defeat. From the slight whining sound in Duke’s voice, Ticca guessed she had been hounding the wolf for some time. Dang it, I was sleeping so nicely, too. Okay, time to see if I can help.
She sat up, feeling pretty normal. A couple of ribs still complained, attesting to just how damaged she had been. Needlessly dusting off her boots, she stood and stretched. Elades was also awake and wearing a wide grin.
“I take it they’ve been at this a while?”
Elades nodded. “I expected Duke to toss her on her head about twenty minutes ago. He has tried about everything else. Illa is unrelenting. Hey, how come you’re standing?”
Ticca laughed. “I am very lucky. But don’t tell anyone. I want them to think this is skill and willpower.”
Elades’ brows tightened as he assessed her. “Did you slip in a temple potion? Seriously, no one should heal that fast.”
Ticca winked at him surreptitiously and stepped out of the tent. Let him think that. I don’t want too many people knowing about these boots.
The area was busy. Most of the tents had been packed, and everywhere people were making preparations to leave. Duke was sitting at a large table set with food and papers, and Illa was standing right next to him.
As she walked over her stomach growled in anticipation. She wanted to say something but the hunger was too much. Grabbing some fruit, she started taking big bites. As she chewed, she listened to Illa continue to harass Duke about becoming Lebuin’s follower. Duke noticed her standing there and motioned her over.
“Ticca, please tell Illa the meaning of the word ‘no.’ She seems to have taken a hit to the head, or something.”
Illa punched Duke’s side hard, making him yelp. “Hey, I’m still healing from that wall falling on me. That hurts!”
Ticca looked at Illa and then Duke. “Why not?”
Both of them looked at her, Illa with a smile and Duke with an open mouth. “I’m not a damned battery to be plugged into.”
Ticca took another bite and kept looking at Duke. “I don’t know what that means, but I assume you are saying you want your magic for yourself.”
Duke sighed. “No. I don’t care about my magic. I’ve tried often enough to eliminate it.”
“Okay, so why not, then?”
Illa’s lips tightened as she fought to suppress a smile at the aid. Wisely, she stepped back slightly to give Ticca an open field.
Duke looked at Ticca. “My knowledge.”
“Okay, you’re old. You know stuff. Who cares? You still haven’t answered my question.”
Duke looked up at the sky, while she chewed on a roll with sugar sprinkled on it. Duke looked back down. “There are things I know, which because of time and events, only I know. They are dangerous, and I don’t trust any God enough to become a follower, because then they could poke around in my head and learn all the secrets that should remain secrets. Hell, Argos was my dad’s best friend when I was growing up. So much so, I called him Uncle. Argos saved my life. I saved his. Together with millions of others, we saved all the races here. And yet, I wouldn’t trust what I know even to him.”
The corner of Illa’s lips turned down and she stared intently at the ground. Illa raised her brows and looked at Duke. “Why didn’t you just say that? Could have saved us both a lot of time. But don’t leave without seeing me. I need to check some things.” She then turned and marched off with a determined look on her face.
Duke stared after her, then looked back at Ticca. “Huh. I’m surprised that worked. Well, at least, it’ll be quieter.”
Ticca laughed. “All you have to do sometimes is explain yourself. You’re too used to being enigmatic and instantly obeyed, anyway.”
Duke smiled. “All part of my wolfish charm,” he said, and then laughed.
Ticca giggled too as she stuffed more fruit into her pockets ending with nibbling a plum in one hand with another held ready to eat in the other hand. “Is everything okay, I mean, with the city?”
Duke looked back at her from the paper he was studying. “Hmm. Oh, yes. I think you were trying to say, ‘Kill Finnba and protect Lebuin,’ but you were slurred, you know, with dying, and all. What the city got was enough to make it think you were calling for help, so it sent in its guards and an army of healers. That pretty much explains everything. Thankfully, nothing else happened. I was a bit worried. Please be more careful around the cities.”
She choked around a large bite of the plum. “Sure thing, next time I’m dying I’ll be sure to consider my words more carefully.”
Duke huffed and glared at her for a second, then chuckled. “Okay point. Tell you what, make sure if you’re going to get killed it isn’t in a city.”
She let that slide as another thought occurred. “So the city saved Elades? That’s pretty amazing.”
“Don’t be thinking of calling for that help again. There are real dangers. You got lucky this time.”
She shook her head. “No, Elades got lucky. We all got lucky. Without the city’s help, most of us would be dead, and Finnba would be torturing the few remaining for everything
we know. Are you going to teach me about these things?”
Duke gave her his best evil grin. “No. Remember when I said I knew dangerous things? Well, if you start poking at the old cities, it could get dangerous fast, for everyone there. Clear?”
I wonder if I could order him to teach me. Shifting a bit, she noticed her clothes were sticking to her in places she didn’t want to pick at in public. A shower and clean clothes would be a good next move. She started walking towards the big-ring tent as she pulled another sweet strip of fruit from a pocket.
“Where are you going?”
“To take a bath, if you must know. When will you be leaving town?”
“Well, the fight with Finnba put us behind. So I’m thinking we’ll leave about noon.”
Gaging by the sun, it was about nine, which meant she had three marks before Duke left. Plenty of time to clean up and think a few things over.
Lebuin sat in a wingback chair in the first floor library of the tower. I can’t believe I am having this conversation. Only nine weeks ago, I thought Magus Cune was out to get me killed. Instead, he has been dogging my trail with the daughter of Dalpha, trying to determine if there was some way to help.
“Yes, it was me posing as the baker. I’m sorry Illa was wounded when I made the pothole to cover my breaking of the axle. I just wanted her to fall behind the wagon, out of sight from the warlord and her father.”
Magus Cune had picked a divan and was sprawled out on it with his feet up on a bench seat. His normally cleanly trimmed goatee had been replaced by a full-face workman’s beard. He also wore the loose-fitting clothes of a workman. The only things that really signaled he wasn’t a simple laborer were the expensive dagger and sword on his belt, and the fact that the clothes had no tears or repairs, and were clean.
Lebuin once again stared at Cune’s dagger. Its cross-guard was a matched pair of feathered wings which had been long used, causing the blacking to be rubbed off, providing silver highlights to the feathers. The hilt was a solid piece of carved bone that had had been dyed to a pitch black, and the pommel was a raised pentagram, the universal symbol for Magi. Cune is a Dagger. That is still hard to accept. Looking at Sula, he added, But his references are irrefutable.
“I’m sorry. I am having a hard time coming to terms with all this. I’m not what I thought, my best friend was an enemy spy, and my nemesis is my benefactor. Not to mention, I just earned my Journeyman’s badge, yet I’m working with Gods, demi-gods, heroes, royalty, and ancient legends.”
Everyone there nodded with the same look of amazement.
Sula sipped her wine. “I still don’t like that we are talking.”
Cune laughed. “You are too cautious, Sula. The time for caution is past. We have discovered the source of the threat and even have an idea of how it is to be done. Nothing in anything you have shared indicated any prior path led here. We are well and past that temporal paradox problem you told me about.”
Ditani was sitting at a table, with a history book open in front of him. “I agree with Cune. I think the moment Ticca got involved, we left every other possibility far behind.”
Sula rolled her eyes. “Don’t remind me. As much as that seems a blessing, I still think she is a danger. You have no idea how much trouble every one of her ancestors caused when they stepped out of obscurity.”
Ditani tapped the book in front of him. “I’m seeing a lot of upheaval, but nothing with a horrible outcome. The only one we have little account for is Damega, which I find suspicious. Everything about Damega is rumors and hearsay stories of a fantastic nature. But no impact on any of the realms and absolutely no written records or histories. All this in spite of the fact we know positively he brought new plumbing to Llino, built up the Blue Dolphin, used a flying ship, and started the Daggers. Not to mention the fact he had to have had a wife otherwise the royal line would be broken and Ticca wouldn’t be here.” He looked back at the shelves, giving the books a sour look as if they were actively responsible for the offense of not having better information.
‘LEBUIN, COME.’
Lebuin started at the unexpected command in his head. I really have to get used to that! “Excuse me. Argos is calling. I think the Circle has finished its deliberations.”
Lebuin leaned back, closed his eyes, and pushed himself in and out to the ethereal realm. He saw the presence of Argos and another. Looking around, he noted that the only other entity was the ever-present Kliasa, who held herself off, but near to Ticca’s essence.
The other entity said, ‘Hail, Lebuin,’ and he knew it was Lothia, his grandmother, wife of Argos, and a member of the ruling Circle.
‘Hail, Argos. Hail, Lothia. How may I be of service?’
He felt pride and love flowing from Argos. ‘You have risen fast.’ The feelings shifted to one of mourning and regret. ‘My grandson, I’m sorry to inform you that the Circle has granted your request. Those you work with, those that follow you, and anyone else you deem of need is authorized to know as much or as little as you desire of Elraci, its history and knowledge.’
Lothia’s presence slipped closer and embraced him, sharing feelings of love and regret. ‘Lebuin, I am here as a direct representative of the Circle to express their sympathies that you and your companions will have to bear the Elraci burden. I’m also very proud of you.’
These were not the reactions he had anticipated. They are giving me total control of how much to share, and with whom, and they are moved to sorrow over this. What are the secrets which are such a burden that none who know it want to impose it on another? ‘Lothia, Argos, I thank you for granting me so much. I will endeavor to consider deeply each decision regarding Elraci.’
Argos projected satisfaction and a feeling of warning. ‘Consider carefully this ruling. It is unprecedented and unlimited. Any decision you make as to knowledge of Elraci is binding, unless later changed by unanimous vote of the Circle. You have been named Elraci Guardian.’
That took a moment to sink in. Why would they give me unlimited authority? ‘What prompted this action?’
Lothia answered, ‘As we debated how much or how little to grant for each individual in your team, it was proposed that your actions might not have time to be delayed to ask additional permission. It was then suggested we grant you authority to do as you will. Your actions have already demonstrated considerable foresight and wisdom in directions unexpected. No one objected, so we amended the laws, removing all prior sections on Elraci knowledge and creating your role.’ As she said this, the changes to laws were given to him to study and integrate into his mind.
He reviewed the law changes, and although the wording was far more complex, it did give him unlimited authority to control who was allowed access to Elraci knowledge. This meant that whenever someone was discovered with knowledge, he would have to be consulted and any grants he had provided would have to be traced to determine permissibility. The only problem here is Lothia’s and Argos’s reaction to what should have been good news. Well, Ticca has shouldered many things from Kliasa. Now, it is my turn to carry burdens not of my own making.
He turned his attention back on the presences of Lothia and Argos. ‘I understand the new role and your concerns. I accept the laws and appointment.’
Lothia projected approval and love. ‘Yes. Should you need Argos or me, call. We can only advise you. The decisions are yours to make.’
Argos also projected approval and love with the ever-present pride in him. ‘You have much to contemplate now. I started as a researcher of magic, and I came to understand the basics of much of the non-magical technologies. Yet, I dare not claim understanding of Elraci. I give you now the key to the Argos family library’s Elracian content. You will find it lacking in many areas.’ With that came incantations that would work in the between space only. He understood that there was a massive library of knowledge stored between, accessible to only Argos, Lothia, and from that point on, him.
‘You can build constructions between?’
; He felt Argos’s amusement at the question. ‘It is part of our family’s legacy. I discovered this in building this universe. It is a secret that was held by very few. All of the entities that possessed this knowledge have passed beyond, except for us three. The entire original physical library of our family is now there, along with everything I collected of the non-magical races. Also, there are some Elraci contents, but at the time, I did not collect as much as I should have. Now, much has been lost. You may add to it as you choose. It belongs to our family.’ With that final declaration came the strong feeling and knowledge that he needed to guard this secret even more than the Elraci knowledge.
You don’t need to tell me that twice. The implications of building constructions in-between are fraught with dangers.
With a last brushing touch, Lothia and Argos vanished from his perceptions. He greeted Kliasa before dropping back into the physical realm. Opening his eyes, he knew almost no time had passed.
Sula noticed his eyes were open first. “So what was the decision?”
I should probably not broadcast my role, even to these friends. I think only the Gods and few people should know the full truth. “Unexpected. We have been given what we asked for.”
Sula’s mouth dropped open and she fell backwards into the seat. “That is amazing. They must be worried to do this.”
Lebuin nodded agreement. Cune stood. “Sula and I are going to go with Duke to Gracia. I need to go collect our things. I suspect my not being here will make your planning easier.” Cune gave him an amiable smile, which was weird after the years of smirks.
Lebuin held his hand out to Cune. “Magus Cune, I now understand what you were doing by playing my nemesis. I thank you for taking that burden which, at least, got me paranoid enough to be better prepared.”
Cune smiled and took his arm, and Cune’s eyes watered. Lebuin pretended to not notice.
“Before you go, I do have one question which will bother me if I fail to ask it.”
Cune released his hand and motioned for Lebuin to go ahead. “I can give you anything I know now. Ask away.”
Thread Strands (Golden Threads Trilogy) Page 25
