Sappique

by Catherine Fisher

  The food, when it came, was a tray of bread and water, dropped down on the ground. Keiro ignored it, but Rix had no scruples; he ate as if he was famished, kneeling and cramming the bread into his mouth. Atria reached down and picked up a crust; she chewed it slowly, but it was dry and hard.

  ‘Prison fare,’ she said.

  ‘That is where we are.’ The warden sat, flicking out the tails of his coat.

  ‘So what happened to your tower?’ Keiro asked.

  ‘I have many boltholes in the Prison. I use the tower as my library This is my laboratory.’

  ‘I don’t see any test tubes.’

  John Arlex smiled. ‘You will, all too soon. That is if you want to be part of this wretch’s crazy plan.’

  Keiro shrugged. ‘I’ve come this far.’

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  ‘So you have.’ The Warden put the tips of his fingers together. ‘The halfman, the dog—slave, and the lunatic: Keiro didn’t show his feelings by a flicker.

  ‘And do you think you will Escape?’The Warden picked LI the jug and poured himself a goblet of water.

  ‘No’ Keiro gazed round.

  ‘Then you’re wise. As you know, you personally cannot leave. Your body contains elements of Incarceron.’

  ‘Yes. But then, this body the Prison has made itself is completely formed of such elements.’ Keiro leant back, mocking the Warden’s pose, steepling his own fingers. ‘And it fully intends to leave. Once it has the Glove. So I have to assume that there is a power in the Glove itself which makes this possible. And might even make it possible for me.’

  The Warden stared at him and he stared back.

  Behind them, Rix coughed as he tried to eat and drink at the same time.

  ‘You’re wasted as a sorcerer’s apprentice: the Warden said quietly. ‘Perhaps you would do better working for me.’

  Keiro laughed.

  ‘Oh, don’t dismiss it so easily. You have the temperament for cruelty, Keiro. The Prison is your environment. Outside will disappoint you.’

  Into the silence of their mutual gaze Attia snapped, ‘You must miss your daughter.’

  The Warden’s grey eyes slid to her. She had expected 368

  some anger, but all he said was, ‘Yes. I do.’

  Seeing her surprise he smiled. ‘How little you Inmates understand of me. I needed an heir and yes, I stole Claudia as a baby from this place. Now she and I can never Escape each other. I do miss her. I’m sure she misses me.’ He drank from the goblet, a fastidious sip. ‘We have a twisted Love. A love that is part hate and part admiration and part fear. But love all the same.’

  Rix belched. He wiped his mouth with his hand and said,

  ‘I’m ready now.’

  ‘Ready?’

  ‘To face it. Incarceron.’

  The Warden laughed. ‘You fool! You have no idea! Don’t you see that you’ve been facing Incarceron every day of your miserable, scavenging, trick-playing life? You breathe Incarceron, you eat and dream and wear Incarceron. It’s the scorn in every eye here, the word in every mouth. There is nowhere you can go to Escape from it.’

  ‘Unless I die,’ Rix said.

  ‘Unless you die. And that is easily arranged. But if you have any crazy plan about the Prison taking you with it …’

  He shook his head.

  ‘But you’ll go with it,’ Keiro murmured.

  The Warden’s smile was wintry. ‘My daughter needs me.’

  ‘I don’t understand why you haven’t gone before. You have both the Keys …’

  The smile went. John Arlex stood, and he was tall and 369

  imposing. ‘Had. You’ll see. When the Prison is ready it will call for us. Until then you stay here. My men will be outside.’

  He walked to the door, kicking aside the empty plate. Keiro did not move or look up but his voice carried a cool insolence.

  ‘You’re just as much a Prisoner here as we are. No difference.’

  The Warden stopped, just for a moment. Then he opened the door and let himself out. His back was rigid.

  Keiro laughed, softly.

  Rix nodded, approving. ‘You tell him, Apprentice.’

  ‘You’ve killed him.’ Jared straightened from the body and stared at Medlicote. ‘There was no need …’

  ‘Every need, Master. You would not have survived a blow from that axe. And you have the knowledge we all want.’

  The secretary looked strange holding the firelock. His coat was as dusty as ever, his half-moon glasses catching the setting sun. Now he glanced round at the men blindfolding Caspar. ‘I’m sorry, but the Prince too must die. He has seen us.’

  ‘Yes I have Caspar sounded terrified and furious all at once. ‘You, Medlicote, and you, Grahame, and you, Hal Keane. All of you are traitors and once the Queen knows...’

  ‘Exactly.’ Medlicote’s voice was heavy. ‘Best if you stand

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  aside, Master. You need have no part of this.’

  Jared didn’t move. He eyed Medlicote through the dusk.

  ‘You would really kill an unarmed boy?’

  ‘They killed Prince Giles.’

  ‘Finn is Giles.’

  Medlicote sighed. ‘Master, the Wolves know that Giles is truly dead. The Warden of Incarceron was our leader. He would have told us if the Prince was placed in the Prison: The shock rocked Jared. He tried to recover. ‘The Warden is a man of great depth. He has his own plans. He may have misled you.’

  The secretary nodded. ‘I know him better than you, Master. But that doesn’t concern us now. Please stand aside.’

  ‘Don’t, Jared!’ Caspar’s voice was a sharp cry. ‘Don’t leave me! Do something! I would never have killed you, Master! I swear!’

  Jared rubbed his face. He was tired and sore and cold. He was worried sick about Claudia. But he said, ‘Listen to me, Medlicote. The boy is no use to anyone dead. But as a hostage he is immensely valuable. As soon as the moon sets and the night is dark enough I intend to use a secret way I know to get into the Wardenry ...’

  ‘What way?’

  Jared jerked his head at the listening gentlemen. ‘I can’t say. You may have spies even in your Clan. But there is a way. Let me take Caspar with me. If the Queen sees her precious son paraded on the battlements she’ll

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  stop the bombardment instantly. You must see that this will work.’

  Medlicote gazed at him through the glasses. Then he said,

  ‘I will talk to my brothers.’

  They walked aside and made a small group under he beeches.

  Blindfolded and tied, Caspar whispered, ‘Where are you, Master Sapient?’

  ‘Still here.’

  ‘Save me. Untie me. My mother will load treasure on you. Anything you want. Don’t leave me to these monsters, Jared.’

  Jared sat wearily in the beech leaves and watched the monsters. He saw grave, bitter men. Some he recognized — a gentleman of the King’s Chamber, a member of the Privy Council. Was his life any safer than Caspar’s now that he knew who they were? And why was he so tangled in this web of murder and intrigue when all he had ever wanted was to study the ancient writings and the stars?

  ‘They’re coming back. Untie me, Jared. Don’t let them shoot me like Fax.’

  He stood. ‘Sire, I’m doing my best.’

  The men approached in the twilight. The sun had gone, and from the Queen’s camp a trumpet rang out. Laughter and the ripple of viols came from the royal tent. Caspar groaned.

  ‘We’ve made up our minds: Medlicote put the firelock 372

  down and gazed at Jared through the mothy evening. ‘We agree to your plan.’

  Caspar gasped, and slumped a little. Jared nodded.

  ‘But. There are conditions. We know what you were researching in the Academy. We know you decoded files, and we assume you learnt secrets there, about the Prison. Can you find a way Out for the Warden?’

  ‘I believe it’s possible,’ Jared said cautiously.

  ‘Then y
ou must swear to us, Master, that you will do everything you can to restore him to us. He must be held against his will, if the Prison is not the Paradise we thought, he would never have abandoned us. The Warden is faithful to the Clan.’

  They really were deluded,Jared thought. But he nodded.

  ‘I’ll do my best.’

  ‘To make certain, I will enter the Wardenry with you.’

  ‘No!’ Caspar turned his head, blindly. ‘He’ll kill me, even in there!’

  Jared gazed at Medlicote. ‘Don’t fear, sire. Claudia would never let that happen.’

  ‘Claudia.’ Caspar nodded in relief. ‘Yes you’re right. Claudia and I were always friends. My fiancée once. Could be again.’

  The Steel Wolves looked down at him in bitter silence. One of them muttered, ‘The heir of the Havaarnas. What a future we face.’

  ‘We will overthrow all of them, and Protocol too.’

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  Medlicote turned. ‘The moon sets in a few hours. We’ll wait till then.’

  ‘Good.’ Jared sat, pushing damp hair from his face. ‘In that case, my lords, if you have anything a poor Sapient could eat, he would be grateful. And then I’ll sleep, and you can wake me.’ He glanced up, through the branches of the trees.

  ‘Here. Under the stars.’

  Claudia and Finn sat opposite each other at the table. Servants poured wine; Ralph ushered in three footmen carrying tureens and then supervised the dishes, removing covers and placing utensils next to Claudia.

  She sat, brooding over the melon on her plate. Beyond the candles and piled centrepiece of fruit Finn drank silently.

  ‘Will there be anything else, madam?’

  She looked up. ‘No, Ralph, thank you. It looks wonderful. Please thank the staff.’

  He bowed, but she caught his surprised glance and almost smiled. Maybe she had changed. Maybe she was not quite the same haughty little girl any more.

  When he had gone and they were alone neither of them spoke. Finn piled some food on his plate and then poked at it listlessly. Claudia couldn’t face anything.

  ‘It’s strange. For months I’ve wanted to be here, at home, with Ralph fussing.’ She looked round at the familiar dark—

  panelled room. ‘But it’s not the same

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  ‘Maybe that’s because of the army outside.’

  She glared at him. Then she said, ‘It got to you. What he said.’

  ‘About hiding behind a girl?’ He snorted. ‘I’ve heard worse. In the Prison Jormanric hurled insults that would freeze that idiot’s blood.’

  She picked at a grape. ‘He did get to you.’

  Finn threw down his spoon with a clatter and jumped up. He strode angrily around the room.

  ‘All right, Claudia, yes, he did. I should have killed him when I had the chance. No Pretender, no problem. And he’s right in one thing. If we haven’t cracked the Portal by seven then I will walk out, alone, because there’s no way I’m having any of your people die for me. A women died once before because I could only think about my own Escape. I saw her fall screaming down a black abyss and it was my fault. It won’t happen again.’

  Claudia pushed a pip round her plate. ’Finn, that’s exactly what he wants you to do. Be noble, give yourself up. Be killed.’ She turned. ‘Think! The Queen doesn’t know about the Portal here — if she did this place would be rubble by now. And now that you remember who you are . . . that you’re really Giles, you can’t just sacrifice yourself. You’re the King.’

  He stopped and looked at her. ‘I don’t like the way you said that.’

  ‘Said what?’

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  ‘Remembered. Remembered. You don’t believe me, Claudia.’

  ‘Of course I do …’

  ‘You think I’m lying. Maybe to myself.’

  ‘Finn . . .‘ She stood but he waved her away.

  ‘And the fit. . . it didn’t happen, but it was coming. And it shouldn’t be. Not any more.’

  ‘They’ll take time to go. Jared told you that.’ Exasperated, she stared at him. ‘Stop thinking about yourself for a minute, Finn! Jared is missing — god knows where he is. Keiro …’

  ‘Don’t talk to me about Keiro!’

  He had turned and his face was so white it scared her. She was silent, knowing she had touched a raw nerve, letting her anger simmer.

  Finn stared at her. Then, quieter, he said, ‘I never stop thinking about Keiro. I never stop wishing I’d never come here.’

  She laughed, acid. ‘You prefer the Prison?’

  ‘I betrayed him. And Attia. If I could go back...’ She turned, snatched up her glass and drank, her fingers trembling on the delicate stem. Behind her the fire crackled over its logs and plasticoals.

  ‘Be careful what you wish for, Finn. You might get it.’

  He leant on the fireplace, looking down. Beside him the carved figures watched; the black swan’s eye glittered like a diamond.

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  In the heated room nothing moved but the flames. They made the heavy furniture shimmer, the facets of the crystals glint like watchful stars.

  Outside, voices murmured in the corridor. The rumble of cannonballs being stacked came from the roof. If Claudia listened very hard she could hear the revelry from the Queen’s camp.

  Suddenly needing fresh air, she went to the window, and opened the casement.

  It was dark, the moon hung low, close to the horizon. Beyond the lawns the hills were crowned with trees, and she wondered how many artillery pieces the Queen had brought up behind them. Sick with sudden fear she said, ‘You miss Keiro and I miss my father.’ Sensing his head turn she nodded. ‘No, I didn’t think I would, but I do. . . Maybe there’s more of him in me than I thought.’

  He said nothing.

  Claudia pulled the window shut and went to the door. ‘Try and eat something. Ralph will be disappointed otherwise. I’m going back up.’

  He didn’t move. They had left the study a mess of papers and diagrams and still nothing made sense. It was hopeless, because neither of them had any idea what they were

  looking for. But he couldn’t tell her that.

  At the door she paused. ’Listen, Finn. If we don’t succeed and you walk out like some hero the Queen will destroy this house anyway She won’t be content now without a

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  show of force. There’s a secret way out — a tunnel under the stables. It’s a trapdoor, under the fourth stall. The stable boy, Job, found it one day and showed Jared and myself It’s old, pre-Era, and it comes up beyond the moat. If they break in, remember it, because I want to be sure you’ll use it. You’re the King. You’re the one who understands Incarceron. You’re too valuable to lose. The rest of us are not.’

  For a while he couldn’t answer her, and when he turned he saw she’d gone.

  The door clicked slowly shut.

  He stared at its wooden boards.

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  How will we know when the great Destruction is near? Because there will be weeping and anguish and strange cries in the night. The Swan will sing and the Moth will savage the Tiger. Chains will spring open. The lights will go out, one by one like dreams at daybreak.

  Amongst this chaos, one thing is sure.

  The Prison will close its eyes against the sufferings of its children.

  LORD CALLISTON’S DIARY

  The stars.

  Jared slept beneath them, uneasy in the rustling leaves.

  From the battlements Finn gazed up at them, seeing the impossible distances between galaxies and nebulae, and thinking they were not as wide as the distances between people.

  In the study Claudia sensed them, in the sparks and crackles on the screen.

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  * * *

  In the Prison, Attia dreamt of them. She sat curled on the hard chair, Rix repacking his hidden pockets obsessively with coins and glass discs and hidden handkerchiefs.

  A single spark flickered deep in the coin Keiro
spun and taught, spun and caught.

  And all over Incarceron, through its tunnels and corridors, its cells and seas, the Eyes began to close. One by one they rippled off down galleries where people came out of their huts to stare; in cities where priests of obscure cults cried out to Sapphique; in remote halls where nomads had wandered for centuries; above a crazed Prisoner digging his life-long tunnel with a rusty spade. The Eyes went out in ceilings, in the cobwebbed corner of a cell, in the den of a Winglord, in the thatched eaves of a cottage. Incarceron withdrew its gaze, and for the first time since its waking the Prison ignored its Inmates, drew in on itself, closed down empty sections, gathered its great strength.

  In her sleep Attia turned, and woke. Something had

  changed, had disturbed her, but she didn’t know what it was. The hall was dark, the fire almost out. Keiro was a huddle in the chair, one leg dangling over its wooden armrest, sleeping his light sleep. Rix was brooding. His eyes were fixed on her.

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  Alarmed, she felt for the Glove and touched its reassuring crackle.

  ‘It was a pity you weren’t the one to say the riddle, Attia.’

  Rix’s voice was a whisper.’! would have preferred to work with you.’

  He didn’t ask if she had the Glove safe, but she knew why. The Prison would hear.

  She rubbed her cricked neck and answered, equally quietly.

  ‘What are you up to, Rix?’

  ‘Up to?’ He grinned. ‘I’m up to the greatest illusion anyone has ever performed. What a sensation it will be, Attia! People will talk about it for generations.’

  ‘If there are people.’ Keiro had opened his eyes. He was listening, and not to Rix. ‘Hear that?’