Facets of the Nether

by William C. Tracy

  Rey blinked in surprise. “I…eyah, he was. What of it?”

  “Tell him to look at Inas with the Symphony,” she said. “He hasn’t been right, since the Gloomlight prison. Tell him—” It was a risk, but maybe, just maybe, the Life Coalition would give him back—a broken Aridori. “Tell him Inas isn’t yet worthy of the form, and must be returned to us. We can fix him.” The image of Inas’ hand sprang up in her mind, half-melted, stuck in one position. It was the hand that had touched the insane prisoner.

  “I…can do that,” Rey said. He sounded completely lost. At least he wasn’t screaming any longer.

  “Also tell them if they harm him at all, the Life Coalition will lose any bargaining chips they have with the Assembly. I swear they will.” Majus Ayama’s face was almost white with fury. “And now, Reyhorer, I think you have somewhere else to be. Breathe a word of this to anyone and by Brahm’s majestic balls, all the punishments your granddames heaped upon you will be as nothing!”

  Rey turned, fumbled with the lock on the door until it turned, and practically ran from the room.

  “That might have been overkill,” Majus Cyrysi remarked to Majus Ayama’s frown.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Plans of Overture

  - The first scientific team to investigate the Grumv Vugm Mugv, or Avians, found their bodies had responded to pressures of living inside the Nether for an extended period. Here the changes are represented by shallower lungs, as there is no air pressure differential at the top of the Nether, and tougher claws, which act as a replacement for metal tools they lacked. However, their species is not native to the Nether. This means the group colonizing several large cities spread out across the top of the Nether’s volume must have arrived from a homeworld at some point in the past, and then been unable to return.

  Notes from committee meeting on scientific results from study of the Grumv biology.

  “Look at this thing!”

  Sam peered around Majus Ayama’s shoulder at the giant mechanical beetle. To get them in to see the machine, Majus Cyrysi had pulled strings with scientists he knew at the House of Power and with Matthiawi Burris, Reader, the Effature’s legal minister. Sam was still reeling from being at the strange and eventful first meeting with the Grumv that morning. A new species in the Nether—one which lived above the clouds, at the very top of the enclosed crystal. Counting the Aridori, that was twelve species, not ten. They reminded him of a cross between peacocks and pterodactyls, and the members of the species he’d talked to were all very pleasant.

  Due to Majus Cyrysi’s connections, and Burris’ good graces, they had been allowed a quarter of a lightening to investigate the contraption before a bevy of maji and scientists would descend on it.

  “I am to be thinking Councilor Feldo would be quite interested in this,” Majus Cyrysi said. “A shame he is missing. As I recall, he had quite a lot to do with the original creation of System Beasts. While this is not to be exactly the same thing, it is very near. I wonder if—”

  “Later, Ori,” Majus Ayama said. “Let’s take the chance while we’re here to look this marvel over. It’s a welcome break from chasing the Life Coalition and trying to unravel those shiv-cursed chimes.”

  “I can’t imagine climbing up the wall to the top of the Nether,” Sam said. Just thinking of the sheer, translucent cliff face made his hands clammy. And an Etanela girl had made the journey with her mother on this beetle. “What do you think, Enos?” he asked. She had been quiet, the past few days. He attributed it to being tired from helping Majus Ayama create a portal from scratch. From the majus’ sharp replies when he asked, it wasn’t going well.

  Not that he was getting anywhere in studying the chimes with Majus Cyrysi. No one else was either. Several maji had studied it, with little progress, though the Council hadn’t issued an official statement. To take a break, his mentor had promised some test to clarify his abilities in the Symphony. The Effature’s request rang through his head. He felt like he was failing the old man already.

  “Hm? Yes, very brave,” Enos answered. “I cannot believe that Kirian with them, though.”

  “Kirian scum is to be what he is,” Majus Cyrysi huffed. His crest looked like the sea after a storm. “I shall be notifying all of my connections on Kiria not to trust Wailimani with any other grants. First contact must be handled delicately, not by coercion! Why, if this had been done when the Lobhl joined the Assembly, I doubt we would have even incorporated them into—”

  Sam let his mentor’s speech wash over him as he poked at the metallic legs. The contraption really was a marvel. It looked like a giant stag beetle from Earth, shiny black and several times larger than him. Large enough to ride on, as the Etanela had. It was mechanical, and there were little doors all over it, opening to display complex arrangements of gears and levers. Another hatch on the top was big enough for a person to climb inside.

  He went around the front. The horns looked as if they were made of Nether glass. He squinted, listening. The music surrounding the horns was incredibly complex, just like the music around any piece of the crystal.

  “Look at this, Enos,” he said, then turned when she didn’t answer. She had one hand on the beetle’s carapace, but was looking far away. He snaked a hand into hers and she started.

  “Did you think about what I told you, about Rey?” she asked quietly. The maji were still arguing about what would happen now the new avian species had met the Effature and been offered entry into the Assembly.

  “I did,” Sam said. His heartbeat spiked at her question. He’d tried not to think about such violence, from Rey, of all people. He hadn’t been there to protect Enos.

  What would I have done? Punched Rey? I’m pretty sure he could wipe the floor with me. I might have hurt him if I used the Symphony. The Sureri was wiry and stronger than he looked.

  Sam cradled his pocketwatch in his vest pocket with his other hand, letting the ticking be a regulating force. “At least he’s working to get Inas back, since we can’t seem to do it.”

  “But by what method?” Enos asked. Now her attention was all on him. “He talked directly with the Life Coalition leaders. They told him Inas is Aridori!”

  “Yeah, and that they won’t give him back. What are they doing to him?”

  “Torture.” Enos face was stony. “I am certain. It is why I felt such powerful emotion from him. It must be. I am certain they are doing horrible things to him.”

  “But you haven’t felt anything else from him, have you? Not since those two times. It’s been a ten-day,” Sam whispered. He eyed the maji. They had a limited time with the beetle, but this was more important. Enos was contemplating some idea, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. “Is he…do you think he’s still…”

  “He is alive. They wouldn’t do that to him, and besides, I would know.” Enos absently ran a hand down a segmented leg. “Rey will talk with them again. Do you think he can convince them to give Inas back?”

  Sam shook his head. “Convince a militant group of Sathssn religious fanatics to give up an ancient enemy—sorry—like ones they’ve been holding on to for a thousand cycles? Even Rey’s not that good.” Their vibrant friend had talked himself out of almost every situation he’d gotten into.

  “The alternative is to invade the Life Coalition’s stronghold, and they might kill him if we do that. Don’t you want Inas back?” Enos’ face was tight, her eyebrows drawn down, her lips pursed.

  That’s a low blow.

  “Of course I do,” he said. He let go of the pocketwatch and took her hands in his. “More than anything. But the Life Coalition is up to something else with their talk of a power source. I just can’t see it.” He squeezed her hands. “Everyone is acting like they did nothing wrong—like killing, and destroying part of the Assembly, and keeping Aridori are a fair trade for what they can offer.”

  “Would you rather have him than me?” It took a moment for Sam to realize what Enos meant. She wasn’t thinking along the same lines he was. />
  “What? No! Why would you say that?” He’d spoken too loud. The maji looked up from their investigation of the beetle and his heart raced at the thought of losing her. He took in a deep breath. “It’s fine,” he told them. “I’m fine.”

  Majus Cyrysi’s crest said he didn’t agree, but the maji turned back to the shiny black metal, whispering.

  “I want both of you here,” he whispered to Enos. “I can’t choose one of you over the other. That’s the whole reason we work together.”

  Enos fell silent, but she squeezed his hand again.

  “It’s just that—” Sam broke off when the chime sounded.

  It had gone off that morning, rather than in the afternoon as was usual. It had rung every other day, then at the same time every day, for a total of eleven days. Now it was changing once more.

  “Again? That’s the second time today. It hasn’t done that before.”

  Enos stumbled as the reverberation shook the building.

  “I think that’s our cue to leave,” Majus Ayama said. “Come on Ori, they’ll kick us out, once the maji stop running around because of that chime. Maybe this will force the Council to finally issue a declaration that it’s dangerous. Or that it’s not. Who even knows?” She threw her hands up.

  Sam followed the maji out of the room where the beetle was held for research. The ever-present music playing in the corridors of the Spire was shaky and skipping from the effects of the chime. It seemed to disrupt many of the Systems in place around the Imperium. He’d seen a System Beast come to a full stop and fall over in the middle of the street the day before.

  In the corridor there was a group of people milling around. Sam drew close to Enos as they passed, feeling the familiar heat of panic at too many people, too close.

  I need Inas too. We have to get him back.

  He reached for that calm pool underneath the Symphony—the one he’d been able to access in Dalhni. It was still out of his reach.

  When he looked over to thank her, he found Enos watching him. She picked up his hand and squeezed it.

  Sam made himself smile down at her, as if everything was fine. What was she going through, if he was torn to pieces over Inas being gone? She shared not just a sibling’s connection, not just a twin’s connection, but even more. He was her other instance, connected across the universe. It was a powerful thing, and Sam’s gut twisted in a spike of jealousy. He wanted to share that with them, to be even closer. He would give anything to know how Inas was doing.

  Enos pulled him back until the maji disappeared around the next corner, then rose to her toes and kissed him. Sam almost reared back in surprise, but managed to stop his first, stupid reaction. He melted into the kiss.

  “What was that for?” he asked when they separated. “Not that I’m complaining, just that—”

  “Remember I care for you,” Enos broke in. “And Inas and I will always be around for you. Even if only one of us is here, our two instances are linked.”

  Sam gave her an uncertain look, but nodded. “I’ll remember,” he said.

  * * *

  The day after the Grumv were introduced to the Assembly, Sam found himself staring around Majus Ayama’s apartment. The majus had been forced to move when she lost her position on the Council, and he still wasn’t used to the new apartment. It didn’t help he hadn’t been here in several ten-days. He swiped a speck of dust from the top of a chair.

  He’d come with his mentor to find Enos, but she wasn’t here. The kiss kept going through his head, as did her behavior. He tried to pretend it was just her concern over Inas, but there was more than that. Rey had set her off on a new thread and he didn’t know what it was.

  I should find her and talk to her again. I don’t know what she’s going through, but I know what it is to go through anxiety. I can help her this time.

  He’d made up his mind and was walking to the door when his mentor called him.

  “Sam, come here,” Majus Cyrysi said. “We are to be finding answers, not cleaning the furniture.”

  “Wouldn’t mind a good cleaning,” Majus Ayama muttered. She positioned four rods in front of her on a desk. One was wood, another stone, a third iron, and the last was Nether crystal.

  Sam frowned. He’d finally made a decision, and now they wanted him.

  He approached the desk. “Where did you get that?” he asked, pointing to the core of crystal. It reflected the light from several lamps, though he could see through it. “I thought the Nether couldn’t be cut.”

  “Until now, that has been the case,” Majus Cyrysi said. “The beetle-like contraption we saw is dating perhaps even from before the Aridori War. It can be drilling through the crystal, in some manner unknown to maji. It has been providing several cores from the wall. This is the test I was to be telling you about.”

  “Even so, it took some work to secure this sample,” Majus Ayama said. “The folks researching it in the Spire weren’t happy when I requested it, but I still have some clout with the Council. Since they’re finally investigating the chimes—now they’re ringing twice a day—we can work on this instead.”

  “Now, be listening to the Symphony,” Sam’s mentor said. “This is a test I have been wanting to perform with your unknown connection to the Grand Symphony, but until now I have not been having the required resources.”

  Sam sighed, tried to push thoughts of Enos and Inas away, to let the music run through his mind. Each breath fell into a rhythm with the Symphony, and it dragged him farther in, to deeper melodies. With enough time, he might find that place of peace, hidden within him.

  Lips pushing against his, warm and sweet. Small hands in his, tightening.

  In the silence, his mind frantically replayed Enos’ kiss, trying to figure out why he fixated on it. They’d shared lots of kisses. This one felt…different.

  “Close your eyes,” Majus Ayama said. Sam shook himself, then did as he was told. There was a sound of objects rattling.

  “Be telling me where the one made of Nether crystal is,” his mentor said, but Sam’s hand was already rising, pointing to the rod second from the left, the one that had a vastly more complex progression of chords than the others.

  “Not surprising. Anyone can hear that,” Majus Ayama said, and there was more rattling as she moved them around again. “Which one is stone?”

  Sam pointed again, to the place where the steady, lumbering beat resided. More rattling. Really, what were they trying to prove? He could tell which was which easily from the music.

  “The wood?” Majus Cyrysi asked. Again Sam pointed, and again there were scraping sounds.

  “And the iron?” Majus Ayama asked. He pointed.

  He waited a moment, and when nothing else was forthcoming, opened his eyes. The maji were both frowning at him.

  “I can hear the wooden one and a bit of the Nether crystal,” Majus Ayama said, “but the others don’t have a component in the Symphony of Healing.”

  “You can’t hear the music in all of them?” Sam asked. He clasped his hands together. Was he the odd one out again? He could hear music in everything. It was just a matter of what notes he could touch.

  “One who is to be of the House of Strength might be able to access some notes from each, from what I know,” Majus Cyrysi said. “But you are seeming to overlap houses.”

  “Which ones do you hear?” he asked his mentor.

  “In Communication, only the one of wood, because of the living channels that were once to be flowing through it. I am also to be hearing some of the Nether crystal piece, both with Communication and Power. The House of Power can access the iron rod.”

  Then why could he hear all four? “But I can’t do things those Houses can do,” Sam protested.

  “Can you hear them?” Majus Ayama asked.

  Sam blinked. “The houses? I…should I be able to?”

  “You heard the Symphony of Communication when I was to be teaching you,” Sam’s mentor said. “You were even changing it, yet I am increasin
gly certain you are not to be a member.”

  “I don’t—” Sam started, but Majus Ayama waved a hand at him.

  “Listen.” She picked up the rod of wood—oak, it looked like. How did Sam know that? Had his father taught him? He couldn’t remember….

  “Listen!” the majus repeated, and Sam’s head jerked up. An aura of white surrounded her hand, and the wood twisted, as if it wanted to grow toward a light source. The House of Healing could do that sort of thing, with organic objects.

  But he couldn’t hear anything. That was silly. He wasn’t the House of Healing.

  Yet he had heard the House of Communication.

  Sam concentrated, sorting through the melodies that drifted through his head, from the ones in the building’s floor, to ones above their head. And then…

  There was a high, chiming sound, a repeating trio of notes sounding as if they were played in another room. Sam focused on it. They belonged to the wood, but they were changing, the notes braiding into a different rhythm. He reached out and tugged one note away from the sequence.

  The wood snapped straight, and Majus Ayama inhaled sharply, then shook her head.

  “Well, that was unpleasant,” she said. “Like someone jerking a chair out from under you while you’re sitting in it.”

  Majus Cyrysi’s crest was splayed in surprise, his eyes wide. “Were you changing the Symphony of Healing? I heard nothing.”

  “He did,” Majus Ayama said, while Sam opened and closed his mouth. He wasn’t sure what he had done. “Or at least he took a note away from the change I made. That’s not to say he could make the original change.” She cocked her head. “In fact…”

  Sam backed up as the dark-haired woman came toward him like a shark swimming toward a minnow. The bell at the end of her braid chimed as she walked.

  “Shiv’s teeth, I’m not going to eat you,” she said, then sighed. “We’ve been through this before, Sam.”