by Dean Murray
Va'del was still gently rocking back and forth, but he wasn't playing with his knife anymore. That was enough for now.
Chapter 15
On'li rubbed her temples as the other Council members finally trickled out of the room. It was the kind of gesture that simply couldn't be permitted when there were others present to notice the possible weakness, but her head hurt too badly to do otherwise now that they were alone.
Javin helped her to her feet and then followed her out of the Council room. She was so focused on the idea of using the short break to get back to their rooms and eat, she almost ran into Per'ce before realizing that the other Councilor was waiting for them.
"I beg both your pardons. I imagine that you're quite anxious to get back to Mar'li, but Sens'si and I would like to invite you back to our chambers for a brief meal."
The overture was so unexpected that On'li couldn't speak for a moment. Javin was forced to answer on their behalf. "Of course, we would be honored."
The journey to Per'ce's rooms didn't even begin to last long enough to properly consider all of the ramifications of the invitation. On'li was mentally running through the probable bargaining chips that would be dusted off and brought into the imminent negotiations when Per'ce offered his guests chairs.
"Sens'si will return shortly with the meal. I wonder if we might pass the intervening time, however, discussing your impressions of our most recent Council session."
"You mean the panicked group of toothless old gurra that should have the maturity required not to panic when things turn bad?"
Javin's lips twitched as he suppressed a smile. Per'ce in turn smiled at Javin's reaction and then nodded.
"Your point is well taken. Much of what has been proposed today is little more than desperate hoping. I'm glad to see that the current crisis hasn't made off with your typical bluntness."
"Somebody needs to be blunt around here. Nearly the entire Council has been convinced that Va'del was the entire reason that I'rone and his wives were killed. They've been looking for a scapegoat so they can go on ignoring the fact that Betreec and the others were just plain outclassed."
Per'ce nodded once again. "I have my own share of reservations with regards to the boy, but you're right when it comes to the response of most of our fellows. This idea of bringing up lowlander mercenaries, for instance, is very ill-advised."
The trio fell silent as Sens'si returned, trailed by a pair of kitchen workers. Once the boys had departed, Per'ce said a brief prayer over the food and resumed.
"Any soldiers brought up from the lowlands would invariably sicken and die. It's unlikely that they would have the skills or the constitution required to survive long enough to be of any use."
Javin passed On'li a bowl of soup and shrugged. "If they don't die off, we're just training the next batch of bandits."
Sens'si accepted a slice of mushroom bread from her husband before looking up gravely at her guests. "We aren't particularly worried about the motion passing. There are enough others on the Council who understand that our real security has always derived from the fact that none outside the People know the safe routes up the mountains, or even where our various enclaves are located."
Sensing an opening, On'li leaned forward. "So what are you worried about? Surely you don't think the motion to suspend the food caravans will pass? Even the biggest fools on the Council would have to understand that would be the end of our civilization. Once the flow of food and other necessities out from the Capital ceases it will only be a matter of weeks or months until the outer villages die off completely."
"No, neither my husband or I really believe that will pass, although I think you may be underestimating just how prepared certain members of the Council are to get behind the idea and really push."
It was Javin that cued in on the probable cause of concern. "You're worried about Ja'dir?"
"Correct; as you've no doubt noticed, we tend to favor the status quo. Sens'si was approached by one of the wives of Ja'dir's contingent. She'll remain nameless for now, but she was very concerned over a proposal that Va'ma will be putting forward later today."
On'li felt her eyebrows climbing in surprise. "If Va'ma is putting it forward, then it's fully Ja'dir's idea. Does that mean one of Ja'dir's contingent is actually dissatisfied enough that they're working against him?"
Sens'si shook her head. "I think that is perhaps putting things a bit too strongly. Rather say that she feels Ja'dir's at the point of going too far. He wants sanction to begin actively recruiting some of the older daughters as wives for a select group of Guadel. He desires to go beyond the two or even three wives that tradition enshrines, and marry dozens if possible."
A slight tremble to Sens'si's hand was the only signal that she was just as horrified by the thought as On'li. "He's trying to create some kind of elite warrior class? Doesn't he understand how destabilizing it would be to concentrate that kind of power in the hands of so few?"
Javin's smile was a bitter, humorless thing. "He understands exactly. That's the point. The bandits are just a useful pretext."
Per'ce held a hand up. "I think it a bit premature to be calling him a traitor."
"My husband calls it as he sees it. Those wives won't do Ja'dir a bit of good for months still. His mind will be too busy fighting them for any augmentation to happen until after a real bond of trust is developed. This proposal isn't aimed at stopping the bandits, and it has all of the appearance of a coup in the making. It's our duty to apprise the rest of the Council of the possibility."
Sens'si placed a restraining hand on On'li's arm. "Please. We're not ruling out the possibility, but you must understand that any more infighting on the Council could be potentially fatal to the People as a whole. We must resolve the current crisis before we start worrying about Ja'dir's long-term goals."
On'li almost shook the other woman's hand off, but Javin gently pulled her back into her seat. "What do you propose?"
"We need to kill both of the current motions before the Council and then do the same with Ja'dir's plan to create super Guadel. Beyond that we need to look to the decline of the Guadel as a whole and use this crisis to put forward a solution that actually has a chance of preventing further reduction in our numbers."
"Javin and I have been on the Council long enough to know you and Per'ce already have a plan. Let's hear it."
"We've been studying the roles and registers that have survived the centuries since the Exile and while the fact that the number of Guadel has diminished is inescapable, there's an important corollary. The women number nearly the same as always, it's the men who are fewer and fewer each year."
On'li leaned back in her chair and nodded. "That would tend to explain the fact that by all accounts there are more multi-wife pairings than were common when the Goddess walked with us."
Sens'si nodded excitedly. "Exactly. The problem isn't the size of our population, which is much larger than it was even just a few hundred years ago. It's the fact that more and more of the outlying villages know too much about the Guadel and the testing process. It's becoming all but impossible to find boys who are suitable material to become candidates."
On'li briefly considered keeping her mouth shut before mentally shrugging.
"I understand the concern. Of course, understanding the problem and letting an idiot like Ma'del continue to run Bitter Rocks are two different things. It's past time we stopped overlooking his methods just because we're hoping to someday be able to recruit from that poor batch of idiots as elected him."
Per'ce put a calming hand on his wife's arm before she could respond.
"You can hardly blame Ja'dir and the rest for that, On'li. The number of women who are strong enough to test a potential candidate who knows the real purpose of the testing are very few. Your bloodline has been fortunate in always having been blessed with a high number of truly powerful women, but some of the other bloodlines would have no hope of finding additional boys to sponsor if not for those few pockets l
ike Bitter Rocks."
"That argument only works if we were actually finding boys to sponsor in Bitter Rocks. Va'del's been the only candidate to come out of there in almost twenty years. Even the prospect of using his people to start up a new village in fifty or sixty years doesn't really justify the way we're letting him trample precedent and tradition."
Sens'si seemed to have regained her composure. "For now Bitter Rocks is a closed issue, the last vote was very decisive. However, if we can find another way to grow the segment of the People who serve as suitable testing candidates, you may very well get your wish of personally making the trip out to yank Ma'del up. We want you to put forward a motion to approach the lowlanders at Crimson Rocks about adopting some of their foundlings."
Both Javin and On'li rocked back at the sheer novelty of the plan, and On'li tapped the table as she thought her way through the idea. "It's unorthodox. There would be resistance to it for that reason alone. You're not thinking just of Crimson Rocks. That kind of news would spread like an avalanche. You'd quickly have offers of all kinds. Young, young children, mostly. The kind too small and weak to work, who are a drain on the resources of those around them. The older children will already be earning their keep."
"Exactly. We don't want the older children. The younger they join with the People, the easier time they'll have with the transition. Transporting them up the White Spikes will be difficult, but not an insurmountable task."
Javin took a considering breath. "They'll be a drain on our resources as well for quite some time. It would be a risk."
Per'ce shrugged. "We must try something different if our way of life is to survive. It's possible we can get some measure of support from the lowlanders in return for supporting their orphans. More importantly, it's possible that some of the children will turn out to be Goddess-touched. If so, the worked stones they make over the course of their lives would more than offset the added strain on our food supplies."
"You've got Javin half convinced, I can see that already, but this is no more of an immediate solution than Ja'dir's dozen wives. We need something in the short term that will allow us to deal with the threat represented by the bandits."
Sens'si finished up her soup and nodded. "Agreed. Practically speaking, there is nothing to be done but to increase the size of the Guard. There are plenty of old men or part-time guardsmen who could be enlisted full time. They couldn't be sent out to search for our attackers, but they'll serve to keep the peace and stand guard over the entrances to the villages. That will then free the better-trained guardsmen for convoy duty and scouting parties."
"They'll need to be added to the existing command structure. No changes can be allowed there."
Per'ce nodded at Javin's observation. "Agreed. The existing system has worked since the Exodus. No reason to change that and we don't want to encourage any more empire-building than we're already seeing."
"So why do you need Javin and me to present this whole plan? Surely you'd have just as much luck presenting it yourself."
"Frankly, Sens'si and I are worried at what Ja'dir would do if he perceived a power block coalescing against him. Currently, the two of you stand almost completely alone in your ongoing opposition to everything he puts forward. That opposition has largely succeeded because those not already in his corner are generally willing to hear you out, and there's always sound thinking behind the positions you take."
"You just finished saying that we were over-reacting in thinking Ja'dir was planning some kind of coup."
"We don't think it is likely, but you are correct in stating that some of the pieces have fallen into place for such an event. Regardless, we don't want to be seen as anything other than a completely neutral party."
"Leaving Javin and me to stand alone to weather the storm?"
Sens'si chuckled before visibly suppressing the reflex. "I'm sorry, but we haven't noticed as that it's slowing you down in the slightest."
On'li forced her face into a polite mask. "Don't mistake duty for enjoyment. We do what honor demands but the path would be easier with allies. If the two of you want our aid it will come with a price."
"Your Va'del. We suspected that might be the case, but as I said before, my wife and I both have some reservations still where the boy is concerned. More even than just the precedent that would be set, we're worried about what he would become. Neither of us is unsympathetic to your plight, to the fact that the Stephens bloodline has been seriously decimated, but we can't allow that concern to override other worries."
"This isn't about our bloodline. I've been inside the boy's mind and have the best feel for his potential. He needs to be sponsored. If he turns into some kind of monster like Be'ter you can count on the fact that I'll see he never takes his final vows. Short of that, there's no reason for him not to be sponsored."
"Perhaps another bloodline. If you're truly not concerned with the decline of your bloodline, possibly another sponsoring family could be found. Va'ma's Glor bloodline might be a suitable place for someone with the martial potential he's demonstrated."
"With all due respect for Va'ma's people, none of them really know the first thing about bringing a boy back from the kind of hurt this one's experienced."
Per'ce turned to exchange a long look with his wife before turning back and nodding. "Very well. As you say, we can hardly pass by a potentially suitable candidate, not if you're truly ready to see that he is stopped should he become some kind of threat. I don't think our support will be enough to get him actively sponsored right now, but we can at least help see that he is included in the candidate classes so that his training proceeds."
Javin stood and helped On'li to her feet. "We will do what's required."
"Not a day goes by but that I rely on that fact. Go with the Goddess, you two. Bring up the motions we've discussed and we'll do our part."
##
Javin hadn't really said anything to Va'del when he arrived, but the teenager found he didn't mind the silence. It is almost like being back with I'rone. He never said very much either.
Va'del had never planned on attending the dinner when he'd accepted On'li's invitation. He'd sincerely planned on killing himself long before then, so at the time he hadn't worried about the prospect of dining with a group of people that he didn't really know.
After Jain had convinced him not to kill himself, he'd been worried that Callan would whip him for being late to feed the gurra, which had still kept him from worrying about the dinner. It wasn't until Javin arrived that his stomach had started tying itself up in knots that even the thought of Jain couldn't settle.
I don't know what I could have possibly done to deserve her friendship but she is the most amazing person I've ever met.
The thought generated a twinge of guilt. It felt more than a little unfair to Pa'chi, who'd stood with him as long as he could remember, but he'd never shared the kind of things with her that he'd shared with Jain.
I was always worried that if Pa'chi found out about the real me she'd stop being my friend. I never trusted her with the fact that I wanted to kill myself. I suppose she probably guessed as much but as long as I didn't say anything we could both pretend otherwise. Jain, on the other hand, knows, and she likes me anyway.
Looking at Javin's broad-shouldered form ahead of him left Va'del with a feeling of near-despair. Even all of Jain's efforts hadn't quite managed to convince him that the Goddess would somehow direct his life for the good even if he was never able to become a Guadel.
Va'del's thoughts were still chasing each other around his head when Javin turned off from the main corridor into a smaller tunnel that led to the suit of rooms he shared with his wives.
On'li smiled at her husband, and then waved to Va'del before introducing him to her sister-wife Mar'li. "And this young lady I think needs no introduction."
Va'del felt his mouth drop as Jain stepped into the room.
The three older people all smiled at their guests' obvious astonishment at seeing each other.<
br />
On'li pointed everyone towards seats around the low table. "I must apologize, Va'del. I should have thought about the impact the news of Piter and Bay'del's death would have on you and arranged for you to have a couple of days off after I shook your world like that. Unfortunately I wasn't thinking very clearly at the time."
Va'del tried to protest as he sat but On'li wouldn't have any of it.
"No. Grief is no excuse. Luckily Jain found Javin that night and despite the fact that she was no doubt terrified of him, managed to explain that you hadn't been able to return to the stables."
Jain found Va'del's eyes and seemed to be desperately trying to tell him without words that she hadn't betrayed any of his secrets. He smiled at her, trying to let her know he hadn't worried that she'd do so.
"She didn't add that she'd already been sentenced to a spectacular penance for having missed part of her afternoon classes, but we found out about that and did what we could to lessen her punishment."
Mar'li quietly reappeared from the other room with a number of dishes, and Va'del was startled to realize that some of the food had been cooked in the Guadel's rooms. With heat sources being so dear, almost everyone had to get their food from the communal kitchens. On'li's family preparing some of their own food was a clear sign of just how important they were.
Javin left to help Mar'li with the rest of the food and On'li turned back to Va'del and Jain, whom she had seated next to each other. "I trust that neither of you object to the other's presence here?"
Both of the teenagers shook their heads and then sat in embarrassed silence until the food had been brought in. The dinner was so reminiscent of his time with I'rone and his family that Va'del nearly found himself tearing up on more than one occasion.
On'li, and to a much lesser extent Javin, carried the conversation, asking a variety of questions of their young guests. Mar'li didn't say anything all night, but it was evident to Va'del long before the dinner was over that there was a very sharp mind behind the shy, unassuming exterior she showed the world. More than once the younger of the two wives caught Jain or Va'del's eyes, seeming to share a secret joke or laugh with them at something On'li or Javin said. They do sound awfully old sometimes.
