When they went down to dinner at the nearby Duck’s Beak, they found Adams sitting in a private cubby in the dimmest end of the restaurant. He ushered them in and stared at them.
“You went by the central towers, didn’t you?” he asked. “The large buildings in the center of the city?” he added in reaction to the blank stares he received.
“And you saw a little boy fall from a platform?” Adams asked.
Silas nodded cautiously.
“Did you see him be miraculously saved? And do you know how he was saved?” Adams asked.
The questions were leading directly to Silas, at the very beginning of the conversation. Mata looked at him, as he wrestled with what to say.
“There was a lady wearing a blue robe,” Silas said.
“Ah, the member of the Mover Guild,” Adams acknowledged. “The young lady is reputed to be one of the strongest Movers in the Guild, but even she wouldn’t have been able to keep the platform afloat if she had diverted any of her energy to saving the child. No, someone else did that, and now the whole Guild is abuzz, wondering who the unknown mover is that saved the boy so smoothly.
“There’s been an alert circulated to be on the lookout for a boy with strangely-colored eyes who was seen at the scene of the rescue,” Adams spoke quietly. “The guards – and others – will be watching to see any such boy.”
“It’s not a crime to save a baby’s life!” Silas burst out.
A waiter came to the table and took their orders, then left.
“No, it’s quite a heroic thing, actually,” Adams agreed. “But its extraordinary of course. There are less than forty members in the entire Movers Guild; they all know one another quite well. At most, they only add two or three new members in any one year through their Ordeal, so they’re extremely keen on finding any potential new members who know how to move things through the air using only their minds – what’s the fancy word for it?”
“Telekinesis,” Silas replied flatly. “In the Wind Word Guild, there are old stories about Speakers who could use their voices to move things, but only one or two were ever known, and that was hundreds of years ago,” he said. “How could there be dozens of them down here in Faralag? And what’s the secret of this city anyway? Everything we’ve seen has been the exact opposite of what we have ever been told about the country.”
“There is a great mountain out in the Granite Range,” Adams told the others.
“Mount Inegalee?” Mata asked.
“Yes, very good,” Adams agreed. “Every year, the Movers Guild allows up to ten candidates to go to the mountain, and to try to climb up it to a cave that is about halfway up. Inside the cave, there are deep chambers, and fumes that the candidates breath, that change them, and give them the power.
One or two make it, and when they come back, they’ve been changed by the cave, and they can become Movers; it just takes training. A few try to climb the mountain, but give up and come back home, alive.
“And,” he paused dramatically, “a few don’t come back, and are never heard from again. They presumably die in the effort to climb the mountain,” Adams said somberly.
“So, the question is, did one of you climb the mountain and go in the cave?” the man asked.
“No, neither of us did anything but look at the mountain,” Silas spoke emphatically.
They grew silent again as the food was delivered.
Adams looked at them doubtfully.
“I admit I have some telekinesis ability,” Silas confessed. “But it’s not from the mountain, and it doesn’t have anything to do with Faralag.”
“I believe you,” Adams held up his hand, then motioned for the two guests to start eating. “But it would be a good idea for you to voluntarily go visit the Guild and just let them know, so they’ll call off the manhunt,” he suggested.
“Tell us about Faralag,” Mata spoke up.
“It’s not what it seems, and the outside world has no idea, as you say,” Adams replied with a grim smile.
“Well, we don’t let many outsiders into the city at all, so we can keep our secret safe,” he began. “We believe that the gods want us to keep an eye on the world and protect it.
“We don’t let many foreign ships into our harbor, and the ones that do enter only see the part of the harbor down in the District between the water and the wall, where it looks just the way you expected it to.”
“But the towers are so tall,” Mata protested. “Sailors on ships must see the towers and wonder.”
“We tell them the towers were the folly of some old king, too tall to really use,” Adams said. “It just confirms that we’re a nation not to be take seriously. We’re really quite self-sufficient, so we don’t ship much in or out.”
“And what does Prima do?” Silas asked.
“Prima is a caravan trader, he truly is,” Adams said assuredly. “He turns a profit with every trip he makes around the continent. He also gathers and distributes information. And on occasion, he acts on information that he finds along the way that requires immediate attention.
“He told me about a very, very interesting and peculiar boy he picked up along the way,” Adams added. “It was you of course, Silas, with your strange eyes and night sight, your mirror and your knife and your Wind Words abilities, all provided by an unknown holy cave. He hadn’t mentioned that you were a Mover.
“Nor did he say anything about your lover,” Adams eyes shifted to Mata for a moment.
“We’re not lovers,” Silas replied. “We’re friends,” he felt his cheeks grew warm.
“Silas saved my life, and helped me flee from Amenozume, and we haven’t had time to do anything but run ever since,” Mata added.
They had finished their food as they talked.
“Silas, my recommendation to you is that you go to the Movers Guild, first thing in the morning, and let them know who you are, and listen to what they have to say,” Adams told him. “You’re not going to be able to move around this city for very long before those eyes give you away.”
Silas sat in silence. “What will they do?” he asked after a long stretch.
“I am not entirely sure. I imagine they’ll want to consider you as a potential candidate to join their guild, for one thing. They need and want many more members. As I understand, just serving to operate the lifts at the towers is a very difficult task, one that not all of them can even do, and those who can only work in shifts of an hour or two at most. They can’t keep the platforms running for all hours of the day,” Adams provided insights.
”You can think about it for now, Silas,” Mata placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Can we come see you tomorrow?” Silas asked. “We need to talk and think.”
“Let’s meet here for lunch tomorrow,” Adams suggested. “That way I don’t have to write another pass, and you won’t have to expose yourself to very much public scrutiny if you don’t want to.”
They all agreed on the plan, and the two travelers thanked the trader for providing a scrumptious dinner. Then they left the tavern and parted ways, Silas trying to keep his head averted and his eyes turned from anyone they passed on the sidewalk, until they returned to their inn and walked directly to their room, where they lit a candle.
“What do you think I should do?” Silas asked Mata as he pulled his boots off and lay back on the bed.
“If everything he says is true, you don’t have any choice; you’ll have to go talk to this Guild,” Mata answered as she flopped down on the bed as well, in their now-routine position of heads at opposing ends of the mattress.
“I will,” Silas agreed. “As long as I can make sure I stay with you.”
“Silas!” Mata’s voice was excited as she sat up suddenly. “Let’s try the mirror!”
He sat up as well and stared at her. Throughout the length of their trip through the mountains, they had not been able to communicate with the outside world through either the mirror or the use of Wind Words. But with their arrival in Faralag, perhaps,
they might be able to rely on their magical devices once again, though Adams had made Silas promise to not use the Wind Words.
He leaned over, lifted his pack from the floor, then pulled the mirror out, as Mata scrambled to his end of the bed.
Their two heads bumped gently as they both stared at the surface of the mirror.
The darkened armory at Ivaric was in view. Silas slid the mirror back into the pack.
“It works again!” Mata gave Silas a celebratory kiss on the cheek, as he pulled the mirror free and back into view.
Jade and the princess and another girl from the court were sitting in front of the mirror, in various stages of undress.
“Give me that!” Mata snatched the glass from Silas’s hand, the sharp glass causing a small cut to his finger as she did so. Silas winced and lifted his finger to his mouth, while Mata rolled backwards, away from him, holding the mirror before her face.
“She sees me!” Mata announced triumphantly. “Give me the pad and stylus!” she urged, holding one hand out expectantly.
“Just a minute,” Silas snapped, pulling his finger from his mouth to check on the bleeding, then lifting his pack and handing it to her.
“I’ll tell them to get dressed,” Mata promised, as she began to write on the pad, then held it up in front of the mirror. Mata stared at the mirror, then peremptorily commanded Silas. “Go get the candle and bring it closer so they can read my message.”
Silas did as ordered, and a minute later, Mata spoke again. “They’ve put on robes; come over here,” she continued to command him as her delight at the restoration of the mirror’s abilities overwhelmed every other facet of her personality.
As he took his position next to Mata, Silas saw Jade and the princess holding robes closed and leaning in close to the mirror, as the third woman stepped back. Jade was writing furiously, while the princess smiled and waved at Silas’s arrival, making him grin and wave back.
Mata and Jade coincidentally finished their notes to one another and held them up at virtually the same time. Silas looked at the two women in the mirror and saw Jade’s lips move ever so slightly as she read her sister’s note, then he turned his eyes to the note that was displayed for him to read.
“Where are you? Where have you been? Are you okay? What have you been doing?” the note was a series of questions.
“What did you tell them in your note?” Silas asked Mata.
“I asked how they were doing, and I told them we’re in Faralag, after a long journey,” Mata replied, as her eyes remained fixed on the mirror.
“I don’t think we should tell them what Faralag is really like yet,” Silas spoke softly, needlessly. “We ought to respect the secrecy this kingdom has until we know more.”
“I,” Mata tore her eyes from the mirror to look at Silas, “I think that’s fair,” she agreed, then looked back at the mirror.
Jade took her note down and started writing again.
It was going to be a long exchange between the sisters, Silas realized. He looked in the mirror and saw by the light in her eyes that the princess had reached the same conclusion. They gave one another twisted grins, then Silas waved good bye, and moved back down to his own end of the bed to relax, letting Mata have her time to converse with Jade. He’d hear all or most of the news soon, he was sure.
He closed his eyes and relaxed, wondering what would happen when he went to find the Movers Guild. It was a small Guild, with only forty or so members, Adams reckoned. The Speakers Guild had more than forty singers in just one choir, he chuckled to himself. Such a small Guild, but such astonishing work! If they turned their abilities to other works, there was no telling what amazing accomplishments would be laid at their feet.
He felt surprisingly relaxed, considering the newest unpredictable bind he was in. It was perhaps a result of the nature of the city he was in. Faralag, the lamented, anarchic Faralag, was a peaceful, efficient, cosmopolitan city, one that protected itself from outside evil like Ivaric. It seemed unlikely that any harm could come to Silas in a conversation with the Movers Guild.
“Silas, wake up!” Mata’s voice penetrated his lazy thoughts, and he opened his eyes. She was kneeling next to him, and as he focused on her, she cheerfully plopped down upon his chest, her face close to his.
“They all thought we were dead!” Mata laughed. “Jade was so excited! Seeing us again was the best thing that’s happened in a month, she told me.
“They all said to tell you hello, and thank you for keeping me alive and free,” Jade said. “Even Gwen said you must be good for something!” Mata’s laughter was light.
“But they have problems too,” Mata’s tone turned darker. “The Pearl Traders Guild does have Ivaric guards on the docks, just one squad, but the Princess believes it’s just the beginning.” Mata stewed over the unhappy news, then brightened her spirits. “But they’re all safe for now, and the prison has been emptied of all the captives there, and there’s no sign of the evil presence you saw.”
Silas gave a momentary shiver at the recollection of the vision of the red skull that had occupied the room in the prison tower above Mata, just before Silas had rescued her.
“I’ve decided I’m going to visit the Guild tomorrow,” Silas told his friend a few minutes later, after her chatter about the messages she’d exchanged with her sister had wound down.
“I know it seems like the only choice you have,” Mata lay down upon him, lying motionless at last as she listened to him. “I’ll go with you if you want me to.”
Silas smiled at the offer of support. “We’ll ask Adams whether he thinks that’s a good idea. I’d like to have you with me,” he agreed, stroking her hair.
Chapter 15
The next morning, Silas awoke early, feeling restless. The sun had not risen yet, but his mind was full of speculation about the day to come, so he carefully crept out of the bed without awakening Mata, then slipped out of the room and went downstairs.
The city streets were dark to everyone but him. There were no people out moving among the streets, and so he walked alone through the blocks of streets and structures, exploring the sleeping city until the sun started to rise and shoppers and merchants began to emerge. Then Silas kept his head down and returned to his inn.
Mata was awake and annoyed with him when he returned. “You should have told me you were leaving,” she scolded him.
She left to buy breakfast rolls, while Silas remained hidden in the room. He restlessly stayed inside through the remainder of the morning, while Mata traded notes with Jade once again through the mirror.
At midday, they walked the short distance to the Duck’s Beak once again, where they took a booth and waited, but not long, for Adams to arrive. When he did, he arrived with a companion, the lady with short blond hair who had operated the platform by the tall towers on the day Silas had saved the boy. She was a member of the Mover’s Guild.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” the woman spoke first, extending a hand while still two steps away from the table, then surprising Silas by clasping the hand he extended in return, and pulling firmly, drawing him into an embrace with one arm wrapped tightly around his back as she leaned against him, then brushed his cheek with a kiss as she pulled away.
“You saved that boy’s life when no one else could have – it was you of course, wasn’t it?” she had piercing green eyes that regarded him warmly.
“Everyone be seated,” Adams directed as they all stood at the table. A waiter was standing nearby, ready to take orders.
“We’ll have a bottle of wine,” Adams told the waiter, sending the man on his way, as the party sat down.
“Your eyes are stupendous!” the blond girl took the seat directly across from Silas and stared at him frankly.
“My name is Riesta,” she spoke. “And Adams tell me your name is Silas.”
The waiter returned with a decanter of wine and four glasses. The group sat in silence as the waiter poured the wine, then departed.
“So
, you are a natural Mover?” Riesta asked.
“No, not exactly,” Silas answered after an awkward pause. The girl gave him a puzzled look, then turned to Adams for an explanation.
“I was dropped into a cave. It was a complete accident – or maybe Krusima did it,” Silas tried to tell his tale, as he found his focus distracted by the stunning eyes across the table that watched him intently. “There were fumes, and I breathed them before I got out of the cave. They did things to me,” Silas explained. He sipped his wine; the taste was smooth and mellow, but he felt its strength.
“So, you became a Mover?” Riesta asked again.
“He became a Wind Word Speaker, actually,” Adams chimed in. “And his knife became enchanted to serve him, and he developed night vision like a bat.”
“And a Mover too?” the girl wanted to pin down the issue that mattered to him.
“Four or five times in the past few months I’ve been able to use telekinesis to move things,” Silas confirmed. “But I don’t really control it. Things just happen, unpredictably.”
“Of course! With no training! How could you control the Movers power?” Riesta was ready to explain away the sporadic nature of Silas’s power. “Just think what you’ll be able to do when you join us! And you’ll have those other things too,” she seemed satisfied with his future, while Silas sipped at his wine again.
“I look forward to working with you. I’ll train you personally,” she declared.
“Riesta has been a Mover for several years now; she was the youngest to ever go to Mt. Inegalee, and the youngest to come back, and she’s been a leader since the very first day. She handles all the initial training of the Movers now,” Adams offered.
The waiter arrived and offered to take orders.
“Bring a plate of noodles and oysters,” Adams ordered for the table once again.
Silas sipped his wine for a third time, and found that his glass was already, inexplicably empty. Adams noted his condition and poured more from the decanter into all four glasses.
The Pearl Diver Page 15
