The Autarch snorted. “I would think you’d relish the prospect. Tevenar need not fear either of us, if we end up as weakened as you say.”
“True.” Verinna eyed Elkan with a frown. “Why do you care if we destroy each other? Isn’t it in Tevenar’s best interest if we do?”
He spread his hands. “I’m a wizard. Lives matter to me. Tevenarans, Ramunnans, Marvannans, Girodans—we’re all the Mother’s children.” He reached down to caress the cat’s head. “When I stood before her, she asked me to serve her children, and I promised I would.”
Tenorran shivered. He wasn’t sure if he believed that Elkan really had seen and talked with the Mother, but the thought made him feel profoundly uncomfortable. As if she was watching him right this minute, judging every secret desire of his heart. She’d never consider him worthy to bear her power. But even if she did, he’d decline. He’d much rather fade into the background, unnoticed and forgotten and safe.
He saw something of the same discomfort on his mother’s face, though she tried to appear as haughty and unconcerned as always. “Of course. Only someone who felt that way would spend days on end waiting on the filthy hordes in the Beggar’s Quarter. But trust me. Neither I nor the Autarch need your help. Ravanetha has survived for centuries without the Mother’s power. We’ll continue to do so.”
The Autarch narrowed his eyes and studied Elkan. “I agree. Whether your power comes from the Mother or from demons, Ravanetha can prosper without it.”
“Perhaps. But do you want to?” Elkan pointed at the Autarch. “Tane, you’re alive and free from pain because you sought our healing.” He swiveled. Tenorran stiffened as he pointed at Adrenna sleeping against his shoulder. “Verinna, you have the heir you craved because you searched for us and found us.”
He sat back again. “Both of you, think what Tevenar has to offer you. If we can come to a suitable agreement, I might be willing to send dozens of wizards to each of your countries. And not only that. We’ve already discovered a treatment for diabetes that’s currently being distributed throughout Ravanetha. I fully intend to pursue more such discoveries. We have knowledge about how diseases spread, what sort of foods are necessary for people’s bodies to thrive, how to prevent crimes and rehabilitate those who commit them, how different types of people can live together with minimal conflict, how to resolve conflicts when they happen. I know you both want what’s best for your people. With help from Tevenar, both Ramunna and Marvanna can prosper in ways you never imagined possible.”
He spoke with such conviction Tenorran knew he must be serious. But what he described could never really happen. Could it?
He let himself dream, just for a moment. A Ramunna in which he need never be afraid, where he could relax in a tavern with friends, where he and others like him could go about their lives as casually as Jaron and Sachiel did…
Elkan looked back and forth expectantly. Both his mother and the Autarch studied him. After a moment, almost in unison, they glanced away. Their eyes met, and for an instant the two of them exchanged a look of perfect understanding.
The Autarch said gently, “That’s an interesting suggestion.”
Verinna smiled indulgently. “Of course we appreciate everything you’ve done for us. And of course you want to help further.”
“I’m not asking you to commit to anything now. Go back to your lodgings, consult with your advisors, think about what I’ve said. Think about what sort of agreement between the three of us could best serve our countries and our people. Attend the Restday service in the Hall tomorrow morning and pray for the Mother to reveal her will. I invite both of you to join me and the rest of the Wizards’ Guild in our dining hall for the midday meal. We can come back here afterward and continue our discussion.”
Verinna nodded briskly. “I doubt another day of talking will accomplish more than this one has, but it is more diverting than sitting in my tent all day.”
The Autarch smiled. “I have nothing better to do.”
“Excellent.” Elkan rose and extended a hand to the Autarch. Tane climbed to his feet and accepted it for a brief clasp. With a jerk of his head to his guards, he swept out the door.
Elkan turned to Verinna, offering his hand to her in turn. She waited until Tenorran rose, shifted Adrenna to one arm, and offered his hand as well. She took them both and let them draw her to her feet. “An interesting approach, Master Elkan. I’m curious to see how tomorrow goes.”
He smiled and released her hand. “No more than I am. I’m optimistic we can reach an agreement that works for all of us. If not tomorrow, eventually. There’s no hurry.”
“No.” She summoned Tenorran and the guards with a wave. “Until tomorrow.”
“Until then.” Elkan walked with them to the door of his office and held it open while they passed through.
His mother didn’t speak until they had crossed the main Hall and exited the big double doors. She paused at the top of the steps and surveyed the bright afternoon. “Let’s walk for a bit before we return to the tent. I expect Adrenna will need to be changed soon?”
Tenorran checked. “It can wait a little while.” She was awake now, happy and alert after her nap.
“Good.” She led the way to the fountain. Tenorran turned Adrenna to face out so she could enjoy the sight fully. She cooed and gurgled, kicking and waving her arms vigorously as the fine cool mist touched their faces.
Verinna beamed at her daughter, though Tenorran thought a trace of melancholy underlay her pleasure. “She’s such a happy child.”
“She is.” Tenorran brushed his cheek against her thick hair and inhaled her delicate musky scent. “But I suppose most babies are. Why shouldn’t they be? Their world is so simple. A full belly and a dry diaper, a nap and something pretty to look at. That’s all Adrenna needs to be happy.”
“And loving arms around her.” She regarded her children fondly, but the melancholy was stronger now.
“If you want to hold her—” Tenorran held her out.
Verinna waved away his offer. “You go ahead. I’ll get plenty of time with her later.”
Adrenna’s face briefly clouded when Tenorran pulled her back instead of completing the transfer to her mother, but he was able to distract her by moving closer to the fountain.
Verinna moved to stand just behind his shoulder. She spoke in a low voice. “Don’t get your hopes up.”
He frowned and turned toward her. “What?”
“No, keep your attention on Adrenna.” She was quiet a moment. “Elkan is dangerously naive. Ramunna will never be like Tevenar. Not in the ways he wants, not in the ways you want. Even if I let him send hundreds of wizards, they can’t change people’s fundamental natures.”
Tenorran bit his lip, wondering if he dared question her. Finally he couldn’t resist. “How fundamental can it really be, when people are different here?”
“The wizards have had a thousand years to train them to accept unnatural ways. It starts the moment they’re born and never lets up. But even so, if the wizards were ever to stop watching and controlling them, forcing them to comply with their artificial ideal, the Tevenarans would revert to normal quickly enough. The Mother’s power imprisons them more effectively than any dungeon, and they don’t even realize it.”
Tenorran thought about his visit to the tavern. If that was a dungeon, it was better than any freedom he’d experienced. “They don’t seem to mind.”
“That’s the most terrifying part. You didn’t see how the people of the Beggar’s Quarter lusted after what the wizards could give them. For certain types of people, those too weak to think for themselves, that sort of control is desperately attractive, especially when sweetened with tempting bribes. They might have thought the wizards were healing them out of free good will, but they didn’t realize what they were giving up.”
Tenorran laughed uneasily. “So you agree with the Purifiers? Their powers come from demons?”
“Perhaps. I can’t imagine the Mother approves.” Ver
inna shook her head. “I just wanted to warn you. What Elkan offers may look pretty, but in the long run it would destroy Ramunna.”
“Hmm.” It was useless to argue. But Tenorran couldn’t believe her. She hadn’t been out among the common folk of Tevenar, with no wizards near, the way he had. They weren’t puppets being controlled by wizard masters. They were normal, good, happy people. If the people of Ramunna became more like them, it would be a positive change.
His mother turned and beckoned him to follow, gesturing for their guards to surround them. “Let’s walk through the market for a little while. I might buy a trinket or two to commemorate our time here. Some of the craftsmen produce work that wouldn’t look too primitive hung on the palace walls.”
Fifty-Seven
Meira looked up from her paperwork at the sound of the back door opening. She’d brought a lap desk out to the bench in the yard so Ravid and Irim could play in the sunshine while she did a little more work. If she could get these instructions for the mill in Korisan finished tonight, she’d be able to enjoy a relaxed Restday, and they could go out with the early messenger Firstday morning.
Her heart leapt at the sight of Elkan emerging from the house. “I didn’t expect you home so early. How did the negotiations go?”
“Better than I hoped. We reached a point where everything I wanted to cover the first day had been said, and Verinna and Tane were in accord with each other, so I sent them off to let the ideas I raised simmer. I hope you don’t mind that I scheduled our next session for tomorrow afternoon. I’ll do my best to keep it short, but skipping a whole day between talks would have sapped the momentum I’m trying to build.”
“I don’t like it, but I understand.”
He sat down beside her and shifted the lap desk from her knees to his. “Want me to transcribe while you dictate?”
“Please.”
She’d had plenty of time to think through what she wanted to say, so with Elkan writing the work went swiftly. He folded and sealed the document while she packed away her supplies. “They don’t expect you back at the Hall tonight?”
“Not until the service in the morning. Although I should stop by and visit with Sar and Josiah for a little while before bed.”
“How are they doing?” He’d revealed the truth about Josiah’s continued wizardry, after emphasizing how important it was to keep the secret.
“When I looked in this morning, Josiah talked for ten minutes without taking a breath. If he didn’t have Sar to communicate with, I think he’d have slipped and given everything away by now. I asked Kevessa and the rest of his friends to take turns sitting with him, but that may be more torture than help, because I made him swear not to reveal the truth to any of them.”
“Is he still trying to contact the Mother?”
“He says he is. We’ll see if anything comes of it. I’m skeptical, but it gives him something to focus on and feel like he’s contributing.”
“I hope it works. I’d rather you didn’t run off to Gurion’s Chapel for three days and nights right after our wedding.”
“I will avoid it if I possibly can.” He put his arms around her and pulled her close. “Maybe even if Josiah’s attempt fails. I’m feeling less need to ask the Mother what she wants me to do. I think I know what she’ll say. After today, I’m even beginning to believe I’ll be able to do it.”
She snuggled into his side. “Of course you will.”
He held her tight for a few more minutes before releasing her. “How long before Relan comes to pick up Irim?”
“A few hours. Long enough to go to the market and buy some ingredients if we want to cook here tonight.” She rose and picked up the lap desk. “Or long enough to let Tobi watch the children while we relax upstairs. We can always eat at the Hall.”
He held the door for her. “While I like both of those ideas, I was thinking about taking care of a different errand.”
“Oh?” She went to the corner of the sitting room she’d outfitted as her office and tucked the lap desk into its place. “What?”
Elkan took her hand and looked into her eyes. “If you approve, I want to go forward with adopting Ravid. We can visit the Miners’ Guild headquarters now and get the process started. I spoke to Master Voralet, who handles these things for the Wizards’ Guild, and she’s available to join us.”
Meira closed her eyes, a confused jumble of emotions sweeping over her. “We don’t have to act so quickly.”
“Not if you don’t want to. But I’ve made up my mind, so I don’t see any point in waiting. Unless you think it would be better for Ravid.”
“No, he’ll be fine. And I do want this. It’s just…” She pulled away and walked into the kitchen, where through the window she could see Ravid and Irim digging in the sand side by side. Elkan came up behind her. “I’m sorry. Please don’t take this the wrong way. But part of me doesn’t want to break my last tie to Ravid.”
Elkan put his arms around her, and she pressed back into his warm, strong body. “That’s easy enough for me to understand. I know you loved him, and if he’d lived you’d never have looked at me. I wish I had the power to give him back to you.”
Thank the Mother she’d never have to choose between them. “He would have liked you. I know he’d be pleased to have you raise his son, since he can’t do it himself. It’s just hard.”
“Of course it is. There’s no rush. You’ve got a good arrangement with Relan, and I’ve certainly got plenty to keep me busy without taking mornings off. The masters who’ll be taking up my slack will certainly prefer it if I get through the worst of the transition before taking on the responsibility of a child.” He shuddered in mock horror, laughter in his voice. “I haven’t told them what I intend. They can’t try to argue me out of it if it’s done before they find out.”
Meira found herself laughing with him, though her eyes stung with tears. “You shouldn’t give them a chance to get used to you doing all the work.”
“That’s what I thought.” His fingers brushed her cheek, wiping away the dampness.
“All right. Let’s do it.” She twisted in his grasp to embrace him.
He hugged her tight, then let go and headed out into the yard. “Hey, Tobi. You too, Ravid and Irim. Want to go for a walk?”
Ravid abandoned his shovel and raced across the yard to throw his arms around Elkan’s waist. “Can we go to the beach?”
Elkan scooped him up. “Not today, unfortunately. But we can stop at a park. Which would you prefer, the one with the climbing trees or the one with the stream to wade in?”
Irim tugged at his tunic. “I want to climb, please.”
Ravid scowled, although Meira had spent many hours supervising him as he happily scrambled through the trees. “I want to play in the water.”
“We may have time to do both, if you cooperate. Irim, I’ll help with your shoes. Ravid, get yours and let your mother help you.”
How did he know it still made Irim nervous when Meira fumbled to brace the strap of her sandals with her hook while buckling it with her clumsy fingers? Unless she was taking the children out, most days she left the task to Relan when he picked her up.
Irim was a little shy with Elkan, but he was charming as usual, so by the time they finished she eagerly grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the door. Ravid was so used to her hook he barely noticed it, just squirmed impatiently until she finished, then jumped down to seize Elkan’s other hand.
They strolled through the streets together, stopped briefly at a messenger station to send word to Master Voralet, then headed to the park with the climbing trees, conveniently located just off their route. Elkan played with the two children for a quarter of an hour while Meira sat on a bench and watched them, chatting with other parents and petting Tobi. Then they continued to the Miners’ Guild headquarters, arriving just as Master Voralet did.
The wizened old woman eyed Elkan and Meira frankly. “About time the two of you made things official.”
“We’r
e standing up tomorrow,” Elkan told her, taking Meira’s hand.
Voralet sniffed, but her expression softened as she looked them both over. “Dabiel would be pleased. Since she can’t, let me be the first to congratulate you.”
Meira squeezed Elkan’s hand hard. He returned the pressure. “Thank you.” He pushed the door open, and all of them went in.
The master in charge of wards for the Miners’ Guild welcomed them into his office. He spoke at length to both Elkan and Meira, confirming his desire for the adoption and her approval. His sharp eyes watched Elkan and Ravid together, and he talked with Ravid for a few minutes. Ravid, who’d already started calling Elkan ‘Papa’ on occasion, was enthusiastic. Voralet affirmed the Wizards’ Guild’s willingness to assume responsibility as Ravid’s kinguild and vouched for Elkan’s good character. Tobi laid her head in her bondmate’s lap and gave the miner a long, hard stare.
He chuckled. “That’s as strong a recommendation as I could ask for. I suspect she’d set me straight pretty quick if I had a mind to refuse you. But I’ll save her the trouble. We’ll need to complete the full formalities, of course, Guildmaster, but I don’t anticipate any problems. The Miners’ Guild finds you suitable to assume guardianship of our ward. We’ll release our claim on him to you and the Wizards’ Guild at the conclusion of the adoption process. If you and his mother will sign this, please, everything will be in order.”
Elkan signed his full name with a firm hand. Meira struggled to force her left hand to form neat letters. When she came to her guildname she almost wrote an “M,” but caught herself at the last moment and inscribed a “B” instead, finishing out the letters of “Blaster” slowly, with her lips pressed tightly together, so they didn’t deteriorate into a scrawl.
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