Part 98 (1/2)

She stiffened in his arms and there was a fearful chilling.

”Why?”

The mind spoke, enclosing her, vast and familiar and strong: Trust me. Let me look. For your sake and for all of us. Please.

I can'tPlease. I must know the truth.

There's fireI know. Poor Elizabeth. You're so proud and afraid. If you'd only learn to trust.

Brother Anatoly wants me to trust G.o.dJust trust Me. Let me come. There ...

She was suspended in silence, all alone. The blackness around her was not mental. She knew that somehow. It was a remote part of the physical universe, intergalactic s.p.a.ce, void of stars, without even a wisp of glowing gas. There was only a single object for her mind to fasten on, one respite from everlasting Night.

A pinwheel of bluish-white sparkling haze, tiny and exquisite.

A whirlpool of suns isolated from other cl.u.s.ters of galaxies. A barred spiral she might reach out and touch, and move.

She opened her eyes.

She was dancing with Marc Remillard.

”Creyn broke his promise,” she said. ”He was not to tell you.

The vision is his, not mine. Impossible.”

”I agree. And yet-appealing. If only I were not committed to my own challenge, and so close to realizing it again. The years have been bitter, Elizabeth. I can't resist trying.”

”I know.” She did not dare look at him again. He was not dressed in exotic finery as the King had been but wore almost archaic tropical formal wear, a black dinner jacket and a ruffled s.h.i.+rt. She let her head rest on his breast, submitted to his lead, but without surrendering as she had to the King.

”You have three very persistent and brave friends, Elizabeth.”

”I told them not to come here. They have no right to interfere.

And Creyn promised!”

”He told me more than his Duat vision,” Marc said. ”Creyn told me that you loved me, Elizabeth-and so did Aiken. Is it true?”

”It's impossible,” she said, from behind the flames.

”I think so, too, but your friends are more stubborn. Basil has climbed the mountain and Creyn has helped make blacktorc children whole and operant and Anatoly-experienced a temporary triumph at my expense. As I said, they're stubborn.

They'd like to think nothing is impossible.”

”We know better, Marc.”

”Yes,” he said, and they danced in blackness unrelieved.

Then it was Aiken who held her under trees starred by fireflies, and the music slowed at last and stopped.