Part 7 (1/2)

Tauvene began to speak, then didn't. For the first time a smile broke out on Blain's face. 'Stop quailing, you little s.h.i.+t!' he said, chuckling. 'You're implicated. Doomed, understand? It's over for you. Be useful on your way to the grave. Who or what is Shadow?'

'He is, as I understand it,' Tauvene frowned, trying to remember, 'a mythical figure, whom some credit with actual historical existence-'

Blain laughed. 'From the story books, eh? Just like the Invia. And the dragons. Those are real too. You.' He pointed to Kiown. 'What do you know of Shadow?'

'Nothing, Strategist. This is the first I've heard of it, or him, or her.'

'You?' said Blain to Thaun.

'Heard the name, Strategist. The context escapes me.'

Blain chuckled. 'Would it surprise you all to know that until recently there was no such thing as Shadow? He did not exist. Now he does. And it all sprang from his mind, his new power. Our Friend and Lord is very ... nearly ... there. Whether the other G.o.ds can do this kind of thing, I don't know. Do you fathom what he's done? Woven a new thing, not only into present reality, but made it part of the past. This time a month ago, two months, three, you'd not heard the name. You won't believe me. You have memories, I'm sure, of hearing of Shadow. Of bedside stories, perhaps. Tavern tales. And the fool helped this happen. A forged letter from ”Shadow” about the Wall coming down, given to our Friend and Lord. Feeding poisonous whispers to him, feeding a phobia, making it realer. It's here now, it has happened.'

'What has happened, Strategist?' said Thaun.

'There's a loose force in the world, that's what. Maybe enough to topple him, us, everything. And that's without the Wall's destruction to deal with on top of it all!'

'Are we to eliminate this force?' said Thaun quietly.

'Try if you like!' said Blain with another mirthless laugh. 'No. Better we try to use it. We may need to, when the Pendulum swings higher and faster. We must study the new force, learn its ways. We must find it. Urgently. This Shadow. He is probably with the Pilgrims.'

'The new war you spoke of?' said Thaun.

Blain laughed grimly and turned to Tauvene. 'Have our First Captain's nerves settled? How many men can you get to World's End, soon as can be? I want a big number.'

'For fighting duty? For siege duty? For ...?'

'Men! Men! Bodies, working bodies. Fool, dribbling jester of a man, we'll send you simpering into this ravine and find a more useful idiot. How many?'

'Five thousand, at the very most. It would be difficult. Very difficult, if you wish it done quietly and quickly.' Blain made a noise of mock sympathy. 'I can scoop some from the forces gathering for Tsith,' said Tauvene. 'Some from Pyren's home guard. I can send for many of the roaming patrols. It would leave some homelands unguarded, which will be noticed.'

'Five thousand? Not enough. Get more. Double that, at least.'

'Where am I to get these troops? As you say, an invasion of Tsith and then all the rebel cities is practically begun, with some boots already on the road! But if this is your official order, I shall try,' said Tauvene in the tone of one trying to hide his disbelief. 'May I ask for what purpose the men are needed, Strategist? Precisely who is our foe?'

Blain laughed again. 'Your foe is whoever seeks to cross into Levaal South. No one's to get anywhere near the border, where the Wall stood. Fan them out, cover as much territory as you can. Concentrate on the roads and plains where a group could charge. Arm your men with longbows; use bolt throwers. Set up staves, pits. Lay traps. Create a moat of death before the boundary. Make examples of any who try to cross it. Be cruel. Crueller than cruel.'

Tauvene's mouth hung open. 'That is ... absurd. Your pardon, Strategist. I mean only to be useful on my way to the grave. That is too much territory to cover with any hope of-'

'I'll find some reinforcements for you,' said Blain as though the First Captain had not spoken a word. 'They'll be wearing the city colours of our enemies, if I succeed in my next task. That's in doubt. I'm not known for a silver tongue. I've some sworn enemies to persuade to help us. Tell your men to expect them, nonetheless.' Blain grunted in disgust, contemplating his task. 'At least you'll have a G.o.d or two on your side. No one, not a single man or beast, is to cross the boundary. Understand? Not a one. Forget about ”why” for now. Your weak fool brain has load enough to carry.'

'Such rhetorical flourish will surely aid you in persuading our enemies,' said the First Captain, bristling to be insulted this way before Evelle.

'Of what do you wish to persuade the rebel cities, Strategist?' said Thaun.

Blain grunted. 'To preserve the world for a while. Until later, when we can stab their backs at a time of our choosing. All of which they will know full well. But for now we need them. There's little point winning a prize which has burned to ash. How absurd. We need them!' Blain laughed again with what seemed real mirth. 'Go,' he snapped at Tauvene. 'a.s.sist him,' he added to Envidis. No one was under any illusion what a.s.sist really meant. Least of all the First Captain.

'And where is the rest of your entourage?' said Blain to Thaun when they had left. He got slowly to his feet and drew his plain coat over the s.h.i.+fting colours of his Strategist's robe.

'They are back at the inn, Strategist.'

'They still live?'

'Most of them,' said Evelle, smiling.

'Well let's go and see if they're useful. Take me there. You!' He pointed at Kiown. 'You're not here for your brains. Or your looks. Carry me.'

MIGHTY WIZARD OF THE TOWER.

1.

While they walked Eric watched the ground before him. Some parts of the sky's lightstone hung lower than others; some grew brighter than others. Right now, Siel's shadow was faint. But Eric indeed had none at all. 'Don't worry about it,' she said, wis.h.i.+ng she could take her own advice. It worried her a great deal. 'There must be an explanation for it.'

'Like what, pray tell?' he said.

'Sometimes spells go wrong. Little effects linger in the air. You can step into something you don't even see, and it's almost like you've been cast on.'

He scoffed. 'Look, are you telling me some wizard out there tried to remove his own shadow and missed, but the spell kind of blew around on the breeze until I walked through it?'

She shrugged. 'It's not common. There aren't enough mages left for it to be common. Nor is the effect always what the wizard intended. We have been exposed to many strange events, magic effects at play in them. And yes, things are possible which are stranger than losing a shadow. People have died from loose effects. Or been changed for life. There is a famous story of a man who had amazing luck for the rest of his life.'

'All I know is, every time I think I get used to this f.u.c.king place-'

'I will listen to your complaint, Otherworld Prince. But it's my turn next.'

'Forget it.'

In big loping strides Gorb led them down an incline until they found a path winding north-east through puffy green thickets and woodland. In it large star-shaped flowers slowly dripped clear sap like tear-drops. Birds made inquiring sounds from the trees. 'Hey Gorb, can I have my weapon back?' said Eric.

'Nope,' said Gorb, not turning around. 'Not till I know I can trust you. Which may take a while.'

Siel whispered, 'He's lying about the dolls. He didn't make them.'

'How do you know?'

'I saw something as we left. A glimpse, I think it was recent past. A man being led through the village as though he were captive. I think it was an Engineer.'

'A what?'