Part 21 (1/2)
”I'd say unclear rather than confused,” Ijarin offered in a thoughtful way. ”Kiri, you mentioned that our Guardian already knew what you said. Were you suggesting that Ranander is ... spying for our Guardian? Is that why he felt safe when he tried to get between you and Master Fearin?”
”No, that's not what I'm suggesting,” I said to Ijarin while the others exclaimed over the contention.
”Ranander is definitely not spying for Diin-tha.”
”Then what do you mean?” Fearin asked, his voice riding over those of the others asking the same question. ”And what has all this back and forth got to do with our attack against Stophen-Zur?”
”It took me a while to accept this part of the theory, but I was left with no other explanation,” I said,deciding it was time to get to the most outrageous part of the situation. ”If you'll remember, I had to guard those twin girls as a Shadowborn in Faerza. Then, while we were in the palace, we were attacked by a.s.sa.s.sins posing as Kenoss. At that time I fought as a Kenoss, with a sword rather than as the beast, but I had to let the beast out a little in order to search for the a.s.sa.s.sins. Then came that nonsense about me being 'rewarded,' which brought about that confrontation with the regimental champions of the army.
Again I fought as a Kenoss, but at the end I had to let the beast out part way to end things completely.
And in case you were wondering, that beauty-ugliness thing is part of the Learning, which means the beast would have come to the surface yet again in Stophen-Zur. Doesn't all that tell you what's happening?”
I'd put the question to everyone but Ranander, but none of them cared to venture a guess. Their expressions suggested that they didn't want to understand, and for that I couldn't blame them.
”You were probably hoping I'd have to use the beast in the Valley of Twilight when those people tried to steal some of the men from our army,” I said to Ranander when it was clear no one else would be saying anything. ”But by that time I was already suspicious, so I tried a bluff instead and it worked. That meant you had to have us continue on to Stophen-Zur, after which we probably would have been told that that was the wrong city after all. Just how long did you think you could go on with this?”
”That's the second time you've suggested that Ranander is behind our efforts,” Fearin said slowly when Ranander just sat there and looked at me with a sad expression. ”Are you saying that this man found a way to make us believe that we were moving in Diin-tha's cause when we really weren't? I can't believe that that's true.”
”You don't have to believe it because it isn't true,” I said, noticing the hint of amus.e.m.e.nt in Ranander's dark eyes. ”The G.o.d Diin-tha is behind everything, including the attack in Faerza and the insanity of the army. For some reason Diin-tha is ... attracted to the beast in me, and has been trying every which way to bring the beast out into the open. Isn't that right, Diin-tha?”
There were choking sounds from some of the others as I looked directly at Talasin, which banished the amus.e.m.e.nt in Ranander's eyes. ”Prince Talasin” looked back at me without expression, the same way Ranander now looked at me. Those expressions actually made me smile.
”Was I really supposed to blame it all on 'Ranander'?” I asked Talasin. ”When everyone knows that G.o.ds can be in two or three places all at the same time? I'll bet your next move would have been a plan to 'avoid' Ranander's ardor by offering yourself because Fearin wasn't available. You knew there was no way I'd ever lie with Ranander, so I'd probably take you up on your offer rather than hurt the poor man.
And in case I actually did get suspicious of Ranander, you would still be there to take over. How do my guesses sound now?”
”One of them was completely wrong,” Talasin said with a very faint smile. ”It isn't just your beast that I'm attracted to, it's all of you. You're bright and beautiful and deadly, and I felt the pull of you from the moment you first came to my notice. I knew I had to have you, but I did want to see you in action first.
Now that the play time is over, we can go to my tent.”
”No,” I said as he began to get to his feet. ”Ranander” had started to fade when Talasin began to speak, and now there was nothing left of the other ”man.” ”I'm not going anywhere with you, and I certainly won't share your bed.”
”But you have to,” Talasin said, sounding like the most reasonable being in the world as he settled back onto the golden floor weaving. ”I'm a G.o.d, and you can't deny a G.o.d's desires. Tell her, Fearin.”
”How can I tell her anything when I don't understand what's happening?” Fearin said, almost a plaintive note in his voice. ”You're actually Diin-tha? But what about Ranander? Why would there be two of you?”
”There weren't two of him,” I supplied when Talasin simply smiled. ”Both of them were him, which let him keep his thumb on as much as possible. 'Ranander' wasn't lying when he said he couldn't know things when Power was involved or when I was. Diin-tha had to be present if he wanted to keep track of what went on. He made his initial move against me when I first got to your camp, right after he 'saved my life.'
He expected me to be grateful enough to do anything he wanted me to, and when things didn't work out that way he used 'Ranander' to set up the next plan. After that things started to go even more wrong, but if nothing else he's adaptable.””Don't forget determined,” Talasin said, that familiar grin showing. ”You know I'm going to get my way eventually, so why don't you just make things easier for both of us and stop being stubborn? I'd really hate to have to force you to do as I want... ”
”But you can't force me, can you?” I said while the others paled or looked really uncomfortable. ”I don't know why you can't use force, but if you could it would already have been done. Go ahead and tell me I'm wrong.”
”This is one side of you I don't admire,” Talasin said, no longer grinning. ”I'm not used to having mortals tell me what I can and cannot do. Come with me right now or suffer the consequences.”
”Kiri, don't argue with him,” Fearin said before I could respond, his voice tinged with worry. ”Just go ahead and get it over with.”
”No, wait, she's right,” Ijarin said, and he seemed more distracted than worried. ”For some reason Diin-tha can't force her to do as he wants, he needs her free agreement.”
”Which he isn't going to get,” I stated, still staring at the being I'd known as Talasin. ”Not now and not ever.”
”But why?” Talasin demanded, annoyance and exasperation clear in his voice. ”How can you sit there and refuse the attentions of a G.o.d?”
”I don't like people - or beings - who care about nothing but their own desires,” I answered, having wondered if he would ever get around to asking. ”Mortals are totally unimportant to you even though you mimic them fairly well, and you would have let our army destroy the lives of everyone in Stophen-Zur just to let you watch me perform. You also don't care how much I suffer, just as long as you have what satisfies you. I don't expect you to understand what I'm talking about, but that doesn't matter. As long as I have the right to refuse you I'm going to exercise that right.”
”That speech of yours tells me that you do care about people,” Talasin said, now looking satisfied again.
”With that in mind, why don't I say that if you try to refuse me again I'll destroy every mortal within five hundred strides? That should help you change your mind.”
”But that would be forcing me, and you aren't allowed to use force,” I pointed out, hoping I was right.
”Why don't you change your mind instead, and find someone who will recognize the great honor you're trying to bestow on her? There have to be millions of women like that around, so just pick one.”
”I can't just pick one, and wouldn't even if I could,” Talasin - Diin-tha - answered in a growl. ”You're the one I want, and you're the one I mean to have. Tell me what I can do to make you amenable.”
”Sure,” I answered, keeping the disgust from entering my tone. ”You can learn to act like a responsible mortal, and maybe then you'll have a chance. I don't guarantee it, but the possibility exists.”
”Very well, then that's what I'll do,” he answered, his tone saying the matter was settled. ”You'll teach me what you think I need to learn, and once I've done perfectly you'll change your mind. I've occasionally wondered what it would be like to live completely like a mortal, and now I'll find out. Are we going to start now or would you prefer to rest here for a time? And when we do leave, where will we be going?”
”You know, just because I was sarcastic doesn't mean you also have to be,” I pointed out sourly. ”And that's something else you have to learn, not to take sarcasm quite that far.”
”I wasn't being sarcastic, I was agreeing to your terms,” Diin-tha said with a gleam in his currently human-looking eyes. ”I asked you to state terms, you did that, and I agreed. So when do we leave and where are we going?”