Part 43 (1/2)

”Ithought Ishbel had cursed Ravenna,” Georgdi said. They were once more grouped around the central table in the command chamber, this time with the addition of Isaiah and Kezial to StarDrifter, Insharah, Ezekiel, and Egalion. Garth Baxtor was also here, sitting to one side, looking worried and uncomfortable.

Isaiah, on the other hand, had automatically taken the commander's position at the table and everyone from Georgdi down deferred to him instinctively.

”I know nothing of this,” Isaiah said. ”Tell me.”

Georgdi, aided by StarDrifter b.u.t.ting in every few sentences, told Isaiah briefly of what had happened when Ravenna had lured Maximilian to his murder, and then how Ishbel had murdered Lister -- at which Isaiah remarked that he'd known of Lister's death, but not the details -- and had cursed Armat and Ravenna.

”Armat is now dead, too,” Georgdi said, ”killed by Eleanon, but Ishbel cursed Ravenna threefold. She disinherited the son Ravenna carried to Maximilian from Elcho Falling --”

”I would have done far worse,” StarDrifter muttered.

”She cut Ravenna off from the Land of Dreams, the source of Ravenna's power, and she cursed her to forever be an outcast, rejected by all communities.”

”But,” Kezial put in, ”Eleanon has somehow altered these curses. I don't know how. He referred to it only obliquely and I am certain now that he knew I'd defect, so anything he told me needs to be treated cautiously. But I do know that Ravenna was able to ghost about the outskirts of the Lealfast camp without any problems.”

”So you may be wrong about Eleanon wanting to destroy Elcho Falling,” Isaiah said.

Kezial shook his head. ”No, I think that is true enough. Eleanon wanted you to know that. He wants you to be afraid. And I think he also wanted to boast a little.”

”Ravenna,” Isaiah said. ”What was she sent inside to do, Kezial?”

Kezial shrugged his shoulders. ”I don't really know. She has a clear mission, but .”

”It could be anything,” StarDrifter said. ”Perhaps an a.s.sa.s.sination. She is a dab hand at a.s.sa.s.sination.”

”It is something to do with that Dark Spire,” Kezial said. ”But what .” He shrugged again.

”I am going to need to see this Dark Spire,” Isaiah said to Georgdi, and Georgdi nodded.

”It is a grim thing,” he said. ”None of us can understand it, nor stop its inexorable growth. I'll take you down, once we're done here.”

”Garth knows Ravenna well,” Insharah said. ”It is why we asked him here to this meeting, Isaiah.”

Isaiah turned his attention to the man sitting uncomfortably at the end of the table. ”Garth?” Isaiah said.

”Garth Baxtor,” Garth said. ”I knew Ravenna when we were youths.”

”They were largely responsible for releasing Maximilian from his imprisonment within the Veins some years ago,” StarDrifter said, and Isaiah nodded.

”Ah, yes, I have heard of you. Garth, tell me about Ravenna.”

Garth looked unhappy, and Isaiah didn't wonder at it. He would be torn between his friends.h.i.+p with the woman and the knowledge of what she had become and how she had betrayed Maximilian.

”I can't believe that she is totally lost to either ambition or horror, Isaiah,” Garth said. ”Or maybe I just don't want to believe that. But . . . I don't know what I can say that may help.”

”We need to find her,” Isaiah said. ”How would we do that? Would she come if you called her?”

”Do you want to use me to set a trap?” Garth said. ”I don't know if I --”

”She has already murdered Maximilian once,” Isaiah said, then he sighed. ”We need to find her, Garth. But why do I suspect it is not going to be easy?”

Axis swam his way around Elcho Falling to the reed banks that lined the channel leading eastward to the sea. He hauled himself out of the water and onto a floating patch of thick, dry reeds. He took off his clothes and wrung them out as much as possible, spreading them among the reeds to dry, then sat revelling in the sunny afternoon that the mayhem had left behind.

He could see no Lealfast anywhere. He looked upward, glad to see the black speck of the eagle circling high overhead.

Friend eagle. You are well?

I am, StarMan. I am glad to hear your voice. That was an evil storm.

Ha! Axis thought. It was an evil storm, indeed. Wait until I speak to Isaiah. Are there any Lealfast in the area, friend eagle?

No. They have flown to the mountains to the north-west. They will be wary of the juit birds.

Axis could hear deep amus.e.m.e.nt in the eagle's voice and he grinned. He said goodbye to the eagle, wis.h.i.+ng him well, and asking only that the eagle warn him if he saw any Lealfast approaching.

Then he lay back on the reeds, fingers laced underneath his head, and stared into the blue sky.

Isaiah?

Isaiah took a few minutes to answer and when he did it was to remark somewhat sharply that he didn't want Axis berating him for the ferocity of the mayhem.

How many lost? Axis asked.

Isaiah hesitated. Too many. Axis, Inardle and Hereward are missing, they did not make it inside. If they remained outside, the mayhem would have killed them.

Axis did not know how to react, even within himself. Hereward he had hardly known, and he had little emotional response to her loss.

But Inardle?

Maybe she has rejoined with -- he said.

No, Isaiah said. She was terrified of the Lealfast, Axis.

She can look after herself, Axis said.

Isaiah replied with a mental shrug and changed the subject. Ravenna is inside. We are looking for her.

Have you had a chance to examine the Dark Spire? Axis said.

I am on my way to it now. Otherwise, all within are well. StarDrifter is annoyed that you are outside, though.

Axis laughed, imagining his father's biting comments to Isaiah about leaving Axis outside.

Axis, I do have some interesting news.

Yes?

Georgdi says there is a back entrance to Elcho Falling. He asked about it some time ago. It is of little use militarily as it can only be used by a few people at a time, but, knowing of it, there's no reason for you not to rejoin us. If you still feel you need to be ranging outside Elcho Falling, then you can leave again.

Really? Where is it?