Part 30 (2/2)

”The lances were cast by a smith of the Fir-Noy, Great One. As for the liquid,” the Prime pointed at Argoth, ”the Glory's servant who created it stands there.”

Argoth deepened his bow, but he saw that The Skir Master did not turn.

”A Shoka,” The Skir Master said still facing the Prime. ”Hard to believe a Shoka could devise this. Wasn't it a Shoka who spied for the Old Widow of Cath so many years ago?”

”A blight upon our name, Great One,” said s.h.i.+m. ”But those elements were culled from the clan decades ago. Our loyalty has been tested. Was it not a Shoka who saved the Glory's blessed father from the flood?”

The Skir Master turned and smiled. ”Indeed. And now, it seems, the Shoka have yet another opportunity to do a great deed or a greater evil. What will it be?”

An anger began building in Argoth. But s.h.i.+m dropped to one knee and Argoth followed his lead.

”The Shoka serve the Glory of Mokad,” said s.h.i.+m.

”Does anyone else know the secrets of your fire water?” asked the Skir Master.

”No, Great One,” said Argoth. ”A handful know parts and help with preparation. But only I know how it all combines at the last.” Actually, that was a lie. Hogan knew all the steps. And Hogan had sent the secrets along so that the Order might have this weapon as well.

”Then you shall be the savior to lift the burden from this people's neck,” said the Skir Master. ”You now have your s.h.i.+p of dreadmen. You will gather up every fire lance-every part, from the cannon to the fittings on the s.h.i.+ps. You will collect every drop of the fire water and all the tools and substances used to create it. You will have them loaded on my s.h.i.+p by morning. And you,” he turned to s.h.i.+m, ”you will deliver all those who help prepare it. Do this and the Glory of Mokad will forgive this people its cruel inattention.”

Argoth was stunned. Did the Divine not know he was taking their last defense? With those words he'd just ordered the deaths of all the fine warriors of each Clans. He'd ordered the rape of their women. With those words he had put the collar of slavery upon every child born for as many generations as it took to rise up against the invaders and finally throw off their chains. With those words he had cut the hearts out of hundreds to be burned upon the barbaric altars of the Bone Face priests.

”Do you waver?” asked The Skir Master.

”No,” said Argoth. ”I-”

”Great One,” said the Prime. ”Does this mean that the Glory has blessed us with your wise leaders.h.i.+p?”

The Skir Master shook his head. ”All of the arms of Mokad must now defend the heart. I too will sail in the morning.”

Again, the room fell silent. Argoth could not believe he was hearing this. And then he realized he did not believe this. The Skir Master was deliberately provoking them, testing them.

Why would he do that?

”Deliver your burden,” said The Skir Master, ”and I will reward you immediately with a replenishment of three weaves.”

Three? Three would never be enough to protect this land.

”Great One,” the Crab said. ”Did you have time to consider our request for a seeking?”

”A proper seeking takes many hours,” said the Skir Master. ”I cannot draw for your weaves and perform a seeking by morning. And I will not delay my departure. No, take your prisoner and put him to the question yourself. You can break through a man's defenses with a proper questioning almost as easily as you can with a seeking.” He gestured in a way that took in the whole Council. ”Or is this seeking the boon you desire?”

”Weaves,” said the Prime. ”Bring our weaves to life.”

The Skir Master signaled for his guide, but before he left, his gazed landed on Argoth again. ”Lest something happen to such a valuable resource as yourself, ten of my dreadmen will accompany you. Losing you is a risk I will not bear.”

”Very wise, Great One,” said s.h.i.+m. ”Very wise.”

Argoth looked into the Skir Master's eyes-did he know Argoth's secret? Argoth glanced at s.h.i.+m. Had s.h.i.+m revealed his suspicions about Argoth?

Argoth bowed. Ten dreadmen to guard him, but only three for the whole of the New Lands?

”Do not disappoint me,” The Skir Master said to the whole Council. ”Now, I have heard of your baths. Lumen wrote incessantly of them and the delights of your blueberries, and I mean to enjoy them both before I leave.”

The Council erupted after the Skir Master left. But the Crab, ever-fixed upon his purpose, came to take Hogan.

”It appears we'll have to find another to oversee the questioning,” he said to s.h.i.+m.

”It will be one of the Shoka,” said s.h.i.+m. ”And it will be done in the fortress of Whitecliff.”

The Crab hesitated and Argoth wondered if he was going to try to forcibly take Hogan from him, but he only made a gesture of surrender with his hands. ”As you wish.”

s.h.i.+m caught Argoth's eyes, as did the Shoka Territory Lord, but Argoth ignored them. He took Hogan, pushed through the Council's chaos and rushed him outside. The ten dreadmen a.s.signed by the Skir Master followed behind.

Before they had exited the building, a messenger entered and set off another round of alarm-Larther the hunter had been found dead on the upper plains with the same blackening about his face as was found on Barg's family.

Hogan looked at Argoth.

Larther was one of the Grove. At one time he had thought River would marry Larther, but that had never come to pa.s.s. Instead, Larther had cleared numerous acres of Argoth's land up on the plains that he might satisfy Gil the carpenter. The carpenter had demanded that his daughter, who was smart and clever and had waited so very long for a man to notice her, would not spend her life in a dirty hut. Three years Larther had cut and cleared. They were to be married this season.

Hogan pa.s.sed his hand over his face. Then he spoke with his eyes closed. This was his habit when trying to catch and pull together the threads of many elusive thoughts. ”It is not a coincidence.”

The dreadmen were too close for Hogan to speak loudly. So Argoth put his friend's arm in his and walked out of the hall into the street, toward the fortress. The dreadmen followed a few paces behind.

Hogan did not speak for some time. They walked down the cobbled lane, the great houses towering like walls on either side. They pa.s.sed a man pus.h.i.+ng a vegetable cart loaded with enormous radishes, two boys chasing after a yellow cat, and a serving woman in blue and white, cleaning a doorstep.

Hogan pitched his voice low so the dreadmen couldn't hear. ”Purity, Larther,” he said, ”and suddenly a Divine appears who doesn't care to do a seeking. Doesn't even mention the fact that some creature of legend stalks our land. I can't see it yet, but he's tightening some noose.” Hogan licked his dry lips. ”And here's another thing: what if the creature was his to begin with?”

If that were the case, then the Skir Master had already performed a seeking on Purity. He might already have their names and the names of contacts in other Groves.

”The Grove must flee,” said Hogan.

”Who? You and me? Guarded by ten dreadmen? And if we do the n.o.ble thing and kill ourselves, it won't help the others.”

”Matiga is ready. She's strong. Her knowledge runs deeper than either of ours. She will bear the grove off to join with Harnock.”

”But what if that's precisely what this Skir Master is hoping for. The Order always flees. He's expecting it, expecting us to send out warnings. And what if he already knows about Harnock and is waiting for us to lead his men to him?”

Hogan said nothing.

Harnock, rarely seen, a ghost of man and beast. It was he, in his secret mountain valley, who kept the seed, the hope that would start the One Grove. It was he who kept the Book and Crown of Hismayas, the ancient G.o.d who had founded the Order. Into these two objects Hismayas was said to have put all his knowledge and power. The problem was: none had yet found the way to unlock them. Nevertheless, those two objects could not fall into the enemy hands.

”I have a better plan,” said Argoth. One that just might save the Grove here and all the unknowing wives, sons, and daughters who would not be able to flee with the power of the lore. One that would not only discover what exactly the Skir Master knew, but also ensure that any secrets he had extracted would never reach the other side of the sea. One that would allow him to put the tools he had before he came to the Order to a righteous purpose.

”No,” said Hogan.

”Yes,” said Argoth. ”I'm going to run right into his teeth.”

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