My racial characteristics were simply taken to mean that I was
an albino. The condition is not unheard of. I had a colleague a
Styric – who had a club-foot. Rather surprisingly, we got on
well together. I note from thy speech that contemporary Tamul
hath changed from what it was when I was last among thy
people. That would make it difficult for me to return to
Matherion. Please accept my apologies for “Xadane”. It is truly
abominable, but as I say, it served its purpose.’
‘I should have known,’ Sephrenia cut in. ‘The whole body of
Delphaeic literature was created with the sole purpose of
fostering a climate of anti-Styric bigotry.’
‘And what was the purpose of the eons of outright falsehood
with which ye Styrics deceived the Tamuls?’ Codon demanded.
‘Was the design not precisely the same? Did you not seek to
instil the idea in the Tamul perception that the Delphae are
sub-human?’
Sephrenia ignored the question. ‘Does your hatred of us run
so deep that you would contaminate the understanding of an
entire race?’
‘And how deeply doth thy hatred run, Sephrenia of Ylara? Art
thou not even now attempting to poison the minds of these
simple Elenes against us?’ The Anari sank into a cushioned chair,
passing one weary hand across his face. ‘Our mutual hatreds
have gone, methinks, too far to be healed. Better far that we live
apart. And that doth bring us to ‘the issue which hath brought us
together. It is our wish to be apart from all others.’
‘Because you’re so much better than the rest of us?’
Sephrenia’s tone was thick with contempt.
‘Not better, Priestess, only different. We will leave that puffed-up
sense of superiority to thy race.’
‘if you two want to renew a few eons-old hatreds, I think the
rest of us would prefer not to sit through it,’ Vanion said coolly.
‘You both seem quite able to manage without our help.’
‘You don’t know what they’ve done, Vanion,’ Sephrenia said
with a mute appeal in her eyes.
‘Frankly, dear, I’m not really interested in what happened
several thousand years ago. If you want to chew old soup, please
do it on your own time.’ Vanion looked at the ancient Delphae.
‘I believe you had some kind of an exchange in mind, Codon.
We’d love to sit around and watch you and Sephrenia slice each
other into thin strips, but we’re a little pressed for time. Affairs
of state, you understand.’
Even Sparhawk choked a bit on that.
‘Thou art very blunt, Lord Vanion,’ Codon said in a coldly
reproving tone.
‘I’m a soldier, revered Anari. A conversation made up of spiteful
little insults bores me. If you and Sephrenia really want to
fight, use axes.’
‘Have you had many occasions to deal with Elenes, revered
Anari?’ Itagne asked in an unruffled manner.
‘Almost none.’
‘You might consider offering up a few prayers of thanksgiving
for that. The Elenes have this distressing tendency to get right
to the point. It’s dreadfully uncivilized, of course, but it does
save time. I believe you wanted to address your proposal to
Anakha. That’s him right there. I should probably warn you
that Lord Vanion is the absolute soul of finesse when compared
to Sparhawk, but Sparhawk is Anakha, so sooner or later you’re
going to have to deal with him.’
‘Since we’ve all decided to be unpleasant this evening, I don’t
think we’ll get very far,’ Sparhawk said. ‘Why don’t you tell me
what you want, Codon, and what you’re prepared to offer in
return? I’ll think it over tonight, and then we can talk about it
tomorrow, after we’ve all had time to get a firmer grip on our
civility.’
‘A wise course, perhaps, Anakha,’ the old man agreed. ‘There
is turmoil afoot in Tamuli.’
‘Yes. We’ve noticed that.’
‘The turmoil is not directed at the Empire, Anakha, but at thee.
Thou wert lured here because thou hast the keys to Bhelliom.
Thine enemies covet the jewel.’
‘We know that too. I don’t really need a preamble, Codon.
What’s the point of this?’
‘We will aid thee in thy struggle, and I do assure thee that
without our aid, thou canst not prevail.’
‘You’ll have to convince me of that, but we can talk about it
some other time. What do you want in return?’
‘We would have thee take up Bhelliom and seal us in this valley.’
‘That’s all?’
‘That is all we ask. Put us beyond the reach of all others, and
put all others beyond our reach. All will be served by this Elene
and Tamul, Styric and Delphae. Use the infinite power of
Bhelliom to set us apart from the rest of mankind so that we
may continue our journey undisturbed.’
“Journey?’
‘A figure of speech, Anakha. Our journey is measured in generations,
not in leagues.’
‘An even exchange, then? You’ll help us to deal with our
enemies if I close off this valley so that no one can ever get in
or out?’
‘An even exchange, Anakha.’
‘All right. I’ll think about it.’
“She won’t talk to me about it, Sparhawk,’ Vanion sighed, ‘or
about anything else, for that matter.’ The silvery-haired Preceptor
and his friend were speaking privately in a small room just
off the corridor that led to the cluster of tiny, cell-like rooms
where they had spent the night.
You were just a bit blunt last night,’ Sparhawk told him.
‘Irrational ‘behavior irritates me. I wish Aphrael were here
She could straighten Sephrenia out in fairly short order.’
Sparhawk slid lower in his chair. ‘I’m not so sure, Vanion. I
don’t know if I’m supposed to tell you this, but I get the feeling
that Aphrael wouldn’t interfere. Before she left, she told me that
Sephrenia has to work this out for herself.’
‘Could Itagne shed any light on this antagonism between the
Styrics and the Delphae?’.
Sparhawk shook his head. ‘No more than he’s already told
us. The whole business seems to date back to the time of the
war with the Cyrgai. That was about ten thousand years ago,
so history’s a little vague about what really happened. Evidently
the Styrics and the Delphae were allies, and there seems to have
been a betrayal of some sort.’
‘i gathered as much. Can Itagne make any guesses about who
was betrayed?’
‘No. The Styrics have made themselves useful to the Tamuls
over the centuries – in much the same way as they made themselves
useful to the Church in Eosia. They’ve been busy insinuating
their version of what happened into the Tamul perception
of history. From what Codon told us last night, I’d say that
the Delphae have infiltrated the University of Matherion and
inserted Delphaeic literature into the Tamul culture with precisely
the same idea. The events of ten thousand years ago are
going to be buried under a thick layer of myth and legend anyway,
and with both the Styrics and the Delphae busily muddying
up the waters, the real truth probably won’t ever come out
into the open.’ He smiled faintly. ‘I’m not sure how significant
it is, but the Styrics tried to contaminate the historians, while
the Delphae spent their time trying to contaminate the poets.
Interesting contrast, wouldn’t you say?’
‘Aphrael would know the truth.’
‘Probably, but she’s not talking. I know her well enough to
know that her silence is deliberate. I don’t think she really wants
us to know who was originally at fault. She doesn’t seem to
want us to take sides for some reason, and that puts us in a
very difficult position. I don’t think we’ll ever find out the truth
behind this racial antagonism – not that it really matters. I doubt
if Sephrenia or the Anari themselves even know. They’ve both
had the benefit of about four hundred generations of hysterical
propaganda to set their prejudices in stone. Our problem is that
the Delphae can probably hold us here indefinitely. If we try to
ride away, they’ll just turn us around and lead us right back, so
eventually we’re going to have to negotiate with them. We all
love Sephrenia, though, so if we do negotiate with the Delphae,
she’ll take fire spontaneously.’
‘Yes, I noticed that. What am I going to do, Sparhawk? I bleed
when she so much as pricks her finger.’
‘Lie to her,’ Sparhawk shrugged.
‘Sparhawk.!’
‘You don’t have to be too obvious about it, but lean your
neutrality slightly in her direction. I’m~ the one in charge of Bhelliom,
so Codon’s going to have to deal with me. Technically,
you’re secondary here – sorry, Vanion, but it’s true. Codon’s
going to be negotiating with me, not you. Glare at me now and
then and raise objections. Sephrenia’s behaving irrationally, so
the others, like good, logical Elenes, are going to oppose her.
Let’s not isolate her entirely. You’re the most important person
in her life, and if you seem to be turning against her as well,