all.’
“It is thy belief that Cyrgon deceived thee into bringing Bhelliom
within his reach, Anakha?’ Xanetia said.
‘Why bother to ask, Anarae? You know what I’m thinking
already. Cyrgon believes that he could use Bhelliom to break
that curse so that his people could start invading their neighbors
again.’
“I told you so,’ Danae reminded him again.
‘Please.’ He looked out over the glowing city. “I think I need
a divine opinion here,’ he said. ‘Up until very recently, we all
believed that Bhelliom was just a thing – powerful, but just
an object. We know that’s not true now. Bhelliom has its own
personality and its own will. It’s more of an ally than just a
weapon. Not only that – and please don’t be offended, Aphrael
in some ways it’s even more powerful than the Gods of this
world.’
“I am offended, Sparhawk,’ she said tartly. ‘Besides, I haven’t
finished telling you that I told you so yet.’
he laughed, swept her up into his arms, and kissed her. “I
love you,’ he told her, still laughing.
‘isn’t he a nice boy?’ Danae said to Xanetia.
The Delphaeic woman smiled.
‘if we didn’t know about Bhelliom’s awareness – and its will could
Cyrgon have known? I don’t think Azash did. Speaking
as a Goddess, would you want to pick up something that could
make its own decision’s – and might just decide that it didn’t like
you all that much?’
“I wouldn’t,’ she replied. ‘Cyrgon might be a different matter,
though. He’s so arrogant that he might believe that he could
control Bhelliom even against its will.’
‘But he couldn’t, could he? Azash thought he could control
Bhelliom by sheer force. He wasn’t even interested in the rings.
The rings can Compel Bhelliom – because they’re a part of it.
Could Cyrgon be as stupid as Azash was?’
‘Sparhawk, you’re talking about one of my distant relatives
Please be a little more respectful.’ Danae’s brow furrowed with
thought. She absently kissed her father.
‘Don’t do that,’ he said. ‘This is serious.’
“I know. It helps me to think. Bhelliom’s never really made itself
known before. You’re probably right, Sparhawk. Azash wasn’t
really very bright. Cyrgon has the same sort of personality, and
he’s made several blunders in the past. That’s one of the drawbacks
of divinity. We don’t have to be intelligent. We all know
about Bhelliom’s power, but I don’t think any of us have ever
come to grips with the notion of its will before. Did it really talk to
Sparhawk the way he said it did, Xanetia? As an equal, I mean?’
‘As at least an equal, Goddess,’ Xanetia replied. ‘Bhelliom and
Anakha are allies, not friends – and neither is master.’
‘Where are we going with this, Sparhawk?’ Danae asked.
‘i’m not sure. Cyrgon may have made another of those blunders,
though. He may just have tricked me into bringing back
the one thing that’s going to defeat him. I think we may have
an advantage here, but we should probably give a great deal of
thought to just exactly how we’re going to’ use it.
‘You’re hateful, Sparhawk,’ Danae said.
“I beg your pardon?’
‘you’ve just taken all the fun out of all the “I told you so”s
I’ve been saving up.’
Zalasta arrived in Matherion two days later. After only the briefest
of greetings to the rest of them, he went immediately to
Sephrenia’s room.
‘He’ll straighten it out, Vanion,’ Sparhawk assured the Preceptor.
‘He’s her oldest friend, and he’s far too wise to be infected
with irrational prejudice.’
“I wouldn’t be all that sure, Sparhawk.’ Vanion’s face was
gloomy. “I thought she was too wise, and look what happened
there. This blind hatred may infect the entire Styric race. If Zalasta
feels the same way Sephrenia does, all he’s going to do is
reinforce her prejudices.’
Sparhawk shook his head. ‘no, my friend. Zalasta’s above
that. He has no reason to trust Elenes either, but he was willing
to help us, wasn’t he? He’s a realist, and even if he does share
her feelings, he’ll suppress them in the name of political expediency.
And if I’m right, he’ll persuade her to do the same. She
doesn’t have to like Xanetia. All she has to do is accept the fact
that we need her. Once Zalasta convinces her of that, the two
of you will be able to patch things up.’
‘Maybe.’
It was several hours later when Zalasta emerged alone from
Sephrenia’s room with his rough-hewn Styric face somber. “It
will not be easy, Prince Sparhawk,’ he said when the two of
them met in the corridor outside. ‘She is deeply wounded. I
cannot understand what Aphrael was thinking of.’
‘Who can ever understand why Aphrael does things, learned
one?’ Sparhawk smiled briefly. ‘She’s the most whimsical and
exasperating person I’ve ever known sometimes. As I understand
it, she doesn’t approve of Sephrenia’s prejudice, and she’s
taking steps. The expression “doing something to somebody for
his own good” always implies a certain amount of brutality, I’m
afraid. Were you able to talk any sense into Sephrenia at all?’
‘i’m approaching the question obliquely, your Highness,’ Zalasta
replied. ‘Sephrenia’s already been deeply injured. This isn’t
a good time for a direct confrontation. I was at least able to
persuade her to postpone her return to Sarsos.’
‘That’s something, anyway. Let’s go talk to the others. A lot
has happened since you left.’
‘The reports come from unimpeachable sources, Anarae,’
Zalasta said coolly.
“I do assure thee, Zalasta of Styricum, they are nonetheless
false. None of the Delphae have left our valley for well over a
hundred years – except to deliver our invitation to Anakha.’
“It’s happened before, Zalasta,’ Kalten told the white-robed
Styric. ‘We watched Rebal use some very obvious trickery when
he was talking to a group of Edomish peasants.’
‘Oh?’
“It was the sort of thing one sees in second-rate carnivals,
learned one,’ Talen explained. ‘One of his henchmen threw
something into a fire; there was a flash of light and a puff of
smoke; then somebody dressed in old-time clothes stood up
from where he’d been hiding and started bellowing in an ancient
form of speech. The peasants all thought they were seeing
Incetes rising from the grave.’
‘Those who witnessed the Shining Ones were not so gullible,
Master Talen,’ Zalasta objected.
‘And the fellow who gulled them probably wasn’t as clumsy.’
The boy shrugged. ‘A skilled fake can make almost anybody
believe almost anything – as long as they aren’t close enough to
see the hidden wires. Sephrenia told us that it means that the
other side’s a little short on real magicians, so they have to
cheat.’
Zalasta frowned. “It may be possible,’ he conceded. ‘The sightings
were brief and at quite some distance.’ He looked at Xanetia.
‘You are certain, Anarae? Could there perhaps be some of your
people who live separately? Who are cut off from Delphaeus
and may have joined with our enemies?’
‘They would no longer be of the Delphae, Zalasta of Styricum.
We are bound to the lake. It is the lake which doth make us
what we are, and I tell thee truly, the light which doth illuminate
us is but the least of the things which do make us unlike all
others.’ She looked at him gravely. ‘Thou art Styric, Zalasta of
Ylara, and thou art well aware of the consequences of markedly
differing from thy neighbors.’
‘Yes,’ he agreed, ‘to our sorrow.’
‘The decision of thy race to attempt to co-exist with the other
races of man may be suitable for Styrics,’ she continued. ‘For
my race, however, it hath not been’ possible. Ye of the Styric
race are oft met with contempt and derision, but thy differences
are not threatening to the Elenes or Tamuls who are about ye
We of Delphaeus, however, do inspire terror in the hearts of all
others. In time, methinks, thy race will become acceptable. The
wind of change hath already begun to blow, engendered in large
measure by that fortuitous alliance betwixt ye and the Church
of Chyrellos. The knights of that Church are kindly disposed
toward Styricum, and their might shall alter Elenic predispositions.
For the Delphae, however, such accommodation is
impossible. Our very appearance doth set us forever apart from
all others, and this doth stand at the heart of our present alliance.
We have sought out Anakha, and we have offered him our aid
in his struggle with Cyrgon. In exchange, we have besought
him only to raise up Bhelliom and to seal us away from all other
men. Then none may come against us, nor may we go against
any other. Thus will all be safe.’
‘A wise decision perhaps, Anarae,’ he conceded. “It was a
choice which we considered in eons past. Delphaeic numbers
are limited, however, and your hidden valley will easily hold
all of you. We Styrics are more numerous and more widespread.
Our neighbors would not look kindly on a Styric homeland abutting