creature Anakha would appear, and by diverse signs and
auguries did they divine that he would be born of the house of
Sparhawk.
‘Aphrael was wary, for she knew that the house of Sparhawk
was Elene, and Elenes are not kindly disposed toward Styricum.
She knew, however, that one day Anakha would come, and
that he would raise Bhelliom from the place where it had lain
hidden and wield it to his own purposes – and to the purposes
of Bhelliom itself. She was troubled by this, for should Anakha
share the common Elene despite of Styricum, might he raise the
jewel against her worshipers. She sought to diminish that peril
by separating the rings, placing one in the hands of Anakha’s
ancestor and the other elsewhere, so that when the one ring
descended to Anakha, she might examine his heart and mind
to determine whether it be safe to place both rings in his possession.’
‘stories are more exciting when you know the people
involved, aren’t they?’ Talen noted, filling his plate for the third
time. Talen was growing again, and he ate almost constantly.
he did, however, remember his manners well enough to take a
plate of sliced fruit and a glass of milk to Xanetia before he sat
down to gorge himself.
Sparhawk phrased his question carefully. ‘I seem to remember
that you once told me that you can’t hear the thoughts of the
Gods, Anarae. How is it that you know what Aphrael was
thinking?’
“it is true that the thoughts of the Gods are veiled from me,
Anakha, but Aphrael hath few secrets from her sister, and it is
from Sephrenia’s memories that I have gleaned what I have told
ye.
‘Now,’ she went on with her account, ‘Anakha’s ancestor was
a Pandion Knight dwelling with his brethren in the motherhouse
of his order in the city of Demos in Elenia, and joined he
in the war of the rash young king Antor against certain rebellious
barons. And it came to pass that the knight and the king, separated
from their companions, lay sorely wounded on the bloody
field of battle. As darkness fell upon that field, did Sephrenia
of Ylara, commanded by her sister, come reluctantly to bind
their wounds and to deliver up the rings – one to each of them.
She did conceal the true import of the rings, advising them that
they were but tokens of their friendship, and by means of a
Styric spell did she stain the rings with the mingled blood of
the wounded pair to conceal their true nature and import. Thus
did she bind the two houses together, which binding did prepare
the way for the union of Anakha and his queen.’
Ehlana beamed smugly at her husband. ‘I told you so,’ she
said.
‘I didn’t quite follow that.’
‘I told you that we were destined to marry. Why did you keep
arguing with me?’
“it seemed like the thing to do. I was fairly sure you could have
done better.’ It was a slightly flippant reply, and it concealed
his shocked surprise. Aphrael was absolutely ruthless in her
manipulation of people’s lives. Anakha was Bhelliom’s creature,
and the Child Goddess, not certain she could trust him, had
deliberately arranged to be born as his daughter so that she(~
could in some measure control him.
‘Now Zalasta, perceiving the intent of Aphrael, was troubled,’
Xanetia went on. ‘He had hoped to wrest Bhelliom from Anakha
before Anakha could come to know the full import of his union
with the stone, but Aphrael had once again blocked his design.
By virtue of the rings and the mastery of Bhelliom which they
conferred, had Anakha been made invincible.’
‘All right, then,’ Ulath rumbled. ‘Zalasta was blocked. What
did he do then?’
‘There are some in Styricum – and have ever been – who, like
the Elder Gods themselves, have used the power of the spells
their race has learned to satisfy unwholesome personal desires.
The Younger Gods are as children in this regard, and they cannot
know the depths to which such as these will willingly sink.
They are outraged by this coarser side of the nature of man,
and such Styrics as display it are cast out and accursed. These
unfortunates dwell alone and sorrowing in wilderness and
waste, or, all unrepentant, seek they their vile pleasure in the
festering stews of the cities of this world. It was to these that
Zalasta in desperation turned, and in Verel, foulest of the cities
of southern Daconia, found he such a one as he sought.’
‘I’ve lived in Verel,’ Mirtai said. ‘That would be the place to
look for degenerates, all right.’
Xanetia nodded. ‘There in that sink of iniquity Zalasta did
happen quite by chance upon one Ogerajin, a corrupt and
ancient voluptuary, who, sated by centuries of excess, sinned
more for the sake of the offense it gave the Younger Gods than
from any real appetite. Now this Ogerajin was double-dippt in
vileness, and by means of certain forbidden spells and enchantments
had he reached into the darkness – yea, even into that
ultimate corruption that lieth in the hearts of the Elder Gods.
And Ogerajin, perceiving that Zalasta’s lust was like his own
and that they were therefore kindred, counseled him to seek
out Otha of Zemoch.’
Bevier gasped.
‘Truly,’ Xanetia agreed. ‘And so did Zalasta journey even unto
the city of Zemoch to make alliance with Otha.’
‘Hold it,’ Kalten said. ‘Didn’t you tell us that Zalasta was
trying to keep us all away from Otha and Azash?’
She nodded. ‘Zalasta doth conclude alliances to further his
own ends, not those of his allies. With Otha’s aid he found other
outcast Styrics in Eosia to aid him in keeping watch on the family
of the Sparhawks, instructing them to seek out weaknesses
which might be to his advantage when Anakha was born.
‘As well ye might guess, Aphrael also set a watcher on those
who would precede Sparhawk, and despite her sister’s protests,
the Child Goddess sent Sephrenia to Demos to instruct the Elene
Pandions in the Secrets of Styricum.’
‘Our charming little Aphrael has a heartless streak, I see,’
Stragen noted. ‘Considering what the Elene serfs in Astel did
to Sephrenia’s parents, sending her to Demos smacks of a certain
lack of consideration.’
‘Who can know the mind of a God?’ Xanetia sighed. She
passed a weary hand across her eyes.
‘Aren’t you feeling well?’ Kalten asked, his voice mirroring
his concern.
‘Some slight fatigue, Sir Kalten,” she confessed. ‘The mind of
Sephrenia was in great turmoil when I did gather in her memories,
and it is with no small difficulty that I wring some consistency
from them.’
‘is that the way it works, Anarae?’ Sarabian asked curiously,
‘You just reach in and swallow somebody else’s mind whole?’
‘Thy metaphor is inexact, Sarabian of Tamuli,’ she said in a
slightly reproving tone.
‘Forgive me, Anarae,’ he apologized. ‘I plucked it out of the
air. What I meant to ask was whether you absorb the entire
contents of another’s awareness and memories with a single
touch.’
‘Approximately, yes.’
‘How many minds have you got stored away?’ Talen asked
her. ‘Other people’s minds, I mean?’
‘Close on to a thousand’, young master,’ she shrugged.
‘Where do you find room?’ He paused, looking just a little
embarrassed. ‘I didn’t say that very well, did I? What I was
trying to ask was doesn’t it get awfully crowded in there?’
‘The mind is limitless, young master.’
‘Yours might be, Anarae,’ Kalten smiled. ‘I’ve found plenty of
limits to mine, though.’
‘is Sephrenia all right?’ Vanion asked her with a worried frown.
‘She is in great agony,’ Xanetia sighed. ‘Zalasta’s treachery
hath wounded her to the heart, and her mistaken belief that all
of ye have forsaken her hath crushed her spirit.’
‘I’ll go to her,’ Vanion said, rising quickly to his feet.
‘No, my Lord,’ Kalten told him. ‘That wouldn’t be a good
idea. You’re too close to her, and if you went, you’d only make
her feel worse. Why don’t you let me go instead?’
“it’s my place to go, Kalten.’
‘Not if it’s going to make her suffer all the more, it isn’t. Right
now she needs to know that we still love her, and that means
she needs somebody who’s affectionate and not very bright.
That’s me, in case you hadn’t noticed.’
‘You stop that!’ Alcan flared. ‘I won’t have you saying things
like that about yourself.!’ Then she seemed to realize that they
were not alone, and she blushed and lowered her eyes in confusion.
‘He might be right, Vanion,’ Ehlana said gravely. ‘Sir Kalten
may have his faults, but he’s straightforward and honest.
Sephrenia knows that there’s no deviousness in his nature. He’s
just too – too…’
‘Stupid?’ Kalten supplied.
‘That’s not the word I’d have chosen.
“it doesn’t hurt my feelings, my Queen. They don’t pay me
to think – just to follow orders. When I try to think, I get into