He walked through the black glass tunnels of the pyramid to its very heart—a
golden-glassed chamber known as the Infinity Chamber.
Here Isaiah sat cross-legged in its very center and meditated.
Kanubai—trapped deep beneath DarkGlass Mountain—and he were enemies. Bitter,
terrible, lifetime enemies. Isaiah came here to expose himself to the beast, not only to test his
own strength and resolve, but also to sense out his enemy and divine his strengths and
weaknesses.
Time was when Kanubai”s weaknesses outnumbered his strengths.
Now, the strengths were gaining.
Isaiah visualized the abyss that sank into the very heart of the world. He concentrated on
that abyss until it formed his entire consciousness, until he knew nothing but the abyss.
Then, gathering his courage, he cast his eyes down into the darkness.
When he had first started doing this, he had seen nothing, although he had felt the horror
that lurked in the pit of the abyss.
Kanubai, cast down an infinity of ages ago.
But over the past few years Isaiah had started to see as well as sense Kanubai. The gleam
of an eye.
Or perhaps a tooth.
The wetness of a tongue.
Now, as he had over the past year, Isaiah”s gaze managed to discern a blackened shape
huddled against the walls of the abyss.
Kanubai was rising closer.
He was still far, far below, but every time Isaiah came here he could see that Kanubai
was a little nearer.
Thin black fingers suckered into tiny cracks in the abyss.
A darkened face, staring upward, feeling the weight of Isaiah”s regard.
Kanubai had once been stoppered tight in his abyss, but was no longer. Those ancient
cursed magi who had built the glass pyramid, and then opened it into Infinity, had unwittingly
cracked open the stopper Isaiah and Lister had placed over the abyss.
Kanubai had been inching his way through that crack ever since.
Hello, Isaiah.
Isaiah fought down his nausea. Kanubai had been whispering to him for many years now.
At first nothing but unintelligible thick mutterings, but now almost every word was clear.
What do you, Isaiah?
Isaiah never replied. The last thing he wanted was to get into conversation with the beast.
Do you know what I will do to your river, Isaiah, when I rise?
Isaiah knew he had to break the connection. He had spent too long in here. He had to
leave now before—
He went cold.
In his vision of Kanubai, Isaiah thought he had seen, just for a moment, something
clinging to Kanubai”s back.
Or something in his hands, perhaps.
Isaiah opened his eyes, then rose to his feet, stumbling a little in his foreboding as he
made for the doorway out of the Infinity Chamber.
Something else rose with Kanubai.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Royal Palace, Ruen, Escator
Maximilian stepped into the chamber where he met with his Council of Friends and saw
that for once he was the last to arrive.
Egalion, Garth, and Vorstus regarded him a little warily. Egalion and Garth had been well
aware of the tension between Maximilian and Vorstus, but had no idea of the cause. Both Garth
and Egalion had, at different times, approached Maximilian cautiously, wondering what the
problem might be, but Maximilian had waved away their gentle queries, saying there was
nothing wrong save that he was suffering prewedding nerves.
Maximilian did not think Vorstus would be any more forthcoming with the two men if
they were also to approach him.
Maximilian did not take his seat, but walked over to a window and leaned on the sill,
looking out. “I have decided to depart for Pelemere, there to meet with the Lady Ishbel,” he said.
“Within the week.”
Egalion and Garth looked at each other, but it was Vorstus who answered.
“But we have not yet heard if the negotiations StarWeb is conducting with the Lady
Ishbel on your behalf have been successful.”
“Oh,” said Maximilian, turning about and looking Vorstus in the eye, “I am sure they will
be successful, aren”t you?”
Vorstus said nothing, holding Maximilian”s eyes easily.
“Maxel,” Garth said carefully, “how can you know?”
“Because I feel it in my bones,” Maximilian said, but mildly enough. The
serpent—Light—had sent Ishbel to him. Maximilian had no real idea why, but he hoped it was
because Light had decided only that the Persimius line needed a bit of strengthening and the
Lady Ishbel”s bloodlines would do nicely. Perhaps she might have some memories with which to
refurniture his Twisted Tower.
The offer of this bride did not have to mean that Elcho Falling was needed.
“Besides,” Maximilian continued, putting a disarming smile on his face, “I grow restless
sitting here in Ruen. I want to be doing something, and even if the Lady Ishbel takes one look at
my face and decides she”d rather marry a—”
Frog.
“—toad, then at least we”ll have had the joy of many weeks on the road with the wind in
our hair and the chance to meet up with Borchard and Malat in Kyros along the way. What say
you, Garth, Egalion? Do you feel like a jaunt eastward?”
Garth laughed. “How can we refuse!”
Maximilian looked at Egalion. “We”ll bring four or five units of the Emerald Guard.
They shall keep us safe enough, and make a splendid showing for the Lady Ishbel.”
“But to practical matters,” Vorstus said. “Who shall govern Escator in your absence?”
Maximilian looked at Vorstus. Not you. “The Privy Council of Preferred Nobles have my
authority to make what decisions are necessary. I shall not be gone too many months.”
Vorstus gave a little smile and looked away. He was not surprised that Maximilian no
longer trusted him.
No matter. Maximilian was doing precisely what Vorstus wanted anyway.
Over the next few days Maximilian busied himself with preparations for departure, as
well as briefing the Privy Council. Maximilian was glad to be leaving Ruen. Ever since he”d had
his confrontation with Vorstus he couldn”t stop thinking about the fact that Vorstus may have left
him down in the Veins deliberately.
Why, Maximilian had no idea, which itself made him question whether he was wrong
about Vorstus, but he could not stop thinking about it.
Seventeen years in such horror…
Maximilian had reconciled himself long ago to the loss of those seventeen years. He had
thought he”d reconciled himself to the horror he”d endured during that time—the beatings, the
constant darkness, the never-ending swing of the pick, over and over, the dust and humidity and
heat, the cave-ins, the pain…
The loneliness, the sheer mental desperation, year after year after year.
He thought he”d put all that behind him. Cavor, the man who had condemned him to the
mines, was long dead.
Maximilian could walk away from the nightmare.
But what if Vorstus had also been aware of the plot to keep him incarcerated? What if the
man who had guided his rescue had also dictated the timing of that rescue?
What if the nightmare was only in remission, not dead?
CHAPTER EIGHT
Palace of Aqhat, Tyranny of Isembaard
When there came a knock at the door, far earlier in the morning than usual, Axis was
surprised to see Ba”al”uz waiting for him.
“Isaiah asked me to collect you today,” Ba”al”uz said, “so that we might meet with him in
his private chambers at the tenth hour.”
“But that is two hours or more away,” said Axis.
“I thought perhaps you and I might put those hours to good use,” said Ba”al”uz. “For a
chat, perhaps. Do you wish to come like that, or…?”
Axis looked down.
All he had on was a towel from his morning ablutions.
Axis grinned. “You caught me early,” he said. “Give me a moment.”
And but a minute later, clad more respectably in light-colored trousers and waistcoat,
with sandals on his feet, Axis set off with Ba”al”uz.
“Isaiah tells me you witnessed his communication with the Lord of the Skraelings,”
Ba”al”uz said without preamble as he led them along a corridor with huge, unglazed windows
along one side.
“Indeed. It was most curious. I have many questions.”
“It was why I came early for you. I thought you would want to know more.”
“And you don”t mind answering?”
“I have nothing to hide from you, Axis. Isaiah has requested that I indulge your every
question, and so I will.”
Axis doubted very much that Ba”al”uz had nothing to hide, but hoped that, under Isaiah”s
directive, he might at least provide some answers to Axis” more pressing questions.
“Who are you, Ba”al”uz,” Axis said. “What are you to Isaiah?”
“I am Isaiah”s maniac.”
“Yes, but what—”
“I am Isaiah”s brother,” Ba”al”uz said, grinning at the expression on Axis” face. “His
elder brother by some dozen years.”
“Then why is he tyrant, and not you?”
“Ah,” said Ba”al”uz. “Thereby hangs a tale. Please, if you will, step through here.”
Ba”al”uz indicated a doorway in the corridor, and Axis walked through into a
magnificently tiled veranda commanding views over the surrounding countryside. Ten minutes”