in the sky, I suddenly remembered something I”d been taught when first I”d started out as an
Enchanter.”
He gave a soft laugh. “By the stars, the Icarii are known for their blind arrogant stupidity,
and our inability to use the Star Dance over these past years is evidence of that.”
“What do you mean?” Ishbel said.
“We”d always assumed that the only way to use the Star Dance,” Axis said, “was to hear
it. But that isn”t the only way…”
He grinned at the puzzlement on Maximilian”s and Ishbel”s faces. “I will explain to you,
but do you mind if it is tomorrow? This is something I”d like to share with my father, and then
with the other Enchanters among the Icarii.”
Maximilian gave a nod and a smile. “At a later time, then. I”ll bid you good night, Axis.
We can talk again in the morning.”
Axis said good night and moved to the door. Just as he reached it, Maximilian spoke
again. “Axis? Congratulations. You must feel as if half the world has been returned to you.”
“I feel,” Axis said softly, “as if the entire world has been returned to me, Maxel.”
With that, he was gone, and Maximilian turned to Ishbel.
Isaiah was standing in the shadow of an equipment tent when Axis left Maximilian”s tent
and came up to him.
“Be careful in Isembaard, my friend,” Axis said. “I like you too much to be speaking the
address at your memorial service anytime soon.”
Isaiah inclined his head, accepting Axis” concern. “I had thought you were off to see your
father.”
“I shall be, in a moment. Isaiah…be careful of the Lealfast, eh?”
Isaiah gave a short laugh. “I shall not trust them overly, if that eases your concern.”
“Aye, it does. Isaiah…” Axis paused. “Ravenna has shown Maxel a vision.”
Isaiah”s attention sharpened. “Yes?”
“Apparently it shows Ishbel opening the doors of Elcho Falling to doom. Ravenna says
Ishbel will deliver sorrow throughout the entire land.” Axis gave a small shrug. “The maddened
jealousies of a bitter woman, no doubt.”
“Perhaps,” Isaiah said. Perhaps.
Axis was grinning to himself, not noticing Isaiah”s introspection. “I asked Ishbel to be my
lover.”
“And she refused,” Isaiah said, bringing his attention once more to the conversation.
“You do not need to tell me that. Now, let us say good-bye, Axis. I think we shall both have
some adventures to relate to each other when next we meet.”
They gripped hands, then hugged each other fiercely.
“Go see your father, Axis, and tell him how to open his eyes to the Star Dance once
more.”
“Ishbel, I know it is late, and you are tired. I won”t keep you long.”
She sat down in a chair, arranging her skirts carefully. “It is of no matter, Maxel. What
did you want to talk to me about?”
“Do you remember me asking you about the Twisted Tower? It was a long time ago, on
our way to Escator.”
She frowned, thinking, then her face cleared. “Yes. It was on the way from Pelemere to
Kyros.”
“You did not know what it was.”
“No. Maxel…will you tell me now?”
“The crown of Elcho Falling carries with it countless mysteries…and the heir to the
crown needs to learn them. Many, many generations ago one of the Lords of Elcho Falling
constructed the Twisted Tower in which to store the mysteries and secrets of Elcho Falling. It is
a memory palace.”
“A memory palace?”
“A memory palace is an imagined building, filled with objects—for us it is a great
twisted tower with ninety levels. Each level contains one chamber, and each chamber is crowded
with objects. Each object contains a memory.”
“And as a child…you had to learn each single object?”
Maximilian smiled at the horror in her voice. “Yes…although it wasn”t as bad as you
might think. The Twisted Tower was closely linked to the Persimius bloodline. It was simple for
every Persimius heir to know an object. We merely had to pick it up and we could „recall” the
knowledge it contained.” He sighed. “But…there”s a problem.”
Now it was Ishbel who smiled, a soft, gentle thing. “Of course there is.”
“Knowledge of the Twisted Tower has been handed down through scores of generations.
The problem is that every generation seemed to forget a few of the objects.” Maximilian”s mouth
twisted slightly. “Maybe some of my forebears thought there was little point in remembering.
Elcho Falling had been unneeded for so long that there was little likelihood it would ever need to
rise again. What harm if one heir forgot the blue vase under the window of level nineteen, and
his son the contents of the third drawer in the chest on level forty?”
“How much has been lost, Maxel?”
“About two-thirds of it. From the thirty-sixth level the chambers begin to progressively
empty, so that by the time I reach the top of the tower, each chamber is utterly bare. So much has
been forgotten.”
Now his mouth curved again, this time with more humor. “I had hoped that somehow you
held some miraculous key to recalling the empty space of the Twisted Tower. I had thought that
was perhaps why you were sent to me…that somehow, in your forgotten Persimius line, the lost
objects could be remembered.”
“And I know nothing. Maxel, I”m sorry. Perhaps Elcho Falling has the answers.”
“Perhaps. Oh gods, I hope so. Without the knowledge that has been lost, Ishbel, then I am
helpless. I can raise Elcho Falling…but I can do little else. You have no idea how desperately I
hope that Elcho Falling has the answers. Ishbel…I just wanted to explain to you about the
Twisted Tower. I should have done so before.”
He”d also just wanted to talk his worry out, Ishbel realized, and was mildly surprised to
discover herself glad that he”d wanted to talk to her about it.
“There”s something else I wanted to mention,” Maximilian said. “Have you heard of the
Weeper? The bronze deity that StarDrifter brought with him out of Coroleas?”
“Yes. He and Salome told me something of its history. StarDrifter also said that you and
he thought it was responsible for the regrowth of his and Salome”s wings. It is a very powerful
object.”
“You know the damn thing talks.”
She gave a small smile. “Yes. It is metal. I am sure that it talks.”
They looked at each other. Both were Elementals, born with the ability to hear the chatter
of the elements within metals and glass. Ishbel had repressed her ability to hear them for many
years after her terrible experience as a child, when the jewelry on her dead parents had whispered
to her to expect the rise of the Lord of Elcho Falling. Now, although she had accepted her ability,
Maximilian thought she remained just a little wary of it.
“What does it say?” Ishbel asked after a moment.
“For the longest time, it said very little. It chatted to my ring—” Maximilian held up his
right hand which bore the Persimius ring “—a great deal, but to me…very little. It just wanted to
be near me. But in the past few days it has been whispering your name, Ishbel. It wants to speak
to you.”
Ishbel”s face went very still.
“I think it is harmless enough, Ishbel.”
“Ha. I doubt that very much. But if you want, I will see it.”
She paused. “Maxel…”
“Yes?”
“I am of Persimius blood, too. Can I see the Twisted Tower? Can you show it to me?”
Will you trust me that far?
CHAPTER FIVE
The River Lhyl, North of Azibar, Isembaard
Hereward sat for what felt like hours, staring either at the book or at the horrific scene in
the cabin before her. Bodies, or the remains of bodies, lay strewn about, and there did not appear
to be a single space that was not coated in blood.
One thing in particular caught her eye. It was the remnant of a body stuck on one of the
shards of glass that had pierced the hull. Hereward couldn”t quite decide what part of a body it was, though. Part of an abdomen? A shoulder? A buttock? The Skraelings had obviously chewed
the person while still attached to the glass, and Hereward found herself wondering if they left
that remaining fragment because they didn”t want to cut their tongues on the sharp glass.
It was a very meaty fragment. Hereward thought it must have been difficult for the
Skraelings to abandon.
Maybe they”d left it because of the book.
Hereward looked down at it once more. It looked like any ordinary book. It was very
large, almost an arm”s length in height, and half as wide, and as deep as the length of her hand. It
was covered in fine-grained calfskin with an elegant tooled gilt edging about the front cover.
It didn”t look dangerous, and Hereward could not think why it should have scared the