“The One. The One is Infinity.”
Eleanon did not reply. He sat thinking, staring at his hands folded before him. Bingaleal
was so different. Eleanon could feel the power within him, feel the certainty and confidence in the direction he”d taken.
But Eleanon was not sure. He wanted it so badly, yet still that tiny, cautious voice
sounded in his mind. Surely the One would demand a price.
“None,” said Bingaleal, “save that we deliver to the One the citadel of Elcho Falling, and
its master. I am no slave to the One, Eleanon. I am not his servant. This is a transaction only. The
One can give me, us, what we have so long desired—freedom from both our Skraeling and Icarii blood—and for a single payment: Elcho Falling. He can give us our dignity and a future,
Eleanon. Maximilian Persimius cannot do that. He is too weak.”
“There may be a trap, Bingaleal. Why should the One be so generous?”
“Because we can aid each other. He can give us our hearts” desire. We can give him what
he needs—the destruction of Elcho Falling.”
“He can”t do that himself?”
“Elcho Falling is still protected by ancient sorceries that even the One cannot penetrate.
The One has cursed Maximilian and Ishbel—Isaiah is on his way north now, carrying news of
the curse to Maximilian—which has a potential to win Elcho Falling for the One without so
much as a finger lift of effort…but even so, the One would like our aid, and is willing to pay
handsomely for it.”
Bingaleal sat back, considering Eleanon. “Would you like to speak with him yourself?”
Then he laughed at the expression on Eleanon”s face. “He will not bite, nor ensorcel your
soul, Eleanon. You shall not be enslaved.”
“Do I have your promise?”
“Yes.”
Eleanon reached out a hand, hesitating only slightly before he laid it on Bingaleal”s arm.
He gave a breath of relief. “You are not enslaved, Bingaleal,” he said. “I can feel it.”
“I am only enhanced,” said Bingaleal.
“Yes, I can feel that, too.”
“Will you speak with the One?”
“Yes. Where?”
Bingaleal nodded toward Hairekeep. “There.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
On the Road to Serpent’s Nest
Maximilian and Ishbel spent six to seven hours each evening in the Twisted Tower with
Josia. They used this time going through chamber after chamber, recovering lost objects and
knowledge. Rediscovering objects Maximilian found increasingly easy, even in the virtually
empty chambers, as he became more intuitive and more attuned to the Tower, but the lost
sleep…that was growing more difficult. He”d told Josia that he could doze in the saddle, and yes,
from time to time he managed that, but generally someone required his attention, and he got very
little rest throughout the day. He managed two or three hours at the most from the time he
returned from the Twisted Tower to when they broke camp in the early morning, but that was it.
Maximilian found himself lusting after a soft bed and an uninterrupted night.
On this morning he was riding only a short distance from Ishbel, and he pulled his horse
back so that it fell into step beside hers. Apart from the occasional few minutes spent together in
the Twisted Tower, they hadn”t had much chance to talk over the past few days.
“You look dreadful,” she said. “Exhausted.”
“As always, your compliments warm my heart. Have you looked in the mirror yourself
recently?”
Ishbel smiled, keeping her eyes on the road ahead. “Madarin keeps it hidden from me.”
“You are doing well,” Maximilian said. “Where are you now? The eighth level?”
“Ninth,” said Ishbel, “as well you know.” She paused. “Maxel…it is so exciting.”
“What?”
“The learning, the discovering. I cannot wait to reach Elcho Falling, and to see you raise
it into the skies.”
Maximilian laughed. “You could do it yourself, almost.”
“Where are you now?”
“In the fifty-third level. This one is more difficult, as it is virtually empty, but Josia
shouts, and I fumble, and somehow we manage.”
Ishbel smiled, knowing all too well how Josia could shout, and they rode a little distance
in companionable silence.
“BroadWing sent one of the Strike Force back with messages,” Maximilian said after a
few minutes. “He arrived early this morning.”
When Maximilian would have been snatching a few hours” sleep, Ishbel thought, and
resented the Icarii man”s intrusion. “What news?” she said. “Axis is safe?”
“Yes,” Maximilian said, and Ishbel let her shoulders slump in relief. Thank the gods.
“He, Georgdi, and Zeboath were rescued from Armat”s camp,” Maximilian continued, “together
with a Lealfast woman.”
There was something in that last which made Ishbel glance sharply at him, but he did not
say more about the woman.
“Axis sent news,” Maximilian said.
“Yes?”
“Ravenna and Lister are with Armat.”
Ishbel drew in a deep breath and studied his face carefully. “We suspected that.”
“Yes, but still…”
But still it hurts, Ishbel thought. He may have cut her from his life now, but once
Ravenna had meant a great deal to Maximilian.
“Lister”s disloyalty turns my stomach,” Ishbel said. “How many years has he manipulated
people to get what he wants? And now he abandons all those manipulations to chase after
another cause? Do you think he will give you your seventeen years back, Maxel?”
“Ishbel, I am not as upset as you seem to think that—”
“Well, you damn well should be.”
He gave a small shrug.
“Why has Lister gone to Armat?” said Ishbel. “I can understand—just—Ravenna”s
blackened, jealous heart turning her loyalty, but Lister? Maxel, what is going on?”
He gave another shrug, and Ishbel repressed the urge to slap him. He knew, but he
wouldn”t tell her.
“Is this why you wanted me to start learning the tricks contained within the Twisted
Tower?” Ishbel said.
“Partly,” Maximilian said, “but also because it is your heritage as well.”
“I cannot replace the Lord of Elcho Falling should he fall,” Ishbel said.
He gave her a very small smile at that. “I do not intend to fall, Ishbel.”
She sighed. “What do you think Armat is planning?”
“Axis thinks, and I agree, that he intends to lay siege to Elcho Falling. He wants it for
himself. Gods alone know what Ravenna has promised him.”
“Armat and his army are close, yes? Then why doesn”t he attack now? We only have a
relatively few thousand.”
“Armat and Ravenna want to wait until we open Elcho Falling.”
“They don”t have the skills to do it themselves?”
Maximilian shook his head.
“Have you had any further news from the south, Maxel?”
“No.”
He was very isolated, Ishbel thought. So much to bear, so much unknown, the whole
burden to carry alone. She felt a great ache within herself, and knew that, whatever
rationalizations she used to deny it, there was only one way to resolve that ache.
“Madarin”s belt buckle,” she said, “and Serge”s sword think we should marry.”
He looked at her, and she at him.
“I”ll make a decision at Elcho Falling,” she said, and something about him relaxed. He
smiled, nodded, then pushed his horse forward, leaving Ishbel to ride on alone again.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Hairekeep, Isembaard
Eleanon paused a few steps inside the fortress. From outside, Hairekeep was a massive
structure that soared high into the sky…but once inside the door it looked far smaller.
As if it was the interior of a different building entirely.
The space was very small (given the vast expanse of the exterior), almost intimate. There
was a floor some fifteen paces square, and walls of golden glass, intricately carved, that rose in a
pyramid shape to a point high above them.
“It is beautiful,” Eleanon said. Then, remembering what he”d seen when he, Inardle, and
Bingaleal had used the dark spire, “It is the heart of DarkGlass Mountain.”
“Yes,” said Bingaleal, “it is a representation of the Infinity Chamber which powers
DarkGlass Mountain and connects it to Infinity. And here, as in the Infinity Chamber,” he
nodded to the shadows at the back of the chamber, “is the One.”
Eleanon tensed, but rapidly relaxed as he felt no threat from the figure which emerged
from the darkness.
It was the size and representation of a man, save that his flesh appeared to be made of
green glass. In the depths of his chest revolved a golden pyramid.
“You are the One,” said Eleanon, and gave an elegant bow of his head.
“I am,” said the One. “I am the One and I am Infinity. We spoke some weeks ago, when
first I emerged into flesh.” The One smiled, his teeth curiously transparent behind his glass lips.
“Have you come to take final communion in the One? Have you come to learn what the ancient
Magi forgot to teach the Lealfast?”
“Perhaps,” Eleanon said, and the One laughed, a pleasant, rolling sound.
“And so also Bingaleal hesitated,” the One said. “Until I showed him this.”
He made a movement with his hand, and the back wall of the Infinity Chamber vanished.