fresh gown, and combed out her hair, redressing it in the long plait.
She went first to see Salome.
“I knew you”d had the baby,” Ishbel said, sitting in a chair close by Salome, who was
nursing the child. StarDrifter was leaning against the wall just to one side of Salome”s chair,
watching both his wife and the baby, and Ishbel was not even sure that he was aware she had
entered the room.
Salome raised her eyes from her son and looked at Ishbel. “You can still have him, if you
like.”
Ishbel smiled, a little sadly, remembering the jest Salome had made that day they”d
become friends. Ishbel had still been grieving over the loss of her daughter ( was still grieving
over the loss of her daughter) and Salome had pretended indifference to her own pregnancy and
offered the baby to Ishbel.
“Maximilian might be suspicious,” Ishbel said, carrying on the jest.
“You will have another baby, one day,” said Salome. “I had Ezra, and had thought that
ended my childbearing, but then my life ended and began anew, and with it came this baby.”
“Do you think so?” Ishbel said softly, her eyes still on StarDancer, who had now finished
his suckling and had turned his head to regard Ishbel.
Salome wiped her son”s mouth. “I am certain so, Ishbel. Why, it would take less than an
hour to walk up to Maximilian, and—”
“Didn”t you give me this advice before?” Ishbel said.
“At least we are consistent,” StarDrifter said, finally acknowledging Ishbel”s presence.
He leaned over Salome and lifted the child gently from her arms. “Look at my son, Ishbel. Is he
not beautiful?”
“He is very beautiful indeed,” said Ishbel. “And so aware.”
“Would you like to hold him?” StarDrifter said.
“No,” said Ishbel. “Do you mind?”
“I understand,” said StarDrifter.
Ishbel left Salome and StarDrifter shortly after, and went in search of Maximilian. She
found him in a large chamber that overlooked the inner courtyard and beyond, to the road that
led west and up which Armat would approach. Axis, Egalion, BroadWing, and Ezekiel were with
him, sharing some breakfast over charts spread on a large central table.
The men looked up as she entered, but she waved them into silence, indicating she would
wait until they”d finished, then helped herself to tea and breakfast from a side table.
She sat herself down on a bench by a window, eating and drinking silently as the men
continued their discussion.
“Eleanon arrived last night,” Axis said.
“I saw him,” Maximilian said. He paused, grinning a little wryly. “He was in an ill
temper.”
“Well,” said Axis. “He”d just seen me. I”d shouted at him.”
“He was upset about Inardle,” said Maximilian.
“Eleanon is still upset about making an utter fool of himself with Armat,” said Axis.
“Has he reported to you, BroadWing?” Maximilian asked, and BroadWing nodded.
“We have exchanged greetings, and a few cautious words,” BroadWing said. “We agreed
to meet again once I have done here.”
Maximilian talked briefly about reawakening Elcho Falling in two days” time, then the
meeting broke up, leaving Maximilian alone with Ishbel.
“You look tired,” he said.
“I have been up all night, thinking.”
“And?” Maximilian said.
“The Ishbel you married is well and truly dead, Maxel. The new one has decided she
cannot wait for the rebirth of Elcho Falling.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Serpent’s Nest
Eleanon found BroadWing almost as soon as the Icarii birdman had left the meeting with
Axis. BroadWing nodded at Eleanon, then indicated a doorway through to a public balcony
which was for the moment empty of anyone else.
“It has been difficult, to return,” said Eleanon. “It is not in my nature to ask for help, or
accept that I might not be all that I could be.”
BroadWing said nothing, regarding Eleanon with sharp eyes.
“My fighters, the twelve thousand I have left, wait close,” said Eleanon, and BroadWing
glanced out into the sky, seeing the grayish haze of the almost invisible Lealfast drifting through
the sky at the base of a nearby cloud.
“They are yours,” Eleanon said.
BroadWing brought his eyes back to the Lealfast man. He was still very unsure of
Eleanon…but he had learned to respect Inardle, almost to like her, and he supposed that he could manage that with this one, too.
“I want them quartered with the Strike Force,” said BroadWing. “I do not want separate
forces, just one integral force. Do you see that balcony thirty paces higher and to the left? ”
Eleanon glanced, then nodded.
“That leads into the Strike Force”s lodgings,” BroadWing said.
He paused significantly.
Eleanon looked at him, hesitated, then nodded. He lifted a hand and gestured into the sky.
A moment later the Lealfast fighters began to materialize in the air, banking their wings
on an approach to the higher balcony.
“Good,” said BroadWing. “I will address them shortly. From now on, you answer to me.
The Lealfast fighters now are members of the Strike Force, and I am commander of the Strike
Force. You no longer command the Lealfast fighters.”
“Of course,” said Eleanon.
“You are being more cooperative than I”d thought,” BroadWing said.
“You have no idea how guilty I feel about what happened when I led the Lealfast into
Armat”s trap,” Eleanon said. “I have lain sleepless over it. I need to make amends—not to you or
Axis, or even Maximilian—but to the Lealfast who survived that nightmare. They have great
potential, BroadWing. They will learn quickly and without murmur. As will I. BroadWing,”
Eleanon hesitated, then went on, “it has been a long road to admit to myself just how skilled the
Strike Force is. I can learn from you, I want to learn from you…everything you have to teach
me. My loyalty is to you, and then to Maximilian Persimius and Elcho Falling.”
BroadWing relaxed. There had not been a false note in that speech. He rested a hand on
Eleanon”s shoulder. “We will start this afternoon,” he said, “and I shall show you how the Strike
Force will defend Elcho Falling against whatever that damned glass pyramid can throw against
it.”
CHAPTER SIX
Salamaan Pass, and Serpent’s Nest
StarHeaven, closely accompanied by her three Icarii companions, banked her wings to
prevent further descent, and hovered in astonishment a hundred paces above the northern
entrance to the Salamaan Pass.
A large army was winding its way out of the Pass, moving north.
“They”re Isembaardians,” said BrokenFlight, one of StarHeaven”s companions.
“Yes,” said StarHeaven, “and look who is riding at their head! Is it Isaiah? I have not
seen him before.”
“It looks like it,” said BrokenFlight, “but it can”t be. He”s dead.”
“Apparently not,” StarHeaven murmured. She thought for a minute, deciding what to do.
“BrokenFlight, you and the others stay here. I need someone to report back to Axis if I don”t
come back.”
“StarHeaven,” said SureSong, another of the Icarii, “that may not be Isaiah. It may be a
phantasm.”
“I know,” StarHeaven said softly, then began her descent.
Isaiah pulled his stallion to a halt, almost unable to believe that an Icarii woman was
spiraling down from the sky.
Thank the gods!
“And pray to the gods that she is an Enchanter,” Isaiah muttered. “Please, please, let her
be an Enchanter.”
And please, please, let it be in time.
“Who is it?” Lamiah said, pulling his horse in beside Isaiah”s.
“One of the Icarii,” said Isaiah. “At last we”ll get some news…and hope we can get some
news out. Take your hand off your sword, Lamiah. She means no harm.”
Lamiah hesitated, then did as Isaiah asked. In the four days since he”d met Isaiah coming
out of Isembaard, Lamiah had to all intents and purposes handed command of the
one-hundred-thousand-strong army back to Isaiah. There had been no overt discussion of this,
but Isaiah had taken command upon himself, and Lamiah had just allowed it.
It had, in the end, been the easiest thing to do. The first time that Isaiah had issued a
command to Lamiah”s men in front of Lamiah, Lamiah had opened his mouth to protest…and
then closed it as Isaiah had sent him a hard look.
It had been the easiest thing to do, allowing Isaiah control, and no one in the chain of
command had questioned it.
Now Lamiah looked curiously at the winged woman who had landed some distance away
and was approaching Isaiah and Lamiah cautiously.
“Who are you?” the woman asked Isaiah as she stopped three or four paces away from
his horse.
“Isaiah,” he said, “Tyrant of a wasteland.”
“You”re dead,” the woman said.
“Lessened,” said Isaiah, “but not dead. You are…?”
“StarHeaven,” she said. “Isaiah—”
“StarHeaven,” Isaiah said, “thank the gods, an Enchanter. Listen to me, please. I have a
story to tell you and a message I need to get to Maximilian as soon as I can. Are you able to do
that for me?”
“I can get a message to Axis, and through him to Maximilian,” said StarHeaven. “I can