Serpent Mage by Weis, Margaret

He lay back down. I returned to my seat. He clutched at the blankets, kept saying one word over and over. It sounded like “dog.” And sometimes he would groan and shake his head and cry, “Lord!”

Finally, from sheer exhaustion, I think, he fell into a heavy slumber.

I suppose I can admit that I’d been keeping the fire of courage burning in my heart by dousing it liberally with brandywine. I was no longer feeling afraid of him. (I wasn’t feeling much of anything, to be honest.) Watching the man fall into this deep sleep, I decided to see what I could learn about him. Maybe go through his pockets, if he had any.

After some little trouble, I got to my feet. (The ship seemed to be rolling more than I recalled.) I made my way over to him and crouched down. What I saw sobered me faster than my mother’s blackroot powder.

I don’t remember what came after, except that I found myself running down the corridor, screaming like a banshee.

Alake, clutching her sleeping gown around her, stood in her doorway, staring at me in panic. Devon shot out of his room like it was on fire. He was forced to sleep in his dress. Poor fellow. Sabia’s dress was all the clothes he’d thought to bring along.

“We heard you yell! What is it?” They both clutched at me. “What’s the matter?”

“The strange human!” I was gulping for breath. “He’s . . . turned blue!”

Alake gasped, “He’s dying!” and raced back down the corridor, toward his room.

We ran after her, Devon remembering just in time to grab his veil and wind it around his head.

I suppose my shrieks must have wakened the man. (Devon told me later that he thought all the dragon-snakes in Chelestra were after me.) The human was sitting up in his bed, staring at his hands and arms, turning them over and over, as if he couldn’t believe the limbs were his.

I don’t blame him. If such a thing had happened to me, I would have stared, too. How can I describe it? I know you won’t believe me. But I swear before the One that the man’s arms and backs of his hands, his bare chest, and neck, were covered with blue picture-writing.

We had all run into the cabin before we realized the man was fully conscious. He raised his head, looked directly at us. We shrank back. Even Alake was somewhat daunted. The stranger’s face was stern, grim.

But, as though he sensed our fear, he made some attempt to smile at us reassuringly.

His was a face, I remember thinking, that wasn’t used to smiling.

“Don’t be frightened. My name’s Haplo,” he said to Alake. “What do they call you?”

We couldn’t answer. The man had spoken Phondran.

Perfect, fluent Phondran.

And next he …

But that will have to wait. Alake’s calling me. Dinnertime.

I’m actually feeling hungry.

CHAPTER » 10

SURUNAN CHELESTRA

THE SARTAN, LED BY THE CAPABLE SAMAH, RETURNED TO LIFE WITH an energy that astounded and overwhelmed Alfred. The people went forth from the crypts out into a realm they had built for themselves long ago. Sartan magic soon brought life to their surroundings, which were so beautiful that Alfred often looked upon the landscape through a sheen of joyful tears.

Surunan. The word itself was derived from the root rune meaning center—the heart, the center of their civilization. At least that’s what they’d intended it to be. Unfortunately, the heart had ceased beating.

But now it was alive once more.

Alfred walked its streets and marveled at its beauty. The buildings were made of rose and pearl marble, which had been brought with them from the old world. Shaped by magic, their tall spires soared into an emerald and turquoise sky. Boulevards and avenues and magnificent gardens, which had been sleeping as soundly as their makers, sprang into magical life and all led to the heart of Surunan—the Council Chamber.

Alfred had forgotten the pleasures of being with his own kind, of being able to share himself with others. He had hidden himself for so long, kept his true nature concealed, that it was a relief not to have to worry about revealing his own magical power. And yet even in this new and wonderful world, among his own people, he could not feel quite comfortable, or quite at ease.

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