worried look.
‘The queen is coming to Panem-Doe riding in a carriage,
Ogerajin sang in his cracked voice.
‘Don’t pay any attention to him,’ Valash said rather too
quickly. ‘He’s only babbling.’
‘His mind really is slipping, isn’t it?’ Stragen noted.
‘Six white horses and silver wheels -‘ Ogerajin sang on.
‘Have you ever heard such gibberish?’ Valash asked with a
weak laugh. ‘Our presence must be disturbing him,’ Stragen said. ‘Does
he generally drift off to sleep later in the evening?’
‘Usually.’
‘Good. From now on, Reldin and I’ll come by after midnight
when he’s asleep.’
‘i’d appreciate it, Vymer.’ Valash looked at them, his face still
worried. ‘He wasn’t always like this, you know. It’s the disease.’
‘i’m sure of it. He’s probably not even aware of what he’s
saying.’ ‘Exactly, exactly. He’s completely out of his head. Why don’t
you two just forget his crazy singing?’ Valash snatched his purse
fRom his belt and dug out several coins. ‘Here. Come by again
after he’s gone to sleep.’
The two thieves bowed and quietly left.
‘Nervous, wasn’t he?’ Talen said as they went back down the
sbairs.
“you noticed. He even forgot himself and opened his purse.’
They reached the bottom of the stairs. ‘Where to!’ Talen
asked.
‘No place for the moment. Keep this to yourself, Talen.’
‘Keep what?’
But Stragen was already speaking in sonorous Styric, weaving
his fingers intricately in the air in front of him.
Talen stared as Stragen opened his hands palm up and made
a sort of tossing gesture rather like a man releasing a pigeon.
his eyes became distant, and his lips moved silently for a time
Then he smiled. ‘Surprised her,’ he said. ‘Let’s go.’
What’s going on here?’ Talen demanded.
I passed the things we just discovered along to Aphrael,’
Stragen shrugged.
“When did you learn Styric magic?’
“It’s not really all that difficult, Talen,’ Stragen grinned. ‘i’ve
seen Sparhawk do it often enough, and I do speak Styric, after
all. The gestures were a little tricky, but Aphrael gave me some
instructions. I’ll do it better next time.’
‘How did you know it would work?’
‘I didn’t. I thought it was time I gave it a try, though. Aphrael’s
very pleased with me. ‘
‘You do know that you just volunteered to serve her, don’t
you? I know that much about her. You’re her slave now, Stragen.
She’s got you.’ ‘Oh, well.’ Stragen shrugged. ‘I suppose a man could do
worse. Aphrael’s a thief herself, so I’m sure we’ll get along.’ He
squared his shoulders. ‘Shall we go?’ he suggested.
CHAPTER 18
“you’re absolutely certain?’ Sparhawk eagerly asked the Child
Goddess.
‘Kalten is,’ she replied. ‘He was walking past the building,
and Alcan started to sing. He’d recognize her voice, wouldn’t
he?’
Sparhawk nodded. ‘She could raise him from the dead by
singing to him. How fast can you get me to Natayos?’
‘Let’s take the others to Dirgis first. I want to fill Xanetia and
Sephrenia in on what’s been happening.’
‘I already know about all that. I need to get to Natayos,
Aphrael.’
“all in good time, Sparhawk. It’s not going to take us all that
long to get to Dirgis, and the others might have some useful
,ideas.’
‘Aphrael -‘ he began to protest.
“We’ll do it my way, Sparhawk,’ she told him firmly. ‘It won’t
hke all that long, and it might give you enough time to get your
temper under control. The others are waiting in the room with
The map on the wall. Let’s get them and go to Dirgis.’
There was one brief argument before they started. ‘I have no
‘need of a horse,’ Betuana insisted, tightening the lace on one of
her half-boots.
Aphrael sighed. ‘Please do it my way, Betuana,’ she said.
‘I can run faster than a horse. Why burden myself with
“Because you know how far it is from here to Dirgis, and the
horse doesn’t. It’s easier for me that way. Please, Betuana, just
for me.’ The Child Goddesb looked appealingly at the armored
Atan Queen.
Betuana laughed and gave in.
And so they went out into the snowy courtyard, mounted,
and rode on out into the streets of Sama. The sky was heavy
with clouds that obscured the surrounding mountains, and it
was spitting snow. They left town by way of the east gate and
slogged their way up the steep slope to the top of the gorge.
Sparhawk, Itagne, and Vanion rode in the lead, breaking trail
for the Queen of Atan, who rode wrapped in her heavy cloak
and with the Child Goddess nestled in her arms. There was a
strange dichotomy in the personality of the little divinity that
troubled Sparhawk. He knew that she was wise beyond his
ability to comprehend it, and yet she was still in most ways a
little girl. Then he remembered the ‘naked reality of the true
Goddess, and all hope of ever understanding her vanished.
‘Can’t we go any faster?’ Vanion demanded.
Sparhawk’s friend had been in an agony of impatience ever
since he had learned of the attack on Sephrenia, and Sparhawk
had at times feared that he might have to physically restrain
him. ‘Fast or slow doesn’t matter, Vanion,’ he said. ‘We can run
or crawl, and we’ll still get there at just about the same time.’
‘How can you be so calm?’
‘You get numb after awhile,’ Sparhawk laughed wryly.
It was perhaps a quarter of an hour later when they crested
the top of that long hill and looked down at the town of Dirgis
where the sun was shining brightly.
‘That’s incredible.’ Itagne exclaimed. ‘Then he turned to look
back down the trail they had just climbed, and his eyes suddenly
went very wide.
‘I asked you not to do that, Itagne,’ Aphrael reminded him.
‘It’s still snowing there,’ he choked, ‘but -‘ He stared at the
sun-drenched snow-field just ahead again.
‘Why do people always want to stop right there?’ the little girl
said irritably. ‘Just move along, Itagne. Once you’ve passed the
crossover between the two places, it won’t bother you any
more.’ Itagne resolutely set his face forward and rode on into the
bright sunlight. ‘Did you understand that, Sparhawk?’ he asked
in a strained voiCe.
‘Sort of. Do you really want to hear about what happens to
you when you step through the place where two hundred miles
have just been abolished?’
Itagne shuddered.
They rode on down the hill and entered the city.
‘How much further?’ Vanion demanded.
just a little ways,’ Sparhawk replied. ‘It’s not all that big a
town.’
They rode through the narrow streets where the snow lay
,thidly piled against the sides of the buildings. They reached
the inn, rode into the courtyard just behind it, and dismounted.
“everything’s been fixed now, Betuana,’ Aphrael was assuring
the Atan Queen. ‘i’m keeping him in a deep sleep so that everything
has a chance to knit back together again.’
Who’s watching over him? perhaps I should go there.’
‘No, Betuana,’ Aphrael said firmly. ‘I don’t have permission
to take you there – yet.’
‘But he’s alone.’
‘Of course he’s not alone. I’m right there beside him.’
‘But -‘ Betuana stared at the little girl.
“Try not to think about it.’ The Child Goddess pursed her
lips thoughtfully. ‘Engessa-Atan’s a deceptive man, you know
-probably because he’s so quiet. I didn’t realize how remarkable
he really is until I got into his mind.”
‘I have always known,’ Betuana said. ‘How long will it be
necessary to keep him away from me – us?’
Aphrael let the Queen’s slip pass without comment. ‘A few
weeks. I want to be sure that everything’s healed. Let’s go on
inside before Vanion has apoplexy.’
Sparhawk led them into the inn, where the innkeeper seemed
to be so engrossed in wiping off a table that he was totally
obblivious to anything else. They went up the stairs, and Sparhawk
was startled to see Mirtai standing guard at Sephrenia’s
door. ‘What are you doing here?’ he asked her. ‘I thought you
were back in Matherion.’
“i’ve been lent out,’ she replied, ‘like an old cloak.’
“you know that’s not true, Mirtai,’ Aphrael said. ‘Danae’s perfectly
safe where she is, but I needed someone I could count on
to guard SePhrenia. Let’s go inside.’
Sephrenia was sitting up in bed when they entered, and
Xanetia was hovering protectively over her. The room was
filled with sunlight.
Vanion went directly to the woman he loved, knelt at her
bedside, and gently put his arms around her. ‘i’m never
going to let you out of my sight again,’ he told her in a thick
VOiCe. Sephrenia took his face between her hands and kissed him.
‘You’ll hurt yourself.’
‘Hush Vanion,’ she told him, embracing his head and holding
his face fiercely against her body.
Aphrael’s huge eyes were luminous with tears. Then she
seemed to shake off the sudden emotion. ‘Let’s get started,’ she