“You are a Magus?” Ishbel asked.
“I have been trained in some aspects of a Magus,” Inardle said, “but never truly accepted into its brotherhood. The Magi can only be a brotherhood. Women corrupt the One by subdividing it, by carrying within them the potential to give birth . . . it is amazing that Eleanon and Bingaleal allowed me even a glimpse into the arts of the One.”
“And they did that because .?” Axis said.
Again she met his eyes. “Because, at times in the past, I have been the lover of both of them. There was affection and respect between us, and thus they drew me a little distance into the way of the One.”
“Inardle,” Maximilian asked, “what can we do about this?” He waved a hand at the Dark Spire.
“I don’t know,” she said softly, and Axis made another impatient noise.
“The rose spires,” he said. “They were made by your people as well. Surely they can be used in some manner to understand or affect their dark brother?”
Inardle shook her head. “They are foreign to each other, Axis. I am sorry. The rose spires are of no use against this.”
“What exactly can this Dark Spire do?” Ishbel asked.
“It channels the power of Infinity,” said Inardle. “This,” now it was she who waved a hand at the spire, “is like nothing I could have accomplished. This is the touch of Infinity.”
She paused, thinking. “It is a cancer at the very heart of Elcho Falling. I do not know if it can destroy the citadel completely. But it can aid the One, and Eleanon and Bingaleal, in whatever they plan. And no,” she glanced at Axis, “I do not know what that might be.”
“Well,” said Maximilian, “whatever that might be, I am afraid you will need to deal with it for the moment, Axis. I leave you in complete charge of Elcho Falling. You may do whatever you need to in order to ensure —”
“I cannot believe this!” Axis said, almost shouting. “How dare you just wander off! I don’t care how important DarkGlass Mountain is . . . this, Elcho Falling, is vastly more important! Have you no sense of duty? Of responsibility? Do you think you can just walk away from this utter mess? Do you think that —”
“Axis,” Maximilian said.
“— you have any right to just walk away and —”
“Axis!”
Axis stopped, half turning away from Maximilian in his anger.
“Axis, I am sorry, but Ishbel and I must go. We —”
“You abandon every kingdom you inherit,” Axis said. “Escator and now Elcho Falling. The responsibility is obviously far too much for you.”
That stung, and Maximilian flushed. Ishbel moved closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, but before she could speak she was forestalled by Georgdi who, accompanied by Insharah, had walked down the steps and now stood just behind Axis and StarDrifter.
“I think I speak for most of the people sequestered within Elcho Falling,” Georgdi said, “when I say that we would all prefer that Axis led us through this time of crisis than Maximilian. We wish you well, Maximilian, Ishbel, but the disaster that Elcho Falling now finds itself in requires a war leader and that you are not. It is my country, the Outlands, which is overrun by armies of every ilk and by ghostly monsters now surging up from the south. You are a good man, Maximilian, but I want Axis, not you. Safe travelling.”
Axis opened his mouth, then shut it again, not sure what to say.
Maximilian stared at Georgdi a moment, then laughed softly. “You say it bluntly, Georgdi, but you say it well . . . as did Axis. I am not the man Elcho Falling or this land needs in this moment. That man is Axis. Elcho Falling was never a mountain of war, and its lords not trained in the arts of war or defence or strategy. Ishbel and I can close off, we hope, the main gateway into Infinity, but that may not do a damn thing to save Elcho Falling from its current crisis.”
He smiled then, his charming, infectious smile. “I am sorry, Axis. You must rue the day that Isaiah dragged you back from the Otherworld. Hopefully he shall be here soon enough, and safely enough, for you to tell him so yourself. But . . . please, Axis, I beg you, do this, if not for me, for all those who want to live.”
Axis rubbed a hand over his eyes, his shoulders tensing as if he tried to force all the tightness out of them.
“And to think,” he muttered, “that I had been foolhardy enough to once thank the stars that it was not meant to be me to save everyone this time. Fool that I am, I spoke far too soon.”
Chapter 12
Elcho Falling
“I am sorry, Axis,” Maximilian said. “You of all people do not need this thrust upon you. But —”
“I am not ready to hear the ’but‘ yet,” Axis said.
They sat alone in the command chamber, everyone else gone to snatch a few hours sleep, a meal, or to check on defences. Maximilian had left some of the Emerald Guard minding the Dark Spire; there was little else he could do about it at this stage.
“There is no one else, Axis,” Maximilian said.
Axis did not reply. He was staring toward the windows, his face lined with exhaustion, his skin almost grey.
“You are the best —”
“Don’t,” Axis said, and Maximilian sighed and studied his hands. He didn’t blame Axis for being angry, but at the same time he was growing tired of it. Axis was still furious at Inardle and was projecting that fury on to everything and everyone else.
“I will keep in contact,” Maximilian said.
“How?” Axis said, looking at Maximilian for the first time. “DarkGlass Mountain is far, far away. Do either of us have enough power to communicate over that distance?”
Maximilian nodded at the window, and Axis looked that way once again. He straightened in his chair in surprise, then rose. “Who is that?”
“Josia,” Maximilian said, walking with Axis to the window.
Instead of space and sky beyond the balcony, there appeared another window some two or three paces away. In that window stood a young, dark-haired man.
Josia Persimius, the soul who had inhabited the Weeper, and who now existed only within the Twisted Tower.
“Josia,” Axis said.
Josia made a small bow of respect from his window. “Axis SunSoar. Maxel suggested you use me as a go-between. Maxel can access the Twisted Tower from anywhere. I can speak to you from my window at the top of the tower. If you need to speak to me, just call my name and go to the nearest window.”
“Ishbel had told me that to look from the window at the top of the Twisted Tower was death,” Axis said.
Josia gave a small smile. “Ah, but I have already died, and have no body to die again. Such restrictions are meaningless to me.”
“It will at least give us something,” Maximilian said, and Axis sighed, and nodded, finally willing to relent.
“Yes. It will give us something. Thank you, Josia.”
Josia bowed once more, and the window faded.
“A neat trick, Maxel,” Axis said as they walked back to their chairs.
“I have a few left, Axis,” Maximilian said.
They sat down, and Axis rubbed at his eyes, his shoulders slumping.
“You need to rest,” Maximilian said.
“Thirty thousand Lealfast fighters are outside, millions of Skraelings approach and we have some dark finger of Infinity sitting in the basement. Rest?”
“Nonetheless .”
“What do you want me to do, Maxel? What is your point putting me in charge? What do you want me to achieve for you?”
“To save as many lives as you can; to keep intact as much of Elcho Falling as you can.”
“And defeat the Lealfast and the Skraeling hordes. And the One, should he decide to pop back for a visit.”
Maximilian risked a smile. “That would help, Axis.”
Axis didn’t return the smile. “And how long do you expect me to hold all this together?”
“We can reach DarkGlass Mountain quickly through Elcho Falling’s graces, but we cannot return the same way. Even Elcho Falling has its limitations. So . . . we reach DarkGlass Mountain within the day, spend, oh, perhaps a week there at most, then return the slow way via our feet, or horses, through to the east coast of Isembaard. Hopefully, there will still be vessels on the coast willing to carry us north to Elcho Falling.”
“I will speak to Georgdi. He may be able to organise to have something waiting for you.”
“That would be a help. Thank you.”
They fell into silence for a few minutes. It stretched awkwardly, Axis’ continued ill-temper creating a chasm between them.