Alchymist (31 page)

Ullii
threw herself on him, turned him over and tried to lift him. She got him as far
as a sitting position before he slumped over again. A silver bracelet glinted
on his wrist. A moonbeam caught his glazed eyes. He looked as if he had been
dead for a week.

Ullii
let out a scream of anguish that froze Nish's blood, and it went on and on. 'Mylii,'
she wailed, kissing his face and hands. 'Mylii, come back.'

Nish
could only stare at her, the fatal knife hanging from his hand. Mylii?

Flydd
came running across, reeking of blood. 'What have you done now?'

'I
thought he was trying to choke her,' Nish whispered. 'I tried to stop him but
he reared back onto the knife. What is it, Xervish?'

'I
hardly dare to think.' Flydd was shaking his head. He squatted beside the
seeker, who was frantically trying to rouse the dead man. 'Ullii?'

She
did not answer. Ullii began to rock the young man, making a moaning noise in
her throat. Flydd conjured ghost light in the palm of his hand and held it out.

Ullii
looked up and, momentarily, the two faces were illuminated side by side. Nish's
scalp crawled. Apart from the young man's black hair, they were identical.

'Ullii
and Mylii, said Flydd in a voice as old as death. How often does that happen?'

'I
don't understand; Nish said.

'Twins
identical in all respects but their sex.' said Flydd. 'They were separated when
she was four, Nish, and the trauma drove Ullii to become the sensitive creature
that she is. You've just killed her long-lost brother, Mylii. She's been
searching for him all her life.'

Tiaan
leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes, afraid that she'd not convinced
the Aachim. She was a novice at intrigue, while they were experts — especially
the cold-eyed Urien.

She
was woken by someone at the flap of the tent. It was Thyzzea, with her brother.
'Are you to be my guard again?' said Tiaan, taking comfort from a friendly
face. Don't trust, she told herself. Thyzzea is Aachim, too. You have no allies
here.

'I
am. Vithis is determined to grind my family into the dust.' Thyzzea coloured,
as if realising her words could be taken as an insult.

Tiaan
politely ignored it. 'What would happen if I escaped?' she asked as Kalle
picked her up.

'You
would not.' Thyzzea seemed to find the idea amusing.

'I
don't suppose so. But, just say I did?'

'Since
we are at war, my family and clan would have failed in their duty. We could
lose everything, if Vithis so chose.'

It
confronted Tiaan with an unexpected problem. No matter how much she told
herself not to like Thyzzea, she did. So how could she escape, if Thyzzea and
her family would be punished for it?

Kalle
carried her through the dark; Tiaan smelt cooking before they reached Thyzzea's
tent. A middle-aged woman stood outside, in the light of a glowing globe
half-covered in black moths. She was searing meats and vegetables on a metal
plate, then stirring them into a bubbling pot. She looked up with the same
smile as Thyzzea, though hers was tentative, fretful. She was smaller than her
daughter and her hair was red-brown.

'Welcome,
Tiaan Liise-Mar' she said. I'm Zea. Switching the ladle to her left hand, she
held oat the right. 'What a terrible day. When I think about poor Ghaenis — such
a world this is.' Seeing the despairing look on her daughter's face. Zea said,
'Come inside, child. Put it out of mind, just for the moment.'

Tiaan
shook hands. 'Are you Thyzzea's mother?'

'And
bound to regret it.' Her quiet amusement was reflected in Thyzzea's face. They
had the capacity to submerge their pain, these Aachim. 'I'm joking, of course.
Thyzzea is a daughter entirely without faults.'

Thyzzea
rolled her eyes, but shortly the despair was back. The grief was more than she
could cover up.

Tiaan
liked Zea instantly. Like her daughter, she seemed so normal. The other Aachim
Tiaan had met were remote and wrapped up in their own affairs. 'Dinner smells
good,' she said, unable to remember when she'd last had a full meal.

'I
hope it isn't too hot for you.' Zea exchanged glances with her daughter.

'After
being interrogated by Urien and Vithis, it won't seem hot at all.'

Again
that exchange of glances. 'Urien,' said Zea with a little shiver.

Shortly
they were sitting in the tent, in surprisingly comfortable metal chairs, with
bowls on their laps. Tiaan was about to take the first sip when the flap opened
and a man came wearily in. He was of modest stature, trim and well
proportioned, but with the same dark-red hair as his son. He looked exhausted,
his clothes were torn and muddy, and the front of his shirt was stained with
purple blood.

Zea
ran to embrace him, her eyes moist. Thyzzea followed, and Kalle clasped his
father's hands. The man's gaze swept across the room to Tiaan; he checked for
an instant then came on.

'I'm
Tiaan' she said, placing her bowl on the floor and putting out her hand. 'I'm
sorry — I can't stand up.' He flinched, shot a glance at Zea, then took Tiaan's
hand. 'Tiaan, of the flying construct. My name is Yrael. We are your rs, I
presume?' I'm afraid so. I'm sorry for the trouble —’

He
gave her a genuine smile-. The folk of Clan Elienor recovered quickly. 'Guest
right is yours while-ever you are under our roof.'

'But .
. .'

'First
Clan will do what they can to bring us down, whether you're here or not. Let's
say no more about it. How is the water, Zea?'

'Running
low, but there's enough for a hero of the battlefield to wash his face and
hands.'

She
followed him into the other room, her arm linked through his. Water splashed in
a metal bowl and shortly he returned, dressed in clean clothes. He took a bowl,
filled it, and they sat in silence while they ate.

After
the meal, Zea opened a flask of wine and poured them each a small portion.

'This
is our strong wine,' said Thyzzea, sniffing delicately at her goblet. 'For
special times and honoured guests.'

Tiaan
raised her glass and said, 'To the good fortune of Clan Elienor, wherever it
may be.'

'To
Clan Elienor,' they echoed, after which Kalle went to his room and his studies.

'If
you will excuse me,' said Yrael to Tiaan, 'I must speak to Zea about the war.'

'Would
you like to carry me outside?'

'I've
nothing to say that an honoured guest may not hear.'

'What
is the news?' said Zea. 'There are a thousand rumours, though if there's truth
in any of them I've not sorted it out.'

'The
lyrinx have gone, apart from the last few still creeping out of hidden tunnels
delved deep inside Snizort. Who knows how they survived the cataclysm? The
human armies have begun to drag their clankers north-west to the nearest field,
using teams of animals, soldiers and slaves. Rumour has it that Scrutator Flydd,
with whom we negotiated recently, is now one of the slaves. The old humans fall
on each other like dogs.' Glancing at Tiaan, he looked abashed. 'I'm sorry. That
was ill-mannered of me.’

'How
long will it take for them to haul away all their rattletrap clankers?' asked
Zea.

'Many
days, though they'll be long gone before we move any of our constructs.'

'Do
you think they might help us?'

'Not
after Vithis snatched Tiaan from under the scrutators' noses.'

'I
had not heard that,' said Zea.

'Did
you hear about Ghaenis?' asked Yrael.

'Tiaan
and I were there,' Thyzzea cut in. 'It was horrible, Father.’

'Yet
I'm told Vithis still presses to use the amplimet,' said Zea. 'What will come
of it?'

'Such
a dangerous device. Some of the clans,' he named several on his fingertips,
'consider that the crystal should be destroyed, unused. I confess that I think
so too.'

'And
others want to use it whatever the cost,' said Zea. 'Especially Clan Nataz.'

'That's
so. Dissatisfaction is building with Vithis's leadership, particularly among
Clans Nataz and Dargau, who have been intriguing for the amplimet since the
moment they knew of its existence. Tirior has done everything she could to
stymie Vithis's plans, so as to create an opportunity to seize it. Nataz is not
displeased at Clan Inthis's fall' He turned to Tiaan as if feeling a need to
explain. 'When we came to Santhenar, we should have met your leaders at once,
and parleyed for land. There's plenty here for all and we had much to offer
humanity. What could the scrutators have done but agree? They could not send us
back.'

'Vithis
could not humble himself,' said Zea, her eyes contracted to steely points.
'Embittered by misfortunes of his own making, he must seize first and make
demands.'

'He
hasn't taken any land,' said Tiaan. 'He will once he gets what he really
wants,' said Zea. 'Your flying construct. His obsession has cost us dearly and
the clans are close to rebellion. Abandoning all our long-laid plans, he
brought us to this bloody battlefield in pursuit of your flier.' She laid a
hand on her husband's arm. 'Be sure your heroism and sacrifice is appreciated .
. . What is it, Yrael?1

Yrael
began to flush in waves of deep red until his face seemed to be on fire. He
rose abruptly, to pace the room with jerky steps, head bent. After half a dozen
turns he sat down again, meeting Zea's eyes.

'We're
not heroes!' he said harshly. 'We weren't allowed to be.'

'What
are you saying, Yrael?'

'The
clan leaders would not allow us to fight beside our old human allies. They
pulled us back time and again. When our allies looked desperately for our aid,
it was not there, and they died for it. We are deeply shamed.'

Zea
stared at him, her hands over her mouth. 'But you're the leader of Clan Elienor
. . .'

'Not
on the battlefield. Our clan was commanded by Vithis and I had no say in the
matter.'

'But
this is terrible, to have so let down our allies when they needed us. The old
humans must be calling us cowards.'

'With
reason,' Yrael said heavily.

'So
we've lost thousands of young lives, and more injured, for nothing! And our
supplies are running low, we'll surely have to abandon our constructs. Once
that happens, we'll be beggars in a hostile land.' Zea's voice rose. 'So why
are we here, Yrael?'

'That's
what I keep asking myself.' Yrael sat with head, bowed. 'We'll have to plunder
to survive and the whole of Santhenar will rise up against us.'

Zea
made an effort to be the one in control. 'This is a big world and there's land
aplenty. In the last year of the war humanity have lost more people than all
our population put together. If we deal honourably with them surely they will
embrace us.'

'I doubt
that, said Yrael, though I agree it's our best course.'

'Clan
Dargau urge war against humanity.' said Zea. To strike hard, seize what we need
and be ready to hold it.'

'Dargau
have always been warmongers.' Yrael contemplated his untouched goblet. 'Though
when it comes to the sticking point they prefer to risk the lives of other
clans.'

'Rumour
tells that the enemy have fled,' said Zea. 'Is that so, Yrael?'

'They've
withdrawn but I doubt that they're far away. We're terribly vulnerable, should
they attack again.'

He
looked afraid and it spread to the others, but Zea said, 'If it comes to that,
we'll fight — even if we must fight barehanded. We won't go meekly to our
deaths. In the meantime, we must attend to our dead.'

'We
begin recovering the bodies in the morning. Luxor is designing a memorial and
we'll work together on a protection for it.'

Tiaan
could only admire them. Even in such peril, they were driven to honour their
fallen. 'Urien warned Vithis against using the amplimet,' she said into the
silence. 'But he says there's no other way to save the constructs.'

'He
may be right,' Yrael agreed, 'though after today, who would dare?'

'Urien
suggested that they force me,' said Tiaan.

'Such
dishonour!' said Zea.

'And
folly,' added Yrael. 'In ancient times an amplimet almost destroyed our
civilisation and undermined our very world.'

'What
happened?' asked Tiaan.

'I
don't know. It occurred before our clan was founded, and the whole truth has
never been revealed,' said Yrael. 'It's said that not even Urien, Matah of
Aachim-kind and Keeper of the Secrets, knows all. Some chroniclers say that the
Charon found our world because we had used that crystal, and their led to
thousands of years of slavery. You should be very afraid of the amplimet,
Tiaan.'

Kalle
came hurtling in. 'Vithis is coming for Tiaan.' Thyzzea covered her face with
her hands.

Tiaan
was back in Vithis's tent. It must have been long after midnight. The
interrogation had been going on for some time, and the differences between him
and Urien were more acute than ever. Urien had rejected his proposal to use the
amplimet, whereupon Vithis tried another tack — to employ it to uncover the
secret of flight.