Ellen Under The Stairs (17 page)

The old man in the escaping boat was
Pfnaravin. The woman, Ellen, Pfnaravin's Mage-restraints keeping
her at his side.

Fighting through his fear for Ellen,
his grief, John's only comfort was in knowing that Ellen was still
alive. Pfnaravin had killed her guards, but spared Ellen because
she was valuable to him.

Had Pfnaravin divined that she was
from John's world, the old Mage planning to use her as a
hostage?

The missing piece in the puzzle was
why Pfnaravin had turned his ship away from his home Band of
Malachite, heading, instead, for the outward band of Realgar, that
puzzle piece falling into place when John remembered that King
Lithoid had ordered Pfnaravin to return home, an action that would
give Lithoid at least partial control of the Malachite
Mage.

Rather than subject himself to
Lithoid's rule, Pfnaravin was escaping, not only from
Stil-de-grain, but also from his own Band's king, Pfnaravin with a
goal of his own for world domination.

Whatever was happening, John knew it
was his duty to rescue Ellen. First -- though he didn't want to
admit it even to himself -- because he'd fallen in love with her.
Also because he could never live with himself if he returned
without her.

A decision that presented a different
set of problems.

In order to desert his duties here to
chase after Ellen, he must think up some story about why he was
going after one woman, when all of Stil-de-grain was under threat.
(My God! This was to be a replay of the Iliad. Of Greeks chasing
after Helen of Troy.)

Could he fool the people here into
believing that Ellen was, somehow, vital to the defense of
Stil-de-grain? It would take some doing, though his prestige as
Mage gave him leverage.

Another "small" problem was how he was
to get out of the harbor himself, the best chance coming after the
Malachites had pulled off for their mainland tie-up docks at
down-light. Probably impossible, given the sailor's fear of the
dark. And even if he could muster the clout to leave the harbor
after down-light, from what Coluth told him about the Malachites
new class of ships, they'd catch him the following day.

The only positive was what it had been
from the first, that Pfnaravin would protect Ellen as long as she
was useful to him. Easing John's despair. Giving him time to make
plans.

But first things first: concocting a
lie about Ellen's value for the defense of Stil-de-grain. After
that, to devise some means for escaping the blockade so he could
pursue Pfnaravin.

When to start?

Given the acute slant of light through
the window, it would have to be tomorrow, sleep vital if he was to
think, to plan, to execute.

* * * * *

Platinia had to make her little feet
go fast to keep up with the others. Being small was not a good
thing to be sometimes. Other times, it was helpful. Like a little
while ago when she was able to slip out of the palace to follow the
woman and the soldiers. The gate guards had not looked so low down
as Platinia, to see her as she went out. (She was careful to
stretch her legs very wide to step in the footprints of others, so
that her feet did not show in the dust, that others might
see.)

As she ... trotted ... down the hill,
the morning was warm. The dome above glowed with gold. Though she
was born in Malachite, she had lived long in Stil-de-grain. Even
when in Malachite, she had liked the golden light of Stil-de-grain
more than the green light of Malachite. Gold light made everything
look alive. Green light made everything look dead. That was the
reason.

When they all reached the city --
Platinia following behind the rest -- the woman with the strange
name of Ellen went into stores. This store. That store. Many
stores. Buying many things. After she got these things, the
soldiers -- who were not dressed like soldiers -- carried her many
packages.

Everywhere, the store-men were glad to
see the woman. They smiled at her very much. What Platinia thought,
was that they did not care for the woman but were glad because they
could sell so many things to her. That was what Platinia
thought.

Platinia did not like the woman,
Ellen. Did not like her because she was always in the Mage's
thoughts.

Feeling for the thoughts in
John-Lyon's mind, she saw only Ellen there. Never did she find
Platinia. Not entirely true. For the Mage did think of other
things, Platinia one of these other things. Also Zwicia. Also the
sailor, Coluth. Also Golden -- though Platinia could not read
Golden's thoughts so very well. The Mage could not either. She
could see that in the Mage's mind.

Mostly, the Mage was thinking about
the war. The war more in his mind that even the woman. This was
true about the last war, as well. The Mage was trying to find a way
to win the war. As he had done before. Would there always be a war
to win? Or the same war to win again? Platinia did not know these
kinds of things.

Would the young Mage build another ...
machine, that he called a cannon? Would he make light-magic in the
sky, the Mage calling this fireworks? Platinia did not know. Knew
only that he did not think of her ... like she wished him
to.

In and out of stores went the Ellen
woman, Platinia staying behind, being tiny making it easy for her
to stay out of sight.

The woman was happy. Platinia could
tell that. Happy to be going into stores, buying things like cloth,
pots, jewelry, lace, (many other things that were wrapped in cloth
so that Platinia could not see.) What was strange, was that the
things from the stores were not what made the woman, Ellen, happy.
It was going into stores and seeing ... everything. She was most
happy to talk to people. To ask questions, like the Mage, John-Lyon
often asked questions. Questions, sometimes, with no answers. In
the long ago, John-Lyon had asked about the sun, and stars, and
moon. Why did the world not have those things? And why was it that
there were no tides, and what made the great, moving circles in the
sea, and about the colors shining down from the sky-dome, and why
there was no wind? Why was there fog every up-light and every
down-light? Why was the rain so ... gentle? What about storms?? Did
it snow? Snow?? Who had made this world? Was the world an ... what
were those words the Mage always said? Was it an ... artificial
construct??? So many questions. Many that no one could answer. This
was when the Mage was here before, more than now. Perhaps he had
already learned the answers. Platinia did not know.

The woman and the soldiers, who were
not dressed like soldiers, would stop to buy things to eat. And
drink. Platinia was hungry. Platinia was even more thirsty. But to
eat and drink, she would have to show herself and she did not want
to do that.

As they passed stores and more stores,
Platinia could smell bread baking. And the making of what men
called beer, though Platinia did not drink that.

In one shop there was a miller who
ground wheat and barley grain into flour for baking bread. The
flour did not smell very much.

Sometimes carts came rumbling over the
round stones set into the street. The pony drivers could not see
such a small person as Platinia, so she had to look out for
them.

There were too many people walking
back and fourth. And a very great noise, one man crying: "Fresh
Fish," the man selling them from a basket. Another who was yelling
"Hot sheep's feet." There was hammering and clanging. Men were
yelling at each other. Men were fighting, rolling into the
pig-ditch! Platinia saw the kicking of big balls by younger men.
Was almost hit by the ball as she hurried past! Swans and geese
hissed and pecked! Rich and poor women winked and joked. Bells on
the tops of buildings made a great ringing sound. Men with animal
heads on their own heads danced for small coins thrown to them. It
was a very great confusion!

It did not help Platinia's hunger to
pass a shop that sold cheese, sliced in small wedges from a great
round wheel of cheese. Another shop had big and little fish,
cooked, ready for eating. There were shops for selling wool, wine,
gloves, saddles, barrels, wheels, fur, leather boxes, rabbits,
pigeons .... Too many shops to learn what they sold.

There were pigs in the street, people
shouting at them to get out of the way! And dogs, dodging people's
legs. Friendly dogs that wagged their tails and grinned. Bad dogs
that barked and bit. Platinia was afraid of dogs.

She looked for cats, but could not
find any. Maybe the dogs ate the cats. She did not like to think
that, but maybe it was true.

So many things were in the town that
Platinia's head began to hurt.

Then it happened. Following the women
and the soldiers -- for that is what they were -- Platinia had felt
... a great hatred!

Where was it coming from?

From the mind of someone in the
street.

But who?

Thinking hard, thinking only about the
hatred, she found it coming from a man. A man in a black cloak. A
man with no ... face!! .... No. It was that the man had cloth
covering his face. Cloth. A cloth hat. Pulled low in front to cover
his face.

Now that Platinia knew who had the
hatred, like a great force!, she could pick through that man's
mind. A little. First, seeing in his mind that he was hiding. Like
she was hiding, but more so.

There was something about the man. Had
Platinia met him before? She could not tell by his look, his hat so
low over his face. He was all covered up by a too-big robe -- his
arms and hands, his neck, his legs -- so that she could not see any
part of him.

Something said to her this was
important.

To find out more, she must get closer
to the man, a thing she was able to do, in time, the man walking
along the street in the same direction as the woman and the
soldiers.

So much hatred and for so many things,
coming from the man. He hated ... everything he saw.

Then, what a shock! In a place where
the light was brighter, between two buildings, the man looked up at
the sky-dome. And in that moment, Platinia saw enough of his face
to know who he was!

He was the old Mage,
Pfnaravin!

She was sure. It was Pfnaravin. Full
of hate for everyone. And that would mean that he would hate the
woman, Ellen. And the soldiers, too.

Platinia had a plan. First, to
strengthen the Mage's hatred by picking through his mind, Platinia
doing that, making the Mage hate even more!

When she had done that, though she was
very much afraid, she crossed the street, dodging pigs who were
eating garbage in the center ditch.

Forcing herself, she said the man's
name. So softly only he could hear her do that.

At that, he turned. Saw her. Knew who
she was, Platinia sensing that about the way his mind
worked.

He was ... afraid. Afraid she would
tell who he was.

If he was not so frightful, that would
be funny. The mighty Mage, Pfnaravin, afraid of little
Platinia.

She said, she would not
tell.

She could see it now! That he had
planned to kill her with his Mage-Magic to keep her from telling.
She had said she would not tell just in time!

She asked if she could help
him.

He said he needed to know ... things
... about the Palace. That if she found out these things for him,
he would do things for her that she would like.

That was what she had hoped he would
say.

Knowing he was an enemy of the young
Mage, John-Lyon, she told him of the woman -- the woman who was too
much in the mind of John-Lyon. Platinia even pointed to the woman
and to her soldiers.

The Mage was pleased. Had asked if
Platinia liked the woman, Ellen.

She said she did not.

He said not to worry about the woman,
that he would take her away.

That was all Platinia had done, point
her finger at the women. But it was enough. For the Mage had said
he would take her away, his hatred still strong. This meant the
Mage would kill the woman. Which was what Platinia
wanted.

The Mage, Pfnaravin, then told
Platinia to go back to the Palace, Platinia having to do as he
commanded. Who could withstand the will of a Mage?

That was all Platinia had seen of the
city. She had to go back.

It was later. Much later that night
that the young Mage, John-Lyon, had come to her, saying that, as
before, she was to be with him all the time. To sit in the Mage's
room, in a chair at the back when he was talking to the other men
of the Palace. That she was to be with him when he ate. And be with
him in his room when he slept. He had ordered those things before.
He now ordered those things again.

And so, Platinia was glad. While she
could still see the women, Ellen, in the Mage's mind, Platinia was
sure that being ordered to stay with him at all times meant she was
again important in the Mage's thoughts. Now that Ellen was gone,
Platinia would win from John-Lyon what she, herself, felt for the
young Mage with the frightening green eyes.