Of Sea and Stone (Secrets of Itlantis) (13 page)

Nol, Merelus, and I wore black robes. “As the person presenting these talks of peace,” he explained to us earlier, “I wear no colors, for I represent no city of Itlantis in my plea. I represent logic and reason. It is the way of those making petitions that do not represent their cities. As my assistants, you, of course, match me.”

“Thank you for assembling to meet me,” Merelus said, once everyone had been greeted. He crossed to the dais and stepped upon it, facing the wall of mechanicals. “We have much to discuss. There is much to show you all. I need your opinions on a matter that I will present before the senate in a few weeks’ time.”

The representatives leaned forward in their seats, interested.

“I would like to begin with a map of Itlantis.” He touched a lever, and one of the mechanicals began to whirr and spin. Streaks of light appeared, dancing in the space between him and the table. They formed a map.

Annah’s assistant leaned over and whispered a description of what was blooming in the air before us in the blind senator’s ear. Annah nodded slowly.

“These are our military patrols,” Merelus said as ribbons of black crisscrossed and swirled through the air amid the lines of the map, dozens of lines simultaneously converging and parting. “Tens of thousands of soldiers, thousands of ships. Men who live a life of rigor and sacrifice for the good of the nation. Much money goes into maintaining this army, for their presence is essential in our war against the Dron.”

The representatives nodded. Someone murmured quietly. This was hardly stunning new information. No one disagreed.

“Or is it?” Merelus asked. “Do we need such a military presence?”

The murmuring stopped. Silence filled the room.

“This,” Merelus said, flipping another switch, “is every Dron attack on a citizen ship, outlying base, or city in the last twenty years.”

The map was empty.

Everyone was silent except Annah’s assistant, whose voice scraped through the room as he said to her, “There is nothing.”

“There are skirmishes and battles every year!” Verdus’s representative, Jade, protested. She looked at the map in confusion. “Your data does not show—”

“My data does not show unprovoked attacks from our military forcing Dron to defend themselves,” Merelus said. “There have been a few of those. But the Dron have not attacked us—not even a military ship—unless fired upon first, and it has been so for more than two decades. They have not targeted civilians. They seem to be retreating, drawing away. I believe they want peace, and I believe the time is right to present them with an offer of it. There are reports that they suffer from lack of food, that they lack medical care. If we formed a peace treaty, we could offer them things they need, and build an alliance instead of antagonism.”

“An alliance? With those bastards?” Jak jumped to his feet. “You must be mad. Do you remember the last time they attacked civilians? It was a lightship carrying twenty renowned scientists and doctors back from a conference on Primus. There were no survivors. My father was on that ship.”

“I am sorry for your loss,” Merelus said. “But that was twenty years ago. The data shows that—”

“Data be drowned,” Jak shouted. “People died. You cannot talk of peace with these monsters. They are vicious. They are barbaric. They kill.”

“Little is really known about the Dron,” Coral, the Celestrus representative, interjected. “Perhaps they are not as vicious as we thought.”

“We know more than enough,” Jak said.

Renus, the representative for Volcanus and Magmus, cleared his throat. “Do you have more data? Perhaps with more information we will have greater clarity to make a decision.”

The rest of the representatives gazed at Jak expectantly.

Jak dropped into his seat, his face creased with fury. “We don’t need any more clarity,” he said. “Everything is clear enough from Arctus’s perspective.”

“Please, Representative of Arctus,” Annah said. “Let us hear the rest.”

Annah’s words seemed to have a calming effect. Jak crossed his arms, but he didn’t say anything else. The room was quiet again.

Merelus touched the controls.

“We could try contacting them here at this group of islands,” he said, zooming the map to show a collection of islands. “Dron activity has been reported in this area for some time. They come and go. We could leave a message—”

“And what?” Jak interrupted. “Invite them for tea? They are dangerous warriors. They cannot be trusted. What you want to do is preposterous.”

“Jak,” Annah said.

He shook his head but fell quiet once again.

“It would be a preliminary effort,” Merelus said. “But I believe it is worth a try. I want to take it before the senate, and I want all of you to help me see it passed.”

They shifted and murmured quietly. Jak shook his head again. I glanced at the others; they seemed to be more open to Merelus’s words. Annah tipped her head to one side thoughtfully. Renus, the Volcanus representative, was studying the maps and data charts.

“Do we have access to these for further study?” he asked Merelus.

“Oh yes,” Merelus said eagerly. “They are all contained in the libraries.

Renus nodded. “I suggest you make sure they are available for our perusal until you take this before the senate, and we can examine the things you have mentioned for ourselves at length. Then, we can each come to our own conclusions about what is best to do.”

Merelus sighed. “I think that is a reasonable suggestion.

~ ~ ~

Lyssia and I were once again wandering the gardens, as had become our habit, when she stopped and grabbed my arm. “It’s Cal.”

I spotted a chubby, brown-haired young man entering the garden sphere. He was not alone.

She squeezed my arm harder. “What do we do?”

“We talk to him.”

Truthfully, I’d lost interest in the scheme now that I’d obtained the information I wanted.

“Or we can go home,” I added. “Maybe it was a poor idea anyway. Dahn doesn’t seem like the type to be swayed by a little jealousy.”

I stopped speaking when they were close enough to identify their faces. The young man at Cal’s side had pale hair.

Nol.

He halted at the sight of me, his face unreadable. His jaw tightened. I glared.

What was he doing here?

“Cal,” Lyssia said, oblivious to the daggers Nol and I were sending each other with our eyes. “We were just looking for you, Aemi and I.”

“Aemi?” Cal asked, giving me a quick look that turned into a double take. He squinted as if trying to remember if he knew me. Had he seen me when I’d visited the school disguised as Lyssia?

“An Indentured friend,” Lyssia said, linking her arm with me.

I expected Cal to laugh at such a notion, but instead he simply smiled. “It’s delightful to meet you. Let’s walk the pathways, shall we?”

I was astonished. I stared at him. He wasn’t joking. He genuinely seemed happy to meet me, Indentured or not.

Lyssia agreed to walk the pathways even though we’d already done so, which she tacitly did not mention. She and Cal walked together, and I followed them. Nol fell into step beside me.

Irritation filled me at his nearness, but I pushed it away and focused on gathering information I could use. Cal was a fresh source, with knowledge Lyssia and the pryor didn’t have.

“Cal,” I asked, maneuvering so I was beside him and Lyssia again, “do you know much about the design of the gardens?”

“Oh yes,” he said, delighted. “They are a particular interest of mine. There’s a lot of history tied up in these gardens. Every city has them, you know, although the design and size vary by city.”

“Do they all contain maps of the cities in their centers?” I asked.

His eyes lit up. “You’ve noticed that. Yes, they all do, as a monument to their city of inspiration. Fascinating, isn’t it?”

“Have you been to many other cities?” Lyssia asked from his other side.

Cal nodded. “My father has made many trips to Primus, the capital. I’ve also traveled to Arctus and Verdus. Beautiful cities, all of them.”

Cal seemed a veritable wealth of information, and his reports were more focused than the pryor’s scattered data. I searched for another topic to keep him talking. “Tell me about Primus.”

“Well. It’s massive. Huge corridors, thick with people, lead everywhere. All the hallways are straight, with right angles when they turn. Nothing flowing or curving like here. The ceilings are very high, and they have square windows to the sea instead of arching glass spheres like here.”

“And there are politicians?”

Lyssia mouthed something to me as Cal bent to free his shoe from a creeping vine. I supposed she wanted to steer the conversation to more romantic topics. I pretended not to see.

“Yes—my father—er, many travel there to take part in votes concerning the cities,” he said. “They have lots of luxurious places for visitors to stay.”

He did not seem to want to call attention to the fact that he was the governor’s son. I liked that. He was letting himself stand on personality and manners alone instead of leaning on his social status like a crutch.

Lyssia could be avoided no longer. “Cal,” she said, her voice pointedly sweet, “I wanted to ask you something.” She shot me a look and took him by the arm, dragging him away. I let them go, and Nol drifted to my side again.

“You ask a lot of questions,” he said in my ear. “What are you trying to learn?”

Startled, I raised my head and looked straight into his eyes. They were bright and sparking with intensity. A shiver ran through me at the look in those eyes, as if I’d touched an electric eel.

“Don’t talk to me,” I said. “You’ve made it very clear through your actions and words that we are not friends.”

One of his eyebrows lifted, and I realized he had somehow acquired the same gesture as Merelus, probably unconsciously.

The path led through a series of tunnels with white flowers growing on the walls and even the ceilings, their petals drooping down in long swaths that brushed the tops of our heads. Their soft, sweet fragrance washed over us.

Finally, Lyssia asked the question that I had been burning to inquire about.

“Isn’t he my father’s steward-in-training?” she said in a whisper, waving a hand at Nol as he walked ahead. “Why is he with you?”

Cal’s neck flushed. “My father wants me to have more companions. He and Merelus often meet to talk, and Nol comes with him. We talk. He’s friendlier than the other blue bloods I’m normally forced to keep company with.”

Nol, friendly? My thoughts churned as I studied Nol. His blond hair curled at the edge of his neck and flopped into his eyes. He was closer to something resembling handsome, and he no longer wore that look of smug authority. Now, his expression was observant, sharp, and angry.

No, friendly was not the word I would use.

We made another turn around the garden, and then a chime began to ring through the gardens, telling the time.

“It’s getting late,” Lyssia said with a frown. She looked genuinely disappointed. “We should probably get home.”

“Perhaps—perhaps you would be willing to attend the Festival of Lights with me?” Cal blurted. “They’re having a grand celebration in the Primus garden sphere. Music, feasting, dancing...”

Lyssia pinked. She smiled shyly. “I would be happy to accompany you.”

Cal was equally pink. “Wonderful. I will see you then.”

We parted ways, and Lyssia and I returned to the city corridors that led toward home. I expected Nol to follow us, but he stayed with Cal.

I wondered again why he was being so friendly to the governor’s son. Did he have plans of his own?

Lyssia chattered with excitement about the upcoming Festival of Lights and her smooth navigation of obtaining an invite, although I suspected her cheer was not entirely due to her successful execution of our plan anymore. She hadn’t mentioned Dahn once, and every time she said Cal’s name, she blushed.

I felt happy for her, and I realized I liked seeing her smile. I even returned it, just to see how it felt, and she laughed.

“Have I ever seen you smile before, Aemi?”

“I don’t know,” I said.

“You should smile more. You’re always beautiful, you know, but when you smile you are absolutely radiant.”

Lyssia linked her arm with mine as we came within sight of her home, and I let her.

~ ~ ~

At the servants’ supper that night, I told Tob and Mella about our run-in with Cal and Nol, and Nol’s incessant attention to me.

Tob eyed Nol across the tables. He sat with a group of kitchen boys, none of them saying anything as they ate steadily. “Perhaps he likes you.”

I snorted at the joke.

Mella tipped her head to the side. “Is there something you have, something you know, that he might want?”

The door flew open before I could answer, slamming against the wall. Everyone froze as Crakea stormed in. Her eyes fixed on me, and her mouth curved down in a scowl.

That was when I noticed that she carried the pryor.

“YOU,” SHE BELLOWED, pointing at me. “Thief!”

I jumped up, and she grabbed at my wrist and shoved me back in my chair. “I found this priceless device hidden under your bunk.”

“What were you doing poking around my things?” I demanded.

“Do you know the punishment for stealing, girl?”

“I’m not a thief,” I said. “That was given to me.”

She barked a laugh. “What a stupid lie. I’ve known since the beginning you were planning something. I’ve been watching you cozy up to the mistress, doing everything you can to make her happy.”

Did she know about my plans to escape? Terror shot through me.

“You’re trying to replace me! But I won’t be pushed out, not by you and your scheming!”

“Replace you?” I couldn’t help but laugh. It was preposterous. “Why would I want to replace you?”

Crakea’s face reddened with anger. “You’re an opportunist and a thief. I’ll see you sent to the steam factories in Magmus for stealing.”

“I didn’t steal it. Call the master. He’ll tell you!”