The Evolutionary Void (37 page)

———

After dinner Olbal asked Edeard for a moment together, and they went out
onto the hortus. Ku and Honious were both bright in the night sky, Honious in
particular, its bulbous ruby clouds braided by sulfurous wisps surrounding a
dark center where lost souls were said to fall. People were taking it as a bad
omen that it was sharing the night with the Skylords. They were just visible
above the horizon, five scintillations, growing steadily larger each night.

Edeard eyed them carefully. Normally he’d be excited and content at their
impending arrival, but now that he knew the true nature of the nest, he
couldn’t help but feel the doomsayers might be right.

“Are you all right?” Olbal asked.

“Yeah, sorry. Just distracted by this whole Mayor thing.”

“That I can understand. Rather you than me.”

Edeard gave him a false grin. “What was it you wanted to ask?”

“Ah.” Olbal leaned on the thick rail and looked out across the Grand
Central Canal. “I know this sounds stupid, that I’m probably making a big fuss
about nothing.”

“But?”

“My nephew, Constatin; he arrived in Makkathran three weeks ago. He was
here to negotiate with merchants directly this year, agreeing on a price for
this season’s apples and pears. We normally deal with Garroy of the Linsell
family, and I wanted to keep that arrangement going.”

“I know the Linsell family; they bring a lot of fruit to Makkathran’s
markets.”

“Yes, well … the thing is, Constatin has disappeared.”

“Are you sure you didn’t just miss him on the road?”

“He was with Torran. It was Torran who told me he didn’t come back one
day.”

“Okay. What happened?”

“It was a Tuesday. Constatin had arranged to meet Garroy for lunch at the
Blue Fox off Golden Park to thrash out the new deal.”

“I know it,” Edeard said stiffly.

“He never got there. Garroy called at Torran’s inn that evening wanting
to know what happened. He wasn’t there. Torran searched for a day and a half
before going to the Ysidro constable station. There wasn’t much they could do,
but the desk sergeant promised he’d keep his farsight stretched. Since then,
we’ve heard nothing.”

“I see.”

“I didn’t think there were any gangs in Makkathran these days.”

“There aren’t,” Edeard said flatly. It
was
strange. But then several station captains had mentioned that the number of
missing people reported over the last couple of years had risen slightly. It
was to be expected given how many visitors Makkathran was receiving and how
unfamiliar they were with the city streets.

“It was morning, Edeard, broad daylight. What could have befallen him?
Torran checked the hospitals and even the cemetery.”

Edeard put his hand on Olbal’s shoulder, trying to push through a sensation
of reassurance. “I’ll speak with the station captain. I doubt it was a priority
for them; at the least I can rectify that.”

“Thank you, Edeard. I hate to use family like this, but my sister is
badly worried. He was an only son.”

“That’s okay.” Edeard frowned, thinking about what else he should be
asking. Mysteries like this were rarities in Makkathran. There was only one
person he knew who solved such strange puzzles, but that was ridiculous; she
was nothing but a figment of his bizarre dreams. However, she used a method of
elimination to determine suspects, and gathering all possible information was
essential to that method. “You said you wanted to deal with the merchants
directly this year. Is that unusual?”

“Not really. I normally use their agents; they have them in every
province. And Garroy visits us every few years to keep up a personal contact; I
have dinner with him whenever I’m in town. You need that level of trust if you
are in business.”

“So what’s different? Why send Constatin here this time?”

“I was contacted by some new merchants seeking to buy our produce. They
were offering a good price, a very good price.”

“Is that bad?”

“No. And I fully expect to sell them a substantial percentage of our
crop. However, I want to maintain our trade with the Linsell family; they are a
reliable buyer, and the future is what I must look to, especially with so many
children.” He smiled fondly. “New merchants come and new merchants go.
Constatin was sent partly as reassurance that although we obviously wanted to
squeeze the price up, we would not abandon the Linsell family.”

“Who are the new merchants?” Edeard asked. He was getting a bad feeling
about this.

“They worked for a supplier here in the city called Uphal.”

“What’s the matter?” Kristabel asked. She was sitting up in bed, watching
Edeard pull his silk pajamas on. “And don’t say ‘nothing.’ You’ve been quiet
since you got back this afternoon.”

“Yeah,” he said, and rolled onto the bed. The walls remembered nothing.
Kiary and Manel had taken away the memory usually contained within the city’s
substance. He was going to have to find out how to do that for himself. “Sorry,
but it’s not good news.”

“I’m a big girl.”

He smirked. For once she was wearing a sheer black negligee with a
plunging neckline. Even after seven children she was still slim and, with her
hair worn loose, very alluring. And she knew it; there was a calculating smile
playing across her lips. “I’ll bear that in mind,” he said, giving her figure
an openly admiring look.

“Did somebody die?”

“No. There are some psychics in Makkathran who are at least as strong as
I am. And there’s a lot of them.”

“Oh. But you’ve found plenty of powerful psychics over the years; there’s
Marcol, and Jenovan, and what’s that new girl who came to you last year?”

“Vikye. No, darling. What they’re doing is a lot bigger than anything we
can handle.”

“Why? What are they doing?”

“Same thing Ranalee and One Nation were trying. Except this isn’t about
establishing good snobbish blood as overlords; this is about strength pure and
simple. If you’re a strong psychic, that means you have the right to rule
everyone else.”

“There’s a lot of us to try and quash.”

“I know, and that’s what frightens me the most. Owain had guns and fear
to keep people in line. The nest has dominance, which they haven’t been afraid
to use. They also have the same skill I have with the city.”

Kristabel gave him a sober look. “Oh. If their strength comes from
numbers, then you pick them off one at a time.”

“Won’t work,” he said apologetically. “They call themselves a nest for a
reason. They’re like a family of the mind; it’s quite weird to see them
together. Back when old Chae was training us, he made sure our farsight was
always aware of where the others of the squad were. The nest has a more
sophisticated version of that technique. I’d never be able to isolate one of
them.”

“Ladycrapit, what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. But they’re young, and they want to forge ahead in their
own fashion. They’ve never learned how to accommodate other people because
they’ve never had to; if they’re allowed to carry on the way they are, they
never will. That means I might have a small opening.”

“To do what?”

“They asked me to be a bridge between them and the ‘weaker’ people.”

“Weaker?” she snapped indignantly.

“Yes. That’s their way of thinking. That’s what has to be broken.”

“Do you really think you can do that? Edeard, I know we never talk about
Owain and Buate and all the others that vanished, and I never asked, but … you
couldn’t make them change their minds, could you?”

“No.” He sighed. “But this time I really have to try.”
Lady, but I don’t want to have to do that kind of thing again
.

“So they share their thoughts all the time?”

“Sort of. They claim it’s a development of democracy. They’re still all
individuals, but for decision making they communicate on a very deep level, in
their own mental language. I suspect that’s how they overcome anyone else with
strength; they can gang up in perfect union. And the more that embrace them,
the stronger they become.” He’d been intrigued by the union they had ever since
the encounter. To share thoughts so easily must be a wonderful thing, except
they’d perverted it, using dominance to rid the concept of all equality. He
suspected that Tathal was the cause of that. If the nest could have started
without that malign influence, it might have had a chance to develop in a
positive, beneficial manner. He’d concluded years ago that psychic abilities in
the newer generations were significantly higher than among his own agemates.
People were changing, adapting to their easier life.

Kristabel gave him a worried look. “Embrace or get subsumed?”

“Good question. Dominance isn’t my specialty, and the Lady knows I never
found out how to reverse it.”

“No,” she growled.

“The one good thing is the way they’ve covered their tracks and set about
amassing wealth.”

“How can that be good?”

“It shows they aren’t that different from the rest of us, after all. They
chase after wealth and power just like everyone.”

“Taralee doesn’t,” Kristabel said immediately. “And you’re the ultimate
champion of democracy. After all, you could have been emperor.”

“Yes, but … once you become part of the nest, you become part of what
they are, what they aim for.”

Kristabel wrinkled her nose. “A blatant psychic aristocracy.”

“Yes. And then what happens to those who won’t or can’t become a part of
it? They lack any signs of compassion.”

She stroked a hand across his cheek. “Poor Edeard. You have to find a
way.”

“Easily said.”

“If you can’t, who will?”

“I know. At least they’ve offered to listen to me.”
Which
wasn’t quite what Tathal had said
.

“Are they really stronger than you?”

“Who knows? Individually, I expect we’re about the same. Though Marcol
certainly panicked when he was trying to contain Tathal. It’s this union of theirs
which has me worried.”

Kristabel was frowning as she considered what he was telling her. “It
sounds like Tathal is the leader.”

“He is.”

“But if they have this mental democracy, surely they wouldn’t need a
leader. If he’s as strong as you think, especially when it comes to dominance,
isn’t this nest just another gang, with him as the boss? The rest of them won’t
even know; they just think they have free will. That’s always the worst aspect
of dominance, how the victim just embraces it.”

“They did seem to be contributing to the union. But to be honest, I
couldn’t interpret any of their combined thoughts.”

“He’s the key, isn’t he, this Tathal?”

“I think so. But the chances of me ever getting him by himself are slim.”

“He was on his own when Marcol confronted him.”

“Yeah. You’re right.”

She grinned. “Of course I am.”

“So if you wouldn’t mind telling me, how do I watch someone who knows I’m
going to be looking for an opportunity and is in control of the city the same
way I am?”

“You’re the Waterwalker.” She pulled him closer, arms twining around his
neck. “You tell me.”

“You did it,” Salrana said. “I didn’t believe you could or you would. I
suppose … thank you, Edeard. I mean that.”

“Timath has withdrawn his objection?” a surprised Edeard asked. He’d completely
forgotten, hadn’t even talked to the Grand Master of the Lawyers Guild.

“Yes. It’s all over. Once Garnfal accepts the Skylord’s guidance, his
estate passes to me.”

“I see. That’s wonderful news. Er, did Timath say why he wasn’t going to
challenge the will?”

“Not really. Just that he’d changed his mind.”

“Okay. I’m glad for you, really I am.”

Changed his mind, my ass
, Edeard thought.
The nest couldn’t have been more blatant if they’d bludgeoned
Timath with a wooden club. They want me to know. They want to see what I’ll do
.

It was surprisingly easy to work out some of Tathal’s possible
weaknesses. Edeard put Argian on tracking down Constatin’s final movements. If
he’d left any trace, any impression with people along his route to the Blue
Fox, Argian would find it. Edeard at least expected Argian to find out roughly
at which point he’d vanished. That would allow him to check the memory within
the city structure. Any gaps would be as incriminating as seeing Constatin
being abducted by members of the nest.