The Nemesis Blade (30 page)

Torrullin
stared at her.

“Time for
payback,” Jonas comprehended.

Torrullin
rubbed at his face.

“We always say
there’s no such thing as coincidence,” Galarth murmured. “And here,
suddenly, we have a rumour, an ancient crime, Nemisin’s world
returned to fertility and three Vallas. Coincidence? Or are the
Fates seeking restitution?”

Torrullin hung
his head.

“And Lowen
discovered it,” Erin added.

He looked
up.

She gazed back
at him. “She was on Nemi … Akhavar … not long before she vanished.
I tracked back to that point. She found something there, something
she learned of here in the Dome, and then headed to Sanctuary. She
was on Mariner Island for a time, then on this tiny island beside
the Dome. After, she went to the Academia of Truth, Titania …”

“That’s
right,” Shenendo interrupted. “There’s record of her requesting
information on Luvan history.” He leaned forward. “You were after
the same thing three weeks before her.”

Sabian
nodded.

Prima glared.
“You said you had not been back for months.”

Sabian
shrugged. “A small mistruth, forgive me.”

“Forget that,”
Torrullin frowned. “Erin, after Titania?”

“She went to
Kora City, and then Grinwallin. And Teighlar was the last person to
see her.”

“He would not
harm her.” His tone was cold.

“Someone on
Luvanor has, my Lord,” Erin said. “If it wasn’t Teighlar, then he
may know who that person is.”

“He would tell
me.”

Quilla said,
“Torrullin, he may not know he knows. You said yourself he may be
in denial.”

“Erin, what of
a time shift?” Torrullin demanded. “Did you at least find something
on that?”

“I did, and
don’t get angry; I told you the focus of my mission changed.”

He thumped the
console.

She rose, but
looked at Amunti. “I went to Drinic and I spoke with your mother,
Amunti; she dragged the truth about you from me.” Erin smiled.
“She’s safe, and she understands why you did what you did. She says
your paths will cross again and there will only be welcome, and
love.” She pulled a parcel from her holdall on the floor. “This is
for you.”

Amunti stared
at the tea towel wrapped parcel and then made his way to her. He
took it, unwrapped it and smiled. “My favourites.”

“She said
that, yes.”

Amunti looked
at her, tears brimming. “She’s all right, really?”

“Absolutely.”

“Thank
you.”

She swallowed
and Amunti closed his hand over his precious parcel and returned to
his seat, sitting with it on his lap and both hands folded
protectively over it. Tears ran unheeded over his cheeks.

Erin cleared
her throat and then had to do so again when her voice sounded
suspiciously tearful.

“Amdel told me
quite succinctly, my Lord, the doorway we seek will be there when
we need to find it, and she said the best way to find it is to
retrace Lowen’s footsteps.”

“Meaning?”

“The way I
read her tracks, the doorway is in one of two places.”

Sabian leaned
forward to look at her. Torrullin’s eyelids flickered at the
movement and his own interest soared.

“Either it is
at the place she was last seen, which means Grinwallin,” Erin went
on, “or it is at the place she found her first clue.”

“Akhavar.”
Sabian leaned back.

“Actually,”
Erin frowned,” the first clue was in the Dome.”

“Well, the
Dome ain’t a portal,” Belun said. “Forget it.”

Quilla paced
forward. “Torrullin, the stones point to Akhavar. The doorway is
there.”

Torrullin
sighed. “Of course it is.”

“Do I need say
more?”

“No, not
here.”

Quilla nodded.
“Wise choice, my friend.” He gave a bow and went to sit.

Sabian
smiled.

A long silence
fell over the gathering as all gave thought to intricacies.

Chaim spoke
into the silence first. “The Force Real, is that the one Lax forms
part of?”

“What do you
think?” Torrullin asked.

Chaim tapped
the slab. “I cannot see this Axel character as an instrument to
rectifying ancient crime. His controller perhaps, but why ready an
army with mechanical and technological weapons? When you will be
fighting a force of sorcery? It smacks of a smokescreen, if you
want my opinion.”

“Or it serves
as a means to shake a prophecy from a tree,” Sabian murmured.

“Agreed, both
veil and wake-up call,” Torrullin responded. “Lax, though, grows an
army that could be used for other purposes, and it must be
stopped.”

Chaim gave a
smile. “It will be stopped.”

“Good,”
Torrullin muttered. He drew breath, released it and then studied
each member of the Kaval, his gaze passing over Sabian as if he was
not there.

“My Lord?”
Erin prompted.

He
straightened. “Lowen discovered what we discuss here today. Either
she was taken because she found it too early or she was taken to
put a fire under us, much as a smokescreen army would. A prophecy
has come to light, one that gives pointers to solutions. Four
worlds are now at risk, Sanctuary, Luvanor, Akhavar and Valaris,
the latter because my grandsons could be the ultimate targets. The
Kaval will now enter a time of increased focus on security. Belun,
you are to stay with the Dome. Repair her and then use her to
protect Sanctuary. Jonas and Erin, you two will remain here with
Belun. All three of you are welcome to stay in the villa.”

Belun sucked
at his teeth. The other two murmured agreement.

“Sanctuary
remains what we desire of her. This world is a place of safety and
will continue to be seen in that light or we, as Kaval, will have
failed in our duty to those needing us. Chaim, to that end, you and
Jimini will use your resources to counter vicious rumouring and
when you take Lax on, the Kaval and Sanctuary must not be seen as
aggressors.”

“Yes, my
Lord,” Chaim said. Jimini murmured something.

“Fuma, Amunti,
you two are already known on Valaris. Return there and remain in
the orbit of my grandsons. Caballa will aid you in this and she
will also alert the council of Elders. Any threat to Valaris is to
be relayed to me immediately.”

“It will be
so,” Fuma murmured.

“Absolutely,”
Amunti said and then threw a sly look at his companion. “Fuma, you
better get warm gear for Valaris. You’re embarrassing me by going
around half-naked, hear?”

Fuma threw him
a look, but did not rise to the bait.

“Will you tell
the heirs of this, my Lord?” Jonas asked.

“Not yet.”

“Fuma, we must
go first to the Dalrish,” Amunti reminded. “Over Excelsior and the
nukes?”

“I have not
forgotten.”

“Iggy, Gal and
Shedo. You three worked together recently and will go on as a team.
Go to Luvanor, specifically the Academia, and make yourselves
useful to the Brothers. Keep your ears open for uncommon words and
be alert to strange happenings.”

“Not
Grinwallin?” Shenendo questioned.

“Leave
Grinwallin to me.”

“Teighlar will
not brook an invasion,” Chaim murmured.

“Prima, that
leaves you,” Torrullin said next. “You are to go to Akhavar - to
Saska.”

“And what am I
to tell her?”

Torrullin
stared at the lights of the console. “Everything. She needs be
alert to danger.” He looked up. “Declan, Quilla, Sabian and I go
from here to Grinwallin. Teighlar must get aboard and hopefully the
city will give up a few secrets also.” He paused, looking at Prima.
“Tell Saska I come to Akhavar soon.”

Prima nodded,
dropping his gaze.

“Let us now go
up to the villa for something to eat and drink and, I am sure,
informal discussion.”

He tapped at
the console and headed towards the Dragon ogive. A moment later it
chimed.

Declan was on
his feet first. “Come, Sabian.”

Sabian stood
up and sauntered after the Siric.

As Quilla
rose, Erin asked, “Quilla, what’s really going on?”

The Q’lin’la
paused. It seemed he was about to answer and then thought better of
it. It seemed he was about to walk out, when he thought better of
that also.

“It is about
repentance and absolution. Someone needs to repent and someone
needs to absolve, but who must do what is unclear. True sanctuary
lies in the soul, Erin, where sins may be forgotten.”

Quilla walked
out, leaving not only Erin staring after him in consternation.

Chapter 21

On
Fore-knowledge; there are various ‘states’ in which one may know
something that may come to pass, among these,

Premonition
; the state of
anticipating an event

Precognition
; a more neutral advance
knowing

~ Titania
Dictionary

T
here were five hundred, and for
each man there was a woman.

They came in
pairs, they were young and fertile, and they were the future of
their kind, a last hope before extinction overtook them. It was
accepted that those left behind had now passed beyond the barriers
of life. They travelled far and at great speed; centuries passed in
another place. They were the last of their kind. All they possessed
now was a hope, a dream, and this wondrous new world to make that
dream come true.

The biological
ship gasped its last two solar revolutions ago, and they plummeted
through the atmosphere of this world, praying the land below the
veils of fire would be land, would have breathable air and would
also offer the means to sustainability. It had that, and more.
Prayers were answered beyond every expectation.

New ways could
now commence.

The ship would
not again take to the spaces and suffered a great deal in the
transition from vacuum to land, yet it survived. It drew energy
from the earth, the natural order around it, and garnered
sufficient stores for its sensors to function during the critical
days ahead. It had enough to protect the animals and seeds on board
a while longer. Soon, however, it would vanish, absorbed into the
natural order without a trace remaining, where it would replace
what it took from the land to function for the life forms it had
protected over vast distances.

The sensors
revealed a five-continent world, depthless oceans, many rivers, and
a number of lakes, great and small mountain ranges. Everything from
snow-capped regions through steamy jungle into true waterless
desert. There was vegetation and there was wildlife, some of which
might prove edible or could be domesticated for other uses.

Thus, while
the majority investigated immediate surroundings, the leadership
team of ten men and ten women debated where to go and where to
commence first settlement.

Many days
later, with all useful equipment offloaded, seeds and animals
gathered together outside and remaining food stores under
protection from the elements, it was decided to head east over a
stretch of ocean to the smallest of the five continents.

It offered
mountains, fresh water, forests and all manner of animal life.
There was a protected sea to the south with a deep water bay that
could become a harbour, and to the east before the mountains began
there was a great plain of considerable height, a plain that could
offer useful defences in the future. It was also agreed it would be
simpler initially to tame one small landmass rather than spread to
all corners immediately. Their strength lay in togetherness, and
exploration expeditions could be sent out once life took on a
degree of permanency.

Included in
their number were engineers, craftsmen, farmers, shipwrights,
midwives, teachers, builders, military, historians, scribes, sons
and daughters of politicians, astronomers and geologists, and more.
By far the larger contingent, though, were the priests and
magicians, for they were a people governed as much by common sense
as they were by omens and portents, and this state was regarded as
important as the food they ate to keep them alive.

Among these
was the one of ultimate status; he was not only a magician, he was
a historian, and he was the last surviving son of the royal line.
King by virtue of time and distance now, his was the word of this
new future.

The five
hundred were Diluvan - people of the floods - and abandoned their
homeworld to the last, great threat of an encompassing inundation,
an event more than mere threat. Here there was no risk of rising
waters. The icebergs north and south were too few to appreciably
raise sea level and there were no hidden fault lines to tear a land
apart.

They were no
longer Diluvan, they were Luvan, a created word, a shortening of a
past identity, and it would come to mean ‘people above water’.