The Nemesis Blade (8 page)

“That’s about
right,” Tristan sighed.

Max stared
into the fire. “As a grandfather myself I must tell you I think
going off without telling anyone is foolhardy, and as Peacekeeper I
must say it is particularly dangerous for you three. There are
forces out there that would like nothing better than to hold
Torrullin hostage to ransom using the Valla heirs. But as a family
man I can do no other than to extend what aid I have.”

“Thank you,”
Tristan murmured.

Max raised a
hand. “You misunderstand. I cannot allow you to bounce around the
universe without protection and I will not keep your quest to
myself.”

“I knew this
was a bad idea,” Tianoman said.

“Quiet, Tian,”
Teroux muttered.

Tristan was
calm. “We cannot go back to Valaris. We need to find Caballa
first.”

“And I know
how stubborn young men are, yes. I shall inform the Elders of your
whereabouts, while extending you and them Dalrish protection. You
may search for Caballa all you want, but you do it from here.”

“Max, please
…”

“You three
have overlooked something vital,” Max interrupted. “More than one
thing actually. First, if I allow you the freedom you obviously
grabbed on the sly, I would spark a confrontation with Torrullin.
Bad for Xen, worse for me. Second, Caballa is a farspeaker. You do
not need to run after her; all you need are other farspeakers.
Hmm?”

He sat back
with a satisfied air as the three gaped at him.

Tianoman
snorted. “Tris,
we
are farspeakers. We could’ve done this
from Valaris.”

Max lifted a
brow. “Sounds as if you do not need me.”

Tristan
relaxed in his seat. “It would depend on how far away Caballa is
and whether she chooses to answer a summons. We could reach out,
true, but how far will that go? Is she within calling
distance?”

“You require a
chain,” Max murmured. “One known, one already in place.”

Tristan smiled
at the man. “We do need you.”

“After Lucan
was killed - you know that tale? After, the Dalrish instituted
farspeaker training. We dispatched them to suitable positions and
in that had the aid of the Kaval. Yes, Tristan, we have known links
and it stretches far afield.”

“Do they
answer to the Kaval?” Teroux asked. “Caballa may not return a Kaval
summons.”

“They answer
to the Dalrish,” Max replied. He studied the three men. “Feel free
to employ the chain from the farspeaker enclave. If Caballa is
willing to reply, they will find her, but I do insist your Elders
are made aware of your whereabouts.”

“Agreed,”
Tristan murmured. “You two?”

“No problem,
but if the Elders get stroppy, well … Tris, I hate failing, you
know that,” Teroux muttered.

“Relax, the
Elders will be fine. Tian?”

“Agreed.”

Maximillian
smiled and rose. “I bid you welcome to Xen and hope you enjoy your
stay. No thanks required. Now, before I send for a guide to
accompany you to the enclave, may I ask how Torrullin is? You say
he is engaged in some new puzzle?”

Tianoman
shrugged. “We don’t know what exactly, but it’s got him rattled.
Otherwise he is as he always is.”

“You have seen
him recently?”

“Yesterday on
Sanctuary,” Teroux said, rising last from his seat.

“And Lowen?
Did you happen to see her?”

Tristan
glanced at the others. “She wasn’t there.”

Maximillian
sucked at his teeth. “Xen extends her hospitality; I expect the
truth in return.”

“Lowen hasn’t
been with Torrullin for ten years,” Tristan said. “I am sorry.”

Max nodded.
“As we suspected.” He gave a wry smile. “That was a match made in
hell - it could not last.” He waved a hand. “Ignore me.” He walked
to his desk and pushed something there. A moment later the
major-domo entered. “Albert, please show our guests to the
farspeaker enclave and see to their every need. My Lords Valla, I
hope your stay is comfortable and fruitful, and we shall talk
again.”

“We thank
you,” Tristan murmured. The three bowed and retreated from the
study.

“Albert,”
Maximillian called out, “upon your return, round up my recalcitrant
daughter, will you? There is the little matter of a crashed vehicle
to discuss.”

“Yes, sir.”
Albert pulled a face and preceded the Vallas into the corridor. As
he walked he muttered, “Why me? She won’t listen to me.”

Lintusillem

Jonas returned
to his homeworld to commence the search for geological data.

Lintusillem
was a world of rocks, mountains, outcrops, boulders, and hidden,
exposed and delved strata. Geologists were more common than cooks,
and there were many cooks. People who lived amid rocks loved to
eat, or so the saying went. The more exotic, the better.

Jonas was not
a geologist; he was an immortal and once sat with a host of like
Immortals in ruling their world. That changed when others of his
kind began to die in mysterious ways, singly, in pairs, and later
in great numbers. He was now the last, answered the summons to join
Elixir’s Kaval, and the rule of Lintusillem passed to others -
mortals - chosen by a squabbling electorate.

The world here
had certainly changed.

Although not a
geologist, he knew enough to understand what Elixir sought and
therefore knew whom to ask, and headed directly to him. His
brother. By virtue of the strangeness of fate, their parents
birthed two boys, one mortal, the other immortal, and the latter
concept was an enigma. How was it possible for normal mortals to
give life to eternity of living without a Ritual to make it so?
Declan, the Siric, himself born immortal, but of immortal
parentage, questioned Jonas to exhaustion on the intricacies, and
he knew even less of that than he did of geology, or cooking.

He entered his
brother’s house - stone, what else? - and called out, “Minos!”

There was
scuffling beyond the curtained alcove dividing the living area from
the workshop. “Jonas? That you?”

Jonas grinned
and pushed the curtain aside. “In the flesh.” Beyond was a table
filled with rocks and tools and all around were bins filled with
more rocks. “Working, I see.”

“What else is
there?”

They hugged
and looked each other over. There was a time when they looked
alike, but now Minos was markedly older. Still, the same curly
brown hair was there, rounded green eyes and freckles on reddened
skin. Minos just had more lines and was paunchy. And he had taken
to wearing spectacles.

“Glasses,
brother?” Jonas teased.

“Too many
hours peering into rocks, I’m afraid. Besides, they lend me a
distinguished look,” Minos laughed.

Jonas snorted
and wandered around the table. The variety of rock samples boggled.
“All from Lintusillem?”

“Actually, no.
Seems, due to your fame, Lintusillem’s field of expertise has
become somewhat known and rocks now pour in from all over.”

“Fame?
Please.”

“Yeah, bro,
big time. But, relax; it’s brushed off on me. I have more work than
I’ve had in years and I’m making quite a bit extra now.” Minos
laughed. “But I’m so busy I don’t get to spend it!”

“Are you fine
with it?”

Minos studied
his brother. “I am. The question is - are you okay with it?”

“It has been a
contrary ride, many ups, many downs, and Immortals paid a high
price to the Kaval - kind of bitter-sweet, you know?” Jonas
shrugged. “I cannot come back and I do not want to.”

It was the
first time they had seen each other in twenty-five years and they
could still converse as if no time had passed. Brothers in every
way.

“What of
Elixir?” Minos queried. “We hear tales.”

“What of him?
He is Elixir.”

“But as a man?
How is he to work with?”

Jonas gave a
smile. “It is more a case of work for. We have autonomy, of course,
and he is largely absent, and yet none of us quite get used to
working without being aware of his presence. I saw him lose it once
on Lax - one of the Kaval was hurt bad - and know I would not like
to cross him, ever. He is a good man, respected and revered, but
there are depths there, real way deep depths.”

“Loved?”

“Oh, yes.”

“That’s good,
then. Now, Jonas, there’s a purpose to this visit, isn’t
there?”

“Yes.
Rocks.”

Minos burst
out laughing. “You came to the right place!”

Jonas joined
in the mirth. “And I get to kill two birds with one stone!”

Minos slapped
the table in appreciation.

Then Jonas was
serious. “I wanted to see you. I have wanted to see you for a long
time.”

Minos stilled.
“I know your heart, my brother. I’ve been thinking of you
also.”

Jonas nodded.
“I know. I think Elixir gave this assignment to me knowing I could
come to you for information. A contrary man, but aware of family.
Ah, well.” He self-consciously picked a random sample up. “Rock
strata, that is what I’m after.”

Minos said, “I
missed you, too.”

Jonas looked
up and smiled.

Minos drew
breath and let it out. “What exactly about strata?”

The sample
returned to its place and Jonas, Kaval, was all business. “Elixir
found himself in the rock and the rock was layered definitively. We
seek to know how much time it takes to form those layers and …”

“What type of
layers?”

“What do you
mean, what type?”

“Jeez, Jonas,
I need detail. Colours, thickness, at the very least, and how many
layers. Why nail it down like this?”

“Time. We need
to know how far back the place was.”

“I don’t get
it.”

“Neither do I,
honestly, but the images were like a map, only not a map of place,
but of time. We are trying to backtrack to the time those layers
were laid down.”

Minos stared
at him. “Like time travel?”

“Something
like that.”

“Scary
shit.”

Jonas grinned.
“Big time!”

“Okay, bro,
but you need to get me detail. First I need the world where this
layering took place - each world has done different things over
time, get it? Then I need at least a representation of the layers,
a drawing of thickness, colours, and I need to know which layer is
the marker …”

“Marker?”

“Well, the
bottom layer could be
x
years old, the top around
y
.
Between lies millions of years. If you guys try to time travel or
seek a specific period, which layers tells what? You say images,
right? So, which layer stood out more than others? That’s the
marker … if it works that way in the stuff you do.”

“I will have
to ask him.”

“And, Jonas,
this isn’t an exact science. I cannot pin it down to a specific
year. All I can give you is a period and that can be a thousand
years or many millions. Tell him that when you ask.”

“Crap.”

Minos grinned.
“Thank the gods I’m my own boss.”

“Yes, fine,
don’t get too clever. I will have to go back to the Dome for
this.”

“Do that. In
the meanwhile I’ll commence generic research. Go, go, I need to get
to work.”

Jonas stood a
while longer, watching with affection as Minos started pulling
massive books from a recessed cupboard somewhere in the dark behind
the bins.

“I will be
back soon.”

Minos flicked
a grin. “I know. Go.”

The Dome

Belun worked
furiously.

In humanoid
guise, which he could maintain indefinitely, he paced and bent
before the marble slab. Papers lay scattered before him, each with
a drawing and major calculus. He had never been asked to take the
Dome through atmosphere and the math behind the parameters was
incredible. He could not afford the tiniest margin of error.

When Jonas
chimed in he wanted to murder him. “Man, you interrupted me!”

Jonas came to
a standstill and saw what was going on. “I need to find
Elixir.”

“He said one
week, idiot.”

“No, I need
detail from him now or I give him zero in a week.”

Belun slapped
his pencil down and stretched long. Then, “He’s in Grinwallin.”

Jonas nodded.
“Is it all right for me to go there?”

“I don’t see
why not. Go; head for the portico.”

Jonas nodded
and left.

Belun returned
to his figures.

Grinwallin

It was dark
when Jonas arrived in Grinwallin.

The Senlu
guards bristled at the sight of a stranger and spears levelled.
Fortunately Torrullin and Teighlar were at that moment ascending
the final tier to the portico.

“Jonas?”
Torrullin called out.

“I need to
speak to you, my Lord.”

Teighlar made
a gesture and the guards retreated. “Kaval?”

“Yes. Give me
a moment.”

Teighlar
shrugged and moved on past the man. Jonas, to his credit, bowed low
to the Emperor; Teighlar smiled, nodded and went on.

“What is it?”
Torrullin came to a halt.

“My Lord, I
have conferred with my brother …”

Torrullin
smiled.

Jonas dipped
his head. “Thank you.”

“What does
your brother need?”

“The world
where you encountered the rock, and a drawing of the layers. He
said something about thickness and colour. And, he told me he
cannot give an exact year, only the period … oh, and he requires a
marker layer.”

Torrullin
raised his brows.

“I am sorry,
my Lord, that is what he said.”

“I understand
his concerns.”

Jonas
subsided, and waited.

Torrullin
rubbed at his temples and then, “Come with me.”

He led the way
into the Great Hall and headed to the library arch left.

Teighlar
watched them go and asked that a light meal be prepared for two -
the missing dinner - which they could take with them into the
mountain.