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Authors: Julie E. Czerneda

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Chapter 59

B
ARAC
REACHED ME FIRST
, hands on my shoulders. “That wasâ” he shook his head, my cousin for once without words.

Destin nodded. “Agreed.” She looked around the room. “We're here,” with a certain wonder.

Which was what mattered. I sent
reassurance.

Easy to give, when you'd no idea what you were doing.

Is that so?
Aryl felt as though she was making herself comfortable.
I for one am in favor of seeing this thing fly. A much more civilized way to travel.

As if she had reason to fear another long 'port.
I won't risk you, Great-grandmother.

Unlike the others in your care, Sira, I've lived my life. Whatever happens, remember that.

Whatever happened was going to be now and in front of everyone, the Om'ray and M'hiray having gatheredâas I should have realizedâtogether in the chamber. All talking at once.

I stepped up on the nearest bed, getting my balance. No one noticed. I readied myself to
reach
to all of them. “Weâ”

The word filled the immense room, turning heads and silencing conversation.

Well now. Being Keeper had some advantages. “We don't have much time before the Oud finish reshaping Sona,” I said bluntly.
“We can't stay here. I see two choices: Vyna's one. They believe they'll survive. Maybe they will, but I don't trust them.”

Angry nods.
Agreement.

“The other is to leave Cersi. Those of you who've just arrivedâI ask you to accept that we can travel the same way, much farther. Where, is the question. It's one we thought we'd resolved by coming here.”

“There's no going back,” Tle said, her voice loud enough to be heard. She looked around at the others. “The Trade Pact's too far for most of us. The passage we used to reach here leads to a trapâor solid rock.”

“It's all been for nothing.” Degal sank on the nearest bed, head in his hands. I felt
despondence
spread; knew their
anguish.

“It's been for this.” I
reached
out, dropping my shields, letting them feel my
love
and
determination.
“We are the answer our ancestors wanted so desperately to find.” I
pulled
them into the M'hir with me, floating in that darknessÂ .Â .Â .

. . . becoming light. Morgan's, nearest and warmest. Flickers steadied as those new here found their courage. Glows marked those sure of their place. We saw one another and were gladÂ .Â .Â .

. . . we couldn't stay long. I felt the
interest
of Watchers, but they were not what sought.
SONA!

>Keeper. What is your will?<

To go home.

Interlude

T
HE
EARTH BECAME AN OCEAN
and the great rastis and nekis, able to bend to the M'hir Wind, fell like twigs to float away and drown. Buttress roots snapped and clawed at air, spinning helplessly before being dragged under. What lived above ground tried to flee, only to be sucked down and smothered.

Worker Oud continued to dig, appendages smoothing rough walls. Others swept aside the unpleasant leavings of the surface, conveying those deeper, to where iglies waited to scavenge this bounty. These Oud were incapable of imagination; those who could dream rejoiced in a clean new Cersi. Best.

The reshaping Oud reached Sona's Cloisters, moved along the metal-taste, opening space, conveying dirt. They weren't to stop until they'd brought this splinter to the greater depths.

The ground vibrated.

Every Worker went still.

The vibration deepened.

Every Worker crouched, tucking its appendages safely inside flesh. It was necessary to pause and wait for the rumble to end before digging resumed. Until secured with beam or body, tunnels collapsed. The Oud were wise in the ways of the earth.

But the rumble grew stronger and louder. Tunnels did collapse, then the ground above them, then the surface fell away.

Safely crouched, thoroughly buried, the Worker Oud didn't see the proud tapered starship shake free. Didn't see it rise into the sky above Cersi and disappear.

A Tikitik did, with all four eyes.

It barked its laugh, before heading out to sea.

The Om'rays' great experiment had concluded. The Makers received the notification signal, so long overdue, and sent out the required response.

Not “restart.”

“End.”

Those Cloisters still asleep answered. Those buried in the earth ignited, ending the lives of innumerable safe and oblivious Worker Oud along with the dreams of their brethren.

That of the Vyna summoned its Om'ray and prepared to take them home. Tarerea Vyna stood with her sisters, their shock turning to triumph. Their virtue was rewarded. The Pure had been Chosen!

Until arms made of darkness and stars took hold, and a voice like the M'hir itself saidâ

/
ours/

Epilogue

“H
OW
FAST ARE WE GOING?”

Morgan cracked open an eyelid. “Fast.”

I poked him under the ribs. “Can't you tell?”

“No more than you can tell me where we're going.”

He had a point there.

The streaks of color that should be stars weren't necessary to know we were moving. We could
feel
the great starship leap through space. Not through the M'hir, which had surprised us all.

But using the M'hir. The small rooms I'd thought prison cells were filled now with that darkness. We'd
pulled
it into place, the ship guiding us, then stood back in wonder as the panels along the corridor had come to life, color streaming the walls between. Color that
beat
like a giant heart.

Hoveny tech. Our heritage. How strange and wonderful to have one. Our scientists could hardly sleep.

I was ready to sleep the entire way. That and eat. Holl was still exploring the storerooms below. The ship had been ready.

I propped my elbows on Morgan's chest and peered into his face. “We're going somewhere,” I assured him, kissing his nose. “That's what matters.”

Morgan buried his fingers in my hair, cupping my head. “No.”
He looked up at me, the blue of his remarkable eyes the most beautiful color of all. “It's going there together.”

Our lips met, our hearts joined, and I gave my full agreement to what happened next.

My Human being right, as usual.