Goddess of the Moon (Young Ancients: Tiera) (14 page)

Tiera
had signed things past the time that her hand started cramping, not taking a
lot of breaks. She worked as hard as she could to absorb the information that
came from her advisor the whole time, and didn't let any of it go, but knew
that she didn't really have all the needed information for all of it to make
perfect sense yet.

Still,
they were able to leave by one-thirty, with Trice doing the piloting, and were in
Two Bends all of half an hour later, even if it was about halfway across the
Kingdom. The craft hadn't been made huge, since they had limited landing
options, and since there was already a craft sitting behind the new family
home, they had to make it even smaller.

Tiera
stared at the curious contraption, which was easily as large as two good sized
wagons in length, all sky blue with a covered front. It also floated above the
ground by about three feet. It looked pretty funny, but there was something
about it that Tiera really liked at the same time. It was clear that the
vehicle wasn't meant to impress anyone's friends or even get people to think
you were wealthy. The design screamed
usefulness
though, when she
examined it after getting out. Timon walked up and touched the side, and nodded
once.

"Tam
did it. We should get her to take us all for a ride later, if we have time.
After Terry gets done with his beatings, I mean." There was no energy to
the words, but it just sounded a bit blank. Not like he was really teasing at
all.

None
of the adults mentioned it, but the second girl, the one that wasn't Maggie,
grimaced and moved to hold her little brother's hand. It was close to being
inappropriate for Two Bends, but they were away from the street, so it would
probably be all right.

"Do
you want us to go with you, Terry? That boy keeps saying that your parents will
beat you. If we work together we can stop them." She clearly meant to be
kind, but Terry shook his head.

Ali
however moved over and patted the young lady on the back.

"Of
course, we'll all go in. We can't stop his parents from beating him, but they
aren't normally like that, so it should be safe. If they do... Well, he'll have
to take it. His mother is a Conserina First, and the only person that can overrule
her here, in her own County, is the Count. Even the King would have to send the
army to undo his word, but Terry's mother is second that way." It made the
whole thing sound dismal. Like the end of the world was about to come for the
poor boy.

It
didn't.

The
first person they ran into was Tess, who happened to walk out the kitchen door
at the back of the house, for some unknown reason. She blinked at everyone,
then squealed happily and started running around hugging people. There wasn't a
whole lot of organization in it, so she missed who all was there, and ended up
hugging Havar and Kolb too, not realizing they weren't family members or
anything.

Neither
reacted particularly, except to pat the little girl on the back. She was nine
however, which meant that she had to be careful about that kind of thing, Tiera
decided. In Two Bends it was slatternly forward, and to the nobles it was, at
least possibly, an
invitation
. She'd mention that later, if they got
time.

That
didn't seem to be the case immediately, since half a dozen servants came out to
see what was going on, and the butler smiled and moved back inside rapidly,
without
asking them all in. He didn't seem all that strained or anything, but came back
about five minutes later with Douglas Baker in tow. He looked...

Sort
of worn, Tiera noticed. Tired. His eyes ranged over the people arrayed before
them and he slapped a professional smile on his face, as if this kind of thing
was normal. He looked at the children too, but noticed Terry right off, and
walked over to him rapidly.

It
was almost funny, in a life threatening way. As he approached the boy, who had
his eyes firmly down on the ground, looking so guilty that everyone watching
probably assumed he was about to be beaten in truth, their father teared up a
little and smiled. He didn't miss the fact that nine other children all
suddenly had what might well be magical weapon in their hands, but he ignored
it and picked his youngest son up in a hug.

"S'Terry!"
Tiera had never seen her father cry about anything before. Not death, or
hardship, at any rate. His son coming back, alive, seemed to do the trick
though. Some of the people watching got a little moist eyed too. Not the
orphans, who all seemed sad and happy for their friend at the same time, but
the rest of them.

After
a hug that lasted long enough people were getting bored, her pa set his son
down and took a very deep breath.

"Where
have you been, boy? Your ma was nearly beside herself for months."

The
tale of his adventures started to be told, but there was a cascade of people
running at him, which stopped that from happening, including, after only a bit
longer, their mother. She looked fierce enough that the kids turned their
weapons on her, rather than Douglas.

The
difference there was that she didn't seem to notice it at all.

"Terry!
Oh!" The thing there was that despite how her face looked, she sounded
just fine. Happy even. It was enough that most of the heavy arms went away. Not
all of them, but only a few of the kids were actively ready to fight at that
point.

It
was a nice enough scene, but once they had the idea that everyone was happy to
have the kid returned, it was sort of important for them to see to the social
aspects of things. That meant providing a place to sit, and refreshments. Or at
least Tiera figured that to be the case. So, thankfully, did Conrow, the butler
there. It was so close to the name of her own butler that she wondered at it
for a bit, but let it go. It was a good name for the position, and for all she
knew, the kind of thing that parents in that line of work named their kids.

The
next hour or so was hectic and boring at the same time. The Lairdgren Group was
entertained, sort of, by Taman, who wanted to share all her new work and
clapped happily when showed theirs. Tess gave everyone baked goods, and Tara,
who was still seven, kept staring at Timon and her. Finally she just walked up
and pointed. Rudely.

"How
did you both get so tall? Can
I
be tall too?" There was a confused
air to it, as if she knew that it wasn't
right
, but still wanted in on
it.

Timon
looked at her for a second and then shrugged.

"If
you want. I can do that now. You can be longer lived too,
if
you want.
Make your choice soon though, because I probably won't be allowed to do it
anymore once the rules of the Ancients go back into effect." That
information got the Lairdgren Group over almost instantly.

It
was Farlo that stared though.

"You
can make people immortal? Is that what you're saying?
How
?"

That
started a long conversation about the process, and got Tara and Tess to both
volunteer to sit for it, so he could demonstrate the technique. Sam watched so
closely it was almost scary, and the others went between that and looking at
each other. None of the grownups noticed it at all. They'd moved into another
room when they started working.

Ali
however kept making a face, even though the work took hours. In the end she
seemed miserable though, which Tiera didn't understand at all.

"Is
everything all right"" She touched her arm lightly enough that it
might have been considered flirtation, but the other girl just seemed sad.

"I
can't do that, can I? I've never seen
anyone
do work on that level
before. We all try really hard, but that... It's almost like Tim wasn't even
there while he worked anymore. I can't really explain it, but... I guess we're
all stuck, aren't we? The Group, I mean. Sam, can you do that? Guide?" It
was funny but the others were left out and no one seemed to mind too much that
it was the case. They knew who the best builders were, short of Tor. And
clearly, Timon too, now.

The
two younger men looked at her and Guide finally explained.

"I
really don't think so. That isn't just saying that we need more practice, I
just don't think that it will be possible for us. It's like... Tim is special
that way. It's a shame, because I wouldn't mind being a few inches taller
myself." This got said to Tara, who shrugged cutely.

"Timon
will do it for you. Make it so you grow big. Right?" There was a bit of
hands on hip action then and the little girl stood and leaned in a bit, tapping
her foot at her older brother. Tess seemed to understand that it might not be
that simple, at least, and seemed a bit scared.

Timon...

He
sounded odd when he spoke.

"I
was going to ask if you all wanted to. I won't claim it's perfect, being like
Tiera or Tor is, but you all have to be a lot tougher if we're going to make
it. Humanity I mean. A big part of what's going to be needed is coming from
you, the ones here in this room. I can do it, if you want. You'll be tall,
strong and fast, live longer and not age. I can even make you better looking,
Sam. If you want, I mean." The last bit had a gleam to it, Tim's eyes
shining. "I can't say it isn't dangerous though. I figure that we can do
up about twenty people without the Immortals on our side having us all put to
death for it. It would be best to keep it a secret for a while too. A few
hundred years, if you can pull it off?"

It
took a bit, and they had to stop for supper about then, but everyone wanted to
do it. All the builders at least. If only for the chance that it would let them
be like Timon, or Tor.

Tiera
felt a strange pang, and realized what it was, her breath catching in her
throat when she understood it. She didn't want them all to be like that,
because it would make her a little less special. More normal. As if being one
of a few hundred people like her was less important than a few hundred plus
twenty
?
How shallow was that?

After
a bit, at dinner, she realized that she was a horrible person for even thinking
that way. These were all good people. Not perfect ones, true, but kind and hard
working. Even smart. Them being made more intelligent wouldn't hurt her though,
would it? True, she might be a bit less by comparison, but so what? Shouldn't
they have the same chance in life she was getting?

So,
after the meal, she watched as Timon worked all night long, doing in hours each,
things that would have taken her months or longer, if she could make it happen
at all. When morning came, she had to do something she didn't really know
how
to do, and went to the bakery to try and set it all up.

Her
father was there, getting the early bread going himself, even though they had
hired assistants now. He worked merrily enough, not smiling, but clearly happy
with what he was doing, going by rote from one part of the brick and wood room
to another easily, without missing a step. He nearly flowed through it, from
years of repetition.

"Da?"
She heard her own voice, and it sounded young and a little scared. Enough so
that she thought something very bad was going to happen. She went on anyway,
because no matter what it sounded like, Tiera Baker didn't feel fear. Not at
all. "Tim... He's worked out how to make people immortal. We can't do
everyone in the world. He figures that he can do twenty or so, before the other
Ancients slap us all down for it. Terry, Tess and Tara have had it done
already. All the Lairdgren Group too. The ones here, I mean, which isn't all of
them. It's your turn now. I'll watch the bakery for you. It will take a few
hours. He's in the main parlor, in back?"

For
the life of her she figured that her down to Earth father was going to pull
some kind of homey, and ultimately stupid and painful, trick and beg off of the
idea, but he just asked questions for a while instead, finally coming to one
that she never would have thought of at all.

"Ah,
can I also get that trick of making myself look younger? I feel like a cradle
robber, to tell the truth, what with your ma looking so young now all the time.
She deserves better than
this
for all of time." There was a wave at
his face, but Tiera shrugged. He was nice enough looking that no one had ever
mentioned ma looking too young for him that Tiera had ever heard about.

"I
think so? Ask Tim. It seems like it should work. It might take time to kick in,
but remember to hide all this. Especially from the Ancients. Now, go do that.
I'll work in here. After all, how many times do you get an opportunity like
this in life? Three? Four?"

The
man went. He didn't even pretend to not want a longer life. That meant he was
pretty happy, didn't it? Or at least that he had hope for the future. No one
would want that kind of thing if everything was horrible for them, would they?
Not in any way that seemed eager, she was willing to bet.

A
weight that she hadn't even known was there lifted from her then and Tiera
stood a little taller as she moved around the room, doing all the old and
familiar chores. Her father wasn't going to die. Or, well, he would, since
everything did, no matter what words they threw around. It wouldn't be in a few
years though, and she wouldn't have to watch him get old and fall apart over
time. She hadn't thought about it a lot before, but she realized that had to do
with her trying to deny it was possible. Before, it had been something that
simply would happen. Everyone around her would die, except a tiny handful. Now,
well, there would be more, wouldn't there?