Soarers Choice (58 page)

“I
haven’t noticed that. Not yet, anyway. I’ll watch for it, though, as I get
nearer to term. If need be, I’ll have meetings and see people in the quarters.”

“Good
thought.” Dainyl cleared his throat, trying not to shiver.

“You
can close the window partway, dearest.”

“I’m
all right.”

“I’m
not so hot as I was.”

Dainyl
eased the window up a third of the way, ignoring his wife’s smile. As the coach
neared the center of Dereka, he tried to get a better feel for the small city.
It was as though a darkness lay beneath it. Not the darkness of horror or evil,
but more the darkness that underlay the translation tubes... yet... it wasn’t
quite the same.

“You
have that look. What are you thinking?”

“There’s
more here than meets the eye, or even Talent.”

She
nodded. “I’ve felt that as well, and it’s not just the Talent-dead areas. It’s
like a presence ... someone or something that departed, and yet hasn’t.”

Was
that it? Dainyl wasn’t certain, but he didn’t have a better description.

Once
they had passed the RA’s complex heading south, to the west Dainyl saw the next
walled enclosure and the two-story structures within. “Have you visited the
engineers?”

“Once.
Thuvryn was polite, but little else.”

“Thuvryn?
Is he related to — “

“He’s
Ruvryn’s nephew, and even less pleasant than his uncle.”

“So
far, I’ve found Ruvryn to be less unpleasant than Alseryl. I met with Alseryl
yesterday, and he was thoroughly unpleasant. He’s also allied with Ruvryn.”

“That
doesn’t surprise me. A hungry grass snake has more sense and ethics.”

“Matters
could come to a head this week. Noryan should finally receive my orders to
bring Third and Fourth Companies here to Dereka.”

“Will
he do it? Will Brekylt let him?”

“That’s
what we’ll find out.”

“Does
Khelaryt know?”

“I
never mentioned it to him, and he never asked directly.”

“That’s
probably for the best, since only you and Chembryt truly support him. What will
you do if Noryan refuses?”

“I
don’t know that I can do anything, except tell Khelaryt. I thought it would be
best to see if I could remove the Myrmidons from the east before Brekylt made
an open break. If it doesn’t work, we’re no worse off than we are now.”

“Until
Samist and Brekylt order them against you.”

“They
might not. I don’t think any of us want Myrmidon to fight Myrmidon.”

“That
would mean that Brekylt will have neutralized the Myrmidons, and Khelaryt will
lose.”

Left
unsaid was the implication that Dainyl would also lose.

“I
can hope we don’t have to fight, but... you’re right.”

She
nodded sadly.

Neither
spoke as the coach carried them along the yellowstone road that had replaced
the boulevard once they had left the houses and buildings behind, since the
Myrmidon compound was almost a full vingt south of Dereka.

“It
looks almost forlorn out here,” observed Lystrana. “Today, especially. Gray
walls, gray buildings, gray skies...”

“Maybe
that’s why the ancients left.”

“I
don’t think so ... but I doubt that we’ll ever know that.”

Dainyl
couldn’t help but agree. Yet there was something deeper about Dereka, and that
bothered him, especially since he’d been the one to maneuver Lystrana into
becoming RA. He hoped he didn’t regret it.

After
an early breakfast with Lystrana on Londi, Dainyl used her coach to travel the
short distance to the recorder’s building in Dereka. He would arrive in Elcien
a good glass earlier than usual, but he could not help being apprehensive and
wanting to be in the Hall of Justice, for all that he knew Noryan would likely
not receive his orders until later in the day and decide well after that — if
the orders reached him at all.

For
the first time since Dainyl could remember, Jonyst was not the one on duty in
the Dereka Table chamber. Instead, a stocky alectress with violet eyes — but
black wavy hair — stood there with a welcoming smile. Behind her were four
guards, but after they took in his purple-trimmed greens, their eyes and
concentration turned away.

“Good
morning, Highest.”

“Good
morning. You must be Whelyne. Are the Tables operating as they should be?”

“At
the moment, yes, sir.”

“Have
you been seeing greater or fewer wild translations? Or unauthorized ones?”

“The
unauthorized ones have dropped off to almost nothing, sir. Wild translations
are fewer, but not by that much.”

“I
see.” He nodded. “Thank you.” That confirmed for him that the Archon had
clamped down on Table access, and that the majority of wild translations were
authorized but undertaken by those without sufficient Talent control to reach
Acorus safely. Then, it could be as simple as the fact that few alectors with
Talent and knowledge enough to try the Tables were left on Ifryn.

He
stepped up onto the Table and concentrated, sliding down through the silvered
surface.

The
translation tube was more like being in a purple-shaded early twilight than the
near-total darkness he recalled from his first translations from Lyterna, less
than a year before. Around him, in the mild chill, he could sense an
intermittent streak of purple, and then another. The looming presence of
amber-green energy was stronger and more distant, a combination that unsettled
him.

He
concentrated on the white locator that was Elcien, and extended a Talent probe,
trying to ignore the fact that it was more green than purple in the translation
tube. Before he could fully finish that thought, he was flashing through the
white-silver barrier and...

...
standing on the Elcien Table, his shields strong and firm. Chastyl stood in one
corner of the chamber. “Sir.”

“Good
morning, Recorder.” Dainyl stepped off the Table. “Are you still getting wild
translations from Ifryn?”

“Yes,
sir.”

“How
many compared to a few weeks ago?”

“It’s
hard to say, sir ...”

Dainyl
looked hard at the recorder.

“A
few less.”

“And
how many authorized translations?”

“None,
sir ... except some of the wild ones. One had a document. It looked genuine.”

Dainyl
smiled and projected both warmth and reassurance. “Thank you, Chastyl. I
appreciate your keeping track of those.”

On
his way down the corridor to the small private study, he paused at the open
door to Adya’s even smaller space and peered in.

The
chief assistant bolted to her feet. “Sir, you’re here early this morning.”

“There’s
quite a bit to do.” He offered a smile. “Adya ... I’d like to see any
dispatches or messages dealing with Alustre or the Myrmidons — immediately.”

“Yes,
sir. I haven’t seen any this morning yet.”

“Whenever
you do, bring them immediately.”

Adya
nodded.

Dainyl
was grateful that he did not have to receive petitions again until Duadi. He
could use the time to get a better grasp on the Justice operations. So far he’d
found little beyond intimations that Zelyert had been maintaining
communications with the High Alectors under Samist. Still, the fact that
Zelyert had quietly pressed Dainyl to reveal the fact that the Master Scepter
would be going to Efra suggested that Zelyert had truly wanted Khelaryt’s shadowmatch,
and his artificially enhanced Talent, removed. In hindsight, it was equally
likely that Zelyert had not expected Dainyl to survive that revelation.

Once
in his study, he began to look through the older ledgers. He had not found
anything more than suggestive when Alcyna arrived, slightly past midmorning.

She
stepped into the small study, closed the door, and inclined her head in
respect. “I thought you’d like to know that the guards were transferred
successfully to Blackstear, and that all of First Company’s squads are now at
headquarters — except for the dispatch fliers, of course.”

“That’s
good to know. Thank you.” Dainyl gestured to the chairs.

“We
have another problem, and it’s one for the High Alector.” Alcyna seated
herself.

Dainyl
didn’t like that at all. “Which is?”

“Majer
Sevasya sent a message noting that she is not receiving equipment and resupply
either by sandox or by ship. Currently, the situation is not critical, but she
felt I should know and requested I inform you.”

Sevasya
had to have learned of his elevation to High Alector through the Tables — and
that probably meant from Delari or her father. Dainyl looked across the study
table at Alcyna.

“How
soon do you think we’ll know about Noryan?”

“Not
until Tridi at the earliest.”

“I’ll
have to suggest that Alseryl include a special shipment on the next of the
Duarches’ vessels to make the south run to the west. We may even have to supply
Myrmidon guards.”

“Do
you think that’s their purpose ... to weaken us more by diluting our forces?”

“It
could be, but we could half the time required for the Myrmidons we send.”

“By
flying a messenger the last legs? They’d be over the east.”

“They
could stop in small towns where there aren’t any alectors, or few of them.”

She
nodded. “Let me see what I can work out.”

“I’ll
bring it up before the Duarch when we meet tomorrow. Alseryl will try to find a
way out, but if I’m firm, he’ll have to agree, because he won’t want to openly
defy Khelaryt.”

“That
doesn’t mean it will happen.”

“No.
But it means that if he disobeys the Duarch or stalls and delays too much, I
can act. Then, that might be what they want, as another example of Khelaryt
being unreasonable, or having unreasonable High Alectors.”

“He’ll
stall and try to have Ruvryn or one of the others remove you in the meantime.”

“That’s
likely. I’d be surprised if anything happened immediately.”

She
nodded slowly. “But when it does ...”

“We’ll
need to be ready.” Dainyl offered a smile he wasn’t certain he felt. “Is there
anything else?”

“We
did receive a report from Cadmian Colonel Herolt, noting ‘great damage’ to the
ironworks in Iron Stem. The remnants of Fifth Battalion are regrouping in
Northa, but the colonel pleads difficulty in recruiting to bring the battalion
up to full strength. The Sixth Battalion in Soupat is having much greater
success, and casualties are now minimal — “

“Does
that suggest something?” asked Dainyl.

“Unfortunately,
it does.” Alcyna’s words were dry.

“Perhaps
you should visit the colonel. I question whether he might be partly shadowmatched.”

“If
he is, then what?”

“Can
you remove it?”

“If
it’s not one of the complex ones.”

“If
it is, let me know. What about Seventh Company? Do we have any reports from
Second Company?”

“Captain
Lyzetta has managed to obtain two replacement pteridons from Lyterna, which
brings her closer to full strength.”

Dainyl
wondered how she had managed that, since he’d been told earlier that Captain
Elysara had been under orders from Asulet not to release any of the pteridons
sealed in timeless sleep in Lyterna.

“I
understand that Lyzetta once served under Elysara,” volunteered Alcyna.

“That
might explain a few things.” But only a few, since Elysara would still have to
have gotten permission from Asulet, and the de facto Duarch of Lyterna had very
firm ideas.

Dainyl
frowned. He needed to visit Asulet, and he should have done so earlier. He
could use the Table after Alcyna left. “Second Company?”

“As
always, all is well with Second Company, except that they’re useless save for
carrying dispatches.”

“And
as a personal guard for the Duarch Samist,” noted Dainyl. “What about Majer
Sevasya? Have we heard anything about how she is handling Josaryk?”

“No.
Not yet.” Alcyna’s words were guarded.

“I
take it that Josaryk doesn’t care much for the majer.”

“They
have a different view of the world. Sevasya is older than you are, you know?”

Dainyl
hadn’t known, but it didn’t surprise him. “Is it fair to say that Captain
Josaryk is somewhat more impressed with himself than he should be?”

Alcyna
laughed. “Noryan was always telling him not to take himself so seriously.” The
laughter vanished. “That was hard when Brekylt invited him to sail on the sound
with him.”

“So
Josaryk is on friendly terms with the Alector of the East.”

“He
thinks so.”

Dainyl
understood. Josaryk might pose as great a problem as Noryan. “Is there anything
else I should know, or any questions you have?”

“Is
there any hint about when the Archon might act?”

Dainyl
shook his head. “I can’t believe it will be that long, but I’ve thought that
for weeks.” He stood.

So
did Alcyna.

After
she left, Dainyl made his way to the Table chamber.

Diordyn
glanced at the High Alector.

“You
can tell Chastyl I’m going to Lyterna. I might be back in a glass.” Dainyl
stepped up onto the Table, then concentrated, feeling himself drop through the
silvered surface and ...

...
into the purplish half-light of the translation tunnel. A purpled explosion
flashed past him, so close that he could sense the death-agony. In the blackish
green that underlay the tube, streaks of amber-green flashed, far more than he
had ever sensed.

He
extended a Talent probe to the pink of Lyterna, and almost as soon as he was
linked, he was through the silvered-pink barrier.

Myenfel
looked up from where he stood beside the outer door to the Table chamber.
“Highest... what a surprise!”

As
he stepped off the Table, Dainyl could sense that while the six guards — all
older alectors and alectresses with hair either pure white or black streaked
with white — might have been surprised, the recorder was not, although he did
appear pleased. “Matters have been rather confused in Elcien, and I came to pay
my respects to Asulet as soon as I could.”