The Echolone Mine (7 page)

Torrullin
placed his hands at Elianas’ neck and rested forehead to forehead
with him. “I have done terrible things, my brother, but this?
Surely I am not capable of this punishment?”

Elianas
touched Torrullin’s cheek. “I do not see it, no.”

They moved
apart and paced more.

“So what is
this?” Torrullin wondered. “A time fold missed by the Void?”

“Impossible.”

“A product of
the net? It began here, after all.”

“Cassiopin
would thoroughly check the influences.”

“Even so;
magic was untamed then.”

“It’s not the
net.”

Torrullin came
to rest, staring over the moonlit plain.

Elianas joined
him. “Nemisin showed me a letter once. You wrote it. Remember that
time you caused the skin disease because Nemisin would not send
healers into the outer rim? You scared him - hell, you scared me.
The letter told him, how we feel and act and perceive is the
creation all around us, or that was the question you asked. He took
it to mean it was in his imagination, and by morning the disease
had vanished.”

“I
remember.”

“My point is
this. On the list Saska showed us there are many wronged souls.
Some by me, others by you, yet others by both of us, and even a
fair few by Nemisin himself. Guilt, my brother, tricks the
imagination.”

“You suggest
we imagine the situation?”

“I suggest we
may have imagined an opportunity to ask forgiveness. Your power
acts independent of you sometimes; is it likely this may be long,
long ago imagination?”

Silence and
then, “It is possible.”

“And
real.”

“And
selfish.”

“How so?”
Elianas frowned.

“It was not
meant as punishment then; it was a selfish desire, so selfish, it
placed hundreds in stasis. If this had not happened, however it
came to be, they, including Cassiopin, would be beyond in other
realms. Banishing them immediately merely completes their
cycles.”

“I have
thought of that, yes. She is bound for the netherworld, Torrullin,
and she does not deserve it.”

“She killed
herself.”

“And why did
she do so?” Elianas paced away. “Valen and his unit deserve life,
as do some of the nobles interred there. Nemisin could be put on
trial, not sent on his merry way. How dare I single one out?”

Torrullin
said, “I have never made exceptions. Kalgaia died, one and all. The
Three Voices felled a whole battlefield. Elixir murdered Valleur,
Valarian and draithen in one foul feat. And ever after I regret not
taking that single moment to save a child, the stupid man who did
not know why he fought, the woman caught in the wrong place at the
wrong time.”

He approached
Elianas on cat’s feet and placed his hands on either side of his
face.

“If you want
Cassiopin to have a second chance, a chance at Aaru or another
realm where the sun will shine for her, then we do it. We single
her out and no regrets.”

Elianas rested
his head on Torrullin’s shoulder. “I do not know what to do.”

“Saska will
listen for us and hopefully give insight. You do not have to decide
now.”

Elianas
retreated. “Four years bypassed us recently, courtesy of the Void.
It has been an actual count of forty days for me, if one counts
hours. A lifetime, Torrullin. Difference has translated into a
lifetime, and the ages between are now like a dream.”

We are made
for opposites. We are part of the multiverse, after all, and it
cannot function without action and reaction.

Book of
Sages

Akhavar

T
he sun was rising when Saska entered the Chamber of
Biers.

She opened her
mind to the messages and stood near Nemisin’s tomb for three hours.
She was unmoving, soundless, while Torrullin, Elianas and Lowen
paced outside glancing through the arch at her. Lowen kept curious
Valleur at bay, and the word soon spread that something strange
happened around the chamber.

Then Saska
moved, and the three froze.

She was slow,
stiff, her skin wet and like alabaster. She made it to the exit and
stepped through. Her eyes were empty, and she could barely
speak.

“Put me into a
deep sleep.”

Her knees
buckled and Torrullin caught her, lifted and carried her back to
her quarters, where he gifted her the period of oblivion and then
left her to wake naturally.

Her
unconscious would achieve greater result than a confused, active
mind.

Saska found
them in a private courtyard.

Wine on the
table, food, candles. She was struck by how still they were. Nobody
appeared to have touched either food or wine.

She stepped
over the flowing canal. “Seal it.”

Torrullin
paled and waved a hand to seal them in. Privacy was assured.

Saska neared
and he rose to pull a chair out. She sat, murmuring her thanks. Her
hands shook visibly as she reached for the wine.

“Let me,”
Torrullin said, and poured for her. He hesitated a moment and then
filled three more glasses.

Saska drank
and chose something sweet from the array on the table and chewed
slowly. She needed the energy.

“Saska, allow
me …”

“I need to fix
myself.”

Torrullin
lifted his glass and drank, eyes on her. Lowen ignored hers, her
hands hidden beneath the table. Elianas knocked his wine back in
one gulp and refilled his glass.

“I was wrong,”
Saska began, and then drank more. Swallowing and swallowing again,
she drew breath. “I am fine now. I was wrong. It wasn’t you who did
this.”

Torrullin’s
hand shook as he drank more, and Elianas again tossed his drink
back.

“It was
Nemisin.”

Saska put her
glass down and folded her hands on her lap.

“All those who
were involved with the Throne’s creation are with him, all those
who might have seen Neolone meld with him, and all those who
planned the massacre on Orb. As he was dying he began to see how
far his fear of you forced him into those three pivotal decisions
and, in spite, he delayed his ultimate death, keeping with him
those involved. But know this, he also started planning the Chamber
of Biers long before his realisation. He intended from the outset
of this mountain city to have at his fingertips the means to best
you sometime, somewhere.

“He hates that
he feared you; he fears you still. Valen remonstrated with Nemisin
on his deathbed and thus was Valen hooked into this scheme, along
with his entire unit. And, of course, Cassiopin is there to drive
Elianas mad. However, it isn’t merely spite and anger that caused
this, nor is it fear, whether complicated or simple.

“Nemisin
carried guilt such as only you would understand, Torrullin, and
possibly you, Elianas. He has not seen what has become of the
universe. He believes he wronged the Valleur. He believes he
wronged all sentience. In his heart of hearts, Nemisin wanted to do
right by his people and thinks he failed. That is his guilt.”

Torrullin
poured more wine, saying nothing. The other two followed his
lead.

Saska went on.
“Having said that, the time has been long and matters are more
complicated now. Guilt remains, fear is muted, and anger is
uppermost. Nemisin is pissed off, to put it simply.”

She looked at
Torrullin. “With you, yes, but mostly with Neolone. The Dragon
bound him to the bier. Torrullin, he meant to arise around the time
the One came into his own and he meant to prevent the passing of
the gift across time. The Nemisin you met then was the Nemisin of a
long ago time, a Nemisin who came forward to meet you. You told me
once he was indistinct … and you were to him. He did not see you
clearly enough to know you, and you had not your memory then. All
thus transpired smoothly and according to prophecy.

“But the
Nemisin you were meant to meet was the one in the bier, and he
wanted to take your place. He wanted to be the One. He thought to
make his Valleur glorious again, rebuild his empire, prove to all,
including himself, he was not the monster he believes he is. But
Neolone, clever, far-seeing Neolone, scratched on his bier and
bound him, effectively halting ambition. It bound the rest with
him, unfortunately.”

She paused
there and took a few breaths.

And faced
Elianas.

“Cassiopin
told him about her project and he used it to his own ends. She
wanted you to see her, the unloved wife, the mother struggling to
keep her family together and failing, and, yes, there was a measure
of revenge in the desire. Still, her net was not meant to punish
anyone except you; it was meant to do good, and has. Her father saw
in her project a way to reach Torrullin.”

Saska swung
her gaze that way. “Heart of Darkness was his imagination, used by
successive Ladies to renew life, and left for you to find. You are
the failsafe. He failed to leave his bier to take your place, which
he did not foresee, but he wasn’t stupid and didn’t rely on only
one method of exit.”

She looked
away. Her gaze grazed over Lowen and moved on to the tree in the
courtyard.

“It’s crazy in
there. Everyone has felt you and the Heart and they want out. They
desperately want out.”

Silence.

Torrullin
asked, “Is there more?”

She nodded.
“Those who were delayed over Neolone’s symbiosis know exactly
nothing of said symbiosis, or did not until Nemisin trapped them
with him. There are six and they desire only to move onto another
realm. Valen and his unit want nothing to do with this time; they
would not fit. The Throne’s creators believe they are innocent of
ill deed and want to see Nemisin pay for what he did to them, and
who can blame them? The Orb planners claim they were duped, which
they were. They say let Orb deal with him; they want to move on
quickly.”

Saska closed
her eyes and then, “Cassiopin says Elianas must decide her fate. He
did it before, and why not again? Nemisin, well, he …”

“… wants me,”
Torrullin murmured.

“Yes. What he
plans now is unclear and he does not know what he will find. He
knows, though, you are here. He always knew you would be around. He
knew then you were a true Immortal.”

“I was not at
first.”

“You looped
back. To him that is real immortality.”

“Anything
else?”

She was
thoughtful. “He does not know of alternate futures or the Void or
the non-past you had with him recently. His mind-set was entrenched
at the time Elianas was born. As for you, Kalgaia is his frame of
reference and all the good you did before does not count.”

Lowen spoke
then. “What do you suggest we do?”

“Banish them
all.”

“I agree,”
Lowen murmured.

“Not
Cassiopin,” Elianas stated.

Saska glanced
at Torrullin.

“You heard
him.”

She understood
about the guilt between a husband and wife. “Fine. Then I suggest
you enter the chamber separately, each time with me.”

“Why?”

“The
banishment Lily and I put in place works as a whole. If all of you
go in, I will be forced to use it as a whole.”

Elianas
growled.

“I am able to
scatter it and I need your distinct Hearts of Darkness to do so.
Lowen could call to the more innocent ones and they may be sent on
their way easily. They are not going to fight it. Elianas, I think
yours will raise only Cassiopin. Go in with me, come out with
her.”

He drew breath
… and then did not say anything.

“Torrullin,
you will probably get those who created the Throne, and Nemisin.
They will fight banishment.”

“I
figured.”

Saska
swallowed and cleared her throat. “I am not strong enough to do
this tonight.”

Lowen appeared
relieved and Elianas looked like a man who had a stay of
execution.

Torrullin
grimaced and said, “I do not want to do it at all.” He reached over
and took her hand. “Thank you for what you did today and will do
tomorrow.”

She squeezed,
smiled, and pulled her hand free. “I am going to my bed now, if you
will excuse me.” She stood and then paused to look at each of them.
“Do not trust this; it could go wrong.” She concentrated on
Torrullin. “I suggest you have your own form of banishment ready.”
She left as wearily as she came.

The stillness
returned the moment she went, and was as strange as before.

Torrullin saw
the form in the doorway and said, “I cannot sleep either.”

Elianas
entered and moved about the dark room. “What am I to do? I cannot
be husband to her.”

“Tell her
that. Release her and hope she does the same for you.” Torrullin
shifted on the bed, putting an arm under his head.

“And if she
doesn’t?”

“I do not
know. I have not yet fathomed a woman’s mind.”

Elianas sat on
the edge of the bed. “You take this calmly.”

“I am a good
actor.”

“You are not
calm?”

“I am fucking
furious.”

Amusement
came. “There is the Torrullin I know.”

“It is not
Cassiopin who angers me, understand that. It is that contrary fuck
Nemisin.”

“Cut from the
same cloth, you two.”

Another shift
on the bed. “Whatever.”

Silence for a
time.

“Elianas, spit
it out.”

“I am afraid
Cassy will need a second chance to make our marriage work. It would
not be what I want, but dare I do to her what was done before? I am
afraid she would end up where she is now, bound for the
netherworld.”

“Then you have
a problem.”

“We should not
make the same mistakes, Torrullin. We have opportunities in this
time to be better than we were.”