The Map of All Things (48 page)

114
Calay Harbor

Gliding together across the murky waters of the harbor, two black-and-gold sea serpents charged a battered merchant ship that was tied up to the docks. One of the monsters bit down on the ship's rail, which exploded in a spray of splinters. The second serpent rammed the hull, cracking the lapped boards of Iborian pine. The hissing sound from their blowholes was terrifying, echoed by other creatures that appeared in the harbor.

Six of the monsters now circled the waters, prowling.

Anjine shouted orders at the top of her lungs. “Evacuate the docks! Get off the ships, all of you. Head inland. Away from the water!” Bells rang, people shouted, picking up her words and passing them along.

She stared toward the narrow mouth of the harbor, a bottleneck to the Oceansea beyond. The storm must have dredged the serpents from the cold secret depths and driven them out of their territory. Lost in the shallow harbor, the beasts were confused and infuriated, attacking anything in sight. She couldn't think of any way to herd the monsters back to deep waters.

Out on the bay, one desperate man abandoned his dinghy and tried to swim away as a sea serpent rose up before him. Blinking its reptilian eyes, the monster regarded the panicked man with curiosity before it scooped him out of the water, almost gently, and gulped him down.

Carrying a torch, Vorannen ran to the end of a pier, waving the bright flame from side to side and shouting. One of the serpents glided toward the guard-marshall, hissing and hooting, more curious than frightened. Vorannen hurled the flaming brand like a spear, and the sea serpent caught it in midair, as if it were a morsel of food. As the flames singed the tender flesh in its mouth, the serpent roared and spat. It hammered its head down on the pier to smash Vorannen, but he was already racing back toward dry land.

City guardsmen ran in, drew their bows, and launched a flight of arrows. Several pierced and annoyed the creature, and in retaliation it destroyed the rest of the dock, uprooting pilings and shattering boards. The other five creatures in the bay hooted to each other as they swam to and fro.

A sea serpent hauled its sinuous body entirely over the deck of a small cargo ship that was already swamped. Coiling and squeezing, the monster smashed the rails, cracked the deck-boards, and finally broke the keel itself. The boat gurgled, sank, and the creature glided back into the harbor.

Prester-Marshall Rudio hurried down to the dock, followed by several young presters and acolytes. Panting, Rudio stopped before Anjine. “These are not simply monsters from the sea, Majesty. They are evil, and we need a kind of strength that surpasses mere weapons.
I
can call on that special strength.” He held up his Book of Aiden and turned to his fellow presters and acolytes. “Pray for me. I need your faith and the vigor of your hearts.”

He opened the tome and began to walk down the sloping street to the nearest pier. Though Anjine believed in the teachings of the kirk as much as anyone else, she felt a hollow dread to see the old man stride onto the dock, entirely vulnerable. She knew what he was going to do.

Rudio shouted verses at the top of his voice. “For dawn shall burn away the night, good shall crush evil, and the greatness of faith shall crush the cowardice of questions.” He lifted his other hand and called, lips drawn back, “In the name of Ondun, Aiden, and Sapier, I command thee to leave this place! Ondun Himself gave us this land, and Aiden found it. Every speck of soil in Tierra is our kirk! You are not welcome here.”

Two of the black-and-gold serpents lifted their triangular heads, and slitted eyes blinked in fascination at the prester-marshall, a single small figure at the end of the dock. Rudio raised his hand again, clenched it into a fist. “Begone, I say!” He shook the Book. “Do not awaken the anger of our God! Heed my command.”

A third sea serpent appeared and stared down at the old man… then a fourth and a fifth. All of the great beasts seemed mesmerized. Rudio continued to read verse after verse. With his voice cracking from the strain, he yelled out Sapier's Prayer.

Anjine watched, transfixed. Vorannen and his men had ceased their attack. The gathered people waited in absolute silence. The prester-marshall finally finished and made the sign of the Fishhook in the air.

One of the black serpents opened its mouth and darted down to snatch up old Rudio in a single bite, leaving only the ragged ends of the prester-marshall's boots on the dock, with his feet still in them.

115
The
Dyscovera

Before the
Dyscovera
set sail from Calay, King Korastine had presented the captain with a set of formal courtly clothes. “Wear these when you finally meet Holy Joron.” Criston had left the clothes in the cedar trunk until that afternoon, and now they smelled fresh and aromatic. It felt strange to don such finery, and he hoped that King Sonhir would be impressed. He wanted to make these mer-Saedrans amenable to helping the Tierran cause.

With scissors, Criston snipped his thick brown hair, then brushed it back to make himself presentable for his meeting with the leader of the undersea people. He combed, then decided to shave off the thick beard he had grown during the voyage.

The captain stepped out onto the deck late in the afternoon, both pleased and embarrassed to hear the whistles of admiration from his crew. Kjelnar strode up to him and let out a good-natured laugh. “Ho, Captain, you look like you're about to attend a royal dance!”

“It's a dance of a different sort. Neither the mer-king nor I know much about the other.”

Aldo na-Curic looked both eager and uneasy. “I'm guessing you'll want me there, sir? I can help interpret, make the conversation go more easily.” Over the past two days, the chartsman had spent a lot of time with the mer-Saedrans, particularly the king's daughters, who found him fascinating… whether as a wondrous enigma, a pet, or a potential mate. Sen Aldo seemed embarrassed about it all, but he had learned much.

Prester Hannes joined Criston, a placid expression on his rough, scarred face. “I must be there as well, Captain. I can teach the leader of these poor people about the Fishhook. Just think if he accepts the teachings set out in the Book of Aiden!” Half a dozen of his most devoted followers had expressed uneasiness about these people who either did not know or had willingly turned their backs on the Tierran church.

“That would not be a good idea, Captain,” Aldo interrupted. “Since these are descendants of Saedrans, we know their beliefs. You would only offend—''

Annoyed, Hannes focused on Criston, ignoring the chartsman. “We must ensure that their hearts and minds are not corrupt, and the best way to do that is for them to accept Aiden.”

Criston raised a hand to calm the growing anger in the prester's voice. “I know your passion, Hannes, but I must think of our mission. If King Sonhir can give us guidance—''

“Our more important mission is to spread the word of Aiden, Captain. If we can save these souls, we will have accomplished much, whether or not we find Terravitae.”

Rather than reacting with anger, Aldo shook his head in frustration. “We Saedrans have lived among Tierrans for many centuries, and we've shown we can work together for a common goal. Why do you refuse to respect our own beliefs and philosophy?”

Now Hannes looked at him. “The Urabans have Saedrans, too—who serve the soldan-shah. That gives me little confidence in your trustworthiness.”

Criston felt himself caught between the storm and the rocks. “Enough of this. Sonhir and I will be able to communicate well enough. This will be a private meeting between the two of us in my cabin—without a prester or a chartsman.”

Hannes was shocked. “But who will bless your meal before you dine, Captain? We should invoke the presence of Aiden, whether or not this mer-king believes the Truth. It would give him a chance to accept the church willingly. Don't we owe him that opportunity?”

Criston forced a benign smile. “I know you want to help, my friend, but Sonhir and I will each do it our own way, just as common folk do at their nightly tables.”

Javian called from the bow. “Here they come!”

Several dolphins swam from the submerged tower to the ship, and the majestic king of the aquatic people climbed the dangling rope ladder with power and grace. When Sonhir stood on the deck, dripping wet, he looked around with great interest. “I am greatly pleased to be here, Captain Criston Vora. I have learned much about thee from Sen Aldo na-Curic. It is good that two great leaders become friends.”

The undersea king nodded formally at Hannes, who responded with a cold expression. The prester touched his fishhook pendant and said, “May the Compass guide you.”

Sonhir didn't understand the significance of the blessing. “A compass serves little purpose underwater. My people find their own way.”

Seeing the prester's flare of indignation, Criston quickly gestured toward the stern. “I offer the hospitality of my private cabin, Sonhir. I trust you'll find our foods enjoyable, and I still have a bottle of excellent Windcatch kelpwine. You've never tasted anything like it.”

Though his long hair and beard hung wet, and he was naked except for a scaly wrap around his waist, Sonhir walked as if he wore regal finery. Although they had seen some mer-Saedrans carrying weaponry for hunting fish or defending against sea serpents, the king had come aboard the
Dyscovera
without guards or weapons of his own; to Criston, that spoke a great deal about their undersea culture.

Behind the closed wooden door of the captain's cabin, Sonhir looked at the confining walls, perplexed but not afraid. He had the curiosity of a child. “I have beheld places like this in our old ruins, but no one alive holds memories of living in such”—he spread his arms wide and was almost able to touch wall to wall—“small places.”

Sonhir took a seat in the offered chair, studying the furniture with delight. Two bright whale-oil lamps illuminated a small repast set out on the captain's table. Criston offered a plate filled with dried meat, ship's biscuit, a loaf of hard bread, and a small bowl of stewed peas. The Saedran king picked curiously at the food, then tasted a morsel of each. “Thou hast given me new experiences, Captain Vora.”

“We have embarked on a voyage of discovery. The world is full of new experiences.” Criston poured them each a small glass of the kelpwine from the heavy bottle at the table. “Sen Aldo has already explained much about our land of Tierra, but let me tell you about the terrible war we face. Then you'll know why I hope we can become strong friends—and allies.”

Darkness set in after a very colorful sunset, and Aldo sat once more in the ship's boat next to the
Dyscovera
's hull, continuing his conversation with the mer-king's daughters. Their endless fascination exceeded even his own. Precluded from attending the captain's dinner with Sonhir, he had decided to continue his own discussions. He knew that Captain Vora was an even-keeled and sincere man, and his dinner with the other leader would go well.

Balanced in the rocking boat, he leaned over to watch the swimming sylphs, who teased him about his limited movements. The girls were lithe and sleek, beautiful and innocent. “It's time you went swimming with us, Aldo!”

“Just for a little while? We'll keep you safe. We'll guard you from sharks and sea serpents.”

“There are no sea serpents around here,” scoffed a third.

“You never know!”

“The guards are out patrolling. They'll drive any serpents away.”

The young women swam back and forth, endlessly splashing Aldo until he was soaked. “Swim with us, swim with us!”

One rested her elbows on the gunwale to lift herself half out of the water. She said in a husky voice, “If you come with us, we can show you our towers, our libraries. We even have a map of the oceans and the boundaries of land.”

“And we know where Terravitae is. Would that interest you, Aldo?”

His heart leaped. “Yes, it would! You promised to show me.” How could he have forgotten?

“But you have to come with us.”

Finally, he relented. Their presence was mesmerizing. “Well, it is a warm night. A gentle swim wouldn't hurt.” He removed his boots, but kept his shirt and breeches on. And they would show him the maps.

“If you do, you'll want to stay with us! Won't he?”

“He'll never want a home on dry land again.”

Aldo hesitated, suddenly uneasy. “No, I've already told you. I have a wife and children—”

The girl made a rude sound by sputtering water from her lips. “You land people are so rigid. Wait until you see our city!”

As he leaned tentatively over the side of the boat, the girls grabbed his arms and yanked him into the water before he was ready. He yelped, catching a mouthful of the salty liquid, which made him cough ferociously—much to the amusement of the sylphs. When he bobbed to the surface and caught his breath again, Aldo tried to regain his dignity by swimming beside them, but his clumsiness elicited great gales of laughter from the sylphs.

Chattering dolphins appeared in the deepening dusk—at first Aldo thought the sleek, dark shapes were sharks, but the young women grabbed the dorsal fins, telling Aldo to do the same. He held on, curious, and with a lurch the gray swimmers streaked through the water, pulling them along. Aldo laughed with surprise and exhilaration, then sputtered from the spray. Out in open water, they all released the dolphins and trod water; Aldo looked down to see phosphorescent lights that outlined the sunken city deep below with majesty and mystery.

When the sylphs saw that his heavy Saedran shirt was waterlogged and hindering his swimming, they scolded him and pulled at the fabric, jerking, ripping. He struggled. “Wait! That's one of my only shirts—''

But they tore it off him. “There, now you can swim better. Why do you insist on being so clumsy?”

As the tatters of cloth drifted away, he realized how far he had come from the
Dyscovera
, which was silhouetted in the darkness and spangled with the lights of lanterns on deck and through open portholes. His uneasiness increased, and the water around him suddenly felt cold. “I'd better get back to the ship. The captain might need me.”

But King Sonhir's daughters clung to him, thwarting his efforts to swim as though it was a great joke. “But we haven't shown you our maps yet. Wouldn't you like to see them?”

“Come down and have a look.”

He found that he couldn't remain angry at the sylphs. They had no malice in them, but were oblivious to his concerns, his obligations. They grabbed at his limbs. “Join us underwater. We'll show you our city—it's not far.”

“I can't go all the way down there. I'm not like you.” He tried to stroke back toward the
Dyscovera
, knowing it would be a long and exhausting trip. “I won't be able to breathe.”

But the girls tugged him down. He struggled in growing alarm—they wanted to drown him! He continued to fight, but could not resist the four girls. They dunked him, let him surface again, spluttering and gasping for breath, then pulled him under, holding his ankles and taking him deeper and deeper.

His lungs were about to burst. They had lured him with promises of Terravitae, but instead wanted to drag him into oblivion. He let out a mouthful of bubbles in a scream—they were trying to kill him! The sylphs dragged him deeper until his ears ached. He was dying from lack of air.

Then, through his dimming vision, one of the daughters swam close and pressed her face to his in a passionate kiss. Forcing his lips apart, she breathed into his mouth a gust of refreshing air that sparkled in his lungs. He felt suddenly revitalized, and to his amazement, he was no longer starving for air. The effect lingered much longer than any normal breath. When he stopped fighting, the girls gestured downward, and he saw that they were now close to the glowing lights of the submerged city.

A second daughter swam up and gave him another long, life-giving kiss as she breathed oxygen into his lungs. The sylphs laughed in a symphony of sweet underwater vibrations… and he realized that maybe they meant to keep him alive after all.

The girls pulled him along with as much ease as the dolphins had at the surface. When a third daughter kissed him and breathed into his mouth, Aldo finally relaxed. Despite his fears and suspicions, the sylphs merely wanted to show him their world. As they had said.

The girls drew him toward the coral-studded towers and remarkable arches. Forests of seaweed grew up from the softly undulating ocean bed, waving in the currents like tall pines in a breeze. Beds of shells were arranged into beautiful gardens decorated with sea anemones and antlers of coral. Fish swam past, darting in games of their own.

In the rippling, dim light Aldo spotted a group of male mer-Saedrans swimming around the buildings on some sort of patrol, carrying spears and daggers with blades made from sharpened shells.

Some of the freeform buildings shone with pallid blue light; encased globes of a phosphorescent glow made ghostly silhouettes of the windows and chambers. Faintly shining jellyfish floated around, like a living constellation. Even so, the submerged city was dark and sleepy as night penetrated the deep water.

Aldo swam on, and the daughters guided him to a cluster of five squat towers, their arched windows and doors offering numerous access points at various heights. The girls pointed, excited, as they swam up to one of the arched openings; Aldo sensed that they were going to show him something important.

Before letting him look, the sylphs offered him another life-giving kiss—one from each of them—and they propelled him into the tower chamber. Lagging behind, one of the girls waved her hands, stirring the water so that one of the luminescent jellyfish drifted inside with them. It shed a glow into the gloom, lighting up the tower's interior.

In the uncertain illumination, Aldo saw that the walls were covered with drawings, sketches of undersea topography, watery mountains, chasms, outlines of islands and unknown shores. It reminded him of something he had seen many times in the Saedran temple in Calay. Another Mappa Mundi, but from an entirely different perspective!

He drank in as many details as he could make out, though he caught only glimpses. The night shadows were too deep, but he knew that this could be the key, the direction that the
Dyscovera
needed. One of the large landforms was marked TERRAVITAE.

He would have to come back in daylight, when he could see more and study all the details. This was exactly the information Captain Vora had asked him to find! Sen Leo and the Saedran elders in Calay—and Sen Sherufa—longed for such a huge breakthrough in their quest to complete the Map of All Things.