“So, you think they are avoiding contact? But why?”
“I don’t know exactly, but I think it is reasonable to assume that our Keltar friend has something to do with it, which brings me to another point. Have you noticed that she is still wearing that Ring of hers?”
“The Speaker Ring?”
Shann nodded. “She herself said that Speaker Rings are Linked. Hers is Linked to her master at the keep in Chalimar. Why would she hang onto the thing if she has cut her ties to the Prophet? You would have thought she would have tossed it away by now.”
“It’s just a ring, Shann.”
“I thought so, too, until I saw her use it out on the plains.”
“You saw her use it? Are you sure?”
“She sneaked out of the camp during her watch period. She doesn’t know it, but I followed her. I saw her speaking into the Ring.”
“What did she say?”
Shann shook her head. “I was too far away to hear. But the Ring lights up a green colour when it’s being used. She was using it to communicate with them.” Lyall looked sceptical. “You don’t believe me,” she challenged.
“No…no, I believe you. It’s just…why didn’t you tell me before now?”
Shann sighed. “I was going to. But Boxx got there ahead of me and activated that device he carries. When I saw and heard the image of the woman from the past, I didn’t know what to think. It seemed to corroborate her story. I didn’t think you would believe me. I felt I had to get more evidence of Keris’ true intentions before I could approach you. When the Keltar suddenly appeared in front of me and then took off, I realised there might be a way to convince you of what was going on. How do you suppose the others knew that we had camped prematurely? The one Keltar I saw did not follow me, I’m sure of that. There’s only one way they could have known. She told them.”
She could see Lyall digesting the implications of what she was saying. “If you are right, that would mean that we are not fleeing the Prophet’s men, we are being led by them. But where? I mean, what is the purpose behind it all?”
Shann looked up into his questing blue eyes. “Well, I know one woman who has the answer to that question and if we work together, I believe we can get it out of her. We will have to catch her in the act and then confront her.”
“That sounds dangerous, Shann. If she is exposed, then she might turn on us. You have seen what she’s capable of. I’m not sure that the two of us together could resist her.”
“She doesn’t scare me,” Shann declared. “Besides, the alternative is for us to continue to be led blindly towards whatever these Keltar have in store for us. I think we have to know what they are planning.”
Lyall seemed to debate with himself. After a few moments he reached a decision. “All right, we’ll try it. But when the moment comes, I will question her. Are we agreed?”
“Fine,” Shann concurred.
They both resumed their journey back to camp. By now, the yellow sun was close to setting and the nocturnal creatures of the Gilah Hills were beginning to buzz and stir. Shann felt as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. At last she had been able to share the troubling secret she had kept to herself for so long so that whatever happened now, she and Lyall would face it together. As she trotted beside him, there was something akin to a spring in her step.
Chapter 19
High in the Hills of Gilah, next to a bubbling rill, the camp sat bathed in Ail-Mazzoth’s soft red light. Three sleeping forms lay, covered by blankets and coddled in the arms of a warm summer night. In the midst of the camp, the dark form that was Keris kept watch. All was still; even the faint rustling and chirruping of nocturnal creation appeared to have subsided, as if it were holding its breath in anticipation.
The tall woman rose silently and glided towards the tiny stream as it trickled over smooth stones. She took a last look behind her, then turned and stepped through the shallow water into the belly of night shadow.
At the camp, two of the blankets were cast aside and two figures arose; one tall and thin, the other short and slight. Lyall signalled to Shann for them to split up; he circling around to the left, she to the right. Shann nodded and set out in a low run for the bubbling brook. The swirling water played about her boots as she crossed to the other side and crept upstream. She felt an odd mix of calm and exhilaration. Ever since Gort, when the Keltar had joined them, it had seemed to Shann as if she were being surreptitiously controlled; propelled in a direction she did not want to go, yet powerless to prevent it. No longer.
Lyall had warned that catching Keris in the act of duplicity could be perilous. She might decide she would be better off eliminating him and Shann together. Shann had witnessed the woman in action at the tower. Lyall had also described the scene at the guardhouse, where Keris had taken on a Keltar and half a dozen soldiers single-handedly. Shann was not entirely convinced that that particular event had not been staged for their benefit somehow. It didn’t matter. The showdown had to occur at some time or other; better it should be at a time and place of their choosing.
They were high up in the Gilah range now. Beyond the camp, the landscape climbed ever more steeply to what looked like a series of ridges or peaks farther up. Shann moved upstream a little way, lightly fingering the control at her collar to scan for the familiar push of raw lodestone. There was a small deposit in front of her and one off to her left. She put on a spurt, until she felt the front one pass just under her; then leaped and retracted the bronze layer of her flying cloak, pushing her up into the air. As soon as her momentum slowed, she angled herself to push against the deposit to her left and her trajectory shifted her up and to her right. Flying in a low arc away from the stream, she landed in a crouched position farther up the slope. She peered up the rocky incline, but there was no sign of the woman. Shann cursed inwardly. Perhaps Lyall was having better luck.
Sensing no more deposits in the immediate area, she began to climb towards the nearest ridge, seeking a suitable vantage point. As she crested the rise, she quickly scanned the area around her. Frustration was starting to take hold when she suddenly caught a movement way off to her left. A dark shape was scaling the hillside. Its movement was deliberate, purposeful. Shann dashed along the ridge and then swept silently down the slope at an angle calculated to bring her up behind the moving figure. Her quarry was continuing to climb in a straight line. Shann followed at a discreet distance, staying low and using cover wherever possible, but the shadowy outline did not look back. As she got closer she spotted the shock of sandy hair. Lyall. Her face adopted a rueful expression as she sprinted up the hillside and hissed his name. Lyall turned, registering her presence with a nod.
“Where is she?” Shann’s voice was hoarse.
Lyall frowned. “I’m not sure. I was trailing her for a while, but then I lost her somehow.”
Shann looked aghast. “You lost her?”
“I’m sorry,” Lyall’s expression was apologetic. “She’s been trained in escape and evasion tactics, I haven’t.”
“Do you think she saw you?”
Lyall shook his head. “I was careful… No, I don’t think so.”
“So which way do we go now?” Shann demanded.
Lyall looked up at the rising slope and the jagged peaks beyond. “I don’t know, Shann. There is an awful lot of hillside to search. She could be anywhere.”
“Surely you’re not going to just give up?”
“I don’t think we have a choice. If she returns to camp before us and we are not there, then we are going to have a hard time explaining our absence. She will figure that we are onto her, and that will take away our only real advantage.” Shann stared at him, bright green eyes flashing, but she knew he was right. She turned away, exhaling through her teeth. He placed a conciliatory hand on her shoulder. “There will be other times, Shann. This night’s exercise has been valuable. We have proved that there is something suspicious going on with our Keltar friend. If we are patient and work tog
ether, we will uncover the truth.”
Shann was no longer listening. She was rehearsing how she would finally confront the Keltar, how she would call her to account for her crimes and the crimes of all her ilk. You will pay for what you did to my parents. You will pay.
~
In the midst of a corrie rimmed by the silent peaks of the Gilah stood a lone figure, face hidden by the covering of a dark hood. Its presence was dwarfed by the scale of the ancient rocks which towered around it, yet somehow it exuded an air of authority which seemed to dominate even the stones themselves. Another black shape dropped through the air, alighting two dozen paces or so in front of the first. Keris’ flying cloak settled about her shoulders, enrobed in long black tresses. She crossed the short stretch of ground between them, coming to a halt in front of the other. Their respective forms cast long shadows on the uneven stone.
“It’s good to see you, Keris.” The dark presence raised its left hand and pulled back the hood. Small intense eyes burned in a round face; a mouth with sides turned upwards in a half smile. Mordal.
Keris felt a pang of guilt at the sight of her former mentor but thrust it away. She recalled their fateful discussion on a spring afternoon in the keep garden a lifetime ago, or so it seemed. That discussion had taken her on a journey neither of them could have imagined. She had travelled farther and farther from Mordal and all that he represented. Yet now here he was, standing before her. Full circle. “I have come as you asked,” she began.
Mordal’s eyes twinkled. “Thank you. I am pleased to see you looking well, Keris.”
She looked downcast. “I’m sorry about the boy, Nikome. I tried to talk to him, convince him to stand down. He wouldn’t listen. There was an explosion and he…fell from the tower.” She swallowed.
Mordal raised a hand in a conciliatory gesture. “Do not concern yourself with that. It was unfortunate, but he disobeyed a direct order. I am gratified that you were not hurt.”
Keris felt off balance. Of all the reactions she could have expected from him, kindness was the last. She allowed some small part of her to hope that her plan might actually work out. She gathered her courage about her. “Have you considered my proposal?”
“Yes indeed,” Mordal responded. He added lightly, “I would like to hear more about those devices you found.”
“There’s not much more I can tell you about them. The mechanism at the tower was destroyed, as you know. The communication device is in our possession, but it does not operate on demand. The woman from the past appears only at certain intervals. She mentioned a power generation problem. That’s all I know.”
Keris had been very careful about how much she revealed to him through the Speaker Ring. She had told him about the holographic machine and the messages sent by the woman from the past, but she had deliberately not mentioned the Chandara’s involvement. She had informed him that they were travelling to the tower to investigate another device but had not admitted to knowing its purpose. It was all very much a calculated risk on her part. She knew she would need to limit the damage in the event that it all blew up in her face.
To begin with, her idea had been simply to convince Mordal of the threat to the Kelanni. She would use the tower to transfer to the other side of the world with Lyall and the others, while he would remain here as a powerful friend and ally, working to undermine the Prophet’s schemes. With the destruction of the tower, things had changed. It seemed to Keris that the best way to proceed now would be for them to join forces and find a way to cross the Great Barrier together. However, achieving that objective would be a much harder task. It would involve a great deal of trust on both sides. Right now, they had many more reasons to distrust one another. If this plan was going to stand any chance of working, it would have to be handled very carefully indeed. She and Mordal were the key. She had to convince him of the danger that the Prophet posed to them all.
She studied the ageing Keltar. He appeared thoughtful. Keris decided to press home her advantage. “You should come with me to our camp. Alone. I will go in first and explain what is going on. The leader, Lyall, is a reasonable man and he will listen. The girl will be a problem, but I can handle her. Once I have their agreement, you can meet with them and we will arrange a truce. I will also show you the mechanism we are carrying so that you can see it for yourself.”
“I don’t think that will be possible.” Mordal’s quiet voice seemed to fill up the night.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m afraid I have a confession to make,” Mordal continued. “I did not come here to discuss your proposal.”
“Then what–?”
His smile vanished. “I want you to return with me to the keep, to claim your rightful place as my successor.”
Keris looked confused. “Have you not heard what I have been saying? All Kelanni is under threat. Besides, you must know that after what happened at Gort, there is no way I could return even if I wanted to.”
“Do not worry. I have taken care of everything.”
“Taken care…how?”
“No-one will know about the incident at the compound.” Mordal’s tone assumed an edge of pride. “Remember Ferenek? You spoke to him of your suspicions before you knocked him unconscious in his office. When he came to, he started asking awkward questions. A short while later he…met with an unfortunate accident.”
“But why?”
“He knew of your involvement,” Mordal stated simply. “Then there were the nomads you travelled with over the plains. I could not be sure exactly what you had told them, so I felt it safest to make sure they could not talk.”
Keris felt as if she had been punched in the stomach. All those people – dead. The shock of it was too much to bear. He was killing indiscriminately–for her.
“Nikome is gone,” Mordal continued. “The soldiers know nothing. The only other person who is aware of your involvement is Saccath. Once he is silenced, we can return to Chalimar together and you can assume your rightful place. As far as anyone is concerned, you have been engaged on an extended mission under my orders. No-one will be any the wiser. Do you see? I have covered for you. All you need to do is decide to come with me now, and all will be well.”
Keris was still reeling from the enormity of the revelations. No…it can’t be…it has to stop. I…I cannot allow this to continue.
“I only did all of this for you, Keris. For you. You have to come with me now.” Mordal advanced toward her and grabbed her by the arm. She pulled away in horror. His voice assumed a hard edge. “You will come with me now, or you will not leave this place.” In one swift movement, his staff was balanced in his thick fingers, brooking no argument. She backed away. He began to circle her, a smile playing on his lips once more. “Unfortunately, I cannot allow my actions to become known. What will it be, Keris? Shall we leave and embrace our future together. Or shall we ‘dance’ one last time?”
Madness? Obsession? Keris knew little of such things. It was impossible to believe that this was the same man who had taken her in and nurtured her, who had impressed on her the conviction that the Kelanni needed to be protected and cared for. Yet somehow he had turned into a monster.
His hands slipped to one end of his staff and he swung it towards her in a wide arc. She jumped back instinctively, the diamond blade passing inches from her midriff. “I’m gratified to see that your reflexes are as keen as ever, Keris.” He spun around and then leapt into the air a short distance, aiming the staff at her head. She side-stepped neatly, and the blade flashed past her harmlessly. “Good, very good,” he approved, “Now, are you going to obey my wishes or are you going to defend yourself?”
He was advancing on her again. Keris felt as if she were in a waking dream. One hand moved involuntarily to her staff, gripping the smooth darkwood. It felt solid, reassuring. Her other hand moved to her neck control and she adjusted the bronze layer of her cloak, seeking the pressure of natural lodestone. As she registered the strengths and directions of th
e familiar push of the ore, it was bizarrely the words of Mordal himself that came back to her, spoken in a different place and at a different time.
“Battling another Keltar is unlike any other battle you will ever fight. When encountering anyone else, the lodestone will furnish you with a decisive advantage in height and momentum. However, when you are facing another Keltar, those advantages are cancelled out. Instead, the field of battle and the configuration of lodestone deposits become all-important. A clash between Keltar is primarily a battle of tactics. Even superior strength and agility can be overcome by superior positioning and spatial orientation. You must immediately determine the location and strength of any deposits and then ‘own’ them, denying your opponent any advantage.”
Keris tested the push on her lodestone layer from different directions, mapping out the floor of the corrie in her head, one directly behind her–weak. Two behind Mordal, one to the left–medium strength, and one he was almost standing on–the strongest of the three. His was the clear advantage. No doubt he had planned for this eventuality when arranging to meet her. The spot he had selected, even the place he had chosen to stand, were far from random. Keris cursed her own lack of foresight. She would have to go on the defensive and stall for time, hoping to reposition herself so as to challenge his dominant stance.
Start with what you have. She backed off rapidly and activated her cloak, leaping and pushing off against the deposit behind her. It was more to see what Mordal would do than anything else. The next move was clearly his. The aged Keltar flared his own cloak and pushed off the big deposit, soaring over her. She descended, holding out her staff with both hands defensively. He dived, his staff meeting hers with a loud crack, then let loose with a flurry of blows as they both descended. He drove her down, finishing off with a powerful slicing move as her boots hit stone, forcing her to her knees. He locked staffs with her, eyes wild with elation.
Keris gritted her teeth and strained for a moment before shoving him back. Mordal swung his blade and slashed her arm as she rolled away. Keris felt the flash of pain. She embraced it, allowing it to keen her senses. Getting her feet under her, she rose to face Mordal once again. He was still positioned between her and the main deposits of lodestone in the ground. In spite of his age, his reactions seemed unimpaired. If I don’t come up with something soon, I’m finished.