Alchymist (25 page)

The
ancient lore mentions such a thing,' Urien said quietly io Vithis. 'It may be
at the heart of the mystery of the last amplimet we used — and the catastrophe
it caused:

After
the death of a clan, followed by aeons of cover-ups,' said Vithis, 'how can
anyone tell?"

'You
say the amplimet talks to you,' said Urien suddenly. 'What does it sound like?'

'What?'
said Tiaan, who hadn't thought of that.

'You
said it whispered to you!' Urien snapped.

'It
sounds .., a bit like you, but much older. It's a rustly, scratchy sound: Tiaan
made a hissing crackle. 'A bit like that. I can't do it very well.'

'What
does the crystal tell you, Tiaan?'

Tiaan
was ready for that question, for she'd spent the last two hours thinking of the
answer. 'The node-master is coming. I must protect the amplimet for the
node-master.’

'What
node-master?' said Vithis, with a trace of eagerness.

'It
didn't say. But. . .'

'Yes?'
Urien and Vithis spoke together.

'I
don't think he, or it, comes from this world.'

Vithis
visibly steeled himself, then withdrew the platinum-wrapped amplimet from a
metal case and exposed it to view. 'Let's see if it wants to talk to you now,
Tiaan:

Tut
it away,' cried Urien, shuddering. 'How dare you bring it here after what it's
just done.'

'Do
you think I want to?' he snapped. 'I've always counselled against it. But
Urien, our supplies are nearly exhausted and without constructs we're helpless.
Should the enemy return in force, they could finish us in a single day. The
amplimet terrifies me, but it's our only way out. Take it, Tiaan.'

Tiaan
could sense Ghaenis's death in it. 'I'm afraid: She reached for the crystal,
but stopped short of it. 'Everything seems so clear when it's talking to me, so
perfect, but afterwards it fades like a dream.' Giving a little shiver of yearning.
Tiaan put her memories of withdrawal into it, to make the action seem more
real. 'All I want is to listen to it again.' She unfocussed her eyes, staring
raptly at the wall of the tent.

Tirior
slapped the tent flap out of the way and hurled herself in. Ghaenis's death had
leached her chill beauty away, leaving her puffy faced, red eyed and aged by
twenty years. Seeing the amplimet on Vithis's outstretched hand, a cold rage
seized her. 'Have you learned nothing from my son's death?' she said furiously.

'Can
you find us a way out of here?' said Vithis, taking a step away from her fury.
He folded the platinum over the crystal but did not put it away.

Tirior's
eyes followed it. 'There's no way out for Ghaenis!'

He
could not meet her eyes. 'I'm sorry. He begged me for it, Tirior. I warned him
of the peril — you know how I feel about it — but he would not relent. He said you'd
taught him how to handle it.' His eyes burned like fire.

'How
could I have?' she said, but now it was she who avoided his eye.

'I
don't know, but either he lied or you're lying now.'

'You
always return to the same tune, Vithis.'

'And
Clan Nataz to the same obsession that brought us ruin in the past.'

What
ruin? Tiaan thought. What history does this crystal have, or another just like
it, that I know nothing about?

'At
least my son didn't lack the courage!' Tirior flashed. 'If you were afraid to
take the risk yourself, why not pass the amplimet to your foster-son?'

'He's
all that's left of Clan Inthis,' he said, as if that explained everything.

'There's
nothing left of Inthis but a callow, lovesick fool and an old man who's no man
at all.'

'How
dare you!' cried Vithis.

She
spoke calmly, carefully, coldly. 'You're not sterile, Vithis, as you try to
make out — you're impotent! You don't have the manhood, which explains your
cowardice.'

'If I
did not know that grief has turned your wits,' he replied. 'I would call you
out for that. Clan Nataz has always lusted for the deadly crystal, as for the
first in ancient times. And Inthis has always warned against it.’

'Enough,
said Unen She did not raise her voice, but made a curious unfolding gesture
with one hand, from Vithis towards Tirior.

Vithis,
with a mighty effort, calmed himself and bowed his head towards Tirior. 'I am
very sorry for your loss, Tirior. Ghaenis was a fine young man. He convinced me
that he was strong enough, and reluctantly I allowed him to try. But tell me,
Tirior, did you want the crystal for yourself, or for him'to use?'

'I
would never have risked my son.' Tirior's eyes flicked to the amplimet and
Tiaan saw that, even after the death of Ghaenis, she still desired it.

'Let's
get on,' said Urien.

Vithis
reached for Tiaan with his free hand but was cautioned by the old woman. 'Best
not to touch her while she's under the spell of the crystal. Tiaan, tell us
about the node-master.'

'What
are you talking about?' said Tirior.

Urien
explained.

Tiaan
tried to recall those images of Aachan she had seen in her first crystal dreams
about Minis. 'Born on fire . . .' she put on a slurred, dream-like tone. 'Black
star-flowers . . , red rock creeping, creeping. A shadow in robes, against the
flames. Dark hair and long, long fingers.'

Vithis
and Tirior stared at one another. 'First Clan!' Vithis hissed. 'I was birthed
by the very cracks of Mount Szath. Born on fire!

'Or
borne on fire,' said Tirior, 'which might be any of us. And the black unishhta
flowers are the symbol of my clan.'

'Clan
Nataz was at the heart of all the trouble with our amplimet, in ancient times,'
said Vithis.

'Clan
Shazmaor caused the trouble!' Tirior said coldly. 'Nataz saved Aachan at great
cost to ourselves.'

'So
your tales tell,' sniffed Vithis. 'Our Histories have always disputed it.'

She
ignored that. 'Besides, if you were to be this node-master she speaks about,
why has not Minis foretold it?'

•Who
can say what his foretellings mean?' Vithis replied.

'You're
too hard on the lad,' said Urien. 'Without him we wouldn't be here.'

'I
don't count that in his favour' Vithis said curtly.

'I
do! And as for this business of the node-master, it could be that the little
wretch has made it all up.'

How
little regard Urien had for Tiaan's humanity, to speak that way in her own
language. Unless they wanted her to know how they felt. ..

'It
feels so right,' said Vithis. 'Can she be lying, Urien?'

Urien
turned away. 'I sense no falsehood. Come over here.' She drew them over towards
the wall of the tent.

Tiaan,
still staring into space, strained her ears to hear what they were talking
about.

'This
amplimet is even more deadly than we feared, Vithis,' said Urien in a low
voice.

'It
was I, remember, who cautioned Tirior about it in Tirthrax.'

'Had
I taken it then,' Tirior said bitterly, 'we would not be in this situation now.
I would never have allowed the crystal to come to the first stage of
awakening.'

'It
had already reached it,1 said Urien. 'Had you taken it, your whole clan might
now be dead. Destroy it, Vithis.'

'I
can control it,' said Tirior. 'If I'd taken it, Ghaenis would still be alive.'

'Don't
throw your dead in my face — I mourn my entire clan!' Vithis directed a
smouldering glare at Tiaan. 'And I will do whatever is necessary to rebuild
it.'

'First
Clan is finished, Vithis,' said Tirior. 'You cannot rebuild it from two people.
Two males!'

'A
few First Clan women have partnered into other clans. They must come home. Duty
to clan surmounts all other responsibilities.'

'You
would break families, tear partners apart, to stay what is inevitable?' Tirior
ground her teeth with rage. 'You'll create only clan war and believe me. Clan
Nataz is ready —’

‘Even
that,’ Tirior.

'Enough:
snapped Urien and they both fell silent. There's a higher duty than clan, and
that is kind. We are all the Aachim left. I don't count the bastard breed of
Santhenar, so corrupted by contact with humanity that they are scarcely Aachim
at all. Our numbers dwindle each day this war goes on and, if we are to
survive, we must put species first. Is that clear?' She fixed them with a glare
that brooked no argument.

Tirior
bowed her curly black head. Vithis nodded curtly.

'This
amplimet is a great prize,' Urien said, 'but I cannot countenance using it.
Remember the fate of poor Luthis?'

'The
bitter tale is carved into my heart,' said Tirior, 'though the event was aeons
ago.'

'We
have no choice but to abandon our constructs,' said Urien. 'The risk of
remaining here, defenceless, is too great. Tomorrow we'll march south to meet
our brethren at the camp near Gospett.'

'Without
our constructs, we'll starve,' Vithis announced after a weighty pause. 'This
land has been stripped so bare it would not feed a grasshopper.'

'We
can't recover them,' said Urien. 'Besides, we have five thousand more at Gospett,
and elsewhere.'

'I
can save these ones by using the amplimet,' Vithis insisted.

'No!
In ancient times many Aachim died, corrupted inside by such crystals. Many more
wished they could die. Luthis, as I recall the tale, lived another eighty years
after the . . , incident with the amplimet, and suffered every minute.'

'Hear
me out, Urien; we have to take the risk. But we don't have to risk ourselves,'
he went on in a lower voice, just on the edge of Tiaan's hearing. 'Why not use
her?' He tilted his head in Tiaan's direction. 'She's used it safely for
months. And, watched carefully enough, we may learn more about this node-master
she has spoken of, if there is one.'

'You
think she's lying?'

'I
think she's mad. She hears voices, Urien.'

'Only
since she first came into contact with the crystal.' Even so. What do you say
to my proposal?' 'I'll think about it overnight, Vithis, but I warn you: I'm against
using this amplimet in any circumstances. And you know why.'

'I
do. Until the morning then.' He came across to Tiaan. 'I may well have a use
for you tomorrow. But for tonight, you will return to your guard dogs. Wait
here.' He went out, calling for his attendant.

The
black air-floaters rose swiftly from the mound next to the command area and
sped towards them. Irisis watched them come, overpowered by those recurring
feelings of doom.

Fyn-Mah
was supporting herself on the door jamb, swaying with every bump and lurch. The
perquisitor was uncompromisingly honest, yet if she obeyed the scrutators she
must repudiate Flydd, her superior, whose orders she was following. But Flydd
had failed and been condemned, so where did her duty lie? Neither the agony nor
her injuries showed on her pallid face. Fyn-Mah was a native of Tiksi, and
Tiksi folk kept their feelings to themselves, but by the set of her jaw and the
quiver of her normally rod-like back, she was having a hard time of it.

So
was Irisis. Flydd was now a condemned man, Slave Flydd, and all his plans were
undone. Undoubtedly he was a wily old hound, but the scrutators were equally
cunning. There was no possibility of rescuing him. Her face and figure were
instantly recognisable, and she too faced a death sentence if Ghorr ever caught
her.

Fyn-Mah
thrust away from the door and stalked rearward. She'd made her decision.
'Faster!' she said hoarsely, seizing the crossbow from Flangers and brandishing
it in Pilot Inouye's face.

'It
won't go any faster,' the little woman wept. 'I'm doing all I can.'

'Then
we'll be taken.' Fyn-Mah twanged the rope rail, gnawing at her lower lip.
'Flangers, how good are you with a javelard?'

Among
the best,' he said uneasily, seeing what was coming He was slumped on the deck,
hanging on desperately to the ropes, and the bandage around his thigh was
completely red. Flangers should have collapsed long ago, but duty drove him on.

'There's
a light one at the bow. See what you can do with it.'

'You're
asking me to fire on my own?' he whispered.

'If
they catch us, the scrutators will put us to a pointless death.'

'That's
no excuse.' He was as honest in his way as she was in hers. 'I've always
followed orders.'

'Then
obey mine. If the war is left to the scrutators,' gritted Fyn-Mah, 'humanity
will be defeated before the year is out.'

'They're
my lawful superiors,' said Flangers. 'The war will be lost a lot quicker if we
defy our officers as we see fit.'

She
drew herself up, saying stiffly, 'As I understand it, I am your superior
officer here. I represent Scrutator Flydd, who has ordered me to save myself,
and what I carry, no matter who should try to stop me! Taking a paper from her
pocket, she handed it to him. 'Does this satisfy you?'