Ambition and Alavidha (36 page)

“When will he
get here?” Tara asked.

“When the sun
next appears.”

* * * * *

Susa Malkum had
informed her when she had got here that he was reluctant to take
her unless she life-bonded.

“You are
young,” he had said, “you are not of Vadath. Indeed, at thirteen
you are still underage. Your sense of adventure, your hopes,
brought you here like many before you but it is different now.
Indeed, I am most displeased with Dsya for bringing you. All had
orders not to bring in any who were not committed already.”

“Others my age
are going,” Tara had challenged.

“They are of
Vadath. You are from Argyll.”

“I do have
family in the Vada,” Tara had countered, “my brother and
sister.”

“I know this
but it is not enough. We do not wish to be remembered as those who
stole children from their families.”

“I wasn’t
enticed; I left of my own free will.”

“They will not
see it that way. However, if you have vadeln-paired by the time the
last wagons leave then naturally you will both leave with them,
with the cadets and the other newly paired. If not then you will
join with the others like you and remain here until your people
come for you. That is my final word on the matter.”

Tara had opened
her mouth as a prelude to providing another argument but Susa
Malkum’s raised hand had stopped her.

Tara had
considered stowing away on one of the wagons or trying to persuade
Dsya to carry her disguised in a Vada uniform and had been making
plans to do either or both of these when Dsya had arrived with word
of Alyei’s imminent arrival.

At least now
there was a chance that she would be able to join the wagon train
riding her very own Lind!

* * * * *

-51-

NORTH-EASTERN
ARGYLL

Ryzcka Vandiel
Imogenson of the Fifteenth Ryzck listened to the orders as relayed
by his Lind Zandya with a face full of absolute astonishment.

: A full Ryzck
recall? Now? Lai’s wings! :

: A general
recall, of all Ryzcks and all Vadeln on leave, everyone and
everylind in Argyll :

: Is there a
war about to begin that nobody’s told us about? :

: No Vandiel,
not a war, something far more important, and exciting :

: Do you know
what it is? :

: We will learn
that when we reach Vada. All Lind are to report :

: Even those
manning the Supply Stations? :

: And the
Express :
added Zandya
: Everylind. General Command from all
Susas and the Gtrathlin :

A mystified
Ryzcka Vandiel gave the order immediately, quelling the questions
with the truthful reply that he had no idea what was behind the
recall.

“Are we to
leave our personal possessions?” asked the human half of one of his
vadeln-pairs. “Are we coming back?”

“Quite honestly
Vadeln Rodick, I don’t know.”

“Perhaps the
Argyllian Council has decided that last that they don’t need the
Vada any more,” he suggested.

“That’s the
likely explanation,” he agreed.

“We’ve all
noticed that their getting more and more aloof and unfriendly.”

“And they hate
paying the tithe,” added Vadryzka Cera.

“Hope it
doesn’t mean we’re going to war with them,” another vadeln added
his comment.

“I think we can
all concur with that sentiment,” his Ryzcka said with a reassuring
smile, “and yes Rodick, I’d take any possessions you might not like
to lose with you.”

* * * * *

-52-

DUCHY OF HALLAM
– KINGDOM OF MURDOCH

The countryside
was flashing by so fast was Kenlei running. His rider, his
life-bonded, Katie Durand was aware of trees and scrub-bushes
looming out of the gloom and then disappearing in blurred
rushes.

Kenlei’s paws
thundered across the ground. Beside them ran Danavdr, a Larg.

Katie carried a
letter in her belt-pouch, a letter destined for the senior human
member of the Avuzdel in the southern continent, a letter
containing a message of life-changing importance.

It felt to
Katie that they had been travelling months rather than the tenday
they had been on their journey.

First had been
the run south from the Avuzdel headquarter domta in southern Vadath
to the coast. There Katie and Kenlei had taken ship to the southern
continent, sailing east along the Middle Sea, through one of the
channels that cut through the Island Chain and on, not to
Charleson, the most easterly of the Murdoch duchies, but further,
beyond Murdoch’s borders to an inlet in an area controlled by the
Larg. There Danavdr had met them. They had then run back west to
just outside the eastern borders of Murdoch and beyond
guard-sight.

From there they
ran south and now at last they were approaching the eastern borders
of the Duchy of Hallam.

: Do we run
through the night? :
asked Kenlei.

: The message
is urgent. Tell Danavdr that we must run on :

* * * * *

The power core
of the WCCS
Argyll
stolen?” cried an aghast Paul Hallam as
he read the Avuzdel Susa’s letter. “This is serious. Why wasn’t I
told before?”

“We did not
know it was coming this way. Intelligence at the time was that
there was a high chance it would be recovered before it got this
far,” answered Katie.

“You sure that
they plan to take it to Fort and of the King of Leithe’s
complicity?”

“Susalai Andei
is convinced of it.”

“Can it be
detonated? Does Leithe have that knowledge? Lai’s wings. This could
be catastrophic!”

“That part of
our informed knowledge is conjecture,” Katie answered, “simple
answer is that we are not sure but we must base our strategy on the
premise that it can.”

“So where are
they?”

“Word from
those the Susa sent to look for them is that they are about a day’s
run behind but are catching up fast.”

“So where are
they?”

“Here.”

“Here? In
Hallam?”

“They’re
disguised as traders Duke Paul. The Susa asks that you send men out
to apprehend them. Any excuse will do.”

“And those sent
after them. They are Avuzdel?”

“No, a Vada
pair and another two, one of yours riding an Avuzdel Lind. A Kellen
Daniel Ross.”

“Daniel! Daniel
Ross! Here? How? Last I heard he had gone to keep an eye on those
stupid idiots who had the mad idea of colonising Dagan. How on
Rybak did he get here, from the Western Sea, Dagan, to here?”

“It’s a long
story Duke Paul. Suffice to say that there was a shipwreck before
they reached Talastown. Daniel survived and was chosen by the Susa
to help find the thief of the power core. It was thought they might
come here to Murdoch you see. Susa Andei suspected Murdochian
involvement, he was wrong, at least directly, it was the King of
Leithe so he thought it best if Vadeln Thalia and Josei were
accompanied by one who knew your country. As it happens, he was
right. We must find these men My Lord. They ride on horseback so
they ride slow, your people should be able to locate them.”

“Why not the
Avuzdel Lind and Larg themselves?

“We have had
other pilli to fry My Lord, in recent months, there are none to
spare,” said Danavdr.

“I’ve heard
nothing.”

“I have another
letter Duke Paul,” continued Katie, “it is for your eyes only. Susa
Andei told us it was time you knew. Similar letters are being
delivered to the other area leaders in the other duchies.”

Katie extracted
the second letter from her belt-pouch. “Here it is. You must read
it then destroy it.”

“Curiouser and
curiouser, must be important.”

“It is, it is
the most important missive you will ever receive.”

* * * * *

-53-

VILLAGE OF
STANTON - ARGYLL

The citizens of
the village were woken by a strange noise, a thrumming and drumming
sound, like the passage of large numbers of feet. It sounded like
an army but the thuds were not in time. It also sounded as if the
feet were passing through the village very fast.

The Ryzck
galloped past, illuminated by the moonshine twinkling off their
uniforms like a kaleidoscope of unearthly miniature stars.

One of two of
the bravest villagers dared look out of their windows, they opened
the shutters to look.

“Vada,” they
breathed. “Wonder where they are going?”

“No enemies to
fight here,” one of the watchers shouted out with a laugh and the
riders responded by raising their hands in salute.

Or was it in
farewell?

The villagers
weren’t sure.

* * * * *

-54-

THE GUILDHOUSE
OF THE TECHNICIAN’S GUILD - STEWARTON - ARGYLL

Guildmaster
Rilla stared unbelievingly at the man in Vada maroon who was
standing in front of her.

And there I was
thinking that nothing interesting ever happened to me.

Her day had
started much as it usually did. She had risen, dressed, had
breakfast. She had passed through the door that separated her
private rooms from the guildhouse proper and began to work.

The Technicians
Guild was the oldest Guild in Argyll. It’s founder had built the
multiple arrow contraptions which had helped the colonists win the
battle of the Alliance in AL 2. Arthur Knott had then persuaded a
group of men and women to locate to the then only part built city
of Stewarton on Lake Stewart to set up an organisation (which
became known as the Technicians Guild in AL 17) dedicated to the
furtherance of technical knowledge amongst the colonists.

Much knowledge
was lost during those early years. Arthur Knott wasn’t a scientist,
he would never have described himself as a learned man. He was a
blacksmith by trade and practical objects were what interested him.
What were needed were ploughs and drills, saws and hammers, weaving
looms and maize grinders, the day to day objects needed by the
embryo farming communities.

Without most
people even realising it, the more technically advanced knowledge
and theories disappeared. This disappearance was aided and abetted
by the Lai.

The Lai had
been understandably nervous about the danger than humankind might
use the knowledge that was being helped to ‘disappear’ to
manufacture weapons such as guns. At the time the Lind and the Larg
were meeting most summers in battle. Before humankind had arrived
they would travel over the Island Chain that connected the main
northern continent and the southern in search of excitement,
battle, dominance, blood and meat.

There had also
been the problem of the colonists from the WCCS
Argyll
who
had landed on the main northern continent and the convicts from the
WCPS
Electra
who had landed on the southern.

The convicts,
at the beginning of the first century, had been in firm alliance
with their Larg neighbours. If gun-making knowledge had fallen into
their hands they would have made and used the results, escalating
the blood-baths of the battles into gigantic seas of death and
destruction.

So the Lai had
ordered the Lind and some Larg to ‘encourage’ the human newcomers
to forget about this knowledge, which they had done.

From AL 607 to
AL 608, the knowledge had re-emerged. It had been needed to enable
certain humans to work out how to use the power core from the WCPS
Electra
to destroy the Dglai spaceship but afterwards, it
had disappeared again.

Now it sat on
the floor by her feet, two boxes of it.

The lost
knowledge had not only been found but it had been delivered to
her.

“Bring the
other one into my office,” she instructed the Vadeln who had
delivered the boxes and lifting the top one herself, “it’s more
private.”

She led the way
into her office and placed it on her desk.

Artem put the
other down beside it.

With a knife
Rilla prised open the seal on the first box, opened the lid and
peered inside. A pile of strange looking, she touched the top
sheet, paper with reverent fingers.

Durapaper,
that’s what this stuff is called
. There were some sheets of it
in the Stewarton Museum. It was paper that lasted forever.

“There is a
letter,” said Artem, handing it over.

“Who’s it
from?” Rilla demanded.

“I don’t know
Guildmaster and with your permission I will retire, Larya is
waiting outside.”

Artem turned
and began to walk to the door.

Rilla didn’t
notice him leave, her fingers were trembling with anticipation as
she took the single sheet of paper out of its envelope.

‘
Dear
Guildmaster’,
she read,
‘you should now have in your
possession the print-outs which were downloaded from the computer
banks of the WCCS Argyll before they failed. Use the information
the print-outs contain with care, caution and prudence.’

It was signed
Annert de Gras.

Rilla sat for a
full bell and a half alternatively re-reading the letter and gazing
at the boxes.

What is best to
do here?

She pondered
the problem.

Why had they
arrived now, of all times Rilla had no idea but arrive they had. As
one of her predecessors, Annert de Gras had indicated, they were
now her problem and she would have to deal with it.

I don’t
think we’re ready for this
, she admitted albeit with a great
deal of reluctance.
We might never be
. Her fingers however,
were itching to putt out the contents of the boxes and begin to
read about the wonders they must contain. Rilla fought against the
temptation and won the inner struggle.