Broken World Book Four - The Staff of Law (25 page)

“
All the horrors...” Law muttered.

“
Because there are no laws.”

“
And if I put them back...”

“
Order will be restored,” Chanter finished for him.

“
And tens of thousands will die.”

“
You do the will of the gods. Their deaths will not be your
doing. Your reward will be your sight.”

Law
considered. “I can’t do this alone, Father. I’ve never been able to
open my eyes.”

Chanter nodded
and transferred his hand to Law’s forehead. “I will help you.”

Law gripped
the foot of the staff, and Chanter closed his eyes. A faint frown
tugged at his brows, then he opened them, and at the same instant,
Law’s eyes flew open. A moment passed, and then Talsy gasped as
golden fire flowed from Law’s eyes in a brilliant stream, running
up the staff in a swirling mantle of flame. It reached the topmost
line of writing and sank into it, filling the carved letters with
bright fire. The second line filled, then the third, faster and
faster as the thousands of lines flooded with gold. By the time the
lines halfway down the staff had filled, the topmost line had
become dark once more. She bit her lip, wondering if this was going
to work, or whether it was yet another false hope that would come
to nothing. The fire continued to pour from Law’s eyes, and he
gasped as he clung to the staff, his face a rictus of pain. Chanter
stared blankly into space, his hand pressed to Law’s brow.

The last
glimmer of golden light fled Law’s eyes, and he jerked back as if
released from an invisible force, closed his eyes and grimaced.
Chanter helped him to sit back on his haunches, and he pawed at his
face as if burnt. The golden fire sheathed the lower portion of the
staff, flowed into the lines of writing and vanished.

Law forced
himself to relax. His mind was numb, empty without the golden words
that had dwelt there all his life. It seemed a dark and hollow
place, crying out for light. He opened his eyes a slit, and light
flooded in, bringing startling images the likes of which he had
never imagined. Grey walls, red curtains, and the golden face of
his father Mujar. He looked around at the dusty silver, flickering
candles, and smiling faces of a flaxen-haired woman and a dark-eyed
man.

“
All my life I have lived in darkness, guided by the Powers
alone,” he murmured. “To see the world is a wondrous
gift.”

“
Indeed,” Chanter agreed, “and now it’s yours.”

Law grinned,
delighted with his newfound sense. He gazed around the room and out
at the brown clouds that scudded across the sky. Chanter rose to
his feet as Law examined his hands, holding them up to the light,
and then went to the window to gaze across the valley. When he
turned from the view of sweeping green fields and snow-capped peaks
a minute later, Talsy studied the staff with what he surmised was a
worried expression.

She gestured
at it. “It’s gone.”

“
No, it’s still there,” Chanter said, “but it will take some
time for the staff to regain its power. What Law carried in his
head was just a tiny fraction of the staff’s original fire, enough
to contain the laws, nothing more. When the staff was broken, its
fire dispersed across the world, and we have put back a seed that
will grow in time to its former strength. Patience is all we need
now.”

“
How long?”

“
I don’t know. A week, a month, does it matter?”

She smiled.
“No. We did it!”

“
Yes, we did. You and Law, actually. You restored the staff, he
carried the laws, you rescued him and brought him here, and he put
them back. The rest of us only helped.”

“
We couldn’t have done it without you.”

“
Perhaps not, nor without Kieran or the Aggapae. Everyone did
their part. But it was your faith that put it all into
motion.”

“
How will we know when the staff has regained its power?” she
asked.

“
When it rises up.”

Chapter Ten

Law revelled
in his new sense, discovered the joy of flight and roamed the
valley on long wings. He became popular with the people of the
valley, whom his joyful ebullience and youthful zest for life
entranced. His joy bubbled from him like a font of delight,
infecting those around him with laughter and happiness. He
discovered a love to dance, and often indulged in long leaping
frolics across the meadows, at times joined by the horses. His
unusual energy made Chanter smile and shake his head at his antics.
At times the older Mujar would become a little impatient with him
when he bounced into the castle as if he had springs on his feet,
but no one could deny him his happiness, nor disregard his
extraordinary grace.

Chanter taught Travain how to control his
tallana
, showed him a little of the
warmth and affection he craved, and filled many of the gaps in his
knowledge. Travain could understand Mujar speech, but not speak it,
could control his
tallana
, but not sense it, change his
shape, but only to what he had seen. He seemed to have half of
everything bestowed upon Mujar, and, under Chanter’s tutelage,
learnt to control two Powers at once, but no more. His sullenness
diminished, and he grew into be a more likable person, showed
respect and consideration for others and helped freely when
asked.

For a month,
the Staff of Law remained dull on its velvet bed. Talsy checked on
it every day, willing it to return to its former power. After a
month and a day, the staff began to rise. At first it was just a
few inches, but each day it rose a little more. When the head of
the staff was halfway between its bed and the roof, Travain brought
a blushing Aggapae girl to the castle and announced his intention
to marry her. Talsy warned them to wait until after the restoration
of the laws. No change had occurred in the chaos outside, so they
knew that the staff had not started to order the world again yet.
Travain reluctantly agreed, since that day was not far off now.

Law told them
that his true name was Dancer, revealed to him now that the golden
fire was gone from his head. Chanter seemed well pleased,
mysteriously referring to ‘the three’. When Talsy questioned him,
he explained that there were only three Mujar names, Dancer,
Drummer and Chanter. All Mujar bore these names, and, at the end of
the testing, they would fulfil their purpose and destroy the Hashon
Jahar.

Two months
after the restoration of its fire, the Staff of Law swung upright,
its foot leaving the ground. They gathered around to admire it, the
lines of writing now filled with golden fire.

“
Will the laws be restored to the world now?” Talsy asked,
gazing up at it.

Chanter
addressed the staff for the first time. “Staff of Law, when will
order be restored?”

Fiery words
scored the air with hissing power in the presence of two Mujar.
“Only when the one who speaks the law wields me.”

Talsy
translated the staff’s writing for the benefit of those who did not
understand it, then frowned at Chanter. “What does it mean?”

“
The only one who can speak the laws is Dancer. He must wield
the staff.”

The young
Mujar shook his head. “But I don’t know what to do.”

“
The staff will teach you,” Chanter stated.

Dancer sighed.
“I thought I had done my part.”

“
Just one more task.”

“
And make it quick,” Travain urged. “Then Danya and I can get
hitched.”

“
Hitched?” Dancer enquired.

“
Married.”

“
Ah, that strange Lowman tradition.”

“
Well at least I don’t have to go and find some big smelly
flower.” Travain chuckled.

Dancer and
Chanter looked at each other, and Chanter smiled. “He doesn’t know
what he’s missing.”

“
You don’t know what I’ve got,” Travain said. “Trueman love is
something Mujar should have too. It’s you guys who’re missing
out.”

Chanter
glanced at Talsy. “Yes, perhaps you’re right. We have our own kind
of love, strange to you, but we can only guess at Trueman
emotions.”

She turned
away, gazing up at the staff. The light-hearted banter died, and
Travain looked chagrined by his thoughtlessness. “So when do we do
it?”

“
Whenever Dancer is ready.”

“
What do I have to do?” Dancer asked.

“
Staff?” Chanter redirected the question.

The golden
fire wrote, “Each law must be spoken in its god words, then again
in a language of your choice. As each law is intoned, so must my
foot touch the ground. The laws must be spoken in their rightful
order, beginning with the first law, and ending with the last. Once
started, the recitation of the laws must not end until the final
one is spoken. As each law is spoken, that order will be
restored.”

“
What about the laws within your broken areas?”

“
These exist like all the others. The breaking of the stone
that binds them does not annul their power.”

“
But how will Dancer read them?” Chanter enquired.

“
I will write each law as it must be spoken.”

“
And what form must you be in?”

“
My present form is the one of power.”

Chanter turned
to Dancer. “You should rest and indulge before you start, the
reading of so many laws will take several days. The chosen will
want to bear witness.” He glanced at Talsy, who nodded, and went
on, “I shall prepare a room for the ceremony and take the staff to
it. When you’re ready, we’ll begin.”

The young
Mujar glanced at the staff, his expression a mixture of awe and
fear. “It seems odd that I should be the one. After all, you’re the
chanter, Father.”

“
I cannot speak the laws, only you understand them. This is the
instruction of the staff.”

“
I know, but I’m young,” Dancer said.

“
I’ll be there beside you, never fear.”

Dancer nodded,
then left, presumably to find a quiet spot for his preparations.
Talsy took Chanter’s arm when he would have followed, drawing him
aside.

“
Walk with me in the garden, I have questions for
you.”

Chanter gave
an exaggerated groan of despair. “Not more!”

Talsy led him
to the secluded garden, a warm, sunny place between the castle’s
tall grey walls and the mountain’s green slopes. A cool breeze
circulated the air, one of the many wind spirits who dwelt within
the valley and stirred its warm ethers. She settled on the bench in
the dappled shade of the young peach tree, patting the stone beside
her. Chanter sat with a sigh, closed his eyes and raised his face
to the sun.

“
Why is Law nervous about wielding the staff?” she
asked.

“
Because he’s young, he lacks confidence. The staff has much
power of its own, but when it’s wielded, it will draw from him
too.”

“
Will that tire him?”

“
No, not tire, but maybe weaken. He must open himself to the
two Powers of the staff, Dolana and Crayash. The fire is no
problem, but Earthpower, as you know, weakens Mujar if they use it
for too long or in too great quantities. He’ll have to be careful;
the staff’s Dolana is very strong.”

She gazed at
him. “Why did Law call you ‘the chanter’?”

“
Because that’s what I am. Law is the dancer, Travain the
drummer, and I am the chanter. I have told you that at the end
there will be three, and that all Mujar bear these names. They are
not only names, but also define our purpose at the end of the
testing. Travain is the drum bearer, who will mark the time and
cadence, Law will perform the sacred steps of the dance of
destruction. I will intone the god words that end the testing and
destroy the Hashon Jahar.” He opened his eyes a slit and winked at
her. “You’ll be there to see it.”

“
Then what will happen?”

He shrugged,
closing his eyes again. “Then the chosen will be free to return to
their homes and take up their lives, obeying the laws of this land,
and not their own. This is our gods’ way of adopting you. After the
testing, all those who remain will live in harmony with this
world.”

“
And their offspring?”

“
Them too.”

Talsy mulled
this over, then plucked up the courage to ask the question that was
really bothering her. “What will happen to Travain?”

Chanter opened
his eyes to gaze across the garden. “Travain will live.”

“
How can he? He’s a crossbreed.”

“
He’s half Mujar. The staff does not have the power to kill
him.”

“
But Law called him an abomination, the worst crossbreed of
all.”

“
He’ll be changed,” Chanter admitted reluctantly.

“
How?”

“
I don’t know. He’ll survive, but he won’t be the same, that’s
all I know.”

“
The staff would know, wouldn’t it?”

“
Yes.” He sighed. “Ask it if you wish, but knowing his fate
won’t change it. Do you really need to know before it happens? And
if so, why? Would you tell him?”

“
No.” She contemplated the castle’s tall turrets with their
long streamers of winding, wind-whipped blue silk. “But his birth
wasn’t a mistake, I know that now. You three are the only Mujar
left, and you’re needed for the end of the testing. If Travain
hadn’t been born, there would be no drummer.”