Return to Eddarta (20 page)

“You have it, gladly,” he said. “It must be a matter of extreme importance.

It’s a damn good thing she warned me to stay out of it,
I thought, as I watched Tarani open the small box and take out the Ra’ira.

She told them the whole story. The only thing she held back was the fact that she and I were both human-Gandalaran blends. She covered that in her description of our encounter with Gharlas, saying only that we had discovered that we had a kind of natural immunity to compulsion.

She told them about Tinis too—now known as Ferrathyn.

“I
am
convinced,” she said, with the faintest possible smile flashed in my direction, “that Tinis has the real stone. He also has command of hundreds of vineh, possibly with the capability to control an army of people. From what we learned of him in the All-Mind, he has a great capacity for anger. Would anyone doubt that his anger is aimed at Eddarta?”

Three people shook their heads. Hollin was pale.

“Regaining control of the true Ra’ira has become more than merely a task to which Rikardon and I are committed, to which we feel destined. It has become an imperative defensive measure for Eddarta, to which I am newly committed, and to which I feel destined.

“I
must
leave today for Raithskar, and I cannot say when I shall return.”

Nobody had bothered to sit down. The three of them woke from the near-trance induced by Tarani’s story. It was Indomel who broke the silence.

“High Lord,” he said, with a tone of contempt carefully calculated to be tolerable, “I understand why you have chosen to tell Hollin all this. He is an able administrator, and would have been my choice for so sensitive a matter.”

Well, live and learn,
I thought.
The kid does have some good sense.

“And Zefra,” Indomel continued, “is your mother, and it is fitting that you share confidences with her. But I—I, sister, am your opponent and your enemy. Why am I here this morning?”

“You and Zefra,” Tarani said coolly, “are here for identical reasons. Hollin will have all he can do to keep the Lords working toward the goals we have outlined, without having to be concerned about the two of you. You are ambitious, each of you—for different purposes, in different directions, yet you are alike in this.”

Zefra sputtered with outrage; Indomel smiled.

“One, I wanted you both to know that this”—she tossed the stone—“is worthless, so you will not kill each other trying to get it, after I leave.”

This time, Indomel laughed out loud. Zefra crossed her arms tightly against her chest and snapped her mouth shut.

Tarani was not blind to her agitation.

“I would do this more gently, Mother, if I had the time; I have already explained that there is too little time as it is.

“You two,” she said to them, “are the key to the Lords working well with Hollin. I know that you each have established contacts, owed favors, and the like, within the families. If you wanted to undermine my position during my absence, it would be easy for you.

“I want you to
confirm
my position,” she said. “Squelch rumors of abandonment, encourage belief that I will be back, that my commitment to Eddarta continues. If you work your contacts in my favor, Hollin’s job will be much easier.”

“Why would we do that?” Indomel asked. “Why, in particular, would
I
do that?”

“Because it is the price of your remaining in Eddarta,” Tarani said. “You must agree to two conditions, or I will leave orders for your transport to the Lingis mine.”

I think everybody except Tarani gasped.

“You will be given no duty,” she said, “but you will be kept isolated, with a special guard of six men—more, I hope, than even both of you could control through compulsion at one time.” She smiled. “You will be in comfortable quarters, I shall see to that. But you
will
be living in the same quarters.”

After contemplating the Lingis vision for a few seconds, Indomel growled: “What are your terms?”

“First, that you use whatever influence you have only to support me and the programs I have initiated.”

Zefra spoke up first. “Agreed, daughter,” she said sweetly, all trace of her agitation vanished. “I would have done so in any case.”

“Indomel?”

The boy walked away from the others, turned back, shrugged. “Agreed,” he said. “The second term?”

“You must each give me your promise that you will not use your mindgifts
in any way
during my absence.”

Zefra flinched, and Indomel laughed.

“Ah, that hurts, does it not, Mother? A vow to support your daughter does not restrict you from trying to destroy your son—is that why the first condition pleased you so?”

“Indomel,” Tarani snapped, “do you agree to the second term?”

The boy straightened his face. “Yes, I agree,” he said. “And I am as little happy with it as Zefra.”

“Mother?”

Zefra glared at her son for a moment, then sighed and relaxed. “Agreed.”

“Hollin, I hold you witness to their acceptance of those terms, and appoint you as the sole judge of their compliance or violation. You are empowered to implement the Lingis arrangement at any time you deem it necessary.”

Hollin only nodded, looking a little awed.

“Meanwhile, remove the guards from their rooms. They shall live in this house as part of my family, not as my prisoners, as long as they meet the stated terms.”

“All understood, High Lord,” Hollin said.

She sighed heavily.

“Then all is done, and I may go. Goodbye.”

She hugged her mother, touched Hollin’s shoulder, but offered Indomel no gesture. He looked surprised, and then he smiled. “I begin to believe, sister, that your tenure as High Lord will be an interesting time.”

—
I withdraw our minds from the All-Mind, and now mine from yours… .

—
Your body is tense. What troubles you?

—
Anger, Recorder. I had only begun to see the deceit and misdirection Ferrathyn had applied, with regard to the “missing” Ra’ira. And I had not yet accepted that the kindly old man who had inspired my trust had ruthlessly manipulated and endangered an entire city.

—
Be calm. Rest. Your anger will find expression during the next session.

—
Recorder?

—
Yes.

—
Thank you, again, for reminding me of the importance of the Record.

—
You are welcome. Now sleep.

Vicki Ann Heydron met Randall Garrett in 1975. In 1978, they were married, and also began planning the Gandalara Cycle. A broad outline for the entire Cycle had been completed, and a draft of
The Steel of Raithskar
nearly finished, when Randall suffered serious and permanent injury. Working from their outline, Vicki has completed the Cycle. Of all seven books, Vicki feels that
The River Wall
is most uniquely hers. The other titles in the Cycle are
The Glass of Dyskornis, The Bronze of Eddarta, The Well of Darkness, The Search for Kä
, and
Return to Eddarta.

THE GANDALARA CYCLE
(with Vicki Ann Heydron)

The Steel of Rathskar

The Glass of Dyskornis

The Bronze of Eddarta

The Well of Darkness

The Search for Kä

Return to Eddarta

The River Wall

THE LORD DARCY SERIES

Murder and Magic

Too Many Magicians

Lord Darcy Investigates

all available as Jabberwocky ebooks

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