The Age of Light (The Ava'Lonan Herstories Book 1) (13 page)

the last light of eve gave way to its
darkness...

The
Great
Laine
had been transformed for the
Salaka
.
All the levels of the tiers had been raised so that the floor of the
Laine
was now one giant expanse of turquoise and lavender marble. The cream marble
walls between the enormous, gold trimmed
elerine
tusks that supported the
Laine
were draped
with hangings patterned with ancient symbols and
yoni’do
-hide
shields bearing the devices of all the wuman Tribes of
Ava’Lona
.
The tusks themselves, starting well below the foundations of the
Laine
and arching inward high above to meet over the center of ellipsoid hall, were
the anchor-points for the strings of decorations that hung the length and
breadth of the
Laine
. Large scintillating jewels and
ethereal chandeliers hung suspended in the air, slowly turning,
jadine
and deepest sapphire, rose ruby and the blackest jurose-blood
ruby
catching the light and throwing it to all corners of the room.

The formal arrangement of seats was replaced with a
serpentine table that snaked in intricate coils around the
Laine
.
At regular intervals there were nests of cushions for the Queens.
Each Queen had a curve of table bracketing her where she could lay out any
desired assortment of delicacies within easy reach. Around each such place
setting were arrangements of flowers of every possible type and color and
fragrance. The
Laine
was a riot of color and
splendor. Beside each place was a small planting of each Tribe’s ancestor tree,
to which libations could be made.

Between the many turns of the table were empty
spaces where the Queens could mingle and talk
at leisure. Musicians had camps set up along the walls of the
Laine
.
The table’s biggest space occurred in the center of the
Laine
where it formed a long, wide “U”, that dipped almost all the way to the
platform of the High Throne and back to the other end of the Laine. In this space
the entertainers would perform; the royal dance troupe, the storytellers, the
theatrical troupes.

Cooks had also put up little settlements of their
own all along the table, where portable hibachis and stone ovens were hot and
waiting, ready to fill any Queen’s culinary desire. Fish and fresh meat under
rites of preservation surrounded the chefs, along with raw tubers and
vegetables. Runners, waiters and servers stood about alertly, prepared to dash
to any crowned head to take back requests to the cooks. Their eyes moved
endlessly over the crowd.

The table itself was filled almost to overflowing,
in the spaces between the Queens, with
non-perishables and fruit under preservation rites. Fine rare wines and cheeses
complimented breads and pastries; bowls of yams,
tanyas
,
and sweet potatoes crowded platters of
dashin
and fig. The
smell of roati and pineapple tarts mixed with coconut tarts, sugar cakes, sugar
fudge and guava cheese. Tamarind stew, cherry stew and
fereen
set mouths watering.
Sorrel
, ginger beer
and
maubi
flowed freely into golden
calabash
cups.

Soku looked about her, watching the undercurrents of
interaction throughout the
Laine
. The air of
the feast, she noted, though subdued, was still filled with gaiety and the
celebration of life that the People naturally fell into, despite the previous
turn’s events.

And sitting in the middle of it, like an island
surrounded by continents that were just beyond the horizon, was Tokia sul
Ottanu. Still under the shield of disgrace, she interacted only marginally with
the people and festivities around her. This was not unusual, for those in
disgrace most often might as well not be present. Tokia ate little and spoke
not at all; her only participation in the observances was to make libations to
her ancestor tree, the
boalo
, very close
to the High Family’s tree, the
boabi
.

Soku puzzled over the tiny piece of trivia. The
implication was that Tokia claimed close kinship to the High Family. She chewed
over the possible significance of that. Might it have something to do with
Tokia’s designs? And how many others had noticed the implied tie? Foolish
question - how could they not?

Her thoughts derailed, for just then Fanlai sul
Xuli, on her way past Tokia, gave the slightest of nods. That brought Soku to
attention. She kept a careful watch of all who approached the Ottanu from then
on and what they did, saw that Tokia did the same. And she also marked,
throughout the eve, that Tarien, Ikoyu, Inla, Jesith, Tiria and Oloru, all the
Queens who had stood to make objections, had, in some way or other, made an
acknowledgment to Tokia sul Ottanu. It was all carefully random and
circumspect, of course, and any one not looking for a pattern would not have
seen one. But with the intrigue at the
Bolorn
, all were
watching closely for exactly that. All knew that something was afoot, and the
pretense of haphazard contact really did not cover the true message of the
“random” greetings. It instead showed a trend of views supporting the
opposition that Tokia represented. Many other Queens,
who had not made objections, or at least not formal ones (including Itil)
followed suit, showing support by acknowledging the Ottanu’s presence in some
way. With some it was a mistakenly brushed
dav’ri
gem that accidentally called Tokia’s - the excuse was that the Queen in
question was talking about Tokia or thinking about her when the careless hand
accidentally brushed the unnoticed gem. With others, a significant glance, or a
slight smile. Some even used hostile glances, but no one was fooled, especially
not Soku. Any communication, even hostility, was an overture to Tokia. If one
wanted to show a lack of support, one ignored Tokia, not glared at her. Most of
the Queens did exactly that, taking no note of
Tokia’s existence. But she had a definite group of sympathizers. And almost all
of them were Lesser Queens.

Soku wondered at the reasons and ambitions behind
Tokia’s challenge. It was clear that she was behind the objections raised at
the
Bolorn
- but why? Why cause disruption that might well divide the Realm when what it
needed most at this time was unity? Why try to cast aspersions on the Heir when
what she needed right now was unvarying support? Why try to undermine the High
Queen’s position? Soku sighed. The logic of the High Queen’s Voices had been
incontestable; or rather, they should have been. The protests raised held no
water, really, but two unalterable circumstances loaned support to Tokia’s
unstable platform. The first was the fact that the situation they possibly
faced, the
Turo’dan
, was not an outside, purely
physical threat, such as could be faced and overcome with a united front. The
Turo’dan
heralded a totally unknown, all-encompassing threat that hinted ominously at
the inevitable destruction of
Ava’Lona
and their
whole way of life. That had many badly frightened, especially those who would
face that unknown threat first. The fact that the High Queen, whom they loved
and trusted, would not be there to hold them together and to lead them, left
many feeling uncertain, and some even a little betrayed. Instead of the steady,
firm, and tried hand of Audola, the People would be in the inexperienced hands
of the Heir, whose ways they did not know. Certainly they would
get
to
know her and trust her readily enough, or they would have, if not for Tokia’s
meddling. Which led to the second unsavory pillar that loaned Tokia’s position
more strength than it should have had: the unexplained absence of the Heir. The
fact that the High Queen had answered the challenge with personal affront
rather than something stronger put her in the weaker position, casting doubt
upon herself and the Heir. Tokia seemed to have the right of it, that there was
more going on than was being told. And she had, by her words and actions,
implied she knew that untold story; she implied that she knew that the Heir had
shirked her duty to appear before her future subjects, a thing that did not
inspire confidence in the Heir’s ability to rule.

Soku continued her observations, taking care to keep
her scrutinizing covert. She had no intentions of accidentally make any kind of
gesture that could be misinterpreted as showing support. She nibbled absently
at a meat patte, letting her eyes wander, slightly unfocused, as though bored
and waiting for the next bout of entertainment.

Lines, though vague and tentative, were definitely
being drawn in the sand. True, Tokia had only a small group of outright
supporters, but that could change, when the Heir finally appeared to defend
herself. She would have a core of opposition against her that could harden into
a fully developed
Yakan’tsu
. Under
the right circumstances there was no telling how large this group might grow,
gathering new causes and supporters, perhaps even going as far as dividing the ranks
of the Queens. Was that what Tokia was aiming
for?

The thought was chilling. Soku prodded at the
consequences and implications of such a happenstance as she took a delicate
bite of patte, not tasting the juicy meat or the light, flaky crust. A division
between the Greater and Lesser Queens could mean disaster for small Tribes like
Soku’s; she would be forced to choose sides or risk being absorbed or
obliterated in the cross-fire. None of the options available would be
favorable, for though she was absolutely loyal to the High Queen, she was a
Border Queen, farthest from the High Queen’s influence and heavily dependent on
her neighbors. All Border Queens were. If the contention Tokia was causing
reached that level, Soku’s Tribe could well be in danger of its existence, for
she would not stand against the High Queen, and could be ostracized if her
neighbors disagreed. And being ostracized by one’s neighbors out on the Border
was unpleasant at best, and outright deadly at worst. Hers might be absorbed by
another, stronger Tribe, which was no better than slavery, the likes of which
had not been seen in
Ava’Lona
since the
appearance of the
Tru’Av’ru
. Any
other option led to the death of her Tribe. But standing against the High Queen
was treason, and the only sentence for such a crime was death.

Such a thing could only be stopped even before it
started, and it had made a good beginning here at the
Bolorn
.
But how could she, a Lesser Queen of a Border Tribe, stop such a thing? She
thought as she answered friendly hails and made polite conversation. She could
not join the Central
’lon Yakan’tsen
that explicitly supported the High Family - that would win her disfavor among
her Border sisters faster than anything. Besides which, they would not have
her. Perhaps if she created her own
Yakan’tsu
around
something totally unrelated, made up of others she knew to be in the same
circumstances as she? Soku rolled the idea slowly around in her mind, and it
picked up other ideas along the way, until a plan of sorts began to form. She
gestured for her Voice to come forward.

Barajini
approached, knelt beside Soku.

“My Queen?” she said, spreading her arms, awaiting
her matriarch’s pleasure.

“Barajini,” Soku said, not looking at her advisor.
“Sit. Eat with me.”

Unsurprised at the summons, Barajini drew one of the
satin cushions nearer and sat cross-legged upon it, reached for a pineapple
tart. She knew her Queen had concerns. Nibbling on the crust, she let her eyes
rove the festivities as Soku was doing. She waited for Soku to speak further.

“Tell me what you see, Barajini,” Soku said into the
silence between them.

Barajini did not glance at her Queen. She had long
ago extricated from within herself the urge to do so when Soku made an unusual
request, but at this moment the advisor was sorely tempted. It was difficult,
sometimes, when the Queen decided to be circumspect, to anticipate what type of
advice to prepare. She knew that her Queen had been brooding over something and
would eventually call for her advice, but she had no idea what the Soku wanted
her to see, besides what was plain to see, that among the Queens
sides were being taken. So she sat quietly, taking in the panorama, letting
whatever patterns there might be unfold upon her senses.