The Lodestone Trilogy (Limited Edition) (The Lodestone Series) (83 page)

“Kelanni Fear What They Do Not Understand.”

She looked up at the Chandara. “What?”

“It Was A Place Like This. With Animals. Keris Told Me, ‘Kelanni Fear What They Do Not Understand’. Young Kelanni Dragged Me Out. Threw Stones. Keris Rescued Me.”

“What’s it talking about?” Rael asked.

“I don’t know. Something that happened during its time with Keris.” She placed a hand on its carapace and frowned. “It’s shivering.”

Rael got down on his haunches next to her. “Is it cold?”

“I don’t think so. I think it’s frightened.” She pulled her blanket out of her pack and wrapped it firmly around the creature. “It’s all right,” she soothed. “No-one will hurt you. We will come for you as soon as we can.” Boxx laid down and put its head on the floor. Shann glanced at Rael. “Is there no way we could take it with us?”

Rael shook his head. “It wouldn’t be safe in Lechem.”

“Then I’ll stay here with it.”

“You can’t,” Rael objected.

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

“You don’t understand,” he said. “I need you with me if we are going to get the replacement avionic.”

“But why–?”

“Because my father would never lend it to me if I turned up on my own. However, I don’t think he would refuse if you were there.”

Shann felt confused. What father would refuse their son help, yet freely give it to a stranger? She sighed. “All right, but whatever happens, we come back here first thing tomorrow, agreed?”

Rael stood up. “Agreed.”

~

The suns were close to setting by the time they entered the town of Lechem. Shann judged it to be somewhat smaller than Kieroth, but there were the same globe-shaped lights set on poles at the side of the street, the same floating carriages and the same fur-clad people. She couldn’t help but be reminded of the time she had first arrived in Kieroth with Boxx. Then she had been alone and afraid. It felt like a lifetime ago.

She was drawing one or two stares. The flying cloak and staff were important tools–assets that she was reluctant to dispense with. Nevertheless, it might be wise to acquire clothing that would allow her to blend in a little more, at least when she happened to be in a populated area. As they turned a corner, she stopped dead in her tracks. Coming toward her were two individuals in distinctive blue suits with oddly shaped silver staffs slung across their backs.
Drach.

Shann grabbed Rael by the arm and pulled him back around the corner. “What are you doing?” he protested.

“Shhhh, didn’t you see them?”

He pulled his arm away. “See who?”

“The drach. They’re here.”

“Well, of course they’re here,” Rael said. “They protect people from the beasts that live in the hills, remember?”

“But they might be looking for us,” she hissed. Rael turned away from her and rounded the corner once more, eluding her grasp. “Stop. Where are you going?”

She threw her hands up in the air and ran after him. The blue coated watchkeepers were standing outside a glass-fronted clothing shop. They regarded the tall boy and the girl in the black cloak curiously. One said something to the other, but they made no move to approach. When she and Rael had passed by and were out of earshot she let her breath out slowly. “That was close.” She smacked him on the shoulder. “Why did you do that?”

“I told you before. I’m not running from them.”

“But what if they should recognize us? We can’t afford to be taken back–not now.”

He rounded on her. “Look, Shann. I’m not like you. I can’t do all this cloak and dagger stuff.” He looked her up and down, realising what he had just said. “Sorry, no offence.”

She looked down at the ground. “No, I’m the one that’s sorry–for involving you in all this.”

His face brightened. “That’s all right. If I hadn’t come with you, I would never have discovered a major ancient site or opened up a whole new area of lodestone technology. And…I enjoy your company.” She had no opportunity to reply. “We’re here.”

They were before a wooden door in a side street off the main thoroughfare, away from the bustle of townsfolk and the hum of passing phaetons. Rael knocked lightly. The door opened, and a slight woman with silver grey hair and a harried look answered. When she caught sight of Rael, her frown only deepened. “Rael? What are you doing here?”

“Hello, Mother,” he said.

~

Shann was growing more perplexed by the moment. Here was a mother who had not seen her son in…how long? Yet there were no cries of welcome, no hugs, no happy smiles. She felt as if she had suddenly barged in on a solemn commemoration of hariath-sharana, or whatever ritual these people observed for those that had died. The woman led them through a narrow hallway to a sparsely furnished sitting room with plain wooden walls. It was warm, but the atmosphere was distinctly chilly. “This is not a good time.” The woman sounded as if she were rebuking Rael.

“It never is, Mother,” Rael returned. “Where is Father?”

“He’s at the workshop; he should be home soon. Please try not to antagonise him. Work has been difficult of late.” She seemed to notice Shann for the first time and attempted a smile. “Who is your lady friend?”

“She is not my ‘lady friend,’” Rael corrected. “This is Shann. Shann, my mother, Espen.”

Shann bowed slightly, adopting the formal custom of her world. “Greetings and honour be to you, Lady.” Rael’s mother appeared nonplussed.

“Shann is…we are engaged in research,” Rael added by way of explanation.

“I see. Well, best not mention that to your father. You know how he feels about your work.”

Another door opened and another young man entered. He was as tall as Rael, but more filled out. “Rael, what are you doing back here?” he asked.

Rael turned to Shann. “This is my elder brother, Adrak,”

“You never told me you had a brother,” Shann blurted out.

“That’s right,” Adrak said. “He’s ashamed of us and what we do, aren’t you, Rael? He thinks he’s better than us.”

“Th-that’s not true. I…” Rael shrivelled up before her. It was as if he were suddenly back at the observatory, being lectured by Hannath. Shann’s impulse was to take Rael by the arm and leave right away. But they were here for a purpose.

“So this is your girlfriend? Interesting costume. Is that the fashion in Kieroth these days?” Adrak was leering at her in a way that made Shann take an instant dislike to him. She longed to draw her staff weapon and cut him a new smile. “How come a pretty girl like you has taken up with a waster like Rael?”

Rael’s mother intervened. “Please, please don’t fight. Your father will be home soon.”

Adrak ignored her. “Why are you here, Rael?”

Rael looked trapped. “I…I just–”

“We need to borrow an avionic,” Shann broke in.

“Why? Where are you going?” Adrak demanded.

Shann had a moment of inspiration. “If we can borrow the aircraft, we will be gone tomorrow morning.”

Adrak shrugged. “Good enough for me. Personally, I’ll be content to see you on your way. But you’ll have to ask Father. Well, I must go. Some of us have real work to do.” He turned on his heel and left.

Rael’s mother stood rooted to the spot, her eyes flicking back and forth. She looked like a trapped animal. “I…I’m sorry. Your father will be back soon. I’m sorry.” She retreated from the room in disarray.

Shann tried to face Rael but his eyes were still fixed on the floor. “What’s going on? What’s wrong with your family?”

Rael met her earnest gaze. “Nothing…everything…I’m sorry, Shann, it may have been a mistake to come here. I don’t know that I can face Father again.”

She placed an arm on his shoulder and smiled. “Don’t worry. We’ll face him together.”

<><><><><>

Chapter 24

“You want to what?” The big man rose out of his chair, looking like a vara-cat ready to pounce. “You want to borrow our avionic? Are you mad, boy?”

Rael looked as if he was trying to make himself as small as possible. “No…you see, I…”

Adrak rose from his stool to stand beside his father. “Ask him what he did with the avionic he came here in.”

“I…there was a-an accident,” Rael stammered.

The older man made an unpleasant sound in his throat. “Did you hear that? An ‘accident’. You certainly have your share of accidents, don’t you, boy? Everything you touched when you were here was an accident.” It was horrible–like watching an animal being baited. Yet that was not the worst of it. In the eye of the maelstrom, Rael’s mother sat, looking down at the hands folded in her lap as if they didn’t belong to her. Saying nothing. Shann’s sympathy for the woman’s plight was rapidly being replaced by a growing feeling of anger at her cowardice, that she could sit and do nothing while her son was being torn to pieces. The old man continued to rant. “You are useless, boy. You never made the effort to learn any practical skill. You were content to live off the rest of us while you pursued your high and mighty ideas. You never gave anything back to this family. Now you come here making demands?” He glared at the boy from beneath thick brows. His tail swished back and forth. “Well, say something.”

“I’ve had enough of this.” Shann stood up. “Come on, Rael, we’re going.”

“Shann, we need–”

“We’re wasting our time. There’s nothing for us here.” She headed for the door. Rael followed meekly.

“So you’re just going to run out on your family responsibilities again,” Rael’s father called after him. “You’re no good for anything, boy.”

Shann turned to face him. Thick set and barrel-chested, with arms like thick hawsers, the grizzled old man towered over her menacingly. Shann planted her feet wide in a defensive posture.
I’ve faced worse things than you.

Rael’s expression turned from one of hurt to one of alarm. “Shann, don’t…”

But she was not going to be denied. “You. You are his father? You should be ashamed of yourself. You don’t even know who he is. You are jealous of him because he’s smarter than you are. He is kind and compassionate, and one day he’s going to be a great man–greater than anything you could ever hope to be. You don’t deserve him. None of you do.” She turned away and headed for the door. “Come on. Rael, let’s get out of here.”

The boy followed her out into the street. It was cold and the stars were out. She gazed up at them. What were once terrifying points of light had now almost become familiar friends. She began to retrace their steps.

Rael caught up to her. “Where are we going?”

“For a walk,” she said. “To clear my head.”

They strode between lambent pools cast by streetlights, and then out into the main thoroughfare. It was almost deserted. “I’m sorry,” she heard Rael say. “I should never have taken you there. I thought…”

She placed a hand on his arm. “It doesn’t matter. We’ll make it somehow. We don’t need them.”

He smiled down at her. “You were amazing.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t think anyone has ever spoken to my father like that…ever.”

“Well, it’s about time somebody did,” she retorted. “He’s rude and abusive. Sorry, but I had to say something.” She picked a direction and began walking. “I don’t understand how you ever managed to live there.”

Rael matched her stride. “It wasn’t always like that. I can remember some happy times when I was younger. But Father’s work began to go sour. He became more and more frustrated. In time he started taking his frustrations out on my mother and me. He was right about one thing–I have no practical skills. I tried to help at the workshop, but…I don’t know. I made a mess of everything I touched, and that just seemed to make him angrier. At the same time Mother became anxious–withdrawn. It was as if she was dying a little more every day. Then something unexpected happened. Without my knowing it, the educator had sent my work to the Scientific Directorate in Kieroth. I was suddenly invited to take up a position as Hannath’s apprentice. Father strongly objected to my leaving. I almost turned it down.”

“Why didn’t you?” Shann asked.

“It was Mother. She came to me and begged me to leave. I remember how she clung to me and wept. That same afternoon I left for Kieroth. I haven’t been back–before today, that is.”