The Lodestone Trilogy (Limited Edition) (The Lodestone Series) (87 page)

She had retired to marshal her arguments. Then the last thing she could have anticipated happened–Shann and the others had turned up. She had been delighted to see that Boxx had survived–the girl too. But it was not the time for overt displays of emotion. She needed a way to keep them in check while she figured out her next move.
There is no more effective paralysing agent than the fear of impending death.
Yet now as she cast her eyes around the dimly lit cavern and the silent ranks of Chandara, she was reminded the threat was real and that it was hanging not just over those three, but over all of them. It was the price of failure.

The aged Chandara emerged from the ranks of the other creatures and stood before her, leaning on its gnarled staff. “You Have Brought Strangers Among Us.”

“I know two of them,” she admitted, “but I did not bring them here. They…I believed them to have perished on our journey here across the sea.”

“Then Why Have They Come?” the creature asked in its thin, high voice.

“They are here for the same reason I am. To learn the whereabouts of the instrument. Annata preserved it here for us–for the Kelanni to use.” Keris raised her voice so that all in attendance could hear. “I ask that you reveal its location in deference to her memory, and out of respect for all that she tried to do for your people.”

There was a high-pitched murmur among the assembled throng. Finally it was the older Chandara that spoke again. “Root And Branch Are Not The Same. Kelanni Of Before Are Not Kelanni Of Now. One Is A Preserver. The Other A Destroyer.”

“The ‘Kelanni of now’ do not seek your destruction,” she insisted. “What has happened to you is…a great sadness. But I do not believe my people are responsible.”

“Kelanni Despise Chandara. Does Keris Deny This?”

It was neither the time for deception, nor for false promises. “I admit that some among my people do not treat Chandara with kindness or respect. Yet that is because they have not come to know your people as I have. The only future for both of our races is for us to work together and learn to trust each other, as we have in the past.”

“Before Is Lost To Us.” The old Chandara’s voice quivered. “Gone With The Death Of The Great Tree. There Is Only Now.”

“Before Is Not Lost.” Keris started at the voice from behind her. She spun around to see Boxx standing erect, eyes as bright as coals. “I Am Sent By The Chandara Of My World. I Bring A Gift.” Boxx shuffled past Keris before she could react and took up a position before its wrinkled counterpart. Slowly it raised its upper forelimb, hand outward, three digits splayed open. The old Chandara raised its forelimb and placed its palm against Boxx’s palm. Keris took a step back as a soft luminescence appeared where their palms met. Their mouths rippled silently. The creatures surrounding them stood stock still, watching the display without reaction. Then, just as suddenly, the light died and the two Chandara from different worlds parted hands. Keris was filled with a strange feeling of reverence, as if she had just witnessed a miracle.

The old Chandara addressed her. Its voice sounded stronger, somehow. “I Would Speak With Boxx. I Ask That You Wait Outside.” Keris bowed once and exited the chamber. She did not relish the thought of losing control–of placing her destiny in the hands of another person. But it was apparent that Boxx had somehow made more of a connection to these creatures with a “handshake” than she had managed in two days of fruitless negotiations. Keris was astute enough to realise that she should not attempt to interfere. Yet merely making a connection was not enough. They needed the location of Drani-Kathaar, the place of testing.

Aeons passed. Finally, Boxx emerged alone. It stood erect on its hind limbs and cocked its round head to one side. “Keris, Please Follow.”

Keris fell into step. “Where are we going?”

“First We Go To Collect Shann And Rael. Then I Wish To Show You All Something.”

“What are you going to show us?” Keris asked, intrigued.

“Something No Kelanni Eyes Have Ever Beheld.”

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Chapter 27

As soon as they turned into a connecting tunnel that represented one of the spokes of the wheel-shaped network, Keris realised their destination–the Inner Warren, the very hub of the Chandara complex.

“Boxx,” Keris hissed, concerned as to whether any of the creatures might be listening. “The…chief of your people warned me. No Kelanni are permitted here.”

“It Is All Right, Keris,” Boxx trilled. “We Have Agreed. Kelanni Must See If They Are To Understand. Each Must Trust The Other If We Are To Survive.”

And you communicated all of that with a handshake? Some handshake.
Their footfalls sounded hollow against the smooth stone walls. Several of the shelled creatures shuffled past, but did not react to their presence. The passage bent gradually to the right. A light appeared ahead of them, which grew into an opening, and they finally stepped out into a high chamber.

Keris squinted in the dazzling illumination that flooded down from above. Set into the ceiling were a profusion of the light-bearing vines, ending in bulbous appendages that shone like tiny suns. As her eyes grew accustomed to the brightness, she looked to the centre of the immense chamber and was unable to stifle a gasp. Occupying the middle of the cavern was…a Great Tree. It was far smaller than the full-grown Trees in the forests of Illaryon and Atarah, but it was here, unmistakeable. Growing in the midst of an underground cave.

Luxuriant purple foliage shone in the overhead illumination. Dozens of Chandara were moving around and over the spreading Tree, climbing its trunk or scurrying along its leafy branches, like courtiers attending their sovereign. As she watched with a growing sense of wonder, she saw the boy Shann had called Rael move out into the chamber ahead of them, eyes as wide as the cavern itself. “This is…incredible,” he breathed.

“It’s beautiful,” Shann said.

“This That You See; This Is Our Beginning.” Boxx extended its forelimb, taking in the wide chamber. “Seed And Eggs Are Placed In The Warren. The Eggs Hatch. The Seed Breaks Forth. Hatchlings Sustain The Tree. The Tree Sustains The Hatchlings. The Tree Grows; Pushes Up Into The Sun’s Light. Chandara Move With It, Plant The Forest. The Tree And The Forest Are One. The Chandara And The Tree Are One.”

“
Symbiosis
,” Rael blurted out. The others regarded him curiously. “It’s talking about symbiosis. Like…like flowers and insects, for example. Flowers provide insects with nectar, and at the same time, rely on them for pollination. Some flowers even rely on particular insects. Yet…something’s not right here.” He turned to Boxx. “These are not hatchlings, are they?”

“No, Rael,” Boxx answered.

“What does that mean?” Shann asked.

“I’m not sure, but the life cycles of the Chandara and their Great Tree are intertwined somehow.” Rael gazed at the subterranean tree and the shining nodules overhead. “The young Chandara nurture the seedling, provide it with light energy. But symbiosis is two-way. What benefit do the Chandara receive?”

“The Tree Is Memory. All The Memory Of The Chandara From Before. From The Deep Lore Of The Forest To The Movements Of The Stars. From The Passing Of The Seasons To The Flow Of Heat And Cold. From The Times Of Ice To The Times Of Fire.”

“You mean your racial memories are stored within the Tree?” Rael probed. “How far back? From before the Goratha?”

Boxx raised its head. “From A Time Before The Kelanni Existed.”

Rael looked as if he had just been poleaxed. “Th-that’s impossible.”

“Why?” Keris demanded. “How long ago are we talking?”

“Thousands of generations. Millions of turns…if what it’s saying is true. But even so, there must be something else,” Rael mused. “Memories are important, but they are not essential for survival.”

“They Are, For We Chandara,” Boxx chimed in.

“How so?” Rael asked.

“We Change. We Eat. We Remember.”

Rael put a hand to his forehead. “I don’t understand. What does that mean?”

“My Time Approaches. You Will Know Me No More.” Boxx said.

Shann looked stricken. “You…you mean you’re going to die?”

“Chandara Stay By Their Tree. It…Sustains Us–Lengthens Our Existence To Match The Span Of The Great Tree Itself–So That Our Cycles Coincide. If We Are Away From Our Tree For More Than A Small March Of Days, Our Cycle…Moves Faster. My Time Will Come Soon, Before That Of The Others. And There Will Be No Great Tree For Me. My Essence Will Be Lost.”

“If you need a Great Tree, why can’t you use the one here?” Rael suggested.

“This Tree Is Immature. It Will Not Possess The Ability To Preserve Essence For Many Turns. When The Time Arrives For These Chandara, Their Tree Will Not Be Ready. They Too Will Die.”

“Then why did they plant it?” Keris regretted the question as soon as she asked it. It sounded somehow irreverent.

Boxx however, did not seem to be disturbed. “The Tree And The Chandara Are One,” it piped. “Chandara Have Lived With The Tree Since The Beginning. It Is Our Way.”

Keris looked at the others. Rael, the tall wiry boy from this world who seemed to be full of answers, suddenly had none. He was frowning, staring at the floor of the cavern. Shann’s eyes were averted. She seemed close to tears. Keris too felt the sadness welling up in her chest. She, who found it so difficult to relate to members of her own race, had somehow formed a connection to this odd creature of the forest. The idea that it might soon be gone…“Is there anything we can do to help?” she asked.

“Yes, Keris.” Boxx dropped to all sixes and trotted toward the middle of the chamber. The others looked at each other, then followed in silence. The creatures tending the Tree stopped at their approach as if responding to an unspoken command. Boxx stood on its hind limbs, reached up and touched the bole. It was smooth, new wood–far different from the ancient folded bark of the Tree in the Forest of Illaryon. It found a particular spot, then its mouth began to ripple slightly. A soft glow appeared between its palm and the trunk of the Tree. At length, the lambency ebbed and Boxx withdrew its forelimb.

Keris stepped up to the shelled creature. Instinctively, she knew what had happened. “You have given this Tree your memories.”

“Not Just My Memories, Keris. The Memories Of My Tree. That Is The Kablos–The Gift.” It looked at each of them with an expression Keris could not read. “Annata Told Us How The Great Tree Here Had Died Along With The Forest And How She Led Chandara Here To Preserve Them. But Annata Did Not Know–Did Not Comprehend–That The Cycle Had Been Broken. That The Chandara Could Not Survive Without Their Tree And The Memories Within. I Was Designated Boxx To Save Kelanni. But I Was Also Sent By My People To Help Chandara Here. To Carry The Gift.”

Shann smiled, though her eyes were still wet. “So the Chandara here will survive, now?”

“No, Shann.” Boxx cocked its head to one side. “Two Things Are Needed For Life. One Is A Reason To Live. The Other Is The Means. I Have Given Them A Reason. Kelanni Of This World Must Give Them The Means. When The Time Comes, Kelanni Must Promise To Provide What The Tree Cannot.”

“And how do we do that?” Keris asked.

Kelanni Must Put Aside Fear And Distrust. They Must Take In Chandara. Nurture Them. Feed Them Their Essence.” It looked at each of them in turn. “I Have Told Chandara Here You Will Make The Promise.”

Keris was beginning to see where this was heading. “And in return, they will reveal the location of Drani-Kathaar.”

“No, Keris.” It felt like a mild rebuke. “Chandara Here Have Already Told Me The Where Of The Place Of Trials. They Will Provide Food For The Journey And An Escort As Far As The Edge Of The Plateau.”

“But, how do they know whether we–whether the Kelanni will agree to help them?” Rael asked.

“I…Shared My Memories Of You All. The Fellowship. The Trust. My Trust Is Now Their Trust.”

“Yes, but what about the rest of my people?” Rael continued. “How can you be sure they will cooperate?”

“You Will Share Your Memories With Them.”

“I’m not sure that will be enough to convince them. But I will do everything in my power to try,” Rael declared.

Shann stood next to the boy and raised her head. “As will I.”

Boxx turned to the tall woman. “And You, Keris?”

Keris gazed over the wide grotto, the vegetal lights shining down from above, the native six-limbed Chandara and the living miracle of the hypogeal Tree. By the time her eyes alighted on the little forest creature once more, they were resolute. “I will make the Kelanni here cooperate,” she said, “even if I have to beat their heads together to do it.”