Survivors: Book 4 Circles of Light series, page 20
Even to Chevra’s apolitical eyes, it had grown apparent that the Councillors Bajal and Fental were more eager to do Vorna’s bidding than his. The Grand Harbour Master stood up, rubbing his backside. He began to pace round the Chamber, his feet vaguely following the mosaic patterning of the floor tiles. He knew the Council of Mages considered him a blustering simpleton. It suited him most of the time to let them think they ran Harbour City, but now this trouble with Wendla had arisen. And he would be making the decisions.
Vorna had always been pleasant to him, treating him in a mildly maternal fashion; but Chevra was not the fool he seemed. Vorna had recently become more insistent that he heed her advice above his other Councillors – discreetly so far of course, but he was aware of it nonetheless. He knew Fental and Bajal were her creatures to the marrow of their bones. And now Taseen had taken himself off, gods knew why.
Chevra believed not a word of Tavri’s sorrowful account of the old mage’s desperate illness. But it left only Tavri, Sheoma and Lessna to balance against Vorna. Chevra had faith in Tavri and Sheoma but held some doubts about Lessna’s inclinations. If Lessna chose to vote with Vorna and her minions, they could force their decisions upon him. And Vorna was not interested in any dealings – warlike or not – with Wendla. She was deeply involved in some investigations of an archaic nature: Chevra had heard mention of the Bound Ones.
Gods and goddesses above and below! The senior most mage left at his Council wasting her time chasing mythical ghosts! Vorna had stormed into his apartments last night on her return from her estates, arriving at a most inopportune moment too. She had curtly dismissed his companion and demanded to know where he had hidden the sacred ones. By the time she’d left after ascertaining that he had no idea what she was talking about, it had taken him most of the night to persuade that rather luscious companion to stop sulking.
Despite his denials to Vorna, Chevra had heard of the sacred ones being seen in the City. As Grand Harbour Master he attended rituals in many of the different temples scattered through the City, but he had been born to a family who followed the Way of the Elder Races. His childhood had been punctuated by the rituals and festivals devoted to the Way and that devotion remained, albeit in private now rather than in public.
Most people in the Palace, including the Councillors were virtually unaware of Chevra’s cousin Harrip. Harrip was adopted by Chevra’s parents when his own were lost at sea. When Chevra married the previous Grand Harbour Master’s daughter Eorlas and moved into the Palace, Harrip went too. If he was noticed he was vaguely thought to be Chevra’s personal servant, or secretary. In fact he did fill those positions but he was also Chevra’s eyes and ears both within the Palace and throughout the City.
Harrip ran the most extensive network of informers of any Grand Harbour Master. He had begun it when Chevra’s trading business interests first grew successful. Chevra still had a huge business of course but Harrip had diversified: his informers brought him news not only of rival merchants but also of the manoeuvrings of the leaders of various independent minded islands. Harrip learnt of the party of nine strangers arriving at the north central gate within moments of their appearance.
Two white cloaked sacred ones and seven others: one woman and one man taller than any seen before. He had been unable to infiltrate the temple precincts but that gave him no cause for concern: like Chevra, he did not believe a priest of the Way would shelter anyone threatening the security of the City or the lands of Malesh. But when the priest Taza summoned a chairman, it was Harrip himself who drew Taseen to the docks. So of course Chevra yelled at Tavri’s playacting lies over the matter of Taseen’s ill health.
Now Chevra dropped back onto the carved throne. What could Taseen be up to? If only the old man had given a hint of what he planned! Coming to a decision, Chevra bellowed for a guard. One of the doors opened and a head peered in.
‘Fetch Councillors Tavri and Sheoma. No – wait. Tell them to meet me in the Garden of Harmony. At once.’
The door closed and Chevra stared down at the pile of papers in front of him in disgust. He snorted, pushed them further down the table and went off to the Garden to await Tavri and Sheoma. The Garden of Harmony was a large space encircled by stone walls. The southern wall was part of the battlements, remnants of the earliest Palace buildings. The inner walls contained Palace apartments and corridors. Small trees and shrubs formed a twisting maze, their blossoms of yellow, red and white reflected in an oval pool at the Garden’s centre. The pool was lined with blue, yellow, red and white tiles – the four colours of harmonious life.
The air was cool this early in the day and the smells of moist earth mingled with that of the flowering bushes. Chevra squatted by the pool, peering in at the great gold and white fish that swam languidly through the stalks of the water lilies. He glanced up as Sheoma and Tavri came round the last curving bank of shrubs.
‘Attractive things but dreadfully boring,’ he remarked.
Before either mage could respond he stood up. Staring down into the pool, he asked very softly: ‘Can Vorna hear or see us?’
Both mages grew still then shook their heads.
‘She could if she wished but at present no one over looks us.’
Chevra shot a quick glance at Tavri. ‘I want the truth. Why has Taseen taken ship? He took one of the sacred ones with him, one who no longer wore his white cloak. But where is the other?’
Chevra turned to face them squarely. The blustering, yelling Grand Master was now a serious man studying them with more intelligence in his eyes than had ever been noticeable in any Council gatherings.
‘Sheoma, would you make sure we are not – overheard?’ Tavri asked.
He drew a deep breath. Then he told Chevra everything. Since Chevra became Grand Harbour Master, Taseen had commented many times and with some admiration, that he suspected Chevra of being nearly as devious as himself. Taseen’s last letter instructed Tavri to be honest with Chevra should he ask questions, and so he was.
Both Tavri and Sheoma were ruefully aware that old Taseen had been correct: Chevra was no fool. His face remained expressionless while Tavri recounted all he knew of the nine strangers who had entered Harbour City. When Tavri finally stopped speaking the sun had just lifted above the battlements, warming the perfumed air to a heady intensity. Small birds hopped down to the edge of the pool then fled back under cover when Chevra moved. He gave a wry smile.
‘Some of that I already knew, but there was much I did not.’ He looked up at the Palace’s inner walls. ‘Harrip will arrange someone to be with each of you – a runner or a servant, so you may let me know anything more of Taseen’s travels.’ He paused. ‘Is the old man serious about Vorna’s plans? Is what she’s doing truly that dangerous to us all?’
Sheoma smiled. ‘He is serious. She is putting us in the most dreadful peril.’
Silence fell again, broken only by the soft sound of the water circulating into the pool and occasional rustles among the leaves.
‘The Council gathers shortly,’ said Chevra at last. ‘Let us see what Vorna suggests next. I will have to shout at Koolis I’m afraid.’ He started along the path leading back into the Palace.
Sheoma and Tavri followed more slowly.
‘If only Taseen could reply – I can scarcely reach him now. I’m not able to hear his thoughts – I can but tell him a brief message and get myself back.’
Tavri nodded in sympathy. ‘Even messenger birds would be useless. We have none trained to go beyond Dawn Island.’
He referred to the furthermost inhabited island of the eastern archipelago. Harbour City traders commonly used birds to carry messages from the City to their home islands and vice versa.
‘The Wendlan mages seem able to send their minds this far – but how can that be?’ Sheoma picked up her pace in frustration.
‘Even Taseen hadn’t heard of such an achievement for centuries,’ Tavri told her. ‘He believes the Wendlans have taken the study of mental arts in a different direction to us and have been encouraged to do so since they isolated themselves after the last battle. He only knew a couple of Wendlan mages personally at that time and he said they were far more able to focus specifically in many areas of power whereas Taseen had been trained more generally.’
They had passed the more crowded sections of the administration complex and entered the quieter corridors leading to the Debating Chamber and to Chevra’s private apartments. Guards stood outside the great double doors of almaz wood, which they pushed open to allow the two mages through. Vorna was already seated and smiled benignly when Sheoma took a chair opposite. Bajal was scribbling in a small notebook and Fental was browsing through a sheaf of papers. Sheoma scarcely had time to return Vorna’s greeting before the doors opened again to allow Lessna to rush in just in front of Chevra. The guards didn’t have time to close the doors properly as General Koolis arrived with the Commander of the Coastal Defenders.
Chevra ignored the faint murmurs of greeting from Fental and Bajal and waved the General and the Commander to chairs at the furthest end of the table.
‘You will take a third of the mustered armsmen to the northern borderlands,’ Chevra announced.
Koolis’s florid complexion darkened, his long moustaches quivered.
‘They have just been recalled from there sir,’ he said with amazing restraint.
‘Then send them back,’ Chevra snapped. ‘I have heard a rumour to the effect that the desert tribes are about to launch a more concerted attack on our border villages. Not just raiding by small groups but a massed attack.’
Koolis’s face was a rich purple by now. ‘How do you know?’ he demanded. ‘I have informers in the region and they have sent me no such word.’
Chevra gave him a nasty smile. ‘Perhaps your informers write their reports sitting safely by their fires rather than checking the borders themselves. I have given you your orders General. Put them into effect at once.’
Bristling with fury, Koolis stamped from the room, a faint growl emanating from him.
Vorna smiled. ‘Grand Master, you really shouldn’t upset the poor man so. I fear his health won’t stand such teasing.’
Chevra stared at Vorna. ‘Upset him? Tease him? I gave him an order. The man’s a fool but his officers have even less sense so I’m stuck with him. Perhaps you should remember that, as Grand Harbour Master, I speak as I choose.’
He turned his attention to the Commander of the Defenders’ fleet, ignoring Vorna’s frown at the reprimand he’d given her.
‘Bavvis.’
The Commander’s expression was wary as he awaited Chevra’s orders.
‘I want three defenders ships moved to the Palace wharf. I will inspect them later this afternoon.’
‘As you wish Grand Master. Do you want them ready to sail?’
Chevra glared at him. ‘Well of course I do.’
Commander Bavvis rose, bowed and departed.
At last Chevra sat down staring at his six Councillors.
‘I’m surrounded by idiots,’ he declared loudly.
Vorna had charmingly invited Lessna and Sheoma to dine with her that evening. Lessna accepted but Sheoma pleaded lectures to prepare. Vorna accepted her refusal with a smile but her eyes were calculating. Sheoma kept a bright expression on her face while a shiver slid down her spine.
That evening she walked through the upper corridors of the Councillors Wing of the Palace to Tavri’s apartments. Perhaps she should have accepted Vorna’s invitation she mused. But she had arranged to meet Tavri to consider some means of contacting Taseen.
Sheoma had never much liked Vorna. The woman always made her feel unsettled. As apprentices, Sheoma and Lessna had both been approached by Vorna who offered to take them as her disciples. Sheoma instinctively declined, although she was wise enough to phrase her refusal in terms of the deepest regret. Lessna had also refused, citing her strong calling to the healing arts and botanical sciences. Sheoma suspected Lessna would have liked to have been Vorna’s disciple – for the wrong reasons. Vorna was second in age only to Taseen but was widely considered to be the real source of political and magical power within the Council.
Lessna found political power rather tempting but common sense had prevailed. She continued to work and study under Sula, the highly esteemed healer mage who had refused a place on the Council years ago. Sheoma paused at Tavri’s door, glancing down at the young girl beside her. She had appeared at midday, saying simply that Harrip had sent her. Now she gave Sheoma a slight nod.
‘Harrip sent one of us to the Mage Tavri. I will sit with him and wait while you visit Mage Tavri, if that suits, Mage Sheoma?'
Tavri ushered Sheoma through to his workroom which adjoined Taseen’s rooms. Sheoma felt the slight tingle as she broke the warding Tavri had set across the door. She slumped into a battered armchair and waited as he reset the minor shielding.
‘A lesser shield?’ she queried.
He chuckled. ‘That’s what it seems at a cursory glance. But beneath is a major shielding.’
Sheoma kicked off her sandals and tucked her feet beneath her. She grinned suddenly.
‘Did you see Vorna’s face when Chevra said he was surrounded by fools?’
‘Taseen was right about him though, wasn’t he? I never quite believed him.’
‘I have had no luck trying to back track Vorna’s movements on her estates – have you?’
Tavri sighed. ‘Not a thing. Again, Taseen never told me the precise locations of the Bound Ones but from hints I’m sure one of them must be near Vorna’s estate. He said to me once, that she made a tremendous effort to obtain those estates from Xantip the Fifth. The main estate belonged to Xantip’s third son and when he died of summer ague, Vorna claimed the estate to be the only suitable place for a Mage Councillor of her standing.’
Sheoma did some mental arithmetic. ‘You mean she may have been trying to release the Bound One for nearly four centuries?’ she asked in horror.
‘It proves how powerful the spells constructed by Taseen and all those mages who died actually were,’ Tavri retorted.
‘When did Taseen first suspect what Vorna was up to?’ asked Sheoma.
‘I don’t know – maybe less than a hundred years. But so much of his power was dissipated in that last battle, power he has never regained.’
They sat in silence for a time, Sheoma imagining, really for the first time, how it must feel to be Taseen: to have lost that sublime link that connected mages to an immense living force. She shivered at the thought. How could he bear it?
‘How much does Chevra really know?’ Tavri interrupted Sheoma’s reflections. ‘I have to admit that I don’t think even Taseen suspected Harrip of keeping Chevra quite so well supplied with information.’
‘Why did he want ships brought to the Palace wharf?’ Sheoma remembered Chevra’s order to Commander Bavvis. ‘Would he send someone after Taseen do you think?’
Tavri handed her a bowl of tea and sat down opposite her. ‘I cannot see the point of that. They’d never catch three ships from the pirate islands that have so many days head start anyway.’
‘May I introduce myself?’ a male voice asked politely.
Sheoma and Tavri froze. They could find no mind trace within the room and Tavri’s shielding was still in place, its alarm not activated.
‘My name is Grek and I am known to Taseen,’ the voice continued. ‘He asked if I would warn Sheoma that either a Dragon or the air mage whom I believe you met, Maressa, will attempt to far speak you. He felt you might be somewhat alarmed unless you were forewarned.’
‘Erm, yes, I see. Perhaps I would,’ Sheoma agreed, her eyes wide. ‘Who ARE you?’
‘I told you. My name is Grek and I am unbodied. I have no physical body to hold me tied to any particular place, thus I can travel far and fast. As a matter of fact, I seem to do little lately except travel far and fast.’ The voice sounded mildly disgruntled.
‘May I ask what happened to your body?’ Sheoma was sure she was dreaming – this conversation was not truly taking place. Was it?
‘I was unbodied long ago but have since shared the bodies of many Sapphreans – the people beyond the great desert. I did them no harm and they had no idea I was present within them. Until the last one.’
Now the voice tone was tinged with – regret? - remorse? Sheoma couldn’t tell.
Tavri finally collected his wits. ‘Why can you not carry our messages to Taseen then?’
‘I am not just a messenger,’ Grek replied frostily. ‘I have other things to do. In fact I must be on my way now.’
‘But can you not at least tell us where Taseen is now? Or where you have to travel?’
Silence met Tavri’s questions and after waiting in vain for a while, they realised Grek must indeed have left them. The silence drew out, both mages deep in their own thoughts.
‘There are too many strange things happening for them to be coincidence,’ said Sheoma. ‘Gijan, Dragons, the strangers who came through the desert. And did anyone ever know of the great valley those strangers told of? Why were they led through it to meet the Ship they spoke of and then allowed to come to Malesh? But at the last they had to fight the men sent to guide them. Although why the desert men waited until they’d nearly left their lands before striking I’m not sure.’
‘Well obviously it would look as though the strangers had tried to enter the desert rather than be leaving it should any find their bodies. I wonder if that attack was ordered by the man in the Dome or was it just an impulse?’
‘It was the name Gan used that worried me most,’ Sheoma frowned. ‘The people call themselves after one of the Bound Ones – how many times must that name have been spoken, calling him awake again?’
Tavri rubbed his forehead. ‘Does Vorna know of the desert valley and its occupants?’
