The struggle for authori.., p.32
The Struggle for Authority, page 32
There was a time when one of the stones lay in my hand for a moment. Young and foolish I was, and greatly desirous of possessing it, though every opportunity was denied me. Now I am old, and wiser, and content with my lot in life. Who could envy those who bear the burden of such a gift?
* * *
The witness ended thus. My account concerning the ancient manuscript is accurate in every particular and my translation faithful and true. I, Randolf of Clerbon, swear it on my life.’
‘In the unrelenting passage of years since the scribe lived and breathed, many things have changed, and some remain the same. The role of the rock in shaping kingdoms, revealed in the manuscript, has never ceased. The true history of Arvenon and the surrounding kingdoms is incomplete without reference to the stones of power.
Such fateful talismans—how they haunt my dreams! Ever have I sought them, but alas, thus far to no avail. Much lore have I gathered concerning the three—the Stone of Vitality, that grants well-being and life beyond the span of other men, the Stone of Authority, that bestows power and influence for good or for ill, and the Stone of Knowing, that lays bare the hearts and motivations of others. I record here but a small part of this lore, in order that my labor shall not prove entirely vain, that my research shall not crumble to dust with my mortal body.
What, then, can be said of these stones? They respect neither rank nor status. They surrender their power impartially to saint and sinner alike. Certain boundaries do, however, encompass those who bear them. The potency of a stone is diminished by afflictions of the body or the spirit, especially when a stone is new to the bearer. Familiarity increases their virtue, though bearers assume fearful risks with overuse.
Such is the witness of those who lay greatest claim to discernment about the stones.
Nevertheless, overuse has never been chief among the perils confronting those who bear a stone. The principal danger has ever been the lust of others who desired the stones for themselves.
A stone fails of its purpose if a bearer has been killed to acquire it, no matter who carried out the murder. The same failure ensues if a stone is taken without consent.
Such limitations have never deterred the unscrupulous, though. The most cunning among them have ever recognized the futility of force, and sought instead to obtain the stones using fear and intimidation. That history must needs be told.
First, though, it is necessary to faithfully chronicle the properties of the stones. I will describe each in turn, for though their lineage is common, their likeness and behavior vary considerably.
The Stone of Knowing is said to be little bigger than a man’s fingernail, smooth to the touch, and colored brightly with azure and magenta tones. The stone grants admittance—full and unfettered—to thought, intent, and motivation of every person upon whom the eye of the bearer falls. Certain parchment fragments, perplexing in nature, hint that even animals and birds lie within its reach, at least in small measure.
No memory from the past is safe—every secret buried deep must be surrendered to its power. The stone may offer glimpses of what is to come, but with no certain assuredness, since many a fork in the road awaits the traveler who journeys to the future.
An extraordinary weight bears down upon the hand that cradles this stone. It is said that, of the three, the Stone of Knowing holds the greatest potentiality for good or evil, depending only on the character of the one who bears it.’
* * *
Will paused, shooting a glance at Thomas.
“The other scroll ended there,” Thomas told him, his voice taut with emotion. “It had been torn.”
Will didn’t respond. Bending down to the scroll once more, he continued to read aloud.
* * *
‘The Stone of Authority, likewise tiny in size, is reported to be colored gray with flecks of red, and in shape round like the sun and flat like a thick strip of leather. The stone bends all created things to the will of the bearer. Of things living, humans are most to be feared, and they have ever been the chief targets of its power.
The human will can gradually be bent by the stone, shaped to the will of the bearer. All are susceptible, though none can be compelled to act against their deepest beliefs or their own character.
No fool is made wiser, nor do the wise become fools. Leaders lead, workers toil, and soldiers fight as ever before. The will alone is affected. The will is neither expunged nor obliterated, rather it is tutored to new purposes. A crowd is impervious to influence; wills must be tutored one at a time. Most claim that two weeks is sufficient.
The Stone of Authority is a perilous stone to possess. The tight link between the bearer and the person influenced by the stone is broken if the bearer dies or loses the stone. Where this is understood, the bearer of the stone quickly amasses enemies among those determined to release the ensnared.
The Stone of Vitality is unremarkable in appearance, dark gray in color and resembling a crescent moon in form. Unlike the other stones it has no direct or indirect impact on anyone but the bearer. It conveys long life, good health, and extraordinary vigor, although it cannot offer protection from death or disfigurement by violence. Such strange tales surround this stone. Rumors of improbable healings and even resuscitations abound, to the point where it is impossible to separate fact from hearsay.
Having described the stones, a final task remains. I undertook to record a history of the dangers faced by those who possess a stone, and I do so now.
At first, those who possessed the stones made no attempt to keep them secret. They perceived no cause for nervousness, since reports had spread abroad that to take a stone by force was wasted effort. A stone becomes available to another only when received as a gift from the bearer, or when found after the bearer has lost it or died. As already noted, the bearer’s death must not have resulted from an attempt to acquire the stone.
Thanks to these protections, anyone fortunate enough to possess a stone openly enjoyed its benefits without consideration of consequences, just as the wealthy have always flaunted their riches in full sight of the poor. This state of affairs could not long persist. The stones awaken a hunger that is fiercer and far more dangerous than any lust for riches.
Taking a stone by force was impracticable, but incidents arose to test the boundaries of the forbidding. I learned of a father who gifted a stone to his son. After witnessing the use to which the gift was put, he repented of his decision and wrested the stone away, wholly against the will of his son. As expected, the stone thereafter failed to work reliably on his behalf. Nevertheless, at occasional moments of particular need it did indeed function as before, even if in lesser measure. Outcomes were alike for other individuals in similar circumstances. Such reports encouraged the unscrupulous to probe every limit with ruthless fervor.
Men and women without conscience, perceiving they had nought to lose, multiplied threats and intimidation in their lust to gain possession of a stone. In time it was seen that almost any abasement could be visited upon stone bearers to induce them to yield up their prize, without compromising the power of the stones. The solitary constraint was one of volition—the bearer must be allowed to retain the stone until they wearied of duress and handed it over willingly. If the bearer was stripped either of the stone or of their life at any moment before agreeing to relinquish it, then the transfer proved of no more value than an extraction by force.
Not surprisingly, any bearer possessing the tiniest ounce of wisdom soon went to considerable lengths to conceal their possession of a stone. The effect of the stones, though, is surpassingly difficult to disguise. How can such power be reliably hidden? None with insight could mistake the obvious signs, provided only that they were acquainted with the history of the stones and their behavior.
In time it became impossible, even for those with wealth and power, to long possess a stone with any expectation of security. Such conditions must persist until the stones are altogether lost to memory, forgotten by the world.
Surely that situation has arisen even now. Where are the stones today, and who among the living remembers them still? Though I yet seek them with unwavering fervor, hope has long abandoned me.
My account ends here. May the scholar who stumbles upon it derive greater benefit from this lore than I have myself.
Randolf of Clerbon.’
* * *
When he had finished, Will put down the scroll and took a deep breath. It was obvious to him that he had barely begun to understand the complexities resulting from possession of the stones.
Thomas sat silent, lost in his thoughts.
Will’s musing was interrupted by Amyra. “Such nonsense!” she scoffed. “I hope we came here for a better reason than this.” When neither of her companions responded, she stared at them strangely. “Surely you don’t take this seriously!”
Will and Thomas exchanged glances. The expression on Thomas’s face seemed unusually guarded, and Will guessed that he was anxious to avoid his secret being exposed.
A frown slowly appeared on Amyra’s face. “Even my mother wanted to hear anything we discovered about small stones,” she said, apparently speaking to herself. “She can’t have meant fables—she would never be taken in by such idiocy!”
Thomas directed a sharp look at her, but she didn’t notice. Pushing herself purposefully to her feet, she shook her head in disgust. She marched out of the building, her chestnut brown locks dancing furiously about her face.
Carefully rolling up the scroll, Will returned it to the librarian, thanking him politely for his help.
Realizing that his guest was preparing to leave, the librarian ceased his conversation with Kaemin abruptly. “Surely you cannot have finished!” he exclaimed to Will in dismay. “We have so much of interest here to a scholar like yourself. Some of our historical records date back hundreds of years! They are more valuable by far than the fables you have been studying.”
“I’m afraid I am not the scholar you imagine,” Will assured the librarian with a smile. “Arvenon does have true scholars and librarians, and I don’t doubt they would gladly explore your treasures for as long you would allow them to. I’m sure they would be pleased to return the favor, too, if you were willing to travel to Arvenon.”
After waving Thomas out of the building, Will quickly followed him. The librarian was still pressing them to stay as they emerged into the sunlight.
It was painfully obvious that Inyaet was starved of human companionship. Will wasn’t surprised. He would have gone mad this far from human habitation, perched on the edge of a ravine, and spending every day among the rubble of a ruined citadel.
Inyaet looked on glumly as they climbed once more onto the rickety bridge. They inched their way out across the void, trying not to look down at the raging torrent below.
As soon as he reached the other side Will looked back for a final glimpse of Inyaet. The librarian seemed small and pitiful standing alone at the base of the derelict fortress, surrounded by the debris of a forgotten age.
Raising his arm, he sent a farewell wave. When Inyaet’s arm rose in response, Will turned away.
Haldek appeared before they reached the horses. “I’m sorry for not joining you, Will.”
Will didn’t mind at all. The fewer people who knew about the scroll the better. “Don’t concern yourself, Haldek,” he said, smiling and slapping his friend lightly on the back. “The bridge was already rickety enough without you on it as well.”
Will’s thoughts were racing as he swung into the saddle. The scroll had given him plenty to think about.
He pulled his horse alongside Thomas. “Based on what you and Elena learned from Tarestel before King Delmar executed him, it seems likely that Agon has the Stone of Authority,” he said.
“I agree,” Thomas replied. “I’ve always believed that Drettroth saw a copy of the scroll. If Agon has seen it too, he will have been using the information to full effect.”
Will nodded. “It did offer one potential encouragement. If Agon loses the stone, whatever he’s done to Pisander and Eisgold will immediately be undone.”
35
The soldiers led Will and the others back to the main road. When they reached the junction, Kaemin bade them farewell. After they had thanked him he rode away with one of the soldiers, returning to the place where they had met.
The remaining three soldiers then led them in the opposite direction.
Amyra preempted Will’s question by announcing, “We are heading to the location where a diversion is being prepared.”
Her tone made it clear that she wasn’t at all pleased about the Aen-ur placing themselves at risk in response to his request.
Will held his peace. It was hard to suppress a wave of irritation at her attitude though. None of this was intended to benefit him personally. Why did she continually feel the need to resist him?
They rode until daylight faded slowly around them and the trees were reduced to dark masses. Then the soldiers spotted a marker that pointed to another of the wayfarers’ cabins, and they turned aside from the road to find it.
Thomas had been noticeably restless since they left Ishitar Ataye. After the soldiers had shared around some food, Will invited Thomas to join him outside.
“Did the missing section of the scroll answer any questions for you?” Will asked him.
“It completely explained what I experienced after taking the stone from Simon,” Thomas replied.
Will decided to be direct. “Something’s bothering you, Thomas.”
Thomas stared into the dark. “Hearing the scroll in full wasn’t easy. It’s clear that things didn’t end well for anyone who had one of the stones. There was nothing vaguely hopeful about it.”
It wasn’t hard for Will to guess what his friend might be feeling. Thomas had a family now. He wasn’t responsible only to himself.
“And the stone has brought you to Rogand. You’re in danger again because of it,” said Will.
Thomas said nothing.
“I’m the one who’s responsible for putting you at risk,” Will acknowledged.
“No,” said Thomas, shaking his head, “I’m responsible. I’m the one who’s always insisted on keeping it.” Thomas met his eyes. “You’re not asking me to do anything you’re not doing yourself. You’ve faced danger more than anyone.”
It was Will’s turn to shrug. “There have always been compelling reasons.”
Both of them fell silent.
Will wanted to promise that he’d never call on Thomas again. Just as soon as this crisis was over. But he couldn’t do it. He knew better than anyone that another crisis would always be lurking around the corner.
“Let’s get some sleep,” he said. “We’ll be glad of it in the morning.”
Thomas nodded, and they headed back into the cabin.
* * *
No road had ever been built to connect the ancient road of the Aen-ur with the current main road from Rog. Accordingly the pace of Will’s party slowed painfully once they left the ancient road and headed into the forest. From time to time they came upon animal trails heading in the right direction, but for the most part they were forced to pick their way through the trees. Many dreary hours lay behind them before they eventually broke free of the forest.
After a brief consultation with the soldiers, Amyra came to them. “The main road is not far to the east. We will head north for a while until we reach the bridge.”
It was the first time Will had heard any mention of a bridge, and he wondered if the Aen-ur were planning to use it as their way of slowing Agon’s progress. With no further information forthcoming, Will decided to hold his questions until they arrived.
The riders traveled along the tree line, staying out of sight of the main road. The day was almost spent by the time they finally came to a halt. One of their number rode forward until he disappeared from sight. He eventually returned with another man.
Amyra translated as the new arrival introduced himself to Will. “I am Rhillyon. I have been tasked with slowing Agon for you.”
Will dipped his head. “I am Will Prentis. How far away is Agon’s column?”
“They are not likely to arrive tomorrow. It will be the following day.”
Rhillyon indicated that they should follow him, and the whole group set off behind him, heading north.
The riders didn’t stop until they came in sight of a large stone bridge spanning a river.
The source of the river lay in the mountains away to the south. After flowing east through the forest, it bent north, skirting the foothills of the mountains. Agon was traveling in the opposite direction—south from Rog along the main road, heading toward the place where the river bent toward its origin.
For many leagues the road and the river ran side by side—the mountains on one side, the river on the other, and the road in between. As the road continued south, the ground between the mountains and the river became rocky and impassable. At that point the road followed the bridge across the river.
South of the bridge, the road continued beside the river, although the river now lay between the mountains and the road. The road and the river eventually diverged, with the road continuing south beyond the source of the river.
Rhillyon led them to a ridge among a stand of trees where they could clearly see below them the road and the bridge. The position allowed them to observe traffic on the bridge without being visible to prying eyes.
“Where is Agon positioned within the column?” asked Will.
“A large group of soldiers is leading the column,” Rhillyon replied through Amyra. “Agon follows close behind. We are planning to collapse the bridge before any of them arrive. Agon will be trapped on this side of the river, so we will need to be careful.”
“Who is traveling behind Agon?” Will asked.
“Mostly servants. Another large group of soldiers is bringing up the rear.”
