Master of furies, p.21
Master of Furies, page 21
‘That’s a first step,’ Declan said, as he retied the end of the rope around his waist. The sky above was light enough that the few flickering brands could be tossed aside. ‘We should be able to get up a good way, but I’m going to test each rock before I climb, to make sure I’ve got solid footing, so follow exactly behind the man before you.’
‘What if it isn’t solid?’
Declan recognized the plaintive tones of Oscar. ‘Then get the hell out of the way as fast as you can,’ he answered as he leaned against a large rock, and then shimmied up to stand on top of it.
He looked down for a moment and what he could see in the gloom of the morning revealed nothing but the dark tops of distant trees. He still couldn’t trust that they were free of pursuit, so he quickly moved ahead, making room for the next man in line. This wide table rock would allow them to rest a little, as the farther up they pushed the more difficult the climb would be.
The party rested for a few minutes as the sky continued to lighten and then Declan heard something from the far end of the escarpment.
Tobias saw Declan’s expression change, and said, ‘What?’
Declan held up his hand, as some other men started asking questions.
‘Be quiet!’ he said.
After a minute he realized that what he had heard was in counterpoint to what he wasn’t hearing. The birds had stopped their calls, then the monkeys started to hoot warnings.
‘We need to go now.’ The men looked from one to another, until Declan raised his voice enough to make it a command, not a request. ‘I said, now!’
HATUSHALY LAY IN BED, AWAKE early for no apparent reason. Early in his working with Nathan, he had learned the price of drinking too much at supper, before going to bed. The drink interfered with his sleep and he spent too many nights restless, and when he awoke he was still tired. So he had taken to having a single mug of wine or ale during dinner, and nothing after. He had no idea why he was suddenly awake in the dead of night.
As he moved to sit on the edge of his bed, he mused at his unexpected waking. Then he felt a sensation, as if a tiny breeze was tickling his cheek, or as though a single raindrop had struck his neck. He held his breath and waited to see if it came again, and as he was about to stand, there was another feeling of touching, like a feather brushing his face, or a draught through an open distant window.
He closed his eyes and rather than practise alone the routine Nathan had taught him, he waited as he had learned in the mind exercises, waiting for something to come to him.
Like distant music where the song cannot quite be made out, he knew something was touching him from far away. A flicker of recognition, and he realized he was again sensing Hava. As soon as he focused, the sensation vanished. He realized once more that as soon as he tried something, it failed. She must have been at quite a distance from here. He certainly couldn’t have been spending any less effort to reach her. He had been sleeping.
He rubbed his face and hair, debating whether to return to sleep or to get up very early. He had no sense of what time it was, and suddenly agreed with Bodai. They needed some sort of timepiece. It might be hours to dawn, or the sun might rise moments after he returned to sleep.
He chose sleep, hoping there were hours of rest ahead.
When he awoke again, dawn was breaking and he felt more rested, so he assumed he’d guessed right. He dressed and went to the communal kitchen where he found the morning meal preparation was fully underway.
He sat at the usual table he and the others occupied, as a few workers entered and made their way to the table where the kitchen staff laid out the morning meal. A few chose to eat in this hall, but many just took plates to their work sites. This had started to become a point of contention between the staff and workers, since many workers never bothered to bring the plates and cups back, forcing the kitchen boys to have to visit every work site on the island and collect them in large sacks, and then spend extra time scrubbing dried-on food off them.
Bodai had observed at one point that it wasn’t wise to anger those who prepared your meals, and had convinced Catharian that some sort of penalty needed to be imposed to let the workers know that if they took dishes out in the morning, they needed to return them in the evening. They were still trying to work out what that should be.
Bodai and Nathan both wandered in a few minutes later and Hatu said to Bodai, ‘I have a suggestion.’
‘What’s that?’ Bodai said as he loaded up his plate with poached fish, a boiled egg, and a few local vegetables. Knowing his penchant, a kitchen boy handed him a full pot of coffee, which he took after tucking a mug into the crook of his elbow.
After the others had gathered their breakfast, they returned to the table, and Hatu said, ‘The workers not returning plates?’
‘Yes?’
‘You were considering a penalty, right?’
‘Hard to collect a fine when we’re not paying them anything.’
Nathan laughed.
‘It’s simple. As the kitchen boys know who the culprits are, just have them tell you who, then make the workers wash the dishes the boys bring back.’
Bodai chuckled. ‘Some of those plates and cups get nasty out in the sun for a day or more.’ He took a bite of fish. ‘I’ll welcome the day we can have a sausage or slice of ham.’ With a wave of his fork, he added, ‘They’re tired and they’ll refuse to do so.’
‘Maybe if it’s someone like Hava’s mate, Sabien, who tells them?’
Bodai emitted a low laugh. ‘He is a rather large fellow, it’s true. Not a lot of men around here would try to stand up to him. I’ll chat with Catharian. He was back from his journey to the Border Ports a few days ago; he’ll show up soon.’
They finished eating and carried their dishes to where the kitchen boys waited. Bodai hung on to his pot of coffee and mug and they started their short walk to the library.
‘Hava woke me up last night,’ Hatu said offhandedly.
Nathan stopped, gripping Hatu’s arm to stop him in his tracks. ‘How?’ he said with concern in his eyes. ‘She’s still at sea.’
Hatu was surprised by the intensity of the question. He pulled his arm free of Nathan’s grip. ‘I woke up in the middle of the night and didn’t know why. After a moment I felt something. It was a … touch, a …’ He furrowed his forehead as he thought. ‘I waited, as we did in the … mind exercise, waiting for it to return. When it did, I knew it was Hava. But as soon as I tried to find her, the sensation was gone.’
Nathan nodded. He motioned for them to follow him into the library, where they sat down. ‘You sensed Hava when you were not looking for her, not in the mind-space we created.’ He paused as if framing his thoughts. ‘That’s a level of sensitivity I would not have imagined possible in someone with your limited experience. It’s a passive ability.’ He sat back, thinking, and then softly said, ‘I wish I understood better how power works in this world.’
Both Bodai and Hatu exchanged glances, and Hatu said, ‘This world?’
Nathan ignored the question. ‘I’m changing the lesson for today. I think you’ve gone beyond where I thought you’d be at this stage. Are you ready?’
Hatushaly nodded, and they assumed their usual face-to-face position, while Bodai watched from the table.
As soon as the two men gripped each other’s shoulders, Hatu plunged into the mind illusion.
Instantly they were standing upon the lines of force as before, and all the lines not connected to humans were gone.
‘Impressive,’ said Nathan.
‘Why?’
‘You knew where you wanted to be within your own mind and didn’t need to take steps to send away the lines of energy you did not care about.’
Hatu sensed an almost-excited feeling from Nathan, and said, ‘Is that important?’
‘I’ll explain later. Push away all those lines of energy belonging to people you don’t know,’ he instructed.
Hatu found it an easy task and suddenly felt a presence he had not expected. ‘Donte!’
‘Who?’ asked Nathan.
‘A friend I thought was dead!’
Nathan said, ‘Your joy is an overwhelming wave!’
‘What do I do?’
‘Pull back and catch your breath.’
Hatu understood that catching his breath was a metaphor for existence in the real world, that he needed to pause and sort out his thoughts, but it was instructive and gave him a perspective on what to do next. He moved his near-contact with Donte’s energy line away a little more and waited to collect his thoughts for a moment.
Mentally, it was as if he took a deep breath. Hatu moved farther way until Donte was only a lingering presence on the edge of his awareness, then asked, ‘What now?’
‘Find someone else, someone who is known well but not so tethered to your feelings.’
Hatu took but a moment, then said, ‘Declan Smith. He’s a good man. We bought our inn from his wife.’
He sent out his consciousness as if he was spreading his mind over a large area, and suddenly he felt a familiar contact. He knew it was Declan, in some far-distant place, and the energy pulsed with a vibrancy he hardly recognized.
‘I found him,’ he said to Nathan. ‘And there’s something wrong.’
‘What?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘Get closer, but do not make contact.’
Hatu moved his focus to what he knew was Declan Smith, a familiar pattern of energy, despite them not being close friends.
‘Now look,’ instructed Nathan.
‘Look how?’
‘As I said before, we do not know what you’re fully capable of, so this may not work, but try to imagine a distant window which looks out to where your friend is, then firmly grip that window and slowly pull it towards you, or move towards it, whichever feels more natural.’
Hatu looked at the thread leading to Declan and put a window some distance away from him within his illusion. Then he willed it to move towards him. As it moved closer, an image emerged within it. It was darker where Declan was, so Hatu assumed he was still in Marquensas. As the image came closer, he felt that this was an incorrect assumption. Declan was farther south, and suddenly Hatu knew he was somewhere in South Tembria.
He drew the ‘window’ closer until he could see a line of men scrambling up a cliff. They were filthy, ragged, and haggard. Hatu tried to extend his senses as close to Declan as he could without making any contact, aware of what Nathan said was grave danger.
‘They’re fleeing something,’ Hatu said.
‘What are you seeing?’
‘You can’t see this?’ asked Hatu.
Nathan replied, ‘This is your … space, from within your mind, and I have no control. I sense things, which is how I guide you, and I have enough experience to interpret much, but I literally don’t—’
Hatu willed for Nathan to see the window, and his guide gasped. ‘How did you do that? I can see your window to Declan!’
‘I don’t know,’ Hatu replied. ‘I just did it.’
Hatu felt a tiny echo of uncertainty coming from Nathan but he ignored it for the moment, and returned his attention to Declan.
The men were exhausted, almost dragging themselves up over boulders and ledges, helping each other with boosts and hands reaching down, but it was clear they were on the very brink of collapse.
‘It looks as if they’re in serious danger,’ Hatu said.
‘You control that window. See what is following them but stay close to Declan or you’ll lose that connection.’
Hatu imagined his hands reaching out and moving the window so that it looked over Declan’s shoulder. In the distance he could vaguely see figures. ‘They are far enough away that I can’t see …’
‘Bring them closer.’
‘How?’ Hatu asked.
‘What you “see” is not real, but how your mind interprets what is out there. You control it. Will the image closer.’
‘Again, how?’
‘As you do other things, by willing it without forcing yourself to try.’
For a moment, Hatu struggled then realized exactly what Nathan meant. Reading unknown languages, creating the fire on the ship, the display of blue energy when sailing through the Narrows, all had been done without thought, just by will.
Suddenly the image became clearer, and he saw the pursuers. He could make out details. They were all men, wearing clothing mostly made from animal skins, with some old and dirty cloth shirts and trousers.
All were lean and moved with surprising speed, given they were all barefoot, and they ran over rough and jagged rocks. They carried an assortment of axes and long knives, some made from metal, but others had been fashioned from branches and sharpened rocks. A few also carried crude spears.
Hatu had seen a few primitive people before in his travels, but nothing like these men. There was something profoundly wrong about them, as if normal men had somehow been corrupted, and from the odd bits of clothing scattered among the skins, they appeared to be scavengers. And he knew they had murder in their hearts.
‘Declan and his men are lost,’ he said. ‘Can I help them?’
Nathan was silent for a minute and then said, ‘Possibly, but it will be dangerous.’
‘Tell me.’
‘Touch nothing living but seek out the quiet energy of the rocks and soil.’
Hatu said nothing and began his search.
DECLAN UNTIED THE ROPE AROUND him and drew his sword. ‘Get down!’ he commanded. ‘I see no bows, but some of them have spears.’
He felt a cold sinking pit open inside him, for he knew his men could not best the eaters coming up from below. The men crouched and waited, and Declan judged they had two, three minutes at best, before the pursuers climbed up the last ledge face to where they waited.
The howls and screams from the eaters were almost animal in their tone and ferocity. Declan composed himself as he vowed to kill as many as possible before they were overtaken. Despite his own fear and exhaustion, he was gripped by a profound sense of failure, for he knew he would never avenge the killing of Gwen, Jusan, Millie, and the others who had died at Beran’s Hill.
A spear was thrown, but it clattered harmlessly off the rock face below. Still, every man flinched at the sound.
Then Declan felt a vibration in the soles of his feet. A faint ripple of movement that grew until Sixto shouted, ‘Quake!’
Declan yelled, ‘To me!’ as he moved to the centre of the ledge.
The men scrambled to reach him, and once they were bunched together, the soil and rocks below them began to move. At first it was the loosest of the stones, which shook then rolled down, falling among the eaters. The movement seemed to last longer than any quake Declan had ever experienced.
Then came a massive jolt, and the entire rock face below them began to crumble. ‘Back!’ shouted Declan, and everyone pressed themselves against the rock face, as far away as possible from the collapsing rocks, which were spewing dust and debris into the air, just below the edge of the flat stone ledge they occupied.
Large rocks and small boulders were dislodged as Declan and his men were thrown to the ground, some landing on top of one another. Cries of pain from below were followed by screams of terror as a flood of rocks came crashing down on the eaters.
Then, as suddenly as it started, the trembling stopped.
Thick clouds of dust filled the air and obscured their vision. Declan could hear the eaters that had survived the rockfall fleeing back down the rocks to the escarpment below, while those trapped by the rocks cried, whimpered, or screamed in pain.
His men got up slowly, coughing from the dust, and many with dirt in their eyes. After a few minutes those eaters trapped in the rocks fell silent, and the sound of the ones retreating faded away.
Toombs said, ‘What is that thing the Church of the One talks about?’
‘A miracle,’ said Sixto.
‘That was one of those,’ said Tobias.
As the dust started to blow away, Declan moved to the edge of the plateau and looked down. Sixto followed. They could see dozens of bodies strewn among a massive fall of rocks.
‘No one’s climbing up to here,’ said Sixto.
Below them a new, sheer face of rock rose more than fifty feet from the rubble below.
Tobias moved to stand next to Sixto. ‘At least this is now behind us.’
‘They didn’t carry off their dead,’ Declan said to Tobias.
‘The survivors just wanted to get as far away, as fast as possible. Even those bastards know you can’t hold off a rockslide while you gather your dead,’ Tobias replied.
Declan turned and saw the lip of the flatlands up ahead. The rock above them did not appear to have shifted at all, and still looked climbable. He sat down, almost ready to weep with relief. Then he reminded himself that this was only the first leg. They still had to find a way past the mountains to the sea, but first they needed to find food.
‘Let’s rest a little, then we’ll get out of here,’ he said.
He heard no objections.
HATU CAME OUT OF HIS mind state and staggered. Bodai was quick enough to leap to his aid and stop the younger man from falling.
He turned Hatu around and sat him in the chair he had just vacated and said to Nathan, ‘What happened?’
‘Things I am not equipped to understand, let alone explain,’ Nathan replied, and his gaze held a touch of wonder as he looked at Hatu.
Hatu seemed disoriented and slowly his eyes came back into focus. At last he said, ‘I’m thirsty.’
‘There’s water on that side table,’ replied Bodai. ‘I’ll get you a cup.’
He quickly fetched the drink and Hatu gulped it down.
‘That was … amazing,’ said Hatu.
‘What?’ asked Bodai.
‘I found Declan,’ said Hatushaly.
Bodai nodded.
‘He was leading a company of men who were fleeing from …’ Hatu took another sip of water, then cleared his throat. ‘Men who … they were evil, Bodai. And I’m not even sure they were men.’ Another swallow of water was followed by ‘So I saved Declan and his troop.’
