So. Nepanthe had taken everything on her shoulders. Bragi had done nothing. The effort to collect him and Michael had been a waste.
Speaking of… The pudgy sorcerer and his child-whore-spouse. What had become of them?
She asked.
Eka responded, “Probably out on the wall. They spend a lot of time there, looking at the mountains and holding hands. And talking lover stuff, Scalza says.”
Did she sound wistful? She did glance Ethrian’s way.
The boy was much recovered, though still not what he had been before his stint as Deliverer. He had become less dependent than his cousin liked.
“Careful what you wish for, eh?”
“Mother?”
“Nothing. Find them, please. I want to send them home.”
Eka loosed the long sigh of the teen who was expected to do everything around here. She did as she was told, though.
Mist headed for Scalza, to find out what he was watching. The Winterstorm caught her eye. There was something odd about it. Something not quite right. She turned away from her son, toward the shogi table, pushing Matayangan kibitzers aside. “Lord Kuo…”
“You spotted it quickly.” He did not look up. His opponent was destroying him. There could be no doubt that the Old Man’s mind was back, though his ability to remember still left much to be desired.
“Something is wrong with Varthlokkur’s artifact.”
“Ekaterina was tinkering with it. She tripped a security routine she didn’t anticipate. It was there to protect the baby. She did the damage trying to undo and cover up. Don’t get too upset. Kids do that kind of stuff. And he can put it right.”
“I will get upset but maybe not the way you expect. What does it tell us that she had the daring and confidence to mess with that thing? And to think she could get away with it, in front of all these people?”
In as portentous a tone as Mist ever heard from him, Wen-chin replied, “To me it says we’d better hope that her Aunt Nepanthe did a good job shaping her values.”
What could she say to that? Whatever Wen-chin was thinking, that was a bold statement. Letting ego drive a response would be of no value whatsoever.
“You’re right.”
“Is it frightening? I have no children myself.”
Many Tervola did not, on the right side of the blanket. Family created complications. They became hostages to fortune, Mist knew too well.
“She didn’t do any permanent damage. She stepped away as soon as she saw that she could only make things worse.”
“Good to hear that.”
“She’s sensible and responsible, given her age and situation.”
Mist suppressed a surge of irritation.
Wen-chin said, “I expect he’ll be understanding.”
“Varthlokkur? Let’s hope.” He was unpredictable, emotionally. Where was he, anyway? “Shouldn’t he be back by now?”
Wen-chin shrugged. “Check with Scalza. He’s trying to keep track.” The Tervola added softly, “Be pleased that it wasn’t the boy.”
She did not acknowledge but she understood.
Kuo Wen-chin found Scalza worrisome.
Mist did, too, but less so than Ekaterina. Scalza only thought he was clever and secretive. He was talented but he was like every other talented boy produced by Shinsan. If he became trouble he would be predictable trouble. Eka, though, could be a menace less fathomable than her mother had been. She would be as unpredictable.
Could it be a sex-linked thing?
Female Tervola were rare. So rare that Mist knew of only two. Ekaterina was the other one.
Her toenails felt likely to curl in dread.
She leaned over Scalza’s right shoulder, so close her hair brushed his and her breath heated his cheek. She saw what might be the Unborn, in his scrying bowl. The view there was obscure but the color was right.
He jumped. “You startled me, Mother.”
“Sorry.”
“When did you get back? Did it go well?”
“I’ve been back for some time. I’m wondering if my feelings should be hurt because you didn’t notice.”
Scalza made a visible effort to process her meaning before he responded. He reached the right conclusion. “I was preoccupied. Sometimes I get too focused.”
“Yes. You do. But don’t we all? It went well enough. The target tripped some of the traps.”
“But you didn’t get him?”
“Naturally not. It couldn’t be that easy. What’s the wizard’s story?”
“I don’t know. He’s back in range, barely, but he isn’t in any hurry to get here.”
She harrumphed.
“I think he’s going as fast as he can. It must not have gone right. The Unborn acts like it’s hurt. It has to rest a lot.”
That was new. She considered the monster infinitely indefatigable.
Eka brought the Itaskian sorcerer. She and he were blushing. The girlfriend wore a smirk. Had Eka interrupted something?
Mist found the girlfriend’s composure as disturbing as she did Eka’s potential for chaos.
She glanced from Eka to the Winterstorm and back. Her daughter went on defense immediately.
Mist told the sorcerer, “We’re sending you home while we have time to do that.”
Babeltausque’s relief was almost pathetic.
His companion brightened considerably, too.
“Excellent!” the sorcerer said, then said no more, as though he did not trust himself not to jinx it.
The girl asked, “What will we need to do?”
“What you’ve done all along. Stay out of the way while they ready the portals.” She beckoned Lord Yuan, who was conferring with some specialists. That was good. He should have everyone he needed on hand.
Tin Yuan responded with what was, for him, alacrity. He pushed through the press. “I understand what you want, Illustrious. But there are problems.”
“How so?”
“The portal we used before is no longer operational. We haven’t been able to reach any of the others. They aren’t out of action, we just don’t have the codes or capacity to access them from here. You should shift these two to the Karkha Tower and send them on from there. Tang Shan has constant access.”
“I don’t like that idea. They don’t need to see things they don’t need to see. Have Tang Shan bring the codes here.”
The old man disapproved. He thought her choice was wrong but said only, “As you command, Illustrious.”
She did not ask why he thought she should do it differently. She faced the odd couple. “It’s going to take longer than I hoped.”
The sorcerer shrugged. “It’s all right. Waiting is better than walking.”
That was a jest. Even his girlfriend was surprised.
…
Babeltausque was lightheaded with joy. The Empress really meant to let them go!
The excitement faded when Mist explained, “We tried again. Even with the right codes we can’t connect from here.”
Cynicism set in.
“I’m as frustrated as you are,” she said. “I want you out of here before the storm breaks. Lord Yuan says there’s only one way. We send you to a place where we have permanent connections with our Kavelin portals. You’ll move on from there as fast as Tang Shan can manage.” She waved at the portal bank. The man she meant had just disappeared. Someone she called Candidate entered the cabinet next door.
Babeltausque said, “We’re ready,” as Carrie slipped her hand into his. That was hot and shaky. She squeezed.
Mist said, “One of you follow Tang Shan. The other one, go after Lein She.”
Babeltausque did not like the separation but knew that these portals would pass only two people in succession before they had to be reset.
Mist continued, “Good fortune attend.”
She sounded disinterested now she was about to be shot of them. He was tempted to ask to stay.
But doom was coming. The end of the world was coming, for some. Old Meddler would arrive in a mood for destruction. Soon everyone here would be dead. The best plan of all time would be to get the hell gone before the shitstorm descended.
He and Carrie followed the easterners, Carrie first murmuring, “You thought about staying, didn’t you?”