Alchymist

'Flangers?' she said after they'd gone a good league.

'Yes, Irisis?'

'What if he dies? What are we going to do?'

'I'll be asking you to release me from my promise.'

'Does your honour mean so much to you?'

'I betrayed my oath, Irisis.'

She moved closer, taking his arm. 'He's a good man, Flangers. Without him, we're lost.'

'Do you love him?'

'As a friend and a guide.'

'I can't think of anyone better to have beside me in a dark hour' said Flangers.

'Have you spoken to him?'

'What about?'

'Shooting down the air-floater.'

'How could I bother him about such a trivial thing?'

'It's your life, Flangers! He'd be angry if he knew you'd kept silent.'

'He'll never hear it from me. The scrutator will have enough problems of his own, if he recovers.'

'He'll hear from me the instant he's well enough.'

'No!' he cried.

Then I'll tell him. If you don't, I will.'

He did not reply. They trudged another league or two and, long after midnight, saw the gate lanterns of Fiz Gorgo in the distance. 'Flangers?'

All right; he said softly. 'I'll speak to him, once he's well enough.'

'You think he's going to die, don't you.' 'We're all going to die.'

Irisis rose before dawn, roused Inouye out of bed and they rotored back to Hripton. Irisis leapt out of the air-floater before it touched the ground and ran inside. Flydd's bed was empty. Her heart froze over. She stood there, staring down at his small indentation in the mattress.

'It's not what you think.' The healer had come in silently and the pouches under her eyes were like black bruises. She'd been up all night. 'I've moved him out the back. It's warmer there.'

'How is he?'

'A little better, though there's still some bleeding inside. He's not out of danger yet.'

'Can I see him?'

'Just for a minute.'

She led Irisis out to the back room. Flydd lay on the stretcher, staring blankly at the ceiling. He was so still that she thought he must have died after all, but then his eyes moved.

'You're an idiot; she said fondly, taking his hand. 'Why did you go, when you'd done yourself such harm? You could have stayed behind.'

'I didn't realise I'd hurt myself.' His voice was like a breeze blowing through gossamer. 'When Yggur took over the little flier I felt a sharp pain in my belly, but it went away.'

'Why did you have to resist him? You're an overly proud man, Xervish.'

'I admit to a certain . . , rivalry,' he said hoarsely, 'but do you really think me so shallow? He asked me to fight him to he limit of my strength. It had to be a true test, otherwise he would not have known that he could take over the thapter when the time came.'

'That doesn't make up for his neglect of you,' she snapped. 'I meant what I said up there, Irisis- I would have done the same, even had it been you. What else could any good leader do? Would you not sacrifice one or two people, if by doing so you would be saving the whole of humanity?'

'I could not sacrifice my friends,' she said stubbornly. 'Not even for the sake of humanity.'

'That's the trouble with being a leader. You're always sacrificing someone. Or something.' He closed his eyes.

'Come away now,' said the healer. 'You can see him again tomorrow. He's got the constitution of a lyrinx. Two hours ago I'd have sworn he was dead, but he's looking better already.'

On her return, Irisis shook Nish awake. 'The healer thinks he's going to be all right.'

Nish sat up, rubbing red crusted eyes. He clutched her hands in silent thanks.

'You look as though you've had a hard night, Nish.' Despite only having a few hours' sleep she was as immaculate, and as beautiful, as ever.

'I've been having trouble sleeping lately. Flydd has been so good to me, Irisis. A hundred times he could have sent me to the front-lines for my follies, but he never did. He believed in me. Without him I'd be nothing. I couldn't face the thought of him dying.'

'Nor I — he's the anchor of all our lives. And our only hope. Come on, let's get some breakfast. I'm starving.'

They were walking down the corridor side by side when Tiaan turned the corner, coming the other way. She stopped dead, looking from Nish to Irisis in dismay.

Irisis had last seen Tiaan at the manufactory almost a year ago, just before she'd been diagnosed with incurable crystal fever and sent to the breeding factory. That, Irisis was ashamed to recall, had been partly due to her own scheming 'What are you doing here?' Tiaan was trembling like a plucked wire.

'We came with Xervish Flydd, the scrutator' said Irisis. Tiaan relaxed a little. 'Where is he?' She looked ready to bolt.

'He's being treated by a healer. He's very ill.' 'Was that you flying the construct, Tiaan?' asked Nish. He took a step towards her and put out his hand, tentatively. 'Let me say how sorry—'

Tiaan backed away a step, her eyes darting from one to the other.

We're on the same side, Tiaan,' said Irisis. 'We—' 'You betrayed me, both of you,' Tiaan hissed. 'Don't come near me.' She turned and headed back the way she had come, almost running.

'I suppose that was only to be expected,' said Irisis, not overly perturbed. 'A pity, though, since we'll have to work together.'

'Yes,' said Nish, staring after Tiaan. 'A great pity.'

Nish's unrequited passion for Tiaan had begun the whole affair, Irisis remembered as they continued down the hall. Surely he didn't still nurture some feeling for her? Even if he did, it couldn't come to anything. She was no more suited to him than Ullii had been. Irisis bit her tongue in case she spoke without thinking, as was her wont. Nish was hers and he would realise it sooner or later. In the meantime she would watch over him, enjoy his friendship and say nothing about her own feelings. She would be patience itself. She might have to be.

Fifty-nine

Flydd was well enough to attend when they held their morning meeting two days later, though he had to be carried inside in his chair. The others present were Malien, Gilhaelith, Fyn-Mah, Tiaan, Irisis and Nish.

'I'm pleased to see you're better, Flydd,' said Yggur, 'though I didn't expect—'

'The council is sorely in need of my wisdom,' Flydd said with an ironical twitch of the mouth.

'I dare say,' Yggur answered, equally dryly. 'I salute your courage, Scrutator. I was wrong about you and I'm happy to admit it.'

'And I you, it seems. We'll best the enemy yet, Lord Yggur.'

Yggur quirked his lips but did not correct him. He turned to face the room. 'I begin without preamble. Faced with a resurgent enemy, and held back by a corrupt Council of Scrutators, humanity's situation is almost hopeless. But we've been debating, Flydd and I, what can be done. Would you care to set out our ideas, Scrutator.'

'I find I'm a little short of breath at the moment.'

Nish laughed. Irisis elbowed him in the ribs.

'We propose a simple plan,' said Yggur. 'We have neither the people, nor the resources, for anything else, and even this plan may be beyond us. But now that we have a thapter — or, should I say, since it belongs to Malien, the possibility of one -we may at least attempt it.'

'What is the plan?' growled Gilhaelith.

'To fly secretly to Nennifer, the scrutators' fortress that lies between the Great Mountains and the Desolation Sink. There to overthrow the Council of Scrutators and replace them with a body dedicated to winning the war, since it appears peace is not an option with the lyrinx.'

Gilhaelith began to laugh.

Yggur fixed him with a glare that would have stopped a volcanic eruption. 'If you don't share our objectives, you may leave this council. You will, of course, be kept in close confinement until the attack succeeds.'

He signalled with a finger to the back of the room, and Nish saw that, for the first time, a pair of armed guards waited inside the doors.