He could dismiss the dimmer memories, like the day he heard he would never be going home or the day he knew he had become little more than an experiment. Not because they didn’t hurt but because they were over a hundred and twenty years old. And he had to admit that watching everything unfold around him for the last century and a half was a significant compensation.
Garan’s gradual grudging friendship with Takaar was certainly a factor. Though he couldn’t recall much of their earlier conversations, Garan recognised that they had sown the seeds of a respect for the elven race. He’d always known they were far more than their portrayal as violent primitives.
What Takaar had taught him, in his often unhinged but always charming way, was that there was a depth of spirituality and, well, humanity, to the elves along with their skills, knowledge and strength, and that should be embraced not exterminated. It hadn’t ever led Garan to believe the occupation of the rainforest by man was wrong, but he had slowly begun to think a feudal partnership might be more productive than occupation and enslavement, in the long term.
Garan sighed and shifted in his chair, trying to alleviate a pressure point in his backside that sent shooting pains into his right leg. What had it been, then, that one tipping point, if indeed there had been just one? Not Ystormun himself. Garan had developed some understanding of him in the last couple of decades, as he had mellowed as much as an ancient and basically evil bastard could.
He did respect Ystormun’s pride in his achievements on Calaius and most recently his ultimately futile resistance to his cadre’s desire to send the army out to exterminate the race of elves.
‘Hmmm.’ Garan took another sip of his drink. ‘Of course it never is the how, it’s the why.’
He had the answer now. Everything else was just skirting the issue. It had been some years ago now, perhaps fifteen, but they all blurred into one amorphous smear of pain and unpleasant smells these days. It had been the moment he learned that the work on Calaius would no longer be to the benefit of Triverne or, by extension, to magic in general.
Worse than that, further investigation had revealed exactly what all Calaius’ wealth was being diverted to support. Garan loved Triverne, and he loved Balaia too, though he would see neither again. And what he knew was dreadful for both of them. The power he had dedicated his life to support would turn his country and his city to ash in its desire for dominion. Yet even though he was in possession of such knowledge, he had not thought he could affect what was to come.
But his mind had turned that day. And so it was that, years later, he was open to options when they were presented to him… and those options had led him inexorably to the action he was to sanction today. Now.
Garan had made sure that his people were at the door to the panoramic room and that his people were attending to his many needs. One slip now and the worst of deaths would be awaiting them all — all but Garan himself. He and his people had planned for this from the moment it had become obvious that Balaia and Triverne were facing war.
Footsteps approached his chair. A figure stepped in front of him. Garan smiled. It was exactly who he had hoped to see when the ship had docked late the preceding night. Still he was impressed that the man had arranged to be re-summoned by Ystormun eight years after his first visit.
Stein was a squat man, barrel-chested and broad of gut. His skull was covered in a thick mat of tight blond curls and his features were all slightly larger than seemed quite comfortable, especially when crammed together in an oval face topped by wild eyebrows and tailed by an impeccably trimmed beard.
‘You got my message, then?’ asked Garan.
‘All of them,’ said Stein. ‘We don’t have long. Ystormun wants to outline my duties.’
Garan gestured to a chair.
‘You remain fantastically ugly,’ he said.
Stein laughed and sat. ‘Your saying that, when no mirror can survive your reflection, is a testament to your powers of self-delusion.’
Garan cleared his throat. ‘I need to know that you understand the gravity of the proposition. Let’s face it: I want to die. I’m equally sure that you don’t.’
‘Correct, and yet here I am. That should tell you all you need to know about the fear gripping any of us with half a brain in Balaia right now. It’s much worse than you think.’
‘How close?’
‘Any day, literally. And the cadre really can win, despite the force that will be ranged against them when the day comes.’
‘I’m not asking you to destroy your own,’ said Garan. ‘You know that. A show of force is all it should take.’
‘How comforting.’
‘But we’re relying on the Sharps — the elves — to prevail out there in the forest. If they don’t then we’re already too late and this place will become a power base like no other.’
Stein nodded. ‘And will they win?’
‘The odds against them are ridiculous, but they are capable and the trio of generals in the field can’t even spell the word ‘‘tactic’’ between them. It’s all down to the mages.’
‘It was ever so,’ said Stein.
‘Smug bastard. Look, assuming they do win, we won’t have much time. I’ve got an ally in their midst but the others… they’re dangerous. Really dangerous. Deliver what you say you can and they will eventually respect you.’
‘I should think so,’ said Stein. ‘After all, we’re here to help them. Sort of.’
‘But don’t step out of line.’
‘Or what?’
Garan shrugged. ‘They’ll kill you.’
‘Anything else?’
‘Let me do the talking.’
‘Or what?’
‘Guess.’
With a lack of subtlety that was typical of the Tuali, Takaar heard them massing in the rooms below to attack. Pelyn had been very quiet for the last hour. She had taken occasional sips of water but refused any of the stale food that lay on the plate from the night before. She would not respond to his questions, choosing to sit in a threadbare chair and stare at a bookshelf from which no book had been removed for a very long time.
Stitched yourself into a nice little trap here, haven’t you?
‘Even for you, that was pathetic,’ muttered Takaar.
He put his ear to the floor and heard orders being given. He was amazed it had taken them so long, and could only think his name still carried enough fear to encourage caution. The day was moving towards its zenith; rain had given way to blazing sunshine, and the hubbub from Katura’s people outside offered a veneer of normality.
‘The ideal time to get out and about,’ said Takaar.
I’m sure they’ll all stand aside and open the door for you too.
He whistled tunelessly while he cleaned his blades, checked the contents of his backpack and refilled his skin from the washing-water jug.
‘Do you have to whistle?’ snapped Pelyn.
‘Ah, you can still speak.’
Pelyn’s smile was nasty and triumphant. ‘They’re coming to get you. And the best thing about it is that then I’ll get more nectar and I can forget you ever came back into my life.’
‘What do they want with you?’
It was a question Takaar had asked her time and again.
‘Stupid, aren’t you? They want me because I am Tuali. Because I am the governor of this city and because I pass all the laws. Easy.’
But her laugh had a bitter edge to it and her eyes were brimful of sorrow — just for a moment, before the craving dominated her once again. Takaar nodded. He heard elves gathering at the bottom of the stairs. It wouldn’t be long now.
‘It’s hard to believe the good people of this city, and I’m sure some still remain, would accept that shadow of control. You have no power here, but I can give it back to you.’
‘There’s only one thing I want.’
She’s consistent, at least.