Yes, the man was her husband, and yes, she was terrified for his life, but she was desperately trying to hide other fears-of the three men who appeared to be helping her!
Norgu turned his Seeing powers on them, and found them blank, braced to use Movers’ powers.
“Father!” he cried-too late!
The same flames they had used to burn the poor man- their safe passage into Matu’s village-suddenly consumed Matu!
Norgu’s father gasped as flames roared through his clothing, seared his hair-
Then the fire was out, and he turned to face his attackers. A lightning bolt shot from the diamond-headed spear, and one of the three fell dead.
Norgu turned one of the others into a tower of flame, but it was out almost as it had begun. This was a powerful Mover!
With hardly a glance at Norgu, he reached out toward the other surviving Mover as Norgu saw his father stagger. They had made him use up the last of his strength!
The two Movers joined hands, concentrated-
Norgu wrenched the diamond-headed-spear from his father’s unsteady hands and pointed it at the two Movers. Power flowed through him, concentrated in the diamond head-
And the bolt of lightning missed its mark as his father’s scream jarred his concentration!
He turned to be splattered in the blood of Matu’s exploding body!
Norgu screamed in turn, grief and rage mingled in pure animal savagery.
Now the two Movers were concentrating on him, but he had the spear. With the tip he caught the energy directed at him, all his strength concentrated on controlling, redirecting-
With a savage howl, he flung the power back at the closest of the attackers. The man’s body sprung gouts of blood, his dying scream a drowning gurgle.
Panting with exertion, Norgu faced the last attacker. He reached for his Movers powers, and found little left. But surely that other Mover was also exhausted. Reason was slowly returning; all he had to do to kill the man was stop his heart. That didn’t take much effort.
He pointed the spear, concentrated-
The Mover faltered, but recovered. He raised his hand. Norgu knew he would send flame or lightning, and wasn’t sure whether he still had power to deflect it, But-
The target was clear.
With all his physical strength, Norgu flung the diamond-headed spear straight into the heart of his attacker!
For a moment there was silence. Norgu waited numbly, emotions frozen.
Then, once he was certain his legs would obey him, he walked over to the still-quivering body, put his foot on it, and drew out the bloody spear.
He turned to where his father had been, where there were now only gobbets of flesh and splatters of blood.
The woman cowered beside the wagon, whimpering.
Norgu pulled her to her feet. She was already spattered in Matu’s blood, but his hand left its print in red on her sleeve. “Go,” he told her. “Take your husband, who is even now healing at the cost of my father’s life.”
“Prince Norgu, they burned him! I had to do what they told me-”
“And I should kill you for it,” he replied, transferring his bloody hand to her throat. The terror in her eyes was sweet. “But who better than you to carry my message? Matu is dead, but Norgu lives! Norgu lives and holds power; let others come against me only at their peril.”
He turned, eyes raking over the silent villagers, who had witnessed the entire scene. “So much,” he announced loudly, “for Matu’s belief that his people would protect him! Let it be known that Norgu will protect himself-and not waste his powers on the likes of you!”
Again Wulfston experienced the disorientation of returning from the Grioka’s vision to the present in the Karili Assembly chamber.
Norgu was glaring at Barak, but the Grioka seemed to have no more fear of him. So the young prince turned to Ashuru. “This tale still presents ample evidence of my powers-which have grown since that day. You need-”
“Norgu, you need a parent’s teaching,” said Ashuru. “We all feel for your terrible loss, but it is a loss to us, too, for Matu would have taught you to be a wise ruler as well as a powerful one. As it is, you are a fifteen-year-old boy with powers you do not know how to use properly.”
Norgu is only fifteen! Wulfston thought in astonishment. No wonder he acts childish: he is a child-
an extremely dangerous one.
Ashuru obviously knew that. She was trying again to persuade Norgu to join with the Karili Assembly against the Savishnon. “There may be none of us here with the powers you will have when you are fully mature,” she ended, “but we have a wealth of experience, Norgu. Let us teach you as Matu would have, so that you will be a great king one day.”
“I need none of your teaching about how to be weak! But you need my help against the Savishnon. Give me this prisoner-he gestured toward Wulfston once again-“and I will join my powers with yours.”
“Lord Wulfston is not a prisoner!” Tadisha spoke up. “He has spoken truly to us before the Grioka, and opened his mind to our Seeing powers. No one in Africa has the right to hold him prisoner, Norgu.”
“Does your daughter speak for you, Ashuru?” Norgu asked.
The Karili queen looked around the assembly, getting nods from every direction. “She speaks for us all.”
“Then I speak for myself!” Norgu spat. “You can face the Savishnon without my help, but when this man brings on your destruction”-he pointed to Wulfston with his left hand, the one not holding the spear-“you can remember that I would have kept him away from you if you had let me!”
Wulfston hardly heard the last words Norgu spoke. He was staring at the boy’s left hand. On it shone a gold ring in a familiar shape. He had to see it up close!
Norgu spun, cloak swirling dramatically, and stalked out of the Assembly chamber. Without a thought, Wulfston started after him.
“Lord Wulfston!” It was Tadisha’s voice, but it held him only for one step. He had to see that ring, for it was as if Norgu had deliberately waved it before him.
“Prince Norgu!” he called.
The boy continued as if he hadn’t heard.
Wulfston had to run to catch up to him, and they were out in the courtyard before he could pass the boy and stop, facing him, barring his path. “Prince Norgu, I believe you have knowledge concerning the man I am looking for: a Reader-Seer, you would call him-named Lenardo.”
“This Lenardo,” Norgu asked, cocking his head to one side, “he is a white man?”
“Yes,” Wulfston replied, certain now that Norgu knew where he was. The boy had his left hand hidden beneath his cloak. Wulfston resisted the urge to grab for it and get a good look at that ring.
“Seer, I do not know,” Norgu said, his manner now grave-but he was play-acting, putting on a false sympathy that grated on Wulfstons nerves as he continued. “A white man traveling with Zionae… Was he quite tall, with dark hair and beard?”
“Yes,” Wulfston said tightly, afraid to let his mind hear the past tense.
“Then… you can but avenge his death.”
“What? No-it couldn’t be Lenardo!”
“The party of travelers,” Norgu replied, “was attacked by other Zionae, under the orders of Z’Nelia.
All-the people he traveled with and their attackers-were trespassing in my lands. It was reported to me. Too late, unfortunately. There was a battle of Movers, over before I arrived to drive them out.
Everyone was killed, everyone on both sides.”
“It couldn’t be-”
“There was a woman with a small child in the party,” said Norgu, and Wulfston’s heart sank. Chulaika and Chaiku had obviously rejoined Sukuru. Shock created a buzzing in his ears as the plump young ruler went on, “The Zionae wore nothing that would identify them, but from the hand of the dead white man I took this.”
Numbly, Wulfston put out his hand, and Norgu laid on his palm the gold ring. The intricate carving glinted, blurring as his eyes filled with tears-but not before he saw clearly the intertwined figures of wolf and dragon.