'One failed in Snizort and had to be destroyed. The other burned in the fires.' Gyrull rubbed her chin. 'I think I know what the problem was, and how to solve it, but Tiaan is far away. Do you propose to make a foray after her?'
'Not if there's any other way,' he said. 'And there may be. Remember how she came to Snizort, even though crippled, to find the tetrarch? Tiaan's weakness is excessive compassion; she cares about people even when they don't reciprocate. She even felt for me, an alien and her enemy. If we were to make it known that the tetrarch was here, I believe she'd find a way to come after him.'
'She might,' mused Gyrull, 'if she gets the opportunity, but we can't rely on it. And this amplimet is a perilous device we may not be able to control it. We must have an alternative plan.' She strode up and down, her armour flashing in waves of colour — mauves to reds to purples — as she thought. 'We might link the patterners another way. The tetrarch's geomantic globe offers certain possibilities. It might, if carefully formed, and used at a certain place within Alcifer, be made to serve.'
'How so?' said Ryll curiously.
'Alcifer's original purpose was never fulfilled. The city sleeps, but it is still powerful.' 'I don't understand.'
'How could you — you don't know the place. Leave it to me. I've been spying on the tetrarch. He's begun to rebuild his geo-mantic globe and already realises it has a number of flaws.' How do you know?'
'I studied it carefully in Snizort, and I've been feeding him information since then, to make him aware of errors in it. He will come to me for assistance — he has no other option. Were I to provide him with certain knowledge, and he to mould the globe according to it, if taken to a particular place in Alcifer it might just be what you need.'
'I don't know what you're talking about,' said Ryll.
'No matter — I was just thinking aloud. We'll go over it later. In the meantime, I'll assist you in the design of the new patterners, so they can be linked. Once that's done you must begin patterning the flisnadr, but don't take it beyond the juvenile stage. Leave it in stasis until the geomantic globe is ready. I'll spread a rumour in Lauralin that the tetrarch has fled to Alcifer. If Tiaan does come, we'll be waiting for her. If she doesn't, I'll send a force to snatch her from the Aachim. Between her amplimet and Gilhaelith's globe, we'll create a perfect flisnadr And then let the humans beware!' she concluded fiercely.
I — I would like to put one condition,' he said, diffident at first but finishing forcefully.
Gyrull looked taken aback, but replied, 'One who would lead must learn how to be strong. What is your condition?'
'I would have Tiaan treated with due respect, and given her freedom afterwards.'
She inclined her head, watching him with her penetrating eyes. 'I applaud your nobility of spirit, though to be freed by us will rouse suspicion in the eyes of her own people. And what of Gilhaelith? Do you feel compassion for him too?'
'He's a danger to the whole world; said Ryll.
'Yes, he's a brilliant, blind fool. He cannot see what others will do with his work, if it succeeds. It would give them power undreamed of, power that, if misused, could sterilise Santhenar for all forms of life. We must prevent that, or turn it to our own purposes. So, Ryll, what are we going to do about Gilhaelith?'
'Once we've no further use for him, he can go to the slaughtering pens.'
Forty-one
Irisis was sitting by herself, slicing onions as she watched the sun go down from the mouth of the cave they'd been living in for well over a month. The ragged slot was etched into a pebblestone cliff on the seaward edge of a barren island in the Sea of Thurkad, half a league off the coast of Lauralin. It was the safest refuge Muss had been able to find — hidden from all but a direct pass by Ghorr's remaining air-floaters, which was unlikely here; and, being surrounded by water, it was even less likely to be visited by the enemy. It was, however, exposed to the chilly south-westerlies, which intensified every day as the season turned. Winter was still months off, but every morning it felt a little closer.
Squatting by the smoky camp fire, she tossed dried beans into the cooking pot. They had been eating bean-and-onion soup for a week and not even her cooking could make it interesting. Irisis had no herbs, spices or oil left. Just beans, onions and water, three times a day, washed down with ginger tea. She'd dug some ginger root that morning in the moist bank of the only rivulet on the island.
There was nothing to do and Irisis was bored out of her mind. Fyn-Mah had withdrawn completely, Pilot Inouye didn't let out a peep and Flangers had taken to going on long walks by himself along the clifftops, which did nothing for Irisis's peace of mind. She would not have been surprised to find him at the bottom one day. Flangers's destruction of the air-floater, and inability to honourably account for it, was corroding his very soul. And Irisis could not talk to Muss about her fears, on the rare occasions he was around. Muss required nothing of anyone, nor gave back any human warmth.
Irisis sometimes felt that she understood the lyrinx better than she did Muss. He gave his reports to Fyn-Mah, fully and completely, and advice when specifically requested, but not a sentence more. Muss recreated himself for each spying role, revealing nothing of the inner man. She had no idea what his hopes or dreams were, or even if he had any. But in any case, having procured a tiny skiff from somewhere, Muss was away most of the time, doing who knew what. It could have been Flydd's work or Muss's own. There was no way of telling.
She'd already taken the controller to pieces twice, rebuilding it to improve the way it drew power. She'd also disassembled the floater-gas generator but, not understanding how it created gas from water, had put it back together the way it had been. Irisis had, however, made one innovation vital to their morale. They could not use any kind of flame on the air-floater, but the floater-gas generator became hot when in use and she'd worked out how to heat water with it, for tea.
At midnight, when everyone else was asleep, she heard the snap of a sail in the wind. Muss had been away five days this time. She was sitting by the fire, making jewellery out of silver wire, as she did every night. Once each new work was complete, she took it apart and used the silver and crystals in a new arrangement. Irisis made jewellery because she had to. She could not sit idly, as Fyn-Mah seemed able to do. Irisis did not like to think too much, for her unpleasant foreboding was growing, day by day. Things were going to get worse before they got better, but they would not get better for her. She had committed enough crimes against the scrutators to be executed a dozen times.
The keel of the skiff grated on pebbles as Muss brought it in shore. Shortly he appeared, face pinched from the cold wind.
'I had news of Flydd and Nish,' said Muss, 'but they've disappeared again.' Shaking his head, he squatted down to warm his hands by the fire. A cold wind came off the water, coiling around into the mouth of the cave and lifting sand into their eyes, not to mention into the stew pot.
Have you eaten?' Irisis asked.
'Not since breakfast time.'
'Did you bring any supplies?' she said hopefully.
'No. What we have will do me.'
She cursed him under her breath. Muss must have been through many towns on his long trip.
He took a bowl of bean-and-onion stew while she made a warming cup to wash it down. He kneaded his back with his fingers. 'A long sail, a hard paddle, and a day and night's walkj before that,' he said without expression.
Irisis chopped a knob of ginger into small pieces. Scraping it into another pot, she filled it with water and sat it on the fire. When it began to boil she stirred it with the blade of her knife and filled two mugs, passing one to the spy.