‘The queen is coming to Panem-Doe riding in a carriage,’ Ogerajin sang in his cracked voice.
‘Don’t pay any attention to him,’ Valash said rather too quickly. ‘He’s only babbling.’
‘His mind really is slipping, isn’t it?’ Stragen noted.
‘Six white horses and silver wheels—’ Ogerajin sang on.
‘Have you ever heard such gibberish?’ Valash asked with a weak laugh.
‘Our presence must be disturbing him,’ Stragen said. ‘Does he generally drift off to sleep later in the evening?’
‘Usually.’
‘Good. From now on, Reldin and I’ll come by after midnight when he’s asleep.’
‘I’d appreciate it, Vymer.’ Valash looked at them, his face still worried. ‘He wasn’t always like this, you know. It’s the disease.’
‘I’m sure of it. He’s probably not even aware of what he’s saying.’
‘Exactly, exactly. He’s completely out of his head. Why don’t you two just forget his crazy singing?’ Valash snatched his purse from his belt and dug out several coins. ‘Here. Come by again after he’s gone to sleep.’
The two thieves bowed and quietly left.
‘Nervous, wasn’t he?’ Talen said as they went back down the stairs.
‘You noticed. He even forgot himself and opened his purse.’
They reached the bottom of the stairs. ‘Where to!’ Talen asked.
‘No place for the moment. Keep this to yourself, Talen.’
‘Keep what?’
But Stragen was already speaking in sonorous Styric, weaving his fingers intricately in the air in front of him. Talen stared as Stragen opened his hands palm up and made a sort of tossing gesture rather like a man releasing a pigeon. His eyes became distant, and his lips moved silently for a time Then he smiled. ‘Surprised her,’ he said. ‘Let’s go.’
‘What’s going on here?’ Talen demanded.
‘I passed the things we just discovered along to Aphrael,’ Stragen shrugged.
‘When did you learn Styric magic?’
‘It’s not really all that difficult, Talen,’ Stragen grinned. ‘I’ve seen Sparhawk do it often enough, and I do speak Styric, after all. The gestures were a little tricky, but Aphrael gave me some instructions. I’ll do it better next time.’
‘How did you know it would work?’
‘I didn’t. I thought it was time I gave it a try, though. Aphrael’s very pleased with me.’
‘You do know that you just volunteered to serve her, don’t you? I know that much about her. You’re her slave now, Stragen. She’s got you.’
‘Oh, well.’ Stragen shrugged. ‘I suppose a man could do worse. Aphrael’s a thief herself, so I’m sure we’ll get along.’ He squared his shoulders. ‘Shall we go?’ he suggested.
18
‘You’re absolutely certain?’ Sparhawk eagerly asked the Child Goddess.
‘Kalten is,’ she replied. ‘He was walking past the building, and Alcan started to sing. He’d recognize her voice, wouldn’t he?’
Sparhawk nodded. ‘She could raise him from the dead by singing to him. How fast can you get me to Natayos?’
‘Let’s take the others to Dirgis first. I want to fill Xanetia and Sephrenia in on what’s been happening.’
‘I already know about all that. I need to get to Natayos, Aphrael.’
‘All in good time, Sparhawk. It’s not going to take us all that long to get to Dirgis, and the others might have some useful ideas.’
‘Aphrael—’ he began to protest.
‘We’ll do it my way, Sparhawk,’ she told him firmly. ‘It won’t hike all that long, and it might give you enough time to get your temper under control. The others are waiting in the room with the map on the wall. Let’s get them and go to Dirgis.’
There was one brief argument before they started. ‘I have no need of a horse,’ Betuana insisted, tightening the lace on one of her half-boots.
Aphrael sighed. ‘Please do it my way, Betuana,’ she said.
‘I can run faster than a horse. Why burden myself with—’
‘Because you know how far it is from here to Dirgis, and the horse doesn’t. It’s easier for me that way. Please, Betuana, just for me.’ The Child Goddess looked appealingly at the armored Atan Queen. Betuana laughed and gave in.
And so they went out into the snowy courtyard, mounted, and rode on out into the streets of Sama. The sky was heavy with clouds that obscured the surrounding mountains, and it was spitting snow. They left town by way of the east gate and slogged their way up the steep slope to the top of the gorge.
Sparhawk, Itagne, and Vanion rode in the lead, breaking trail for the Queen of Atan, who rode wrapped in her heavy cloak and with the Child Goddess nestled in her arms. There was a strange dichotomy in the personality of the little divinity that troubled Sparhawk. He knew that she was wise beyond his ability to comprehend it, and yet she was still in most ways a little girl. Then he remembered the naked reality of the true Goddess, and all hope of ever understanding her vanished.
‘Can’t we go any faster?’ Vanion demanded.
Sparhawk’s friend had been in an agony of impatience ever since he had learned of the attack on Sephrenia, and Sparhawk had at times feared that he might have to physically restrain him. ‘Fast or slow doesn’t matter, Vanion,’ he said. ‘We can run or crawl, and we’ll still get there at just about the same time.’
‘How can you be so calm?’
‘You get numb after awhile,’ Sparhawk laughed wryly.
It was perhaps a quarter of an hour later when they crested the top of that long hill and looked down at the town of Dirgis where the sun was shining brightly.
‘That’s incredible.’ Itagne exclaimed. Then he turned to look back down the trail they had just climbed, and his eyes suddenly went very wide.
‘I asked you not to do that, Itagne,’ Aphrael reminded him.
‘It’s still snowing there,’ he choked, ‘but—’ He stared at the sun-drenched snow-field just ahead again.
‘Why do people always want to stop right there?’ the little girl said irritably. ‘Just move along, Itagne. Once you’ve passed the crossover between the two places, it won’t bother you any more.’
Itagne resolutely set his face forward and rode on into the bright sunlight. ‘Did you understand that, Sparhawk?’ he asked in a strained voice.
‘Sort of. Do you really want to hear about what happens to you when you step through the place where two hundred miles have just been abolished?’
Itagne shuddered.
They rode on down the hill and entered the city.
‘How much further?’ Vanion demanded.
‘Just a little ways,’ Sparhawk replied. ‘It’s not all that big a town.’
They rode through the narrow streets where the snow lay thickly piled against the sides of the buildings. They reached the inn, rode into the courtyard just behind it, and dismounted.
‘Everything’s been fixed now, Betuana,’ Aphrael was assuring the Atan Queen. ‘I’m keeping him in a deep sleep so that everything has a chance to knit back together again.’
‘Who’s watching over him? Perhaps I should go there.’
‘No, Betuana,’ Aphrael said firmly. ‘I don’t have permission to take you there—yet.’
‘But he’s alone.’
‘Of course he’s not alone. I’m right there beside him.’
‘But—’ Betuana stared at the little girl.
‘Try not to think about it.’ The Child Goddess pursed her lips thoughtfully. ‘Engessa-Atan’s a deceptive man, you know—probably because he’s so quiet. I didn’t realize how remarkable he really is until I got into his mind.’
‘I have always known,’ Betuana said. ‘How long will it be necessary to keep him away from me—us?’
Aphrael let the Queen’s slip pass without comment. ‘A few weeks. I want to be sure that everything’s healed. Let’s go on inside before Vanion has apoplexy.’
Sparhawk led them into the inn, where the innkeeper seemed to be so engrossed in wiping off a table that he was totally oblivious to anything else. They went up the stairs, and Sparhawk was startled to see Mirtai standing guard at Sephrenia’s door. ‘What are you doing here?’ he asked her. ‘I thought you were back in Matherion.’