‘This is bad?’ Andawyr asked, eyebrows raised.
‘This is suspicious,’ Antyr replied. ‘They’re nothing if not hedonistic.’
Andawyr held out his hands to them. ‘Well, so am I. And they won’t harm me, will they?’
‘No, of course not,’ Antyr said. ‘It’s just that they’re very nosy, that’s all. They like to wander the dream ways.’
‘Which means nothing to me,’ Andawyr retorted. ‘And if it doesn’t hurt I don’t mind.’
‘It doesn’t hurt. You’ll probably enjoy it.’ It was Yatsu.
Andawyr looked at him askance. ‘You did this?’ he inquired.
‘And me,’ said Jaldaric. ‘It’s interesting. Try it.’
‘You’re not the exclusive repository of curiosity, you know,’ Yatsu said smugly.
‘Well, well,’ Andawyr muttered. ‘What did you find?’ he asked Antyr.
‘You’ll have to ask them about that,’ came the reply. ‘What passes between a Dream Finder and his client stays between them.’
‘I stand corrected,’ Andawyr conceded. ‘A little thought and a little less excitement would’ve told me that, wouldn’t it? Anyway, what do we have to do?’
‘Nothing yet,’ Antyr laughed. ‘Unless you’re particularly anxious to get to bed.’
‘Hardly,’ Andawyr replied, glancing over the valley as the daylight faded.
‘You’re due for a long night, Dream Finder, he hardly ever sleeps,’ Jaldaric chimed in, standing up and stretching. He waved what appeared to a completed letter in anticipation of any further ripostes by Andawyr. ‘And unless you want us for anything special, we’ll go and eat.’
‘Don’t get lost,’ Andawyr chided caustically as they were leaving.
He stared at the door for some time after it had closed. ‘It’s so good to see them back safely,’ he said reflectively. ‘I’m afraid we’re none of us totally immune to those looming clouds, Antyr.’
‘You’ve many out searching for those who fled after the war?’ Antyr asked.
‘Yes. And as many just out rediscovering the world.’ His brow furrowed. ‘And we’ve precious little idea where most of them are. All we can do is put the head in charge of the heart and keep telling ourselves they’re all more than capable, and doing what they want to do.’ He slapped his legs. ‘But that’s the way it is, so we have to cope with it.’
Usche cleared her throat.
‘Ah yes. I’m sorry, Usche. I’m intruding on your time.’
‘That doesn’t matter,’ Usche replied. ‘But if you don’t need me, I’ve plenty of things to do.’
Andawyr drew in a breath. ‘First corrected now reproached. This is turning into a chastening day for me.’ He cast a glance over his shoulder at the darkening valley then reached out to touch the edge of the sill. With barely a sound, the surrounds of the window became alive with movement as a series of small panels began to unfold and move towards the centre. Antyr could see no pattern to the movement, but quite suddenly, with a final soft sighing turn, the whole became a seemingly solid shutter, elaborately decorated with intertwined leaves and stems. At the same time lights around the room bloomed into life.
Antyr could do no other than touch the shutter. ‘Marvellous,’ he said. Then, staring round at the lights, he added, ‘And I presume you have no Guild of Lamplighters here.’ He looked at Andawyr. ‘Doubtless you’ll tell me this is all the result of clear thinking, ingenuity and determination, but it looks magical.’
‘You’re showing me the world through your eyes, Antyr, and I suppose it does,’ Andawyr replied. ‘But to other matters. Matters that look magical even to me. Usche, before you go, explain to Antyr about the Power.’
Chapter 6
‘What!’
Usche’s manner thus far had been pleasantly and politely attentive. Now she was bolt upright and gaping.
‘Tell him about the Power,’ Andawyr repeated.
‘Just like that?’
‘Just like that. There’s nothing like teaching to help you get to grips with what you think you know. And you’ll be doing a lot more soon.’
There was a flicker of stark panic across Usche’s face that left her cheeks coloured slightly as she recovered. She made a strange whimper and, with an apologetic sidelong glance at Antyr, asked in a half whisper, ‘What does he know?’
Andawyr seemed to be quietly enjoying himself. ‘Listen carefully,’ he said.
Then, very quickly and very succinctly, he repeated Antyr’s story to her. Both she and Antyr were wide-eyed when he finished. She with the story itself, he with the grasp that Andawyr had shown of everything he had told him.
‘Did I miss anything out?’ Andawyr asked him.
‘No, no,’ Antyr stammered. ‘It was very accurate… very clear. Better than the way I told it.’
‘Now you know what I know, Brother Usche, but all questions are for later. Tell him about the Power. Keep it general, no maths.’
Usche was still wide-eyed as she turned her attention back to Antyr. She coughed and swallowed nervously, said ‘Yes’ meaninglessly and swallowed again before beginning.
‘This blind man attacked you with the Power?’ she asked almost disbelievingly.
‘No questions,’ Andawyr insisted, but she scowled at him. She was about to speak when Antyr answered her.
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘At least that’s what I presume it was.’
‘And you…’ Usche gesticulated vaguely. ‘Sent it back to him.’
‘Yes.’
Usche shook her head. ‘If you could do that then I don’t think there’s anything I can tell you. You should be teaching me.’
‘I’m afraid not,’ Antyr replied. ‘Although I remember much of what happened, far more has slipped away from me, rather, as I’m told often enough, dreams usually fade on waking. And as for how I did what I did, I’ve no idea. It was almost as if something woke inside me and took charge.’ He frowned as memories of the terrifying confrontation returned to him, suddenly vivid. With them came a familiar aching feeling of loss. ‘For the briefest of moments I knew… everything. Everything that had ever been – that could be – known. But it was so short – almost as though it had been trapped between the moments.’ He indicated the book on her lap. ‘It was like looking at the edge of a page, yet seeing everything that was written on it.’ He gave a fatalistic shrug. ‘I’ve no words for it, I’m afraid. Whatever it was, it wasn’t to be mine. Perhaps some part of me held enough of it to save my life, I don’t know.’ Then he smiled to encourage his still reluctant teacher. ‘I’ve heard a lot about this Power and I’d be very interested to know more about it, but I can see you’re having the same problem in finding words for it. Just try. I’ll ask if there’s anything I don’t understand but I’m sure the world won’t come to an end if I don’t grasp the matter fully.’
His manner relaxed Usche a little. She straightened her robe and carefully placed the book and papers she was holding on to a small table standing nearby.
Andawyr was sitting slightly behind Antyr and, though Antyr could not see him, he knew that he was watching Usche intently. It gave him a welcome sense of familiarity.
There is a hierarchy here, then, he thought. It’s just more subtle than I’m used to.
Conspicuously plucking up courage, Usche began. ‘Unfortunately, it doesn’t help that we use the term “Power”, but it’s so rooted into our ways of speaking and writing that any more appropriate term would be unlikely to dislodge it.’ Antyr sensed that a point was being made here that was not particularly for his benefit, but Usche continued without a pause. ‘It’s actually a relic of times long gone when this… pervasive phenomenon… which we still call the Power – or, rather, the ability to use it – was thought to be magical – something that was beyond rational explanation – something that came from a vague “other place” peopled by gods and spirits and the like.’ She took on a schoolteacher’s tone. ‘Now we’re a little more enlightened, and we also know much more about it. Much more.’ She looked at Andawyr pointedly. ‘Largely due to a certain person’s considerable courage, the full extent of which I’ve only recently begun to learn about.’
‘You should be concentrating on more important matters, young woman, not tittle-tattling in the recreation rooms.’ The comment came from over Antyr’s shoulder, though it patently did not impinge on Usche who calmly turned her gaze back to Antyr.