‘That’s not to say that we understand it fully. Far from it. There are many aspects of it that are deeply strange. At its heart, things happen in ways that are quite contrary to what we would expect in our everyday lives. However, let me show you something.’
She pulled the table between them and moved the book so that it was in front of her. She gave Andawyr an inquiring look and, apparently receiving his consent, opened the book and sat back. She became very still and, as Antyr watched, the pages of the book slowly began to turn, apparently of their own volition.
Antyr frowned and shot a suspicious and rather embarrassed look at Usche. He turned the same expression towards Andawyr, suddenly very uncertain.
‘What’s the matter?’ Andawyr asked, obviously surprised at this response.
Antyr’s embarrassment deepened. ‘This is just a… trick.’ The words came out in a half whisper, as though they were reluctant to be heard. It was Andawyr’s turn to frown, though in confusion, not anger. The book was still now and Usche was watching the exchange with great concern.
‘I don’t understand what you mean,’ Andawyr said into the awkward silence.
Unhappily, Antyr turned the book around to face him and leaned forward, his head resting on his hand as though deep in thought. As before, the pages of the book began to turn.
‘Good grief,’ Andawyr exclaimed, leaning forward himself and watching intently. ‘How did you do that? You certainly didn’t use the Power.’
Antyr put his fingertips to his mouth and splayed them apart rapidly as he puffed out noisily. ‘Breath control,’ he said. ‘Silent, focused. It takes quite a lot of practice to do properly, but I can do it well enough for a party trick. My father taught me when I was a child. He learned it from a friend who was a market trader. He used tricks like that to gather a crowd. He could do the most amazing things. I’m so… I…’
Completely discomfited by what he now realized was an ill-judged and wholly inappropriate intrusion, Antyr stammered to a halt. Andawyr’s face contorted alarmingly but when it resolved itself it was not into indignation and anger but into laughter. It proved to be beyond his control though eventually he managed, ‘You’re right. That’s a good trick. But it’s not what Usche was doing.’ As the laughter threatened to take over again he waved to her to continue.
Usche, however, did not appear to be amused. Jaw set and eyes now grim, she closed the book and turned it so that its spine was towards her. Slowly she lifted its heavy cover a little way, then slammed it shut with a vigorous slap, making Antyr start. Pausing only to shoot a dark look towards the still laughing Andawyr, she sat back in her chair as she had before. Very slowly, the cover swung open until it was vertical. Then, equally slowly, it continued opening until it was resting on the table. A good half of the pages then opened and followed it in the same manner. Throughout, Usche kept her eyes fixed sternly on Antyr.
‘Blowthat!’ Andawyr whispered loudly in Antyr’s ear.
His laughter escaped his control again and bounced around the room. It was infectious and, for a moment, it seemed that Usche’s glare was going to disintegrate under its onslaught. She crushed the impulse. ‘One of our beloved leader’s more peculiar traits, Antyr, is that he laughs a lot – and very easily,’ she glowered.
Andawyr’s hand landed on Antyr’s shoulder. ‘And one of Brother Usche’s many charming traits is that she can be remarkably solemn. A trait which you can see your confusing her with a market pedlar has brought out to its full.’ Still chuckling, he spoke to her kindly. ‘Worse than that can happen, Usche. Remind me to have Oslang tell you how a demonstration of the Power he once gave nearly got him his throat cut.’
‘I’m awfully sorry,’ Antyr began. ‘I didn’t mean to… it’s just that you caught me unawares… I…’
A gentle pressure from Andawyr’s hand silenced him. ‘You’ve done no hurt, Antyr. You reacted openly and honestly which, I told you before, I – we – value, and value highly. What Usche’s just shown you is a small example of what a trained person can do with the Power. It’s a basic exercise to test skill, control, many things. Let me show you.’ He laid his hand over Antyr’s and nodded to Usche.
As slowly as it had opened, the book closed itself. Andawyr removed his hand and looked at Antyr expectantly. ‘Did that help you understand?’ he asked.
‘Did what?’ Antyr asked in return.
‘That,’ Andawyr said, taking his hand again. ‘That feeling when the book was closing.’
‘I felt nothing,’ Antyr replied.
Andawyr tilted his head on one side as if he had not heard correctly.
‘Nothing?’
‘Nothing.’
Andawyr looked at his hand with the expression of a man looking at a faulty timepiece.
‘Nothing at all?’
‘No,’ Antyr confirmed, beginning to be alarmed that he had made another social blunder amongst his new friends.
‘How very odd,’ Andawyr said slowly, staring now at Antyr as thoughhe might have been a faulty timepiece. Antyr shifted uncomfortably and Andawyr was suddenly alive with apology.
‘Forgive me,’ he said, words stumbling out in his haste. ‘You caughtme unawares this time. I’ve never known anything like that. You should have felt something. That’s one of the most effective teaching aids to get past the difficulties we run into when words alone aren’t really sufficient.’ He waved his hands vaguely as if trying to still what were obviously many clamouring questions. ‘I can see we’re going to learn a great deal about one another over the coming days – with your permission, of course,’ he added quickly. ‘But for now, I’d like Usche to finish her discourse for you.’
He sat back, out of sight of Antyr again, and, playing alternately with his battered nose and his straggly beard, fell silent, except for an occasional soft and tuneless humming.
Usche’s face reflected Andawyr’s curiosity and excitement and it was a visible effort for her to gather the threads of her explanation before she could continue. She started with an apology of her own. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, mouthing the words rather than speaking them. ‘It was rude of me to react the way I did.’
‘Everyone’s apologized to everyone else now,’ Antyr said. ‘I think honour’s satisfied.’
Usche nearly smiled, then she cleared her throat and patted the book. ‘That’s what can be done with the Power, if you know how,’ she said. ‘That and many other things.’
‘How did you do it?’
Usche pulled a wry face. ‘I don’t know. That’s to say, I know how I did it, just like I know how to plant a seed to grow a flower. But the deeper reasons for such a thing being possible…’ She shrugged. ‘We search, though. Here we search endlessly.’
‘How do you think you did it?’
The humming behind Antyr stopped abruptly.
Usche smiled broadly. ‘I can’t begin to tell you about that,’ she said. ‘I’m not trying to avoid your question but it really is very complicated. As, I’m sure, are the details of your own profession, if I understood it correctly from Andawyr.’
Antyr acknowledged the point and the humming started again.
‘What I can tell you, though, is that while most people have some sensitivity to the Power,’ she gave him a brief, curious look, ‘not everyone can use it as I just did. A certain… inborn… quality has to be present. Without it, no amount of training and dedication will have any effect.’
‘It’s the same with my own trade – profession – call it what you will. Some can do it, most can’t. If the ability is there and if a suitable Earth Holder can be found…’ Unconsciously he reached down and stroked the two wolves now lying at either side of his chair. ‘Then it can be developed. But if it isn’t there, then… nothing.’
Usche could not resist. ‘Does this ability run in families – father to son, mother to daughter?’
‘Sometimes, but there’s no logic or pattern to it. For the most part it appears at random. My father was a Dream Finder, but there was no guarantee that I would be one.’