“I’m jesting. Who is the other?”
“Ferrin the displacer.”
Even with most of his face concealed behind a blindfold and a beard, Galloran looked alarmed. “He has a deadly reputation. A foe most devious and capable. Young for a displacer, he was just rising to prominence back when I was completing the Word. My sources have followed his career. If his character were less capricious and his methods more orthodox, he would already be a candidate to lead the displacers. This is the displacer who freed you?”
“Yes. According to him, Maldor discovered his participation in my rescue, and he now wants to join our side.”
“How convinced are you of his sincerity?”
“Not completely certain. He’s been really helpful so far. And he’s already passed up a bunch of chances to betray me. Without his help, I doubt I’d be here.”
Galloran took a deep breath. “Giving him our trust could prove ruinous. I’ve learned never to underestimate the deceptive abilities of our enemies. Malar is the only displacer I’ve ever met who truly joined our cause, though plenty have pretended. Summon your new comrades, and we’ll see what I can discern.”
As Jason rose from the bench, Dorsio crossed the room and opened the door. Down the hall, Aram and Ferrin stood conversing with Tark. When the short musician saw Jason, he broke off the conversation and sprinted down the passageway. “Lord Jason!” he cried. “I’m sorry I was unable to meet you at Potsug.” He looked distressed.
“It worked out,” Jason said. “You recommended a good bodyguard.”
“All they wanted was you. Our enemies, I mean. Soon after you left me, a group of soldiers began hunting me in earnest, ready to dispose of me after I had led them to their true quarry. It was quite a chase. I killed a few of them. It took me longer than I had anticipated to work my way here.”
“I’m glad you made it. I was worried about you.”
Tark beamed, then scowled. “The evening I arrived, the castle came under assault. I feel like a token of foul luck. All around me suffer.”
“It had to be the information you carried,” Jason said. “They must have found out what I told you.”
“I revealed nothing until I arrived here!” Tark swore.
“They may have guessed. Maldor knows what secrets I carry. Or the lurker could have overheard us.” Jason turned to Aram and Ferrin. “Galloran wants to talk to all of us.”
“Galloran is here?” Tark exclaimed.
“He didn’t tell you?” Jason said. “Come with us.”
The four of them entered the room with Galloran. Dorsio closed the door, remaining inside.
“Do you mind if Tark joins us?” Jason asked.
“Not at all,” Galloran said.
Jason sat on a chair off to the side. Ferrin, Aram, and Tark sat on the bench.
“You’re Galloran?” Tark asked in awe.
The Blind King snorted. “Is this becoming common knowledge?”
“I know how you feel,” grumbled Aram.
“Ferrin deduced it long before we got here,” Jason said.
“Ah, yes, the master spy,” Galloran said. “I have heard frightening reports about you from my sources.”
“Likewise,” Ferrin said.
Galloran chuckled. “I’m sure the gossip about me was terrifying. Were you warned that I was a blind pauper serving as an arbiter in a ruined castle?”
“You’ve only been lionized into the greatest hero of our time,” Ferrin responded. “I expect the reputation is well deserved.”
Galloran appeared thoughtful. “An inflated reputation can be useful when inciting a revolution. Aram, am I to understand you have enlisted in our cause?”
The others all looked to the big man. He swallowed. “Do we have a chance of success?”
Galloran crinkled his brow pensively. “A succinct and important question. The situation is dire. Our first order of business will be to investigate our assets. Without some key alliances, we have no chance. Even if we manage to unite the remaining free citizens of Lyrian, it may be too little, too late. But this effort will certainly represent our last opportunity to prevent an age of tyranny that will endure for many generations. I will not give up the cause until I am sure we cannot prevail.”
“Then I will join you until the cause proves unwinnable,” Aram said.
“You’re a mercenary. I have little to offer you at present. Should we succeed, you will receive a barony.”
“You’d make a fine baron,” Tark encouraged.
Smirking self-consciously, the big man looked around the small, dusty room. “We can discuss payment once you’ve been restored to your throne.”
“Fair enough.”
Aram cleared his throat. “I may as well tell you, since the secret is out: I’m half giant. My usefulness fades each morning at sunrise and does not recommence until dusk.”
“Half giant?” Galloran said. “How did you come to be?”
Tark gaped at Aram in astonishment.
“My mother is human; my father, a giant.”
“No magic?”
“Just nature.”
“Fascinating. Welcome, Aram.” Galloran turned his head, as if looking at Ferrin. “Back to the matter of the famed Ferrin, son of Baldor. Am I to believe you honestly mean to join our rebellion?”
“I do,” Ferrin replied. His voice and expression seemed relaxed, but Jason sensed a nervous tension underneath.
“You desire this alliance because your impulsive rescue of Lord Jason offended Maldor?”
“And he must know I’ve learned about the fraudulent Word,” Ferrin added. “Maldor has irrevocably become my enemy.”
Galloran frowned. “A common enemy is not necessarily a reliable basis for friendship.”
“The circumstances have compelled me to take a step I have long contemplated. Even when I served him, I quietly yearned to see the emperor overthrown.”
“You did not believe it was possible,” Galloran said flatly.
“I still have my doubts, but I’m willing to try. I know much that could be of service.”
“Undoubtedly. How can I know you will not betray us?”
“I could give you my word.”
“You’re a displacer! Your people have sworn fealty to Maldor. You have personally vowed to defend and uphold his rule. Your presence here makes you a traitor to your kind and an oath breaker to your liege. A tarnished word is of little value.”
Ferrin had grown rigid. “Your honor is renowned, and you’re right that mine is blemished. Perhaps the truest pledge I can offer is that I understand how the emperor functions.”
“Do you?”
“Maldor never forgives treachery. Especially from a steward of my rank. Regardless of how substantially I might aid him in the future by subverting your efforts, I know I can never regain his confidence. He would gladly reap the reward of any betrayal I enacted, but regardless of any good I do for him, death and worse await if ever I come within his reach.”
“You speak the truth. But do you realize it?”
“Maldor is my eternal enemy, because no matter what I do, I am his.”
Galloran leaned forward. “But what if Maldor already forgave your indiscretion? Or even planned it? What if you are not a fugitive as you claim? What if this is an elaborate scheme?”
All eyes regarded Ferrin.
“Has the emperor orchestrated more subtle and complicated intrigues than you are describing? Absolutely. But if I were a spy, I would not know my trade had I waited until now to act. An hour ago, while exploring Fortaim, I had enough distance between myself and my comrades to easily slip away and lead an army to your doorstep.”
“The emperor is patient,” Galloran replied. “The emperor treasures information. The emperor might want to investigate how far our budding conspiracy reaches. He might want to root out everyone involved, not just snatch Jason or me. I have some well-placed sources, and I have heard nothing about a manhunt for you, Ferrin. Not a word about your defection.”
&n
bsp; Ferrin shook his head. “If it could be avoided, Maldor would never announce that a high-ranking displacer had betrayed his cause. He has kept the search for me quiet. But keep your ears open. After my treasonous activities early this morning, in front of imperial witnesses, my defection will become common knowledge. I’ll be nearly as wanted as Jason.”
“What about the betrayal of your people?” Galloran wondered. “The displacers are well acquainted with the price of failure in wartime. If Maldor falls, the displacers fall with him. You can live with that?”
“I detest the idea of hindering my kind,” Ferrin admitted. “We’ve dealt with more than our rightful share of persecution. But displacers are already doomed. Fearful of natural humans losing dominance, all of the wizards who founded races included safeguards to limit breeding. As you’re aware, when displacers were first created, the odds of having a male child were five times greater than a female. That disparity has increased over time. Today not even one in thirty displacers born is female. Yes, our race lives longer than regular humans, but our ultimate fate is sealed. We were condemned by our founder. We’ll cease to exist within three or four generations.”
“So why not rise up against the apprentice of your founder?” Galloran summarized skeptically. “Punish him for the sins of his master?”
“It wouldn’t have been my first choice,” Ferrin said frankly. “However deranged Zokar may have been, or how oppressive Maldor could prove, at least they were on our side. They didn’t hunt us. They never openly despised us. Not as a people. My personal story is different. I’m being hunted by Maldor. I’ve earned his enmity. In return, he has earned mine. I wouldn’t be here if not for extenuating circumstances. But I’m at peace with my decision. I am wholeheartedly committed. I would be happy to do whatever you’d like to prove myself.”
Galloran let a pregnant silence draw out. All eyes watched him intently. “Two requirements. First, you will take credit for all the harm we do as we make our way across Lyrian. ‘Ferrin, son of Baldor, was here.’ You get the idea.”
“Make my betrayal public knowledge. Defy Maldor openly to ensure that he could never take me back.”
Galloran nodded. “And I will need you to detach a small segment from your neck. The divot must include part of your carotid artery. Dorsio will keep it safe.”
Ferrin grinned darkly. “You could use the piece of my neck to poison me at will. If I choose to let go of the connection, I bleed to death.”
“I harbor hope that you are sincere,” Galloran said. “If I didn’t, I would execute you. Tonight we stand at the outset of the last serious rebellion against the emperor. At present it is desperately fragile, little more than an idea. Without great care and effort, it will amount to nothing. I would welcome your help, Ferrin, but I will not risk treachery. Accept my conditions, and I will extend my trust.”
Ferrin pulled a chunk from his neck and handed it to Dorsio, who studied it and snapped three times.
“I’ll spread word of my involvement at every opportunity,” Ferrin said. “I pledge my abilities, my knowledge, my resources, and my life to the cause of deposing Maldor. My allegiance is to rebellion.”
“Welcome,” Galloran said. “We can use your expertise. If you prove faithful, you will have my everlasting support and protection when this conflict ends. I need information. How closely were you followed?”
“We seem to have distanced ourselves from our pursuers,” Ferrin said. “The majority of those chasing us came from north of the river, and we sabotaged both ferries at Potsug.”
“Good news,” Galloran said.
“What about the lurker?” Jason asked.
“Tark mentioned that a torivor might be involved,” Galloran said grimly. “You’ve had contact?”
“Yes,” Ferrin said. “We saw the torivor last night. It has been trailing Jason since he parted from Tark.”
“Lurkers have not ventured abroad in years,” Galloran said.
“Not since you were captured,” Ferrin agreed. “The creature may have returned to Felrook. After spotting us, it prepared a trap that should have resulted in our capture. Once we dodged the trap, the chase became sloppy, making me wonder whether the lurker remained involved. It taxes Maldor greatly to keep them abroad.”
“There is no lurker currently in the vicinity,” Galloran said with confidence. “My family has a history of Edomic aptitude and other unusual mental faculties. I am no wizard, but as much as torivors can sense our minds, I can sense theirs.”
“Fascinating,” Ferrin said. “Can you hear their thoughts?”
“It depends. I can discern certain types of thoughts more clearly than others. But I can always sense their presence. For now, we have no lurkers in the area.”
“That’s a comfort,” Aram said. “But we do have a large force of more conventional enemies in pursuit.”
“All the more reason we must depart in the morning,” Galloran said. “Rest while you may. Tark, you told me you had sworn fealty to Lord Jason.”
“I am his man,” the musician replied solemnly.
“Then I have acquired four unexpected allies of diverse talents. There is little I can bring to our venture at the moment save knowledge and connections. Hopefully, in time, I will regain my kingdom and bring its resources to bear. We must first journey north, to the Sunken Lands, on our way to the Seven Vales. At the Sunken Lands, we will try to rescue my daughter and supply ourselves from a lost stockpile of orantium. At the Seven Vales, we will strive to enlist the Amar Kabal in our rebellion, the most powerful fighting force yet untouched by the emperor. Without their participation, our insurrection will lack any real promise.”
“You think you can rouse the People of the Seed?” Ferrin asked.
“We shall see,” Galloran replied. “Our first obstacle will be crossing the river. I recommend we make for the bridge a day east of Potsug. The troops pursuing Jason from the north will probably cross that bridge tonight and head west. If we move in stealth, we should miss one another.”
“The bridge will be heavily guarded,” Ferrin warned.
“We have a capable team,” Galloran said. “And some orantium remains. Do you recommend an alternate route?”
Ferrin considered the question before answering. “The bridge will be quickest. No crossing will stand unguarded.”
“The bridge it is,” Galloran said. “Eat your fill tonight. We have far more food stored here than we can carry. Sleep all you can. We depart at dawn.”
CHAPTER 12
RENDEZVOUS
Rachel awoke in the chill of night, bundled in her blankets, the stars blazing more brilliantly than she had ever witnessed. The moon had set, the night was clear, and no overhanging trees impeded her view. In the gaps between the brighter stars, where darkness should have provided background, lesser stars glimmered, faint and plentiful, twinkling specks of dust. She lay on her back, high atop a tall ridge, gazing at the magnificent heavens.
Could any of those pinpricks of light be Earth’s sun? If not, were any of those endless stars at least visible from Earth? Maybe with a powerful telescope? Or was this an entirely different universe altogether, inhabiting some alternate dimension? She didn’t recognize any constellations.
Rachel looked over at the charm woman. They hadn’t built a fire tonight, but the stars shed enough light for her to see that Elaine was gone, her blankets rumpled and empty.
Rachel sat up, scared and alert. Why had Elaine snuck away? They had just arrived at the ridge this evening after many consecutive days in the saddle. Elaine’s donkey was not swift, but it was tireless. They had started at the first hint of dawn every morning and plodded onward until twilight dwindled.
Low, mumbling voices reached Rachel’s ears, a single hushed conversation. Listening intently, she could distinguish between a man and a woman speaking. “Elaine?” Rachel called.
“Here, child. We’re coming. Drake has found us.”
“Elaine?” Drake asked, his voice scarcely audible.
“Is that your name?”
“At present,” she answered softly. Two starlit figures walked into view. Elaine raised her voice again. “My charms detected an intruder approaching. I knew it wasn’t a lurker. I hoped it was Drake.”
“You made good time,” Drake remarked. “I expected to beat you here. I had to cover much more ground, but of course Mandibar is extraordinary.”
“We only arrived earlier tonight,” Rachel said.
“I’m glad we found you awake,” Elaine said. “It means my inner ring of charms is working.”
“I don’t get it,” Rachel said.
“The outer ring was rigged to awaken me,” Elaine said. “When Drake crossed the inner boundary, you woke up.”
Upon quick reflection, Rachel realized that usually when she awoke in the night, she rolled over and went on sleeping. Tonight she had awakened alert, her mind active and inquisitive.
“I didn’t set up any violent or distractive enchantments, because I wanted him to find us,” Elaine explained.
“I have news,” Drake said.
“Tell us,” Rachel urged.
“Jason is free.”
At first she felt stunned. It took a moment to really process the words. Then such a surge of joy and relief overcame her that Rachel abruptly realized how much of her had never expected to see Jason again. She had faithfully wished for his safety. She had dreamed of an eventual rescue. But deep down, some realistic part of her had known the odds were against it. “Where is he?”
“Our enemies aren’t sure,” Drake said. “Which bodes well for him, but may make him difficult for us to locate.”
“How’d you learn this?” Rachel wondered.
“I set the doll adrift in the Purga River, to create the illusion that you remained in motion. After that I never saw the lurker again, so I assume it took the bait. I traveled north fast enough that I knew I had to be well ahead of you, so I took a side trip to Trensicourt to do some reconnaissance. I still have a few contacts there from bygone years, although they’re looking old.
“Once I learned that Jason was supposedly at large, I did some investigating of my own. First, I captured and interrogated a regular imperial soldier, then a displacer.”