Voice of the Gods

  :I suppose she read the minds of Dreamweavers in order to find out what they think of you.

  :Yes. Oh, something she said…I think they know you can read minds.

  Auraya felt a chill. Was there any danger in the Voices knowing she could read minds? Jade had thought it would be dangerous for the gods to know Auraya had regained the ability, but she had meant the Circlian gods.

  Still, it was possible that the Circlian gods occasionally read the minds of Pentadrians. Unless…

  :Do you think only the Voices know, or others?

  :I don’t know. I could search some dreams tonight and see if I can find out for you.

  :Yes. I’ll do a bit of mind-skimming, too. There might be someone still awake.

  :When you do, look for any thoughts about the Elai. I overheard a comment when I arrived suggesting that they were sinking ships.

  :Sinking ships? That is an alarming possibility.

  :Yes. Now, we both have much to do, and the night isn’t getting any longer.

  :No. Good night.

  :Good night.

  :Mirar?

  :Yes?

  She paused, suddenly worried that what she had been about to say would give him a false impression. After a moment, she decided it wouldn’t.

  :Thank you for your help.

  :Don’t thank me yet. Not until the last Siyee is free and you escape this place. When the last Siyee flies be prepared for betrayal, Auraya, he warned. I don’t think the Voices intend to let you go.

  As he broke the link she floated in an uneasy dream state, thinking about his warning. If I was in Nekaun’s place, I wouldn’t let me go either. I’m going to have to give him a reason to let me go. She was too tired to consider that now, and she still had mind-skimming to do. Concentrating, she sent her mind out into the world.

  Moving from mind to mind, she skimmed the thoughts of the Servants and domestics still awake in the Sanctuary. When she encountered the mind of a Voice’s Companion she felt a thrill of satisfaction. The woman, Reivan, was restless and unable to sleep and her thoughts revolved around First Voice Nekaun.

  It’s been so long, Reivan thought. Surely he could have found the time to visit me once. How am I going to warn him about Imenja’s suspicions? I can’t go near him in case Auraya reads my mind.

  Auraya’s stomach sank. That confirmed what Mirar had told her. Her mind-reading ability had been detected.

  But then, why would he listen to me if he won’t listen to Imenja. No, I can only hope he doesn’t underestimate Auraya. He’ll come back to me once he’s killed her, Reivan told herself.

  Auraya felt a shock. Somehow it was more chilling to hear Nekaun’s intentions stated so clearly in the woman’s mind. But she also sensed doubt. Companion Reivan knew the other Voices believed Nekaun would kill her, but they didn’t know for sure. He was secretive. He kept his plans from them. Then Auraya saw the woman’s greatest fear, lurking constantly at the edge of her mind. The other Voices believed Auraya was more powerful than Nekaun. Reivan worried that if he attempted to kill Auraya, he would do so alone. She feared he would fail.

  Interesting, Auraya mused. I wonder if they are right. And it is odd that Nekaun keeps himself separate from the other Voices. It’s a weakness that could be exploited.

  The Companion was drifting off to sleep now. If she knew anything about the Elai, she wasn’t going to be thinking about it any time soon. Her thoughts were full of Nekaun. Auraya moved on, seeking other minds.

  She would not abandon the remaining Siyee imprisoned here, but when the last of them flew, she would be ready to defend herself against Nekaun.

  33

  Have you made a copy of this scroll? Tamun asked Emerahl as soon as The Twins dream-linked with her.

  :I’m trying to, Emerahl replied. The only reason Barmonia lets me see it is because I can translate for him. He won’t let me write it down for him. He won’t even let me take notes. I’ve had to memorize what I can and write it down secretly.

  :What form are you writing it down in? Tamun asked.

  :I’ve burned it onto the inside of my water skin. They’ll never find it there.

  :In what language?

  :Hanian, so they won’t know what I wrote if they do find it.

  :You must use the original glyphs! The smallest mis-translation can change the meaning of a phrase!

  :She won’t mistranslate, Surim injected.

  :Thank you, Emerahl said, pleased at his defense of her.

  :She might not realize she has, Tamun countered. We can’t take any risks. In the old priest tongue words often had two meanings.

  If Emerahl had been awake she would have sighed. Tamun hadn’t taken well to the news that the scroll was useless. She refused to believe it, saying the poem must be a code.

  :Very well. I’ll copy the glyphs somehow. But what then? It’s just a history. There are no directions to these secrets about the gods.

  :No? Tamun’s amusement rippled over Emerahl’s mind. What you have recited bears some obvious clues.

  :Obvious?

  :The secrets were preserved in an indestructible form. What is indestructible?

  :Nothing.

  :Gold, Surim said. Or so a smith once told me. It can be melted and mixed with other metals, but alone it never rusts or deteriorates.

  :If the secrets are recorded in gold, and gold can be melted, then the secrets can be destroyed, Tamun pointed out.

  :Then it must be something so hard and solid it can’t be broken.

  :Diamond? Emerahl suggested. Her mind shifted to the treasures found in the coffin. There had been plenty of precious stones among the jewellery and trinkets.

  :A diamond can be cut by another diamond, Tamun said. That makes it as fragile as gold.

  :What else is there? Surim asked.

  The Twins fell silent as they considered. Emerahl’s mind kept returning to the jewellery and trinkets. If the secrets were preserved on a diamond it would be a clever trick to hide it among the treasure.

  Though there couldn’t be many secrets if they were carved into a diamond. Some of the gems in the collection were impressively large, but there was little room for more than a few words on them.

  :It would be easier if you just stole it and brought it to us.

  :I’m not stealing that great hunk of gold! Even if it wasn’t a big ugly piece of dung too heavy to carry, we know Pentadrian Servants want it. I could have half the Servants of Southern Ithania on my tail all the way to the coast, and I might not be able to find a ship to—

  :Emerahl. Wake up. Something has happened. The traitor has—

  Suddenly Emerahl was aware of a voice. Barmonia’s voice. He was shouting. At once she slipped from the dream and into full consciousness.

  “…stinking whore of a thief! I’ll rip your guts out with my bare hands and feed them…!”

  Getting up, she wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and hurried out of her tent. The shouting came from the direction of the arem and domestics. Barmonia’s words echoed in the still night. Kereon and Yathyir stood beside the fire, Kereon scowling and Yathyir looking wide-eyed with fright. The older man looked at Emerahl, then nodded toward Barmonia’s tent.

  The front flap was open and they could see the mess inside. A battered, misshapen item lay on the floor: the Scroll.

  “Smashed,” he said.

  Emerahl did some silent cursing of her own. Barmonia had been so protective of the Scroll, insisting he be present whenever anyone studied it, she had assumed it would be safe enough.

  I am a fool! she thought. The Twins are going to be furious.

  The shouting stopped, then two figures emerged from the darkness. Mikmer and Barmonia were arguing.

  “…miss him in the darkness. When the sun rises we can track him,” Mikmer said.

  “He’ll hide his tracks once he knows we’re hot on his tail. I’m going after that slut-raised, traitorous…”

  Barmonia froze as he noticed Emerahl, then closed his mouth. S
he tried not to show her amusement at this.

  “What happened?” Yathyir asked in a small, frightened voice.

  Barmonia scowled. “Ray smashed the scroll. The domestics say he took an arem and left.”

  “When?”

  “Not long ago.”

  Only minutes ago, Emerahl realized. Ray must have decided to do this while The Twins and I were discussing the Scroll. If he’d planned it before now, they would have known.

  “Was he carrying anything?” Kereon asked.

  “A pack and a large bag,” Mikmer replied. He frowned as Barmonia hurried into his tent. “Why?”

  A roar came from the leader’s tent. Barmonia emerged, his face dark with anger. “He took the treasure.”

  A cold chill ran over Emerahl’s skin. If I’m right, and the secrets are on a diamond somewhere in the treasure…

  It did not surprise her that Ray had stolen the treasure. He’d need money, since his membership as a Thinker would end once the news got about that he’d betrayed them. What didn’t make sense was that he had smashed the Scroll. He was supposed to steal it.

  Had he worked out that the secret was in the treasure?

  The Scroll wasn’t going anywhere. If the Thinkers could restore it, they would. She didn’t need to wait around for them to do it.

  What matters is retrieving the treasure.

  “We can’t wait until morning,” Barmonia growled.

  “We should split up, take a few domestics each, and go in different directions,” Kereon advised.

  Mikmer sighed, then nodded. “I’ll go north. Someone should stay here and guard what’s left of the Scroll.”

  Barmonia looked thoughtful. “No point in sending Yathyir. I had better stay.” He looked at Kereon and Mikmer. “Bring him back here. I’ll deal with him.”

  The two men nodded, then hurried away. Emerahl heard them barking orders at the domestics.

  “I could go too,” she offered.

  Barmonia gave her a hard, suspicious stare.

  “No. He could be dangerous.”

  She smiled faintly. “I doubt it.”

  “No. I need you here.”

  “I’ve translated the Scroll,” she argued. “What else is there for me to do?”

  “Stay where I can see you,” he snapped. “To be honest, I don’t trust you.”

  She shrugged. “Fair enough. I’ll go back to bed, then.”

  “Stay by the fire,” he ordered.

  She hesitated, tempted to just leave. He couldn’t stop her. But there might still be something significant about the Scroll. She might need to remain on good terms with him.

  Out of the darkness came a domestic. He reported that a light had been seen moving down the road to the lowlands.

  A light, eh? I don’t think Ray would be so foolish as to use a lamp when there’ll be plenty of light when the moon rises. More likely he tied a lamp to an arem, pointed it in the direction of the lowlands and gave it a good slap. He’ll have gone in the other direction, toward Glymma and his reward.

  A little mind-skimming would confirm it.

  She gave a mock sigh of exasperation and walked to the nearly burned-out fire, where she lay down on one of the mats and covered herself with her blanket.

  Yathyir and Barmonia returned to their tents. She heard Barmonia muttering about the Scroll and whether he could salvage it. Soon he would be too distracted to see her slip away.

  Then she would collect her pack and an arem to ride and she would set off after the traitor and his stolen goods.

  Auraya drifted, alone in the dream trance. Beneath the Sanctuary two Siyee waited to be freed. In less than two days she would escape Glymma and Nekaun.

  In a room somewhere closer, Mirar’s body rested while his mind skimmed the thoughts of others. She felt a wave of affection, and a wistful amusement. First, as Leiard, he had been a mentor then a lover. In Si he had been a teacher again, then an enemy. Now he was a welcome ally. A helper. A friend.

  I like him, she thought, and it’s not because he reminds me of Leiard. I can’t see him, so my eyes aren’t telling me I’m talking to Leiard. Sometimes there’s a hint of Leiard in what he says through the dream-links, but mostly I am talking to someone else.

  Mirar. The enemy of the gods. Auraya gave a mental shrug. So is Jade, but that didn’t stop me liking her, once I got to know her. Must I hate whoever they hate in order to be considered loyal?

  They can’t make me love someone. Is it the same for hate?

  It was an interesting question, but she still had much to do. She had been skimming minds every night since Mirar first suggested it. Bit by bit they had put together enough information to confirm that Pentadrian Servants had been sent to all countries of Northern Ithania to establish themselves and start converting locals. The White had managed to find and put a stop to most of the attempts, including the most successful one, in Dunway.

  Now, as she sent her mind out, she reached toward the closest mind, but then stopped in surprise.

  Not far away, loud voices buzzed within the magic of the world.

  :…happens when you don’t consult others.

  :I consulted.

  :We talked about exercises and tests, not the full assembling of armies.

  :Assembling a full army quickly takes practice.

  The defensive voice belonged to Huan, whereas the accuser was Saru.

  :It also raises expectations and—

  I’ve stumbled into another of the gods’ conversations, Auraya thought. Chaia warned me that I could be detected. I should stop listening and…

  :Do you really think he’ll believe such a feeble excuse? This was an older male voice. Lore. Auraya hesitated, amazed that gods other than Chaia had confronted Huan. The Circlians are now wondering if we know what we’re doing.

  :Which is hardly my doing, Huan said. I didn’t give the order for the armies to stand down.

  :What were you intending them to do, if not finish their “exercise” and go home?

  The question was from Chaia. Auraya felt her heart warm at the sound of his voice.

  :More exercises? Huan suggested. Too bad you ordered them to stand down. They could do with a bit of training.

  :Which you knew the Pentadrians would hear about, Lore said. You can’t pretend to be ignorant of the consequences.

  :They would have killed Auraya, a quiet female voice said. This could only be Yranna. The balance would have been regained.

  :No, it would have tipped in the favor of the Pentadrians, Lore said. They have Mirar.

  :Who won’t fight, Saru reminded them.

  Huan ignored him. We’ve never been in a better position to be rid of him, too, she pointed out.

  :If all that worries you is balance, we can order Auraya to stay out of any battles.

  :And she would obey, if the Circlians were losing?

  Though the gods now began arguing about whether she was to be trusted or not, Auraya found herself puzzling over Huan’s claim that Mirar was in a good position for them to get rid of him. How could he be, when he was within the Pentadrians’ center of power? Perhaps there was an assassin here in the hire of the White. How had he or she managed to avoid detection by the Voices? Or were they unaware who their employer was?

  :Auraya isn’t the reason the Circlians will go to war, Huan boomed suddenly.

  Go to war? Auraya suddenly regretted becoming distracted. Were the Circlians actually going to attack the Pentadrians, or were the gods simply speaking in terms of possibilities?

  :They won’t go to war, Lore replied. A few Pentadrian plots to convert Circlians aren’t enough reason to invade another continent.

  Auraya felt relief.

  :The White would only go to war if we ordered it, Saru agreed.

  :So? Yranna said quietly.

  :It’s not right to interfere, Lore said firmly. They must come to the decision themselves.

  :I don’t see why we can’t nudge them, Saru said. Last time it was a mortal’s decision, w
hy not ours this time?

  :I will only agree to it if Auraya is not involved, Chaia said.

  :You fool, Huan said, her voice seething with anger and contempt. You would have us return to the old days, when the world was crowded with gods and none of us could do anything without others spying upon us.

  Spying…Remembering Chaia’s warning, Auraya reluctantly moved away from the gods as they began to argue again.

  :…going to tell her…

  :Once you have, which…kill?

  :I don’t….

  As their voices faded out of her hearing, she returned her awareness to her own self, and opened her eyes. Snatches of the gods’ conversation repeated in her mind. There was much to puzzle over. She listed what she had learned.

  The gods want a war, they’re just not in agreement about the timing or who will be involved.

  For beings that didn’t mind breaking their own laws in order to kill Mirar, they’re remarkably concerned that a war would be a fair fight between equals.

  Chaia is still defending me. In fact, he seemed to offer his support for war in exchange for me being sent safely out of the way.

  Mirar is not as safe here as he believes he is.

  And if she warned him, would she be allying herself with the gods’ enemy?

  Did she care?

  Lu hadn’t felt so tired since…since after Ti had been born. Like that night, tonight she could not sleep despite her exhaustion. Back then it had been worry over Ti, who had been weak and sickly. Now she fretted for her whole family.

  She turned to look at her husband, Dor. He was glowering at the night sky. His cheekbone was swollen and darkening into a bruise where he had received a blow from one of the warriors, tired of Dor’s attempts to talk his way out of this.

  Might as well try to talk the stars down from the sky, she thought. Warriors and servants alike, we all follow our rules and traditions blindly. That’s what the Pentadrians said. She frowned. They said they could change Dunway, but nothing changes if the clans don’t want it to. They like things just as they are.

  “It’s all their fault,” someone said nearby. Another voice murmured something in reply. Something defensive.

  Whispered conversations had passed between the villagers and newcomers since the warriors had ordered them to lie down and sleep. She had listened to arguments and accusations, fears and hopes. All the while there had been the soft sound of weeping from all directions, and old Ger had begun coughing again.