Caught in Crystal: A Lyra Novel (19 page)

“They could, if they knew it,” Kayl acknowledged. She was surprised by the sharpness of Dara’s insight; the girl had put her finger exactly on the main problem the Sisterhood had faced for so long.

“Then why do they do it?” Dara asked.

“Magic can be used more easily and quickly if it is channeled through a name. It’s the closest humans can come to the kind of instinctive power the Shee or the Neira have,” Glyndon said. He smiled. “The Sisters claim they have more power as a result; I would not know. There are other advantages, too. No one can steal a name.”

“And placing power in a name strengthens the bond of friendship between the Sisterhood and the Changed Ones,” Kayl said. “
Sklathran’sy
are even more vulnerable through their names than Sisters.”

“Some think that the founders of the Sisterhood learned their magic from demons,” Glyndon put in. “It would explain the friendship between the two groups, as well as the reason the Sisterhood uses such a dangerous channel for its magic.”

“I still wouldn’t do it,” Dara said emphatically. “Think of all the people who know your name!”

“The sorceresses don’t tie their power to the name they use,” Kayl said. “They choose a new one during the ceremony, and it becomes their true name, to which their power is linked. They keep it secret from everyone except, possibly, their closest friends.”

“Oh.” Dara considered. “I still don’t like the idea. It feels funny somehow.”

Kayl was surprised by Dara’s reaction, but not altogether unpleased. The magical specialties of the Sisterhood would, apparently, have little appeal for her daughter. She turned to Mark. “Do you understand now why the Sisters think names are important?”

Mark nodded. He was very quiet for some time, mulling over what Kayl had said, while Dara told Glyndon the story of their visit with the Shee drillmaster.

“And I don’t think I did very well,” Dara finished in a discouraged tone.

“Do you want to be a sword-wielder?” Kayl asked.

“Nnnnoo, I don’t think so,” Dara said.

“Then you needn’t worry about it. Eshora told me you were competent; if you don’t plan to earn your bread with a sword, you’re not likely to need more skill than that.”

“I suppose so.” Dara did not look convinced.

“What did she say about me?” Mark demanded.

Kayl laughed, remembering. “She said you needed more work on the fourth figure. Remember?”

“Mother! That’s not what I meant.”

“It’s what you said. Eat your stew; then both of you are going to bed. It’s been a long day, and I don’t want to have to listen to you quarrelling all day tomorrow.”

There was an immediate outcry from both the children. The argument lasted through the remainder of the meal; Kayl ended it by summarily ordering them off. They went, still grumbling in low voices, and Kayl rose to follow. As she left, she said to Glyndon, “I’ll be back as soon as they’re settled. Will you wait for me? I want to talk to you.”

“I’ll wait.”

Kayl looked at him sharply, disturbed by the gloomy tone of his voice, but Glyndon was staring down at the remains of his stew and did not see her. She hesitated, then turned and went after the children. The sooner they were asleep, the sooner she could come back and settle whatever was disturbing Glyndon.

M
ARK AND DARA WERE
still too excited to settle easily into sleep. Kayl was forced to remain upstairs for some time while the two children used as many delaying tactics as their fertile minds could create.

Eventually Kayl got them into bed. She glanced at the door, sighed, and shook her head. She was not about to leave Mark and Dara until she was certain they would not get up and into mischief the moment she was out of the room. That could mean a long wait, the way they were shifting about. The strange noises of the city outside the window wouldn’t help any, either. With the patience learned through thirteen years of mothering, Kayl set herself to wait.

Her first act was to adjust the wick of the small oil lamp until it was a mere nubbin, barely enough to see by. Then she began methodically going through the contents of her pack. It was a task she had been avoiding for weeks, and the last of her excuses was gone, now that she had time and room enough for sorting and straightening.

She was surprised at the number of things she had picked up on the journey; no wonder the pack had seemed heavier these last weeks! Slowly, she worked her way through the accumulated layers. As always, some of the “essentials” she had packed in Copeham had sunk to the very bottom and never surfaced again. There was a flint she’d forgotten; they’d used Glyndon’s throughout the trip. And a square of wool, and a small bronze knife. And…

Abruptly, Kayl sat up very straight as she realized what was in the long, narrow bundle at the very bottom of her pack. It wasn’t exactly that she had forgotten Kevran’s rod; she had simply set the thought of it aside when she realized that she could not safely discuss it with Glyndon as long as Corrana traveled with them. And after so many months on the road, Kayl had become accustomed to the stiff presence of the rod in the bottom of the pack.

But Corrana was at the Star Hall now. And Glyndon was downstairs. Kayl smiled and drew the bundle out of the pack. As she did, the wrapping slipped and her fingers touched the wood.

Varevice was waiting in the hall just inside the door to the courtyard. Kayl took one look at the tiny crease between her brows and said, “What’s wrong?”

“The Varnans have arrived. They’re waiting out there.” Varevice nodded toward the courtyard.

“And?”

“Barthelmy is going to have real trouble dealing with them.”

Kayl raised an eyebrow. When Varevice did not expand on her statement, Kayl went to one of the window-slits and peered out. The three wizards were easy to pick out; they stood in front, and their robes were richly embroidered. The first was a tall, brown-haired man with a kind of angular good looks, the second a dark-haired, ordinary-looking man on the short side of average: The third was a willowy blonde, whose head was tilted at an aristocratic angle that proclaimed her contempt for the Star Hall and everything in it.

Behind the wizards stood their slaves, five men in coarse brown robes, each with several bundles at his feet. No, not five men; the last one was completely hairless, and his skin was the same gray color as Kayl’s robe.

“Sweet stars above,” Kayl whispered. “They’ve brought a
sklathran’sy.
”

The rod slid from Kayl’s fingers, and the memory ended. Kayl sat staring at the gleam of wood that showed through the oiled wrapping. After a while, she realized that her hands were shaking.

Carefully, she set the bundle down on top of the nearest pile. She leaned back, trying to put her thoughts in order. Kevran’s rod could not, simply
could
not be the cause of her sudden remembrance. The rod was the channel he had used, nothing more; in and of itself, it was not magical. With Kevran’s death, the rod should have become simply a piece of oiled wood.

Should have… but this was not the first time her memories had risen at the touch of Kevran’s rod. Something similar had happened in Copeham, when she had picked it up in Jirod’s kitchen, but she had seen no significance in it then.

Kayl shook her head, denying the connection, but her eyes were drawn again to the sliver of wood that gleamed through the gap in the wrappings. There was one obvious way of finding out whether this was real or a product of her imagination. Slowly, Kayl laid back the cloth that covered the rod. Then she bent forward and picked it up in both hands.

Barthelmy sat hunched under her cloak, staring into the fire. Her black hair was even more wildly disordered than usual, and she kept casting dark looks in the direction of Beshara al Allard and the gray-skinned
sklathran’sy
who was waiting on her. Beshara pretended not to notice, though she seemed to find more tasks than usual for her servant to perform. Kevran and Glyndon sat nearby, playing some sort of game with carved twigs thrown into a circle they had drawn on the ground. Kevran’s dark hair was falling into his eyes, as it usually did when he was concentrating on something.

Kayl stood in the flickering shadows just outside the ring of firelight, watching Barthelmy and Beshara. She frowned, wondering whether it would be better to try distracting Barthelmy or to leave her alone. They were only a few days from their goal; surely Barthelmy could keep her feelings under control that long!

“Beshara should not bait Barthelmy so.” Evla’s voice came out of the darkness behind Kayl, echoing her own thoughts.

Kayl turned. “No, but what can we do about it? I’ve tried to tell her, but she only smiles and behaves worse than ever.”

“I don’t think that’s the right—” Evla stopped as Beshara rose.

“Is the tent ready, Odevan?” the woman asked lazily.

“Yes, Mistress,” the
sklathran’sy
replied. Kayl could see Barthelmy squirming at his submissive tone.

“Come, then,” Beshara said. She started off, then paused beside Barthelmy. She smiled slightly and said, “You seem to have an interest in my demon.”

“
Sklathran’sy
” Barthelmy corrected coldly. “And yes, I do.”

“I suppose it is only natural; they are a rare and dying race. But do, please, be careful. I have no wish for Odevan to get above himself.”

Barthelmy leaped to her feet in indignation, but Beshara had already turned away. Odevan gave Barthelmy a wide grin, showing a great many dark, pointed teeth, then followed his mistress. Barthelmy stared after them, her fists clenched.

Kayl shook off her paralysis and went over. “Barthelmy—”

“What did she mean?” Barthelmy said. “About
sklathran‘sy
being a dying race?”

“I don’t know,” Kayl said. “I think she was just trying to irritate you.”

Impatiently, Barthelmy shook off Kayl’s hand. “No! At least, that’s not the only thing she was doing. You!” She gestured at the two Varnan wizards studiously concentrating on their game. “What did Beshara mean?”

“When?” Glyndon said cautiously.

“Just now, when she said
sklathran’sy
were a dying race! You must have heard her.”

“I—” Glyndon hesitated and looked at his companion.

“She meant what she said,” Kevran said quietly. “They’re dying out. In another two hundred years, there won’t be any demons left.”

“
Sklathran’sy!
” Barthelmy corrected furiously. “And it’s not true!”

“I’m afraid it is. A lot of them are sterile, and those that aren’t don’t breed true. And whenever a…
sklathran’sy
breeds with one of the Four Races, the child is Wyrd or Neira or Shee or human, never a demon.”

“Breeds with— You’re lying! No Varnan would ever…”

“Oh, but they do. Quite frequently, I’m told.” Kevran’s smile was slightly crooked, as though he were laughing at himself.

“Even if they do, the children of such a union couldn’t possibly be normal!” Barthelmy’s voice was hard.

The twist in Kevran’s smile grew stronger. “No? But I’m normal enough, wouldn’t you say?”

“You mean
you—
”

“There’s demon blood in my family. A couple of generations back, but still recent enough to make the point.”

“Oh!” Barthelmy whirled and ran out into the night. Kayl started to follow, but a hand on her arm held her back. She turned and saw Evla.

“Let her be,” the Shee healer said. “She needs to think.”

“She should have done her thinking a little sooner, and spared us a scene!” Kayl growled, torn between irritation and sympathy.

Evla sighed. “Kayl, it isn’t that simple. You know how Barthelmy feels about
sklathran’sy.
And if they are a dying race, what will become of the demon-friends? And what will the Sisterhood do, when one of the points of the Star is no longer needed?”

Kayl stared. She had been so wrapped up in the concerns of their mission that the larger implications had escaped her. Slowly, she nodded.

Evla turned to the two Varnans. “I think you should try to keep out of Barthelmy’s way as much as you can. She’ll probably blame you for making her believe what Beshara said. It isn’t reasonable, but it happens.”

“I understand,” Kevran said, and Glyndon nodded.

“We’d better go tell Varevice,” Evla said, touching Kayl’s shoulder. Kayl nodded, and they went in search of her while the Varnan wizards returned to their game.

Kayl heard a soft thunk as Kevran’s rod fell out of her hands onto the wrapping. She blinked stupidly at it, then reached out and folded the oiled cloth carefully over and around it. She sat back, feeling numb.

The memories were the rod’s doing, somehow; it brought them back as real and vivid as if she were living through them again. Another thought struck her: all of them were memories of that last journey with her Star Cluster. Was that because of her current preoccupation with the Sisterhood, or was it something in the rod itself?

Kayl looked speculatively at the covered rod. If she took it up again, this time concentrating on a different memory… She started to reach out, then stopped. What was she thinking of? She knew better than to take chances with unknown spells! Experimentation could wait until she had talked to Glyndon.

She picked up rod and wrappings together and dug among the little piles of belongings until she found a length of yarn. She tied the wrappings tightly around the rod, then put it back in the bottom of her pack. The rest of her belongings went in on top of it. It would be a nuisance to get it out again to show Glyndon, but that was better than having one of the children unwrap it out of curiosity.

Satisfied at last, she rose. Mark and Dara were sleeping soundly; unpacking and the interlude with the rod must have taken more time than she had thought. She picked up the lamp, adjusted the wick so that it burned more brightly, and left the room.

The serving room below was half-full when Kayl came down the stairs. Most of the patrons sat at the tables closest to the fire that burned on the raised hearth in the center of the room. The few hardy souls at the farthest tables kept their cloaks wrapped loosely about them against the drafts that leaked around the edges of the shutters.