Frozen Prospects (17 page)

On'li
briefly considered keeping her mouth shut before mentally shrugging.

"I
understand the concern. Of course, understanding the problem and
letting an idiot like Ma'del continue to run Bitter
Rocks are two different things. It's past time we stopped
overlooking his methods just because we're hoping to someday be able
to recruit from that poor batch of idiots as elected him."

Per'ce
put a calming hand on his wife's arm before she could respond.

"You
can hardly blame Ja'dir and the rest for that, On'li. The number of
women who are strong enough to test a potential candidate who knows
the real purpose of the testing are very few. Your bloodline has
been fortunate in always having been blessed with a high number of
truly powerful women, but some of the other bloodlines would have no
hope of finding additional boys to sponsor if not for those few
pockets like Bitter Rocks."

"That
argument only works if we were actually finding boys to sponsor in
Bitter Rocks. Va'del's been the only candidate to come out of there
in almost twenty years. Even the prospect of using his people to
start up a new village in fifty or sixty years doesn't really
justify the way we're letting him trample precedent and tradition."

Sens'si
seemed to have regained her composure. "For now Bitter Rocks
is a closed issue, the last vote was very decisive. However, if we
can find another way to grow the segment of the People who serve as
suitable testing candidates, you may very well get your wish of
personally making the trip out to yank Ma'del up. We want you to
put forward a motion to approach the lowlanders at Crimson Rocks
about adopting some of their foundlings."

Both
Javin and On'li rocked back at the sheer novelty of the plan, and
On'li tapped the table as she thought her way through the idea.
"It's unorthodox. There would be resistance to it for that
reason alone. You're not thinking just of Crimson Rocks. That kind
of news would spread like an avalanche. You'd quickly have offers
of all kinds. Young, young children, mostly. The kind too small
and weak to work, who are a drain on the resources of those around
them. The older children will already be earning their keep."

"Exactly.
We don't want the older children. The younger they join with the
People, the easier time they'll have with the transition.
Transporting them up the White Spikes will be difficult, but not an
insurmountable task."

Javin
took a considering breath. "They'll be a drain on our
resources as well for quite some time. It would be a risk."

Per'ce
shrugged. "We must try something different if our way of life
is to survive. It's possible we can get some measure of support
from the lowlanders in return for supporting their orphans. More
importantly, it's possible that some of the children will turn out
to be Goddess-touched. If so, the worked stones they make over the
course of their lives would more than offset the added strain on our
food supplies."

"You've
got Javin half convinced, I can see that already, but this is no
more of an immediate solution than Ja'dir's dozen wives. We need
something in the short term that will allow us to deal with the
threat represented by the bandits."

Sens'si
finished up her soup and nodded. "Agreed. Practically
speaking, there is nothing to be done but to increase the size of
the Guard. There are plenty of old men or part-time guardsmen who
could be enlisted full time. They couldn't be sent out to search
for our attackers, but they'll serve to keep the peace and stand
guard over the entrances to the villages. That will then free the
better-trained guardsmen for convoy duty and scouting parties."

"They'll
need to be added to the existing command structure. No changes can
be allowed there."

Per'ce
nodded at Javin's observation. "Agreed. The existing system
has worked since the Exodus. No reason to change that and we don't
want to encourage any more empire-building than we're already
seeing."

"So
why do you need Javin and me to present this whole plan? Surely
you'd have just as much luck presenting it yourself."

"Frankly,
Sens'si and I are worried at what Ja'dir would do if he perceived a
power block coalescing against him. Currently, the two of you stand
almost completely alone in your ongoing opposition to everything he
puts forward. That opposition has largely succeeded because those
not already in his corner are generally willing to hear you out, and
there's always sound thinking behind the positions you take."

"You
just finished saying that we were over-reacting in thinking Ja'dir
was planning some kind of coup."

"We
don't think it is likely, but you are correct in stating that some
of the pieces have fallen into place for such an event. Regardless,
we don't want to be seen as anything other than a completely neutral
party."

"Leaving
Javin and me to stand alone to weather the storm?"

Sens'si
chuckled before visibly suppressing the reflex. "I'm sorry,
but we haven't noticed as that it's slowing you down in the
slightest."

On'li
forced her face into a polite mask. "Don't mistake duty for
enjoyment. We do what honor demands but the path would be easier
with allies. If the two of you want our aid it will come with a
price."

"Your
Va'del. We suspected that might be the case, but as I said before,
my wife and I both have some reservations still where the boy is
concerned. More even than just the precedent that would be set,
we're worried about what he would become. Neither of us is
unsympathetic to your plight, to the fact that the Stephens
bloodline has been seriously decimated, but we can't allow that
concern to override other worries."

"This
isn't about our bloodline. I've been inside the boy's mind and have
the best feel for his potential. He needs to be sponsored. If he
turns into some kind of monster like Be'ter you can count on the
fact that I'll see he never takes his final vows. Short of that,
there's no reason for him not to be sponsored."

"Perhaps
another bloodline. If you're truly not concerned with the decline
of your bloodline, possibly another sponsoring family could be
found. Va'ma's Glor bloodline might be a suitable place for someone
with the martial potential he's demonstrated."

"With
all due respect for Va'ma's people, none of them really know the
first thing about bringing a boy back from the kind of hurt this
one's experienced."

Per'ce
turned to exchange a long look with his wife before turning back and
nodding. "Very well. As you say, we can hardly pass by a
potentially suitable candidate, not if you're truly ready to see
that he is stopped should he become some kind of threat. I don't
think our support will be enough to get him actively sponsored right
now, but we can at least help see that he is included in the
candidate classes so that his training proceeds."

Javin
stood and helped On'li to her feet. "We will do what's
required."

"Not
a day goes by but that I rely on that fact. Go with the Goddess,
you two. Bring up the motions we've discussed and we'll do our
part."

##

Javin
hadn't really said anything to Va'del when he arrived, but the
teenager found he didn't mind the silence.
It
is almost like being back with I'rone. He never said very much
either.

Va'del had
never planned on attending the dinner when he'd accepted On'li's
invitation. He'd sincerely planned on killing himself long before
then, so at the time he hadn't worried about the prospect of dining
with a group of people that he didn't really know.

After
Jain had convinced him not to kill himself, he'd been worried that
Callan would whip him for being late to feed the gurra, which had
still kept him from worrying about the dinner. It wasn't until
Javin arrived that his stomach had started tying itself up in knots
that even the thought of Jain couldn't settle.

I
don't know what I could have possibly done to deserve her friendship
but she is the most amazing person I've ever met.

The
thought generated a twinge of guilt. It felt more than a little
unfair to Pa'chi, who'd stood with him as long as he could remember,
but he'd never shared the kind of things with her that he'd shared
with Jain.

I
was always worried that if Pa'chi found out about the real me she'd
stop being my friend. I never trusted her with the fact that I
wanted to kill myself. I suppose she probably guessed as much but
as long as I didn't say anything we could both pretend otherwise.
Jain, on the other hand, knows, and she likes me anyway.

Looking
at Javin's broad-shouldered form ahead of him left Va'del with a
feeling of near-despair. Even all of Jain's efforts hadn't quite
managed to convince him that the Goddess would somehow direct his
life for the good even if he was never able to become a Guadel.

Va'del's
thoughts were still chasing each other around his head when Javin
turned off from the main corridor into a smaller tunnel that led to
the suit of rooms he shared with his wives.

On'li
smiled at her husband, and then waved to Va'del before introducing
him to her sister-wife Mar'li. "And this young lady I think
needs no introduction."

Va'del
felt his mouth drop as Jain stepped into the room.

The
three older people all smiled at their guests' obvious astonishment
at seeing each other.

On'li
pointed everyone towards seats around the low table. "I must
apologize, Va'del. I should have thought about the impact the news
of Piter and Bay'del's death would have on you and arranged for you
to have a couple of days off after I shook your world like that.
Unfortunately I wasn't thinking very clearly at the time."

Va'del
tried to protest as he sat but On'li wouldn't have any of it.

"No.
Grief is no excuse. Luckily Jain found Javin that night and
despite the fact that she was no doubt terrified of him, managed to
explain that you hadn't been able to return to the stables."

Jain
found Va'del's eyes and seemed to be desperately trying to tell him
without words that she hadn't betrayed any of his secrets. He
smiled at her, trying to let her know he hadn't worried that she'd
do so.

"She
didn't add that she'd already been sentenced to a spectacular
penance for having missed part of her afternoon classes, but we
found out about that and did what we could to lessen her
punishment."

Mar'li
quietly reappeared from the other room with a number of dishes, and
Va'del was startled to realize that some of the food had been cooked
in the Guadel's rooms. With heat sources being so dear, almost
everyone had to get their food from the communal kitchens. On'li's
family preparing some of their own food was a clear sign of just how
important they were.

Javin
left to help Mar'li with the rest of the food and On'li turned back
to Va'del and Jain, whom she had seated next to each other. "I
trust that neither of you object to the other's presence here?"

Both
of the teenagers shook their heads and then sat in embarrassed
silence until the food had been brought in. The dinner was so
reminiscent of his time with I'rone and his family that Va'del
nearly found himself tearing up on more than one occasion.

On'li,
and to a much lessor extent Javin, carried the conversation, asking a
variety of questions of their young guests. Mar'li didn't say
anything all night, but it was evident to Va'del long before the
dinner was over that there was a very sharp mind behind the shy,
unassuming exterior she showed the world. More than once the
younger of the two wives caught Jain or Va'del's eyes, seeming to
share a secret joke or laugh with them at something On'li or Javin
said.
They do sound
awfully old sometimes.

Despite
Mar'li's lively humor, there was an undertone of sadness to the meal
that Va'del could only guess resulted from Piter and Bay'del's
death. Va'del felt more than a little ashamed that he'd been so
busy worrying about what the news meant to him that he'd never
stopped to think about the fact that Javin and the others had
actually known Piter and Bay'del.

As
everyone started in on a rare dessert of grain and gurra milk that
was one of the two dishes that Mar'li had prepared in their rooms
rather than collecting from the communal kitchens, On'li looked over
to Javin, who nodded as if to say it was past time.

"Va'del,
I promised you that we'd do what we could to see you sponsored as a
candidate. We haven't managed a full sponsorship yet, but the
Council has finally agreed to allow you to take classes with the
candidates."

Va'del
felt as though he'd been struck, and it wasn't until he looked over
and saw Jain's equally amazed expression that he decided he must
have really heard the Guadel correctly.

On'li
held up her hands in warning before her guests could respond. "This
is a very small victory for us, one that costs the Council nothing
to grant and which can be revoked at any time. You are not a
candidate and may never be granted full candidate status."

Va'del
felt his face fall, but once On'li seemed sure she'd delivered a
healthy enough dose of reality, she seemed content to shore him back
up a little. "On the other hand, I have every confidence that
you'll exert yourself to the greatest extent possible, and that
you'll soon be the star pupil in all of your classes. That should
go a long way to convincing certain members of the Council that you
should be permitted to stay and even someday allowed to take your
final vows as a Guadel."

There
was no question as Va'del returned to his rooms that he was happy
about the fact that he was one tiny step closer to becoming a
Guadel, but he was surprised by just how happy he was.