storm (53 page)

           
“Hello, Tyson,” Moon said.  The pain of instinctive longing was actually exquisite, nothing to be feared.

            Tyson didn't even glance at him, and seemed quite abashed to find Moon naked.  “I thought we should speak before tonight,” he said, staring at the ground.  “I didn't want to embarrass you.  Ferany will be there.”

            “Why would that embarrass me?”

            Moon could tell that if anyhar was embarrassed, it was the one sitting in front of him.  He decided he would not dress himself at once.  He could dry off first.  Tyson's discomfort was a soothing balm.  The least Moon could do for himself was enjoy this spurious pleasure for a short while.  He sat down beside Tyson and stretched out his legs, leaning back on straight arms.

            “Oh, come on,” Tyson said.  “You know what I mean.  I didn't want you to think...”

            “Think what?”

            “That I was putting you in a difficult position.”

            “You're not.  Forget what happened.  It was eons ago.  Part of growing up, I guess, that first crush.  I must have been a pain.  Don't worry about it.  The thought of it makes me cringe.”

            “Well... good,” Tyson said.  He stood up.  “I should get back.  I just wanted to make things clear, that's all.”

            “Thank you, I appreciate the courtesy, but there's no need.”

            Tyson nodded distractedly and went back along the path to the house.  He hadn't looked at Moon once.  Moon leaned back, lifting his face toward the sun.  He felt numb.  He wasn't sure whether he'd said the right things or not.

            The sun had done something to him though.  That night, as he dressed himself for dinner in the room that Cobweb had given him, Moon was pleased by the way his reflection seemed to glow in the mirror.  It was as if sunlight were captured within his skin.  He felt remarkably good about himself, hardly feverish at all, and glad he would be spending time in Tyson's company that night, Ferany or no Ferany.  He would enjoy the tricky nuances of interaction.  This is power, he thought.  Tyson doesn't know what he feels, but he feels something.

            This certainty was compounded by Ferany's cool behaviour.  He gave Moon a measured stare across the dinner table, a dismissive and disapproving gesture, which spoke volumes.  Moon wondered whether, on some drunken night, Tyson had told Ferany what had happened between them.  He must have heard something, from somehar.

            Moon noticed Cal observing him too, but his expression was guarded.  “How is Rue?” Cal asked.

            “OK, I think,” Moon replied.  “I don't see him much.”

            “Did everyhar think I was responsible for the attack upon him?”

            Silence descended over the room like a mouldy shroud.  Tyson coughed.

            “I don't think so,” Moon said, glancing at Snake, who was clearly distancing himself from the situation.  “My father told them it wasn't you.”

            “So did I,” Cobweb said.

            “Pell thought it though, didn't he?” Cal said.

            “He feared it,” Cobweb said.  “That's different.”

            Cal raised a sardonic eyebrow and went back to his meal.

            Cobweb sighed deeply.  “After dinner, I'll put more energy into the shield.  Snake, you rest.  Ferany, Tyson, you come with me.  Cal, you work with Snake later.”

            Cobweb had recruited more hara from the town, including Ferany's parents, so that the defences would be supported by individuals with more experience and ability.  Moon could tell that Cobweb wasn't convinced another attack would come, but even so, every resident of Galhea was on alert, each focused on protecting their own space, should the worst happen.  The population had allowed their offspring to be escorted to the forest lodges without too much complaint.  Most had been scared witless by the events of the previous night, unable to sleep because of the deafening onslaught that had lasted nearly till dawn.  Humans and hara alike gathered in groups of ten or more.  None would be left alone this night.  Strength lay in numbers.  Ithiel and his hara would patrol the town, while Cobweb and Snake concentrated on maintaining the shield.  It all seemed organised and efficient.

            Moon offered to take part in the first reinforcement meditation, even though he'd previously promised his strength to Snake.  He wanted to be in trance in the same room as Tyson.

            Ferany had obviously been thinking about the situation, because as they prepared themselves to work he adopted a friendly front.  “Sit by me,” he said to Moon.  “I've done this before.  I'll guide you.”

            It seemed like an easy job to Moon.  He was surprised to find how deftly Ferany guided him, like a soft silken hand.  He could see the shield in his mind's eye, the dim patches where the energy was weak.  He and Ferany concentrated on repairing certain of these areas, feeding them with life force that they drew from the universe itself, while their companions put their efforts into different areas.  Even as he was concentrating on this task, Moon's mind was busy with other thoughts.  It was obvious why Tyson was with Ferany: he was just so easy and smooth to be around.  He reminded Moon of aromatic mild coffee spiced with cinnamon, topped with cream – and that was without even sharing breath.  He realised it would make it easier for him if he liked Ferany.  He could not feel so envious or jealous then.

            How strange it is, Moon thought.  Hara in permanent relationships often take aruna with others, but sometimes, just sometimes, there are hara who are off-limits, taboo or threatening, and that's when feelings are involved, deep feelings.  Sometimes a light comes out of a har that blinds you to all others, even those you might love and who might love you in return.  There can be no sharing then.

            He had learned something.

            Perhaps Ferany had too.  When they came out of the trance, he leaned over and whispered in Moon's ear.  “I can't let you have him, Moon.  I hope you know why.”

            Moon squeezed Ferany's fingers, which were still interlaced with his own.  He knew.

            “I think it will be safe for us to relax a little now,” Cobweb said.  “The shield holds strong, so if anything hits it, we'll have time to prepare ourselves.”

            “I could do with a drink,” Tyson said, “a strong one.”

            Cobweb fixed him with a stare.  “No, Tyson.  Keep a clear head.  Just in case.”

            Moon felt he had to be alone, so excused himself from the others and went to his room.  He decided to get a couple of hours sleep before Snake went on duty.  He still intended to assist his father.  His body felt on fire; perhaps the sun had burned him more than he'd realised.  He drifted into an uneasy sleep, where fragments of dreams drifted through his mind.  He dreamed of Cal coming into the room and saying, “I don't like you being here.  That face doesn't belong to you.”  And then somehar else came, who was a complete stranger, yet Moon felt a strong sense of recognition.  “I'm glad you came,” he said and the har merely smiled and said, “Why would you doubt it?”

            Moon didn't know what woke him.  There were no suspicious or threatening noises, no strange lights, not even a flex to the air.  He just woke up, instantly fully alert, and full of dread.  He'd gone to sleep wearing his clothes, so paused only to pull on his boots before leaving the room.  The corridor beyond was quiet, yet the lamps on the walls appeared dim, as if energy were being sucked from them.  Something was wrong.

            Moon went directly to Snake's room and found his father sitting on the window seat, his face nearly pressed to the glass.  He glanced round as Moon came over to him.

            “What's happened?” Moon asked.  “Has the shield been breached?”

            “Not that I can tell,” Snake answered, “but something has happened.  I heard...”  He shook his head.  “I don't know what I heard.  Find Cobweb for me.  Tell him to send Tyson and Cal into town.”

            “Right away.”  Moon headed back to the door.

            “Return here as soon as you can,” Snake said.

            Cobweb and the majority of his helpers were downstairs in one of the sitting rooms, where Yarrow and Bryony had provided food for them.  It was clear to Moon, from the moment he crossed the threshold, that Cobweb was already aware something had happened.  Hara were stationed at the window, peering into the darkness beyond.  Moon relayed Snake's message.

            “Tyson and Cal have already left the house,” Cobweb said.  “Ferany has gone with them.”

            “Do you know what's happened?”

            Cobweb shook his head.  “No.  The shield seems fine.  It could be a more traditional form of attack, of course.  At the moment, that would take us more by surprise.”  He laughed coldly.  “Ironic, really.”

            Moon didn't want to go back to Snake's room.  He wanted to find out for himself what might have happened.  “Do you know where Cal and the others went?” he asked.

            “I expect they went to the barracks... I don't know.  It would depend on what they found down there.”

            “I'll go to help,” Moon said, steeling himself for Cobweb's objection, but Cobweb only nodded distractedly.

            “Protect yourself,” he said.  “You'll find equipment in the storehouse off the kitchen.  One of the staff will show you.”  Cobweb was not himself.  He seemed half in trance.  “We need to protect the house.  Find out what you can and report back to me.”

            In the kitchen, Yarrow helped Moon don a jerkin of reinforced leather armour with a throat guard.  Moon noticed that most of the staff were similarly attired.  “Take a horse from the stable,” Yarrow said.  “Do you need help with that?”

            “No,” Moon said.  What did the Parsic take him for, some pampered Gelaming who could not even saddle his own horse?  “I know where everything is kept.”

            He chose a horse he knew belonged to Aleeme, one that he had ridden before on previous, happier, visits to Galhea.  Once he was outside, Moon could hear distant shouting coming from the town below the hill, and also the occasional crashing noise, as if barrels were being turned over and windows smashed.  He urged his mount to gallop down the driveway and into the wide avenue beyond the iron gates.

            Before he rode past the first dwellings, he could smell smoke.  He guided his horse toward it.  A large storehouse had been set on fire.  Mono could see dark shapes running about, heard cries and orders being shouted.  Two hara held a spurting fire hose toward the flames.  The hose appeared to struggle in their grip like a water serpent.  There was a hiss, a pause, then the leaping fire seemed only to gain in strength.  Moon rode on.  He knew he was looking for Tyson.

            Ahead, he could hear cries, the unmistakable sound of combat.  He reined in his horse.  It would be folly to gallop headlong into conflict without first assessing what was going on.  He guided the horse into a side alley between high dark buildings.  There was nohar around and the windows of the buildings were dark.  The sound of horse's hooves echoed from wall to wall.  After some minutes, Moon perceived a faint blue glow ahead of him, perhaps the entrance to a back yard.  As soon as the horse saw it, the creature refused to move any further.  It danced on the spot, uttering groans, so Moon dismounted to silence it.  He approached the blue glow cautiously.  It wasn't normal.  He knew it didn't belong in this place.  Instinctively he drew the knife he had strapped to his belt, even though he suspected the weapon would be of little use to him.