storm (68 page)

            “And yet you strive to make me see you otherwise.  I know what you're trying to do.”

            Pellaz managed a bleak laugh.  “I would not lie here and mull over such thoughts, if I were you.  Go back to your hara.  Forget about this until tomorrow.”  He meant to leave, but then some shred of compassion bid him kneel at Galdra's side and kiss his brow.  “I will take your essence with me, brother wolf.  Part of you will be with me through the night.”

            “I love you.”

            “I know.”

            Pellaz went out into the rain, which had diminished to a fine misty drizzle.  He walked back to the house of his son, so slowly because it felt as if his chest were full of heavy stones.  The last of the rain soaked his hair and face.  When he went back indoors, nohar would notice the tears.

Pellaz was woken early by Vaysh, who came into his bedroom and opened the curtains wide.  “The sun is back, and the
sedim
have been busy all night.  I'm sure there are more of them than there used to be, but it's difficult to tell because they're flashing in and out of the otherlanes like dragonflies.  But best of all, you have a visitor you would not have expected in your wildest dreams.”

            Pellaz sat up in bed, clasped his knees in an instinctive gesture of defence.  “Who?”

            “I'm not going to tell you,” Vaysh said.  “I want to see your face when you meet him.”

            “Vaysh, I command you to tell me, otherwise there will be dire repercussions.”

            Vaysh threw himself down onto the bed, apparently in high spirits, a state he only ever displayed in front of Pellaz.  If the Tigron should tell anyhar about this side of Vaysh's character, he would not be believed.  Vaysh curled against his side.  “It will not be a painful meeting, that's all I'll say.”  He put one hand flat against Pell's chest.  “You smell different.  Are you all right?”

            Pellaz pulled away from him and got out of bed.  “I'm as fine as I can be, under the circumstances.  Where am I to meet this surprise visitor?”

            “I have arranged a sumptuous breakfast here.  Your guests await your presence, downstairs.  I was going to ask Abrimel to be present also, but he appears to be missing.”  Vaysh got up and selected clean clothes for the Tigron from the wardrobe.

            “Guests?  You didn't mention there was more than one.”  Pellaz allowed Vaysh to help him dress.

            “Oh, it's a delegation.”  Vaysh pulled Pell's hair from the neck of his shirt.  “What's this?  Straw?  What were you up to last night?”

            “It's hay, actually.  I was with Peridot for a while, remember?  I gave him some fodder.”

            “I'd better brush it.  If you turn up downstairs like this, it will give the wrong impression.  The Tigron should not be out feeding animals, even if they are
sedim
.”

            “The Tigron grew up feeding animals,” Pellaz said lightly.  “Don't fuss, Vaysh.”

            It took longer to wrench himself away from Vaysh's ministrations that he'd have liked, but eventually Pellaz was able to present himself in the dining room downstairs.  He asked Vaysh not to be present, and it took no great empathy to sense Vaysh was far from pleased about that.  Pellaz, however, wanted to confront whatever lay before him alone.

            Three hara were already sitting at the table, being served fragrant coffee by Cleis.  The visitors appeared absurdly out of place in the homely environment, but that was no surprise, because they were Kakkahaar, and their natural habitat was the desert.  Pellaz recognised only one of them, and he was astounded by the feelings it inspired.  At one time, he had scorned the Kakkahaar ways, even though they had helped train him.  Now, he experienced the joy of meeting an old friend, somehar who would understand him.  He came into the room.

            “Tiahaar Lianvis, this is a great, but pleasant, surprise.”

            The Kakkahaar leader stood up.  He was dressed in flowing sand-coloured robes that draped around his slender body perfectly, like artful dunes.  His tawny hair reached nearly to his knees.  He bowed.  “Pellaz – or is there some title I am expected to greet you by these days?”

            Pellaz laughed and went spontaneously to embrace the Kakkahaar.  “Don't stand on ceremony.  You are partly my maker.”

            Lianvis remained unyielding in his hold.  “We have heard many things about you.”

            Pellaz drew away.  “I expect you have.  Have you heard from Ulaume?”

            Lianvis' eyes widened almost imperceptibly.  “No.  He left us years ago.”

            “I know.  I very much want to tell you about him, because it will astonish you.  But before that, I suppose I should ask you why you are here.  Dare I suppose it is because the Kakkahaar have decided to give me their support?”

            “Let us simply say that the Kakkahaar are interested in recent developments,” Lianvis said.  “We are unconvinced it would ever be in our interests to offer the Gelaming our support.”

            Pellaz understood this would require delicate negotiations.  The Kakkahaar had once been allies of the Varrs, and although they'd slunk back into the desert lands of southern Megalithica after Ponclast's fall, and had paid reluctant lip service to Gelaming authority, they'd since kept to themselves and maintained a low profile.  Pellaz wondered if he should have perhaps sought out Lianvis years ago, built some kind of bridge.  Pellaz knew the Kakkahaar's dark side and had witnessed some of it.  The way he felt now, this genuine joy, was perplexing.  “Well, whatever your reasons for being here, I am happy to see you.  Please introduce me to your companions.”

            Lianvis inclined his head.  “Of course.  This is tiahaar Rarn and tiahaar Herien.”

            The other two Kakkahaar resembled Lianvis greatly, mainly because their attire and hair were similar.  Pellaz touched his brow in a gesture of respect.  “You are welcome here.”  He turned to Lianvis.  “Please, sit down.  We will talk as we eat.”

            Cleis supervised the serving of breakfast, but once he and his staff had left the room, Lianvis got to the point immediately.  “So, the barrier around Gebaddon was broken.  Thiede's departure has occasioned unforeseen difficulties for you.”

            Pellaz shrugged, drank some coffee.  “Unforeseen yes.  I am unconvinced it is a difficulty, however.  Has Ponclast attempted to contact you?”

            “Yes.  The high cabal of our tribe has discussed it in detail.  We have decided against allying with him at this stage.”

            Pellaz grinned.  “What's this?  Is a Kakkahaar morality emerging?”

            Lianvis smiled thinly.  “It is our opinion that Ponclast is dabbling with forces he can neither comprehend nor command.”

            “That is true.  We have our own thoughts on this matter.  Might I ask what yours are?”

            “Perhaps if you would share yours...?”

            Pellaz smiled.  “Please, you are the guest.  The Kakkahaar are great adepts.  I'm sure your opinions are of high value.”

            “You don't know anything, do you,” Lianvis said flatly.

            “I know enough.  Will you speak or not?”

            Lianvis glanced at his silent companions, who perhaps gave him some unspoken advice.  “Very well.  We have picked up some distinctly unusual signatures in the ethers of late.  They are not from this realm, and their flavour is foul even for our tastes.”  Here, he gave Pellaz a pointed stare, which the Tigron returned unflinchingly.  “If they are working with Ponclast,” Lianvis continued, “we can only suppose they are doing so for selfish reasons.  They will not be acting for the benefit of erstwhile Varrs.  They will have offered tempting bait, which Ponclast has gobbled up, but he will be expendable.  It is our belief that all hara are expendable to these forces.  Something is occurring over our heads, as it were.  I think it might well be nothing more than a dispute over territory, but the outcome for us could be severe.”

            “We should wonder, perhaps, why they need Ponclast at all.”

            “Indeed,” Lianvis said.  “The obvious conclusion is that they lack force in this realm, to some degree.  They are empowering the last of the Varrs because they need workers or warriors.”

            “I will be honest with you,” Pellaz said, sensing instinctively it was safe to do so.  “We have so far believed that Ponclast summoned these forces.  Your words shed new light on the matter.  That could, in fact, have summoned him instead.”

            Lianvis inclined his head once more.  “That is our thought.  For a time, we believed as you did.  We thought that Thiede's departure from this realm weakened the barrier around Gebaddon, which allowed Ponclast to use his abilities and escape.  However, I communed recently with our deity, Hubisag, and he filled me with a different knowledge.  I saw the dark light beyond creation, its tentacles reaching out.  I saw that nohar could summon it.  I saw Ponclast as a beacon, a lure, a weak spot.  He is the gateway to this realm, because of his inner state.”

            “You are a casket of jewels, Lianvis,” Pellaz said.  “Thank you for sharing this information with me.  Whatever any of us might think of your ways, tiahaar, I have no doubt they have helped you see the truth of the matter, where we of different nature could not.”

            “That is obviously so,” Lianvis said, smiling with more warmth now.  “I wonder whether you have ever regretted declining the education I once offered you.  It would be of use to you now.”

            “I regret nothing of what happened in your pavilions, tiahaar,” Pellaz said, “even if, with the light of experience, I understand more of it now.”

            Lianvis raised his brows, his gaze steady.  “Is that so?”

            “Yes, for example, I am aware you drugged or hypnotised me in order to take aruna with me before my ascension to Acantha.”

            One of Lianvis' companions nearly choked on his food.  Lianvis simply laughed out loud.  “How long did it take you to guess?”

            “It took Cal about a minute.  Need I say more?”

            “I think it did you good.  It was necessary.  I had an inkling of your future, even if you didn't, and I can see now you are nothing like the ingenuous idealist I attempted to train.”

            “Be that as it may, I am glad you are here now.”  Pellaz made a dismissive gesture with one hand.  “We have many things to talk about, but now I would like to tell you about Ulaume.  He is chesna with a friend of mine from Saltrock.  They live in Shilalama now, in Jaddayoth.”

            Lianvis cut neatly into a slice of bacon, skewered it with a fork.  “You and Ulaume are reconciled?”

            “We are friends, yes.”

            Lianvis ate his portion of bacon slowly, with apparent relish, before speaking.  “That is surprising.  I chastised him thoroughly for his treatment of you, you know.  When he bore a grudge, it was rarely dropped.”