The Lodestone Trilogy (Limited Edition) (The Lodestone Series) (19 page)

She passed through the gate and turned right, trudging through the sand beneath Gort’s imposing walls. Passing out of sight of the gate, she came to the eastern side of the massive bulwark. There, propped up against the outer wall, were a haphazard collection of loose timbers, as if left there by a work crew. Keris pulled the timbers apart and located a sack. As she loosened the neck, the sack moved, and a round head with bead-like eyes popped out. The mouth rippled. “Is It Time To Leave, Keris?” Boxx asked in its high, child-like voice.

She helped untangle it from the sack. “Yes, it is time to leave.”

~

They’ve caught up to us.
Shann saw the dark-robed Keltar slice through the air and alight on the road in front of them, like a thrown down challenge.
I’m ready for you.

She pulled her staff free of the saddle pack, and ran to meet the tall woman with dark flowing hair. She stopped a few steps away and planted both feet in the sand, holding the staff in front of her with both hands, daring the foul servant of the Prophet to take one more step. Shann was still dressed in the tan coverall of a tribute.

The tall woman stood in the road calmly, not reacting to the other’s provocative gesture.

From behind her, she heard Lyall call her name, “
Shann
.” His tone of voice was not one of encouragement. It sounded sharp, more like a rebuke. Confused, she turned her head to see him walk past, coming between her and the imposing woman. He stopped before the Keltar and bowed. “Welcome–Keris, isn’t it? I am honoured to make your acquaintance at last. I am Lyall. The other man over there by the morgren, who also owes you his life, is Alondo. And our overly zealous companion here,” he indicated the girl behind him, who was still poised to do battle, “is called Shann.” He turned to face the girl. “Put the staff away, please, Shann.”

Shann complied, feeling a detached sense of unreality, as if she had somehow fallen asleep and was trapped within her own fevered imaginings.
What’s going on?

“Forgive me,” Lyall was saying, “the girl’s reaction is my fault. I had not explained the nature of our escape from the compound or your part in it…” His voice trailed off as he saw a creature with jointed legs and a segmented shell scamper across the sand and come to a halt next to the Keltar. It stood up on its rear legs, appraising them. “That is a Chandara, is it not?” His voice was filled with wonder.

“Indeed,” Keris spoke up. “It is part of the reason I am here. I am sure you must have many questions. Ail-Gan will be rising soon. If you would like to make camp, then I would be pleased to tell you of the events that have led me here.

Lyall nodded. “Alondo,” he called out, “we make camp here. Break out the awnings and see what rations we have left. We have a guest for dinner.”

~

The wind dropped and the air fell to stillness as Keris began her story. She told of her meeting with Mordal, and her orders to find the one who had attacked a Keltar, bearing the cloak and staff. Her investigation in Corte that had led her to the Inn where Shann worked, and her discovery that the Innkeeper had been executed.

Shann, who had been looking distinctly uncomfortable listening to the words of a Keltar, suddenly rounded on the woman. “Poltann is dead? You…you
killed
him?”

“By the time I arrived, the execution had already taken place,” Keris explained.

“What about Gallar? What happened to her?”

“Gallar?” Keris inquired.

“She…worked at the Wayfarer.”

“I’m sorry; I don’t know what happened to anyone else. The Captain acted beyond his orders. I did the only thing I could, which was to order the soldiers to return to Chalimar to ensure that there were no further executions. The innkeeper was the only person who died, of that I am sure.”

Alondo broke in; his voice charged with empathy. “I’m sorry, Shann. There was nothing you could have done.”

“You knew about this?”
She exclaimed.
Alondo lowered his head.

“It was too dangerous for you to return to Corte.” Lyall was firm. “We arranged for Hedda to travel there to see what had become of Gallar, your guardian. If she is alive, then Hedda will see to it that she is safe.”

Shann fell silent, seemingly mollified for the present.

Keris went on to describe how she had trailed them from Corte to Lind, and had caught up with them at the pass.

“I was preparing to intercept you, when I was…taken by a perridon.” She saw Lyall raise his eyebrows. “I was preoccupied at the time. Anyway, it knocked me unconscious and carried me to its nest. The Chandara rescued me.”

Lyall looked over at the strange little beast. It lay perfectly still next to Keris. It was not clear whether it was even listening. “I have never heard of Chandara leaving their forest.”

“They were seeking a Kelanni. I am not sure, but I think it was just co-incidence that I was the one they found. They saved me from the perridon and brought me back to their Great Tree. I think they even healed my broken leg somehow. I don’t remember much, except that when I woke up in the Tree, I was whole.”

“Incredible.” Lyall seemed lost in thought.

“They waited for me to recover. Then I was taken to an audience chamber, where they activated this…” Keris reached into the pack on the creature’s back. It did not react. She drew out the silver machine with its multi-coloured workings.

Alondo reached a hand out. “May I?” She handed him the device and he inspected it closely, turning it over in his hands. “Fascinating,” he breathed.

“What is it?” Lyall asked.

Alondo’s voice sounded far away. “I have absolutely no idea. But it’s beautiful…very sophisticated. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.” He looked at Keris enquiringly. “Who made it?”

“It comes from more than three thousand turns ago.”

Alondo regarded her with an expression of disbelief. “How could you possibly know that?”

“It spoke to me,” she maintained. “There was the image of a woman from the past, who called herself ‘Annata’. Somehow, she sent the machine to us, to warn us about the Prophet. He is building a device to destroy the Kelanni.”

Lyall leaned forward. “Did she say where this device is?

“Not precisely. She said that it was being constructed at Persillan, but that after the revolt there eleven turns ago, it was moved to an island that lies somewhere beyond the Great Barrier of Storms.”

Lyall looked at Alondo. “The bronze coloured globe,” he offered. Alondo nodded slightly.

Keris looked from one to the other. “The what?”

Lyall turned back to Keris. “We…heard that there was a device found at Persillan at the time of the revolt. Also that the revolt was ended by an explosion of great power.”

“Really?” Keris was intrigued. “The revolt happened before I was appointed as Keltar. We were never told any details, other than that the Prophet had been victorious.”
I wonder if Mordal knows about this; it might make it easier to convince him.

Shann appeared to rouse from her self-absorbed state. “You’re saying there’s a woman in that thing? She must be no higher than my hand.”

“Keris said it was the
image
of a woman, Shann,” Lyall reminded her.

“All right, prove it.
Show her to us,
” Shann demanded.

Lyall considered this. “Can you activate the device, Keris?”

Keris shook her head. “I’m sorry; I don’t know how it works. It was the Chandara who operated it last time.”

Their eyes turned to the creature. It lay with its head on the sand, unconcerned.

“Chandara–” Lyall addressed it.

“Its name is Boxx,” Keris put in.

“Your Chandara has a name?” Alondo registered surprise.

Lyall’s forehead creased, as if he were trying to remember a half forgotten song. “That’s very interesting.”

“How so?” Keris asked.

“Well in the Ancient tongue, ‘Boxx’ means ‘Key.’”

You must take Boxx with you. It is the key.
That was what the woman Annata had said.

Keris was curious. “How is it you know Ancient?”

“It…used to be a hobby of mine.” Lyall gave a half smile. “Boxx, can you operate this machine?”

The Chandara raised its head “Yes.”

“Then please, would you do so?” Lyall motioned to Alondo, who placed the machine in the sand, directly in front of Boxx. The creature reached out a foreleg and touched a control on the side. A series of lights appeared on the base of the machine. They all glowed red, except for the one on the far left, which was a steady yellow. The party watched expectantly, but nothing else happened.

“I don’t see any ‘woman,’” Shann said flatly.

Lyall ignored her. “Boxx, where is the woman that appeared to Keris?”

“She Cannot Speak Until The Time.”

“What time?” Lyall enquired.

“The Time Of Her Speaking.”

Keris smiled ruefully. “I should have warned you, having a conversation with one of these is a unique experience. I usually feel a headache coming on about now.”

Lyall was not one to give up easily. “Boxx, when is the time of her speaking?”

“In Two Zero One Turns.”

Alondo figured it up. “That’s more than a whole turn of the season.”

Lyall threw up his hands. “Well, we can’t wait that long for answers.”

“I wouldn’t put too much store by what it says,” Keris cautioned. “I asked it its age before, and it replied that it was more than ten million turns old. Annata said that it was the key to an instrument that could be used to disarm the Prophet’s weapon safely. The instrument too lies beyond the Great Barrier.”

Lyall appeared to be deep in thought. Then he addressed the Chandara. “Boxx, what is the key?”

“I Am The Key,” it affirmed, in its strange lilting voice.

“How does the key work?”

“
You
Are The Key,” it stressed.

“I thought you said you were the key,” Shann pointed out.

“I Am,” it stated proudly.

Keris laughed, shaking her head. “I warned you.”

Lyall sat back, temporarily admitting defeat. Then the Chandara spoke up. “Does Keris Wish Me To Speak The Key?” There was a pause. “I Can Speak The Key Only To Keris.”

All eyes turned to look at the Keltar. Keris made a ‘how should I know,’ expression. Then she turned to the Chandara. “Boxx, please speak the key.”

It sat up on its hind legs and began to chant, “One Two One Zero Two Zero Two One One Zero One Two One Two Zero Zero Two One–”

“Boxx,” Keris interrupted.

“Yes, Keris.”

“What are you doing?”

“I Speak The Key,” it confirmed. Then it added, “The Key Is Not Complete.”

“That’s all right, never mind.”

“
You
Are The Key,” it insisted.

“Yes, thank you,” Keris dismissed the creature.

There was another pause. Finally it was Alondo who spoke up. “Well, what does anyone think?”

“I think I have a headache,” Lyall commented wryly.

“Aren’t we forgetting something?” Shann pointed out. “The Great Barrier of Storms.”

“Keris,” Lyall asked, “did Annata say anything about how we were to cross the barrier?”

“Yes she did, and I’ve been thinking about that. She said that on our side of the world there were two towers that could somehow send us to the other side, without having to pass through the storms. She said she would explain how, when she next contacted us.

“I think one of them must be the Dagmar Tower, situated on the estate where I grew up. The tower is ancient–no-one knows who built it and it has lain abandoned for as long as I am aware. However, its proximity to Chalimar means that the country around it will be thick with soldiers and Keltar. Given our current standing with the authorities, I don’t think we stand a chance of getting anywhere near it. So I ‘borrowed’ something from Ferenek, the commander at Gort, that I believe will help us to find the other tower.”