The River Wall (42 page)

“I do need it,” he said sincerely, “for without it, I would feel as if I am betraying you, and I could not go.” His eyes went out of focus. “I have said there is no memory of that place in me, but there is a longing for it. It may be that I am being called. Tarani? Will you, too, give me your good wishes?”

Tarani moved past me and put her arms around Dharak/Zanek. Over her shoulder, I saw his eyes close as his arms tightened around her.

“If I feel any lack of contentment in that other place,” Zanek said as Tarani withdrew, her breath coming in the sharp gasps that was Gandalaran sobbing, “it shall be because I miss you, my friends.”

“Before you go, Zanek,” Tarani said, “can you tell us if we will succeed? The abrupt ending of the All-Mind—has it changed?”

Zanek laughed heartily, and it was that action that finally freed me of the worst of my grief. He had not been so lighthearted in months, and I felt sure it was the prospect of leaving—with our blessings—that cheered him so.

“I shall have that answer soon,” he said. “But, of course, I shall not be able to tell you. Perhaps that is best, for the continued uncertainty will demand your best effort—and I feel sure it is only that which can change the dead future I saw from that other place.”

Thymas put his hand on Zanek’s arm.

“I have a favor to ask of
you
,” he said, and looked around the stark, empty hall. “Don’t leave Dharak’s body in here.”

“I’d say we could all use some air,” I said, and Zanek nodded.

*Come, Keeshah,
* I called.

Tarani paused at the pillar and swept the blue fragments into her pouch. Then we walked unhurriedly to the gates of Lord City. Ronar and Keeshah were there.

“I did not call Yayshah,” Tarani said. “Will Keeshah mind carrying two?”

“Not at all,” I said.

She and I mounted Keeshah, and Thymas and Zanek mounted Ronar. The two sha’um kept a close pace as we left Lord City and climbed the green hillside above it. Thymas seemed to be leading the way; we climbed to one of the stairstep levels of ground that kept the Tashal River from being one continuous waterfall.

We all dismounted, and Zanek stroked Ronar with unmistakable affection. He turned, with us, to look down at Gandalara.

Far to our left was the beginning of our first encampment. The Sharith had begun it; in the next few months the few hastily constructed tents would swell to hundreds, thousands. These first shelters would be little more than resting places for people who tilled land or tended crops at a higher level until their lungs burned. The people who moved to that level and began the next would really be taking the first
step
up the River Wall. The first
action
step was to leave everything behind and turn our faces upward.

It would begin soon.

It was intimidating.

It was intoxicating.

It was, simply, our destiny.

The man who had set it all in motion drew a deep breath and said: “Captain, perhaps you and the Lieutenant would be kind enough to spare Dharak’s body the indignity of falling?”

“Of course,” I said.

Thymas and I each took one of the old mans arms. Zanek smiled once more, his face seeming to beam with a special radiance. Then Thymas and I caught the weight of Dharak’s empty body.

Thymas shrugged off my hands and lifted his fathers body in his arms, cradling the head on his shoulder. The boy was short, but strong; the old man was not an excessive burden for him.

“I’ll miss him terribly,” I said. “But he was right in thinking I would have leaned on him heavily, had he stayed. I am grateful to have both of you.”

Thymas looked surprised. “Surely you don’t think
I’m
going to be much help?”

“Of course I think so,” I said. “The three of us—”

The boy was shaking his head. “I am Lieutenant of the Sharith,” he said. “That’s plenty to keep me busy. I finally believe I can handle it, Rikardon, but it’s
all
I can handle. Call on me for advice in that area, if you like, but don’t ask me to make decisions for anyone else.”

Tarani spoke up, then. “I, too, will be concerned with special projects, my love. I did promise Livia to coordinate the new structure for Recorder schools, and I feel a special responsibility toward the Lords and Eddartans who will provide so much material and support for the rest of Gandalara during these first stages.”

I stared from one to the other of them.

“Are you telling me that I am the administration plan we’ll present to the people?” I asked.

“I believe we have already discussed the need to divide the people into distinct groups of some sort,” Tarani said. “Whether those groups are to be skill-based, or structured around the source cities of the people, remains to be decided. Each separate group will have a leader or leaders, but someone must provide coordination among those leaders. Someone
must
have ultimate authority.”

“From the beginning,” Thymas said, “we have been guided by your vision, Rikardon. I see no reason to stop now.”

I thought about that for a long minute. “All right,” I said, at last. “As long as everybody understands that the decision of the ‘ultimate authority’ may be to put an issue to a vote, either among the leaders or the people themselves, and abide by the majority decision.”

‘That comment, Captain,” Thymas said, “only confirms your value in that position. I—may I see to Dharak now?”

“Of course,” I said. “If there is to be a ceremony—”

“There will,” he said. “I will let you know when; it would dishonor Dharak’s memory if you and Tarani were not present.”

“Wait a moment, Thymas,” Tarani said. She opened one of Thymas’s hands, and placed the pouch full of Ra’ira fragments in his palm. “These are dead, as well. Perhaps Dharak’s body will not mind sharing the ceremony.”

Tarani and I and Keeshah lingered on the hillside. Eddarta had grown to nearly twice its size. To the east, west, and south there were clusters of people, makeshift corrals filled with vleks or glith, and piles of supplies. Sha’um with Riders appeared frequently, working as short-distance messengers.

Keeshah lay crouched between us, and Tarani and I absently stroked his fur.

“Why didn’t you call Yayshah?” I asked.

She shrugged. “I wanted to ride Keeshah with you one more time,” she said. “This seemed the
right time.
Also—I am truly sad to lose Zanek. I think I needed to be close to you.”

I nodded, understanding.

I shielded my eyes and looked up into the gray cloud cover, seeking the brighter spot that was the sun.

“I’ve thought about the need to adapt to lower air pressure,” I said, “but we must also consider the effect of less-shielded sunlight.”

“Yes, eyes and skin must both be protected to some extent at each new stage,” Tarani agreed.

We stopped and looked at one another.

“There is so
much
to think about,” I said. “So
much
to do.”

“It cannot all be considered or accomplished at one time,” she said. “Deal with one thing at a time.”

I smiled and reached for her hand.

“No matter what our ‘official’ roles are, Tarani, will you promise always to be my personal advisor?”

“Except as needed for the Record, I promise, my love.”

“Ah—the Record. When would you like to begin?”

I felt a sudden tension in her hand, and I turned to face her.

“We
cannot
begin for at least nine moons,” she said.

It took me a second, and then I felt my knees go weak.

“A baby?” I whispered. “Our child?”

“A son,” she said, with knowledge born of the Gandalaran inner awareness. “The night of Livia’s visit, I knew I was fertile. It was unfair not to ask you, Rikardon, but I wanted it so badly. Are you angry?”

“Angry?” I echoed. “Angry? I’m—” I laughed aloud, rose to my knees, and stretched across Keeshah’s back to kiss her. “I’m delirious, that’s what I am,” I said. “A son, you say?”

*Keeshah, did you hear that? I’m going to have a son!*

I felt a strange wash of feeling from him: gladness that I was so happy, mingled with an uncertainty drawn from experience.

*Cubs fun,
* he said.
*Also nuisance. Nothing the same again. But good.*

I pulled away from Tarani, and saw a glow in her that was born of nothing more dangerous than a mother’s joy.

I took her hand and settled back down. After a time, Yayshah joined us, stretching out beside Tarani, seemingly unresentful of Keeshah. Still later, Koshah and Yoshah sought us out, and curled up against their parents.

Tarani and I sat there until the light vanished, watching the future of Gandalara begin.

—I am withdrawing our minds from the All-Mind … and now your mind is separate from mine. Are you well, my love?

—Physically very weak, Tarani, but food and time will ease
that. In spirit, however, I feel stronger for knowing the Record is complete.

—It is only one of the many good things you have accomplished in the passing years. Did you find the younger Rikardon to be so different from the man you are now?

—Before I answer that, you promised you would give me your opinion.

—Very well. I believe that experience has made you stronger and more sure in your role, and that has made you a better man, not a lesser one. In your comments at the beginning of this session, I saw the same fear which was so clear in this Record: the fear that you would misuse the power the people have given you. As long as the fear exists, the possibility of misuse does not. And now … your judgment?

—Essentially the same, Tarani, but for a different reason. I’ll take a lesson from Livia, and measure my value by the caring of my friends. As long as I remember that I must be “worthy of all this concern,” I think I’ll stay on the right track.

—It is an odd feeling, is it not? That the effort of many years is at an end?

—More so for you, I should think, than for me. Will you miss Recording?

—I shall not have the opportunity. Now that the Record is complete, I must begin training Recorders in its use.

—There is never an end to it, is there? Always something more to do.

—I remind you of something you said to me at Iribos, that we might wish for “a pleasant duty, and a peaceful destiny.” There have been and will be exceptions, of course, but in general I feel we have found our wish. For me, it is enough.

—For me as well, Tarani. As long as I may share it with you and our children, and Keeshah and his family.

—Then call those who wait outside, so that we may renew our strength for the tasks to come.

V
ICKI
A
NN
H
EYDRON
met R
ANDALL
G
ARRETT
in 1975. In 1978, they were married, and also began planning the Gandalara Cycle. A broad outline for the entire Cycle had been completed, and a draft of
The Steel of Raithskar
nearly finished, when Randall suffered serious and permanent injury. Working from their outline, Vicki has completed the Cycle. Of all seven books, Vicki feels that
The River Wall
is most uniquely hers. The other titles in the Cycle are
The Glass of Dyskornis, The Bronze of Eddarta, The Well of Darkness, Return to Eddarta
, and
The Search for Kä.

THE GANDALARA CYCLE
(with Vicki Ann Heydron)

The Steel of Rathskar

The Glass of Dyskornis

The Bronze of Eddarta

The Well of Darkness

The Search for Kä

Return to Eddarta

The River Wall

THE LORD DARCY SERIES

Murder and Magic

Too Many Magicians

Lord Darcy Investigates

all available as Jabberwocky ebooks

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