The Voice of Prophecy (Dual Magics Book 2) (30 page)

Veleus remained seated until he’d reassured himself that
both Orleus and Miceus would recover. And the prisoners were in safer hands.
All except Gerusa. The Palace Guard had been understandably reluctant to arrest
a High Councilor. That would be a matter for the High Council.

By then, he was reasonably sure that he could climb the last
flight of stairs without having to stop half-way to catch his breath. He’d
spent the time thinking about the next step. The rogue guardsmen would be taken
care of without his interference.

Gerusa was another matter. And the sooner she was taken care
of, the better for everyone—in particular, his sons. It was clear now that Vatar
and his family would never be truly safe here until Gerusa’s power was broken.
Obviously, she needed to be kept away from Miceus, too.

Then, too, whatever was ahead for Cestus it would certainly
be easier to manage on a rational level without Gerusa’s venom poisoning the
Council. The proceedings against Gerusa might even give Cestus enough time to
consolidate his control of the situation before the Council noticed. It was
past time the High Council loosened its choke hold on the Fasallon. He’d said so
for years. But it
must
be managed carefully. Peacefully. Especially if
Cestus was right and he was the Fasallon who was not a Fasallon. In that case,
they were at the fork of Abella’s prophecy. How they reacted now would
determine their whole future—greatness or destruction.

Orleus returned from helping to remove Miceus to his own
apartments nearby and the care of his wife. “The Healer says he’ll recover. A
day or two in bed, for the blood loss.” He paused to stretch his shoulders.
“Well, then, I suppose it’s time I got back to the farm.”

Veleus looked up. “I’d like you to stay just a little
longer.”

“What for?”

Veleus gestured to the corner, where Gerusa remained tied
up—and gagged. “One more loose end. And the sooner it’s tied up the safer for
everyone. I’m sorry to have to involve you in this, but I think it’s time to
call an emergency session of the High Council. I need you to help me get her up
to the Council Chamber. And to tell what you saw. Gerusa’s and my battles have
been too public. It’s best if I’m not the only witness against her.”

Orleus glanced toward his mother and nodded. “You’re right.
She’ll just keep plotting against Vatar until she’s stopped.”

~

Veleus called the High Council directly, with Far Speech, ignoring
the bell that usually called them into session. He wasn’t sure whether the
ringers were in on Cestus’s plan or not. Better not to call attention to them,
either way.

They arrived at the Council Chamber, Veleus in the lead.
Orleus behind, pushing Gerusa before him.

Amaurea’s eyes narrowed on seeing this. “What is this about,
Veleus?”

Gerusa moved toward her seat, but Orleus pulled her back.
The two of them remained standing at the end of the long table. Orleus
ostentatiously kept one hand on the hilt of his sword. He gripped Gerusa’s arm
firmly with the other.

Veleus took his seat before answering. “Gerusa acted in
direct opposition to the decision of this Council. Earlier today, she ordered
the kidnapping of Vatar’s children.”

“You’re certain it was Gerusa?” one of Gerusa’s allies
asked.

Veleus arched an eyebrow. “The children were found in her
apartment. Along with the suborned members of the Temple Guard who’d taken them
from Vatar’s farm. Orleus can attest to this.”

Amaurea shot Gerusa a disgusted look. “The children have
been returned to their father?”

Veleus permitted himself a weary smile. “Yes, but the girl
was seriously injured by the Temple Guard Gerusa sent to take them. One of them
hit her. Boreala is tending to her, now. In the process of rescuing them,
Gerusa stabbed our other son, Miceus, with her own hand. He’s also recovering.”

Amaurea drummed her fingers on the table. “What do you have
to say for yourself, Gerusa?”

Gerusa pulled her arm free of Orleus’s grip. She jerked her
chin up. “I only did what we have always done. I acted to bring children with
Fasallon blood into the care of the Temple.”

Amaurea vented a frustrated sigh. “This Council had made its
decision to agree to leave Vatar’s family alone. That would naturally include his
children.”

Gerusa took a step forward. “You can allow that half-blood
to dictate to you if you like. But I won’t.”

Amaurea stood up at the other end of the table. “You do not
speak or act for the entire High Council, Gerusa.”

Gerusa leaned forward. “Someone has to have the courage to
act!”

Amaurea slapped her hands on the table. “That’s not your
decision to make. Especially when the Council has already decided the issue.
The fact that you don’t agree with our decision does not give you the right to
act in defiance of it.”

Gerusa tossed her head. “What are you going to do to stop
me? The place at the head of this table should have been mine!”

Amaurea drew herself up to her full height. “What am I going
to do? This. I put before this Council that Gerusa has forfeited the right of
Talent. Shall she be expelled from the Council?”

Veleus stifled the urge to smile. The vote around the table
was nearly unanimous. Even Gerusa’s allies couldn’t take her side in this. Not
now.

Amaurea sat back down. “Very well, Gerusa, you are no longer
a member of the High Council of the Fasallon. And I order that you be
restricted to your chambers pending further determination of your crimes and
the fitting punishment for them.” She turned to remaining members of the
Council. “Who is next in line from Abella’s lineage?”

A Councilor near the far end of the table sighed. “That
lineage grows thin. The most Talented descendant of Abella is Master Healer
Boreala. Next would be Gerusa’s other daughter, Selene.”

Amaurea turned to Veleus. “Will Boreala serve?”

Veleus rubbed the back of his neck. Boreala would certainly
resist, for more than one reason. But he didn’t doubt that Selene would be her
mother’s creature. It would be almost as bad as having Gerusa still on the
Council. “I’ll do my best to persuade her.”

“You can’t cast me off like this and replace me with my
daughter!” Gerusa raged.

“We just did,” Amaurea answered coolly. “We’re adjourned.”

~

After leaving the Council Chamber and arriving at the floor
below, Veleus stopped first at Miceus’s apartment, where Athra assured him that
Miceus was asleep, resting comfortably. Veleus went on to his own apartments.
There was at least one other family member he needed to know about before he
could rest.
“Vatar?”

“Yes, Father?”
Vatar answered.

“How is Savara?”

Vatar smiled.
“She’s awake. Boreala says she’ll be fine.”

“Good. Is Boreala still there?”
Veleus asked.

“Yes. She’s planning to stay overnight, so she can keep
an eye on Savara. How’s Miceus?”

“He’ll mend, too.”
Veleus paused for a moment. He
needed to speak to Boreala very soon. Preferably in person. Better to wait
until everyone was rested. There’d been more than enough excitement for one
day. And, in his experience, tired people tended to be harder to persuade.
“Ask
Boreala to wait for me. I’ll come up as early as I can tomorrow morning.”
Besides, by then maybe the boats would be running as normal again.

~

The boats weren’t running as normal. Veleus was forced to
contact Cestus for permission to be rowed across. A potentially difficult
situation. Fortunately, he was early enough that not too many other Fasallon
were awake to see it. Still, Veleus made a show of thanking the boatmen and
paying them each with a Caerean coin. Probably past due for that to become the
custom, anyway. Getting back across discreetly was likely to be a bigger
problem. By then, the High Council would surely have taken note of Cestus’s
actions. If he was going to be of any help to Cestus, it wouldn’t do to appear
to be in on it—or receiving special treatment.

Veleus sighed as he walked through the jostling crowds and
started up the hill. Why couldn’t problems come one at a time?

The first thing he did when he reached the farm was to ask
about his granddaughter again.

“She’s well, Father,” Boreala answered. “She ate a little
broth last night and some porridge this morning. I predict difficulties in
keeping her quiet by midday.”

Veleus smiled. “That’s generally a good sign as I recall.”
He drew her over to sit on the bench under the apple tree. “I wanted a chance
to talk to you about something else, too.”

“What’s that?”

“Did Orleus tell you about what happened yesterday?”

Boreala laughed. “We got a blow by blow from Thekila until
Quetza brought Savara here. Then I was pretty busy for a while. And tired, once
I was sure the danger was past. I think Orleus said something about the High
Council kicking Mother out. They didn’t really, did they?

Veleus nodded. “They did.” He shook his head. “Gerusa never
could control her temper—or just never tried. She challenged Amaurea directly.
Which, of course, left Amaurea little choice. And after what she’d just done,
even her allies couldn’t stand up for her.” He turned to look Boreala in the
eye. “They want you to take her place.”

Boreala drew back. “Me? I can’t be on the Council. I don’t
have time. Anyway, I hate the Council.”

Veleus leaned forward. “Sure you can. If you want to make
changes in the High Council and in the sometimes high-handed way they treat
everyone else, there’s no better way.”

“I—”

“Let me finish,” Veleus interrupted. “I have two more
arguments for you to consider. It can’t possibly be long now before the High
Council figure out what Cestus has been up to. Another sympathetic member on
the High Council could make all the difference for him.”

Boreal paused. “What’s the other argument?”

“If you don’t take it,” Veleus said. “They’ll offer the seat
to Selene. And she’s sure to be a proxy for your mother. Gerusa’s old allies
will probably fall in line behind her. It’s practically a guarantee that the
changes I’ve been working for—that Cestus has risked everything for—won’t
happen.”

Boreala sighed. “All right. I’ll give it a try. I don’t
promise to continue.”

Veleus smiled. “Good. We’d better get back to the Palace. As
soon as I’ve seen Zavar and Savara for myself. I expect another Council meeting
very soon.”

~

Veleus was right. He and Boreala barely made it back to the
Palace of the Fasallon before the call—by Far Speech—came for another emergency
meeting of the High Council. He tried to prepare her as they climbed the stairs
to the Council Chamber at the very top of the Palace. “For today, don’t say too
much. No one will think much of it at your first meeting. There’s a Sooth
Teller on the Council who’ll know if you lie. Just try to follow my lead. I
wish we’d be sitting closer to each other, but that can’t be fixed today.”

As they entered the chamber, he directed Boreala to what had
been her mother’s seat. The members spared only a moment to welcome her.

“Do you have any idea what’s happening, Veleus?” Amaurea
asked almost as soon as he was seated.

Veleus took a moment to answer. He couldn’t tell a direct
lie—the Sooth Teller would be able to read that. But he also didn’t want to let
the other Councilors know that he’d been aware of the situation almost a full
day before them—and hadn’t told them. “From what I’ve seen, it appears that
many—possibly most—of the unTalented are refusing to work.”

“Do you know why?” Montibeus asked.

Veleus shrugged. “Why ask me? Hadn’t we better ask them?”

Amaurea made a frustrated noise. “Who do you suggest we ask?
We don’t seem to be able to get anyone to give us a straight answer.”

Veleus looked out the opposite window for a moment as if he
were thinking. “If it were up to me, I’d start with Dinus. He always seems to
know what’s going on.”

Amaurea responded with a tight smile. “Good idea. Send for
him.”

“Send who?” Montibeus asked. “The Palace Guard aren’t
answering the bell.”

Veleus stood up. “Fortunately, I’ve never minded using my
own legs. I’ll get him.”

Veleus gave only half his attention to the stairs as he
walked down them. At least there was no reason to hurry. The High Council would
hardly expect that of one of their members. Bad enough, as far as most of them
were concerned, that they had to run their own errands.
“Cestus!”

“What is it, Father?”
Cestus’s mental voice sounded
weary.

“The Council has noticed what’s happening. They’re
meeting now. I’ve advised them to start by questioning Dinus.”

“Good idea. He’s the one in charge at the Palace. My second.”

Veleus sighed
. “You know you’ll have to appear before
them yourself. Very soon.”

“I know. But I can’t get away just yet. Tell Dinus to try
to buy me some time.”

Veleus nearly staggered under the wash of exhaustion that
accompanied that statement.

~

Veleus showed Dinus up to the open end of the table and
resumed his seat.

Amaurea allowed both of them a moment to catch their
breaths. “Can you tell us what’s going on, Dinus?”

Dinus blinked and swallowed hard. “Some of the unTalented
have decided not to continue working under the existing conditions.”

“What? Why not?” One of Gerusa’s former allies asked.

Dinus cleared his throat. “They’re tired of having every
aspect of their lives determined for them. They want more control.”

Amaurea frowned. “The High Council doesn’t dictate
every
aspect
of anyone’s lives.”

“Not directly, perhaps. But you do maintain the system that
is tilted heavily toward the most Talented. The ones who make all the decisions
are always Talented, even in positions where Talent is completely unnecessary.
Even if the particular Talented in charge has no idea what’s really required to
get the job done—and often doesn’t care. It’s the less-Talented lower
bureaucrats like me who have to find a way to make their often idiotic
decisions work.