The Wraeththu Chronicles (141 page)

"The Tigrina."

"Oh?" I tried not to sound cold. "In what way? I'm ten foot taller than him surely, and at least twice as lovely!"

Zobinek laughed. "You may be right. It's just a feeling, and the hair of course."

"Same color. That makes us blood brothers does it?"

Ariaric's son grinned mischievously. "You want to meet him?"

"No. Do you?"

"I will. Later. Why don't you want to meet him? Aren't you curious?"

"Zobinek, I'm curious about ghouls, cannibals and people who believe they are werewolves, but I can't say I'd want to meet one. Just leave it!"

"You do really though, don't you?"

"Is this irrepressible youthfulness or just crass stupidity?"

"Neither; clairvoyance."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't be loathsome, Zobinek. Just get me another drink will you." He left me standing on my own for some minutes and then pushed his way back through the crowd, beaming happily. As far as I could see, he was not bringing me a drink. I sighed as he grabbed my arm. "The wine, witless child! Have you forgotten?"

He ignored my remark. "Come on!" he said, dragging me behind him, me still clutching an empty glass.

"Come on where?" I stumbled, bumping into people as he hauled me along. A drink splashed over my leg; somebody glared at me. Zobinek was relentless. I could see Ariaric standing with a group of Niz behind a vast sofa of black and gold brocade. Sitting on one end of the sofa were Elisyin and Caeru, with a cluster of hara around them who were all grinning like imbeciles.

"Zobinek!" I hissed. "Let me go!"

"You wanted to meet him, didn't you?" Ariaric's idiot son said happily. "I'll introduce you."

"No!" I hissed again. "No, Zobinek!"

"Don't be silly! Where are your guts?"

Somewhere in the back of my throat by the feel of it. This was going to be disastrous. I tried to escape but it was too late. Here was I, the beast who had relished the public humiliation of a certain Cobweb years before, struggling like a harling to escape an embarrassment that was far less harrowing really. Hara slid aside as we drew near to the couch, recognizing the Archon's son. It seemed as if I stood in the center of an arena.

"My lord Tigrina," Zobinek began. Caeru turned his startling, blue eyes upon us, smiling mildly. "May I present a good friend of my father's to you. He's been waiting to meet you." (Cringe). "This is Calanthe, formerly of Megalithica, currently of Jael in Ferike, I believe."

Credit where credit's due; the smile never dropped from the Tigrina's mouth, but his eyes told me he knew exactly who I was. He must have heard my name a thousand times. This was worse than the sick surprise I'd hoped to spring on Ariaric. I should imagine I must be about the last person that Caeru would want to bump into at a party. Whoever else in Immanion knew my every move, Caeru was not one of them.

He said icily, "How nice." A flush was creeping up his neck; the atmosphere was electric. Elisyin was looking daggers at his son.

"It is a privilege to meet you," I said, bowing slightly.

"For me too," the Tigrina replied, frost still hanging off his words. Elisyin decided

enough was enough.

"Cal's glass is empty Zobinek," he said, "Take him to get a refill."

Gratefully, I let an abashed Zobinek lead me away again. I drank two glasses of wine in quick succession before sneaking out of the room while Zobinek went to the toilet. My heart was pounding. I could have smoked a hundred cigarettes at once, but one would have to do. Shaking, I paused in the corridor to light up. I was shaking too much. Then a considerate hand offered me a flame, which I made use of before looking up. The fact that the flame was offered without the use of match or mechanical means of any kind should have warned me. It didn't. I was in too much of a state. A golden-haired har with silver eyes blew on his fingers and smiled. "My lord requests you attend an audience with him," he said. Caeru must have reacted the minute I turned my back on him. I shook my head. "No, I don't think so. Convey my apologies, but it would serve no purpose."

"My lord thinks otherwise," the Gelaming insisted. I avoided the penetrating gaze. "Now. If you would be so kind." He directed the way with his hand.

"I have no choice, do I?" "No. Sorry, but I have my orders."

Caeru's suite was the most splendid Sykernesse had to offer. Gifts from the Maudrah hierarchy were heaped on every available surface. I was left in the reception room to take all this in, while my escort went to tell the Tigrina I was there. He kept me waiting. I probably would have done the same. When he walked in, I wondered whether I'd been mistaken about his innocence. This was no melancholy victim. This was a har of stature who was plainly angry. He stood some distance away from me, hands on hip and demanded. "Well, was this planned?" "What do you mean?"

The Tigrina snorted and flung himself into a chair. "Sit down!" he ordered. "Omiel, leave us!" His aide left the room quickly. "What are you trying to do? You think it's clever, throwing yourself at me like that? Youthink the Archon's cronies haven't heard the rumors flying about this godforsaken country? I don't like being embarrassed ..."

What rumors?

"It wasn't planned," I interrupted him. "Just coincidence. At least on my part and your part." The implications in that only fueled his anger. He looked ready to explode. "I'm on my way east. Oomadrah was just a pause in the journey. I had no idea you'd be coming."

"Of course you didn't! Ariaric has some explaining to do, I can tell you!"

I couldn't reply, sure that whatever I said would only make things worse. Such restraint was doomed to be short-lived, I'm afraid. Caeru saw to that with his next remark. "Don't think whatever plans you and Thiede have hatched together can ever be successful," he said.

"Excuse me! There aren't any!"

The Tigrina sneered. "Oh yes. I've heard all about your lies! I'm not stupid. Recently, yours is the name I'm constantly hearing on everybody's tongue just as I walk into any room. The name I hear before whoever's talking sees me and changes the subject, I might add."

"That's just as much a surprise to me as it is to you, I assure you."

"Is it? Well, as a matter of fact, it isn't a surprise to me. What is it you want? Wealth?"

I had to laugh at that. "That's the most pathetic thing anyone could ever say to me! Do I want wealth. Are you mad? I think we both know what I want." I regretted that even as I was half-way through saying it. The Tigrina's face had bleached from red to white. "I could have you killed," he said.

I shook my head. "I doubt it."

He rubbed his eyes nervously with one hand. "Why?" he said, and the wistfulness was back. "Why, after all this time? Can't you let it be? I've always dreaded this moment; you coming back into his life."

"I'm not. I'm not in his life."

The Tigrina slammed his fist down on the chair-arm. "Shut up! You are! You know you are! You always have been! I just can't understand why it's happening now. It's been so long. Is it the position you want? Is that it?"

"Caeru, I have no choice, really I don't. Whoever's behind all this won't let it be,

and I don't think it's Pell."

Caeru glanced up at me. He looked wretched. "Don't call me by my name," he said

hoarsely. "That's one thing I can prevent. I am Tigrina to you, for as long as I can

be."

"That's not.... Look, I'm not angling to take your place, if that's what you think. I'm probably as confused as you are. I don't know what's going to happen, or where I'll end up."

"You're all that he said you were," Caeru said, unexpectedly. "I had hoped time and longing had blown up your image out of all proportion. It hasn't. When I saw you at table earlier you intrigued me. I actually . . ." He pulled a disgusted face, shook his head. "I asked Ariaric who you were.

'Just an old friend,' he said. 'No-one important.' " He laughed bleakly at the crushing irony in that. "I can understand what... people ... see in you now. I wish I didn't. The image Pell has of you lives. Does that satisfy you? It doesn't mean you've beaten me, far from it. My position in Immanion is unassailable."

"How about your position in Pell's affections?" I couldn't help saying that, because whatever the answer, he was still by Pell's side and I was still the lunatic who'd murdered Orien and had to be kept away. The words struck home. If he hadn't been the Tigrina and groomed for his role, I think Caeru would have physically gone for me then.

"Get out of my sight," he said, softly, looking at the floor. "I'm leaving Sykernesse in the morning," I said. "You won't have to see me again."

"Won't I? I hope you die, I really do. Now get out." A more depressing, pointless interview is difficult to imagine. I found my way, somehow, back to my own room, my head in a whirl. I felt sure Ariaric would be displeased—no, furious—at the embarrassment I'd caused him. His fears had been justified. Yet it was Zobinek's fault really. I don't think I would have made my identity known otherwise, no matter how graphic my fantasies had been. To throw salt on my tender wounds, I surprised Panthera in bed with Lalasa. It was too much to bear. I just threw myself facedown on the coverlet beside them and groaned, much to their displeasure, I'm sure.

"Fuck the world!" I cried, muffled. "Fuck it! Fuck it!"

"Shall I go?" Lalasa whispered.

"No, stay and witness my immortal shame!"

"Cal, you're drunk," Panthera decided wearily.

"I'm not! Just cursed! The Tigrina wishes me dead and I die obligingly!"

"I really think I ought to go," Lalasa said again. Panthera sighed. "OK, I'm sorry about this."

There was silence for ten harrowing minutes after Lalasa had gone until Panthera said, "You ask for it, Cal, you really do."

"Yes, I know. I'm utterly foul. Vermin! Diseased! But I still didn't sleep with Ariaric, Thea, so I don't know why you're angry with me. Or is it just lust for your cousin?"

Panthera sighed heavily again. "I only have one neck, Cal, and I suspect you're going to stamp firmly across its wind-pipe one day. I must be deranged. You want to leave tomorrow?" "Desperately. Are you still with me?" He took my hand, squeezed it. "Surprisingly, yes," he said. Like a coward, I was going to sneak off without saying anything to Ariaric. A note would do; I couldn't face him. But he must have anticipated that because he came to our room in person just after it got light outside. Panthera excused himself and remained locked in the bathroom until the Lion had gone. I tried to apologize, but he didn't want to hear it.

"My fault too," he said. "Wasn't it me that suggested you stay? I didn't think Pell would have told Caeru about you. Stupid, wasn't it. Somehow, nearly everyone seems to know about you now. It was playing with fire. I also intend to beat several pints of blood out of my gormless son."

"Don't be too hard on him; he didn't realize the gravity of the situation," I said. "I hope it won't affect your position in the eyes of the Gelaming though. I feel bad enough about it without that."

He shook his head. "I really don't know. I'll do my best to butter the Tigrina up, profess my ignorance. It may work."

"Anyway, it should help not having me around. We're leaving today."

Ariaric didn't press me to stay. "You're on a hard path at the moment, Cal," he said. "My heart will be with you. We'll all pray things turn out for the best."

"Thank you." I stood up and we embraced. It was hard to let go. "Our reunion started so well. I'm sorry."

He took my face in his hands. "Sssh. Don't say that. It's like I said, hard times. One day, all this'll be over and you'll come back here and we can do it properly. OK?"

I nodded. "You've turned out well, you really have. It gives me hope."

He laughed at that. "Cal, Cal, I worked hard, that's all. We were all kids in Megalithica. It's so long ago. Let it go now. It can't be changed. Just let it go."

"Can I really do that?" Even to me, my voice sounded wistful.

"You can. Don't hoard all that feeling. Release it into something con-structive." He held up his hand. "See this," he said. "It's yours; take it." Even after all this time, the scar was still there. Overcome by emotion, I took it in my hands and kissed it and kissed it. "The blood is long-dried, Cal. You can't take it to Roselane with you. Have this instead." We'd never shared breath. I'd not been worthy of such a caress all those years ago. He gave me strength. I took it eagerly. A true friend is the Lion. He always shall be.

The farewells were nearly done, Sykernesse nearly in the past. But there was one last question. "Wraxilan, what was your part in this? You did have
 
1 a part didn't you?"

He stood at the door, smiling. "Of course I did. What harm can it do to tell you. Tel-an-Kaa said to me, 'Tell him my name. Tell him about me, that I know him, but before that, make him see himself.' She told me how. I wasn't that clairvoyant."

"Are you beholden to these Kamagrian then that you obey their orders?"

"No. I did it because of the other thing she said, and that was that Wraeththu's future is in your hands, Cal. Simply that. We need you, and we need you desperately. Could I need another reason knowing that?"