The Wraeththu Chronicles (85 page)

We did not want to part, but as a hail of sparkling dust settled around us on the bed, our skin, our hair, the curtains behind us lifted and Arahal padded into the room, accompanied by his attendants. I was so drained I could hardly move and it seemed it was coldly, without ceremony, that they lifted my damp body off Seel's and laid me aside. I had fulfilled my purpose in (heir eyes. Seel whimpered as Arahal milked our mingled essences from his body and I reached for his hand. His nails dug into my palm.

Arahal stood up and examined the glowing fluid he held in a glass bottle. "Well done!" he said, which seemed somehow irreverent under the circumstances. Seel and I were in no mood for conversation and were glad when Arahal woundedly recognized this and left us alone.

"He has made me bleed!" Seel complained.

"Does it hurt?" I asked him, knowing that there was more required of us that night. He

shook his head.

"I don't think so. Arahal isn't used to doing that; he shouldn't be so rough."

I took him in my arms, longing to crush the life out of him. At times, his beauty sets my teeth on edge. He squirmed.

"I fought so hard," he said.

I released my grip a little. "Fought what?"

"Against you. One time, I nearly gave in. Do you remember?" I shook my head. Seel had never seemed the remotest bit interested in me before. "It was in the field beyond Imbrilim, when you were watching me. I could always feel you watching me. I knew you followed me around. That time, I was thinking, 'This is it. I shall go to him. In a little while, I shall go to him and we shall speak together.' But when I looked again, you were gone. You had looked like something made out of smoke, so pale, yet I could see your strength. That time, I could not think of Terzian, nor Cal, nor Varrs; only you."

"Strength was the furthest thing from my mind then," I said.

He smiled and put his head against my chest. "Oh Swift, I knew that as soon as we touched, there would be no going back. It is something I've feared for so long. If I ever tried to imagine the har who would do this to me, he never looked like you. More like Cal, I suppose . . ."

"Most people's dream," I added drily.

Arahal had left us a tray of food and drink. We pulled the bedcovers around us, for we were starting to get cold, and ate and drank. I was full of curiosity about Seel. There was so much I wanted to know about him, but I was unsure how much he would want to tell me. There was no way I wanted to risk offending him. Cautiously, I mentioned that I'd been told he was fairly close to the Tigron. He didn't appear reticent about it. "I've worked with Pell from the beginning, when he first went to Immanion," he said. "And of course, we had spent some time together in Saltrock . . ."

I wanted to avoid that issue. "Tell me about Immanion," I begged. "Tell me about Phaonica and the people there."

Seel laughed at my eagerness. "I'm sure you'll see it for yourself some day," he replied. "It is a wonderful place, as you'd expect. Phaonica isincredibly huge; all the hara possess unnatural radiance there. . . . Oh, Swift, I don't want to talk about that. I want to know about you. It fascinates me, how you lived before and the people you knew. Tell me about that."

"Now I know how you feel!" I said. "I don't want to talk about that either."

"We have an eternity to discuss such things. Another time." As he said this, warmth and joy spread through me like a flame. I took him in my arms once more. He sighed against my chest and then said hesitantly, "I have never hosted a child before, Swift. When you told me about Cal and your father, I couldn't believe it! Cal, of all hara! Still, if he can go through with it, there's no reason why I can't. But you must understand, it's hard for those of us not pure-born to feel comfortable with the thought of bearing life. It's not a function I was born with!"

In the small hours of the morning, while Imbrilim slept and all the lamps were out, I took Seel in my arms and pierced him and carried him with me to the higher spheres. We were in a world of lemon-colored light and long fields of pale yellow grass stretched away from us on all sides. As Thiede had told me, on the horizon shimmered the vague shapes of spectral pyramids, which made our eyes ache to look upon. Seel and I sat down upon the sward, joined only by my hand in his hand. His skin was shining and his hair moved like feathers. He lay back and spread out his arms and I entered into him through the body and the mind and we called together to the spirit world, and presently a funnel of light appeared above us, rotating slowly. It drifted down to us and we were filled with the presence of our child to be. Within Seel's body, I nudged so softly the special seal that would open him up, and with utter compliance the muscles relaxed and I sought the star of his being, where life could begin. Nothing could part us now; nothing. We were joined inextricably, in convolutions of shining flesh; we were one. For a moment, we screamed together for the ecstasy was almost unbearable and light shimmered around us. Then I was lying across him in a room of silvery drapes that was filled with the pale glow that presages dawn, and our skins were cool and damp against each other. We both knew, in our hearts, that we were the makers of the true magic, that gift from the Creator, unparalleled, incomparable, the gift of life.

Destiny of the Pearl Barbarism thrives; such habits

Are frozen in time.

Perversity swallows up the world,

Goodwill to the mirror of crime.

Seel and I spent two glorious days alone together and then, feeling thoroughly rested and exhausted at the same time, bid farewell to the small, gray pavilion where we had worked our magic. In response to an unspoken agreement, I moved that day into Seel's pavilion. From being utter strangers, we had become chesna, as close as Wraeththu can get, in the space of two days. It is something that has never changed, nor ever will.

As I was unpacking my rather small amount of belongings into a chest in Seel's bedroom, Arahal came to request my presence at the pavilion of the Hegemony. "You too, Seel," he said. "I hope you've made the most of your holiday, for it's over for all of us now."

All the high-ranking Gelaming were there, seated around the large table in the main chamber. Seel and I were the last to arrive. I was overpowered by uncontrollable pride as we took our places together near Ashmael at the head of the table. All of them knew that the splendid creature that is Seel was mine, and I his. Whatever Gelaming like to call it, I felt we were in love and knew that the radiance such feelings gave us were apparent to everyone.

Ashmael addressed me. "Well, Swift, it is nearly time to get things moving. The crystal has been constructed and you and Seel have made the power to fire it. Soon, we shall have to travel north and sort this godforsaken country out once and for all." He smiled around the table. "Now, for the benefit of those of you who haven't been present at all the meetings we've held on the subject, Cedony will bring you up to date on our position." He leaned back and gestured to Cedony, who was seated on his right side. Cedony stood up, trying to shuffle a rather unruly mound of notes into a single pile.

"Central and north Megalithica have been thoroughly surveyed, as I'm sure you all know," he began. "Our findings show that the majority of Wraeththu settlements have fallen under Varrish rule, or Varrish tyranny, which might be a more accurate way of putting it. Those who have maintained their independence are tribes who either have some kind of trading agreement with the Varrs, or those whom Ponclast views as irrelevant,whose property will not add to the Varrs' wealth and power. We have been rightly disturbed by the small amount of time it has taken Ponclast to establish his empire in Megalithica. It is known that he subjugates through fear, of course, and Varrish callous brutality is legendary, but it was always thought that the Varrs had turned away from the path, either black or white, and for the most part abandoned their natural abilities. Now, we understand that this is not entirely the case. While Ponclast has never encouraged development among his lower castes, he has certainly nurtured occult powers within himself and among his generals. He has created an elite company of dangerous, murderous maniacs, of whom Ponclast's ally, Terzian, is, of course, most notorious."

Beneath the table, Seel reached for my hand. Through mind touch I asked him, "Does it show then, my distress?" "No," he answered soothingly. "Only to me."

As if aware of our conversation, Cedony turned to me. "We appreciate some of what must be said may cause you discomfort, Swift," he said. "Terzian is, of course, your father, but not all the company here have all the facts about him. We beg your forebearance over this matter." I shook my head. "It's alright. Please continue." Cedony put his papers down on the table. "In the extreme north lies Ponclast's citadel of Fulminir. It is a place feared and dreaded by both humans and hara in that part of the world. It was here that Ponclast and Terzian committed some of their worst atrocities. The Hegemony is aware that there are those among you who feel that the Gelaming should not seek dominion over the Varrs, that this is merely substituting one kind of tyranny for another. There are those of you who feel that some kind of arrangement suitable to both sides should be suggested to the Varrs, that whatever we feel about Varrish culture, to a certain extent we have no right to interfere. It is said that now the Varrs control most of Megalithica, the time for bloodshed and fighting is over and we should let the continent settle down on its own. What I am about to divulge may change your minds.

"The Varrs, or more accurately the Varrish government, will never lose their thirst for blood. We know this because we have learned that the Path they have chosen is involved with occult practices of the most black and evil type. From surviving victims, we have discovered that the Varrish elite feast upon the flesh of their own kind, the most prized vintages in their wine cellars being barrels of Wraeththu blood. They must have started these practices using human stock, I would imagine, but eventually discovered that much greater powers can be gained from consuming the flesh

of hara. Another of their cheerful little pastimes is ritual pelki, usually simultaneously with the slow death through poison of the victim. What we are dealing with here, Tiahaara, is not Wraeththu of a more basic culture than our own, but demonic, heartless beasts who have tasted blood and will want more. Now is not the time for me to go into more detail about other crimes we know are regularly committed in Fulminir (there is a whole file
 
the evidence we have gathered), but I must urge you all not to vote
 
Thiede's design to thoroughly cleanse Megalithica of any trace of Ponclast and his acolytes. The name of the Varrs must be expunged from the memory of Wraeththu!"

Cedony sat down again heavily and for a moment or two there was silence in the room. I felt dizzy, as if Terzian himself had stood there and confessed his crimes. Then someone from the lower end of the table stood up.

"You have spoken well, Tiahaar Cedony. Later, I would like to examine the file you speak of, but for now, I'm sure I speak for all who you implied were prepared to argue against the Hegemony's plans, when I say that we defer our privilege to speak out. Please tell us Thiede's intentions . . ."

Cedony looked to Ashmael and Ashmael nodded.

"My turn to speak, I suppose," he said wryly, but did not stand up. "We propose that a force of five centuries be sent to Galhea, which was previously Terzian's base and now left for the most part undefended, and establish a Gelaming base there. From that point we can launch our assault on Fulminir. Once Ponclast is subdued, we should have little trouble with the rest of the Varrs; he is their driving force and our main problem."

"And what of Terzian?" someone asked, who was obviously unaware of developments in that area. "Does Thiede have him or not? Where does he lit into this plan?"

"Terzian is no longer part of Megalithica's future," Ashmael said coldly. He would not look at me. "Are there any more questions?"

"Yes," I said coolly.

Ashmael slid his glance over me warily. "Swift?"

"There is something that hasn't been mentioned yet. The Varrish allies, the Kakkahaar. What do you propose to do about them?"

Ashmael looked surprised, then horribly sympathetic. "The Kakkahaar have already been dealt with, Swift," he said.

I squirmed with embarrassment. "I see. I didn't know . . ."

Chrysm rescued me gallantly. "When we first set foot in Megalithica, Thiede requested a meeting with Kakkahaar representatives. He made a deal with them. It is well known that they too are interested in the darker side of the occult, and perhaps under normal circumstances the Gelaming would have been as anxious to disband their tribe as they are the Varrs, but Thiede decided that in return for certain favors, he would grant them autonomy and a seat on the Council of United Tribes in Immanion. He did stress that the taking of life was still an offense in the eyes of God and har, and that any Kakkahaar convicted of such a crime would still pay the penalty, but that if their leader Lianvis was prepared to try to curb the Kakkahaar's more beastly activities, he would overlook past crimes. Thiede and Lianvis have a certain respect for each other. We cannot allow the Kakkahaar's darker practices to continue without making even a perfunctory attempt to curtail them; we cannot, under any circumstances, be seen to approve, but of course we suspect that it is something we couldnever have complete control over. However, Lianvis is aware of Thiede's power and he won't want to put the future of his tribe in jeopardy—"