Crown Of Shadows Part 28

And then it was over. The last beast was dead, or dying, or fled into the night. Soldiers moved silently to slice each and every white-furred throat that remained, not wanting to be taken by surprise as they recovered the camp. Others moved quietly to where the fallen lay, and in a few comers of the battlefield soft weeping could be heard. That sound shook Andrys to his core. These were city folk, he realized, like himself, and for all their brave talk and macho posturing they had probably never seen more violence than a tavern brawl, or at best a temple riot. Nothing had prepared them for what they saw now. Nothing could.

Gerald Tarrant-you b.a.s.t.a.r.d!-you caused this! And so help me G.o.d, if I catch you, you'll pay for it. With a trembling hand he wiped blood from his eyes, hoping it wasn't his own. With a trembling hand he wiped blood from his eyes, hoping it wasn't his own. First by my hand, and then in h.e.l.l. First by my hand, and then in h.e.l.l.

"You all right?"

It was Zefila. The blood smeared on her face was black, and it reeked of the beasts. He managed to nod and she turned away, evidently satisfied that he could take care of himself. Where had the Patriarch found a woman of such fort.i.tude, he wondered? How had he known, when he interviewed hundreds for this quest, which ones would stand up to such horror?

The Patriarch. He started suddenly, aware that he hadn't seen the man since the battle started. Whipping about in sudden fright, he searched the battle-scarred campsite for him-and found him, to his relief, standing at the edge of the camp. His robes were spattered with blood and he seemed to be favoring his left leg, but he was alive. Thank G.o.d, Andrys thought. How could they have gone on without him?

"Bind up the wounded," Zefila ordered. "Get them on horseback, if the animals will have them. Move it! Those things may come back."

"What about the dead?" a woman demanded.

There was a pause. Several men stopped what they were doing, and all turned to look at the Patriarch. The cool blue eyes did not meet their gaze, but turned outward as if staring at some distant vista.

"We take them with us," he said at last. His tone was strangely bitter. "For as long as we have the horses to carry them." He looked over the battlefield, and his proud brow furrowed as if in pain. "Men who serve the One G.o.d with their lives deserve better than to rot in a place like this."

With a nod of approval, the man nearest him began to gather up the nearest body; others followed suit, handling the abandoned flesh of their fellow soldiers with a reverence that was born not only of love, but of fear. It could have been them. In another fight-perhaps in their next one-it might be.

The Patriarch walked slowly to where Andrys stood. His steps were heavy, as though he bore some great weight upon his shoulders. When he came within hearing, he said, very softly, "I shouldn't resent the time it will take, I suppose. Or remind myself that the flesh is but a sh.e.l.l, which has no real value once the spirit has abandoned it. Every minute we delay here puts us at greater risk, but the alternative...." He shook his head in frustration. "It clouds too many futures. Fosters too many resentments. Let them do what comforts them."

He winced then, and reached out to a nearby tree for support. Andrys hesitated, then dared, "Are you all right?"

The Patriarch exhaled slowly. "I'm over seventy," he said at last. "Such exercise as this is hardly recommended at that age."

Then his sharp gaze fixed on Andrys, ice-blue, unwavering.

"You must help us," he said quietly.

Andrys felt his heart skip a beat. "I ... I don't know what you mean."

"If the Forest is our enemy now, then it's only a matter of time before something else takes an interest in us. Judging from this experience ..." He looked about the camp, his eyes narrow with foreboding. "We might survive another open a.s.sault, like this one, and persevere despite it ... but not all the dangers of the Forest will be so obvious."

He remembered the sense he'd had of hungry things burrowing beneath the earth, and he nodded tightly.

"You have to find us a way through, Mer Tarrant. Either that-"

He drew in a sharp breath. "I can't-"

"-Either that, or we're doomed."

He opened his mouth to protest, but no sound came forth. Because the Patriarch was right, G.o.d d.a.m.n it, and Andrys knew it. Shaking, the Prophet's descendant struggled to find courage within himself. There was so precious little of it to draw on! But they would all die if he failed them now, he knew that. And he would die as well. Not merely losing his life, as the others would do, but surrendering it to the very power he had come to destroy.

"How?" he whispered at last.

"I don't know," the Patriarch said quietly. "You tell me, Andrys Tarrant."

He was about to say something in response, but at that moment one of the supply officers came toward them, with a list of precious armaments lost in the struggle. As Andrys listened to the two of them discuss the amount of black powder lost with the horses, he felt a cold certainty crawl down his spine, to settle uncomfortably in his stomach. If the Forest were their enemy now, then there was only one thing to do. And only one man, he knew, who could attempt it.

He stared out into the Forest and s.h.i.+vered, sensing its power. Its hunger.

Only me.

He went to a far corner of the camp. It was as far as he dared go for privacy, while still being within the border of the light. Two soldiers flanked him silently, a man and a woman, and took up positions just out of his line of sight, but close enough to protect him if any new danger threatened. Respectful but determined: the man to whom they had sworn their fealty would not be allowed to die.

For a long time he just stood there, trying to work up enough courage to do what had to be done. His whole body was trembling. Was that the first manifestation of alcholic withdrawal, or a simple fear response? It frightened him that he could no longer tell the difference.

Calesta, help me.

It wasn't the first time he had prayed to his patron within the Forest, but this was the first time the demon didn't answer. That in itself was fresh cause for panic. While Calesta hadn't always answered his prayers in Jaggonath, it had been pretty clear that once this campaign was underway he would support Andrys. The thought that the demon might leave him on his own here was something so frightening he couldn't even consider it.

Calesta, he implored. he implored. I need you! I need you!

No answer.

Shaking inside, he drew in a deep breath and tried to steady himself. If the demon wasn't going to help him, then he would have to do this himself. There was no other option, right? People would die if he failed. He He would die if he failed. Right? would die if he failed. Right?

s.h.i.+vering, he shut his eyes and tried to clear his mind. It took no effort for him to establish contact with the Forest. The instant he stopped fighting to resist it, sensations slid into his brain, trees and birds and insects and microbes and even the earth itself- Only it had changed. All of it.

He felt the trees throughout the Forest twitching, tension eating into their bark like acid. Hungry things that burrowed beneath the ground writhed blindly in their tunnels, unable to find their way to the surface. Sharp-toothed predators growled at their mates, and a white-furred scavenger ate her children while her packmates fell on one another in mindless rage. All throughout the Forest it was like that, fear and fury reigning where order had once held sway, and Andrys could feel the cause of it echo in his flesh: the loss and the shock and the pain of a wound that would never heal, a separation so unspeakable that the entire ecosystem reeled in despair.

He could feel his body staggering as he tried to absorb that knowledge and still maintain his own sense of ident.i.ty. If he failed in that-even for a moment-he would never be able to return, he knew that. He struggled to establish some kind of focus, to narrow his senses in on the area surrounding the camp and the paths leading from it, in the hope of discovering ... what? What did they want him to do?

You tell me, Andrys Tarrant.

He could feel the currents now, not just coursing about his feet but flowing through his very flesh. Chill currents, swift and powerful, they tugged at his body like a riptide and nearly pulled him off his feet. He could feel the earth-fae surging through the Forest, uniting all creatures within its confines even as it drew them inexorably toward the Center. Toward that place where the power was strongest, the earth-fae was deepest, the very heart of the region- He felt his heart skip a beat, and for a moment nearly lost himself. How easy it would be to give in to that current, and let it sweep him toward the heart of the whirlpool! That was where all the energies of the Forest were focused, that was the heart and brain of Jahanna, and every living thing that drew strength from sorcery was drawn there, to commune with the Forest or to be devoured.

That was where the black keep would be.

Shaking, he forced the visions out of his brain. It took every ounce of his strength to do so, and even so he wasn't entirely successful. A faint echo of the Forest remained within him, as though somehow a seed of it had invaded his flesh. Dark and cold, he could feel it growing inside him, and he knew that if he nurtured it too much it would take root in him and flourish, until his own soul was strangled by it.

The Patriarch had come up beside him. He said nothing, waiting. For a long moment Andrys was silent, drawing strength from his presence.

Then, without looking at him, he said quietly. "I know the way."

For a moment there was no response. Then a firm, strong hand clasped his shoulder in silent support. It seemed to him that strength flowed through the contact, bolstering his own failing courage.

"It isn't easy to fight for one's soul," the Holy Father said. The hand remained a moment longer, then fell away. "I know that."

Something hard and cold touched his arm. He looked down, and to his astonishment saw the head of a silver flask. The sight of it shook him to his roots, and it took a moment before he could take the container from the Holy Father, a moment longer to uncap it.

Brandy. He savored its sweet smell like perfume, then tipped up the flask to drink from it. Alcohol burned in his throat as it went down, then spread out in warm waves from his stomach. One swallow. Two. Then he forced himself to put it down, even though his soul was screaming for more. He capped it, and handed it back to the Patriarch. His hands were no longer shaking as badly as they had been.

"You'll have to lead us," the Patriarch told him. "There's no other way."

He nodded. The older man clasped his shoulder once more, then turned away and left him. The two guards looked at him with half-veiled curiosity.

You'll have to lead us.

Warmed by the alcohol, Andrys Tarrant s.h.i.+vered.

Thirty-eight.

Images cascading one into another, too fast and furious to separate. Visions and sensations tangled together so tightly there is no way to pick one out from all the others, no means of absorbing the storm of images except as one chaotic whole. one into another, too fast and furious to separate. Visions and sensations tangled together so tightly there is no way to pick one out from all the others, no means of absorbing the storm of images except as one chaotic whole.

Stars.

s.p.a.ce.

Fire.

Blackness.

"What the vulk... ?" Damien's throat was raw and his lungs constricted from sulfur fumes. The words made it past his lips just long enough for him to hear them, then they, too, were drowned in a deluge of alien sensations.

Loss.

Despair.

Fear.

Desperation.

Oh, my children, my children....

"Karril?"

No answer.

The s.h.i.+p hurtles through the blackness of s.p.a.ce like a spark of life, its substance hot in the emptiness. Its walls are not flesh but a living equivalent, energies bound in the place of matter, the skin of a sentient creature that knows nothing of blood or of bone or even of material tools ... but a creature nonetheless. Born for this mission, raised for it, trained for it, the creature-that-is-a-s.h.i.+p hurtles through the wasteland between the stars, her precious children gathered inside her....

"Karril!"

Each child bred for a single purpose, focused and pure in its substance. One to read the stars and choose a course. One to gather up the thin energies of the void and and make food from them. One to steer make food from them. One to steer and and one to record one to record and and one to dream one to dream and one and one-moreprecious than any other any other-tocarry the patterns of inheritance of their race, so that when the time is right, a whole new world can be peopled with her children.

He had a spasm of coughing and for a moment the images scattered. His lungs were refusing to admit enough air. The images that reformed in his head when the spasm was done were swimming with black spots.

How fragile they are, are, her children, her crew! How they struggle to her children, her crew! How they struggle to adapt to adapt to this new place, how they fight to serve this new place, how they fight to serve her . . . all her . . . all in vain. They were not made for this strange planet, where forces that have no name wreak havoc with every living process. First the seeker dies, in vain. They were not made for this strange planet, where forces that have no name wreak havoc with every living process. First the seeker dies, and and then the dreamer, then the dreamer, and and the gatherer, the gatherer, and and so on through so on through all alltheir number number Child Child after afterchild submitting in his turn, either to anatural anaturaldeath or to such muta mutation that she herself must kill them to keep the family pure.

The veil. It had fallen from his face, leaving him exposed to Shaitan's poisons. With a shaking hand he pushed it back into place, praying that it would ease the constriction of his lungs as well as protecting him from fresh a.s.sault. And it seemed to. Thank G.o.d, it seemed to.

The death of the breeder is the most devastating loss of all. Without his storehouse of reproductive patterns of all. Without his storehouse of reproductive patterns she will live out eternity on this hostile planet without hope, without purpose, her only comfort the memories that slowly fade she will live out eternity on this hostile planet without hope, without purpose, her only comfort the memories that slowly fade as as year fades into year fades into year, year,century into century. Periodically Periodicallyshe wonders if it might not be more peaceful to follow them all into death, to end her more peaceful to follow them all into death, to end her suffering suffering forever. forever. But though the fantasy of suicide is tempting, it But though the fantasy of suicide is tempting, it isn't really a isn't really a choice for choice for her. her. Like Like all all her people she has been born for her people she has been born for a a purpose, purpose, and and hers is to give life to others, not to take her own. hers is to give life to others, not to take her own.

And then, when hope has been lost for so long that she's all but forgotten the flavor of it, she becomes but forgotten the flavor of it, she becomes aware awareof something new on the planet. Not a acreature born to its hateful currents, but a astranger, like herself. A traveler. traveler. In joy she reaches out to it, to the thousands of individuals that make In joy she reaches out to it, to the thousands of individuals that make up up its its racial racial consciousness ... consciousness ... and and comes comes up up with silence. Painful, hateful silence! The newcomers can't hear her. They with silence. Painful, hateful silence! The newcomers can't hear her. They lack lack the senses. The structure of their life is so different from her own that interface between them is the senses. The structure of their life is so different from her own that interface between them is all all but impossible. but impossible. Sur Surrounded by a ahost of creatures who would welcome her as a fellow explorer on this hostile planet, she is more alone as a fellow explorer on this hostile planet, she is more alonethan ever. ever.

The images were all over him. Not only before his eyes, but in his brain as well. Images so alien that at first he could hardly interpret them, but one by one they sorted themselves out so that he could understand. And he trembled inside, as that understanding came.

She will try one last time. In the period before she came to this planet she had given birth to children who would serve her needs: she will do the same here, in order to reach these people. She has to wait long years for one to come close, for the place that best supports for one to come close, for the place that best supports her own life is hostile to theirs. But her own life is hostile to theirs. But at at last one comes, last one comes, and and she lifts the pattern of his soul from his flesh with a she lifts the pattern of his soul from his flesh with a mother's mother's sure skill, sure skill, and and uses it to make uses it to make a anew kind of child. Half-breed, Half-breed, maverick, enough like her to maverick, enough like her to understand her need, enough like this new species to com understand her need, enough like this new species to communicate with it directly. Alas, though the theory is sound, the result is disappointing. Her first Her first child is so like her that its father-species child is so like her that its father-species can't can't even see it. The second is the same. The third is even see it. The second is the same. The third is apparent apparent to them, but can find no common to them, but can find no common language language with which to communi with which to communicate. Again and again she tries, using those creatures that approach her resting place as templates for her experiments. She gives birth to children so like herself experiments. She gives birth to children so like herself that they share her own limitations, and to children so that they share her own limitations, and to children so like their fathers that they like their fathers that they lack lackthe ability abilityto see her at all,and at all,andto dozens who have qualities of both, but never in the correct proportion. She gives them the ability abilityto alter alterperception, so that they can bridge the vast conceptual gap between their parent races, but the vast conceptual gap between their parent races, but the ones who ones who are arestrongest in that area areahave no realun realunderstanding of what she sheis, or why they have been born. Still she tries, over and over, each time new material born. Still she tries, over and over, each time new material makes its way to her domain, hoping makes its way to her domain, hoping against against hope that someday the right combination will be found.... hope that someday the right combination will be found....

And it has been found, but not as she had imagined Not in the soul of one child but in the presence of Not in the soul of one child but in the presence of many, many, each one interpreting for the brothers most like each one interpreting for the brothers most like him, taking her memories and her hopes andher fears and him, taking her memories and her hopes andher fears andclothing them in a aframework of alienunderstanding-of human understanding alienunderstanding-of human understanding-untilat last, in the brain of the brain of a adying sorcerer, they aretranslated aretranslatedso that men might comprehend them- He pushed himself up onto his elbows and stared toward Shaitan's peak. The mother of the Iezu had completely enveloped Gerald Tarrant's body. Images played along her surface and throughout her substance, human and alien both. Stars, faces, mists and darkness, color and light and a thousand shapes without form or name. An attempt at some kind of visual language? Or perhaps simply the reflections of all the humans she had courted, as she plucked from each a single strand of consciousness to guide her procreative efforts.

He looked at Karril, kneeling by his side, and saw in the Iezu's expression such unadulterated shock that only one interpretation was possible. He didn't didn'tknow. None of them knew knew "You're human," Damien whispered. The words made his throat burn.

The Iezu nodded slowly. "Half," he agreed, in a voice that trembled with awe. "And half..." He looked up at the mother. "Something else."

And then suddenly, with frightening clarity, Damien saw the last image again. This time the detail that had almost escaped him didn't.

... in the brain of a a dying sorcerer ... dying sorcerer ...

He struggled to his knees; the motion set off a fit of coughing so violent that it almost knocked him down again. But that wasn't going to stop him. The living circuit the Iezu mother had described was clearly using a man's brain for its receiver, and since that wasn't him and there was only one other man present- "He's alive?" He struggled to his feet as he gasped the question, and started to stagger toward Tarrant. "I felt him die!"

A hand grabbed his arm and pulled him back, roughly enough that he nearly fell. "And so he did. Does your kind never start up a man's heart once again, after it falters? Is the brink of death such an absolute place that no human soul is ever rescued from it?" Damien tried to pull loose from him, but the demon (no, not a demon, something strange and alien and terrible and wonderful, but not a demon) wouldn't let go. "Don't," Karril warned. "She saved him for her purposes, not yours. If you get in her way now, there's no telling what she'll do."

"So she can use him as a translating device? Is that her purpose?"

The Iezu shook his head. "She doesn't need him for that. Now that she understands the pattern, and her children know how to help her, any human will do."

"What, then?" He stared up at the mother's fluid form, trying to catch some glimpse of the man inside it. "What does she want him for?"

The Iezu turned his attention to the creature as well, and for a long moment said nothing. Damien saw that many of the other Iezu had gathered near the mother, as if to intensify their bond.

"She says that he killed her child." Karril found the words with effort; clearly the Iezu bond was less than a perfect translator. "She says that the right to do so is hers and hers alone, and not even an alien may take it from her."

"So she's punis.h.i.+ng him? Is that it?"

But the Iezu shook his head. "Not punis.h.i.+ng, exactly. More like... using him."

"For what?"

Karril hesitated. Damien could see his brow furrow in concentration as he struggled to find the proper words. "To replace what was destroyed," he said at last. "To make her family whole again."

To replace-?

Oh, my G.o.d.

Hundreds of men and women had come into this valley in past centuries, courting the wild power of Shaitan. From each she had taken one seed, one spark of consciousness, never realizing that a man was made up of a thousand such elements and her Iezu children inherited only one. What happened to those men? he wondered suddenly. Did Karril's human father leave this place in the same condition he had come to it, or did he leave behind him that capacity for pleasure which made human existence bearable? What would be left of Gerald Tarrant when the process of replacement was over?

As if in answer, the mother of the Iezu rose from Tarrant's body and withdrew to the lip of the crater. Damien had no eye for her, but made his way as quickly as he could to where the Hunter lay. "Dying" was the image the mother had chosen. Not "alive, "alive, " but " but "dying. "dying. " That meant the man wasn't out of danger yet. Damien put a hand to Tarrant's face, and even through the silk veil he could feel its uncommon heat. Its human heat. If he did die, even for " That meant the man wasn't out of danger yet. Damien put a hand to Tarrant's face, and even through the silk veil he could feel its uncommon heat. Its human heat. If he did die, even for an aninstant, then his compact is broken. He's free. He put his hand above the man's mouth and felt, even though the silk, a thin stirring of breath. "You son of a b.i.t.c.h," he whispered hoa.r.s.ely, "you're alive!"

The Hunter's eyes fluttered weakly open, and for a moment it looked as if he was going to say something typically dry in response. But then the strength left him and he shuddered and closed his eyes, never having made a sound.