eyes narrowed in speculation. 'His appearance served to further confirm her in the eyes and minds of the populace. But if you have any doubt, I have heard it from her own lips—and from Hansa's mind—that he is the one who advised her to make Herald Talia an honorary Sun-priest to cement our alliance.'
Rubrik's mouth formed into a silent 'o', but Ulrich wasn't quite finished yet.
'All the Firecats have traditionally referred to themselves by names of former Sons of the Sun. We have always believed that they are the spirits of former Sons who have taken on a material form in order to guide and advise us.' He cast a significant glance down at Laylan, who looked up at him blandly and actually batted his eyelashes at him. 'Obviously, they are exactly like your Companions, except that there are fewer of them. I assume that is because there are fewer deceased Sons than there are deceased Heralds.'
Now it was Rubrik's turn to look as if someone had hit him in the back of the head with a board. And there was a whicker from Laylan that sounded suspiciously like a snicker.
'Of course—' Rubrik replied weakly. 'Obviously.' As if it wasn't obvious at all, and the thought had never once crossed his mind.
Rubrik's astonishment was so total, and so blatant, that Karal came very near to disgracing himself completely by blurting out the question, 'Do you mean that hadn't ever occurred to you?' He stopped himself just in time.
In the first place, such a question would be twenty leagues beyond rude, and Ulrich would be completely within his rights—even his duty—to send him back in disgrace on the spot. One did not ask questions like that if one was a diplomat.
In the second place—
It's possible that the Companions actually have been keeping Heralds from even thinking just that. The Firecats were known to be what they were only to the Priests— the rest of the Karsite populace simply regarded them as signs of Vkandis' favor. Most ordinary folk were not even aware that the Cats spoke to the Priests—after all, the Priests had the Voice, what did they need with a talking feline?
I can think of several reasons why Companions would not want it known that they had once been Heralds, Karal decided, rather grimly, after a moment of silence that gave him plenty of time to really examine the idea. For instance, there had been one infamous attempt to destroy a Firecat by the traitor who had brought about the assassination of the Son of the Sun whose name the Firecat bore.
Not that that worked. Firecats can protect themselves very nicely. The assassin made a lovely bonfire, so the story goes. But surely, there were people who would be very unhappy if certain Heralds were to reappear after their demise—and Companions, unlike the Cats, could be killed.
And even a Karsite knows that if you kill the Hellhorse—the Companion—you'll probably kill the Herald.
There could be emotional conflicts among the Heralds as well. How would a loved one feel, knowing that the beloved ex-Herald could return if he chose, even if in a rather —inconvenient—form? It would be devastating if he did, and nearly as bad if he didn't.
As he was mulling all this over, he caught sight of Laylan staring back at him over his shoulder—and when he caught his eye, he nodded as if he had been following his very thoughts.
As if—like Hansa—she can see what is in my mind—
Once again, he sat frozen in place, stunned. Like Hansa. The Cats are like Companions—
Once again, he nodded; gravely, but unmistakably.
Only one thought floated up out of the shock.
If the Cats are like the Companions, then we are not so different from our ancient enemies after all.
And he could not for the life of him decide if that realization was a reassuring one.
Seven
An'desha stared unhappily out the window of his provisional home. Late afternoon sunset streamed through the branches of the trees around Firesong's ekele, and left patches of gilding on the grass beyond the windows. The silence that must surely be outside was not mirrored within. The indoor garden was full of laughter and talk, even to the point where the burbling of the waterfalls and fountains was overwhelmed by human
