purposes it was just a plain silver mask once more. He looked at it feeling a touch of awe. It was another link with the mighty magics of the past.
“Greetings, Prince, and be welcome.”
“I thank you for your hospitality.”
“It is as nothing. Please be seated.” He sat cross-legged on one of the small rugs. She sat opposite him. He was immediately aware of her overwhelming predatory beauty, of the sensuality she wielded like a weapon. Surely she was not bringing it fully to bear on him.
“I see you are admiring my mask. It is another work of art in its way, forged by the smiths of Athaenar in the Mountains of the Mist, in the world we lost.”
“It’s a pity we also lost the knowledge to make such items,” he said.
“We are so much less than we were.”
“You miss the home world. That is understandable…”
“Alas, it is not a matter of mere sentiment, my Prince, it is something more. We are quite literally diminished. To the First, the lack is like the lack of breath you feel when your dragon flies at great height. We are weaker, our senses are less keen. Magic was so wound up in the fabric of our beings that we are physically less capable than we once were. You grew up here, and so are not aware of this, but I can assure you that once you walked the green woods of Al’Terra you would understand instantly what I am saying…”
“I regret that I have never had that experience, Lady Asea, nor am I likely to. The way is closed. There can be no return.”
“Indeed.”
Sardec has the sudden uncomfortable feeling that this whole conversation had been pre-planned by Lady Asea, that the mask had been placed where it was to draw him into it, that his own reaction had been predicted and planned for.
For the life of him, he could not see why. Once again he felt suddenly out of his depth with this ageless beauty and her deep knowledge of things he could never begin to appreciate. And doubtless, he thought sourly, that too was part of her plan.
His ruminations were interrupted by one of her servants. He could not tell which, they were so similar in appearance and bearing. The man bore a bottle of wine. The shape and colour of the bottle marked it as being from the vineyards of the Selari. Since Asea’s clan were famous for their subtly narcotic vintages, he suspected it would prove interesting drinking. He wondered too whether this interruption had been planned. For the first time, he noticed something odd about the servant’s eyes. They reflected the light like a dog’s. Was it possible he was not entirely human, was perhaps some sort of homunculus?
“I am afraid I have little understanding of sorcery, milady.” He said just to see what the response would be.
“That is to be expected given your family heritage.” The wine was poured in goblets of crystal. It made his tongue tingle and almost immediately he started to relax. “The Harkes are more famous for their knowledge of dragons than of magic.”
“Alas, these are not the best of days for dragons either.”
“This is not the best of worlds for dragons. Like ourselves, dragons are intrinsically magical creatures. That is why they are dying off, or returning to wyrmhood.”
“Returning to wyrmhood, madam? I thought they were degenerating into it.” He wondered if she was being subtly insulting, knowing that he was of the youngest generation of Terrarchs and must have often heard disparaging comparisons between his contemporaries and their elders.
“Adaana raised dragons up from wyrms. The lesser breed came first.”
“That is not what most of the lore-books say.”
“That is what Adaana told me.”
Sardec cursed. Of course, she was of the First. She was a famous sorceress even among them. It was perfectly possible she had spoken with the Dragon Angel in person.
“That is an unanswerable argument, my Lady, although it is not one that is common knowledge.”
“A great deal of the truth gets suppressed these days — for political purposes.” Now we come to the meat of it, he thought. He understood what was going on here now. He was being tested to see where his political sympathies lay. He took another sip of the wine and decided to enjoy the process as much as possible. “A great deal of the truth has been suppressed since we came to this world.”
“I feel sure you are going to provide me with more examples.”
“I am not sure you will like the one that most instantly springs to mind.”
“Perhaps I might be the judge of that.”
“Very well. Dragons, those proud symbols of the Terrarch race, are not the only things she raised up. She raised up our people as well.”
“This is hardly news, Lady. The Books tell us that.”
“They do not say what she raised us up from.”
“Why, our ancestral race, of course.”
“And what would that be?” she prompted.
“The Al.”
“And what exactly were the Al?”
“I am starting to feel like I did at my first catechism, Lady, but in honour of your beauty and your status among the First I will answer you. They were people very much like us, but lacking the gift of immortality the Dragon Angel gave us.”
“What if I told you they were people very much like those soldiers out there?”
He laughed outright, the idea was so fantastic. “You might as well claim we are descended from apes.”
She smiled back, amused by his response, and then spoke swiftly. “I could claim that too.”
“You could, Lady, but you won’t. You are far too well-bred and sensible.”
“It is an interesting experience being patronised by one so young.”
“I do not mean to patronise you, Lady. I merely assumed…”
“You merely assume that my thoughts move down the same conventional grooves as everyone else’s.”
“That is not the way I would have chosen to put the idea. You are famously Scarlet. I don’t think I would ever accuse you of being conventional.”
“Thank you.” There was silence for a moment, and Sardec wondered again how closely this interview was going according to her plan. He decided to take the initiative.
“If what you say is true, why did Adaana not tell anybody else? Why were her words not more widely reported?”
“They were, once. We have chosen to forget them. They do not suit our image of ourselves, or the image we chose to present to our so-called inferiors. We have told lies so long that many of us have come to believe them.”
Sardec cocked his head to one side, and studied her. As far as he could tell, she was serious, but he realised he was in no great position to judge. All of the First were consummate actors when it suited them.
“You sound almost like a revolutionist, Lady Asea. I had not thought the Scarlet faction had descended to quite that level.”
“Perhaps I sound like a revolutionist to you. To myself, I sound like someone concerned with the truth.” He ignored the implied insult.
“I am sure you did not invite me here to bait me, my Lady. I am sure you have mentioned all this for a purpose.”
“You were asked to watch me, were you not?”
“I am not sure what you mean.”
“Surely my words were clear enough. Would you like me to explain them further?”
“If you wish…”
“You were told to watch me by Colonel Xeno. There is no need to deny it. I know him well enough to know how he thinks. The Greens have the ear of the Queen now. He and his type would have matters stay that way.”
That was probably perfectly true, Sardec thought.
