with me.”
Immediately there was protest.
“You don’t have any right to ask that of us,” said a man named Isaac. “Even if we could be sure you knew what you were doing, that would be too much.”
Teray said nothing, just looked at the man.
“We hardly know you, and you’re asking us to trust you with our lives.”
“Your lives will be safe with me.”
“You say. Even Coransee never asked this of us.”
“I’m not asking it either.”
Isaac glared at him for a moment, then glanced out to where the ashes of Coransee were buried. Finally he lowered his head.
“Lord.” It was Goran who spoke. There was no hostility in his voice. “Lord, we are all far apart in the Pattern. Are you certain that anyone other than Rayal can bring us all together?”
“I can.” He was surprised to realize that he actually was as confident as he sounded. He had never gathered such a widespread group before, yet he had no doubt that he could do it, or that he should do it. “Open to me,” he said. “It will be easier on you if…”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Rain. Teray had expected to have trouble with her. “You think you can do what he could because you’re his brother? You think you’re as good as he was?” She was standing up now, and shouting. Teray spoke to her quietly.
“Sit down, Rain, and be quiet.”
“You’re nothing compared to him, and you never will…”
She was much stronger than Jackman, but
getting through her shield was not too difficult. Very carefully, he pushed her into unconsciousness?that to prevent her from wasting her strength fighting him. He formed a link with her. The unity was not pleasant even while she was unconscious, but he would get used to it.
“I understand her problem,” he told the others. “I realize that some of the rest of you feel the same way. That’s why I’ve been patient. But now I’m through being patient. Those of you who refuse to open, I will force?not necessarily as gently as I forced Rain. Goran?” He had chosen Goran because he knew the young outsider would not refuse.
Goran opened. Beside him, taking her cue from him, Lias also opened. That got things started. It was not necessary for Teray to force anyone else.
Within seconds, he controlled the combined strength of ten Patternists. He had linked, then taken from all ten at once. The exhilaration he felt was something totally new to him. The canopy of his awareness first seemed almost as broad as the sky itself.
Feeling like some huge bird, he projected his awareness over the territory. He could se.e, could sense, the lightly wooded land dotted with ruined buildings. He could see the distant ranges of hills, was aware of the even- more-distant mountains. The mountains were far beyond his striking range. In fact, they were near Forsyth, still over a day’s journey away, but he could see them. He swooped about, letting his extended awareness
range free through the hills and valleys. Then, finally, he settled down, and focused his awareness on the Clayarks who formed a wide half-circle around his party. He swept down on them, killing.
Before, with Amber, he had killed dozens of Clayarks. Now he killed hundreds, perhaps thousands. He killed until he could find no more Clayarks over all his wide range. He even checked the system of underground tunnels. When he was finished, he was certain that there were no more Clayarks anywhere near enough to affect him or his party.
Then suddenly Rayal was with him.
You ‘ve done well, young one. Very well But be careful when you let your people go. Release only their strength. Keep your links with them.
What am I being careful of? he asked coldly. You or my people? He would never forgive the old man for refusing him help when he needed it so desperately. Rayal picked up his thought.
I don’t care whether or not you forgive me, young one. But keep in mind what you told Coransee’s people a few minutes ago. I suspect I’m even less patient than you are.
Teray took the hint. What do you want of me?
Let the woman know that you’ll be unconscious for a while once you let go of your people’s strength. Tell her not to try to help you?just to keep your people off you. She did it once. She’ll
have to do it again. It’s a good thing you hadn’t taken from her too.
He had not taken strength from Amber because she had obviously been tired. She had done her share for the day, he had thought. Now, obediently, he relayed Rayal’s thought to her. Rayal continued before she could reply.
Now let them go. All at once, the way you took them. If you try it one at a time, you might kill the last ones by giving back too much to the first one.
Teray obeyed, let the strength of the ten Patternists snap away from him like a released spring.
The breath seemed to go out of his body. There seemed to be nothing left of him. He sagged, the strength of his muscles gone. The strength of his mind kept him alive, but it did nothing more. He could still understand Rayal’s mental voice speaking inside him, but it would be a while before he could respond.
Its never easy, sent the old man. But the first time is always the worst. Ten or ten thousand, it doesn’t make any difference if they aren’t compatible with you. You pay for the power you take from them. You pay whether you take it through a few temporary links or through the Pattern itself.
Can you tell whether the others are all right? Teray could not project the thought. He had no strength for that. But he hoped Rayal would pick it up.
