“The Viper Lord has risen,” she answered, “as have his many servants. The legend seems true, after all. Failee’s genius for reaching out from the dead to influence the here and now continues to know no bounds.”
Gracchus’ heart leaped in his chest. “How did the Viper Lord come into the world?” he asked. “Did it happen as we always suspected?”
The Oraculum nodded. “A few drops of left-leaning endowed blood were inadvertently released into a spring in Hartwick Wood, thereby enacting the spell,” she explained. “As we know, during the Sorceresses’ War, Failee had hoped to end the war there. But the Directorate did not take the bait and chose to fight elsewhere. Even so, what little blood was spilled was enough. Since your rebellion against Shashida, whenever an important use of the craft occurred on the other side, I have witnessed it. Like you, I command the gift of Consummate Recollection, and I can easily recall the day that Failee enchanted the waters.”
Gracchus’s mind started racing. He had long known that the Viper Lord might rise, and he welcomed the coming of Failee’s long-lost creation. But the discovery of subtle matter by the Conclave and the idea that Tristan might try to cross the Azure Sea posed new threats of dire proportions-especially now, when he and thePon Q’tar were so close to realizing their dreams.
But if the Viper Lord could intervene and keep theJin’Sai from crossing the sea, perhaps the campaign to take the Shashidan gold mines and the rest of his secret plan could still be salvaged. In any event, he would inform Vespasian only of the Viper Lord and not of the Conclave’s discovery of subtle matter, for if Vespasian learned of the latter, he might choose to postpone the new campaign. Gracchus looked back at the Oraculum as she hovered in her beautiful prison.
“Where is the Viper Lord now?” he asked.
“I can only tell you that I saw him and his servants flee Hartwick Wood,” she answered. “They travel northeast, presumably searching for more populated venues. Without direction from a higher Vagaries power, the Viper Lord is doubtless searching for his former mistress, and committing his preordained mayhem as he goes. When he does not find her, he will assume her to be dead. In her name he will continue to blindly seek revenge against all of Eutracia. With each victory his servants are systematically removing certain organs from endowed corpses. As you know, revenge was one of the First Mistress’s greatest motives. If she could not win, she ensured that those who had bested her would continue to suffer her wrath. Unlike the failed Swamp Shrews of Parthalon, the Viper Lord might finally succeed in carrying out her vengeance.” The Oraculum paused for a moment as the azure mist swirled about her.
“When theJin’Sai learns of the Viper Lord, he will face a difficult choice,” she continued. “Will he lead his Minions against this new threat, or will he take up the larger challenge and try to cross the sea? If theJin’Sai succeeds in reaching Shashida, the Orbs cannot follow him. I will no longer be able to monitor theJin’Sai, or any other Vigors mystics he might bring with him. If he reaches this side of the world, the only way to find him is by seeking out his all-powerful blood. Given Shashida’s immense size, doing so seems highly unlikely-even for you and your fabledPon Q’tar. ”
Gracchus turned away from the Oraculum and he started angrily pacing the room. He needed time to think and he didn’t want to endure the Oraculum’s self-satisfied gaze. His thoughts soon turned to the recent past.
Although Failee never possessed the convoluted forestallment that allowed her direct communion with the Heretics or with thePon Q’tar, by way of the Oraculum the Vagaries masters had monitored the First Mistress’s valiant struggles with great hope. But now it seemed that she had perfected one aspect of the formula, allowing Gracchus to touch the Viper Lord’s mind. That was at least one stroke of luck that he would soon make use of. Even without thePon Q’tar ’s help, Failee had nearly defeated the wizards and destroyed the Vigors east of the Tolenkas. She was indeed brilliant, Gracchus thought. Given enough time and training, she might even have risen to join the ranks of the Pon Q’tar.
Had Failee won the Sorceresses’ War, the Vagaries east of the Tolenkas would have finally been victorious. But it was not to be, for the Directorate prevailed. Despite Failee’s well-planned attack on Eutracia three hundred years later and her brilliant plan to kidnap Shailiha and turn her into her fifth sorceress, Tristan had killed her and the entire Coven. Worse, for the first time a reigningJin’Sai was threateningthis side of the world, and had at his disposal knowledge and weapons more potent than anyJin’Sai before him. That bastard seems to have nine lives, Gracchus fumed.
The lead cleric knew that this news was a potential disaster in the making. But the unexpected coming of the Viper Lord might help counter that. The Oraculum was right-Tristan would soon face a difficult choice. Gracchus found himself hoping that theJin’Sai would live up to his impetuous reputation and battle the Viper Lord first. That might temporarily keep him from finding a way to cross the Azure Sea and interfering with thePon Q’tar ’s scheme. Even better, the Viper Lord might well kill him.
Another thought crossed Gracchus’ mind. He stared at the Oraculum.
“Can you reproduce the map that the Ones supplied to the Conclave?” he asked.
The Oraculum nodded. “But what good will that do you?” she asked. “It won’t stop theJin’Sai from crossing the Azure Sea.”
Fueled by the bad news and his growing frustration, Gracchus’ anger toward the Oraculum finally burst open. “Just do it, bitch!” he shouted. “I have my reasons!”
“Very well,” the Oraculum said. As she continued to hang weightless in the glowing cube, she raised her arms and closed her eyes.
An exact replica of the map given to the Conclave began to form beside her. As it materialized, it hung weightless in the azure mist. Gracchus soon saw that the sage-colored diagram was indeed a detailed representation of the lands west of the Tolenkas. Parts of western Eutracia were also shown. As the Oraculum had guessed, certain areas of the map were out of date. The Oraculum was right about something else, too, he realized. If the Conclave somehow crossed the Azure Sea, even this flawed portrayal would prove invaluable to them.
He then looked for the Caves. A series of coordinates lay just below the oval mark. After committing the entire map to memory, Gracchus nodded, and the Oraculum caused the map to vanish.
“Do you believe that theJin’Sai will try to cross the sea?” he asked.
“I do not know,” she answered. “I see only what the orb sees-and only when an important act of the craft occurs. I cannot predict the future for you, Gracchus. I can only tell you what has already happened on the other side of the world. That is how it has been since the day you imprisoned me in this glowing cage.”
The Oraculum smiled again. “Will you inform the Blood Royal of these recent developments?” she asked.
“That’s none of your affair!” the lead cleric exploded. “I am done with you for now! When you have something else of importance to tell me, you are to reach out and touch my mind immediately!”
Gracchus raised his arms and called the craft, causing the glowing azure cube to retreat. As it went, its transparent roof and sides melded into the rear wall. Soon all that remained of the cube was its glowing face lying flush against the far alabaster wall. The Oraculum gradually retreated into the mist, then faded from view altogether.
Gracchus anxiously rubbed his brow, thinking. Not since Rustannica broke away from Shashida had so much been at stake. The next few months would forever determine the future of the world. There was much for him to do and too little time in which to do it.
Gracchus called the craft and commanded the great doors behind him to part. As they scratched their way open he walked swiftly from the chamber. When the doors closed, the torches in the chamber went out, leaving only the strange azure glow and the whirling white shards to pierce the gloom.
Faced once more with her overpowering loneliness, deep within the azure cloud the Oraculum sadly hung her head. As the heart-rending guilt washed over her for having told the monstrousPon Q’tar cleric so much, she wept.
CHAPTER XI
TYRANNY, SWORD IN HAND, CAST HER GAZE ALONG THE rocky shore. The morning sun had finally risen in earnest. As the remaining fog burned away, the scene before her only worsened. Taking a deep breath, she lowered the tip of her sword.
