Captives

'No wonder they're angry! That was wrong, Jason. How old is Portia? Has she become senile?'

//It may be. But she is crafty, and she has power. The Council cannot depose her-a majority of their membership agree that the government should be left unaware of matters dealing only with Readers. They are actually threatening to retest and demote Masters who have been Council Members for years! I talked privately with Master Clement, Lenardo's teacher. He says the Council is trying to prevent a split that might give the government an excuse to disband it-that is why those who disagree with Portia are not joining together against her. The worst thing that could happen now would be public knowledge that the Council of Masters are fighting among themselves.//

'I understand, Magister Jason. Still, I must get home, and how can I do that without your help? There are people out on the beach, helping the survivors-'

He grasped a fold of her tunic as she got to her knees. //No, Melissa. Listen to me. The savages have gotten three Readers into their hands in the past three years. All three have been Read working for the savages. Lenardo, I'm told, even styles himself a savage lord. No Reader has escaped from them, and none have died, it seems-at least not resisting the savages. What do these facts suggest?//

Melissa sank back to her knees beside Jason. 'You think… the Adepts have ways to force the Readers to work with them?'

//They have learned how to twist the minds even of Master Readers. The savages feared Readers only until the Adepts learned to control them. If they can turn a Master Reader against his homeland, to help destroy it with earthquakes, what hope is there for you or me? I do not want them perverting my mind, or yours. Wait till everyone is gone, Melissa, and then use your best Reading skills to get.away, to go home. I do not know what you will be going home to, with our fleet returning in defeat, but we must fight these savages as long as we can. If only the Readers were not turning on one another-//

His thought trailed off in a wave of pain, but he brought it under control. //Melissa, when you return the Council will probably marry you off. I deeply regret your futile attempt to save my life-but you will be unable to hide this incident under Oath of Truth.//

'In an emergency-'

//At any other time, of course. But now, returning from the savage lands, you will be suspect, and they will seek to render you harmless. I wish… you and I-//

She ached with grief. If only they could both go home, perhaps they could always be together-but for the Council to give her to someone else-'Why? If I do manage to get home, it's proof that the savages couldn't hold me.'

//Proof of your strength. They will want to dilute your strength… but-// Another wash of pain obscured his thoughts. He was growing weaker. Melissa could Read the numbing cold coming over him.

'Jason,' she whispered, 'leave your body. Don't suffer such pain.'

//Not… until I have told you. Alethia is right.//

'Right? Right about what?'

//Right to be happy in marriage. It doesn't… really weaken… abilities.//

'…what?'

//Treating patients with sickness of the mind. It's possible to make them… believe things we want them to… so they can live normally. Only healers, under supervision, ever do it-only if there's no other way. The Council- Portia-they-//

Jason was approaching unconsciousness; Melissa could Read his mind clouding, although he fought it valiantly. He seemed to be confusing the Council with the savages. 'Rest, Jason. Save your strength.' She cradled his head in her lap, trying to lend him strength, refusing to let herself cry. He was still alive. There had to be something she could do-

//Melissa!// His hand fumbled for her, and she took it, squeezing the cold fingers, trying to will warmth into him. //It's a lie, Melissa. Marriage doesn't… only if you think it-Don't let them make you think it will impair your powers. You are a healer. You are worthy to be a Magister Reader. Don't believe-// He ran out of the frail strength he had rallied.

'Jason?'

There was no response. His mind was beyond her Reading. She gathered his body into her arms and sat through the night as the life slowly left it-long after Jason had left her, forever.

Chapter Four

Torio sat at the long table in the great hall of Wulfston's castle, hot cereal turning cold before him. Wulfston sat to his left, cereal bowl long empty, consuming eggs and meat with thick slices of fresh hearty bread. They had spent a long night directing rescue efforts and then healing the injured. Wulfston was no more tired than Torio this morning, though a good deal hungrier.

The castle dungeons were full of Aventine prisoners, being served a good meal and bedded down with warm blankets. They would not be harmed, Torio knew; the nonReaders were not what disturbed him.

It was the first moment he had had to think since the storm, intended as a show of power to frighten off the approaching fleet, had broken up three vessels, drowning eleven people-six of them Readers.

Wulfston finally noticed Torio's silence and lack of appetite. 'Eat your cereal,' he said. 'I don't want to have to heal you, too, Torio.'

'I'm not sick-just disgusted.'

'Disgusted? You'll have to explain your feelings-I can't Read you.'

That's a good thing, Torio thought, for he found himself taking a new view of this Adept he had come to trust. 'It's happened twice now, Wulfston. Twice our attempts to prevent disaster have created it instead.'

'I felt as bad about the earthquake as you did,' said Wulfston. 'We initiated it-and even though our intentions were good we must take responsibility for the consequences. This time, though, we were attacked. What do you think we should have done-let them land and kill us all?'

'You said you'd just blow them off course!'

'That's all we did. Torio, you cannot hold me responsible for some of the dilapidated ships the Aventines sent! Moreover, we were dealing with the forces of nature-and no matter how much we may know about it, loosing such forces is always dangerous.'

'Then perhaps we should never loose them. Readers died at Gaeta, and Readers died last night. And it's my fault!'

There was a long pause. Wulfston pushed his chair back so he could turn and study Torio. 'Are the deaths of Readers more important than the deaths of other people?'

'No, of course not,' Torio said frustratedly. How could he explain to a nonReader? 'I may be able to shut out a nonReader's pain or fear, but rarely a Reader's. But that's not the important thing. My Oath binds me to all Readers. To turn against another Reader is as if… as if you turned against your sister.'

'I have no trouble understanding that,' Wulfston said patiently. 'What I do not understand is why you feel you turned against those Readers. You were trying to help them-if they had cooperated we could probably have saved them and the five nonReaders who drowned. They turned against you.'

'Why would they trust a renegade?' Torio got up. 'I'm sorry, Wulfston. I know you see everything from a different perspective. I'm going out for some fresh air before I try to sleep. I'll make a final check to Read if we missed anybody.'

Wulfston let him go, saying only, 'Don't hesitate to send for me if you need me.'

It was dawn, but the castle was settling down to rest after last night's activities. 'Good morning, my lord.' people said as Torio passed, and he tried to hide the fact that each such greeting felt more like a blow.

The stable boy jumped to saddle a fresh horse for the young Lord Reader, and soon Torio was cantering along the road to the harbor, his cloak thrown back as the morning sun warmed his chill away.

The fishing boats were late starting out today, as they had been used in last night's rescue effort. Torio Read them leaving' the harbor as he topped the hill and stopped, concentrating on the scene below. He had Read all around the area hours before, and found no stragglers within his range. It was not likely that any more survivors could have reached shore. To his relief, he Read no more bodies washed ashore, something he had feared he