The Broken Sphere

hair, which shone in the sun like burnished copper. Her white teeth flashed in a smile he hadn't seen since he and Aelfred had set down on the Rock of Bral. Even after all this time, however, all his recollections of this woman-her laugh, her sudden enthusiasm, even the way her hair swung around her neck-were as fresh as if they'd been formed just the day before.

A torrent of conflicting emotions flooded through him: surprise, doubt, excitement, fear, paranoia… but, most of all, a piercing, bittersweet emotion that he tried to suppress before he had to admit its nature.

'I hear you're hiring a crew,' the woman said. 'Are there any berths still open?'

Schooling his expression to neutrality, he replied, 'Let's talk. Come back to the ship with me, Julia.'

*****

The large compartment in the 'head' of the squid ship was officially the captain's cabin; so Djan had told him. It was so large, however, with two big, circular ports that made up the vessel's 'eyes', that Teldin had felt uncomfortable keeping it for his sole use. Against his first mate's suggestions, he'd had the crew move a table in there as well as his personal effects, so it could double as an officers' meeting room. When the arrangements were made, the resemblance to the saloon aboard the Probe was enough to make him smile.

Right now, however, Teldin Moore wasn't smiling. He and Djan sat at one end of the table. Julia-who'd doffed her gray cloak to reveal a green jerkin that perfectly set off the copper of her hair-sat at the other. Behind her and to one side sat the big man, who Julia referred to as Beth-Abz. He was handsome. Broad of shoulders and square of jaw, with thick black, curly hair down to his shoulders, he looked like the very quintessence of the heroic warrior. So far he hadn't said a word aboard the ship and seemed satisfied just to watch everything with calm interest. Every now and again, Teldin shot him a curious look. The strange image of a tooth-filled mouth hadn't recurred, and the Cloakmaster could determine no reason for it to have happened in the first place. He set that train of thought aside and returned his attention to Julia.

The attractive woman shifted in her seat uncomfortably. 'I know,' she said tiredly, 'I know what it looks like, but I didn't follow you here.' She opened her hands, palms up. 'I didn't even know you were here, Teldin. I heard yesterday at the White Elf tavern that 'Aldyn Brewer' was hiring a crew. Honestly, I'm as surprised as you are.'

'You talked to people at other places as well,' he said sharply, 'not just the White Elf.'

'Of course.' Her tone was almost impatient. 'I wanted to find out as much about what you were up to as possible. I had to…' She paused, looking away uncomfortably. 'I had decisions to make.'

Teldin was silent for a moment. He wanted to believe her. They'd been friends and comrades aboard the Probe. After the death of the treacherous Rianna Wyvernsbane, there'd been the strong hint they could become considerably more. But then Julia had left the Probe's crew and signed on with another vessel setting sail from the Rock of Bral.

He could understand why; even though she'd never said it straight out, she'd hinted at it often enough. Teldin Moore would never be free to follow his own path, she feared. Even if he didn't subsume his own desires and ambitions to the 'enforced destiny' that the cloak seemed to carry with it, the fact that enemies would always be pursuing him implied that he'd always be reacting, not acting. It was a very limited existence; she'd said that often enough. It was also an existence-and this she'd never actually said-that held little space in it for Julia. Unwilling or unable to put herself through what a relationship with Teldin would involve, she'd gone off alone-leaving behind a note reading, 'It's better this way,' and a lock of copper hair nestled in the fold of the parchment. She'd also left behind a lot of memories, of course.

He wanted to believe her, yet there was still the fact of the six 'alley bashers' who'd assaulted him. He was still convinced they'd got their information from someone who knew all too much about Teldin Moore, and here was someone from his past who definitely fit that description. 'How did you come to Crescent, Julia?' he asked quietly.

Her hopeful half smile faded. She shrugged. 'I signed on with a merchantman setting sail from the Rock to the world of Nivil,' she explained, 'a safe billet but a dull one. Remember, at the time I didn't really care where I was headed. I just needed to keep myself busy.' She shot him a quick glance from under her copper bangs.

'When we set down on Nivil,' she continued, 'I was offered a commission as second mate, but I knew I'd die of boredom if I took it. So I signed on with a small 'package trader' who was bound for Radole.'

Teldin jerked upright in his chair. 'Radole?'

Julia sighed. 'I know, I know, you visited Radole, too. I know what it sounds like, but I didn't know you were there, Teldin,' she went on earnestly. 'You'd already left when I arrived.'

'But you knew I'd been there,' Teldin pointed out sharply.

'Of course I did,' Julia admitted sadly. 'Everyone did. Just about every rumor I heard on the docks was about the human 'admiral' sailing on an Imperial Fleet vessel… and one that got itself badly chewed up, at that. Not many people knew your name, but they knew enough about the 'admiral' for me to make a good guess as to who it was.

'But I didn't know where you were headed next,' she concluded firmly. 'Nobody did. You covered your tracks well.'

'You're here.' Teldin's voice was almost a whisper.

For the first time, Julia's eyes flashed with anger. 'I know, damn the gods' eyes,' she snapped. 'I was planning to stay on Radole for a while, but you screwed that up, even though you weren't there anymore. I had to get busy again. I couldn't give myself time to think that maybe I'd made a wrong decision.' She glared at him. 'Do you know what I'm saying?'

For a moment Teldin was silent, then, 'Yes,' he said, nodding, 'I know. But, how…'

'How come I'm here?' Julia shrugged again. 'There was another merchantman setting sail the next day for Crescent. No other vessel I'd ever consider crewing on was leaving for a week, so I didn't have much choice. I came to Crescent.'

Teldin snorted. 'So I'm supposed to accept it's just coincidence that you're here? And that you were asking around about me?'

'Coincidence?' Julia bared her teeth in an expression that was more snarl than smile. 'I don't think the word has any meaning around you, Teldin Moore,' she stated. 'I think you make coincidences, because of what's happened to you, and what and who you are. I'm sorry if I'm saying things that you don't want spoken aloud'-she looked meaningfully at Djan-'but I've got to say them. I can't not say them any longer.

'I think you warp the laws of probability, Teldin,' she went on, warming to her theme. 'You and… what it is that makes you who you are. Think back on all the 'coincidences'-happy and sad-that have happened to you and around you. Do you honestly believe they were caused by pure luck? You'd have to be stupid… and you're not stupid.

'The universe is huge, Teldin Moore, more vast than any of us can imagine. Yet you've kept 'coincidentally' meeting people who've channeled your destiny in new ways, focused them toward a goal. How probable is that, going on chance alone? I know it sounds ridiculous-even I don't believe it all the time-but your destiny might be so strong that it overwhelms the normal laws of chance.'

She paused, and Teldin watched as she controlled herself. 'So, Teldin,' she concluded, 'in answer to your question: Yes, it's just purest coincidence that I'm here… for whatever little that word may be worth.' With that she sat back in her chair and firmly crossed her arms before her chest.

Teldin was silent for three dozen heartbeats. He didn't know what to make of the woman's statements. Certainly, random events seemed to have conspired to force him along the course he now followed, events that almost seemed tailor-made to guarantee he'd act in a certain way.

But, in some sense, wasn't that a meaning of the word 'coincidence'? Several random events coming together to produce a certain result? Had one of those random events occurred differently, he'd probably have been channeled onto a totally different course. At the end of that course, however, he'd have looked back and remarked on how 'predetermined' his path had been….

For an instant, he wished Estriss were present. He'd know how to deal with this strange philosophy, Teldin told himself… or at least he'd enjoy discussing it, and probably at ridiculous length.

The Cloakmaster suppressed his smile and turned to his first mate. 'Djan?'