The Broken Sphere

reason to go charging down to the planet's surface right away. Everything would come in its own good time.

Anyway, it simply wouldn't be safe to move yet. Djan, Lucinus, and Julia were up on the foredeck now, using astrolabes, sextants, and other instruments to track the movements of the mini-suns, analyze their orbits, and figure out how to project their future positions. The burning spheres moved fast, faster than a spelljammer at tactical speed. Until the experts worked out their paths and found a 'window,' any attempt to land would be a crazy risk. An impact from a mini-sun would smash the squid ship into burning splinters, while even a near hit might set the vessel on fire.

The view from up here was so beautiful; Teldin was in no hurry to give up this perfect vantage point. As he watched, a spot on the upper left limb of the planet seemed to glow yellow, then red. Then another mini-sun soared clear, looking for all the world like a flaming spelljammer climbing from the land into space.

He forced his eyes away from the vista as Djan clambered up the ladder to the afterdeck. Teldin could see the anticipation in the half-elf s face. 'Have you found your window?' he asked.

'We've found it,' the first mate confirmed, it's narrow, but safe enough. It'll take us down about there'-he pointed to the lower right quadrant of the planet-'on that large continent. If that's what you want, of course, Captain,' he corrected. 'Once we're past the mini-suns, we can cruise anywhere you want to go.'

'One place is as good as another.' Teldin shrugged.

'Do you want to take the window?'

'Let's do it,' the Cloakmaster confirmed.

*****

The afterdeck was crowded as the Boundless began its descent. Lucinus and Julia continued to take bearings on the speeding mini-suns, every few seconds wiping streaming eyes. Djan had a sextant, too, and used it occasionally; however, most of his attention was taken up with relaying course corrections to Blossom on the helm. Teldin considered clearing the deck to give them more room. But they seemed to be managing fine, and the afterdeck was his favorite vantage point.

'Steady as she goes,' Djan instructed down the speaking tube.

Nex was swelling steadily below them now, as they descended to the altitude at which the mini-suns orbited. He could see now how frighteningly fast the fiery bodies actually moved, and how large they were. When Lucinus had told him they were 'only' a league in diameter, he'd been thinking in planetary terms. Now he realized that the smallest had a diameter more than two hundred times the length of the squid ship. If Julia and the navigator made a mistake with their bearings, the chances of anyone surviving were zero.

But Teldin had little fear that they would make a mistake. They'd taken enough time analyzing the mini-suns' orbits, and even now they were cross-checking each other's results to eliminate any chance of error. The 'window' was still open, and would remain so for almost a dozen more minutes-plenty long enough to get the Boundless to a safe altitude.

He craned his neck to look all around. The mini-suns orbited at different altitudes-which was why they never collided, he guessed-spread out over a range of more than a hundred leagues. The squid ship was already in the midst of that 'danger band,' closer to the planet than some of the fire bodies, but higher than others. For the next couple of minutes, they'd theoretically still be at risk.

'Steady as she goes,' Djan said again. Then he asked the observers, 'Everything still on track?'

'Still on track,' Julia confirmed.

Then, suddenly, 'No!' She pointed up and back, over the ship's stern. 'Port astern, high. One's off track!'

Teldin felt tension grip his chest. His fingernails bit into his palms as he clenched his fists. He looked back, following the direction of Julia's arm.

He could immediately see the mini-sun she meant, about fifteen degrees above the stern rail and an equal angle to port of the squid ship's track. It was still a good distance away, not a direct threat to the ship… yet.

'Observation error?' Djan queried. 'Check it again.'

The two observers raised their instruments, confirming the bearing of the speeding object. 'It's off projected course,' Julia answered after a few moments. 'Ten degrees off.' Then, a couple of heartbeats later, 'No, more. Fifteen degrees and increasing.'

'What in Paladine's name is happening?' the Cloakmaster demanded. He felt suddenly, sickeningly powerless. For an instant he felt an almost uncontrollable urge to use the ultimate helm, to speed the Boundless on its way. But he couldn't, he recognized at once. His crew had computed this 'window' based on a certain ship speed. If he changed that speed, or the ship's course, he ran a very real risk of driving the vessel into the path of another mini-sun.

'Mini-sun increasing speed!' For the first time ever, he heard real panic in Julia's voice. 'Twenty-five degrees off projected course, deviation increasing!'

In a hushed voice, Lucinus echoed the realization that had, an instant before, struck Teldin. 'It's coming after us!'

'Helm,' Djan yelled down the speaking tube, 'full speed! Now!'

'What about the atmosphere?' Lucinus cried. 'If we hit the atmosphere at full speed…'

'By the mind of Marrak!' Djan snarled. 'If we don't get out of the way now, we'll never get that far.'

Teldin felt the motion of the Boundless change as Blossom poured on the power. He could see the mini-sun changing course, curving from its previous trajectory to follow the speeding ship down.

How's this possible? The question hammered in Teldin's brain.

Nex, part of his mind answered. Nex-violent death. Now you know why it has that name….

'It's gaining!' Lucinus called.

'More speed!' Djan barked down the speaking tube. 'Give it everything you've got!'

The deck vibrated under Teldin's feet as Blossom pushed the helm-and herself-to the limit. His ears were filled with the thrum of the rigging's vibrations.

'Still gaining!' Lucinus's voice was a wail that easily carried over the background din.

Teldin could see that he was right. The mini-sun was dead astern now, swelling ominously with every passing moment. He could feel heat like midsummer sun on his face. From the ship's movement he knew Blossom had reached the maximum speed she could manage, and still the mini-sun closed the gap. The heat falling on Teldin's skin continued to increase.

Before he even knew he'd made the decision, he felt the cloak flare with power and felt his awareness expand to include the entire squid ship. He could feel the mini-sun's burning heat on the ship's stern, the strain the speed was putting on the rigging.

'Get Blossom off the helm.' His voice sounded calm, emotionless, in his own ears. Djan relayed the order.

As the woman released her control over the major helm, the Cloakmaster felt his command of the vessel become total. He almost lost his footing as the squid ship leaped forward, doubling, then tripling its speed in only a few seconds.

But, in his wraparound view, he could see the mini-sun still closing. He saw, as well as felt, the paint on the stern flukes and spanker sails start to bubble with the heat. He gritted his teeth and drove the full force of his will into the cloak. Still the Boundless accelerated.

'Still pursuing!' Julia called out; Teldin could clearly see the burning sphere on their tail.

But it's not closing! he told himself exultantly. The gap between mini-sun and squid ship was remaining constant. No, it was starting to open up again. The heat on the stern was diminishing. I'm pulling away!

'Still pursuing!' Julia repeated. Then, 'No!' she shouted. 'It's changing course again.'

Teldin was tempted to slow the ship down-the planet below was looming up awfully quickly-but he kept the power on. It could be a trick, he told himself. If a gods-damned burning rock can give chase, it might have more tricks in its repertoire.

But then even he, without the benefit of a sextant or astrolabe, could see that the mini-sun had broken off the pursuit and was climbing again, back toward its normal orbit.