Voice of the Gods

furious.

The shouting stopped, then two figures emerged from the darkness. Mikmer and Barmonia were arguing.

“... miss him in the darkness. When the sun rises we can track him,” Mikmer said.

“He’ll hide his tracks once he knows we’re hot on his tail. I’m going after that slut-raised, traitorous...”

Barmonia froze as he noticed Emerahl, then closed his mouth. She tried not to show her amusement at this.

“What happened?” Yathyir asked in a small, frightened voice.

Barmonia scowled. “Ray smashed the scroll. The domestics say he took an arem and left.”

“When?”

“Not long ago.”

Only minutes ago, Emerahl realized. Ray must have decided to do this while The Twins and I were discussing the Scroll. If he’d planned it before now, they would have known.

“Was he carrying anything?” Kereon asked.

“A pack and a large bag,” Mikmer replied. He frowned as Barmonia hurried into his tent. “Why?”

A roar came from the leader’s tent. Barmonia emerged, his face dark with anger. “He took the treasure.”

A cold chill ran over Emerahl’s skin. If I’m right, and the secrets are on a diamond somewhere in the treasure...

It did not surprise her that Ray had stolen the treasure. He’d need money, since his membership as a Thinker would end once the news got about that he’d betrayed them. What didn’t make sense was that he had smashed the Scroll. He was supposed to steal it.

Had he worked out that the secret was in the treasure?

The Scroll wasn’t going anywhere. If the Thinkers could restore it, they would. She didn’t need to wait around for them to do it.

What matters is retrieving the treasure.

“We can’t wait until morning,” Barmonia growled.

“We should split up, take a few domestics each, and go in different directions,” Kereon advised.

Mikmer sighed, then nodded. “I’ll go north. Someone should stay here and guard what’s left of the Scroll.”

Barmonia looked thoughtful. “No point in sending Yathyir. I had better stay.” He looked at Kereon and Mikmer. “Bring him back here. I’ll deal with him.”

The two men nodded, then hurried away. Emerahl heard them barking orders at the domestics.

“I could go too,” she offered.

Barmonia gave her a hard, suspicious stare.

“No. He could be dangerous.”

She smiled faintly. “I doubt it.”

“No. I need you here.”

“I’ve translated the Scroll,” she argued. “What else is there for me to do?”

“Stay where I can see you,” he snapped. “To be honest, I don’t trust you.”

She shrugged. “Fair enough. I’ll go back to bed, then.”

“Stay by the fire,” he ordered.

She hesitated, tempted to just leave. He couldn’t stop her. But there might still be something significant about the Scroll. She might need to remain on good terms with him.

Out of the darkness came a domestic. He reported that a light had been seen moving down the road to the lowlands.

A light, eh? I don’t think Ray would be so foolish as to use a lamp when there’ll be plenty of light when the moon rises. More likely he tied a lamp to an arem, pointed it in the direction of the lowlands and gave it a good slap. He’ll have gone in the other direction, toward Glymma and his reward.

A little mind-skimming would confirm it.

She gave a mock sigh of exasperation and walked to the nearly burned-out fire, where she lay down on one of the mats and covered herself with her blanket.

Yathyir and Barmonia returned to their tents. She heard Barmonia muttering about the Scroll and whether he could salvage it. Soon he would be too distracted to see her slip away.

Then she would collect her pack and an arem to ride and she would set off after the traitor and his stolen goods.

Auraya drifted, alone in the dream trance. Beneath the Sanctuary two Siyee waited to be freed. In less than two days she would escape Glymma and Nekaun.

In a room somewhere closer, Mirar’s body rested while his mind skimmed the thoughts of others. She felt a wave of affection, and a wistful amusement. First, as Leiard, he had been a mentor then a lover. In Si he had been a teacher again, then an enemy. Now he was a welcome ally. A helper. A friend.

I like him, she thought, and it’s not because he reminds me of Leiard. I can’t see him, so my eyes aren’t telling me I’m talking to Leiard. Sometimes there’s a hint of Leiard in what he says through the dream-links, but mostly I am talking to someone else.

Mirar. The enemy of the gods. Auraya gave a mental shrug. So is Jade, but that didn’t stop me liking her, once I got to know her. Must I hate whoever they hate in order to be considered loyal?

They can’t make me love someone. Is it the same for hate?

It was an interesting question, but she still had much to do. She had been skimming minds every night since Mirar first suggested it. Bit by bit they had put together enough information to confirm that Pentadrian Servants had been sent to all countries of Northern Ithania to establish themselves and start converting locals. The White had managed to find and put a stop to most of the attempts, including the most successful one, in Dunway.

Now, as she sent her mind out, she reached toward the closest mind, but then stopped in surprise.

Not far away, loud voices buzzed within the magic of the world.

:... happens when you don’t consult others.

:I consulted.

:We talked about exercises and tests, not the full assembling of armies.

:Assembling a full army quickly takes practice.

The defensive voice belonged to Huan, whereas the accuser was Saru.

:It also raises expectations and—

I’ve stumbled into another of the gods’ conversations, Auraya thought. Chaia warned me that I could be detected. I should stop listening and...

:Do you really think he’ll believe such a feeble excuse? This was an older male voice. Lore. Auraya hesitated, amazed that gods other than Chaia had confronted Huan. The Circlians are now wondering if we know what we’re doing.

:Which is hardly my doing, Huan said. I didn’t give the order for the armies to stand down.

:What were you intending them to do, if not finish their “exercise” and go home?

The question was from Chaia. Auraya felt her heart warm at the sound of his voice.

:More exercises? Huan suggested. Too bad you ordered them to stand down. They could do with a bit of training.

:Which you knew the Pentadrians would hear about, Lore said. You can’t pretend to be ignorant of the consequences.

:They would have killed Auraya, a quiet female voice said. This could only be