Part 7 (1/2)

aI would rather keep the children with me,a Kayl said. aAnd Iad like to know why Iave been called here.a aI believe it has something to do with checking some old records,a the woman said. aI donat think these two would find it very interesting, do you?a aChecking records?a Kayl asked. aAre you sure? The message sounded more urgent than that, and besides, Iam no scholar.a aIam sure it will all be explained to you. Itas the second door from the end, remember; make yourself comfortable while you wait.a The woman nodded a farewell at Kayl and guided the children out of the courtyard.

Kayl let them go, though she felt uneasy about the whole situation. She told herself not to be foolish; she was simply overreacting to this highhanded rearranging of her plans for the day. She would have a few things to say to Dalessi or Corrana or whoever had summoned her so peremptorily. Frowning, she went into the main building, through the atrium, and down the hall. She paused before the second door from the end, then entered without knocking.

The room was quite small; the two wooden chairs and bra.s.s brazier were almost the limit of the furnis.h.i.+ngs it could comfortably hold. A wide band of brown and cream tile circled the walls at shoulder height. On the opposite side of the room, a small woman in a light gray robe stood with her back to Kayl, staring out the window into the inner courtyard. Her dark hair was pulled back into a smooth, tight k.n.o.b at the nape of her neck.

At the sound of the door closing, the woman turned. Her eyes widened and she took a step forward. aKayl!a aBarthelmy?a Kayl said incredulously.

aWho else?a Barthelmy hesitated a moment more, then ran across the room and threw her arms around Kayl. aOh, Kayl, itas so good to see you!a Kayl returned the hug and felt a knot of tension dissolving in her mind. Tears stung her eyes. She released Barthelmy and stood looking down at her for a moment, then grinned.

aWhatas funny?a Barthelmy said, sniffling above her own smile.

aYour hairas coming down.a aBlast. I should have known better, but Cera was awfully persuasive.a Barthelmy frowned, then reached back and rummaged in her k.n.o.b of hair with her fingers. A moment later she shook her head, sending the ma.s.s of black hair flying in all directions.

aNow I know itas you,a Kayl said. Her grin broadened as Barthelmy looked around for a place to put the pins that had held her hair in place. aLeave them on the window,a Kayl suggested.

Barthelmy nodded absently and crossed to the window. When she turned back, her face was grave. aKayl, Ia”Iam sorry about that last night,a she said with difficulty. aI wouldnat really have let them blame Glyndon and Kevran, you know.a aI know. I should have known then.a aWhy? You didnat expect the Elder Mothers to plan it, but they did. And the way I was talking, I sounded as if I agreed with them.a aWe were both tired and hurt and confused,a Kayl said. aDonat blame yourself.a aBut I do,a Barthelmy said quietly. aIf Iad kept my mouth shut, I might have persuaded you to stay here.a aMaybe,a Kayl said. She remembered Barthelmy saying in a hard voice, aThe Elder Mothers are right! Why not blame the Varnans?a Had that really been the final straw, the last betrayal that had made her flee the Sisterhood into fifteen years of exile? Kayl shook her head uncertainly. aI donat know. I think I would have gone anyway. It would have been a little harder to leave, thatas all.a Barthelmy did not look convinced, but she did not pursue the subject. She motioned Kayl to one of the chairs and took the other herself, then said, aWhat did you do? After you wrote all those letters, I mean.a aI left Kith Alunel with Glyndon and Kevran. They were going to go back to Varna to see if there was a way of stopping Glyndonas visions.a Kayl smiled reminiscently. aKevran and I sort of got sidetracked along the way.a aI suppose thatas one way of putting it,a Barthelmy said with a grin. aBut why didnat you ever send word back?a aAfter the scene I made when I left? And then marrying a Varnan wizard? It would just have stirred everyone up again.a aIt might have been good for them.a aPossibly. But at first I didnat want to take the chance, and latera later I had other things to worry about.a Barthelmy nodded sagely. aTwo children, Corrana said.a aTwo children and an inn. Thatas enough to keep anyone busy!a aI wish I could have seen it,a Barthelmy said.

aIam surprised you didnat. Or is there some special reason the Elder Mothers sent Corrana looking for me, instead of sending you?a aDidnat Corrana tell you?a Barthelmy said, frowning.

aApparently not. She wasnat exactly forthcoming about anything, frankly.a aOh. Well, the Elder Mothers wouldnat let me go out to look for you because we were at the Twisted Tower together. They think we know more about it than we told them, and theyare sure it has something to do with the problems the Sisterhood has been having with magic. Theyave been being very careful and secretive with everyone involved. Iam surprised they put us in the same room to wait for the Council meeting.a Kayl stared, then slowly shook her head. aBarthelmy, I didnat get more than a third of that. And whatas this about a Council meeting? Mother Dalessi said that wasnat for another two days!a aElder Mother Dalessi,a Barthelmy corrected. aYouave seen her? Thatas why they moved the meeting up, then.a Barthelmy nodded in satisfaction. aI was wondering.a Kayl took a deep breath. aBarthelmy, if I donat get an explanation of all this, and get it right now, Iam going to shake you until your teeth rattle.a Barthelmy grinned, and for a moment looked exactly like the impish girl Kayl remembered. aAll right, then, but itall take awhile.a aIave got time,a Kayl said, and leaned back in the chair.

aThe main problem,a Barthelmy began, ais the magic. The Elder Mothers noticed it first, about twelve years ago, as a kind of shadow interfering with their far-seeing. No one could discover a reason for it, no matter how subtle the spells they used. It was just a puzzle, at first, nothing serious. But it kept getting worse.

aIt started affecting more spells, not just the complicated ones the Elder Mothers use. It was very slow; it took almost five years to be a problem with anything really important. The Elder Mothers discussed it thoroughlya”you know how long that takesa”a Kay snorted.

aa”and eventually they decided to do a joint spell, with all the Elder Mothers cooperating.a aAll of them?a Kayl had never heard of more than sixteen Elder Mothers working together on a single spell, and that had been to counter the Varnansa magic during the Wizardas War.

aAll of them. They sent messengers all over the Alliance, even to the tiniest Star Halls.a Barthelmy shook her head, remembering. aI donat think thereas been a spell-casting like it since before the Wars of Binding, but it didnat work. The shadow or the interference or whatever it is was as bad as ever. And the thing hit back. Twenty of the Elder Mothers died before they could break out of the linkage, and all the others were sick for days.a aTwenty dead!a Kayl swallowed. aDid I know any of them?a aAnaya and Saret and Pa.s.salessa, I think. The thing killed mainly the oldest of the Elder Mothers.a Something in Barthelmyas tone made Kayl frown and ask, aBarthelmya when you say athe thing,a you donat meanaa Kayl let her voice trail off without finis.h.i.+ng the question.

Barthelmy looked away and swallowed hard. aThey brought me to look at some of the bodies, to make sure. They were just like the ones we pulled out of the Twisted Tower.a aThatas impossible!a aI saw them!a Barthelmy snapped. aDonat tell me itas impossible!a aIam sorry,a Kayl said.

aAll right, then. When the rest of the Elder Mothers recovered, they held a meeting and decided to send another expedition to the Tower.a aAnd Varna cooperated?a aThey didnat have to; the Alliance had settled the dispute by then. The Elder Mothers didnat have to worry about starting a war if there were no Varnans with them. They were very careful about everything else, though. They spent a long time choosing people and training them and so on. And they didnat go inside at all.a aThen what were they supposed to do?a aCheck to make sure the place was still sealed. And it was. They couldnat get even a whisper of a spell past the door, and they couldnat detect the smallest trace of magic leaking out. So they came back. That was about five years ago.a Kayl frowned. aI suppose thatas when they came looking for me. But why did it take five years for them to find me? I wasnat trying that hard to cover my trail.a aNo, they didnat start looking for you until last year. Iall get to that in a minute.a aAll right. Whatas been happening since this expedition?a aNothing,a Barthelmy said. aThat is, the interference with magic has gotten worse, but no faster or slower than before.a aHow bad is it now?a aNo one dares to do any but the simplest spells anymore, wardings and short-range seeking spells and so on.a aI can see why Corrana wouldnat want to say anything about that,a Kayl said. aIam surprised Glyndon didnat mention it, though. We traveled together from Copeham,a she added in response to Barthelmyas look of surprise. aAnd if something were interfering with magic, a Varnan wizard certainly ought to know of it.a aThereas no problem with most kinds of magic,a Barthelmy said. aOnly with the magic of the Sisterhood.a aWhat?a aThe shadow falls only on us,a Barthelmy repeated.

aAnd the Elder Mothers have decided it has something to do with the Twisted Tower.a aNot at first. When the expedition five years ago reported that there was no trace of magic coming out of the Twisted Tower, the Elder Mothers decided the problems with their magic must be caused by something else. Or someone else.a aMagicseekers?a Barthelmy nodded. aThe Circle of Silence may not be behind this, but theyare certainly doing all they can to take advantage of it.a aThat figures.a aUntil last year, the Elder Mothers were sure the Circle was causing the problem. Then one of the merchants in the Old Town found a cache of old scrolls sealed up in the wall of a building she was tearing down. There was a complete copy of the Book of the Seven Wizards, and one or two of the others seem to date from before the Times of Darkness. The merchantas daughter is one of us, a sorceress called Halisor, and something of a scholar. So the merchant got her to take a look at the find.a aAnd?a Kayl prompted.

aAnd one of the scrolls had a lot of information about the Twisted Tower in it. Itas a diary or a memoir of some kind, written by someone whose grandfather had actually been there. Thatas when the Elder Mothers decided the Tower had something to do with the problems the Sisterhoodas been having with magic.a aWhat did the scroll say about the Tower?a aI donat know.a Barthelmy looked away from Kaylas incredulous stare. aOnly the Elder Mothers have read the scroll; itas been kept secret from almost everyone else.a aYou must have some ideas, especially if this scroll is what started them looking for me again.a Barthelmy shook her head. aThey donat trust me.a Kayl blinked. She opened her mouth, then closed it without speaking. Finally she said baldly, aWhy not?a aPartly because Iam the only spell-caster in the Sisterhood who doesnat seem to be affected by the shadow,a Barthelmy said, not looking at Kayl.

aBarthelmyaa Kayl did not know what to say. No wonder her friend seemed more subdued than Kayl remembered!

There couldnat be a sorceress in the Sisterhood who didnat at least resent Barthelmyas unique power; many must be actively hostile and suspicious. It was a painful position for someone who cared as much about the Sisterhood as Barthelmy did; words seemed an inadequate comfort.

aThey also seem to think you and I ought to know some of the things they found in that scroll,a Barthelmy went on hurriedly, as if to avoid discussing the implications of her magical ability. Kayl took the hint and nodded; Barthelmy continued with less urgency. aSince we never mentioned them, some of the Elder Mothers donat trust us. Either of us.a aI see,a Kayl said grimly. This explained Corranaas secretiveness and Dalessias cryptic hints. aAnd when the Elder Mothers found out Iad been talking to Dalessi yesterdaya”a aThey moved their Council meeting up two days, so you wouldnat have time to do anything if you really were working against the Sisterhood.a aWhy didnat they just put both of us under guard the minute I arrived?a Kayl said sarcastically. aIt would seem to make as much sense.a Barthelmy shook her head. aThey donat all think weare against them. Dalessi doesnat, and there are others who believe us.a aAnd there are some who think weare no better than the Circle of Silence, arenat there?a Reluctantly, Barthelmy nodded.

aIn that case, I donat see any reason for me to stay.a Kayl rose as she spoke. She was tired of being lied to and manipulated, and angry as much on Barthelmyas behalf as her own.

aYou canat just leave!a Barthelmy cried.

aWhy not?a aKayl, please! We need you.a aCorrana said something like that, too, but she never really explained. How can the Sisterhood aneeda someone theyare half-convinced is an enemy?a aThe Elder Mothers are going to send another expedition to the Tower. Theyare desperate, Kayl! This time theyall be going inside. They want both of us to go along, if they can be convinced that we arenat enemies of the Sisterhood. Weare the only ones whoave ever been inside the Twisted Tower; they need our knowledge.a aWhy should I try to convince the Elder Mothers of anything?a Kayl said angrily. aI donat want to go anywhere near that tower! It wasnat even my idea to leave Copeham.a aBut the Sisterhood needsa”a aIam not a member of the Sisterhood anymore, Barthelmy. If the Elder Mothers want something from me, they can send someone by the inn with a full explanation. But I donat promise to listen.a Kayl pulled the door open with a jerk and went through it, then paused just outside the room. aGood-bye, Barthelmy. I hope weall see each other again under better circ.u.mstances.a She swung the door shut on Barthelmyas cry of protest.

CHAPTER.

SIXTEEN.

Kayl was three strides down the hallway when the door flew open again and Barthelmy came flying out like a small whirlwind. She grabbed Kaylas arm, forcing her to stop, and said, aKayl, you canat!a aNo? Watch me.a Kayl shook herself free and turned away.

aYouare doing just what you did the last time, and itas just as big a mistake!a Barthelmy cried in exasperation. aHavenat you learned anything in fifteen years?a Kayl stopped. aWhat do you mean?a aYouare furious with the whole Sisterhood, so youare storming off without thinking,a Barthelmy said bluntly. aOh, itas a fine show of righteous indignation, but all youall succeed in doing is to convince the Elder Mothers that you really are against them. And once youave done it, you wonat back down, and they wonat apologize, and youall never get the misunderstanding straightened out.a aMisunderstanding?a Kayl snorted. aHardly.a aHow do you know, if you donat give anyone a chance to explain?a aTheyave had plenty of chances. Particularly Corrana.a Kayl made her voice hard, but an inner voice reminded her that Corrana had told Kayl her true name. It was a profound gesture of trust; Corrana, at least, must not believe that Kayl was an enemy.

aThen stay and tell them why theyare wrong. You wonat convince anyone of anything by running off again.a Kayl hesitated. Her anger still simmered strongly, but it was no longer the boiling rage and hurt that had driven her out of the room. And despite herself, Kayl recognized the truth in Barthelmyas words. aWhere did you find out so much about me?a she said finally, in a voice that sounded sulky even to her own ears.

aIave had a long time to think about the way you left the Sisterhood,a Barthelmy said seriously.

Kayl nodded reluctantly. aI supposea”a A tall woman with the silver-blond hair and slanted green eyes of a Shee came around the corner behind Barthelmy and stopped short. Kayl broke off in midsentence, and Barthelmy turned. The Shee woman frowned slightly, which was as fl.u.s.tered as Kayl had ever seen a Shee get, and said to Barthelmy, aYour Virtue, I had expected to find you in the first waiting room. Alone.a aYour pardon, Mother Lorea, but I was not told that I was to be isolated,a Barthelmy said.

aI mistook the directions I was given,a Kayl put in. aBarthelmy came out here to set me straight.a aIndeed.a Mother Lorea studied Kayl for a moment. aYou must be Kayl Larrinar, formerly a warrior of the Sisterhood.a aI am.a The Shee woman looked from Kayl to Barthelmy and back in cool appraisal. aCome with me, then, both of you.a Barthelmy gave Kayl a sidelong, questioning look. Kayl hesitated, then nodded. Barthelmy was right; she should not make impulsive gestures that it would be impossible to back away from. As she fell into step beside Barthelmy, she berated herself for consistently overreacting to the Sisterhood. She seemed to s.h.i.+ft from longing for them to wis.h.i.+ng never to see a Silver Sister again. She hadnat felt so off-balance since her training years.

The Shee Mother turned down a narrow hall whose floor was covered in deep blue mosaic. Kayl stared down at the tiles as she walked, forcing her emotions back under control. Pretend this is a meeting with Islorranas caretakers about a new tax, she told herself. It wouldnat be pleasant, and she was certain to disagree with most of what was said, but Kayl had learned over the years that she could find out a good deal about Islorranas true intentions if she listened calmly and patiently and did not commit herself during the meetings.

Kayl smiled suddenly at the image of Islorranas servants in the silver robes of Elder Mothers. She felt better now that she had decided what she was going to do and how. She looked up and found Barthelmy watching her with eyes full of concern.

aIall be all right,a Kayl whispered. Barthelmyas answering nod did not convey much conviction.

They reached one of the doors that led into the Court of Stars. Their guide entered without pausing to knock. Kayl followed the woman in, then stopped in the shadows to scan the courtyard. Her eyes widened in surprise.

The huge courtyard was over half-full. Elder Mothers in silver robes filled the ambulatory on three sides of the Court of Stars and spilled out between the slender columns into the roofless center of the Court. The fog of their breath hung above their heads in the wintry air. They must have come from every Star Hall in the Estarren Alliance, Kayl thought. Her eyes searched them, looking for Dalessi, but she was lost somewhere in the sea of silver.

The Court of Stars seemed strange and unfamiliar, and not simply because of the crowd. After a moment, Kayl decided it was because she had seldom seen it in daylight, and never in winter. She noted with detachment that the reflective pool in the middle of the Court was coated with ice; someone had swept the snow from it and from the flagstones that paved the courtyard.

The Shee woman motioned them forward. A rustle of surprise ran through the silver-robed women as Kayl and Barthelmy came into the open. A querulous voice from somewhere on Kaylas left said, aWhat is this, Lorea? We summoned only the Elder Sister; that other one was to wait.a aI found them together in the hallway, Your Serenity,a said the Shee woman who had brought Kayl and Barthelmy to the Court. aKayl Larrinar claims she was misdirected, and that Elder Sister Barthelmy was correcting her. Under the circ.u.mstances, I thought it better to bring them both to you.a aQuite so,a said a thin woman on the other side of the frozen pool. aAnd what does Elder Sister Barthelmy claim?a aI was certainly correcting Kayl,a Barthelmy said, and Kayl caught the faintest quiver of amus.e.m.e.nt in her voice.

aIs that all? You are sucha old friends.a The womanas voice was level, but the pause held a wealth of insinuation.

aIndeed we are,a Kayl put in smoothly. aAnd we had quite a lot of catching up to do. But I didnat think anyone else would be particularly interested in the details.a aPerhaps not,a the thin woman said. aWe, however, are.a aYou may be interested, Stennis, but some of us have more serious concerns,a another woman said. She looked a few years older than Kayl; a little young for an Elder Mother, but only a little. Her hair was a rich, dark brown. aIf theyave talked, theyave talked; itas too late to do anything about it now. I donat see any reason to waste time hearing about it.a aI hardly thinka”a aIad noticed.a aStennis! Javieri! Enough.a The speaker was a small, bright-eyed woman whose face was a ma.s.s of wrinkles beneath snow-white hair. aIt is time to proceed.a aVery well, Mika,a Stennis said stiffly.

Javieri nodded agreement; as her head came up, she winked at Kayl.

aThen I think you may go, Mother Lorea,a Elder Mother Mika said. aThank you for your service.a Lorea bowed and left. As the door closed behind the Shee woman, Mika swept the a.s.sembly with an imperious gaze. aAll three of the ones who have yet to speak to us are now present. I propose that we dispense with the separate questioning nonsense; itas a waste of effort and time, and at my age Iam not willing to waste either.a There was a murmur of amus.e.m.e.nt, but Stennis frowned. aYou arenat in charge of this meeting, Mika!a she said.

aSomeone ought to be, or weall never get anything done,a Mika retorted. aWhat say you, Sisters?a The discussion that followed was relatively brief. Kayl watched it with interest. She could see tempers fraying beneath the veneer of cordiality. The Elder Mothers were accustomed to working in much smaller groups, four or five to a Star Hall, where consensus was easier to reach. Dealing with so many equals had many of them slightly off-balance. They are a lot like Islorranas councilors, Kayl thought, and felt a touch of sadness.