Chapter nine

The Radical Numerologists

‘Who is this’ asked Thelma, the old guardian, ‘We did not give you permission to enter this house with any other’

Lily had no time to respond. They stepped inside.

‘Strangers’ barked Thelma.

Out of the darkness of the dimly-lit hallway came three large sheer-black tomcats, their claws were out. They were as fat as suckling pigs.

Lily shouted, ‘we’re friends’

The cats took no notice of her; they leapt at Viola, furious and spitting. They were strong and vicious. Two attached to her trouser legs and one pounced at her chest.

Viola threw the one on her chest off, but the others hung on – scratching through her clothes and into her flesh. They were intent on ripping her to pieces. Through the sharp pain, something opened in her mind

‘Servants of Eluros, stand down!’ she commanded in Archaic Elven

The cats dropped to the floor. They looked up at Viola expectantly, then slowly, one by one, they began to purr and to rub against her legs.

‘Not much use doing that now’ she grumbled, her hand holding together her shredded trousers and rubbing her scratched skin.

“Who are you?’ asked Thelma.

‘Major Viola of the Visneorian army…’ Viola began, woodenly. She stopped when she saw the look on Thelma’s face. Thelma was staring at her torn, stained imperial jacket.

‘Viola – that’s who I am’

Thelma’s gaze dropped to the cats, all of whom were purring at Viola’s feet, all claws for now withdrawn.

‘That’s not all you are; I’ll warrant’

She glared at Lily

‘What is this that you’ve brought to our house?’

Lily hesitated, out of her depth.

‘Not an enemy – that’s about all I can say…’

The old woman’s face lips curled with distaste.

‘You should leave, Princess Lily. This is not your business’

Lily looked for guidance to Viola, but all she did was shrug. Lily crept out, feeling useless. Thelma closed the front door. She turned back to Viola.

‘Have you been sent by the gods?’

Viola’s heart sank. Have I been?

‘Possibly…’ she murmured

Thelma’s lips set into disapproval.

‘How can you be uncertain?’

Viola attempted a watery smile.

‘Things are unclear, everywhere, to gods and mortals’

‘So, why are you here?’

‘To see your leader’

An extravagantly thin woman with cropped, bright, red hair, stepped out of the shadows. She was wearing a grey toga and leather sandals.

‘I am she’ Braith said. She looked once at Viola, and that was enough

‘Viola of Ortia, welcome. It is fitting that we should meet; but dangerous’

Viola was not shocked that she knew her full name; it seemed that everyone knew who she was. The peril concerned her more.

‘Why dangerous?’

‘Our combined rank saliency is alarmingly low’

Viola’s next question was involuntary.

‘How low?’ she blurted

“Nine” replied Braith without hesitation

Nine minus four is five thought Viola, remembering what the Prime had told her, we’re very close indeed; whatever that means

‘Do you fear an attack?’ she asked

Braith frowned

‘Always – we should not stay together for too long. So, what do you want of me?’

Viola’s mind raced. She gabbled.

‘I know that you sent the new prime to Klethropolis’

Braith was silent for a moment.

‘Ah, so our volunteer must have told you – too late for me to worry about that now.  He has been transformed. Anyway, I am grateful that you alerted us’

‘To what, though?’ asked Viola.

‘To a breach; we had been waiting for it’

‘So, you knew where that prime was?’

‘No – but we had been monitoring your movements’

Fear tingled in Viola’s bones.

‘How did you do that?’

‘We have our ways; we have, umm, unconventional sources of information. And you make no attempts to hide yourself'

How could I do that, even if I wanted to? Thought Viola, but did not speak

‘So we could sense when and where you passed through the portal; and when the Prime stopped working’

‘So, you do know where the primes are?’ Viola asked, hopefully.

 ‘No, that was just good fortune. We know that there were nine, and we have replaced three; we also know that there is one in Ortia and one in Kinspit. The fate and whereabouts of the other four is unknown to us.’

‘I know where they are’ said Viola, softly, 'roughly - but I can find them'

Braith thought about this for several seconds. She smiled.

‘We can use you to find them for us, then’ she said, with some satisfaction

‘The ones that are threatened by Bea, you mean?’

Braith shook her head.

‘All of them…’

‘But what about the existing primes that are hidden to Bea?’

‘We can’t replace them before they are destroyed, and we do not have the ability to destroy them’

‘Then why don’t you leave them be?’ 

‘No – that would be foolish; Bea will find them eventually. And they are declining…’

‘Why?’ asked Viola

Braith shrugged

‘I am not sure – perhaps there is too much human magic in the air – witchcraft can be corrosive’

‘So, your plan is to replace them?’

‘And Bea will help us, unintentionally; our Primes are much stronger than the old ones’

Viola quailed at this prospect.

‘So you will let Bea destroy the Primes’

Braith tilted her head in sympathy.

‘They are just machines…’

‘And the nagas?’

‘Them? Outmoded, redundant, and also machines; I do not crave their annihilation, but it is inevitable. Or the world will die’

‘My mother made them…’ croaked Viola

‘I know’ said Braith, soothingly, ‘but they are fragile things, doomed to die in a sea of necromancy’

‘So, you want me to lure Bea to the primes and then let her destroy them and the nagas…’

Braith stepped back, literally and metaphorically.

‘Possibly – but there is no need to hurry – let us find them first…’

‘I’m not sure…’ whispered Viola

‘All that I ask for now is that you find them, that is all…’

This seemed just about acceptable to Viola. As long as no killing was involved…

‘And then some kind of decision can be made collectively, perhaps?'

‘Perhaps…’ said Braith

Viola waited; uncertain. Although it was warm in the hallway she felt a cold tremor inside.

There was a brief pause, during which Braith was happy to wait patiently.

‘Which one, though?’ asked Viola.

‘You must choose. Whichever is most likely to be found first’

Viola’s head was muzzy with uncertainty.

‘I will have to talk to my team’,

Braith lips drooped at the corners.

‘Tell only those who are trustworthy and who need to know.  Tell only what they require to help you. You must treat all the information I have given you as secret’

Viola nodded

‘Of course, there is only one that I trust enough to tell’

‘And who is that?’

‘I will not say; I have my concerns on secrecy too…’

Braith shrugged

‘I understand’

Viola shook her head; she was still confused.

‘But how will I contact you?’ she asked

‘we will be tracking you’

Viola shivered again; she wanted to leave this place.

‘How?’

Braith smiled.

‘As I said – we have our sources of information – sources that no-one else knows of’

‘But what are they?

‘I cannot tell you. But take this…’

Braith handed her a small pebble. She had seen one of these before.

‘Press it nine times when you are in the presence of a Prime. Then we will know for certain. We don’t want to have to rely on the signal from an expiring Prime this time; we need to be able to control events’

Viola frowned. This was exactly how she felt, too.

‘Should ~I contact you again when I have made my decision?’

Braith held her eyes with her own for a few seconds. It was uncomfortable. Braith was reading something there but Viola had no idea which text she was seeing.

‘Only return if your decision is “no”; otherwise we will wait for your signal’

Viola nodded.  She had no words left; and Braith had no time for pleasantries. She disappeared into the shadows as suddenly as she had earlier appeared.

Viola walked to the door and Thelma shooed her out. Thelma was glad to be rid of her. There was definitely something peculiar about her, even for an elf