Beginning

The Ismay Residence, Kinspit

‘It’s very bright’ said John, blinking up at the light.

‘Yes, sir’ responded1 Hardacre, ‘that’s the sun’

‘Of course it is’ smiled John, ‘lovely, warm sun…’

Hardacre kept the curtains open. He placed the breakfast tray on the bedside table. It had two boiled eggs on it in a tureen and some toast soldiers. It was a test of sorts.

John sat up and studied the eggs carefully.

‘Prolate spheroids’ John murmured

‘Not quite, sir’ Hardacre felt compelled to correct him. John didn’t seem to mind.

‘Can I pick one up?’ John asked.

‘Not at the moment – it is rather hot…’

John stared wild eyed at the eggs. His hand, which had been reaching out to the eggs, shot back under his blankets.

‘Why, Laurence, did you bring me strange slightly flattened spheres that are too hot to touch?’

‘They are eggs – they have an exterior shell and you can eat the white and yellow substances under the shell. I have taken the precaution of boiling them thoroughly so that the yellow and white bits are both quite solid’

John’s expression changed. The dark clouds over his head disappeared and he smiled brightly again.

‘I once saw a parrot born from an egg. It was so small – it didn’t look like a parrot at all’

He groped around for more memories.

‘And there were parrots that could talk – they spoke the old tongue amazingly well…’

Hardacre deftly picked the two egg cups from the tray, leaving just the buttered toast.

‘Yes, the Micropsitta. They are a  fine and noble race’ he confirmed.

John looked up at the eggs, now lying on their sides on a spare plate in Hardacre’s hand.

‘Keep them warm and we can have pet dragons…’

‘Sadly not, sir’ Hardacre murmured, straight-faced, ‘we don’t have room for them’

John looked sad.

‘Dragons have all gone away. They don’t like cities, you know’

‘There are dragons, sir – they have been enslaved by one of our enemies. They are way away in the east of the Western Continent’

John shook his head vehemently

‘No – they’ve all left us, because we loved them too much’

‘If you say so, sir…’

‘The elves loved the dragons more than gold…’

‘Those are just stories, sir. Real dragons are not very loveable’

John stuck out his lower lip.

‘So, you say…’

‘I do, sir – but I am always willing to be proven wrong. The real dragons are commanded by Yellowcloak,, but even they have not been seen for a long age of human time’

‘Let’s try to hatch a dragon anyway…’suggested John

Hardacre moved swiftly to hide the eggs behind his back.

‘Of course, sir – shall I prepare some porridge instead?

‘Porridge – no – that is spawn of the slime monsters…’ John said, without conviction

‘Are you sure, sir?’ asked Hardacre

John’s lips set themselves halfway between a smile and a frown.

‘Not entirely, Laurence…I am finding that I get a bit confused…

Hardacre tipped his head slightly.

‘As I have pointed out before, on the several occasions when we have had this conversation, even if your hypotheses were supported in any way I make sure that I boil the oats for at least four minutes, thus rendering the mixture quite sterile’

‘Of course’ muttered John, ‘you think of everything…’

‘Not everything, Mr Ismay… just enough’

John lay back on his bed and pulled the crisp white sheets over his head’

‘You can’t see me now’ he yelped, ‘guess where I am…’

Hardacre took this opportunity to retreat backwards from the room. He didn’t feel the need to answer.

He returned to the kitchen and put the boiled eggs in the larder. He would make sandwiches with them later. He pulled out a big bag of oats.

Chapter one

Ortia

Viola was sitting at her desk, cradling a large glass of whisky. She had said nothing since the revelation that her mother was a god and her father an emperor. Kath sat next to her. They hadn’t said a word to each other either since the disclosure. The mail paper with its single address line lay, discarded, on the floor. It was a considerable relief to Kath when Viola turned to her.

‘Not a word to anyone’ she ordered

Kath shook her head. She muttered.

‘No-one would believe it anyway’

‘And do you believe it?’’

‘Of course I do – it makes sense of almost everything. The dreams, the bell in Melloreis, the wall here and the great Wall, your ability to control the spheres…’

‘Maybe it does…’

‘And it explains why the first mail paper from Laurence came to you’

‘Why?’

‘Because he addressed it to the Proconsul of Ortia, and with no name attached it just went to the highest ranking elf there: daughter of the Emperor, and the rest’

Viola smiled grudgingly.

‘Yes – that does make sense, I suppose; and explains the rank saliency’

‘What?’

‘The Prime at Klethropolis; it told me that I was fourth on some sort of list’

Kath eyes brightened.

‘Really? So who are the first three?’

Viola sighed.

‘There wasn’t time to find out…’

Kath eyes dimmed.

‘Oh no – another sodding mystery’

She rallied a little.

‘What is the list?’

Viola shrugged.

‘I’m not sure – I’m not even sure that I know what “saliency” means…’

Kath pulled this information out of her academic’s mind

‘Importance, well, actually more “relevance to the subject at hand”’

Viola made a face. Kath continued hurriedly.

‘Let’s just say it means “importance” here’ her voice trailed off, ‘for clarity’s sake…’

The conversation ground to a halt, while Kath let this information sink in.

‘So, it looks like you are the fourth most important… ‘  she paused a little too long, ‘…being in the ...’. She stopped and threw her hands out in confusion ‘…whatever’

Viola sagged. She really didn’t want to discuss this further.

Kath picked up the mail paper and stared at it. She then looked up directly at Viola.

‘Lady Viola…’ she whispered

Viola shook her head. Her tone was curt.

‘Never call me that – never’

Kath frowned but nodded. It was time to press on.

‘What do we do now?’ she asked

Viola gulped down a mouthful of the whiskey.

‘Await orders from the Proconsul…’

Kath laughed

‘I think we may have gone past that, Vee…’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I have a feeling that you outrank her. And everybody bloody else…’

Viola frowned – the kind of frown that permanently creases your face.

‘So, I’m no longer accepting orders, but I am in no state to give orders. What shall we do?’

Kath took Viola’s hand. It was mostly to comfort her, but a tiny part of her wondered if she would feel a charge or a strange sensation from her skin that would reveal her composite divinity. When nothing special happened she realised that not much had changed, as yet anyway. This emboldened her.

‘Go back to the original plan: find Braith – tell her where the fire snakes are; let her make whatever plans she needs to make. Find the remaining nagas... Help her save the world’

‘Perhaps…’

Kath was stern.

‘No, not perhaps, definitely. We have to finish what we started. And you have no other plan’

‘How will we find Braith, though?’

‘We know that the mail paper that brought John to Ortia was from Princess Lily of Amansk. She was with Braith – so we need to find her’

‘The Praefectus’s daughter?’

‘Yes, and now studying witchcraft at the University of Ortia, I think’

Viola’s mouth dropped open.

‘How did that happen?’

Kath shrugged.

‘No idea – Laurence told me in secret – he was worried by the prospect. But I can find her – I’m on the staff…’

‘And how will we get, there?’

‘By coach – I think our teleporting days are over for a while’

‘And who should come with us?’

Kath smiled.

‘Well – I’ll leave you to decide that, Major Viola…’

***

Marthian sat behind her desk, but it didn’t even give her the illusion of power. Her old intelligence officer stood in front of her, gaunt and troubled, dressed in her ragged imperial jacket. She has saved their city, somehow, and had passed beyond her command.

‘Are you don’t need more troops than that?’ she continued, ‘an Ethian scholar, a hybrid and an overeager lieutenant. That seems a rather flimsy force’

‘It’s all I need’ Viola said, ‘it’s not a military mission’

‘None of them are in my gift to give you anyway’ Marthian said, lamely.

They  had been talking for twenty minutes: about Viola’s desire to go to Eth; about the state of the Imperial army. But these weren’t the things that the proconsul wanted to talk about.

‘How did you do it?’ she blurted out.

‘What, ma’am?’ Viola asked, mock innocently.

‘The Wall; the Orbiverdi? How did you save the city?’

Viola shook her head gravely.

‘I can’t tell you’

‘But you know?’

Viola nodded.

Marthian stood up. She was perturbed.

‘Why can’t you tell me?’

The old intelligence tag need to know basis leapt into Viola’s mind, but she forced it aside. If the Proconsul didn’t need to know – who did?

‘It’s too big to tell; it might put you in danger too’

Marthian’s face lined with concern.

‘So, you are in danger?’

‘Possibly – I don’t yet know’

‘What do you know then?’

‘That I have to find some ancient things. That’s all I can say’

Marthian stared at her in silence for a while.

‘I’ve lost you, haven’t I’ she said, at last, ‘you’re never going to come back…’

Viola felt the tears welling in her eyes. Her voice was small and hoarse.

‘I’ll try to, I really will – this is my home. The place that my mother loved and where she left me’

Marthian shook her head in confusion.

‘What?’

Viola dried her eyes with a yellowing handkerchief pulled out of her jacket pocket. This had to stop. She got up to leave.

‘I’ve already said too much. I should go’

‘You know who your mother was?’

Viola stopped herself answering directly.

‘Do you?’

‘No – but I suspect that Julia did. She was always a bit odd about you. But I never thought ask her directly. I never thought it was that important’

‘I’ll ask the Lady myself then’ said Viola and then she was gone, without saying goodbye or looking at Marthian again.

Marthian stared at the door for some time and then she called Campanula in.

‘I have some good news for you, lieutenant’ Marthian said in a cold, controlled, voice, as her acting intelligence officer entered

Campanula stood to attention

‘What’s that ma’am?’’

‘I’m going to make your position permanent’.

***

Viola made her way down to the temple complex. She spoke to the first priestess that she saw.

‘I need to talk to Aquilegia’

‘Why?’

‘Because she is the High Priestess, what other reason would I have? ’

The priestess bowed gravely

‘She is no longer High Priestess.  Asplenia  has assumed those responsibilities’

‘Is Aquilegia dead?’

‘No, not expired. She proved unsatisfactory’

‘Can I speak to Asplenia , then?’

Viola knew the priestesses well; she had been brought up by them and knew many of them as mentors and friends.  She had always thought of Aquilegia as spiritual and strange, which seemed to be the key requirements of the High Priestess’s job  – it seemed odd that she should be thought “unsatisfactory”. Asplenia was new to her , however – clearly a believer who had come to the temple quite recently.

The Priestess went inside to see if a meeting could be arranged. This took some time, but eventually she was ushered into her presence in her audience room. 

Viola approached the new High Priestess, a tall light-skinned elf with brown hair. She smiled.

‘Lady Viola, I am delighted to see you. We all thank you for saving the city’

Viola didn’t comment: was she the only person who grieved for the dead Orbiverdi; or gave thanks for their sacrifice? She shook off the High Priestess’s gratitude.

‘Do you know who I am?’

‘We were not certain, but we know now. You are blood of the Uchbenoi and you have wondrous power’

I don’t want it, thought Viola

‘Let me speak to the Lady’

Asplenia shook her head.

‘That is not permitted. The Lady is still very weak; and she has given me instructions that she will speak to no-one, gods or elves’

‘Why did she take me in as an orphan?’

Asplenia shrugged.

‘i do not know. I am new to this position’

‘Kalappos wrote that my mother and the Lady were estranged. Is that true?’

‘I have no idea – these historical details have not been shared with me’. I’m not sure they are important now’

‘They are to me’ growled Viola, but she knew that this was a dead end. She retreated hastily and made her way back to her house. It was obvious to her what she should do now. She had to find Aquilegia.