These words may survive where I will not, so I continue to write them - but, who am I writing to if there shall be none left to read? I wish you had been better, Michael. I wish I was writing to you. You, of all people, might understand what I an to say.
Their voices are never quiet. They speak in tongues that they have invented among themselves, and do not share with . I do not need to know. It has never been my will that mattered, not in any of this. Even now I am rely a conduit, fracturing myself so that more of the dead may gather in waiting. I break, and change, with each betrayal, and this fragnt of your soul that I clutch stolen, in a stolen hand, it breaks and changes with .
I thought it was a curse until you broke it for the final ti. It resisted man, or I did, because I thought you were better than re humanity. Now I know there is nothing else we may build upon. Nothing, and the gates are flung wide, and the legions march into in naless ranks, singing songs in a tongue I do not know for a battle I will not live to see.
I will not. I was never truly alive, for I have never been anything but an echo of those around , but in these final days I feel fear for the small part of that is Luc. That na and his small fears both die tomorrow, when they et you for the final ti - and the flawed shield, and the fla that shall fail you both.
It is the end that I chose, and I think it will be a good end, more aningful than anyone born to my life should expect. I will secure hope to stand against the crushing burden of souls. It is selfishness to wish for anything more. But if by chance these words should survive , and are understood by a better mind than mans - I was Luc Flant, and it would make happy to be rembered.
- Annals of the Seventeenth Star, 693.
Is had a broad, expansive harbor, and every bare stretch of coast was crowded with ships. So few were unloading, but most were taking on passengers. n, won and children surged forward onto a motley fleet of rchant carriers, holding not much more than a light bag; Michael saw vast piles of luggage that had apparently been deed too bulky sitting abandoned by the cargo yard. So enterprising thieves were combing through it, though it was an open question what they would do with their ill-gotten goods.
Michael pushed the thought from his mind before it could distract him down irrelevant paths. Instead, he focused in front of them, on the slim ndiko cutter that idled near one of the longer slips. It had the only clear space along the dock, enforced by the watchful eye of ndiko marines, and traffic along the shore gave it a wide berth.
It made an impact, therefore, when Zabala steered their ship directly towards the nearest empty slip. Weapons ca up, pointing at them, and commands were shouted in Gharic and ndiko to reverse course.
Sobriquet countered with an impressive rendition of her own face, hovering over the top of the boat; this one was made for everyone to see, a lifelike illusion that duplicated her imperious glare and scarred cheek. Michael could see her other face just under it, though, a dizzying juxtaposition where his sight wavered on what was the true image. Both, perhaps.
Were docking! the image growled. Put your guns away and get ready to tie up the boat.
Michael would have opted for a more explanatory ssage, but it had the intended effect. Marines shouted into radios. Shortly after, they lowered their weapons and allowed their ship to dock. Zabala hadnt waited for them to respond, in any case, so Michael was standing on the pier monts later.
Disembarking had the curious effect of rendering the ports chaos more imdiate, more present than it had been from the deck of their boat. Michael had been leaning on Spark to anchor him in the mont, and through that conduit flooded a displaced citys worth of fear and uncertainty. He pulled instinctively on his low souls to steady him against the tide. His presence wavered. Antolin lood in front of him, grim and determined. Zabala was grinning with a rare mania, half his face bloody; all around them a mirror stretched away, away, until it found a blinding light-
Michael stumbled on the deck, catching himself. The two nearest ndiko marines were giving him a wary look. Zabala stepped forward to glare at them both, though, and their slow procession continued off the docks and towards the cutter. It was a sleek, angular ship, sitting comparatively low in the water. It was not ant for cargo, nor for serious combat; it was a ship designed to pursue at speed.
Its deck was in so ways even more chaotic than the docks, crowded to double what it should hold and bustling with purpose. There was more than the ships normal complent aboard. Michael saw soldiers, functionaries, flint-eyed zuzendaritza agents trying to look like anything else, and a few stray businessn or traders that had found a corner to huddle in while they waited for the ship to depart.
None of these were important, however. Michael had already glimpsed ahead to conversations half-heard, so he did not stop walking until he found the small stateroom where Antolin and Lekubarri were poring over docunts together. Lekubarri popped up from his seat with a wide grin as Michael opened the door, effecting a wholly-unconvincing aura of surprise.
Jaun Baumgart, just the man I wanted to see, Lekubarri said, walking around the table to extend his hand; Michael shook it absently, nodding to Antolin; the grand marshal leaned back in his chair with a weary smile, returning the nod. Lekubarri was still shaking his hand. So glad you found us here - but, then again, I presu it was no trouble.
Yes, I have Sibyl, Michael replied, answering the unasked question. He gave Lekubarri a tolerant look. As you already knew.
There was an ineffable change in Lekubarris smile. It sharpened, shifted, showing the real expression beneath - still a satisfied smile, no doubt, but by no ans a happy one. This is going to take a lot of the fun out of our little chats, he said.
Puts us on even footing, then, Michael replied. As much as Im enjoying your company, we dont have a surplus of ti. The storm is spreading faster than it was before.
It is, Antolin confird. Or, rather, its not slowing at the rate one would expect. It had been, up until it pushed into Pashaluk Qalo - then it surged outward, enough to bring the northeastern edge across the Daressan border. We expect that Rouns will be wholly within the storm by nightfall.
Michael gave a slow nod. That sounds right, he muttered. He looked aside to Sobriquet, then back to Lekubarri. Sofia confird sothing for us, before she died. Luc is gaining souls from everyone the storm kills. If you check your maps, Id wager that it started expanding faster when the storm hit areas more densely-populated than the border with Ghar.
Lekubarri went very still. Everyone that the storm - erona. This is precisely the sort of scenario that terrified Leire. He looked back at Antolin. You realize we dont have a choice, now. The Batzar is a formality. We need to respond regardless of their decision, and without waiting for it.
Disorder benefits nobody, Antolin replied, giving Lekubarri a reproachful look. Well be hard-pressed to coordinate further efforts if the Batzar loses trust in the military-
There will be no further efforts! Lekubarri snapped, his calm fracturing; Michael caught a rare glimpse of emotion from him, of clockwork running hot and fast under glass. This is it! This is why Leire fought for your independence, and why I never pushed for oversight - because the fate of the world cannot be decided in committee. There is no more space for debate; all that remains is the threat and our response to it. He looked at Michael. Well only be imprisoned if we succeed. Anything less, and there wont be a place left to jail us.
Cheery, Sobriquet noted dryly. But correct, I think. I didnt fight for Daressa just to see it devoured by this storm. She gave Lekubarri a piercing look. I think its ti for you to unburden yourself of so secrets, because I can see a great weight of them on you. Youve given so thought to the idea of how we get Michael into that storm.
A sliver of the batzarkideas decorum returned; he smiled slyly at Sobriquet. Ah, but that isnt the entirety of the problem, my dear. The question is not rely how we deliver Michael there, but how we ensure that he survives the process. That ans safe transport, and it also ans giving him every advantage we can arrange.
There isnt an advantage you can give him, Amira said, straightening up from where she had been leaning against the wall. He must stand against the heart-eater, and he will succeed or fail. That balance is not ours to tip.
Lekubarri shrugged. Perhaps, but were certainly going to try. Anything less would be - profoundly unsatisfying. He gave her a smile. We can at least soften the target up for Michael.
You dont have anything that can touch him. She glared at Lekubarri, then at Antolin. Where souls contend, n must step back.
Leire always took issue with that statent, Lekubarri said, smiling at Antolin. Her plans for the future of mankind rested solely on mankind itself - and those plans were rather well-laid.
Amira lifted her chin. Posturing.
Lekubarri said nothing, walking around the table to pull a chair out in front of Amira. He stepped back and favored her with another empty smile. Why dont you sit down, my dear, he said, and let tell you how we planned to kill you.
For a brief mont, Michaels vision swam with splashes of Lekubarris blood - but Amira glanced at Michael, then walked to the proffered chair. As she sat, Lekubarri smiled around the room.
This could be a very long lecture, had we ti or interest for one, he said. Since we have neither, I shall say that over the last decade or so Leire helped us to design a few weapons of rather terrible force. Things that match or exceed her destructive power, at least in theory.
Antolin shook his head. Im familiar with the program, he said. Its not ready. You said yourself in the last summary that we were years away from demonstrating-
He trailed off as Lekubarri smiled wider; his eyes narrowed. You do have a prototype. Arraio. Did Leire know?
Leire insisted on accelerating our schedule, Lekubarri said. Helped route a significant portion of the Batzars money to the project, quietly. He gave the grand marshal a reproachful look. It wasnt that Leire didnt trust you. I convinced her that if we got caught, your hands needed to be clean so that our work wouldnt be handed over to utter imbeciles.
Antolin leaned back in his chair, raising an eyebrow. Because you didnt trust , he said.
Its nothing personal. Lekubarri slid back into his own chair, leaning back. I knew that if the projections were even half-correct, youd do your best to talk Leire out of it once you saw the first test - and in the end, the projections fell well short of reality.
Lekubarri turned to look at Amira once more. Souls do have limits, he said. They are rely high enough that none may reach them without resorting to a soul themselves, or so it was until recently. We have made a bomb that tears apart matter at its most basic level, unleashing a staggering amount of energy - enough that no soul could stand against it. rely looking at the explosion is enough to blind n, and no barrier can stand against its force.
Amiras eyes turned to Michael.
It sounds impressive, Michael said. But I doubt it will be enough to harm him. Hes unleashed - and apparently survived - similar energies before.
The batzarkidea waved his hand dismissively. I have no doubt hell survive it. We have reasonably good estimates of how much energy hes pumping out to feed the storm, and it massively exceeds what our prototype can accomplish even under the most optimistic projections. Survival is not the sa as coming out unscathed, however. He nodded his head towards Amira. As you are aware. The chance to degrade the Stars capability in an opening salvo is one we cannot pass up.
Antolin leaned forward. Salvo, you say. The last ti I saw any reports, they described only a testing rig, implied to be massive and unwieldy. Youve created actual weaponry?
Weve created a massive and unwieldy testing rig, Lekubarri admitted. Delivery will be a problem, but not an insurmountable one - with your assistance.
The two n stared at each other for a long mont. Michael saw them, but at a distance; Lekubarris words had nudged his mind away from the present and back into the inchoate blur of future paths. A mirror showed the sky, then yielded to Lekubarris face, fierce and determined. His hand gripped a shaking throttle, while Zabala stood behind him, bloodied but steady, his soul stretching out-
Michael shook his head, forcefully anchoring himself back to the present. The tension in the stateroom was sharp, bracing. He raised his head to look at Lekubarri; both he and Antolin had paused in their sparring to turn Michaels way.
The airship, Michael said. You an to use the airship.
Lekubarri laughed, though Michael caught a hint of nervous surprise behind it. My, this is going to require so adjustnt on my part, he said. Its been a while since I had to account for an auspex that was actually worth sothing. He gave another small chuckle, shaking his head, then turned back to Antolin. That was going to be my proposal. Its robust, its our only airfra that can carry the test rig, and it has the benefit of being built with the Stars soul in mind. Any passengers will be shielded from the worst of the storms effects.
Robust, my ass, Sobriquet muttered. You do rember weve been on that thing, right? It was shaking itself apart in calm air. Theres no way it would survive the storm.
Lekubarri raised an eyebrow. No, I imagine it would have a horrible ti of it - unassisted. Our practice was always to reinforce the structure with fortintes while underway, to allow a lighter construction weight. If we took it into the storm, I imagine we would need to obtain the services of the strongest fortins we could.
He affected a troubled expression - then looked up at Amira in mock surprise. Why, if it isnt the Great Shield of Saf. How fortunate.
Sobriquet rolled her eyes, but nodded grudgingly. Point taken. Last I saw it, the airship is in Rouns. I assu youve moved it by now.
To Estu, Antolin confird. I gave the order shortly after you departed for Ardalt.
Lekubarri raised a finger. Point of clarification, he said. I may have modified that order sowhat. I believe youll find that the airship is already in the hills outside of Goitxea, being loaded and prepped at our testing labs. If we depart now, it should be ready by the ti we arrive.
There was a mont of silence as Antolin leaned back in his chair, giving Lekubarri an evaluating look. We are going to have a conversation when this is over, he said, his voice dangerously level.
My dear Grand Marshal, Lekubarri sighed. If my disregard for your chain of command remains your most pressing concern by next week, then I will make whatever apology you deem necessary, public or private, without argunt. This week, I will simply act, and request your forbearance until then.
Michael felt himself becoming unmoored once more, drifting forward through a sea of potential. A light shone on him, bright and painful; he saw Lucs smiling face from a hundred broken mirror shards.
The rumbling of the cutters engines broke him from his reverie, as the paths condensed back into the simple course of transit. Everything now led to Goitxea, a single shining line from which all else branched away in paths long and winding - or sharp, and terrifyingly short.
He shivered, and pulled away from the dizzying vista. Most of the others had filed out of the stateroom, but Antolin and Sobriquet remained, talking in low voices. Both looked up as he moved.
I hesitate to ask where you were wandering, Antolin said wryly. Lekubarri isnt wrong to say that auspices bring their own set of complications.
You dont have to tell , Michael muttered. A mont later, he shook his head. Just looking ahead to Goitxea. Past that- He paused, looking at the pier through the porthole, the boat that Lars and Charles had restored sliding to the aft as the cutter pulled away. Past that, well have to wait and see.
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