Lawrence Watt-Evans - In the Empire of Shadow

None stepped forward to confront this rogue Taillefer, who sought to betray the cause. That was a leader’s duty.

That was his duty.

And he’d no wish to shirk that duty; he would be only too glad to berate the scoundrel, to demand an explanation, to demolish the fool’s every argument against doing as they asked. Yet it would not do to be over shy;hasty. He had expected a tumult of protest when the wizard spoke his defiance, and had bethought himself to enter as the voice of calm reason, quieting the roil; the woman Amy had put an end to that by her illness, puking on the holy stones of Castle Regisvert like an over shy;fed bitch. To speak up whilst her condition was unknown would have been seen as unseemly.

But her attendants were about her, and it would scarcely do to leave Taillefer too long unchallenged.

“Look you, wizard,” Raven said, trying to sound calm and reasonable, “wherefore say you this, that you’ll not conjure the portal to the realm called Earth?”

“And I’ll not,” Taillefer answered coldly. “’Tis reason enough.”

“Play no games with me, Taillefer,” Raven snapped. “Say then, why you will not conjure as we ask.”

“Because, O Raven, I love my life, and would not see it early ended. Much as I appreciate that all must in time return to the breast of the Goddess, yet am I in no hurry to do so.”

“Nor are we, wizard,” Raven retorted, fighting down anger. “What does this with the conjuring?”

Taillefer sighed ostentatiously. “See you, Lord Raven,” he said, “who has conjured this spell that you ask me to perform? Why, imprimis, there is Shadow, who created it, by what means we know not, for Shadow’s ways are unknown to us. An it was human once, we might well doubt that it is yet, and it has lived these many centuries, it draws upon such unlimited powers, it binds together a web of powers and magicks the like of which no mortal has ever known. That Shadow survives the conjuring between worlds means naught for such as myself.”

“I know that…” Raven began.

Taillefer held up a silencing hand. “Secundus,” he said, “there was Quarren, who sought the title Light-Bearer, and who bethought to lead all the wizards remaining in crusade ’gainst Shadow. ’Twas he who first stole the secret of the portals, brought it from Shadow to the light, as it might be said. You well know what befell him.”

“He died,” Raven said. “I can scarce deny it, he was slain by Shadow. Yet the conjuring of portals was in no way the cause, Taillefer.”

“Ah, but know you that in certainty, you who call yourself Raven? And remember, tertius, was Elani of the Scarlet Cloak, who stood among your companions ’gainst the rule of Shadow. And where is she now, O bird of ill omen?”

“Dead likewise, in truth,” Raven admitted. “But see you, Taillefer, she died not from the conjuring of a portal, but from merest mischance, that we should be in that forest when Shadow’s hellbeasts passed by.”

“Say you so, then?” Taillefer shook his head. “An you do, I say you lie. ’Twas no mischance, methinks.”

“And I say ’twas just that, wizard,” Raven replied, glaring. “I was there by her side; were you?”

“Nay,” Taillefer admitted, “yet do I know that which you do not. You and Valadrakul and Elani, you were gone many days, O Raven, vanished from the face of the land-to the Galactic Empire, ’twould seem, from Vala’s words. There were reports that hinted at such, from our agents-and yes, I bespoke them, I opened the portals as you would have me do. And every time I did, Shadow’s creatures descended upon me, swiftly and with deadly intent, until I dared not do so again. Shadow’s reach is long, Raven, and it has ways of knowing that we do not; perhaps it feels tremors in its web, perhaps it sees in ways we do not. Whatever the means, I doubt me not that Shadow knows, upon the instant, when any lesser being dares open the gates between worlds. When my compatriot told me that Elani was dead, slain by Shadow’s beasts, I knew in an instant that she had conjured one portal too many, and I’ll not follow her down that path.”

Raven glowered at him. “’Twas not quite the way of it, wizard,” he said. “True, that perchance the beasts were drawn by a gate between worlds, but ’twas none of Elani’s conjuring. The mages of the Galactic Empire, those they call scientists, opened the portal.”

“What matter, then?” Taillefer demanded. “You see my point; ’twas the gate that drew Shadow’s attention, whosoever conjured it.”

“Yet have you, by your own words, conjured portals and lived to tell of it.”

“Indeed, for I fled instanter, when attacked.”

“Then do this the same!”

Taillefer shook his head. “Nay, Raven. I have gone too oft to the well, and fear that the bucket must soon give way. These last conjurings were each for but an instant, and each guided to a particular ally in the Empire, yet I scarce won away.” He drew back a sleeve and held up his left arm, displaying deep, half-healed wounds, plainly visible even by firelight. “And that was in Old Dunleigh, seven score miles from here, and five score further from Shadow’s keep. Here, with no friend upon the other side to guide the spell home, with the need to see half a dozen men and women transported…I’ll not risk it. E’en should I open the gate, it might well deliver these to the wrong spot in yonder realm-I might send them to Stormcrack when I sought Starlinshire, as it were, or leave them in some blasted wasteland, or drop them in the sea, an I take not an hour or more to guide it. And an hour, when every second draws Shadow’s ire closer?”

“Yet ’twould be the right world, and surely, the journey home could be made…”

“Nay, Lord Raven,” Taillefer said, “be you not so sure. Know you, that in the realm these call Earth, there are many worlds? And that in some, the air itself is poison, if there be air at all?”

Raven turned to Pel, who was standing close at hand. “Is’t true?” the rightful lord of Stormcrack Keep demanded.

* * * *

Pel had not been expecting the question; he had been standing close by, listening intently but silently, hoping that Raven would find some way to talk Taillefer around-certainly, Pel had always found Raven persuasive-but he had had no intention of getting into the argument himself, for fear of messing things up.

But when he was directly questioned, he could hardly stay out. He couldn’t answer immediately, though; puzzling out what Taillefer meant took a few seconds. “Do you mean the other planets?” he asked. “Mars and Venus and like that?”

“Aye.”

“But I thought you could only open a gate to places where people spoke English…” Pel let his sentence trail off, suddenly realizing how stupid it sounded.

“Nay, ’tis the miracle-workers of the Empire, who speak without voice, who can locate only those minds that speak the Good Tongue,” Taillefer said. “The spells of Shadow can open gateways unto any realm whose existence is known beyond doubt-that is, any realm of which certain arcane characteristics are known. But where in that realm the portal opens, who wist?”

Valadrakul spoke up. “Friend Pel, though we esteem you greatly now, think you that we had chosen your cellars as our point of entry? Had we the fullest choice, we’d have emerged in the audience chamber of a king or prince. And think you that we chose that foul desert whither Elani sent us, when Shadow’s beasts o’ercame us at Stormcrack?”

Pel was flustered. “But she said…she was in a hurry…”

“As would I be,” Taillefer pointed out.

“Listen, if you could be sure it was on Earth, on land,” Pel said, “we’d take it-at least, I would. We’d get home eventually.” He glanced at the others for support.