Allan Cole - Wolves of the Gods

"When I first met your creator," Safar said, "she told me it was vital that I destroy the machine somehow. Was that true, or only a necessary lie?"

"It was partly true," Hantilia said. "I don't know what was going through my real self's mind, since I wasn't there. But I suspect I told you that was my desire so you would think I had a selfish, and therefore believable, motive for my actions. After all, if I had told you I planned a mass suicide to assist you I doubt if you would have listened much further."

Safar grimaced. That was certainly the truth!

"However, it is no prevarication that the machine presents a dire threat," Hantilia continued.

"Regionally speaking, of course, since what happens to Esmir is happening everywhere else. From what I've been able to determine the machine is an open wound between Hadin and Esmir. If it isn't stopped, Esmir will cease to exist in not many years."

"And if it is stopped?"

"Another decade or so will be added to Esmir's span." The Queen frowned. "But it won't do more than delay the inevitable. Unless you can find a solution to the disaster destroying this world, that is.

Frankly, I have grave doubts you can succeed. When you study the book I gave you, you'll see that my ancestor, Lord Asper, had the same doubts.

"There's a chance to save the world. But a very slim one, indeed."

She gave another of her elegant shrugs. "Destroy the machine, or don't destroy it. That's up to you. You will most certainly have the power to attempt it, thanks to the Spell of The Great Sacrifice."

Palimak fidgeted on the bench. He was getting restless and a bit bored with all this talk of things that happened in the past. He was here for the future!

"When do we get to the Oracle part?" he asked. "You know, when you tell us what to do to get to Syrapis?"

Hantilia smiled. "Would now be soon enough?" she asked.

Palimak nodded. "Maybe we'd better," he said. "Gundara and Gundaree say we don't have much time. I'm sorry everybody is dead and everything. Especially you. But we're not dead and I get the idea that any minute now you're going to go-poof! And disappear. Forever, probably."

Safar frowned. Although his opinions were bluntly put, Palimak was right. Safar could sense the magical creation that was Hantilia fading in and out-growing a bit weaker with each cycle.

"How do we start?" he asked the Queen.

She nodded at the book he held in his hands. "Give it to the boy and let him open it," she said.

Safar did as she asked. Palimak held the book gingerly, a little nervous.

"Go ahead," Hantilia gently urged. "Open it, my dear."

"Which page?"

"Let the book decide," was Hantilia's only reply.

Palimak's brow wrinkled in puzzlement. "I'm not sure I understand," he said.

"Just open the book, dear one, and you'll see."

Palimak took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. But being a child he went at the task perversely, carefully choosing a point about a third of the way through the book. He tried to pull it apart, but the pages stuck together and the book insisted on parting in the center.

The boy peered closely at the pages, expecting a miracle, but seeing nothing but a few poems.

"What do I do now?" he asked.

"Read one of the poems," Hantilia answered.

He looked back down at the book, trying to choose, but the words seem to skitter across the pages.

Hantilia sensed his difficulty. "Don't try to pick one," she advised. "Just open your mind to all possibilities."

Palimak squirmed, impatient, wanting to tell her this was stupid. For not the first time, he wondered why witches and wizards didn't speak plainly. They always used such funny words that didn't really mean anything when he thought about them later. Like Hantilia saying he should "open his mind to all possibilities." How do you open a mind? It's closed up in your head, for goodness sakes. And as for

"all possibilities," that was just plain silly. It didn't describe anything. Or maybe it was the other way around. Maybe it described Everything. Was that what she meant?

Suddenly, to his amazement, words took form and a poem practically leapt from the page.

"This is great!" he exclaimed. "What do I do next?"

"Read to us," the Queen said. And so he did, chanting:

"The Gods are uneasy in their sleep.

They dream of wolves among the sheep.

Brothers in greed, kin to hate,

Wolves bar the path to Hadin's gates."

As Palimak spoke the last words, red smoke whooshed up and he reflexively jerked his head back in alarm.

"It's all right, Little Master," Gundara whispered. "It won't hurt you."

Palimak nodded and sat quite still, watching the smoke curling up like a snake. Then lips formed in the smoke-full lips parting in a woman's seductive smile.

Safar instantly recognized that smile. He'd first seen it as a boy, except Iraj had been with him then. He leaned closer as the lips opened to speak. Safar heard a woman's voice say:

"There is a veil through which no sage can see. For there is no lamp to light the fates. Yet knowthat in the place where the heavens meet the hells-good and evil, foul and fair, life and death, areall coins of the same value. Spend them wisely, seekers, or spend them foolishly, it makes nodifference to the sleeping gods. But do not hesitate, do not stray from your path. And rememberabove all things-what two began, three must complete."

The smoke vanished and the book snapped shut.

Safar looked up at Palimak, expecting to see wonderment on his face. Instead, the boy was sneering.

"If I ever make one of those things," he announced, "I'm going to figure out how to make it talk so people can understand what it means."

Serious as the moment was, Safar couldn't help but laugh. "If you ever do, son," he said, "you'll have witches and wizards with fists full of gold lined up for miles to buy one minute of your oracle's time."

"Maybe," Palimak said absently. Then his eyes brightened. He started to say more, but Safar made a signal and he stopped, looking over at Hantilia.

To the boy's surprise her form had faded so much that she was nearly a shadow. In a few moments she would be gone.

"I have one other thing to tell you before I go, Safar Timura," she said.

"Go on, please, dear lady," Safar said.

"You will need ships to sail to Syrapis," she said. "So you must travel to Caspan next. There is a friend waiting for you there who can help.

"But do it immediately. Haste is of prime importance. I can't stress that too much.

"You have three days at the most to make your arrangements and return to Caluz for your people. The portal will be closed after that."

"Who is this man?" Safar asked.

"He's called Coralean," she said.

Safar reacted, surprised. But before he could ask more, the Queen turned to Palimak.

"Answer me quickly, dear one," she said. "I have little time left. Back at the palace … Did my temporal presence tell you about your mother?"

"Yes," Palimak said, trembling.

Hantilia smiled. "Good," she said. "Good."

She raised a hand of farewell, barely visible now.

"Wait!" Safar shouted. Hantilia's form steadied. "What about the lady? The Spirit Rider who led us here? Who is she?"

"Lady?" Hantilia said, eyes widening in surprise. "I know of no lady."

And then she was gone.

As beautiful as Caspan had seemed from a distance, up close it was a horror. It was late afternoon when they reached the city. Plague bells were tolling and there was an awful stench of death rising from the great ditch encircling the city's walls-a sure sign even routine burials had been abandoned. The gates were wide open and people with the wild looks of refugees were streaming out, their belongings piled onto carts or on their backs. The walls, which had appeared so pristine white from the hills, were a filthy gray, marked further by crumbling stone and breaks in the wall due to civic neglect.