L. Modesitt - Imager's challenge

Then came the traditional closing hymn-“For the Glory.”

“For the glory, for the life,

for the beauty and the strife,

for all that is and ever shall be,

all together, through forever,

in eternal Nameless glory . . .”

As the last words of the closing hymn echoed through the anomen, I squeezed Seliora’s hand, then eased away toward the side of the chamber, hurrying toward the open doors. I stopped just inside them and surveyed the buildings across the street, especially along the roof lines, where a sniper might well be concealed. I saw no one that looked out of the ordinary.

Then, people began to depart. Some of those at the back left immediately, hurrying past me as if they had fulfilled some obligation. One of them was Ferdinand, the masonry factor. Another was his brother, Tomaz, the produce factor.

For a bit, then, no one departed. I judged that was because many of them wanted to offer condolences to Remaya and my parents, some of them at the anomen, so that they would not feel obligated to call at the house later.

After a short time, a trickle of mourners began to file out, but I didn’t see Veblynt or others I would have expected.

Before long, I could hear Culthyn’s voice. “There he is, by the doors.”

I glanced back, but didn’t see Seliora, and that bothered me, but I had the feeling that she wouldn’t be a target of an assassin. I hoped not, but I waited as my parents approached.

“Go ahead,” I said, “I’ll be right behind you.”

I looked back again, and Seliora stepped out of one of the alcoves and moved up beside me. We walked down the steps just behind my parents, Khethila, Remaya, and Culthyn. I extended shields, trying to make sure that they protected Father and Culthyn.

Something slammed into me-my shields, rather-and I barely managed not to stumble, even when a second bullet struck.

Almost without thinking, I imaged a line of caustic back along what I felt was the path of the bullets, even as I kept walking and shielding my family. Remaya never looked up, or looked in my direction.

Khethila looked back at me with a puzzled expression. “Rhenn.”

“I stumbled.” That was all I said.

“What did you do?” Seliora leaned toward me and murmured the words.

“Another assassin,” I murmured back.

Seliora looked at me. “There shouldn’t have been . . .”

I understood what she meant. “Maybe there were too many.” This time, I had no doubts who was behind the attempt, because none of the shots had been at me. All had been aimed at members of my family. The attack also confirmed that I had no choice but to carry out what I planned, because Ryel would not stop until he was stopped. Nor would Dulyk.

For that moment, though, either I’d been successful or the shooter had fled, because there were no more shots all the way to the coach. Father helped Remaya inside. She was trying to hold herself together, I could tell, so much so that she had not looked back or in any direction during the service or on the walk back to the coach.

After the others were all in the coach, except Father, I said to him quietly, “We’ll just take a hack.”

He nodded and climbed into the coach.

Seliora and I left the family coach and walked back down Elsyor for less than thirty yards to the two hackers remaining. They knew when there were memorials. We took the first coach.

Once we were inside and on our way, Seliora studied me. “You knew, didn’t you?”

“I had a flash during the service. That’s why I hurried off.”

“Grandmama thought someone might be shooting after the memorial service, but she arranged for people to be watching.”

“I’m sure they were, but there might have been another. She’ll get a report, won’t she?”

Seliora nodded, then reached out and squeezed my hand. “You spoke well and lovingly.”

“I loved Rousel. Sometimes I could have strangled him, but I still loved him, and I didn’t want anything like this to happen to him.”

“You’re worried about what someone might say at the house, aren’t you?” she asked.

“I don’t want anyone to suspect what really happened. Everyone’s suffered enough.”

She nodded.

Charlsyn was just pulling the brown coach past the portico toward the rear stable at the house when Seliora and I alighted from the hack and began to walk through the front gate and up the walk.

Remaya was standing under the portico, holding Rheityr against her shoulder and rocking him gently. She didn’t see us until we neared the front door. Then she stared, and even from yards away, I could see that she paled.

“Salari Seliora ind puitre d’esprit vengael . . .”

I couldn’t believe I heard the words, because Remaya hadn’t spoken that loudly, but more in an involuntary murmured exclamation, but I did. The only word I knew was Seliora, and that meant “daughter of the moon” in old Pharsi, something I hadn’t known until Seliora had told my parents months before.

Remaya’s words halted Seliora as well. We looked at each other, then back toward Remaya, but she had turned away and fled, almost, into the house.

“What did she say?” I asked.

“That’s an old Pharsi expression.” Seliora hesitated, then went on. “It doesn’t translate directly, but it means something like ‘Protect us from the daughter of the moon and the spear of vengeance.’ The other part’s not really in the words, but the spear of vengeance traditionally refers to Erion, the lesser moon, and the coupling of the daughter of the greater moon with the lesser moon creates the terror of combining truth and power.”

“The terror of combining truth and power,” I repeated. “Why would she say that?”

“You said she had farsight.”

“Not so much as you, but she said she’d had flashes. One was that she’d marry Rousel.”

Seliora shivered. It wasn’t that cold out.

“You two,” called Khethila from the door. “Are you just going to stand there, or are you coming inside?”

“We’re coming,” I replied.

One of the first people I saw when we stepped into the formal parlor was Factor Veblynt. I hadn’t seen him at the anomen, but he might have been there.

He immediately came toward us. “Master Rhennthyl, I am so sorry for you and your family. Such a tragedy for you all, especially when matters like this happen to those who are innocent.” His eyes did not quite meet mine.

“Often the worst happens to the innocent,” Seliora replied. “They don’t realize how unpredictable life can be, and they’re not prepared.”

“That is true, Mistress Seliora.” Veblynt nodded to her, then looked to me. “Did anyone ever discover the cause of the . . . accident?”

“For everyone concerned, it was a terrible accident,” I replied. “Terrible.”

“Did you know that a similar sort of incident occurred last week here in L’Excelsis?”

“I would not be surprised,” I replied. “There are far more wagons and horses here than in Kherseilles.”

“Alynat D’Ryel died racing his trap on the road last week. Rather sudden, it was. Apparently, the wheel bearings froze suddenly.”

“Alynat?” I frowned. “Wasn’t he the nephew or some such of High Holder Ryel?”

“He was. Apparently, Ryel took his death rather hard, although, interestingly enough, he has not canceled his Fall Foliage Festival on Samedi. I thought you might find that interesting.” His eyes glittered.

What I found interesting was that Veblynt had brought it up. I managed to smile. “He has a foliage festival this late in the year?”

“A whim of his,” Veblynt said with a smile that was anything but sincere. “Oh . . . I see your mother. If you would excuse me?”