Diana Dueyn - The Big Meow

Down the spiderling went, spinning down on its delicate thread and intent on its business, apparently quite oblivious to Rhiow and her issues and the potential destruction of this world and possibly others. “And even the most broadbased missions,” Rhiow said as she watched, “are meant as much to serve the wizards enacting them as the beings or situations that need our help. ‘All is done for each…’”

Hwaith slipped up beside her and peered at the spiderling as it spun gently down. “Even in the situation we’re in now?” Hwaith said.

“I think we have to believe so,” Rhiow said. “The reciprocity ought to get more profound as the stakes rise, don’t you think? If They’re just. Which I think They are.”

The tiny spider came down on a shred of bark and paused there, looking around it with eyes almost too tiny for even a Person with good eyesight to make out. After a second it shook off the thread and started out across the bit of mulch, climbing up the first of a number of shred-marks on the brown, uneven surface like a climber assailing a hill. “Yes,” Hwaith said. “I’d agree with you there. I think that’s why we’ve met now.”

Rhiow continued watching the spiderling as it paused at a “hillcrest” and then started its descent into a valley-crease about an eighth of an inch deep. “You mean in terms of you and Helen and the Silent Man and our team all coming together to do this work –”

“Not exactly,” Hwaith said, and licked his nose. “Rhiow, I suppose there’s never really a perfect time to broach such a subject…”

The spiderling started climbing another “hill”. “Why,” Rhiow said, “what’s the matter? Do you have some kind of personal –”

She had been about to say “problem”, but the look in Hwaith’s eyes, vulnerable and yet peculiarly valiant, abruptly silenced her. “Yes I do,” he said. “Well, not that way exactly.” And he licked his nose again. “Rhiow, back where you come from – when you come from – is there someone for you?”

She completely lost interest in the tiny spider, and turned to stare at Hwaith.

“Well then,” he said. “I just want – no, what I mean is, perhaps you should know that –” He stopped and swore under his breath, and even through her complete shock Rhiow found herself thinking how very like Arhu Hwaith looked in this mode: the same helpless embarrassment, the same uncertainty about how to handle it, whether to be angry or abashed . “Whether you would be able to consider me for that role.”

“Hwaith,” Rhiow said. “Wait. Me?” Her ears were going back and forth in the immemorial gesture of a Person who can’t believe what she’s hearing — one which Rhiow desperately hoped didn’t make her look too much like a confused houff. “Hwaith, indeed I’m flattered, you have no idea, but, but why me?”

He looked abashed. “I don’t know that I’d be much good at explaining the reasons for this,” Hwaith said. “Don’t know that I could explain them to the Queen Herself right now if she showed up and started demanding details.” He seemed more able to look at Rhiow now, and those bronzy eyes locked on hers. “But then She doesn’t, usually. Except in shapes that we’re already familiar with…”

Rhiow sat down again, mostly in shock. Over the next few moments a previously unconnected set of conjectures began to fall into place in her mind, slotting together into one another in almost the way the parts of a spell did when you had all the necessary elements assembled together and were ready to proceed. The speed with which Urruah and Aufwi had taken themselves away. The thought that the “tom business” they had been executing might not have had anything to do with Arhu after all. A whole series of times when she and Hwaith had found themselves off by themselves for one reason or another. Come to think of it, his sudden appearance inside the Silent Man’s mind. Not just another wizard helping out with an intervention that was going wrong, she thought. Rather more than that –

She couldn’t help licking her own nose. Dear Queen, this is terrible. What am I going to do about this?

“Please don’t think I’m expecting you to give me any kind of answer,” Hwaith said hurriedly. “Naturally it’s taken you by surprise. Iau knew it took me by surprise. And we’ve got a lot to handle right now, important things to deal with, of course. But when they are handled – “

The question of what that eventuality would even look like left Rhiow utterly dumbfounded. Assuming that we do get everything handled…! She wanted to laugh out loud at the pat way Hwaith had put it. A lot of things to handle. Yes indeed! See off a vast horrible threat from right outside our sheaf of worlds, save the Universe, probably also save a batch of other universes as well: nothing too complicated. And after we get that all tidied up, let’s take some time and talk about having a relationship —

“I, ah,” Rhiow said. “Hwaith, I –” She scrambled to her feet again. “I’m sorry, we really need to get back to the Silent Man’s, I have to have time to look over that spell that Sif’s working on, and there are plans still to be made, we have to work out what to do if Ith doesn’t find those tablets before it’s time to go to Dagenham’s –”

She was babbling, and she knew it. She had rarely ever wanted more to disappear in a hurry, but she was having trouble putting the spell together in her head. And when did that last happen? Rhiow thought. “Forgive me, I’ve got to go –” she said, having trouble even looking at Hwaith now. She finally managed to remember how to assemble the transit spell, practically begging the universe to get out of her way and put her down where she needed to be, most desperately wanted to be, absolutely anywhere but here —

Rhiow vanished – but not without catching a last glimpse of those bronze eyes, resting in hers, unnerved yet at the same time looking strangely relieved. As the rose garden vanished around her, Rhiow recognized Hwaith’s look as the expression of someone who’s finally managed to ask the most important question in his world, and now waits courteously and patiently for the answer that another simply cannot give…

*

A second later, when she appeared in the back yard of the Silent Man’s house, the complete quiet of the place struck Rhiow as most peculiar when compared to the tumult in her mind. She trotted hurriedly into the house and found everything almost bizarrely calm. Sheba was lying on her back in the middle of the living room couch, snoozing while the Silent Man and Helen Walks Softly sat at opposite ends with Aufwi up on the couch’s back, discussing the details of what was likely to happen that evening. They glanced at her as she came in.

“Nothing from Ith…?” Rhiow said.

Aufwi glanced at her in faint surprise. “No. You’d have heard, surely. The backtime connection’s through you, after all…”

“Yes, of course –”

“Where’s Hwaith?” Helen said.

“Still back at the museum,” Rhiow said. “He had some questions –” Which was true.

A few seconds later Urruah came strolling down the hallway from the room where Siffha’h had been working. “Oh, you’re back,” he said. “Sif’s just about done. Arhu’s checking her work.” He waved his tail. “A nice job.”

“Good,” Rhiow said. “’Ruah, come on out and you can bring me up to date on the schedule for this evening…”

They headed out together through the French doors. “I’ve had Sif tailor her spell for around seven ehhif time,” Urruah said. “The group who’re meeting Dagenham will start gathering at his house around seven thirty, so this will give us a chance to start the spell running here and be sure it’s functioning correctly before we go up.” He glanced back over his shoulder at the man and woman sitting inside on the couch. “Our silent friend knows we don’t want him along tonight, but when he offered to drive us up, I agreed. You were a little insistent about us keeping our profile low today. Being driven to some spot nearby will attract less attention than gating in would…”