Read Online Edge of Worlds (The Books of the Raksura) by Martha Wells - Free Book Online Page A

join together or cooperate with each other much, but Fell rulers could share information within their flight and between flights without physically contacting each other, sometimes over great distances. “The Fell might realize now that there could be other ancient cities that have something valuable, and they’ve started to look for them. This might even be a foundation builder city, like the Kish think, and the Fell just mistook it for forerunner.”
    Jade shook her head. “I wouldn’t like to count on that.”
    Stone looked like he clearly thought everything they had discussed was just making the situation worse. “And these ‘scholars’ don’t think the Fell are a problem?”
    Delin gestured in frustration. “They have read my monograph, and I have told them as plainly as possible about the danger and what the Fell sought in the forerunner city under the coastal island. They say their city may have been built by foundation builders, which is true. They say my tale is a secondhand account, and may be false. I don’t know whose integrity they are impugning, if you are supposed to be liars or I just a fool for believing you.” He sat back. “I admit my own desires are conflicted. I believe the city is more dangerous than the Kish think, but I also believe it could hold a great deal of knowledge about the past of at least this small part of the Three Worlds, whether it is forerunner or foundation builder. These coasts and islands of the sel-Selatra and beyond are very interesting places.” He slumped a little and for the first time seemed tired. “I wish to have access to this knowledge. But I do not wish to die myself, or for others to die, or to set loose a powerful monstrous creature upon populated lands.”
    Moon didn’t wish for those things either, and he didn’t think the Kish scholars did. But not everyone was going to have Delin’s perspective on the situation. “But the Fell might already be trying to do that.”
    His voice dry, Stone said, “And it’s obvious these Kish want us to come help them get inside.”
    Everyone stared at him. Delin nodded grimly. “They have not spoken of it to me, but I think they do.”
    Pearl bared her teeth, possibly in pure irritation at the whole idea of helping meddlesome scholars she wanted nothing to do with in the first place. “And why was that so obvious?” she asked Stone.
    Stone said, “They wanted Delin’s flying boat, but then they realized it probably can’t do what they need, any more than their own can.” He met Delin’s worried gaze. “But then they remembered Delin’s descriptions of Raksura.”
    Delin spread his hands. “Just so. They have pretended they are following my advice, coming here to speak about your experience in the coastal forerunner city and ask for counsel. But it is more likely that they came all this way to ask for more than counsel.”
    Pearl snarled under her breath. “Idiot groundlings.”
    Chime gave Delin an apologetic wince. Moon stared at the carved Aeriat entwined overhead and set his jaw. It wasn’t just fear of shape shifters or the strong resemblance to Fell that caused groundlings to fear and hate Raksura. It’s also that Raksura can be such assheads , he thought.
    Jade forged on, saying, “So the question is, what do we do now, today? These groundlings want to talk, do we speak to them?”
    “We could kill them,” Stone suggested, not helpfully.
    It would have been a tense moment, except Heart sighed impatiently and said, “Line-grandfather, not in front of company.”
    Delin lifted a hand. “I know Stone is merely stimulating discussion.”
    Pearl eyed Stone and lifted her spines. “Perhaps Stone could stop doing that.”
    Stone held Pearl’s gaze. “Some of you were thinking it.”
    With the practiced ease of someone used to intervening when things got too tense between Pearl and Jade, Balm pointed out, “It wouldn’t do any good, even if it was something we were willing to do. There’s at