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Authors: Randall Garrett
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the centuries since Serkajon—in a fairly recent time, I believe—the Supervisors began using the Ra’ira again to train and control the vineh, and put them to work in the city.”
The Elder’s eyes widened. “Then there was no illness among the vineh in Raithskar? The removal of the Ra’ira merely let them revert to natural behavior?”
I squirmed in my chair.
Now we get down to the nitty-gritty,
I thought.
“Not exactly. You see, the Ra’ira never left Raithskar. The vineh are
still
being controlled.”
Charol was quick to pick up the implication, and it clearly horrified him. “Do you mean to say that the disruption in Raithskar, the danger from the vineh—that these are the result of someone’s
deliberate
action? Who?” he demanded. “Who would do such a thing, and why?”
“We have told you,” Tarani said, “what we
know
of this, and some opinion which has been derived from that knowledge. We
are
reasonably sure that the Ra’ira is indeed finding use, still, in the vineh activity around Raithskar.
“The identity of the man who is doing this—and his reasons—are the subjects of less certain speculation.” Tarani glanced at me, and I nodded. “Yet we are confident of our conclusions. One of the Supervisors in Raithskar once lived in Eddarta under the name of Tinis—”
Charol gasped, and Tarani nodded to confirm his guess.
“I see why you have guarded this knowledge so carefully,” Charol said, standing up and beginning to pace in an erratic circle. “I am grateful for your trust, and quite convinced of the danger. As a boy, I heard the stories of Tinis—of his arrogance, his power, and his fury.
“I will not,” Charol continued, “ask how Tinis attained leadership among men committed to guarding against this very thing. Nor will I inquire about the manner in which the supposed theft was contrived. My mind is reeling now; I shall not burden it further with nonessential details.”
He stood up straight.
“You spoke of a choice, and I believe I am now in the position of making that choice on behalf of all Fa’aldu. Speaking not as Elder of Iribos but for all Elders, I do need to know three things before I can make that choice:
“First, what does Tinis—or Ferrathyn—want?
“Second, what do you—the High Lord of Eddarta and the Captain of the Sharith—want?
“Lastly, how will the Fa’aldu be involved in what you want?”
“Those are fair questions,” Tarani said. She stood up and walked to the open window, lowered her hip to the sill and looked out at the inner courtyard. I could just see past her; children were building fires in the ovens, and women were mixing dough. “Easily asked,” she said musingly, “but less easily answered.”
“I believe,” I spoke up, “that Ferrathyn wants
power
—not the kind he has in Raithskar, covert and unacknowledged—but the outright power of a ruler. I also believe,” I added, recalling the terror in the lifememory of Gharlas’s ancestor, “that he especially wants to wield that kind of power in Eddarta, over the Lords who scorned, exiled, and probably tried to kill him.”
Tarani turned back to us, braced her hands on her knees, and leaned forward.
“
We
want to stop him,” she said, “to remove the Ra’ira from his reach. As to what we would ask of the Fa’aldu in support of that effort …” She shrugged. “We have no idea of what Ferrathyn plans, and therefore can compose no strategy to counteract his plans. Although Rikardon and I have had no opportunity to discuss this, I believe I may assure you that we would prefer to deal, singly and alone, with Ferrathyn.”
She glanced at me, and I nodded.
“That’s why we’re on our way back to Raithskar now,” I said. “We’re afraid that if we can’t stop him there, he’ll drive an army of men and vineh all the way to Eddarta. If that happens …”
“A choice will be forced on everyone,” Charol said angrily. “I see it in what I know of Tinis. He
The Elder’s eyes widened. “Then there was no illness among the vineh in Raithskar? The removal of the Ra’ira merely let them revert to natural behavior?”
I squirmed in my chair.
Now we get down to the nitty-gritty,
I thought.
“Not exactly. You see, the Ra’ira never left Raithskar. The vineh are
still
being controlled.”
Charol was quick to pick up the implication, and it clearly horrified him. “Do you mean to say that the disruption in Raithskar, the danger from the vineh—that these are the result of someone’s
deliberate
action? Who?” he demanded. “Who would do such a thing, and why?”
“We have told you,” Tarani said, “what we
know
of this, and some opinion which has been derived from that knowledge. We
are
reasonably sure that the Ra’ira is indeed finding use, still, in the vineh activity around Raithskar.
“The identity of the man who is doing this—and his reasons—are the subjects of less certain speculation.” Tarani glanced at me, and I nodded. “Yet we are confident of our conclusions. One of the Supervisors in Raithskar once lived in Eddarta under the name of Tinis—”
Charol gasped, and Tarani nodded to confirm his guess.
“I see why you have guarded this knowledge so carefully,” Charol said, standing up and beginning to pace in an erratic circle. “I am grateful for your trust, and quite convinced of the danger. As a boy, I heard the stories of Tinis—of his arrogance, his power, and his fury.
“I will not,” Charol continued, “ask how Tinis attained leadership among men committed to guarding against this very thing. Nor will I inquire about the manner in which the supposed theft was contrived. My mind is reeling now; I shall not burden it further with nonessential details.”
He stood up straight.
“You spoke of a choice, and I believe I am now in the position of making that choice on behalf of all Fa’aldu. Speaking not as Elder of Iribos but for all Elders, I do need to know three things before I can make that choice:
“First, what does Tinis—or Ferrathyn—want?
“Second, what do you—the High Lord of Eddarta and the Captain of the Sharith—want?
“Lastly, how will the Fa’aldu be involved in what you want?”
“Those are fair questions,” Tarani said. She stood up and walked to the open window, lowered her hip to the sill and looked out at the inner courtyard. I could just see past her; children were building fires in the ovens, and women were mixing dough. “Easily asked,” she said musingly, “but less easily answered.”
“I believe,” I spoke up, “that Ferrathyn wants
power
—not the kind he has in Raithskar, covert and unacknowledged—but the outright power of a ruler. I also believe,” I added, recalling the terror in the lifememory of Gharlas’s ancestor, “that he especially wants to wield that kind of power in Eddarta, over the Lords who scorned, exiled, and probably tried to kill him.”
Tarani turned back to us, braced her hands on her knees, and leaned forward.
“
We
want to stop him,” she said, “to remove the Ra’ira from his reach. As to what we would ask of the Fa’aldu in support of that effort …” She shrugged. “We have no idea of what Ferrathyn plans, and therefore can compose no strategy to counteract his plans. Although Rikardon and I have had no opportunity to discuss this, I believe I may assure you that we would prefer to deal, singly and alone, with Ferrathyn.”
She glanced at me, and I nodded.
“That’s why we’re on our way back to Raithskar now,” I said. “We’re afraid that if we can’t stop him there, he’ll drive an army of men and vineh all the way to Eddarta. If that happens …”
“A choice will be forced on everyone,” Charol said angrily. “I see it in what I know of Tinis. He
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