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Emil had been the one who talked to the storyteller, through the medium of
Karis
and the raven, but it had been Karis who offered the storyteller her death.
Now,
Emil knelt beside Medric, who under KarisÆs direction had laid out the glyph
pattern on the floor, using cards borrowed from a sleepy and confused Paladin.
Medric said unhappily, ôThis is worse than reading Koles.ö
ôShe was able to give us some clues of how to read it,ö Emil said.
ôBut glyphs without context. .. !ö
ôThe reader always creates the context.ö
ôWe are not seeking a subjective truth, though. And to read these cards as
though my experience of them somehow reflects a political reality is not just
specious. ItÆs dangerous.ö
Emil put his hand on the seerÆs shoulder. His three earrings glittered
briefly
in a beam of sunlight. ôWe sent her out to explore the wilderness. Now she
has
found a way through, but it is up to us to read the trail markings so we can
follow her.ö
ôWhat if we are too stupid?ö
ôStupid? Oh come now, Medric!ö
To Garland, this discussion was incomprehensible. He understood, rather
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vaguely,
that Emil had thought it reasonable to let a casting of cards determine
ShaftalÆs future. He understood now that Medric, who would be responsible for
interpreting those cards, thought that to read them reliably was impossible.
But
MedricÆs explanation for his reluctance made no sense, and neither did EmilÆs
steady assurance that it could be done. What if Emil were as mad in his way
as
Medric was in his? Surely, Norina would not allow lunacy to continue. Garland
glanced hopefully at her.
Norina stood with her arms folded, her back against a post that supported the
center beam. She watched Medric fret over the incomprehensible glyphs. Her
face
was inscrutable.
When Norina killed the storyteller, it would be with that very expression on
her
face: passionless, impersonal. She was as mad as the rest of them.
KarisÆs desperate, shuddering sobs had fallen silent. One of her clenched
hands
unfolded, to stroke LeebaÆs head. JÆhan, who embraced Karis on the other
side,
dug out a preposterously clean handkerchief for her to use. Leeba made a
fretful
sound, and Karis said hoarsely to her, ôIÆm sorry IÆm scaring you. But IÆm
just
sad.ö
ôYouÆre always sad,ö Leeba said.
Karis let her limbs unfold to take the child into her embrace. ôIÆm sorry.
But
you make me glad, you know.ö
Emil said, ôKaris, can you talk to me about politics?ö
Karis, bowed over Leeba, did not respond.
Emil persisted. ôI think I must call an assembly, and it will take two months
at
least to gather people together. I have the Paladins now to act as
messengers,
but I assume we wonÆt be bringing them to Watfield with usùö
ôYouÆre going to visit the center of Sainnite power without any Paladins?ö
said
Mabin, who had joined them earlier. ôWell, this is certain to be a
short-lived
government.ö
Karis looked up then. ôThat battle last night was the last. There will be no
more bloodshed in Shaftal.ö
Mabin looked blank, and Garland felt that blankness also. No bloodshed? How?
Norina said, ôUnder the law, the GÆdeonÆs declarations are to be understood
as
fact.ö
ôHer words only sound like hope to me!ö said Mabin.
Norina straightened from her post. ôBreak the law at your peril, Mabin.ö Her
tone was cold.
ôFact?ö said Karis in a small voice.
ôYou speak for the land,ö said Norina to Karis, as though that explained
everything. ôYouÆll get accustomed to it.ö
Not by accident, NorinaÆs foot sharply nudged MabinÆs. The councilor said,
ôIf
Karis says we donÆt need an army to defeat an army, then she must be
correct.ö
She looked like she had taken a mouthful of putrid fish and was trying to
determine how to spit it out.
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ôFor war cannot make peace.ö Emil gestured at the cards on the floor. ôAnd I
see
no war there. Do you, Medric?ö
Medric said irritably, ôThis is not a predictive casting. ItÆs an advisory
casting.ö He sat back on his heels. ôWar, defeat, victory, none of these are
advised.ö
Abruptly, mysteriously, Garland understood all of them. Medric, who examined
possibilities, could conclude that war might continue, despite the
storytellerÆs
advice. Except Karis had said that it wouldnÆt. And Mabin clearly thought
that
peace without victory would be impossible, and Norina might well have agreed
with her, except that the law required her to agree with Karis, no matter
what.
So she agreed with her.
Karis said flatly, ôThe war is over.ö A statement of fact.
KarisÆs advisors all nodded distractedly: fire logicÆs uncertainty was
resolved;
air logic shifted its entire rationale to match a new principle; earth logic
remained inarguable. Emil, apparently the quickest to readjust his thinkingùa
dancer, that man, always poised on his toesùsaid, ôWell, Medric will grumble
over the cards, however long it takes. You and I, Karis, we need to decide
what
I am to do, if I am not re-establishing the old government.ö
Karis shut her eyes. Emil began to say something apologetic, but a gesture
from
Norina silenced him. Garland, still embracing Karis, thought she might be
analyzing the distribution of weight on that loaded food tray she had once
described. Her desperate sorrow was not pastùand would never be, perhaps. But
Karis said sturdily, ôCall an assembly, Emil, and name everyone who attends it
a
councilor of Shaftal.ö
Emil blinked. ôNo Council of Thirteen? No Lilterwess Council?ö
ôThe Lilterwess Council is to be formed by the GÆdeon,ö said Norina. ôBut if
she
chooses not to form one, and to transfer their power directly to the
assembly,
that does not contradict any law.ö
ôIt contradicts traditionùö began Mabin, and got herself kicked again.
Apparently, she was to endure a painful re-training, but Garland could not
manage to feel sorry for her.
Karis said, ôMaster seer, what do you think?ö
Medric looked up from his glyph puzzle. For once, he did not protest the
formal
way she had addressed him. And his spectacles seemed perfectly clear. ôYou
are
choosing the right way. Now leave me alone.ö
Emil asked Mabin, Norina, and JÆhan to help him decide who to invite to the
assembly, and how to compose the important letter that would coincidentally
announce to all the people of Shaftal that, after twenty years of chaos, they
had a GÆdeon again. Apparently, Emil would then recruit the entire company of
Paladins to simultaneously write dictated copies of the letter, which the
Paladins would hand-deliver to the recipients. Garland cried, ôDo you mean to
tell me that every single Paladin carries pen and ink?ö
Emil blandly produced a pen and a packet of ink from his waistcoatÆs inside
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