Auum smiled. ‘That may be so but it merely delays the inevitable. The Garonin means of travel and detection of mana will bring them to their quarry in time.’
‘But surely worth a try,’ said Denser, staring squarely at Hirad. ‘Anyone who wants to run and hide in the Blackthorne Mountains and the Wesman Heartlands can do so. That will draw attention from those dedicated to the service and defence of Xetesk and Balaia.’
‘I may be dead, Denser, but I’m still quicker than you, all right?’ said Hirad.
‘Spare me, Hirad.’
‘You are betraying The Raven.’
‘I am trying to save my people,’ said Denser.
‘We are your people.’
‘Were.’
‘Enough,’ said Sol, resting a restraining hand on Hirad’s bunched arm. ‘Auum.’
‘You demonstrate further ignorance, Denser,’ said Auum.
Denser shook his head and sighed. ‘I will beat myself later. What is it this time?’
‘None of the dead around this table have the luxury of running to hide. Do they, Septern? Do they, Hirad, Ilkar?’
‘What is he talking about?’ asked Denser.
‘Ulandeneth,’ said Septern. ‘It is the place through which all souls are said to pass on their way to birth, and on their way to death. It is the only place that links every dimension in every dimensional cluster. If we are to escape the Garonin, those tasked with opening the corridors must travel there to seek the new home. I searched for it all my life. I found so many places and all spoke of it. But I never found Ulandeneth. That is the elven term by the way. The Soul Home. There are many others but it is perhaps the one that sits most easily on the tongue.’
‘Can we go back a bit?’ asked Denser. ‘Dimensional clusters?’
Septern nodded at Sharyr, another so-far-silent presence. ‘Go on. I like your explanation of it. You’d have made a fine student of mine, you know.’
Sharyr blushed. ‘When Sol described how the dragons were under attack, it led me to thinking. The demons have been destroyed, so we understand from souls claiming to have escaped them. The dead dimension has also been torn apart; Balaia is under attack; every place that we know, simultaneously invaded. To me, it means that the Garonin found them all at once.’
Sharyr crabbed his hand. ‘Imagine this to be Ulandeneth. It sits at the top of everything. It’s the hub of all life, like this tower is the hub of Xeteskian magic. Then imagine lines coming out of Ulandeneth, countless lines probably and each one leading to a cluster of dimensions.
‘What I think is that each cluster is self-contained. It has a place for the dead and a number, probably variable, of places for various living species. It’s a way of organising the vastness of creation, if you like. If you are able to travel dimensions, even in a limited sense like dragons and demons can, it is because you can sense some of the lines that lead between dimensions. And when you die, you are channelled back up to Ulandeneth and then down to your particular place of rest.’
‘You’re sure there is a place for the dead in each cluster, are you?’ asked Denser.
‘It’s just a theory,’ said Sharyr. ‘Nothing is certain.’
‘And Auum, you cannot confirm absolutely that your dead travelled to a different place in your former home than they do now, am I right?’
Auum inclined his head.
Denser glared briefly at Ilkar. ‘Go on, Sharyr.’
‘Thank you. Now because for every soul there is no pause, the transit through Ulandeneth is brief indeed. Rumours of seeing light, sensing others around you, helping hands, fleeting fear just as you die . . . all these things make sense if you believe in Ulandeneth. It provides for them all. And it is a safe haven. The only trouble is, it appears the Garonin have learned how to stop there.
‘And not only that, they have begun to detect the lines that lead out to other dimensional clusters. I think they do this by following the souls of the dead because, as we know, the barrier between the dead and the living dimensions is actually very thin. It is a short step from communicating with the dead across the barrier to crossing it physically. All the Garonin had to do was rip open the dead dimension and then follow the dead to whichever home was theirs.
‘Simple, really.’
Sharyr leaned back and took a long draught of water from a goblet held in a slightly shaking hand.
‘Yeah,’ said Hirad. ‘Really, really basic stuff. I just soak up dimensional theory, I do.’
Denser was considering all that Sharyr had said. ‘So, in effect, you could argue that the dead have brought all this trouble on us.’
Ilkar’s shoulders sagged. ‘Oh dear Gods falling, is that really the way your mind has started to work?’
‘Stands to reason. If you don’t come back, the Garonin don’t follow you,’ said Denser.
‘You really don’t see what a prat you’re making of yourself, do you?’ said Sirendor. ‘And to think I died to save you and they all spoke so highly of you. We didn’t have a damn choice, Denser. It wasn’t like we could drift in the void and decide whether to return here or whether to carry on drifting. If we felt the pull of Balaia, that’s where we went. I hate all this apportioning of blame shit. We’re in trouble. Let’s deal with it if we can, all right?’
‘I can’t help feeling that a solution is near but that a couple of crucial pieces are being left out, possibly deliberately,’ said Sol. ‘Because at the moment it is clear that the most sensible thing to do is to head west, get the Shamen to open the door and people like Hirad and the rest of The Raven dead go through and we wait for them to open the door to our new home while we fight off the Garonin if we can. So, where are the snags and why do I feel I am going to be directly affected?’
There was silence for the first time since the meeting convened. Auum studied them all. None of the dead could face Sol. Denser looked perplexed now as well as angry and Sharyr, who had done his part, seemed lost in his own thoughts.
‘Anyone?’ Sol spread his hands. ‘Hirad, you’re looking embarrassed. What are you hiding?’
‘I’m so sorry, Unknown. When I came back, I did not know it would lead to this.’
‘To what? Come on, I’ve got an inn to run. Special ale to offer the Garonin when they come a-knocking.’
‘We’re here because we were attracted to your soul. You’re the reason we made it across the void. You and Denser, to be accurate, but you mainly. Fortunately. Anyway, without you we are just a loose collection of souls again. Without cohesion or direction. We’ll be lost.’
‘Fine, so I’ll take you to the doorway myself before I wave goodbye. So what?’
‘Don’t make me say it, Unknown, please.’
‘I’m afraid I must insist,’ said Sol.
Hirad swallowed. ‘We need you with us all the way, Unknown. To Ulandeneth and beyond. The Garonin know your influence. Why do you think they took you? This cannot be done without you.’
‘Terrific,’ said Sol. ‘Fucking terrific. And how do I travel there with you alive?’
‘You do not,’ said Auum. ‘If my memory serves, the ritual to open the door to Ulandeneth requires the sacrifice of a man of free will because the soul must be pure in order to seek and to lead.’
‘I see,’ said Sol. ‘Does anyone here want to volunteer how I explain my imminent and voluntary demise to my wife?’
Chapter 18
‘I should have beaten you with the cudgel while I had the chance,’ said Sol.
‘I’m sorry, Unknown. Truly. We all are.’
Denser had largely cleared the room. Sharyr and Septern had returned to the catacombs. Auum had gone to rest. The Raven, such as they were, were alone in the dining chamber.
‘Why did I let you in and listen to you?’
‘Because it’s me!’ Hirad spread his arms and smiled.
‘It certainly was bloody you. Mayhem from beyond the grave. Who else could it be?’
Sol slumped into an armchair. His body felt strange, like he was in the grip of a fever. He wanted to be furious. He wanted to shout and scream at them about the injustice of it all. That he had a wife and children and had sworn to protect them.
‘And that’s just it, though, isn’t it?’ he said.
‘Sorry, Unknown?’ said Sirendor. ‘I didn’t quite catch that.’
‘Just thinking aloud. Denser, pour some wine, would you? And let’s all sit. Like we used to do in the back room of The Rookery all those years ago.’
He waited until they had all taken seats by the cold fireplace. Hirad’s feet were on the low table in front of them. Sirendor and Ilkar both leaned forward, forearms resting on their thighs. Denser sat upright, tense and uncomfortable. And Sol, well he sprawled like he always had.
‘Remember when we first met Denser? How we all felt it was a long, hard and probably fatal journey ahead even before we heard he was after Dawnthief? And how when he talked to us in the back room that sinking feeling took over for a while before we decided we just had to face what was coming? Sorry, Sirendor, I know you don’t.’
‘But you were there,’ said Hirad helpfully. ‘We put your body on the banquet table and covered it with a cloth.’
‘I am thus reassured,’ said Sirendor. ‘I trust I looked my best.’
‘Well there wasn’t much blood or anything, except what you coughed up when you were dying.’
‘Can we leave this until later?’ said Sol.
‘Sorry,’ said Hirad.
‘Me too,’ said Sirendor.
‘You’ve ruined my moment,’ said Sol. ‘Forget it.’
‘No,’ said Hirad. ‘Go on.’
Denser leaned forward. ‘I do not believe you are seriously entertaining this prospect.’
‘Why wouldn’t I?’
‘Because it is preposterous and the ultimate act of selfishness on the part of the dead to demand you kill yourself to save them.’
‘But if it is the only way to save the Balaian people? My people?’
‘If. Yes. If.’ Denser sipped at his wine. ‘And I say what I am about to say with due deference to all the quite unbelievable things I’ve seen and places I’ve been with The Raven. Isn’t this just a little bit far-fetched? ’
‘You’re joking, right?’ asked Hirad. ‘A load of dead people walking about and Calaius evacuated and destroyed being normal business, I suppose?’
‘No, Hirad, I’m not joking.’ Denser pulled his skullcap off his head and rubbed a hand through his close-cropped grey hair. ‘Look, I’m not playing down the threat we face. I’m not pretending the situation isn’t desperate. But you’re expecting Sol, The Unknown Warrior and King of Balaia, might I remind you, to follow you into the Wesman Heartlands and commit suicide to open a gate to somewhere so you can head somewhere else and open a gate back? It’s madness.’
‘It’s the only possible solution,’ said Ilkar.
‘It quite clearly is not,’ said Denser.
‘Your solution will lead to our annihilation,’ said Hirad sharply.
‘Big word, barbarian. Who taught you that one?’
Sol was out of his chair and between them before a blow could be landed. He felt a perverse sense of comfort and satisfaction.
‘That’s what I was thinking about. Real Rookery debate.’ He allowed the smile to leave his face. ‘Now sit down, both of you.’
Denser threw up his hands and sat heavily. ‘It wouldn’t be so bad, Sol, but they are offering you no choice, no alternative. This is blind faith at best. It was never the way we did things.’
‘Oh, you misunderstand,’ said Sol. ‘It was always the way we did things. The Raven’s way was trust even in the face of ridicule. Nothing has changed bar the fact that there is no chance I will survive versus a very slim chance.’
‘But isn’t that it? We always believed that somehow we would escape and survive.’
‘I’m not sure that’s true either,’ said Sol. ‘I had no thought that we would survive the demons. I was certain we’d be trapped there, weren’t you?’
‘But there was always the tiniest chance,’ said Denser.
‘All right, you’ve made your point. Now I want to speak. It is me after all who is being asked to die in this rather inglorious manner.’
‘Could be Denser,’ said Ilkar, his eyes twinkling. ‘Any man of free will can make the sacrifice.’
Denser scoffed. ‘I don’t think so.’
‘Neither did I,’ said Hirad.
‘The thing is, Denser,’ said Sol, beginning loudly before letting his voice drop a little. ‘The thing is, that there was never really any hope of surviving this one, was there? And so any chance to save Balaia’s living and dead must be taken. However small and however far-fetched it may appear.
‘When we were at our best, it was in pretending that the only option open was in any case the best one and that others would present themselves if needed. But we never had choice, not really. There was never the option to stand aside and let someone else do it because there was no one else. And it is the same now.