Season of Passage, The (38 page)

immediately to the fireplace and arranged the singed scraps he had gathered. There was a lighter on top of the bricks, and soon the chil was

melting from his limbs before a cracking fire. It was then he saw

Jennifer's new typewriter on the floor, and the stack of papers beside it.

Her story.

The pages were divided into two sections. The first sheets were in a graceful flowing penmanship. Not a word was crossed out or a letter smudged.

The second section was neatly typed. She must have finished it sitting where he was now, he thought, working late at night and using the flames for

light. It would have been her way.

Terry took the silver ring from his pocket and set it on the bricks next to the fire. He began to read.

In the Garden, on the edge of the vast ocean, and the borders of the tal mountains, lived the people of the Sastra, the first and greatest of human

beings. Because they were from the beginning, they were untarnished, beautiful and wise, of fair form and kind desire. Their King was Rankar,

mightiest of the Sastra, and their Queen, Chaneen, loveliest of the offspring of the gods..."

BOOKFOUR

The Curse

TWENTY-FIVE

Excerpts from Jennifer Wagner's Story

Janier awoke from a dark dream to find herself being carried under the surface of Asure. Her hands were bound at her back with metal cords.

Hel ish faces grinned at her from the shadows. In her first few moments of consciousness, she struggled violently. But they laughed at her and

tightened their claws into her skin and she began to bleed. Thinking to conserve her strength, she decided to remain stil . She could feel her sword

banging against her leg. She did not understand why they let her keep it, unless it was because they feared her so little.

Janier remembered with guilt her crossing into Asure. With her warriors by her side, she had emerged upon an icy black plain. There she 'd

immediately had a change of heart. The enemy was much stronger when it was dark, and seeing the conditions, she attempted to retreat to the

desert. Unfortunately, the bridge was gone, and it was then she knew she had been tricked. From seemingly nowhere a rain of poisonous darts fel

upon her warriors. She tried invoking the fire, but the Messenger had left her arm, and nothing happened. Her entire company of warriors perished

in agony. She was the only one the enemy spared. She did not know why. They had bound her limbs and choked the air from her lungs until she

fainted.

If only she had listened to Chaneen.

Thinking of her sister, under the dripping teeth and suffocating

breath of her assailants, Janier lost consciousness again.

She awoke with a slap in the face. Dizzy and bloody, she rol ed on her side and opened her eyes. She was in a vast underground chamber. Pools

of lava boiled on her left. They fil ed the air with a depressing red glow and afoul stench. She tried to stand, but her hands and feet were stil bound.

She fel forward on hard black stone and banged her head. A throng of watching female Asurians jeered. They sat on rows upon rows of bleachers,

that curved upwards and were lost in the dark. They were hideous, with wide snouts, large teeth, scaly hides, and red eyes that shone with

excitement.

Amidst the shouts, Janier heard a deep chuckle. It was the Asurian King, Kratine. He sat on a black throne, wearing a gold corset about his

midsection and a purple cloak over his shoulders. A heavy crown laden with jewels topped his big head. He clung to his il usion of human form, a

fair handsomeness that reminded her of Rankar. Yet his eyes were unmasked, and that made Janier tremble to look upon them. They were empty

black holes that led into nothingness. As she struggled to her feet, he stood from his throne and slowly approached her. He continued to chuckle as

he reached into her belt and withdrew her bloodstained sword.

He smiled. I see you brought the fire.'

For a moment he held the blade at her throat. Then he broke the sword over his knee and tossed the pieces into the nearby volcanic pit. The lava

flared briefly with yel ow flame, and then settled back into its sober red glow.

'So we meet again, Janier,' Kratine said. 'You come to my land, after al .' He bowed. I am honored.'

Janier tested her cords. They were strong, tightly fastened. She was not going to break free. She was surprised to feel Chaneen 's ring stil on her

finger.

'You wil get nothing from me, Kratine,' she said. 'Best you kil me now and save your time.'

Kratine stepped back as if surprised. 'Kil you? I have no intention

of kil ing you. I intend for you to return home. Yes, that is what I intend.'

'You lie.'

'Lie, my Princess? Why would I lie to you? Surely you accuse me falsely.'

I wil not be tricked,' she said defiantly.

'Are you so eager to die?' Kratine glanced at the boiling mud. I would regret destroying such a beautiful woman. Truly, I would.' He moved closer,

and she could feel his breath in her face. 'But I'm sure I won't have to, for you are going to perform me a valuable service. Yes, you, Princess Janier.

You are going to be my emissary, to your exalted Queen. I want to offer Chaneen a truce.'

'After you promised the same to Rankar?' Janier said bitterly. 'And then murdered so many of the Sastra? Chaneen wil not believe you.'

'But you have to believe me, Janier. You have no choice but to be my emissary.' He paused. 'Come. We are reasonable beings. I have few warriors

left. Your own army is gone. The kil ing has helped neither of us.'

Janier glanced at the watching throng. 'You appear to have sufficient force left to overrun the Garden.'

'That is where you are wrong. You did not wield the fire. Only your sister's invocation could have brought the Messenger. I know Chaneen stil waits

in your Garden. I have no desire to face her.'

'Where is Rankar? Where is Tier?'

'Your King is dead.'

'That was your purpose from the beginning. To lure him here.'

'Need I refresh your memory? Rankar volunteered to come here. I original y had no intention of bringing him to my land. He surprised me with his

request.'

'Why did you kil him?'

Kratine chuckled. 'A sil y question.'

'What did you want the couple for?'

'For reasons that wil become clear to you soon.'

'Where is Tier? Did you kil him, too?'

Kratine stepped behind her back. She could feel his eyes on her body. 'You are my captive. Is it fair that I have to answer al your questions? Don't

you want to hear the conditions of the truce 1 am proposing?'

Janier stood straight. 'I am listening.'

Kratine touched her hair. His fingers felt like claws, as indeed they actual y were. 'You are like your sister, Janier, very beautiful.'

'List your conditions.'

Kratine took a step away from her back. 'Of course. First, Chaneen must swear an oath never to invade my land.'

'You know she would never do that, 'Janier said.

'Then it is a simple request.'

'You try to deceive me. You said your people could not survive in Asure. Now you say you are content with what you have?'

'You twist my words. I did not say I am content.' Kratine walked back to his throne. On the right side of the black seat were three huge brown oval

eggs. He selected one and returned to her side. 'Do you know what this is?' he asked.

'Yes. The chamber in which your unborn grow.'

'Very good, Janier. I hold an Asurian child on the verge of birth. Unfortunately, this infant can't survive in this land, as you have pointed out. Indeed,

this child is about to die.' Kratine cracked the top off the egg, and a horrible stench assailed Janier's nose. The Asurian King dug inside the shel

and removed a squirming miniature of the monsters that watched from the stands. Careful not to spil the fluid inside the shel , Kratine set down the

egg and carried the struggling infant to the edge of the lava pool.

'What are you doing?' she cried.

'I'm making a smal sacrifice to emphasize my point.' He lowered the kicking infant slowly into the mud. There came a shril scream as the creature's

feet were seared off. Kratine, however, was patient. He took his time kil ing the creature. Final y he returned to her side. 'You see now how wil ing I

am to sacrifice my own in order to reach a truce?' he said.

Janier saw nothing of the kind from his act, only that she didn't want

to be lowered into the boiling mud. For the first time in her life, fear dominated her thoughts. She decided to feign cooperation in the hope of

escape.

I wil carry your message to my sister,' she said. 'What are your other conditions?'

Kratine nodded. 'Ah, a change of heart. That is good. But what I have to say next is difficult. I admire you, Janier. You have spirit. You are a great

warrior. None could doubt your abilities. But you have brought great misery to my people. Even Rankar did not inflict the fire so often and so

mercilessly. You had my warriors on the run. They were clearly defeated. Only a smal number escaped across my bridge. You knew there were too

few of my warriors left to harm your people. Yet you pushed forward and crossed my bridge with the intention of kil ing the last of the Asurians. That

was not necessary. That was evil.' Janier held her wrath in check. 'You attacked us first.'

'We attacked out of need, so we could live. We have little water here, and what little we do have, we are forced to hoard underground. Natural y we

tried to invade your Garden. But you came here to kil for the sake of kil ing. Again, I say to you, that was evil.'

Anger overshadowed Janier's caution. 'I have seen the way your people fight. They torture their captives. They drink their blood.'

'They drink because they are thirsty from lack of water.'

'In our mountains, there was muck water, 'Janier said.

Kratine ran a sharp finger over the top of her breasts. 'Does it make us evil, to enjoy our duty?' Janier could think of nothing to say. Kratine

continued. 'Did Chaneen tel you to cross over into my land?'

'You were tel ing me of your conditions.'

'She told you not to go,' Kratine said. 'Is that not so? Speak! Admit that you were wrong. Admit that you violated your own Queen's orders.'

'Of what use is such an admission to you?'

Kratines voice softened. 'I merely wish for you to be able to return to your sister with a clear conscience.'

'What are the conditions of your truce?' she repeated.

'Just the one I mentioned. Chaneen must promise not to invade my lands. She has a good heart. I wil believe her if she promises. I respect

sincerity, Janier. That is the only other condition that 1 have. You must return to your home and sincerely express my views. Do you understand?'

'Yes.'

'Very good. I am pleased that you do. If you didn't, I would send another emissary, and then I would have no reason to keep you alive. Stil , I do have

plenty of reason to put you to death, don't I? Answer me truthful y.'

Janier was becoming confused. He held out freedom one moment, and then took it away. He made her feel worse than him. He was evil, there was

no question of that, but had she also been at fault? His blank eyes taunted her, the scream of the dying Asurian plagued her.

'You have another of my people?' she asked warily.

'But of course,' Kratine said. 'Should I send for him? He could go in your stead, and you could stay here with me. Do you think that would be best,

Janier?'

'Who is this one?'

Kratine spoke with pride. 'A great warrior. The leader of your forces.'

'Tier?'

' 'Yes. That is his name. Oh, I had forgotten. He is your husband. I understand your excitement. That is good. Should I send for him? He could be my

emissary, I'm sure. He is very devoted.'

'Devoted?' she began.

Kratine leaned close and smiled. 'You were about to say that your husband could not be devoted to me. Is that not so, Princess?'

'Yes,' she whispered.

'Wel , you are wrong!' His wrath hit her like a physical blow and she cringed. 'You see, he is mine now. Mine!' Kratine grabbed her by the back of

her neck and pul ed her to the edge of the boiling mud. He held her face close to the lava and she had to close her eyes to keep from going blind.

The heat was unbearable. 'I broke his wil , Janier! I

tortured him. You humans can only take so much pain, and I gave him a great deal.'

'Stop it!'

'Stop? I'm just beginning. Would you like to see him?'

She nodded weakly. Kratine pul ed back her head and spoke with sudden gentleness in her ear. 'Do you love him?' he asked.

'Yes.'

Kratine was sympathetic. 'He was your lover. A fortunate man. I wil bring him to you. Oh, look, Janier, he is already here. He is descending from

above.'

Suspended from two metal chains, Tier was being lowered toward the pool of lava. They brought him to a halt only a dozen feet from where she

stood, and she could see how his battered head hung unmoving on his lacerated chest. Both his arms had been cruel y broken; his jagged bones

sliced through the skin at the elbows. His entire body was caked with dried blood. Janier could see no sigh of breathing, and she began to weep.

'He's dead,' she said.

Kratine sighed. 'It is sad. Yet such is the fate of many courageous warriors.'

Janier bowed her head. 'We did not want to hurt anyone. We only wanted to be left alone.' She glanced up again. Her husband's eyes were half

open; the sockets had rol ed back into his head. 'Oh, Tier!'