The Ghosts of Blood and Innocence (50 page)

‘How do your people put blocks on certain areas, then?’ Loki asked. He had begun to warm to Zikael, not least because the Hashmal appeared so open to sharing his knowledge.

Zikael wove his hands gracefully, drawing pictures upon the air, his body swaying slightly. ‘We can create wards, illusions and side tracks. Wraeththu are a primitive species, so it’s not difficult to curtail their movements.’ He lowered his hands. ‘Are you ready to make your first attempt?’

Loki nodded. He wasn’t sure if he was ready, but thought he might as well try. He wasn’t too happy that Zikael thought he was a primitive creature and wanted to impress him. He thought of Geburael, who still slept in the room below. It would have been reassuring if Geb could have been included in this lesson, but Loki had already sensed Zikael preferred it to involve just the two of them. He had guessed that the Hashmal was a proud being; he wanted to be Loki’s one and only teacher.

‘It helps if you have an idea of your desired destination in mind,’ Zikael said. ‘We’ll go to a kind of training area I’ve created. It’s a semblance of the earthly realm, though not very extensive. I’ll send you its symbol, its sign, and you’ll look out for this in the otherlanes, since that signals the exit point.’

‘You’ll be with me, won’t you?’ Loki asked.

Zikael smiled. ‘Yes. I won’t risk you getting lost.’ He held out his hands, which Loki took hold of. The long fingers completely enfolded him, as if Loki’s hands were those of a tiny harling. ‘Now, lower the barriers around your thoughts and open your mind to me,’ Zikael said. ‘I’ll send you the image you need.’

Later, Loki considered that learning to open otherlanes portals and then travel through them was the same as learning how to swim or to ride a horse. It was a skill that seemed impossible at first, but then suddenly you could just do it, as if you’d done it all your life.  The knack, when it finally came, was instant and complete. Loki could peer between the spaces in the air before him and intend for a portal to open. He had some control over how the lanes beyond appeared to him. The
sedim
had no interest in making things easier for harish sensibilities, so journeys with them were often mind-numbingly surreal, through stupefying voids and vortexes of energy, but now Loki could turn the lanes into branching corridors of light, or passageways of stone. The energy parasites that inhabited the lanes could be perceived as bats or insects, or monsters. But he could carry a flaming torch to ward them off.

Zikael told him he would be allowed to use the training realm as much as he liked, and that for now Loki must concentrate on this short and fairly simple journey. Loki really liked the way Zikael had designed the realm. It was predominantly constructed in shades of greenish-blue and very beautiful. Its landscape was a tumbling vista of wide lakes and hazy mountains. The foliage on the trees was azure, the sky a soft lilac. There were a few creatures there that looked real enough; pigeons and thrushes, dark red squirrels, different kinds of fish in the waters, and drowsily humming insects. When Loki questioned Zikael about the reality of these creatures, Zikael merely shrugged and said, ‘They aren’t illusions, Loki. I pulled these creatures from your memories.’

‘So, they could breed, die, and so on?’ Loki persisted.

‘If you want them to.  The realm is yours to play in.’

So Loki resolved to do just that. He would come to understand the limits of this ‘creation’ through experience. He would look upon it as his personal realm, a place he could go to sit and calm himself, find the center of his being. When he visited it alone, he
felt
for the way he had to go, and willed himself there. There was always a moment of panic when he perceived the exit portal, because every time he wondered how he would get through it. It was like daring himself to jump off a high wall repeatedly, thinking that next time he could land on his head or break both his ankles.

Sometimes, Zikael would meet him there.  Often, they wouldn’t say anything to one another, but would sit quietly together, in a wooden gazebo hung with wind chimes that stood on an island in the middle of a dark blue lake. Here, they would listen to the music of the chimes, and the soporific rustle of leaves from the lakeshore.

One time, Zikael was disposed to converse. ‘Soon,’ he said, ‘things must change for you.’

‘What do you mean?’ Loki asked.

Zikael was sitting cross-legged, his hair hanging to the floor. He rested his chin on his hands. ‘What will it take to persuade you to be our avatar, Loki?’

Loki shrugged awkwardly. ‘I’m… I’m not sure yet.’

Zikael’s gaze was unwavering. Loki felt the Hashmal could see every thought in his head. ‘Events are moving along quite swiftly,’ Zikael said. ‘We’ve been warned that the
sedim
have put their case to Wraeththu. The moment hara ally with either them or us is the moment the matter is decided. If the
sedim
prevail, then Wraeththu can say farewell to any promise of advancement, perhaps for millennia.’ He drew in his breath. ‘Loki, you have a rival.’

Loki frowned. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’

‘You have a brother.’

Loki felt a flutter of fear in his breast; a presentiment. ‘Yes, Abrimel.’

Zikael’s expression darkened. ‘No, not Abrimel. Another.’

Loki glanced away. He remembered when Geburael had heard that strange yet familiar call in the ethers. He remembered the story of the pearl snatched from Caeru’s body. ‘I know… I know that’s possible,’ he said softly.

Zikael leaned forward and grabbed Loki’s chin firmly. ‘Look at me! We believe that the
sedim
have made overtures to this brother. Our agents suggest that they wish for him to rule all Wraeththu, to supplant his parents and Thiede, to supplant you.’

Loki uttered a small sound of pain, since Zikael was hurting him. The Hashmal released him, leaned back. ‘This brother of yours has had no contact with your family, ever, so has no concept of loyalty to the House of Aralis. Perhaps Thiede sought to keep him as some kind of secret weapon, or a commodity to bargain with, but that secrecy has backfired. The
sedim
will know he has the potential for great power, because he
is
a har of greatness, Loki. In time, he will be five times more powerful than you could ever hope to be. He could squash you, and whatever armies you could raise, flat. But with our help, you can thwart his ambitions and secure your family’s future.’

Loki stared at Zikael, wide-eyed. He tried to keep his dealings with the Hashmal business-like, so that he would earn respect, but now he felt out of his depth, and he could not hide it. ‘Have the Hashmallim approached him too?’

Zikael’s expression became tinged with distaste. ‘No. We’d never do that. We wanted to destroy him before he was born, because we know he’s an aberration, a har born thousands of years before his time. Wraeththu isn’t equipped to deal with him, and eventually he’ll become a tyrant.’

‘You made Diablo steal the pearl from Caeru’s body,’ Loki said, and was unable to keep the revulsion he felt from his voice.

Zikael closed his eyes briefly. ‘Yes, that’s so. I know it seems barbaric and cruel to you, but we’re above sentiment, Loki. We do things for the greater good, and you should cultivate a similar attitude. We weren’t wrong in what we did, only in that we failed.’

Loki swallowed with difficulty. ‘Are you saying he should be killed?’

Zikael stroked Loki’s face, softly. His fingers left a tingling trail. ‘Please appreciate how honest I’m being with you,’ he said. ‘I know that ethically your species is inclined to disagree with our ways, but…’ He took a breath. ‘It would be best to destroy the body this soul currently inhabits, yes. Let Wraeththu mature for some time before he comes back to them. It’s not really death, Loki, because you don’t understand death. Souls can only be moved around, never destroyed.’

Loki didn’t want to hear this. He felt cornered, shadowed by an invisible threat. ‘How can I know you’re telling the truth? Asking me to condone the killing of my own kin is no small thing.’

Zikael ducked his head. ‘I know that. Do you know how he was created?’

In truth, Loki had no desire to know such details about his family. ‘Only that he was made by three hara, but not the mechanics of it, no.’

Zikael’s gaze had taken on an intense gleam. ‘You
should
know,’ he said. ‘Don’t shy away from it, Loki. We wonder whether Pellaz was given an order to do what he did, but if so, we don’t know who gave it. He combined the essence of three hara to create this pearl. He opened the cauldron of creation in Caeru, and kept it open so that Calanthe could expel aren into it also. He did this by…’

‘Stop!’ Loki exclaimed. Instinctively, he’d put his hands over his ears. ‘I don’t want to know any more.’

Zikael smiled faintly. ‘Well, perhaps you now know enough. The fact remains that such a thing has never been done before, and shouldn’t have been done then. A soul that would normally not be part of the Wraeththu matrix sniffed out the event and homed in on it. You should not look upon the fruit of that unnatural union as a brother. It’s something different. When you face him, you’ll know. You’ll sense it. You won’t need my words to convince you.’ He paused. ‘Loki, it’s
you
who has to kill this creature.’

Suddenly, the beautiful realm around Loki seemed flat, like a badly colored painting. The wind in the trees was the rattle of bones. ‘Me?’

Zikael nodded. His expression was bleak. ‘If there was any other way, I wouldn’t ask it of you. I’d do it myself. But I can’t. It has to be you. We know this for sure.’

‘
Why
?’

Zikael regarded Loki steadily. ‘Because of the way he was made, we can’t touch him. He doesn’t know this, and he mustn’t know, but he’s protected from beings like us. Because of the way you are and the time of your creation… well, you could be his nemesis, if such a thing exists.’

Loki swallowed. ‘Where is he, Zikael?’

‘He’s in Anakhai, east of Almagabra. You know that land?’

Loki nodded. ‘Yes. I’ve visited most lands on our continent. The hara there are very independent. Has he made allies among them?’

‘Unfortunately, yes. As you know, the Gelaming are not always regarded favorably by other tribes, who resent their superior development.’

Loki pressed his eyes for a moment with the fingers of one hand. ‘I’d like to discuss this with Geburael.’

‘We’ve no objection to that,’ Zikael said. ‘Diablo and Geburael have been loyal to us. Diablo will help you.’

‘I don’t want
his
help,’ Loki snapped. ‘I need to see this brother of mine, this
creature
. If what you say about him is true, then I’ll do as you ask, but for Wraeththu, not for the Hashmallim. If I have any doubt, I’ll not do it.’

‘That’s more than acceptable,’ Zikael said. ‘I’m sure that when you see him, you’ll know I’ve spoken honestly to you.’

‘Will your masters let me return to the earthly realm to see this creature?’ Loki asked.

‘I’m sure it can be arranged,’ Zikael said, somewhat vaguely.

After this unsettling conversation, Loki returned to Ninzini and called Geburael to him via mind touch. While he was waiting for his surakin to arrive, Loki paced around the top of the tower. He knew that in some ways he’d been seduced by the Aasp and by Zikael in particular, who had swiftly come to feel more like a friend than a threat. Loki enjoyed otherlanes travel, and wanted to learn more. He wanted to take all this knowledge back to the earthly realm and be recognised for his achievements. He wanted to solve the dilemma that faced the world. But if murder was the cost, surely that was far too high to pay, whatever this unknown brother might or might not be.

Ninzini, can you advise me?
Loki asked desperately, but the tower was quiet. It might have been his imagination, but Loki felt he detected a faint air of disapproval emanating from the silent stones.  

When Geburael came through the doorway to Ninzini’s summit, Loki said, ‘I need you to hold me, Geb.’

Geburael was not reluctant to comply. His arms were warm and strong and Loki was soothed by the contact. He could barely remember the time when he’d felt repulsed by Geburael. Now, the thought of not being with him was like trying to imagine life without his senses.

Geburael was silent for some moments. Loki knew he wasn’t completely comfortable with the idea that Loki trained only with Zikael. He’d not said anything aloud, but Loki had picked up traces of this discomfort during aruna. Eventually, Geburael said: ‘What is it, Loki?’

Loki sighed, and rested his face against Geburael’s neck. ‘Zikael has told me something. I feel confused about it.’

‘
What
has he told you?’ Geburael asked sharply.

Loki took a deep breath, and then related his recent conversation with the Hashmal. At the end of it, he said, ‘I need to know your thoughts about this, Geb. Is this brother of mine the evil thing I’ve been told he is?’

Geburael grimaced. ‘Well, we know the Aasp fear him, otherwise they wouldn’t have wanted to destroy his pearl.’

Loki gripped Geburael’s shirt in both his hands. ‘
They
might fear him, but are
we
right to?’

Geburael exhaled through his nose, stared Loki in the eye. ‘I don’t know – yet.’

‘You felt empathy for him when you heard his cry,’ Loki said. ‘Do you still feel that?’

Geburael considered this, then released Loki from his embrace and stepped back. His expression was troubled. ‘I think that we should see him before we draw any conclusions. The Aasp wouldn’t order the excision and destruction of a pearl on a whim. He must be powerful for them to be that concerned about him.’

‘Remember what you felt, though. You didn’t want to tell Diablo.’

Geburael drew a hand over his mouth, considered. ‘He reminded me of you. I felt part of you in him. That doesn’t mean he’s not what Zikael says he is. I’d know if I saw him, like I knew about you.’

‘Zikael said he’ll visit us later,’ Loki said. ‘We’ll insist that we’re shown this har. There’s no other way.’