The Infinity Gate Part 53

"Yes, he has hidden himself in the Dark Spire."

He has only just moved here, from a place very far away.

"Yes."

Ah, StarDancer said, understanding.

"He thinks you will expose him. Tell others where he is."

StarDancer's small mouth curved in a smile. That was likely not the reason the One wanted him dead.

"Axis!" Isaiah embraced Axis, then turned to look at Inardle. He took her face in his hands, looking deeply into her eyes.

"So," he said, smiling a little now.

"So," she said.

"How does it feel?" Isaiah said.

Inardle shrugged a little.

Isaiah sobered. "I heard what happened with the Lealfast, Inardle. Be careful of what you now control."

"Of course," she said, and Isaiah let her face go.

"Your brother has been stolen, Axis," he said. "The citadel is in an uproar. Inardle, is this something Eleanon would have engineered?"

"How should I know?" she said. "But . . . no, I would have thought not. I have never heard him express any interest in Salome's baby."

"Garth thinks it may be Ravenna," Isaiah said, and explained to Axis and Inardle how she'd come to be in Elcho Falling. "None of us can spot her, not even Garth. Inardle . . . is it possible .?"

"You want me to look for the baby?" Inardle said.

"If you could," Isaiah said. "You may be able to see through Eleanon's magics where none of us can."

"You want me to look for StarDrifter's baby?" Inardle said. "How would he feel about that?"

"Profoundly grateful, if you found his son," Axis said.

Inardle shot Axis a cynical look, but inclined her head. "Very well. Can you show me the chamber from which he was taken?"

The One has cursed you and you shall be forced to kill me? StarDancer said to Ravenna.

"Aye. I can delay," Ravenna said, "but eventually I will kill you. I cannot help it. I will dash you from one of the high windows. I am sorry. I do not really wish to do it."

Ravenna, who else has cursed you? I can sense that Ishbel has placed three tight and binding curses about you, but there is one other besides that of the One . . .

"Eleanon, the Lealfast who has besieged Elcho Falling, placed a curse on me as well, warped in with Ishbel's. It conceals me from the regard of others in Elcho Falling, and it forced me to do his bidding."

Which was . . . ?

"Which was to midwive the Dark Spire's terrible eggs and place them within the walls of Elcho Falling. I do not know what they do there. StarDancer, I am sorry." Ravenna rose, not understanding why she was telling StarDancer this much. Perhaps she owed him some kind of explanation. "The urge to kill you now is overwhelming. I can delay no longer."

I can remove the One's curse from you, as well as Eleanon's.

" What?" Ravenna, who had taken several paces already, now stopped dead. "How is that possible?"

I am very powerful.. I can do this. I could also remove Ishbel's curses, but I do not dare that far. I like and respect Ishbel and would not undo her work without permission. I can remove both the One's and Eleanon's curses and then it will be your own decision whether or not you kill me.

"You can remove the One's and Eleanon's curses?"

Yes.

"But you are just a mere baby!"

No mere baby. Again StarDancer's mouth curved in a tiny smile. I am the most powerful Enchanter the Icarii have ever known. More powerful even than the great WolfStar, whom my father has told me about. More powerful than my brother and able to manipulate the Star Dance as easily as he. I am no "mere baby". I can sing an enchantment, Ravenna, that will rid you of two of your three curses. Would you like me to do that?

"Yes," Ravenna whispered. "Yes."

Imagine, StarDancer said, what I will be like as a full adult, if I can do this much as a baby.

StarDrifter was unhappy about involving Inardle in the search. He paced the chamber he shared with Salome and, until so very recently, his son, and sent dark looks shooting between Axis and Inardle.

Salome stood to one side, her face pale with anxiety, her eyes reddened from weeping.

She did not look at Inardle.

Inardle did not appear to notice either of them. She walked over to the cot where StarDancer had been sleeping and traced her fingers over its contours.

"Who here has worried about their child recently?" she said.

Everyone in the room -- Isaiah, Axis, Garth, StarDrifter and Salome -- looked between themselves.

" I have worried about a child recently!" StarDrifter grated.

"Not you," Inardle said. "Someone else has been here, desperately worried about a child."

"You can feel that from the cot?" Garth said.

"Yes," Inardle said. "You might, too, if you lay your fingers on it. Could your Touch feel it?"

Garth walked over and lay his hand on the cot. He was quiet, then he looked up. "Yes," he said. "Ravenna."

"Ravenna is worried about StarDancer?" StarDrifter said.

"She was pregnant with Maximilian's child," Garth said, "and Ishbel cursed it . . . perhaps Ravenna worries about its health. Whatever, Ravenna has been here, and there is deep worry a.s.sociated with her presence. Regret. Sorrow. Fear for the future. So much bad feeling."

"So now we must find Ravenna," Inardle said, all practicality.

"Can you see her?" Salome said, speaking for the first time since Isaiah had brought Axis and Inardle to the chamber.

Inardle gave a slight shrug and StarDrifter lost his temper completely.

"You don't give a d.a.m.n, do you? This is my son, and he has been stolen from me, and you don't give a single d.a.m.n where he is. I --"

"StarDrifter," Axis said, trying to reach out to his father.

"You have every reason to hate me and the Icarii," StarDrifter snarled at Inardle, "and you see this as your chance to gloat that --"

"StarDrifter," Isaiah said, "shut up now or by the G.o.ds I will stand down every one of the search parties and send them off for a well-earned meal and a rest. Yes, you have lost your son, but, d.a.m.n it, StarDrifter, everyone is trying to help you!"

StarDrifter glared at Isaiah and sent another simmering look of ill will toward Inardle. He folded his arms and turned away.

Axis closed his eyes briefly, then looked at Inardle. "Inardle?"

She was still affecting cool indifference. "This way, perhaps," she said, indicating the door to the external corridor.

"Oh, brilliant deduction," StarDrifter muttered.

"If you want," Inardle said, "I will stop right now."

"No," Axis said, literally stepping to stand between the two of them. "Inardle, please, do it for me."

She looked at him, and Axis could see a glint of humour in her eyes.

She was enjoying herself.

Inardle, he said. Please.

Her mouth curved, then she turned and walked for the door. "Ravenna has left a clear enough trail," she said. "For mypowers to pick up, at least."

There, StarDancer said. Does that feel better?

Ravenna could not answer immediately. She sat, cradling StarDancer in her arms, tears running down her cheeks.

Ishbel's curse remained, but to be freed of the two hateful and dark-fingered powers of Eleanon and the One. Oh G.o.ds . . . oh G.o.ds .

No doubt the One will be raging within the Dark Spire.

Ravenna managed a smile through her tears. "Good." Her smile slipped a little: "He cannot reach me now?"

No.

Ravenna relaxed. Freed of the One's power, and of Eleanon's. This child was remarkable and, even more remarkable, what he had done had not even hurt her. Ravenna had forgotten what it was like not to be hurt and humiliated by another.

I have a favour to ask of you.

Now Ravenna tensed. So there was to be a price paid, after all.

I am not going to plead for my life -- that is your decision truly. But before you decide, can you tell me about the powers you had as a marsh witch? And of this Land of Nightmares which exists beyond the Land of Dreams? Can you explain to me its parameters and meanings?

"Why?" Ravenna said.

To sate my curiosity.

Ravenna shrugged. So far as prices went, this was but a mild one. "As you wish."

Inardle led them through Elcho Falling, down the main staircase, along a corridor some eight or nine levels above ground level, then up a smaller service stairwell for another five or six levels. Here, on a small landing where small hallways led deeper into Elcho Falling, she called everyone to a halt.

"I will go on alone from here," she said. "Ravenna is close."

"I should come with you," Garth said.

Inardle considered him, then nodded. "Very well."

They walked along one of the hallways, leaving behind a group of restless and variously suspicious people.

"Do you know where we are?" Inardle asked Garth.

"This place is too huge for me to have been through it completely," Garth said, "but these levels are generally storage levels. Dormitories, command chambers, living quarters and so forth are much higher in the citadel."

"There is something bleak ahead."

Garth caught at Inardle's elbow, stopping her. "Inardle . . . Ravenna has done much damage, and she is a changed woman since I first met her . . . but she has also done good and came originally from a good place. I've heard a little of what you are now. Please . . . " He stopped, not knowing how to continue.

To his surprise Inardle gave a small smile and squeezed his hand rea.s.suringly. "I have more sympathy for her than you might believe," she said, and with that they walked on.

Inardle led them eventually to a chamber stacked to its ceiling with what looked like boxes of blankets and pillows. There was a small s.p.a.ce between the boxes, and Inardle, Garth directly behind her, threaded her way through.

Inardle stopped, holding up a hand to silence Garth. She looked back at him, then pointed ahead and moved her finger, indicating something about the curve in the narrow pa.s.sageway.

Garth nodded his understanding.

They moved forward, slowly and carefully.

Inardle hesitated just at the curve of the pa.s.sageway between the piled-high boxes, then she stepped around it.

"h.e.l.lo, Ravenna," she said.

Garth was directly behind Inardle, and he looked over her shoulder.

His first thought was that he was surprised that he could actually see Ravenna, the second was horror at her appearance. She was skeletally thin, her skin almost grey, her general appearance unkempt and ill.

He looked at her belly. She still appeared to be pregnant, but she was in such a poor condition, he wouldn't gamble on the health of the baby.

Ravenna held a baby in her arms: StarDancer.

"Ravenna?" Garth said softly.