Rebellion

CHAPTER 89

“Tali’s taken the bait,” Lyf exulted, rising up into the air for a second or two. Then sense prevailed. He must not waste what remained of his magery. “She’s on her way to Cython. Now to close the trap.”

“How do you know this?” said General Hillish.

“A while back, I discovered that she’d been using the master pearl to spy on me. I’ve been trying to put a trace on her ever since, and it’s finally worked.” Lyf circled his hands and Tali’s voice came forth from the air before him.

“Lyf’s put the scriber down. Now he’s using his hands, as if working magery. The iron page is rising in the air — no, it’s crashed down on the table. I’d say he’s trying to send it somewhere.”

“I think I can guess what it is, and where he’s sending it,” said a man’s voice, broad and slow.

“Where?” said Tali.

“We know he’s planning to put the Pale down, so I’d reckon this is the death order. And a highly symbolic one, since he’s written it on a page of the iron book.”

“The Consolation of Vengeance,” whispered Tali. “And the book was unfinished. The ending hadn’t been written.”

“It has now,” said the man. “What’s he doing?”

“I–I can’t see,” said Tali. She did not speak for a minute. “He’s calling someone in. A servant. No, a courier.”

“What’s he saying?”

“The only word I could lip-read was matriarchs. Now the courier’s put the iron page into a bag. He’s running out.”

“How far is it from Caulderon to Cython? Quick!”

“Um… the nearest entrance is nine or ten miles, on horseback.”

“That’s all I got before the trace broke,” said Lyf. “But it’s enough.”

“Where is she?” said Hillish.

“Somewhere in the Seethings, I’d say. Close to Cython.”

“Do you know how she plans to get in?”

“No.”

“Can you get the trace back?”

“Not unless she spies on me again. But I don’t need to.”

“Why not, Lord King?”

“She’ll have to use magery to sneak through any of the entrances, unseen, and I’ve had spy devices fitted to all of them, linked to the clangours. The moment she sets one off, she’ll be taken.”

“She’s clever,” said Hillish grudgingly. “Better warn the matriarchs she’s coming. Should I call another courier?”

“No,” said Lyf. “I’m riding to Cython at once. I want to be there when she’s taken.”