Tiassa

Epilogue

We met outdoors, beneath a low grass-covered hill. There were a few pillartrees here and there around us, but mostly we were in the open. We sat on the grass and said our various hellos in our various ways.

“How are you feeling?” said Sara.

“I don’t know,” said the boy. “Better, I think.”

“You’re sounding better,” I said. “A lot better. Do you still have dreams?”

He nodded. “Not as often, though.” He looked down at the object in his hand. “How does it work?”

“I don’t exactly know,” I said. “A god made it, that’s all I can tell you.”

“I don’t either,” said Sara. “I’m curious, though. Maybe when you don’t need it anymore, I’ll borrow it for a while and see what I can figure out.”

I shrugged. “For now, if it helps—”

“Someone’s coming, Boss. A rider, just behind the hill.”

I stood up. My hand went to Lady Teldra’s hilt, but I didn’t draw.

“What is it, Vlad?” Sara was standing, too, her hand on her weapon.

“I don’t know.”

“Just one? No effort at concealment?”

“Just one. Colors of the Tiassa. Oh, it’s—”

“Of course it is. I should have guessed.”

“Oh,” said Sara, as he appeared over the top of the hill. “I should have guessed.”

Lord Khaavren dismounted when he reached us, wrapped the reins around his hand, and bowed.

“What a pleasant surprise,” I told him.

“I’ve no doubt,” he said dryly. “Lady Saruchka, a pleasure to see you again. And what’s your name, boy?”

Savn looked fearfully at him, but didn’t speak.

“His name is Savn,” I said. “And if you call him boy again, I’ll—”

“You’ll what?”

I smiled. “Ask you not to. How did you find us?”

“You remember Ensign Timmer, of course.”

“She followed me?”

“Don’t be absurd. She followed the bard.”

Sara turned to me. “I could be a danger to you, if the Jhereg—”

“Life is full of danger.”

“Right, Boss. And you’re—”

“Shut up, Loiosh.”

Khaavren said, “Is the artifact helping him?”

“Seems to be,” I said. “How did you put it together?”

“From Timmer.”

“I should have killed her while I had the chance.”

“That would have been a mistake.”

“I suppose. Why did you follow me here?”

“To find out if my guesses were right.”

“And they are.”

“Yes.”

“How satisfying that must be.”

“Yes. It will provide endless hours of pleasure contemplating it in my old age.”

“My lord Khaavren, are you being sarcastic?”

“I have a dispensation from Her Majesty.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, which made me feel like he’d scored a point. “Well, then. You’ve found what you wanted, now—”

“May I see it?”

I looked at Sara, who looked at Savn, then back at me. She shrugged.

“All right,” I said. “Savn, show Lord Khaavren the tiassa.”

The boy held it out. Khaavren stood over him, then knelt and studied it close-up. “It really is quite remarkable,” he said at last.

“Yes,” I said.

“What exactly does it do?”

“We don’t exactly know. But I’m starting to suspect that it has its own plans.”

“It went through everything just because it wanted to get to this Teckla boy?”

I shrugged. “Any point in a process looks like the process was leading up to it if that’s as far as you’ve gotten.”

“Pardon?”

“I said, any point … never mind. No, I don’t think that was its goal. I don’t know its goal. I’m just starting to suspect it has one.”

“But, what does it do?”

“You’re asking me?”

“Yes.”

“All right.” I considered. “As far as I can tell—just guessing—it unites the conscious mind with the unconscious. Sometimes, and in some ways, and under some conditions.”

He frowned, studied the tiassa some more, then stood. “This is beyond the knowledge of a simple soldier.”

“I’ll be sure not to talk about it to a simple soldier, should I meet one.”

“My Lord Szurke, are you trying to antagonize me?”

“I’m not sure. Probably.”

“I am not unaware of what you did for my son. Are you unaware of what my wife did for you?”

That stopped me. After what seemed like a long time, I said, “What are you talking about?”

He shrugged. “Ask your wife.” Then he said, “Well. You’ve had that all along?” He drew and stepped back. “Use it, then, if you’re going to.”

I stared at Lady Teldra, not entirely sure how she had come into my hand.

“Vlad,” said Sara.

I shook my head, took a deep breath, let it out, and re-sheathed Lady Teldra. “I don’t know what—”

“Think nothing of it,” said Khaavren, returning his sword to his sheath. “I shouldn’t have been so abrupt; my apologies.”

“What do you mean about asking my wife?”

“What I said. I’m sorry, Lord Szurke. It wouldn’t be right for me to say any more than that.”

I felt a hand on my arm, and Sara was standing next to me. I looked at Savn; he was pale and his eyes were wide.

“Let’s all sit down,” I said, and set the example.

Sara sat on the grass next to me, with that breathtaking grace; Savn was still sitting. The Tiassa said, “Not me. I’ve found out what I needed; I’ll leave you in peace.”

“What did you find out?” I said.

“I’ll have to get back to you on that,” he said.

Then he mounted his horse, turned, and rode away. I turned my attention back to Savn. I took Sara’s hand, and she didn’t pull it away.