The Echolone Mine (21 page)

“How did Avior
know?”

“Oracles are
not limited to any one race. The Valleur have them, although we
call them seers, and here on Echolone the shamans are on a similar
path. Soothsayers, diviners, augurs, witchdoctors, sangomas, pagan
priests and priestesses, one and the same by various format.
Drinic, Deorc, Yltri, to name but three present day races, all
trust in the second sight. In older days the talent was more
widespread. Avior, of course, was renowned for their oracles,
temples and, well, doors.”

Torrullin
grinned as he said the last and general laughter ensued.

“Doors are
portals, even in daily life. You enter and exit realms every time
you pass through a doorway.”

“I never
thought of it like that,” Petin murmured. “Interesting.”

“Yeah,” Muller
muttered. “Every time I walk through a door I’m going to think
about this.”

“That is
balance,” Elianas said.

“Doorways?”

“No, to
think,” Elianas smiled.

Anethor
nodded. “To think is to know and to know is to act with
forethought. Balance.”

“Boring,” a
teenager called out, and gusts of laughter shook the gathered.

“Are you and
Elianas going in alone?” Allith asked.

Torrullin did
not look at Elianas. “No warning is given of other travellers being
in danger. I would prefer doing this with Elianas alone, but I have
also come to realise others are often as dedicated and cannot be
dissuaded. I really would not recommend volunteers, though.”

“Is it
dangerous?” a young woman whispered.

“We do not
know. I simply prefer being responsible for myself. Elianas,
luckily, knows how to take care of himself.”

A ripple of
laughter.

“I am going,”
Caballa said.

“Caballa, for
Aaru’s sake,” Torrullin snapped. “Your place is here.”

She leaned
forward. “You two need me.”

“Tristan needs
you.”

“No, Tristan
loves me. There’s a difference.”

He stared at
her. “We will discuss this later.”

“We won’t. My
mind is set.”

“Gods, why is
it my fate to know stubborn women?” Torrullin moaned.

In the new
bout of laughter, Allith stared at the fair man. She bent to her
father and whispered something. He nodded and she straightened.

“Torrullin, do
you have an idea how long you will be gone?”

He bowed
towards her. “At this point that is the only sensible question. How
long before you can trust the scales are levelled?”

“Yes.”

Even Elianas
looked at him.

“I cannot
say.”

Petin licked
his lips. “You left before for two thousand years.”

“And four
years recently,” Muller murmured.

“Time is
relative, particularly in other realms.”

“We heard you
predicted the time of your return before,” Mullar said.

“Not this
time, my friend. This time my second sight is as dark as
yours.”

“But as Walker
…”

“This is a new
realm,” Torrullin interrupted. “I have no clue what awaits beyond
the door.”

“That door has
been there forever. It isn’t new,” a villager said.

“It has been
there forever because someone knew enough to put it in place. Fact
remains, the realm is new, created by a state of perfect
balance.”

Elianas rose.
He needed air, and needed it now. He bowed to Anethor. “I thank you
for your hospitality, and that of your daughter. Carlin, friends,
thank you for the time you put into this.”

“Elianas?”

He looked
down. “Time to gather my wits, brother. I shall see you tomorrow
evening, wherever you are.” He bowed to the gathering. “Thank you
for everything.” He was gone between a breath and a pause.

Torrullin
stared at the vacated space and barely held onto his control. When
he had it, he looked to Carlin. “Make enough copies of the
translation for everyone requiring one, and then have Caballa take
you home. Thank you for what you did here and send my regards to
your king.”

Carlin bowed
and referred somewhat flustered to his papers.

Anethor rose.
“It appears the gathering is over. Go now to your duties.”

The cave
emptied.

Caballa
approached the Cèlaver to request a copy, and Allith took
Torrullin’s arm and walked him out into the sunshine.

“You aren’t
accustomed to people questioning you,” Allith murmured as she
steered him in the direction of the small forest beyond the
village.

“On the
contrary; I have suffered a few in my time.” He allowed himself to
be steered, sensing an ulterior motive.

“Then you
don’t like it. On your world you are a king, right?”

“I was. My
grandson now holds the position.”

“Surely Elixir
is king also?”

“Without
kingdom.”

“The Animated
Spirit is more like godhood.”

“Aaru forbid.”
A step, two. “You are well informed.”

“My ear is to
the ground always,” she grinned.

“All right,
Allith, what point do you wish to make?”

“No point, a
remark or two. You see, Torrullin, I once knew a man much like
you.”

“How so?”

“Well, let’s
see; alone even when surrounded by people, contrary, strong, and
yet able to give of himself when the occasion demanded, like you
did today. That kind of man.”

“Fine.”

“Note you do
not argue. Men like you are difficult to fathom, harder to hold
onto and downright impossible to forget. When you hurt others, and
you do, you hurt yourself also. You feel, you feel more than most.
And when others hurt you, you lash out, for anger is huge in your
kind.”

“What happened
to this man?”

“He died
before his time, but that is not the issue. I want to say you
should curb your emotions - no, not curb, but hide them more.
Despite your power, people use you because they see how you
feel.”

“I assume you
mean Elianas.”

“He is like
you, but he hides better. Be wary of him.”

“I am, believe
me.”

“It’s not my
business, I know, but you helped me, I want to help you.”

“Thank
you.”

She grinned.
“That’s the most insincere thanks I’ve ever received.”

He laughed.
“Sorry.”

“Accepted.”

He looked up
at the leafy canopy. “It is restful here. Do you come here
often?”

“Yes, mostly
to remember the man who died before his time. He was my
husband.”

“How did he
die?”

“A tree fell
the wrong way. I like to think his spirit walks here.”

Torrullin came
to a stop. “His spirit doesn’t walk here, Allith; only memory does.
You must let go.”

She smiled
sadly. “That has proven hard.”

He looked up
again. “I understand well.”

“Torrullin,
you need Caballa to go with you, as buffer.”

“It is why she
insists.” He started walking. “May I ask something? When you see us
together, Elianas and I, what do you see?”

“Mine is a
more objective view?” She walked a few paces. “There is much
tension between you, unresolved feelings and issues. I’ve heard the
rumours of a more intimate relationship, yet it seems to me an
unlikely thing. The tension is there, but you are so close you
confuse yourselves. You are brothers, where kinship is of the soul,
not of blood.”

Torrullin
smiled and walked on beside her, feeling at peace for the first
time in days.

Allith laughed
and hooked her arm through his.

“Allith, what
is sacred space?”

“Why, it’s the
heart. Love.”

“And Heart’s
Desire?”

“That is
personal, individual, and more dangerous than any creature
anywhere.”

He looked down
at her and chose not to pursue it.

Chapter
17

Greed needs
curbing this day. Sharpen your incisors, Mister Wolf!

Tattle’s Blunt
Adventures

Echolone

Two Fork
Tree

I
t seemed the whole of Echolone turned out for the
meeting.

Villagers of
every persuasion in natural clothing packed the field, and many
shamans were visible in their more colourful robes and headdresses.
It also seemed as if every miner in the universe had shown up and,
with them, more environmentalists than had gathered in one place
for a long time. Spaceships by the dozen orbited and a host of
small surface travellers parked in any viable open space.

Two Fork Tree
was famous.

This was
precedent, and those beyond the skies awaited the result
expectantly.

Torrullin and
Caballa, arriving with Allith, were astonished and then
dismayed.

“This could
get out of hand,” Caballa murmured.

Allith looked
over the host with anxiety. “So many?”

Torrullin was
more sanguine. “The more who leave here with our perception of
balance, the longer we have to stave off anarchy.”

A surprise
awaited, and this was a pleasant one. As Allith preceded Caballa
and Torrullin into Two Fork Tree’s headman’s home for the formality
of introduction, they found others there.

Torrullin
grinned. “Tristan!”

His likeness
rose from a seat beside the headman and came to share an embrace.
“Torrullin. Thought you could use support.” He smiled and then drew
Caballa into his arms for a quick and intense hug. He whispered in
her ear and they drew apart.

“Absolutely,”
Torrullin laughed and winked at Declan and Quilla, who grinned his
way. Introductions were made and then the headman - Masif - made
clear his standpoint. There was to be no mining on Echolone.

It would not
be easy to find a workable solution to satisfy all parties.

Half an hour
later, the hastily erected platform groaned with weight.

Set at the
upper end of the field, it overlooked a gathering divided into
three distinct parts.

The miners,
tough, hardened executives, took up position down the centre of the
field. Clearly, they manoeuvred into position early. To the left
were shouting environmentalists, and to the right the silence of
Echolone’s own.

Masif, as Two
Fork Tree’s headman, was on the platform and with him Echolone’s
head shaman, a man known as Phinius. Allith’s father elected to
remain in his village, not comfortable with travel. Allith herself,
as Echolone’s civic representative, was there, as was another woman
of like status - Meredith. The rest of the party consisted of
Torrullin, Tristan, Caballa, Declan, Quilla and two geologists, one
of whom was from the mines of Lintusillem. The other was a tiny
woman from Xen, known as Tara.

The meeting
was brought to order, although the greeners took time to quiet.

Masif
possessed an imposing voice and used it well.

“All gathered,
we are here to find a solution to the problems a few nuggets of
gold have wrought,” he boomed. “Before this meeting degenerates
into debate, I ask that each of you choose a spokesperson to state
your views.” He gestured at Echolone’s silent villagers and
shamans. “They are here to witness, for their voices are already on
this platform. We ask that you nominate your own.”

He gestured at
the miners and greeners, and voices were raised, for all desired to
be
the
voice. Masif, sighing, gestured to Torrullin, who
inclined his head and stepped forward. He raised his hand.

Silence
returned immediately. Many came to see and hear Elixir also.

Torrullin
said, “I trust you know who I am.” A ripple of laugher. “Good. Then
you must also know I have no patience with senseless arguments. All
shouting at once will get us nowhere, do you agree?” Many nodded.
“Very well. From among the environmentalists, I nominate … you and
you.” He pointed at random. “Come forward, please, and state your
names.”

A woman in her
thirties came to the foot of the platform and a young man joined
her.

“I am Tether
of Excelsior.”

“And I am
Lothin of Xen,” the young man said.

“Are you
comfortable with speaking for the environment?”

Both
nodded.

Torrullin
pointed into the miner gathering. “You and you. Come forward and
introduce yourselves.”

Both were men,
middle-aged and tough.

“I am Jackson
Class of Beacon. My friends call me Jack. And, my Lord Elixir, I
cannot speak for all here, for my interests will clash with
theirs.”

“Understood,”
Torrullin acknowledged. “But we are not here to decide which of you
gets a slice of the pie. We are here to decide whether there will
be a pie. You can speak to that end, can you not?”

Jack bowed. “I
shall do my best.”

Torrullin
looked to the other.

“I am Shimi of
Lax.” He appeared shame-faced, but only for a moment. “I am aware
of the aid Lax is receiving, yet I am of the opinion we need be
self-sufficient and that requires resources, my Lord.”

Torrullin gave
him an expressionless look and lifted his eyes to the gathering.
“These four will speak for you, and Allith and Meredith …” and he
pointed the two women out, “will speak for Echolone. Agreed?”

Some sighs of
disapproval sounded, but no one argued.

“Excellent.
Shimi of Lax, considering you have already angered me, you may
speak first.”

Smiles broke
out on the podium and someone shouted from the miners, “My Lord,
that’s biased!”

“Let it be
known I am biased. I would kick the whole lot of you off Echolone
this very minute were the choice mine alone.”

The greeners
erupted in wild cheering.

Torrullin
lifted a hand. “But I give you voice here this day. I suggest you
use it well. Shimi, please.” He retreated.

Shimi cleared
his throat. “Well, my Lord, as I mentioned, Lax requires resources
…”