said Meera, sitting next to her sister. She was pregnant and looked far more tired and strained than Kessian felt. Hopes were high that she, Jen Shalke and Gwythen Terol were all carrying one of the twelfth strand. But there was a question mark over whether West-fallen would welcome the new arrivals. 'He's my son. I need your help with how to deal with him.'
'Absolutely,' said Kessian, noting the nods from around the room. 'So how is he now?'
'How are all of them,' said Willem Geste dryly.
'Indeed. But one at a time. Meera?'
'Oh, Ardol, I just don't understand it,' she replied, suddenly on the verge of tears. Hesther laid a hand on her arm. 'I've spent hours with him, when I haven't been apologising to Ossacer's mother, poor woman. He's impenetrable.'
'What do you mean?' asked Andreas Koll.
'He doesn't think he's done anything wrong,' whispered Meera.
There was a hush in the room. All that could be heard were the hypocaust and the rasp of Kessian's breathing. They waited for Meera to continue. Kessian watched while she gathered her thoughts under their sympathetic gaze.
'He believes that he had the right to know immediately what Ossacer had learned and when Ossacer wouldn't tell him, he had to make him speak. He's not showing any guilt or remorse. If anything, he thinks Ossacer is to blame.'
'And what about Arducius? Surely Gorian saw in what he did that he must have been doing wrong?' said Genna into the deepening shock.
Meera shook her head. 'He has no sense of it at all. He said that in life, the strong succeed because they take what they want when they need it. The weak might fight bravely but they will always fail. Arducius is broken by his own hand.'
'He said all that?' Willem gaped.
'Almost word for word.'
'He's not even fourteen,' hissed Willem. 'How can he be saying such things.'
'He's always had a temper,' said Jen.
'This isn't temper,' said Hesther. 'This is cold calculation. Willem's right. He's too young to be like this. Isn't he?'
Every time the Echelon was unsure, it turned as one to Kessian.
This time was no exception. What would they do when he had returned to the earth? He had been listening to the exchange with a growing sense of gloom. They wanted him to explain Gorian's behaviour, make it seem not so deplorable. Kessian was not about to mitigate the indefensible.
'Let us make no mistake. The timing of this incident could hardly have been worse. Arvan Vasselis is in Estorr telling the Advocate what we have here. No doubt he is explaining to her the glories we can achieve for the whole of the Conquord if the programme is allowed to flourish now it has achieved its first emergences. And today, we have demonstrated to any that cared to see that for all the good we want to do, the Ascendants' abilities can be used to perpetrate harm and evil.
'We are certain to come under scrutiny from the Advocacy. There will be pressure from the Order too once the knowledge that something is happening here is known. And if the murmur in the town is that what we have bred are dangerous and violent freaks then inevitably, someone in Westfallen will ask the Order to investigate. Let us not forget that so far as the Order is concerned, we are heretic and face the flames when found guilty. And while the town remains with us at present, people are nervous about our four Ascendants. I don't blame them. It will not take much more for some to start to turn against us. Generations of trust stand for nothing when individuals feel threatened by those they are asked to believe in.
'We have always known we would be at risk from the world outside our borders. We now have to accept that we are at risk from those closest to us as well unless we can change Gorian's behaviour.'
He stopped to look around the Echelon. None of the faces gazing back at him registered any surprise at what he had said. He nodded and forced himself to smile.
'We are pioneers,' he said, tone gentle and encouraging. 'And we face problems that those who come after us will not. It is up to us to find solutions and to keep the belief in the Ascendancy strong and unwavering. I know it's hard. God-embrace-me but I have had black moments this day as I'm sure you all have. I doubt any of us will sleep too well, will we? So let's do what we can. We are practical, resourceful and determined.
'So. First things first. Genna, how are Ossacer and Arducius faring?'
The Echelon's Pain Teller blew out her cheeks and pushed her hands back through her hair. 'Shela is sitting with them. We've moved them into one room to be together. Ossacer is silent. He won't talk. We've bathed and bandaged his arm. Fortunately the burns weren't too deep. Frostbite takes fingers and toes. Had Arducius not intervened, it might have taken Ossacer's arm.
'He's fortunate he has a protector but that protector is in a sorry state. He has fractured both wrists. One shoulder has dislocated again and his left elbow has blown up like a diseased bladder. I've splinted the breaks and reset the shoulder. The elbow is in ice every hour. But I worry about his dexterity long-term. He's so fragile.'
'But this time they will recover from their physical wounds,' said Hesther. 'Which means we can turn to their emotional and mental ones. Far more difficult to gauge and treat.'
'You took the words right out of my mouth,' said Kessian.
‘I
will speak with Gorian in the morning. We have to get to the bottom of his thinking and I flatter myself that he is still in awe of me if not a little scared at times which is no bad thing, I'm sure you'll agree. He has exhibited such tendencies before. Remember when he was growing up? How serious he has always been and how easy to provoke? And remember when Mirron emerged, it was a violent episode. The difference here is premeditated use of his ability to do harm. Something we have expressly forbidden.
‘
I will get through to him. I have to. In the meantime, Gwythen, please continue talking with your daughter. You know how she'll react, I feel sure.'
Gwythen shrugged. 'She's done what she always has when Gorian has caused trouble. She starts by expressing her disgust and ends up defending his actions. We all know why that is.' A dry chuckle ran around the room.
‘I
don't think that will ever change.'
'No, indeed,' said Willem. 'But it is something we might use. Gorian will listen to her, won't he? After all, the feelings are not merely one way.'
'I'm not so sure,' said Meera.
‘I
don't like to say this but he is manipulative. He'll be lovely with her when it suits him. Don't be surprised to find him the soul of charm in a couple of days when he believes his shame has lifted. We've seen it before.'
'And the other two?' asked Kessian.
'Give them the night to rest, see how they wake up,' said Genna.
'Ossacer has shown no signs of ailing as a result of this incident which is a blessing. And from what Arducius said to me, he was standing proud against Gorian which is something new. Arducius . . . well, Arducius is Arducius.' Another chuckle. 'He'll be privately furious with Gorian for the rest of dusas, I expect, but he's a born diplomat. He'll bring them back together pretty soon. He sees the strength of the four of them learning as one. I think most of his anger will be frustration at Gorian's attitude rather than his physical pain and why it was inflicted.'
Kessian felt lifted by what he was hearing. The Echelon was closing ranks and moving forwards.
'Good,' he said. 'One last thing. Hesther, I know I always turn to you but assuming word, if not detail, of this trouble leaks out through the servants, we need to have a response. You and Elsa Gueran should work together. We need the Order to stand with us, even if it is through a Reader we all know believes as we do and needs to fear the Chancellor as we do.'
'Of course, Ardol,' said Hesther.
'Only when we have the Ascendants settled will we talk to Ossacer about his learning. I have the distinct feeling it will be quite a breakthrough but we need the right atmosphere. Agreed?'
Nods all around. Kessian pushed himself painfully up on his sticks.
'Then let us all get to bed. God keep you all in bliss until he wakes you with the light of dawn.'
It was night and it was very quiet but for the breathing of Shela Hasi and Arducius. Ossacer listened to the patterns they made while the lids on his eyes blinked away the phantom shapes that swam across his blindness. Shela's breath was deep and regular, her body was still. Arducius snuffled and sighed. Ossacer smiled in the dark, his gratitude for his friend swelling again in his chest.
'You are awake, Arducius,' he said softly.
'I am,' he replied. 'I can't sleep. It hurts. How is your arm?'
'It's all right,' said Ossacer, scratching at his bandages absently, the throbbing ache not dimmed by the cooling balm Genna had spread on the wound. 'Shela is asleep, isn't she?'
'Until Genna comes in to do the ice thing again in the morning. Ugh, it's horrible.'
'Doesn't it help?' asked Ossacer, imagining Arducius's shudder.
'It just makes it numb. It still aches and everything. And my fingers tingle all the time.' 'Do you trust me?'
Arducius was silent for a while. 'I. Well, yes, of course. What sort of question is that in the middle of the night?'
'I can help you,' said Ossacer. His heart tapped quickly in his chest. 'If you'll let me.'
'Help me with what?'
'I think I can fix you.' Ossacer shifted and pushed himself up on his good elbow so he was looking in Arducius's direction. 'If you'll let me try.'
There was another silence. Ossacer could feel Arducius weighing it all up. He'd survived so many breaks from his brittle bones because Genna Kessian was so expert at locating the exact fracture point and Westfallen's doctors and surgeons could set the limb or digit under her instruction. Yet now here was an Ascendant, not two years emerged, offering him something untried and absolutely new. And they all knew the risks of trying out new abilities from embarrassing and painful experience.
'Is this what you wouldn't tell Gorian about?'
'It's the reason you're lying there,' agreed Ossacer.
'Will it hurt me? Will it hurt you?'
'I don't think so,' said Ossacer. 'Not if I get it right.'
Arducius managed a chuckle at that and the slight tension broke. 'Well, obviously.'
Ossacer smiled as well. He moved nearer his friend, shifting across his bed. They were separated by a gap of a couple of feet. Shela was by the door, sleeping in a chair with her feet up on a padded stool.
'Well?'
'Are you sure you can do this?' 'I'll let you know,' said Ossacer.
'Very funny,' said Arducius. 'Just take the pain away, that's enough. And tell me what you're doing.'
Ossacer felt a wash of pride. Trust in him. It was a wonderful feeling.
'I won't let you down.'
Ossacer closed his eyes and concentrated hard. He breathed deeply and carefully. He held his hands out from his body, his fingers spread and moving gently as if playing an invisible kithara. His ears pricked, listening for the creaking of timbers in the roof above him, in the marble supports and the beds on which they lay.
Slowly, colour and light swam into his mind, warming his whole body, reminders of a time when all he had to do to experience colour was open his eyes. But this was far more breathtaking than memories; this was his window on the world and no one would ever be able to take it from him.
Behind the curtain of his eyes, the bedroom dripped into view. He could have wished it was clear like sight but for Ossacer, it was as if God had blessed him personally with a second chance and it was up to him to make of it what he could. The others and the Echelon had thought he'd been unusually quiet and reserved throughout this dusas and he was happy to let them think that way. They left him to it when they understood he was all right, just feeling low.
But what he had discovered was in the process of changing his life from one of reliance to one of renewed independence. It had been almost by chance, even though Ossacer understood that it was because he'd been forced to develop his other senses. He'd learned to listen to the minutest of sounds to build up a mental picture of what surrounded him. He habitually held out his hands, not just to feel ahead and to the sides but to gather information on the currents of air passing his body. His fingertips had developed great sensitivity, allowing him to gauge the distance and complexity of solid shapes near him.
His nose was equally sensitive, able to sort scents in fine detail. He used it to give him direction. He could smell the villa from up on the hillside; he could navigate from the villa to the forum. And he could walk unaided to the orchard up above Genastro Falls. No one was scared he would pitch over the cliff any more. To him these were small victories in a life of struggle against his disability. However, in his few meetings with other blind people, he had become aware that his senses were far more acutely tuned than were those of others.
It led him to think. The only benefit of his blindness, and it had a bitter edge, was that it gave him time to think free of the distractions of the world of light. But this time the reward had been great. Their training had focused so much on harnessing the energies of God and the earth to achieve their goals, whether it be growing plants, bringing fruit to trees out of season or identifying the seat of infections in farm animals.