Prophecy (59 page)

“We aren’t there because we don’t yet know if we want to
be
the Seated Blending,” I said, needing to disagree with him in some way. “Doesn’t
that
fact change your reasoning just a little?”

“No,” he denied, his smile changing to a grin. “Actually it reinforces the theories, since you’renot grabbing for the reins of power the way almost anyone else would. When you finally do let yourselves be Seated, you’ll be the best rulers this empire has had in five hundred years or more. And you’ll be Seated on the Sixfold Throne, which is really the clincher for us. Once you introduce Naran to the world, the rest of us can come out of hiding.”

“No, don’t bother arguing with him,” Naran said as Vallant, Rion, and Lorand all began to speak at once. “The possibility of our not being Seated has all but disappeared, so he’s not guessing. I think what he said about all of us really being the strongest has chased away our doubts, so now we’reready to do as we’resupposed to. And since everyone already considers us the Chosen Blending…”

“Everyone will simply go along with it,” Vallant said in a sour—but defeated—tone. “But at least now
we
know that we’renot Chosen, since the original Prophecies were just general warnings. Isn’t that true, Dom Ardanis?”

“Certainly it’s true,” Ardanis agreed with his grin still in place. “It was a useful ploy to have people think the Prophecies were real, so we encouraged that belief. And I, for one, can’t wait to see what a Sixfold Blending will do for the empire. Things are going to change very radically, but certainly for the better.”

“Just a moment,” Jovvi said slowly while everyone else began to comment about that aloud. “The thought of a Sixfold Blending is exciting and all, but I’m afraid I still have a question. If all that noise about the Prophecies was simply a ploy, then what about the signs that would indicate to the world that the Chosen Blending had come to be? Was that also supposed to be a ploy?”

“Of course,” Ardanis said, but his grin had faded quite a bit. “I see something that I don’t in any way understand, so I must ask what you’retalking about, Dama Hafford. There’s something …
looming
in the future, but I can’t tell what it can possibly be—except that it’s related to the question you just asked. What
about
the signs that were supposed to be manifested?”

This time we all looked at one another rather than just glancing about, and no one answered Ardanis. I’d been expecting the man to say that
his
people were responsible for what we’d experienced, but it was obvious they weren’t. And yet those incidents
had
happened, something none of us could deny.

So if the Guild people weren’t responsible for the manifestations, the hidden people weren’t, and we certainly hadn’t imagined them…
Something
had caused them, and I couldn’t help wondering just when in the future we might manage to find out who that was—

And did we really wanted to know…?

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

Jovvi waited until everyone nodded their agreement, then she initiated the Blending. She expected the time to be the way it usually was, her identity merging with those of the others to produce the entity, but this time an odd thing happened. The entity most certainly appeared at once, but the Jovvi part of it was
not
completely submerged. It felt more as though a larger, much more strengthened Jovvi began to float along the road, heading toward the place where the enemy entity would be found.

The experience was unusual, but not enough to distract the Jovvi entity from what she was about. The invading force had made a temporary and very much emergency camp right there on the road, with quite a lot of their flesh forms hurrying back and forth. The ones who had inhaled the hilsom powder were quite beside themselves with agitation, and others apparently attempted to calm them. Those who had been disabled earlier by the entity and its allies lay stretched out on makeshift pallets, attended to and hovered over by other flesh forms. At first there was no sign of the main invading entity, but after no more than a moment it appeared.

*
So those who are honorless have returned,
* the invading entity sneered, hatred fairly pouring forth from it. *
Is it now that you will claim all our lives?
*

*
Had this entity wanted your lives, it would hardly have come here unaccompanied,
* the Jovvi entity replied. *
This being has come instead to speak with you, in an attempt to—
*

*
In an attempt to gull, cozen, and destroy us!
* the other interrupted, anger blazing hot. *
Once before those from your empire came with sweet words of friendship, and those who believed them are long since dead! As I sense that you were indeed foolish enough to approach this entity alone, you may now pay for the deeds of those who came before you as well as for your own!
*

And with that the entity attacked, all its strength poured into the boiling cloud of incandescent destruction which raged at the Jovvi entity. And that strength was enormous, just as the Jovvi entity had known it would be. Had her flesh forms not added to their own strength they would have been quickly overwhelmed, and even so raising the necessary resistance was no simple matter. But it
was
done, and the attack was deflected.

*
It grieves this entity that one of yours was destroyed,*
the Jovvi entity sent, adding a full measure of compassion. *
Just as it grieves this being that one of our own was done the same. But this being’s flesh forms and those who support them were not responsible for what was done to your homeland. They, too, were victims of the same authority, an authority which has now been overthrown. Join us in sitting down together in the manner of rational beings, and—
*

*
No!
* the other entity denied harshly, fury still blazing hot. *
False words are too easily spoken by those who stand behind you! This being will listen to none of them, not now and not ever!
*

And again an attack came ravening in, one which combined every aspect available to the entity. Just as it began, the Jovvi entity noticed something odd: she was able to anticipate what would happen a measurable amount of time in advance of its actually happening. Then the Jovvi entity realized that that must be the contribution of the Naran flesh form, a talent which the opposing entity did
not
display. The added talent allowed the Jovvi entity to block or avoid the opposing entity’s attacks, but even so the matter could not be allowed to continue as it had
been
going. Too much of the Jovvi entity’s strength was being used up in defense, leaving less and less should an attack of her own become necessary.

And it seemed that an attack might well have become necessary. Holding off the maelstrom of hatred and destruction accomplished nothing in the way of changing the opposing entity’s intentions, therefore a different tactic now seemed indicated.

*
For an entity who is more mature than this being, you behave in an exceedingly foolish manner,
* the Jovvi entity remonstrated once the second attack had ceased. *
This being has come to offer true friendship, and yet you refuse to listen. Are you unable to
tell
that this being speaks the truth?
*

*
Truth is an elastic substance, stretching in the direction of choice designated by the one who speaks it,
* the entity replied with impatience. *
It may be ‘true friendship’ which you now claim to seek, yet in a short while that could easily change. This entity has no cause to believe your truth, and many reasons to doubt it.
*

*
You mean to force us to destroy you?
* the Jovvi entity inquired, definitely perplexed. *
Such a course of action has no logic to it whatsoever, instead being related only to emotionalism. Is that what greater maturity brings? An abandoning of logic for emotionalism? Do you
wish
to be destroyed?
*

*
The logic you value so highly should bring the proper reply to that inquiry,
* the opposing entity responded with harsh intolerance. *
It should by now be quite clear that this entity does not intend to be destroyed, rather that it means to
do
the destroying. Once that small chore has been accomplished, the rest of its vengeance will be taken!
*

For the third time the opposing entity launched its attack, allowing no further discussion. It was now beyond doubt that simple defense would never suffice, therefore the Jovvi entity followed the demands of logic and deflected the attack, then countered with an effort of her own. As had been previously noted, the opposing entity had nothing of the talent to anticipate what the future would bring. The Jovvi entity’s own awareness was growing fainter as its Naran flesh form lost more and more strength, but that slender advantage still remained.

As did another advantage, one which more than one of its flesh forms had learned to accomplish. The opposing entity shielded itself—and its flesh forms—with its enormous strength, a shield which was impossible to penetrate. No single entity ever formed would find itself able to generate enough power to force a way through, and yet the Jovvi entity knew that force was unnecessary. It had proven possible in the past to
go around
such a shield, which the Jovvi entity quickly did.

Striking at both the opposing entity and its flesh forms at the same time was extremely difficult, most especially as the Jovvi entity had no wish to destroy either target. The situation demanded that her touch be exactly right, neither too hard nor too soft, so that the opposing entity might be shaken into a more reasonable state of mind. The sense of a scream came from the opposing entity, most likely due to the fact that it had believed its flesh forms disguised and impossible to locate, but the Jovvi entity knew that trick as well and had been able to negate it. The opposing entity and its flesh forms were now literally
down
, and the Jovvi entity deliberately loomed over them.

*
This being feels foolish repeating words already rejected by you, and yet the words
must
be repeated,
* the Jovvi entity sent slowly and clearly. *
We come in friendship to
aid
you as best we may, yet not at the expense of those who are blameless. You may take your vengeance upon those who earned such treatment if you wish, but not upon those who have been victimized far longer and more harshly than you and yours. Should you find this offer impossible to accept, this being
will
have no choice but to destroy you. Give this being your thoughts, and let all consequences be on
your
head.
*

*
It…cannot be true,
* the opposing entity all but gasped, shock and confusion clear in its being. *
Those in this land are enemies to us, yearning for nothing but our destruction. It cannot be true that
our
well-being is desired…
*

The next happening came horribly fast, and yet the Jovvi entity saw it all with a clarity which made the horror even worse. First an awareness touched in, an awareness of suddenly much clearer vision. Before the Jovvi entity might wonder about the change, she became conscious of the presence of those lesser entities which had spread the hilsom powder among the invaders. Those lesser entities had left their places of hiding and had neared the makeshift camp, and now they had gained the wrong impression. Seeing that the Jovvi entity had not destroyed her opponent, they apparently believed that the Jovvi entity was
unable
to destroy it. With that in view, they realized their duty at once. If the Jovvi entity lacked the strength to complete her task, it was up to them to assist her.

For that reason the two lesser entities attacked simultaneously, unable to link and yet more than able to attack together. Their combined strength was certainly enough to destroy the now weakened opposing entity, but that could not, under any circumstances, be allowed. There was only one action open to the Jovvi entity, therefore she immediately attempted it. With a wordless cry of *
No!
* she threw herself before the opposing entity and its flesh forms, shielding them from the attack of her own allies. They were the newest and weakest of the allied entities, after all, and she the strongest…

The Jovvi entity screamed with pain, suddenly realizing that she
had
been the strongest,
before
facing the opposing entity. Holding off that being’s attacks had taken its toll, and now the Jovvi entity’s vast store of strength was nearly depleted. There remained just enough to deflect the double attack until the lesser entities realized their mistake, and then—

And then Jovvi came out of the Blending with a scream of her own, turning immediately to Tamma. Before the bond had broken she’d felt Tamma collapse, the effort to deflect those last attacks just too much for the girl to bear. It was
Tamma’s
strength which defended the Blending, and that strength had been taxed far beyond even
her
incredible limits.

“No!” Vallant cried, pulling Tamma’s limp body to him and rocking her as he held her close. “No, my love, don’t leave me! You promised, you promised!”

“Lorand, do something!” Jovvi sobbed, despite the fact that Lorand already bent over Tamma. “Please don’t let her die, please! The rest of us—
and
the Astindans—are alive because of her! We
can’t
let
her
die!”

“But the thread of her life is so thin and far away!” Lorand whispered, tragedy twisting his features. “I’m putting everything I have left into it, but I can’t get a good enough grip to pull her back! She needs
support
to fight her way back, but I don’t have enough left to give it to her! She’s slipping away … I’m losing her…!”

Even as the tears of agony flowed down Jovvi’s face, she suddenly became aware of something … different and powerful. She had no idea what it could be—and then Lorand cried out in sudden delight.