Twenty-One

“What do you mean they’ve taken that Atavist — what was his name — and locked him up? That’s unbelievable, Priest. You cannot truly believe that.”

Leannis Men Darnak frowned sternly at Witness Kovaar, testing the man’s seriousness. It was all so wrong, but then, there was so much wrong at the moment. He and the remaining men had been stationed at one of the smaller holdings over the past couple of days, since Karin had sent him away. Since the... since...

What was happening?

At least the sky was clear. There was a chill wind blowing outside, but the rain had eased. Where were the rest of his people? Something had happened. Perhaps he’d sent them on some errand. He’d have to find out what it was. Maybe he would remember later.

“Principal,” said Kovaar. “It is true, it seems. One of your household had it from one of Karin’s people. That man Edvin returned from the Ka Vail estate gloating about it all over the house.”

“Edvin? Edvin? Who is that?”

“You remember, Principal. He’s the Head of Karin’s household.”

“Head of...? Remember? Oh yes. Odious little man. Why are things becoming so hard? Things seem to be slipping away from me every day. This cannot be right, Kovaar.”

Kovaar came over and rested a hand on Men Darnak’s shoulder. “There is much that is not right, Principal. You have a lot on your mind. It’s only natural.”

“What? Yes, that’s it. They’ve confined Tchardo. I will not have it. That man went there carrying a message for me. There is no reason for them to hold him. Although it’s strange that he was at Ka Vail’s place, don’t you think? Ka Vail has always been an ally, if not a friend. Why would he do such a thing?”

“Apparently Roge was there too, Principal.”

Men Darnak walked away from Kovaar, dragging himself from beneath the hand on his shoulder. He needed to think.

“We will go there then.”

“Principal, would it not be easier just to send someone with orders to have him released? You could send a couple of the men.”

Men Darnak whirled. “No! We will go, Priest. Roge is there. Ka Vail is there. I will be there. I will see them both and have that man released at the same time. That way we will work out what’s going on.”

Kovaar sighed. “Are you sure, Principal?”

Men Darnak stalked across the intervening space toward him. “Don’t you start questioning me too. Don’t you dare! It’s time to fix this mess. Go and see to the preparations.” He turned away again, ignoring the priest. He wandered around the edges of the room, touching vaguely familiar things. He frowned as he walked. Vaguely familiar. That was the problem. His memory used to be so good. He was not that old yet. Well, yes, he was old, but not so old that he should be losing parts of his memory. He turned back, and Kovaar was still standing there.

“Well? What are you waiting for?”

“But, Principal — ”

“Just see to it!” he shouted and turned away. If the man was still standing there by the time he turned around again, by the First Families, he would know about it, priest or not.

#

Three men and a priest — that was no way for a Principal to travel. Still, there was nothing to be done about it now. He seemed to remember just one of the men. The rest were unfamiliar, new faces. He must remember to ask Witness Kovaar what had happened to the others. But that could wait for now; the Ka Vail estates were ahead. At least this time it had been mere hours, and not days.

As they drew up the main entrance road, there was already someone there to meet them. Two of Ka Vail’s household staff stood at the main gate, watching as the party approached. One of the men clearly recognized him, because he stepped forward, his arms wide.

“Principal Men Darnak,” he said. “This is indeed an honor. Welcome to Guildmaster Ka Vail’s estate.”

“Thank you,” Men Darnak said, nodding in response. He slid from his animal and stood waiting for the man to approach. The rest of his party sat where they were, awaiting his instruction.

“Principal,” the man said, drawing close. “I was in attendance with Guildmaster Ka Vail on a number of occasions, both at your estates and at the main Guild House in Yarik. Of course, I don’t expect you would remember, but really, I mean it when I say it is an honor to have you here now. What can we do for you? Should I fetch the Guildmaster?”

“No,” said Men Darnak. “That won’t be necessary yet. Just tell me. I have heard that one of my men has been confined here. Tell me it’s not true.”

The man looked suddenly uncomfortable, shifting where he stood, his gaze slipping away. “The Atavist? Surely not, Principal. How could a simple mad Atavist be one of your men? That is the only — ”

“Yes, the Atavist. What of him? Where is he?”

The man stammered his response. “Principal, we had no idea. If we had known... He’s being held over this way.” He waved in the direction of the outbuildings.

“Take us there now.”

“Aleks, do you think that’s a good idea?” said the man from the gate.

“Do you know who this is?” said Aleks. “This is your Principal.”

“But — ”

“But nothing, Malik. We will show them the way. Now!”

Malik ducked his head and beckoned them to follow as he turned toward the outbuildings. Aleks gestured for Men Darnak to follow and also headed off up the path branching away from the main house. “This way, please, Principal.”

They reached a set of garages and barns. The old next to the new, thought Men Darnak. Always the way all over Aldaban. He waited while Aleks fiddled with a lock then slid back a broad door. Beside him, Malik muttered to his older companion.

“Shouldn’t we inform the Guildmaster? Do you really know what you’re doing?”

“Of course I know,” hissed Aleks. “This is Principal Men Darnak. Now don’t question. All in good time.”

The others had now slid from the back of their animals and stood clustered around him. He turned and motioned the three men to stay. “Witness Kovaar, you will accompany me,” he said.

Somehow, this open expression of his status, his authority seemed to have stripped some of the fog away from his thoughts.

“Aleks, is it?” The man nodded. “Who was it that ordered my man locked up?”

“It was Guildmaster Ky Menin.”

“Ky Menin? What was he doing here?”

“I do not know, Principal.”

“Hmm, perhaps he arrived with Roge. You,” he said to the one called Malik. “Go and get Ky Menin and my son. Have them come here while I talk to Tchardo. Then they can explain themselves. Go!”

Malik scurried off to do his bidding.

Inside the garage sat two groundcars buried under broad sheets. There was a space for a third, but it lay empty. Around the walls were shelves, covered with servicing equipment. Further back, in the darkness, there was a dividing wall and a doorway off in one corner.

“Get some light in here,” he said.

Aleks crossed to a shelf, retrieved a lantern and lit it. Men Darnak nodded, walked briskly between the two dormant groundcars and headed for the back doorway with Kovaar and Aleks in tow. He tried the door, but it was locked. He motioned Aleks to attend to it. Aleks fiddled with the door, and it swung open. He held the lantern above his head, casting a dim yellow light through the doorway and into the back room. Hunched on a pallet in the far corner sat a miserable bedraggled figure, blinking at the sudden brightness.

“Tchardo, what are you doing here?” said Men Darnak.

“I’m afraid I had little choice in the matter, Principal,” said the Atavist.

Men Darnak stepped into the room followed by the other two. “What have you done, Atavist?” he said.

“By the Prophet, nothing, Principal. I came here to deliver your message as you requested.” He swung his legs from the pallet and sat, pushing his hair back from his eyes.

There had to be more. “And?”

“Nothing, Principal. Your son was not here. Instead, I spoke with Guildmasters Ka Vail and Ky Menin. That man Edvin was here too.”

Men Darnak was suddenly furious with the man’s temerity. This was unbelievable. “Why are you concocting tales, Tchardo? What do you hope to gain? The Guildmasters would not do this to any of my people. What have you tried to do? Was it something with Roge? I know that he’s quick to anger. Tell me!”

Tchardo stood. His robes were streaked with dried mud, and there was a dark smudge on one cheek, which could have been more mud, but it could conceivably have been a bruise.

“I’m telling you the truth, Principal. As the Prophet is my witness.”

“No. Inconceivable.”

Further discussion was interrupted by the reappearance of Malik who cleared his throat before speaking. His discomfort was evident as he delivered his message.

“Guildmaster Ky Menin is otherwise occupied. He cannot be disturbed right now. Principal Men Darnak has left.”

Men Darnak turned on the man. “What! Did I hear you correctly?” The man swallowed. “Go back to the house. Get Ka Vail. I will not stand for this any longer. Do it now!”

He stepped out of the room and crossed to one of the covered groundcars, placing his hand flat upon its roof. He had to think. None of this was real. It couldn’t be. Kovaar was suddenly behind him.

“Principal, I think that you should — ”

“Go away, Priest,” he hissed. “I need to think.” He sensed Kovaar hovering behind him for a moment or two longer, and then the priest withdrew. He ran his hands over the top of the covered groundcar. His life was slipping away from him, covered by a blanket of things that no longer made sense. He grabbed the sheet with both hands and tore it from the roof of the groundcar. It took him three separate attempts before it was fully free. He dropped the ends at his feet and ran his palms over the smooth, hard, vehicle’s roof. Everything, everything stuck between what was meant to be and what it was. He had to see Roge, try and work out what was really happening. Roge wouldn’t treat him in the same way Karin had — curse her. And now the Guilds themselves were conspiring against him. He thought he had been doing the right thing, stepping back, letting the children come into their own. They had lived in his shadow for too long already. It couldn’t be his fault that Karin had turned away from him. That didn’t make sense either, unless there had been things about her that he hadn’t seen. Perhaps his attention had been diverted because of his preoccupation with the Principate and the Guilds. Perhaps he had not paid them enough attention after all. But it was a father’s duty to —

“Principal Men Darnak.” He looked up. There stood Aron Ka Vail, and beside him, the tall thin figure of Karryl Ky Menin. Ky Menin was watching him with a wryly-amused expression. Ka Vail, on the other hand, was looking distinctly uneasy.

Men Darnak straightened, smoothed the front of his clothes and waited for them to approach.

“What are you doing here, Principal?” said Ka Vail.

“I came looking for my son, and I find this. What is the meaning of this, Aron?”

“I’m not sure what you mean, Principal.”

“I mean I arrive here, I’m told Roge is not here, and I find my man locked up and mistreated. Who’s responsible?”

Ky Menin’s wryly amused expression remained. “I ordered him put away, Leannis. Some mad Atavist comes around with no warning, starts making claims, pretending to be a messenger from the Principal, threatening violence, what would you do?”

“You have no right!”

Ky Menin slowly shook his head and smiled. “I have every right, Leannis. You forget. You gave up your own rights when you stood down as Principal. Any rights you have are by virtue of your children now. Mine, however, are my own.”

Deep within, Men Darnak understood the truth of what Ky Menin was saying, but for him to take it and use it like that was simply too much.

“Perhaps we should come up to the house,” said Ka Vail.

“No, Aron, we will resolve this here,” he said. He turned on Ky Menin. “What do you think I’m supposed to do? My daughter sends me from her estates with my men and turns me out into the storm. What sort of behavior is that? Haven’t I given her everything?”

Ky Menin leaned in close. “Perhaps you have no idea what you have given her, Leannis. It’s simple, and just for your education, I’ll tell you what you’ve given her — a fat useless husband and two brothers who have barely an idea what they’re doing. Roge Men Darnak, Principal. Ha!”

“But tradition dictates...”

“Nothing,” said Ky Menin pointedly. “It dictates nothing. We are here because of our own efforts, no other. All your holy tradition does is keep us in ignorance. It’s because of the First Families that we have to go through this stupid nightmare every Return, every Season and all you’ve done is perpetuate it.”

Men Darnak turned his back. “No, I won’t listen to this.”

Ky Menin stepped up close behind him and spoke quietly into his right ear. “You should listen to this, Leannis. For years, for seasons, we’ve had to listen to your blessed tradition, to your hollow mouthings about Order. Well, I’ll tell you what your Order gives you. Stagnation, like everything else in this place. You used to have respect. You used to have good sense. You lost it along with your wife, and finally it has led to this. Now you’ve lost your children as well as your respect.”

“No!” He turned to face the Guildmaster. “I cannot listen to this. I am going to find Roge. He won’t turn me away. He’ll listen to me.”

“Roge has gone,” said Ka Vail, looking troubled.

“I don’t believe you,” said Men Darnak. “He’s here.”

“Principal,” said Witness Kovaar from the background. “Why don’t you — ?”

“Shut your noise, Priest,” he said. Kovaar was becoming like an annoying drone in the back of his head. “No. I’m going to find Roge.” He pushed past Ky Menin. Ka Vail reached out to stop him, but he shrugged off the hand and pushed past. He left them standing there in the garage. He would find Roge. If he found Roge, he could make this right. Karryl Ky Menin had gone too far. He was Principal, dammit. The man had no right to say those things.

A voice was crying out behind him. It sounded like Kovaar. No, damn Kovaar. Damn them all. Ky Menin might have been right about Karin, but he had absolutely no right to say it.

#

Back in the garage, Sandon leaned heavily against the doorframe of the small rear room. Two days stuck in darkness with limited food had done nothing to improve his fatigue. It looked like things were worse than he thought. Men Darnak’s behavior was like nothing he expected from the old man. Gone was the reasoned rational discussion; gone was the command and authority. Ky Menin had stood over him and made him quiver. It was almost as if Men Darnak had shrunk under Ky Menin’s verbal assault. The refusal to listen was not so unusual, but the flight to find Roge, it was irrational. What had happened to the man to change him so much?

He turned to Witness Kovaar. “Where are the rest of the men,” he asked in a low voice.

“What rest?” said Kovaar, still staring out the garage door. “The three we came with, and that’s it.”

Sandon frowned. That wasn’t right either. Leannis Men Darnak always traveled with a full entourage. The two Guildmasters after a brief discussion wandered out, seeming to have forgotten that Kovaar and he were even there. Sandon pushed himself upright.

“We should see where the Principal has gone,” he said.

Kovaar seemed to remember where he was. He turned to look at Sandon, frowned, gave him a long look and then said, “Yes, of course, you are right.”

“So what happened to the rest of the men?”

“The Prophet dictates the place of things and the rights of Order. When the storms approach, those who fear the Prophet’s wrath run and hide.”

It was Sandon’s turn to frown. The man was talking nonsense. “What are you talking about, Witness Kovaar? What happened to the men?”

“The Prophet guides all men to be in their rightful place.”

Sandon gave another weary sigh and headed for the open door. A moment more, and Kovaar caught him up with a brisk step. As he passed the groundcars, Sandon paused. There was space for three. Only two were there. He could see the marks of where the other had been parked. A dust sheet lay bundled on one of the side benches.

“What is it, Tchardo?” asked Kovaar.

“I don’t know,” he answered. “Something strange. These machines.”

“Think only on what you should,” said Kovaar. “Leave your hate of technology behind for a moment or two. We need to find the Principal.”

Together they headed toward the house, Sandon feeling stiff and sore from sitting for too long in the same position locked in the cramped back room. Of Men Darnak and the two Guildmasters, there was no sign. The three men who had come with him now stood near the gate, holding their padders’ reins and talking among themselves. Sandon headed in that direction.

“Have any of you seen which way the Principal went?”

“Tchardo! What happened to you?” It was the boy, Fran.

“Hello, Fran. It’s good to see you again. It’s a long story and we haven’t the time at the moment. I’ll tell you later. We need to find the Principal.”

“He headed up to the house. The Guildmasters followed not much after.”

“All right, Fran. You wait here. I’ll go and find the Principal.”

“No,” said Kovaar. “You had best wait here, Tchardo. I will go.”

Sandon hated to admit it, but Kovaar was right. He was hardly likely to get easy access to the house now. The priest stalked off and Sandon was left watching him. He pulled his robes tight about himself against the chill. At least it wasn’t raining. He looked about, but the clouds were light fists, scudding across the sky, trailing plumes behind them. If he wore these robes long enough, eventually he might even get used to the seasonal cold. He looked at Fran and gave him a brief smile. He was a good-hearted young man. In Sandon’s former life, he could have used someone like him. He analyzed that thought. Strange, he was already thinking of it as his former life, as if it had gone forever.

While they waited, he recounted the tale of his confrontation with Edvin and the two Guildmasters leading to his confinement.

“So, did you hit him?” said Fran eagerly. “I would have.”

“Look who you’re talking to, Fran,” said one of the others with a laugh.

The boy looked confused for a moment, then blushed. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” said Sandon. “The Atavist has no proscription against violent action; we just don’t tend to find a need.”

“Is that so?” said the other man. “Hmm, well who would have guessed?”

He turned to the one who had spoken. “How much do you really know about the Atavists?” he asked.

The man’s answer was cut short by the reappearance of Principal Men Darnak striding back toward them from the house, his long cloak flapping about him, his hair streaming back, his hands waving. Witness Kovaar was racing behind him trying to keep up.

“Principal, wait!” called Kovaar.

“Where’s my padder?” called Men Darnak. “Quick, quick, bring it here, man.”

Within an instant, the Principal was on his animal, digging his heels into its flanks and was charging off up the hill.

“Principal,” called Kovaar, attempting to mount his own beast. “Wait!” Kovaar fumbled his footing, and on the third attempt, finally found his seat. In a second or two, he too was charging up the hill. Looking flustered, the three men mounted and headed off after them. Sandon was left standing where he was, watching them disappear rapidly up the roadway.

“Dammit,” he spat. His own padder was probably still in the stables somewhere. At least he hoped it was. He dashed back toward the barn, pain shooting though his joints with every hurried step.

Chapter Twenty-Two