1st Desire (cont’d)

The Finger arrives. Ladies, gentlemen. Calvus updates him stentoriously on what’s been happening in the field. Yesterday began with eleven Judges; there’s now one, as of midnight, but he has Miller devices, and will recruit new Judges. The Finger wants to know what’s up and why now. They want to generate fear, says Calvus, and by forcing us to retaliate, to generate even more fear thereby. And a show of force, says Ishta. We can either attempt to contain any futher incursions, or retaliate, by crossing the border ourselves. Or a political agreement could be reached. That is for the Prince to decide.

Indeed, says the Finger. Thank you for the report. Is there anything else?

I think that’s it, says Palpebra.

Calvus tells the Finger of the ambush of four Judges at Aafalakto’. It could be an issue, given its importance as a center of the Lover-priests. Were the deaths quiet? says the Finger. Not as such, says Calvus. He mentions that some of the villages had to be, um, put down. Yes, there were witnesses. Though we wiped the memories of the worst. Excellent, says the Finger. We can blame the worst on Cow-priests. Speaking of Cows, says Calvus, there is a Crow-priest. With power? says the Finger. Or just walking around with feathers in his hair. He called on Crow and everyone in his village died. And this wasn’t something you wanted to tell me right away? says the Finger. I was getting to it, says Calvus.

So you couldn’t beat the one with Miller devices, says the Finger. Not at this time, says Calvus. We’re keeping an eye on him. Is he gathering followers to him? I would imagine so. Can he stop you from thinning that out now and then? No. We’re considering a policy of constant harrassment and containment, says Palpebra.

The Finger has the implications of memory-wiping explained, and then takes his leave.

Calvus explains his frustration at the attack having happened 3 to 5 years before he was ready. No Wendellians; no Quintus Opacans— I don’t think we need to bring the Quintus Opacans into this, says Nil. You have a better idea for investigating and containing theocratic magic? I’d like to consider them as an absolute last resort, says Nil. Can we discuss what we actually have at our disposal? Ourselves, says Calvus. Manu Tenére. The younger members of Gens Verres. Maybe a member of Gens Draconis. If it were this summer, I could guarantee a lot more, merely by shifting the planned Picardian war here. Only about a third would drop out due to the change in venue.

We need a stop-gap measure, then, says Nil.

Calvus hopes a series of political events will delay the need for war. It’s something I’ve offered previously, to various members of the court: the Prince should send an envoy to the King to begin negotiations. The King and the Prince are both notoriously, horribly slow in making decisions. And there are all the negotiations as to the shape of those negotiations: who should sit where, what envoys are allowed— While both sides arm themselves, says Nil. Indeed. It’s either that, or this summer, myself and several others go over the border to destroy as much as possible to try and bring them to the table. They will, of course, be doing the same thing. That’s to be avoided, says Nil. I agree, says Calvus. —Palpebra outlines his plans for flight teams and surveillance; they are acceptable. He’s headed out later to oversee the situation himself.

Nil wants to establish covenant-wide arcane connections. Hair? —Sonata doesn’t think there’s a chance they’ll all be attacked. Though Cameron’s spell suggested the Judges would be there in four days, and the nearest Judge is more than four days away. How? Could Nil’s spell have missed some? Perhaps. It’s all based on the horns. If there are different horns, or if some Judges don’t have horns...

Calvus will survey several of the nearby towns personally, to see if there are any signs of Judge activity. —Some discussion of whether to send Nishoba away, for his own good; his romance with the Millers. But if he isn’t sent far, far away, he’s safer here than anywhere else in Gætan. The Hall of Touccio, perhaps?

Palpebra asks if there’s anything to pass along to the priests. There being no other business to discuss, Sonata retires and heads down to the cave. Calvus asks to speak to Nil privately. He hands over the axe he was given, by Gi, for examination, and asks if everything went well with the eggs; for some values of “well,” yes. Regarding resources available for the conflict, says Nil. I can at least guarantee you stores of vis in the short term. And I don’t know what pressures can be arranged with regards to Savacion, but whatever can be will be. Yes, says Calvus. I do want to emphasize that the longer we can wait before bringing in Quintus Opacus, the better the political outcome.

Cameron goes to speak with Gi about the vis that might be available in the Crow-eggs. Gi says he’ll help Nil, as Perdix isn’t here to fulfill their duties in this regard. But this vis probably shouldn’t stay here, should it. No, says Gi. Do you have a proposal? One should be sent to Annalum, says Calvus, and another to Quintus Opacus. The third? Wherever. Though if not Quintus Opacus—as I understand there are still political issues (“Yes,” says Gi)—several of the magi at Ne Interire could work with it. Don’t they transform animals, says Gi, and— Yes, says Calvus, that’s one of the things they’re interested in. Let’s send one to Bethelion, says Gi. All right, says Calvus.

In his rooms, Nil asks Lhimpat to wipe off her fingerprints from the dome of the skrying platter. Oh! says Lhimpat. From the other day. And today too, says Nil. Nil lays the axe across the bowl. (Lhimpat sighs. Nil is such a newbie with this thing.)

The Finger returns to his chambers; Mrs. the Finger asks what’s up. A meeting ensues. Upshot: they need to keep the King out; Calvus and the magi are dangerous; a single untouchable Judge is surprisingly effective, but surprisingly parsimonious; they need to find out what’s up with the Crow; Mrs. the Finger will go speak with Woochi; only Perdix is trustworthy enough to sweep their rooms for bugs, and even them; they might attempt to force a quarrel between Gieron and Ishta in order to become the power behind the Brewer.

Nil finds out a lot about the axe. It’s really big. Made of wind. He asks Lhimpat how much she’s been using the skrying platter. How long have you been away? says Lhimpat. I mean, it’s not like it’s been all that time... M-hm, says Nil. We need a meeting. Would you ask your mother and grandfather to attend? Around dinner. —Nil returns Calvus’ axe; that’s all? says Calvus. I didn’t dig too deeply, says Nil. Yes, but its surface enchantments are easily discerned. What did you wish to learn? says Nil. Perhaps who made it, says Calvus. That will take some vis, says Nil. Speaking of vis! We need to send the eggs away. You know of some Procopians, trained to handle such dangerous objects? Yes, says Nil. We’re sending them to Annalum, Bethelion, and Quintus Opacus. I see, says Nil. Gi decided Quintus Opacus was the best choice (howls of laughing outrage), between that and Ne Interire.

Mrs. the Finger meets with Woochi at the Scarecrow King. —Nil heads to Gi’s room. Quintus Opacus? Really? —Some discussion of having the egg destroyed en route. Hmm. Some discussion of who best to handle the eggs. Tenellus, at Annalum. At Bethelion? The Head of the Archives, to be named later. A little spacey, but always knows where everything is. —Nil’s going to speak with Woochi; he asks Gi to come along, to flatter him. Nil asks whether Gi is still interested in figuring out what happened when he was out. Sure! says Gi.

The Finger’s Daughter goes to speak with Cameron. —Some discussion of how Cameron got into this deal in the first place; how heroically he managed to seal the tower, with the assistance of his sidekicks. They’re in the Great Hall; at another table, Ishta’s investigating her lantern. The whole room is flooded with starlight from her lantern; conversation stops. Ishta closes it up. The room breaks out in applause.

In the air, Hans asks Palpebra if it’s bad he didn’t kill anyone the day before.

Mrs. the Finger and Ishta talk about dragon-magic, and how one might listen to someone else at a great distance. Ishta offers to sell her some glass shells.

Nil and Gi head to Nil’s room; Nil has Lhimpat pack up her books. Nil’s a little embarrassed by the stark emptiness of his rooms; perhaps some decorating advice? Chairs? says Gi. Then maybe a table. There’s one over there, says Nil. The one covered with books and papers? Um, says Nil. You’ll want to sit on the floor, maybe. Lhimpat, watch, and go get Sonata if we look like something happened. Nil puts Omphalé on Gi’s head. Hi earth! says Omphalé. You’re the water-carrier, says Gi. Yup! Focus, says Nil. I haven’t done this to someone else since college.

Nil starts chasing memories across Gi’s face, trying to find the point when Gi’s knowledge of the day before went away. Somebody keeps telling Gi he has a job to do now. Gi’s walking toward the cliff. Gi’s walking through a door that isn’t there. Gi’s underground, moving through the earth, looking for something. White noise and holes in the signal chew everything up. He’s finding things in the detritus, wrapping them in shreds of his tunic, bringing them back to a pocket in the earth. —Something’s up with Nil; Gi goes over to see what, Nil rips off his goggles. Is it feedback from the spell? No. Nil’s distressed. He puts his goggles on; whoa. Takes them off again. Go find Illuminata, says Nil. Gi heads off, finds Ishta down in the Great Hall, brings her back up. Gi comforts Nil as Ishta peers at Nil’s goggles through her eyepiece. —Some element of them, the linkage between them and Nil, is off. Ishta has to take them to her labs; is there anything that can be done to comfort you? I’ll stay with him, says Gi. Have you eaten? I’m not hungry, says Nil.

Lhimpat takes a lock of Nil’s hair to Ishta’s labs a little later. Ooh. Labs.

Nil borrows Gi’s sight. Færie lights! Nil stands close to Gi (Gi puts his arm about Nil’s waist; Nil blushes; Nil sees himself blush through Gi’s eyes, and blushes some more) so as not to bump into anything. Nil asks Lhimpat to fetch her mother and grandfather, since Gi has seen them, once or twice. And now Nil can see them, faintly! He apologizes to Lhimpat. —On the way to Ishta’s labs, Lhimpat’s grandfather opens the doors.

In the middle of Nil’s fitting, Gi has the sudden urge to leave. He heads out of Ishta’s labs, where the urge suddenly fades. He stands there. (Nil’s still seeing through his eyes, and is terribly confused.) Gi tries to go back in, and has a near-panic attack. —She makes here solid; she is here and ground does not move. There’s a window. She makes here unable to move. Glass is solid. She makes here solid. We don’t trust her. Don’t let her touch you. Okay, says Gi.

Nil’s spectacles are fixed, though it will take some time getting used to. Ishta recommends he not use them right away to look at the platter, or Calvus’ axe. Or Perdix’ robes, either, says Nil.

meta

“No, I’d say there were some civilian casualties.”