Arrows of Time (52 page)

Grayson saw the Three Sisters take off, their cries muffled by the music. He put down his guitar and left it on the stage. The ravens’ sudden departure could mean only one thing and he hoped it was good news. ‘Kreshkali?’ He mouthed the words to Jarrod and slipped out of the temple.

The courtyard was abandoned save for Canie.
Fynn
, he corrected himself. Shane had told him the pup’s name, explaining how Rosette had picked him up in Gaela when she and her familiar had switched bodies. The dog was sitting under the weeping fig tree. His ears lifted at the sight of Grayson.

‘Come here.’ He slapped his leg and the little dog trotted over, his tail wagging in circles. ‘Are there too many people in there for you, lad?’ he said, scratching the animal’s back.

Fynn yipped and ran to the tree, jumping up the trunk and sliding down. Grayson smiled. Halfway up, on a smooth wide branch, was Drayco, his hind leg dangling, his tail lashing. The temple cat leapt down and sauntered over to Grayson, surprising him with a lunge that placed his front paws on the tall man’s shoulders. ‘Is Kali coming, big fellow?’

‘Be here any moment,’ Jarrod answered from behind.

Drayco jumped down and rubbed his cheek against Jarrod’s leg.

‘I think Rosette’s out here,’ Grayson said, looking at the tree. He couldn’t see her, but he could sense her presence. Besides, Drayco and Fynn staying so close was a sure sign.

‘She is.’ Jarrod nodded to the temple cat. ‘He’s keeping her from drifting.’

Grayson scanned the road, shielding his eyes. ‘And Kali?’

‘Here she comes.’ Jarrod pointed at the sky where a black falcon winged in. He held out his arm and Grayson stepped back as the raptor stalled to land on the outstretched wrist. A moment later the air around her blurred and Grayson felt the now-familiar waft of energy, like a wave hitting his face, and Kreshkali stood before him. She was injured, her long robe tattered, but her eyes were clear and flashing. ‘Make room.’ She pushed past Jarrod and headed towards the temple.

‘What’s happening?’ Jarrod rushed to keep up with her.

‘The Lupins are coming.’ She paused, turning to the tree. ‘Rosette! We need you inside.’

E
verett gripped the podium, staring at the crowd. Their twisted mouths shouted exclamations, hands waving, faces vying for attention, bodies jostling—an ocean of need. All their energy, the frantic expressions, the yearning, the straining, the hope in their eyes, was directed towards him. He was the man with the answers, he reminded himself, though it felt like the force of their questions would bowl him over. He wanted to run, but he kept his feet planted firmly to the spot. These people needed the truth and he was going to supply it, as best he could.

He didn’t know how to explain exactly why the suspension of death had all but swallowed up their lives. He didn’t begin to understand the impact on other worlds, the
other choices
as she’d called them. He wasn’t going to try to elucidate that. It was more than this press conference was ready for. It would be enough to get them thinking about existence in a broader way. He’d have to do this one step at a time—
let them see the body as a vehicle, and its spirit as the energising force. Keeping the spirit in the same vehicle for too long sapped the vitality of both. They’d lost their shine. Their energy had stopped moving forward. It simply hovered above the ground.

Look around, he would tell them. Such was clearly a fate worse than death. Would they see it that way?

‘We’ve feared death,’ he said to them, projecting his voice above the crowd. He paused until they all settled. ‘We have fought against it, and in our fear and aggression we thought to conquer it, beat it, repress it. But now we’re trapped in the void of its absence. More dead than alive.’

The auditorium went silent.

‘Fighting against death is not the way to free the spirit. It has let the energy, the life force, of our world turn to dust. This is no way to be. This is no way to live.’ His voice echoed over the stillness. The only movement was the flicker of digital cameras, strobes of light flashing across his face. He blinked, perspiration dripping into his eyes. He ran his arm across his forehead and continued. ‘The intention of the Allied States is to restore the life cycle. We are working on that now as we launch the new protocols. Questions?’

The crowd took a breath and everyone started talking at once. He signalled to the reporter in the front, one he was sure to hear above the uproar.

‘Dr Kelly, is it true that the first death came here from another dimension? Another world?’

Everett forced a smile. ‘Only if you call the Borderlands another dimension. From what I’ve heard, the description is probably apt.’

The crowd laughed with him and more questions followed. He wished he could be completely honest about the whole matter, and the ramifications, but ASSIST had been clear. His line of delivery could not
waver. He was under their control and had to keep to the strict boundaries of disclosure. He had to. That way, they wouldn’t see it coming.

‘Just get them comfortable with the notion of a life span,’ the board of directors had told him. ‘Most are so detached from their relatives in Cryo that they won’t be missed.’

‘I’m not so certain,’ Everett had answered. He rubbed his ring finger.

‘We are. Remember, we need at least a billion death certificates in the next month. Get onto it.’

There was no misunderstanding ASSIST. They’d been looking for a reason to reverse the immortality protocol for decades and now they had it. It didn’t matter to Everett that their motives were for their own convenience. The results would be the same. A more or less natural life cycle would be reintroduced, and with finite lifetimes the population would be renewed. What ASSIST didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them. He nodded to a reporter towards the back, waving the others silent. He’d take one last question and wrap it up.

‘Dr Kelly, has there been definitive proof of life after death and has that been the reason for the shift in policy?’

‘You mean life after life?’

The crowd cheered.

He never answered this question directly, but he implied the response, as he had been instructed to do. A swarm of questions followed. He nodded to the security team on either side and they stepped forward. ‘That’s all we have time for today. Thank you for coming.’

The crowd cheered louder, pressing in, arms reaching towards the platform. He slipped out of the auditorium and headed back to his office. He had three hours to go before his last meeting, three hours before
he would collect his things and get out.
Then I’m done. Finished with it all.
No more ASSIST, no more press, no more death certificates, no more lies, and hopefully no more bad dreams. He was escaping to the Borderlands, and he hoped to all powers that they actually did exist.

R
osette floated above the crowd. She felt as if the wind would blow right through her.

It actually does blow right through you, Maudi.

She wanted to smile, but the effort seemed too great.
Can you tell me what’s going on? I’m muddled. I don’t remember why we’re here. I’m not even sure where this ‘here’ is.

Temple Los Loma, Earth. The place Kreshkali was looking for when we answered the Caller.

I’m glad it’s clear for you. I don’t remember anything.

It’ll all return in time.

That’s just it, Dray. I don’t even remember what’s not coming back. I’ve forgotten what I’m worried about forgetting. I don’t know what I’m meant to be doing.
She heard him purring. At least there was no forgetting how good that sounded.

Kreshkali’s here, Maudi, and Jarrod and Grayson. They will help. Everyone is helping.

Why, again?

To get you back into your body. Come closer. Can you see?

She could. Everyone in the room was filing past the altar, pausing next to her corpse. All the people were smiling and laughing as they told stories. She hadn’t been listening before, but they were talking about themselves now and how they knew her, telling yarns and snatches of memories that clearly filled them with delight. It was bringing her delight too. It made her want to giggle and she drew closer to catch the details. The stories were funny and warm and interesting—things she hadn’t thought of since they’d happened but were a comfort and joy to her now.
I can remember this!

I told you it’d come back.

Her body was no longer shrouded in the black bag. They’d arranged it on a colourful quilt, her head on a white cotton pillow. She hadn’t wanted to look at it before, in that other world, but here it entranced her. Someone had brushed the tangles out of her hair and in an instant she knew it had been Jarrod. She could almost feel where his tears had fallen on her cheek.

Jarrod?

Come back, Rosette. Please come back.

I’m right here. Drayco, tell him I’m right here.

Tell him yourself, Maudi. He can hear you if you want him to.

Jarrod!
She felt like shaking him. He looked up, towards her, but past her.

Rosette! We’re here to wake your body up, love. We’re all here for you.
His voice was faint.
Stay close. Stay very close.

The ice crystals were melting from her face. They dripped from her fingertips and eyelashes, down her cheeks and onto the altar, forming little blue-tinged
pools, like tiny glacier lakes. She stared into those pools, imagining she could see her reflection. That’s when she noticed the trembling. The water was vibrating as if the world shook beneath them.

They’re here, Maudi. This is good.

Who, Drayco? Who’s here?

Look and see.

Where?

Towards the entrance.

She pulled her attention away from the altar and saw at first only darkness. The doors of the hall were barely perceptible, an outline in the black. It seemed for a moment that the shadows would surround her, engulf her, and then something snapped. It wasn’t shadow after all, not a lack of colour, but a strong, earthy energy with an aura much like the deeper parts of the Dumarkian Woods, or perhaps even Espiro Dell Ray, the old forest of her childhood. She sighed.
I see them now. So many! It does feel good.
She was amazed at the thrill in her heart.

As the Lupins entered the hall, a few auras shifted, some brightening, some dimming, but most were clear and inspiring. At the altar, the bards were joined by many of them in bipedal form who added percussion and bass to the tunes. It grounded her, and she moved closer still to her corpse.
I love that sound—I couldn’t really hear it before.

It is from Los Loma, Gaela.

Under the Prietas?

See. You’re remembering more already. Keep listening.

The hall was filled to capacity and then some, the close quarters enlivening the air with a palpable zing. It felt like a carpet of jonquils in a spring meadow—alive, fresh and full of promise. Everyone’s thoughts were joyful. They poured out of the hearts of those
who passed by, each person sharing the things they loved most about life. She wanted to respond.

You can, Maudi.

She wanted to reach out to them and thank them, sharing her own ideas of joy and bliss as well.
This is amazing, Dray.

I like it too.

She had to get closer, as close as she could.

‘It’s too late. I’ve already called them in,’ Kreshkali said. ‘They’ll be here any moment.’

She bent her head towards Annadusa, their shoulders touching as they conversed outside the hall. The last thing she wanted to do was argue with the woman, especially when she had a good point. Such a large group of Lupins could throw a few of the Gaeleans out of balance, creating discord and perturbing the spell. ‘Anna, they’re coming to help,’ Kreshkali said. ‘Not threaten.’

‘I know that, but look behind me. What do you see?’

Kali let her eyes drift across the crowd, knowing the woman’s concerns were valid. She was worried herself and doing her best not to show it or focus on it. They’d talked about the importance of keeping the energy up, not letting any negative thoughts penetrate the web they wove around Rosette. The ritual required a powerful dose of peace, appreciation, respect and, most importantly, a heartfelt zest for life. That wasn’t going to be easy to achieve if half the contingent was uncomfortable with the other half.

Annadusa leaned closer, cupping her hand to Kali’s ear, her voice cutting through the music that poured out of the hall. ‘I’m not ruffled by them, two legs or four. You know that. But you’ve enough of your people from Gaela here to cause alarm, and that’s not going to
get Rosette back.’ She crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side.

‘The good outweighs any risks,’ Kreshkali replied, a slight smile on her lips.

‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean, we need as many contributors as we can get. Besides, the child hears the call of her own.’

Annadusa shrugged. ‘Nonsense. Rosette’s no Lupin. She’s your blood.’

‘So she is.’ Kreshkali looked away for a moment. ‘Anna, why don’t you work up a calming energy to weave underneath our spell? I think that will vanquish any potential problems.’

‘Like something I’d use to soothe a child waking from a nightmare?’ Her face brightened as she spoke.

‘Precisely.’ Kali gripped her arm, holding Annadusa back before she returned to the hall. ‘This is going to work.’

‘It will, Kali. It will.’

She kissed her cheek and let her go. A ruckus in the trees by the stables caught her eye. Three ravens stared out of the greenery, their white eyes dancing.