Authors: Julie E. Czerneda
Rift in the Sky (45 page)
Hear me.
Anaj.
We don't know the full consequence of using the Maker
.
Anaj.
We don't know the full consequence of using the Maker
.
Understandable, Aryl thought wryly, if Adepts had only used it before killing those of damaged mind.
The Oldest Adept of all continued.
Our connection as Om'ray does more than define the shape of the world and where we are within it. It holds our names, for those who can read them. It holds our past, for only those minds we've touched do we remember as
real
. Once the Maker breaks that connection, we don't know what will be left.
Our connection as Om'ray does more than define the shape of the world and where we are within it. It holds our names, for those who can read them. It holds our past, for only those minds we've touched do we remember as
real
. Once the Maker breaks that connection, we don't know what will be left.
“The M'hir. It will stay,” Oran said firmly. “The M'hir will keep our Clan together and take us where we must be.”
Admirable confidence. Aryl wished she shared it. Though to Oran's credit, she was Sona's Keeper. She could be trying to encourage all those looking up at them.
Or herself.
M'hiray. Lower your shields and trust your Council. No matter what happens, wait for the locate. Go together to the future!
TOGETHER!
Naryn stepped forward, head high, face and hair perfectly composed. Her shields were impenetrable. “We will not forget the gift of Marcus Bowman to the M'hiray,” she announced, then looked to Aryl. “I will need your help with the Human's memories.”
Aryl nodded. His gesture.
Sian spoke next. “The two of you will choose where we will go. When you have the locate, hold that image. Oran, Anaj, and I will add our strength so all will
share
it. We 'port whenâ” he faltered. For some reason, he looked at Taisal.
share
it. We 'port whenâ” he faltered. For some reason, he looked at Taisal.
Who finished smoothly, “âwhen the Maker completes its task and we are free.” She turned gracefully and lifted her hands to the pillar.
“Wait.” Aryl heard the word before she realized she'd said it, before she knew why.
Taisal glanced over her shoulder and smiled the most beautiful smile.
I did, Daughter. I waited for you to become who you are, who our people need. I need wait no longer.
“Don't let them fall.”
I did, Daughter. I waited for you to become who you are, who our people need. I need wait no longer.
“Don't let them fall.”
She couldn't move, couldn't think.
Mother . . .
Mother . . .
A hand took hers.
An Adept must control the Maker. The locate, heart-kin. They're waiting.
Naryn dropped her shields. Sent image after image of rock and water and empty spaces.
An Adept must control the Maker. The locate, heart-kin. They're waiting.
Naryn dropped her shields. Sent image after image of rock and water and empty spaces.
MOTHER! You can come with us!
“Then who'd pull up the ladder?”
Taisal di Sarc pressed her hands to the Maker and it began to glow. Brighter and brighter and brighter. Until . . .
...
the world flowed away,
the world flowed away,
Om'ray became as sand,
and there opened a rift in the sky . . .
and there opened a rift in the sky . . .
All she could hear was a voice.
The locate . . . Aryl . . . where do we go . . .
The locate . . . Aryl . . . where do we go . . .
All she could see was rock and water and strange twisted growths like bone . . . rock, water, bone . . . over everything crawled numbers and lines . . .
Site report 58323 . . . Site report 58324 . . . Site report 58325 . . .
rock and water and growing bone . . . numbers and lines . . . rocks . . .
Site report 58323 . . . Site report 58324 . . . Site report 58325 . . .
rock and water and growing bone . . . numbers and lines . . . rocks . . .
...
none of it was
real.
none of it was
real.
More voices.
Where do we go . . . ? Where can we go? DESPAIR.
Where do we go . . . ? Where can we go? DESPAIR.
No more despair. She wanted peace. And happiness. Anything familiar. She
reached
with all her strength and will . . .
reached
with all her strength and will . . .
And there it was.
Lights hanging from wires. Lights attached to walls. Lights on poles. A vast space, angled and rising away in polished steps. Steps with carved seats . . . a wall danced . . . more carvings, with eyes and forms, and postures that were and weren't beautiful but which had meaning to a different kind of mind.
Happiness.
Peace.
Safe.
Aryl di Sarc poured Power into that image, felt others do the same, felt
confusion
become
purpose.
confusion
become
purpose.
With the others of her kind, she concentrated and let the M'hir take her . . .
...
a bracelet turned around and around,
a bracelet turned around and around,
became rock etched by water,
became metal again and turned. . . .
became metal again and turned. . . .
As the M'hiray disappeared, Watchers roused to follow, became voice and force and purpose.
...
While a mind became voice,
While a mind became voice,
Daughter,
to be lost on the wind . . .
to be lost on the wind . . .
Epilogue
T
HE M'HIR WIND BEGAN out of sight, out of mind. It stirred first where baked sand met restless surf. It became fitful and petulant as it passed over the barrens, moving dunes and scouring stone. Sometimes it sighed and curled back on itself, as if absentminded. But it never stilled.
HE M'HIR WIND BEGAN out of sight, out of mind. It stirred first where baked sand met restless surf. It became fitful and petulant as it passed over the barrens, moving dunes and scouring stone. Sometimes it sighed and curled back on itself, as if absentminded. But it never stilled.
It only grew.
It roared over the mountains and brought Sona a storm of hot, dry dust. Ditches hid their moisture beneath pebbles. Low walls and sturdy buildings protected the fields. But the harvest spoiled on stems and rotted in the ground.
The M'hir gave thunderous voice to Yena's Watchers. But no one danced among the rastis groves or lifted gleaming hooks to the sky. Dresel flew free on its wings, the prize of wastryls.
Cersi was not to change.
Everything had.
The Om'ray of Cersi
(Note: Names shown as first encountered in this book.)
Â
SONA CLAN:
Ael sud Sarc (Chosen of Myris, once Yena)
Anaj di Kathel (Adept)
Aryl Sarc (Speaker, once Yena)
Beko Mendolar (once Tuana)
Bern sud Caraat (Chosen of Oran, once Yena and Grona)
Cader Sarc (once Yena)
Caynen S'udlaat (once Tuana)
Cetto sud Teerac (Chosen of Husni, once Councilor of Yena)
Chaun sud Teerac (Chosen of Weth, once Yena)
Cien Serona (Ezgi's mother, once Runner of Tuana)
Deran Edut (Kor's brother, once Tuana)
Enris sud Sarc (Chosen of Aryl, Worin's brother, once Tuana)
Ezgi sud Parth (Chosen of Seru, once Runner of Tuana)
Fon Kessa'at (Son of Veca, once Yena)
Galen sud Serona (Chosen of Cien, Jorg's brother, once Runner of Tuana)
Gijs sud Vendan (Chosen of Juo, once Yena)
Haxel Vendan (First Scout, once Yena)
Hoyon d'sud Gethen (Adept, Chosen of Oswa, once Grona)
Husni Teerac (once Yena)
Josel Licor (Netta's sister, once Runner of Tuana)
Juo Vendan (once Yena)
Kayd Uruus (Son of Taen, Ziba's brother, once Tuana)
Kor sud Lorimar (Chosen of Menasel, Deran's brother, once Tuana)
Kran Caraat (Oran's brother, once Grona)
Kynan d'sud Kathel (Chosen of Anaj)
Lendin sud Kessa'at (Chosen of Morla, once Yena)
Lymin Annk (once Runner of Tuana)
Mauro Lorimar (Irm's brother, Menasel's cousin, once Tuana)
Menasel Lorimar (Mauro's cousin, once Tuana)
Morla Kessa'at (once Councillor of Yena)
Myris Sarc (Taisal's sister, once Yena)
Naryn S'udlaat (once Tuana)
Netta Licor (Josel's sister, once Runner of Tuana)
Oswa Gethen (Yao's mother, once Grona)
Oran di Caraat (Adept, once Grona)
Rorn sud Vendan (Chosen of Haxel, once Yena)
Seru Parth (Birth Watcher, Aryl's cousin, once Yena)
Stryn Licor (Josel and Netta's mother, once Runner of Tuana)
Suen sud Annk (Chosen of Lymin, once Runner of Tuana)
Syb sud Uruus (Kayd and Ziba's father, Chosen of Taen, once Yena)
Taen Uruus (Kayd and Ziba's mother, once Yena)
Tai sud Licor (Chosen of Stryn, once Runner of Tuana)
Tilip sud Kessa'at (Fon's father, Chosen of Veca, once of Yena)
Veca Kessa'at (Fon's mother, once of Yena)
Weth Teerac (Looker, once of Yena)
Worin Mendolar (Enris' brother, once of Tuana)
Yao Gethen (Daughter of Oswa, once of Grona)
Yuhas sud S'udlaat (Chosen of Caynen, once of Yena and Tuana)
Ziba Uruus (Daughter of Taen, once of Yena)
YENA CLAN:
Adrius sud Parth (Member of Yena Council)
Alejo Parth (Seru's brother)
Andace Vendan
Barit sud Teerac (Bern's father, Chosen of Evra)
Costa sud Teerac (Aryl's brother, Chosen of Leri)
Dalris sud Sarc (Taisal's grandfather, Unnel's father, Chosen of Nela)
Ele Sarc
Evra Teerac (Bern's mother)
Ferna Parth (Seru's mother)
Ghoch sud Sarc (Chosen of Oryl)
Joyn Uruus (Son of Rimis)
Kiric Mendolar (Brother of Enris, Once Tuana)
Leri Teerac
Mele sud Sarc (Aryl's father, Chosen of Taisal)
Nela Sarc (Taisal's grandmother)
Oryl Sarc
Pio di Kessa'at (Adept)
Rimis Uruus (Joyn's mother)
Sian d'sud Vendan (Adept, Member of Yena Council)
Taisal di Sarc (Aryl's mother, Adept, Speaker for Yena)
Tikva di Uruus (Adept, Member of Yena Council)
Till sud Parth (Seru's father, Scout, Chosen of Ferna)
Troa sud Uruus (Joyn's father, Chosen of Rimis)
Unnel Sarc (Taisal's mother)
Yorl sud Sarc (Taisal's great uncle, Member of Yena Council)
TUANA CLAN:
Clor sud Mendolar (Enris' uncle, once of Amna)
Dama Mendolar (Ridersel's mother, Member of Tuana Council)
Eran Serona
Eryel S'udlaat
Gelle Licor
Geter Licor
Irm Lorimar (Mauro's brother)
Jorg sud Mendolar (Enris' father, Chosen of Ridersel)
Mia d'sud Serona (Adept, once Amna)
Mirs sud S'udlaat (Chosen of Eryel)
Olalla Mendolar (Enris' cousin)
Ral Serona (Enris' cousin)
Ridersel Mendolar (Enris' mother)
Ruis di Mendolar (Adept)
Sive sud Lorimar
Sole sud Serona (Speaker for Tuana)
Traud Licor
Tyko Uruus
GRONA CLAN:
Cyor sud Kaar (Member of Grona Council)
Efris Ducan (Member of Grona Council, Grona Speaker)
Emyam sud Caraat (Member of Grona Council)
Gura Azar (Member of Grona Council)
Lier Haon (Member of Grona Council)
Mysk Gethen (Member of Grona Council)
VYNA CLAN:
Etleka Vyna
Daryouch Vyna
Fikryya Vyna
Jenemir Vyna
Nabrialan Vyna
Tarerea Vyna (High Councillor)
OTHER CLANS:
Dann d'sud Friesnen (Adept, Pana)
Gur di Sawnda'at (Adept, Rayna)
Karne d'sud Witthun (Adept, Rayna)
STRANGERS OF CERSI
An Tsessas (Archivist Second Class, Undetermined)
Artrul (Triad First, Site One, Undetermined)
Janex Jymbobobii (Triad Third, Site One, Carasian)
Josen (Triad Second replacement, Site Four, Undetermined)
Marcus Bowman (Triad First, Site One, then Four, Human)
Meen (Triad Third replacement, Site Four, Undetermined)
P'tr sit 'Nix (Pilot, Site Two, Tolian)
Pilip (Triad Second, Site One, Trant)
Tomas Vogt ( Archivist Second Class, Undetermined)
Tyler Henshaw (Triad First, Site Two, Human)
Stonerim III
A
FIVE-FINGERED HAND, thick and spotted with age, brushed over plas sheets, tipped a mem-cube on its side, then turned palm up. “That's it?”
FIVE-FINGERED HAND, thick and spotted with age, brushed over plas sheets, tipped a mem-cube on its side, then turned palm up. “That's it?”
“Yes. Everything portable was gone. We searched for remains with orbital scanners and midlevel vidbots with no success. We're contacting next of kin based on staff records. Members of an indigenous population, theâ” a slim, delicately scaled finger tapped a screen, “âthe Oud, may have been involved although there'sâahâdistinct possibility of scavengers. You saw the last annual report, I'm sure.”
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