Slave Line (The Young Ancients) (27 page)

Denno, instead of thinking he was insane, actually clapped him on the back and supported what he was saying, almost as if it had been planned.

"Exactly. The time of living separated from our fellows in other lands is done. It's led to senseless wars with good people that hold us no ill will. My hope is that we'll all take the time to get to know our neighbors and learn their ways, their hopes and dreams, to become a true family at last."

Tor smiled.

"I feel like we should all hold hands and sing now or something. It's all true enough though."

Then they finished the tour. It wasn't until the camera got put away that the man announced it had gone out to every household in Austra live.

Just like he'd figured.

"
The Tor's Magical Escape
? Well it could be worse. I don't know how, but I'm almost positive of it."

That taken care of he just had to get the people leaving for Vagus on the deck, which he announced to everyone clearly. He set up his Fast Carriage, only to find that Trice came out and did the same almost instantly. All the Immortals walked out with chests floating along behind them at varying heights, depending on how they were carrying their amulets. Kara and George were there with canvas duffle bags and Ali walked out with her own floating chest and his, a determined look on her face. It looked darling.

Tor had wondered if that would happen, and got ready to argue with Burks or Denno over having an non-immortal or two with them. Neither man even blinked. They didn't even look sideways when Carlos came jogging over with his own bag, a simple cloth sack made of canvas that he held by the top. The Royal guards looked concerned, but no one else did.

The man waved at Lyn with a huge smile on his face.

"Hired me to cook for you all. I get paid in animal hides, isn't that exciting? Probably have to get Tor to help me again, but I couldn't turn it down. How often do you get to cook for most the worlds Ancients? When I get back I can truly advertise that I worked both in the King of Noram's own kitchen as well as being your personal chef. Start my own restaurant or maybe get you to hire me on as the head chef for your new cruise line. I kind of think I'll like that better than riding a desk, which is all the Protection Service is going to let me do now. Kind of a public figure after all this. We should find something for that kid we had at the palace too. No one will want to hire him for years and it won't be easy for him in school, looking like he does."

Tor just thought about it for a second.

"OK. We all have to eat. Denno, Kenner is one of yours, so I think you should think about what to offer him. I'll back you on it. Shall we then? I was going to fly, but if Trice is coming too we should let her do it. She's better at it than I am. We should all fit in one craft, even with the luggage. Lyn, will you take the second front seat, so you can tell her how to get there?"

Five minutes later they were in the air and moving fast. It still took nearly five hours to get to Vagus, since they had to search for the capital a bit, but it wasn't hard. It would be a lot faster to find the next time, since he had some landmarks now.

"Make a note of where this is Timon. I don't know it for a fact but we may be making a trip for supplies in the near future. Carlos might want things from Noram or even Austra." That got a snort from his mother in the back seat. It didn't sound happy at all.

"If you're just going to be flying about like this, why didn't you leave us at home instead of making us suffer that hell trip? I'd rather a twelve hour flight than put up with that again. Hmph." Tor didn't even have to turn around to know that she'd be sitting with her arms crossed and nose slightly in the air, looking off to the left. She always did that when she was trying to show how wronged she was.

Next to him Ali went totally blank, and looked straight ahead, which got Tor to take her hand and lean into her a little, just to be reassuring. If his mother got mad for the whole summit it would suck, but it wouldn't lead to any kind of lasting harm. For all her bluster she wasn't a violent person and even if she was, he didn't have to put up with that kind of thing anymore.

Not from anyone.

"Hell trip? Well, we did put you in the bad room... You know the one with all the bats and spiders, since they're virtually identical luxury rooms otherwise. It took a lot of work getting those in there you know, plus aging the food for you so it was all spoiled like that... so I really don't think you should be complaining about it. Hours of extra work just for you. Don't you feel special now?" Tor didn't laugh or indicate that he was teasing in any way even, but it got another snort from his mom.

"Don't try that with me Torrance Green Baker. You're not too old to be taken over my knee. Why I should get a belt and do that right now. Ungrateful little..."

That made Tor laugh out loud. She'd threatened to spank him a good dozen times growing up, but had never done it. He hadn't been the kind of child that had needed beatings to learn and for all her bluster, she wasn't a badperson. She went quiet though as he kept chuckling softly.

"Actually, I think I may be just a bit too old for that now. That threat kind of fades about the same time you realize that even adults bleed. Why don't we set this aside and just move on? You were wrong, you know it, you can admit it now and we can all be happy and enjoy this meeting as much as possible, without further strife."

"I was wrong?" Her voice was shrill and sounded ready to go into a rant again. Tor interrupted her, smiling and throwing his hands in the air.

"Exactly. Good to hear you admit it. Now just apologize to Ali and everyone else for making their trip tense and uncomfortable and we can all move on. Easy as that."

"You want me to say that I'm sorry for holding my own opinions?" She wasn't less shrill this time either, but Denno was smothering a giggle attack and Carlos was looking out the side window, hiding his smile from the clearly mad women in their midst.

"Yes. Just like that. Now everyone say you accept her apology and it will all be fixed."

Burks went first, his face straight and sounding rather polite about the whole thing.

"I accept your apology dear. Very glad to hear you're coming around. Minor misunderstanding. No lasting harm done I'm sure. So glad that's over. Kind of a minor point to be having an argument about anyway."

Lyn chimed in as well, then everyone else went. It did get Laurie to shut up for a bit though.

When she spoke it was a little grudging but not half as harsh as she had been for the last few days.

"I'm sorry everyone. Especially to you Ali. I'm still angry at my son, but there's no excuse for me saying you were too young to marry. Obviously the immature one in this arrangement is him."

Tor nodded at that and looked forward again to hide his own grin. No need to goad her now after all.

"What I was saying the whole time. Good, so Lyn, you're being wrangled into hosting this thing and as far as I can tell you didn't actually get a say in it, what do you want us to do to help?"

That at least got everyone else to change the subject. Tor didn't really think the whole thing with his mother was done, that would be silly. No, she was a person that could hold a grudge for a good long time. What he hoped for was that she'd be nice to Ali and everyone else. If she still wanted to be angry at him, that was fine. A waste of her time, but if it made her feel better, or like she was getting something done, it didn't really affect him at all. It was probably a sign of something new going on he realized. Before he'd always kind of just forgave everyone, no matter what they'd done to him. For the most part that even worked, but now he understood that he didn't have to. He could just wait for her to change.

Or Cordes could.

Either way though, it would be fine, unless it wasn't. Unless the thing growing within him was a trick or a lie. Something that started out harmless and even good, but that would suddenly turn on him. Of course if that was really the case he needed to know how to stop it. It might not be possible, but not trying wouldn't help either. What he needed was to get Lyn and Cynthia together and have them hash out what to do. They were the two best people amongst the Ancients when it came to tech.

Though according to Lyn they didn't really get along. That part could be tricky. It all could be.

Tor found himself distracted by some low bumps on the horizon. Lyn smiled and pointed at their destination happily. It got him to shift forward to see what it was. It was hard to tell, but they landed just a few minutes later and everyone piled out quickly enough, taking it all in.

The city really didn't look like much, once he saw it. Low to the ground and mainly made of mud, supported by sticks, the place smelled just a bit of human and animal waste. It seemed to be summer here though, so the dirt streets were solid and not pits of muck, even if they were probably made of that for the most part. He could see the bits of partly digested straw worked into the pale soil. People came out of their dwellings and stopped the daily tasks they were engaged in to stare. Outside the town there were large fields with a variety of food growing, looking more like big garden plots than cultivated single crops, except to the west, at the foot of the large hills there, which were covered with grass for the animals. At least horses and something like big cows were grazing there. If it was their grain crop some farmer was going to be ticked.

A small crowd gathered around, dressed in loose long tunics that seemed largely to be made of animal skins, making them look a fairly uniform tan color. Some of them walked a little closer, not smiling, but not doing anything aggressive either, which got Lyn to change form, her body stretching up into her more skeletal and pale combat shape. Tor didn't know what was going on for certain, but felt the lack of a good shield suddenly. Regardless he moved in front of Ali and the others, stepping up right alongside Lyn. If there was a fight, running from it here would be their best bet, since they had the superior craft, but they'd all have to get to it first. Maybe Tor could help hold them off for a few seconds while the others fled? He doubted he was up to really fighting yet, but he had been exercising a little. He wouldn't go down instantly, even if they killed him. Especially since they all seem unarmed. The best they could do here would be spears and bows, ones without metal tips, Tor was pretty sure. He tried to ready his mind, dropping into a deep trance state, letting time slow around him as the group moved closer.

Right until the people started singing something.

It sounded a little ceremonial, but kind of happy. They seemed pleased to have their "wise mother" back it seemed. Tor knew this, because even though the language had shifted he kind of understood the Chinese being used. Enough to get a few words at least. It was in the Cordes memories.

Lyn Red stood, her arms out, hands spread wide, skin pale in the bright sunlight. More so than Tor was, an almost chalk white. Everyone stopped and waited for her to speak, which she did with a vicious grin.

"Children, I come bringing friends and my family of the Most Old Kind. They are our guests and more will be coming for a short time. More, I have good news, that should be spread far and wide through all of our lands! My brother has delivered to me the knowledge of true magic and taught me it's ways. No longer shall we have to crawl in the mud and dig with sticks of wood. We shall be a land equal to any on the planet!"

It was a rousing speech, and got a polite murmur from the people watching. They seemed almost defeated, or like they didn't quite believe that things would ever really change. At least that's what the older man in the back said, his wispy beard blowing gently in the wind. Softly... but loud enough that others nodded in agreement, looking sad about it.

Giant skeletal looking Lyn let out a big puff of air that Tor realized was a sigh.

"It's true! The time of change has come! Rejoice!"

They didn't. They kind of milled around instead. Tor turned and went to the Fast Carriage, tempted to just turn it off, but wanting to make a bigger impression. Instead he got his trunk out of the back and dug out one of the larger magical houses. This he handed off to Lyn gently, making her smile when she realized what it was.

"Alright then. We're supposed to see some rejoicing here people. It took over a century of work to learn this magic and bring it here. This isn't some small thing or a couple of conjuring tricks done with eggs and a hat." She growled the words, which got the people closest to her to take a few steps back, clearly not wanting to make her mad. Tor hadn't really considered it before, but for Lyn to have held control over the largest contingent on the planet with nothing more than simple weapons, she had to be pretty tough didn't she? All the Ancients probably were in some way or another.

"Follow me!" She screamed the words, which sounded rough and bloody, then started running toward the edge of the city toward the river, right hand held high, holding the magical house. It didn't take long to get there, the place wasn't that big, but Lyn was fast in this form. To keep up Tor had to use his Not-Flyer, which most of the others quickly copied. Denno didn't, not having one but he was fast on foot. Luckily it wasn't a long trip though, because the villagers and Carlos were having trouble keeping up at all. In fact they had to wait for about ten minutes for the oldest to make it over, not having bothered to do more than gamely jog.