As related by Prince Lens del N’stl’d, Most Astute High Herzog of Nightside
I appear to be looking out the window of the train, but that’s not where I’m looking at all. I’m trying to get a better view of something coming up at us, coming up quickly. It’s outside of the pleroma, difficult to see with Manan’s eyes closed. Well, it isn’t just that. Really, I see with the senses of all our trees. But the trees seem closed off, too, in a protective stance to keep from further telepathic incursions.
Is that the point? Is all of this a feint to keep Self from seeing too far into the future? Some exterior attack which relies on the element of surprise?
It’s a shadow, a shadow that fills me with dread. The more I look at it, the more horrifying it becomes. It looks worse than the Cu’ensali War. It even looks worse than Tara’s death.
I clap my hands over my mouth to keep from screaming. The last thing we need is an undue panic.
Beat comes up behind me, slaps his hand on my back. « You always do this. When there’s trouble, you try to handle it yourself. »
I notice Mickey, Valentin and Lucius all glancing over to me, worried. Unlike Beat, they can’t directly access my branch, but it’s clear from their expressions that they’ve figured out something is wrong, and they’re disappointed in my lack of transparency. They have a point. If I can’t trust my buds, and if I can’t trust a branch on my own tree, then whom can I trust?
« See what you think of this, » I say to Beat.
He looks. « Holy compost! » he yells. « What is that thing? »
Now everybody is staring at me. Everyone piles into my branch. It feels good; at the same time, I’m sorry to have caused so much trouble.
There’s a collective gasp, a stab of panic, and then Balin says, « Keep calm. »
« Keep calm? » shrieks Evan. « It’s the worst thing to happen, ever. I can feel it. »
« Look at it carefully, » says Balin. « It isn’t happening to us. »
He’s right. Now I can see it.
« That’s still a problem, » says Ailann. « And it’s not just a matter of compassion. Something that bad, that dark, is certain to send shockwaves through the Domha’vei. We’re going to have to deal with it, eventually. »
« Can’t we get a better picture of what it is? » asks Marius.
« Not while Manan is in such a deep trance state. And I’d be afraid to disturb him until the telepathic attack is over. »
« We have to start talking about that, » says Balin. « We’ve been working under the assumption that what we needed to do was to get rid of all the invaders in the pleroma. But if I understand the situation correctly, Manan is keeping them from coming back. That means we’re still stuck in here until the attack stops, and it can only be stopped in the material world. »
« Can we get a message out using the datapad? » asks Ace.
« That was the first thing I tried, » says Cüinn. « The network is offline. I guess that makes sense. I and I must normally be doing something to move the messages from the datapad in here to the one we have outside. »
« I have another idea, » says Balin. « We’ve been relying on Manan to shield us, but can Thomas take over? »
« I wouldn’t want to chance it, » says Marius. « Thomas seemed to think that Manan was at his limit. All the attackers that were in here are now out there, trying to get back. »
« Can he hold the fort for a few seconds? » says Tara.
« Maybe, » says Marius. « What do you have in mind? »
« Ash needs to switch to his mothman form just long enough to emanate me, » says Tara.
« No, » says Ailann. « Absolutely not. We’ll have no way to protect you. »
« My love, wake up, » says Tara. « You do have no way to protect me. It’s an illusion. You can’t protect yourself, and if you die, I die. »
We fall silent. We know she’s right, and it’s the most horrible feeling in the world.
« But there’s danger to you, » says Marius. « When this began, I felt like I needed to emanate, but I couldn’t. That’s why I had Ross bring you in here. »
Tara puts her hand on Ailann’s arm. « Remember what happened with the nul-chamber? » she says. « You have to trust me. »
Ailann nods. « All right, » he says.
« No! » says Marius. « You must be kidding. »
« We can’t deny her n’aashet n’aaverti, » Ailann says.
It’s like a feeling of electricity, or perhaps a little skip in the air. If Self were whole, we’d be floating in a full-fledged bliss cloud. Ailann is right; it makes perfect sense in the context of her behavior since Cillian was killed. Tara is capable of n’aashet n’aaverti.
Tara is evolving into one of us.