The Testimony of Her Eminence and Most Puissant Sentience Tara del D’myn, Matriarch of Skarsia and All Humanity, Nuncio to the Combine of Sentients
The first thing I heard was the sound of breaking glass. It was Lady Magdelaine, dropping a tea tray. Then Captain Zosim shouted, “Call Ta’al Erich!”
Ash touched my face fleetingly, then folded back into Manan, who collapsed immediately.
We were standing on the beach, in the exact spot where Ross and I had been sitting. Had poor Manan been out in the elements all this time?
How long had that been, anyway?
He was very beautiful, my new husband. But there was something about him that seemed rarefied, untouchable. I was afraid that I would to defile him.
“What happened?” Captain Zosim demanded. Then he stepped back and saluted sheepishly, remembering his place. “Please excuse my abruptness, Your Eminence. As you might well imagine, we’ve been under a lot of stress”
“We were ambushed by telepathic attackers,” I explained. “Ross took me inside of Ash’s pleroma to protect me. We’ve been defeating the attackers in there, but the moment they get ejected, they try to get back in. That’s why Manan is in a deep meditative state – he’s shielding Ash from them.” I decided not to include the bit about the quest achievements. It struck me as confusing the situation unduly, and it was Ash’s business, not theirs.
“That matches with our information,” reported Lady Magdelaine. “The telepaths are hidden somewhere deep in the Mountains of Gbleth on Skarsia. They’re being controlled by the SongLuminants, probably by the Panoply of the Ancient Foam.”
“Wait, the PAF? Are you sure?”
“It’s a long story,” she said, taking my arm. “Tubby and Admiral Noviik are on their way back from an emergency meeting of the Combine of Sentients on the Eer-gaaani homeworld. Let’s go up to the palace for a spot of tea, and I’ll fill you in on the details.”
*****
“You’ve done well,” I said at the conclusion of her tale. “I think the first order of business is for me to make a public appearance. I’ll tell them that the rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. I’ve always wanted to say that.”
“Graysal is watching that Nan-Zee carefully, but they’ve done nothing really illegal. Ta’al Erich is worried that if we try to shut them up, GalMedi’s pundits will have a fit about suppression of free speech.”
“I miss the good old days, where I could just lop their heads off with impunity,” I muttered, sipping my cup of Earl Beige. “This tea is so soothing, but it would be even better with a shot of vodka. Anyway, I’m really impressed that you were able to deduce that there’s another person with the Blood of the Matriarchs. But it can’t be Nan-Zee.”
“What?”
“The coup took place long after Nan-Zee was rescued from CenGov. I’m really not sure what her part in this is.”
“The coup?” asked Zosim. “What does the coup have to do with it?”
“It’s Christolea’s daughter. We found out that she was pregnant when Lorcan interrogated her. The baby was sent to live with the father’s family – he was apparently the half-brother of the 5th Matriarch.”
“Which is?”
“Aargh, do I have to go through this again?” After I explained, Lady Magdelaine clucked her tongue. “A rash decision, Missy. That child should’ve been watched every day of her life. Instead, she’s on the loose, Mithras knows where.”
“We’ve got to contact Ta’al Erich immediately,” said Zosim. “We’ve been going under the assumption that we were safe because Nan-Zee is on Shambhala. But if she isn’t the one with the Blood…”
On cue, there was a deafening roar. The courtyard was filled with smoke.
“Damn!” cried Zosim. “There’s no way to shield against an invasion using teleportation. But where are they getting the devices?”
“SongLuminants,” I told them. “The Floatfish have sold the technology to everybody in the combine.”
I ran for the stairs. I knew exactly what the target was: the Staff of the Matriarch. But this time, I was no longer in contact with it.
We were too late. Our foes had teleported into the ceremonial vault directly. As I arrived, a mothman flew through the wall. He folded into his humanoid form, a compact man, dark-haired, frowning.
“The 5th Matriarch, my aunt, had good reason for concealing her true lineage,” said Venahalee. “So this is a grudge match – not just about that stupid thing over Kyrae. I was hoping to humiliate you there, but you weren’t as weak as I expected. No, this is about my aunt’s death, and my father’s disgrace, and my mother’s imprisonment, and now I suppose I can lay the responsibility for my mother’s death on you as well.”
“My bad,” I replied. “I should’ve let Patrick smother you in infancy.”
“We all have regrets,” she said. Then she glanced at the Cu’enashti. “You know what you have to do,” she said, grasping the Staff. “The end of an Aion.”