"Willem, I know not what to do," Ildevar gazed sadly at his assistant.
"Deonus, at times, things remain outside our control. We know this. A higher hand stirs the waters and we are left to deal with the ripples."
"Spoken as a true Seer, Willem," Ildevar agreed.
* * *
"It will take a connection to six stars to pull enough energy without damaging any of them." A Larentii came to sit beside me. I was already in full Thifilatha and towered over him, although he was at least eight-and-a-half feet tall in Earth measurements.
I'd been thinking of Aurelius and using his archaic methods to gauge heights seemed appropriate. Evening had fallen on that area of Cloudsong and the stars were beginning to appear overhead. I'd originally planned to do this during the day, but events had prevented it. At least something was going right, since Renegar said it would take energy from six stars to make repairs.
"Renegar?" I smiled—I couldn't help it—he'd come to Cloudsong. "You haven't come to talk me out of this, have you?" The others had. I expected nothing else, although I might listen to Ren before I listened to anyone else. According to Lissa, Ren had fathered a Larentii Wise One, and was grandfather to another. I wouldn't discount anything Ren said.
"I am here to monitor your efforts," he smiled up at my full Thifilatha. "I knew I would find you here. Shall we begin?"
"Are you helping?" I asked, a bit surprised.
"I will only tell you when you have pulled enough energy from each star, so you may switch at the proper time," he said. "I cannot help by pulling the energy, but there is nothing to prevent me from sharing information."
"Oh." I nodded at his words and turned back to the stars, selecting my first target. Altogether, it took the better part of six clicks, one click per star. Renegar did as he'd promised, giving me the proper time to change. I was exhausted afterward and wishing I had my tent and basket of food. Both would have been welcome.
"That is also why I came," Ren watched as I changed back to myself and reached tiredly for my clothing. He helped me dress. "I will take you to Beliphar; Graegar asked me to do this. There is a place on that deserted world where you might stay, unless you wish to go to one of your mates, tonight. Or to more than one of them."
"They don't need me and I don't think I want them," I sighed.
"Little one, your first statement is not true. I only hope that eventually the second will not be true as well. Meanwhile, Beliphar awaits." He folded me to the abandoned world.
* * *
"Everything here is in stasis—you may use it as your own," Ren informed me as I wandered through the huge kitchen. The cold keepers hummed—the solar collectors still operated. Food was in the keepers and cabinets that I could prepare if I wanted, or I could nibble on fresh fruits and vegetables if I were too exhausted to cook.
"Do you know if Farzi and Nenzi are all right?" I asked. I'd worried over them as soon as I'd skipped away from Wyyld.
"They are well—Lendill contacted Gavril Montegue and they have been taken to Campiaa."
"Good." I heaved another weary breath. "Thank you for your help," I nodded to him.
"It was the least I could do, little demon." He inclined his head briefly and folded away.
I truly felt too tired to cook, but forced myself to do it anyway. I had a broiled steak, seasoned just right, with a salad and two glasses of wine. The dishes could wait until I woke—I found a bed not far away from the kitchen and huddled into it, too tired to cry, even, over the turns my life had taken.
* * *
"Will you be able to conceal them?" Lersen Strand waved a hand to encompass the army of Giffelithi mercenaries. Giffel was a sister planet to Liffel, and they were still angry that Liffel had been destroyed by the Reth Alliance. They had no love for any part of it, and looked to profit from anything that might bring about its downfall.
Lersen and his cousins had paid top credit for this army, and then spent another fortune equipping it. Few had ranos pistols or rifles—those were extremely difficult to come by since Teeg San Gerxon had taken over. That was about to change. Giffel didn't want to be under San Gerxon's thumb any more than the Strands, but they wouldn't refuse the money the Strands offered.
"I can easily conceal all of them," Nidris smiled at Lerson's question. Once he tapped into Campiaa's core, anything might be accomplished. He looked over the assembled army of Giffelithi dwarves. Nidris had no idea how the Strands managed to put funding together to hire five hundred mercenaries, and cared even less.
He'd do his job, the Strands would have Campiaa, wealth would be his and he'd find another crime family to hire him. No sense in staying around for the Strands to connect him to Campiaa's tapped core. He recognized the three warlocks Lersen Strand had hired—Zellar had trained them but hadn't taught them how to tap cores. That he'd reserved for the power finders. None of the three held that talent.
"Good," Lersen Strand smiled at Nidris' reply. He, his three cousins and Nidris stood on the catwalk overlooking the floor of the warehouse. The other three warlocks would transport the army; Nidris would conceal it when they landed on Campiaa. Then, when all the visiting dignitaries were in one spot, signing up for membership in the Campiaan Alliance, Lersen and his army would strike. Nidris chuckled.
"Why do you laugh?" Lersen frowned at his newest warlock.
"I would like very much to see the look on San Gerxon's face when he dies."
"I will describe it to you. In detail," Lersen promised.
* * *
"Fes, he's working on the pastry," Aldah muttered.
"And he's doing a good job. Why do you care, brother—you hate making pastry." Fes stared at his younger brother. "You like making desserts better—handle that."
"You don't see it, do you," Aldah accused. "He'll try to take this away from us."
"Relax, he'll not get away with anything. Father has already cut him out of the will. Didn't I tell you?"
"You said that, but what if Addah changes his mind?"
"He won't. You worry over nothing. Use Edan as much as you like. He's the lowest-paid cook we have at the moment. Revel in that, brother. Desh's number one is on top and will not lose that spot. Ever. We will make sure of this. Go back to work—we are booked up tonight. Make that chocolate crème cake you are so fond of."
"All right, but do not forget that I warned you," Aldah walked away in a huff.