She was in his mind. It was all around her, like astrange and perilous world. A terribly frighteningworld, but one that was full of stark beauty.
Everything was angles, as if she'd fallen into theheart of a giant crystal. Everything glittered, coldand clear and sharp. There were flashes of color aslight shimmered and reflected, but for the most part it was dazzling transparency in every direction. Like the fractured ice of a glacier.
Really dangerous,Maggie thought. The spikes of crystal around her had edges like swords. The place looked as if it had never known warmth or softcolor.
And youlive here?she thought to Delos.
Go away.Delos's answering thought came to her.on a wave of cold wind. Get out!
No,Maggie said. You can't scare me. I've climbed glaciers before.It was then that she realized whatthis place reminded her of. A summit. The bareand icy top of a mountain where no plants-andcertainly no people-could survive.
But didn'tanything goodever happen to you? shewondered. Didn't you ever have a friend...or apet... or something?
No friends,he said shortly. No pets. Get out of here before I hurt you.
Maggie didn't answer, because even as he said itthings were changing around her. It was as if the glinting surfaces of the nearby crystals were suddenly reflecting scenes, perfect little pictures withpeople moving in them. As soon as Maggie lookedat one, it swelled up and seemed to surround her.
They were his memories. She was seeing bits ofhis childhood.
She saw a child who had been treated as aweapon from the time he was born. It was all aboutsome prophecy. She saw men and women gatheredaround a little boy, four years old, whose blacklashed golden eyes were wide and frightened.
"No question about it," the oldest man was saying. Delos's teacher, Maggie realized, the knowledge flowing to her because Delos knew it, and shewas in Delos's mind.
"This child is one of the Wild Powers," theteacher said, and his voice was full of awe andfear. His trembling hands smoothed out a brittlepiece of scroll. As soon asMaggie saw it she knew that the scroll was terribly old and had been keptin the Dark Kingdom for centuries, preserved hereeven when it was lost to the outside world.
"Four Wild Powers," the old man said, "who willbe needed at the millennium to save the world-or-to destroy it. The prophecy tells where they willcome from." And he read:
"One from the land of kings long forgotten; One from the hearth which still holds the spark; One from the Day World where two eyes are watching; One from the twilight to be one with the dark.",
The child Delos looked around the circle of grim faces, hearing the words but not understandingthem.
"'The land of kings, long forgotten,"' a womanwas saying. "That must be the Dark Kingdom."
"Besides, we've seen what he can do," a big mansaid roughly. "He's a Wild Power, all right. The bluefire is in his blood. He's learned to use it too early, though; he can't control it. See?"
He grabbed a small arm-the left one-and heldit up. It was twisted somehow, the fingers clawed and stiff, immobile.
The little boy tried to pull his hand away, but hewas too weak. The adults ignored him.
"The king wants us to find spells to hold thepower in," the woman said. "Or he'll damage himself permanently."
"Not to mention damaging us," the rough mansaid, and laughed harshly.
The little boy sat stiff and motionless as theyhandled him like a doll. His golden eyes were dryand his small jaw was clenched with the effort notto give in to tears.
That's awful,Maggie said indignantly, aiming herthought at the Delos of the present. It's a terrible way to grow up. Wasn't there anybody who cared about you? Your father?
Goaway, he said. I don't need your sympathy.
And your arm,Maggie said, ignoring the cold emptiness of his thought. Is that what happens toitwhen you use the blue fire?
He didn't answer, not in a thought directed ather. But another memory flashed in the facets of a crystal, and Maggie found herself drawn into it.
She saw a five-year-old Delos with his armwrapped in what looked like splints or a brace. Asshe looked at it, she knew it wasn't just a brace. It was made of spells and wards to confine the blue fire.
"This is it," the woman who had spoken beforewas saying to the circle of men. "We can controlhim completely."
"Are you sure? You witches are careless sometimes. You're sure he can't use it at all now?" Theman who said it was tall, with a chilly, austereface-and yellow eyes like Delos's.
Your father,Maggie said wonderingly to Delos. And his name was ... Tormentil? But ...She couldn't go on, but she was thinking that he didn'tlook much like a loving father. He seemed just likethe others.
"Until I remove the wards, he can't use it at all.I'm sure, majesty." The woman said the last word in an everyday tone, but Maggie felt a little shock.Hearing somebody get called majesty-it made him moreof a king, somehow.
"The longer they're left on, the weaker he'll be,"
the woman continued. "And hecan't take them offhimself. But I can, at any time - "
"And then he'll still be useful as a weapon?" "Yes. But blood has to run before he can use the blue fire."
The king said brusquely, "Show me."
The woman murmured a few words and strippedthe brace off the boy's arm. She took a knife fromher belt and with a quick, casual motion, like Maggie's grandmother guttinga salmon, opened a gash on his wrist.
Five-year-old Delos didn't flinch or make asound. His golden eyes were fixed on his father's faceas blood dripped onto the floor.
"I don't think this is a good idea," the old teachersaid. "The blue fire isn't meant to be used like this,and it damages his arm every time he does it=
"Now," the king interrupted, ignoring him andspeaking to the child for the first time. "Show mehow strong you are, son. Turn the blue fire on ..." He glanced up deliberately at the teacher. "Let'ssay-him."
"Majesty!" The old man gasped, backing againstthe wall.
The golden eyes were wide and afraid.
"Do it!" the king said sharply, and when the littleboy shook his head mutely, he closed his hand onone small shoulder. Maggie could see his fingerstighten painfully. "Do what I tell you. Now!" Delos turned his wide golden eyes on the old man, who was now shrinking and babbling, his trembling hands held up as if to ward off a blow.
The king changed his grip, lifted the boy's arm.
"Now, brat! Now!"
Blue fire erupted. It poured in a continuousstream like the water from a high-power fire hose.It struck the old man and spreadeagled him againstthe wall, his eyes and mouth open with horror. Andthen there was no old man. There was only a shad owy silhouette made of ashes.
"Interesting," the king said, dropping the boy'sarm. His anger had disappeared as quicklyasithad come.
"Actually, I thought there would bemore power. I thought it might take out the wall."
"Give him time." The woman's voice was slightlythick, and she was swallowing over and over.
"Well, no matter what, hell be useful." The kingturned to look at the others in the room. "Remember-all of you. A time of darkness is coming. Theend of the millennium means the end of the world.But whatever happens outside, this kingdom isgoing to survive."
Throughout all of this, the little boy sat andstared at the place where the old man had been.His eyes were wide, the pupils huge and fixed. Hisface was white, but without expression.
Maggie struggled to breathe.
That's-that's themost terrible thing I've ever seen.She could hardly get the words of her thought out. Theymade you kill your teacher-he made you do it. Yourfather. She didn't know what to say. Sheturned blindly, trying to find Delos himself in this strange landscape, trying to talk to him directly.She wanted to look at him, to hold him. To comfort him. I'm so sorry. I'mso sorry you had to grow uplike that.
Don't be stupid,he said. I grew up to be strong.That's what counts.
You grew up without anyone loving you,Maggiesaid.
He sent a thought like ice. Love is for weak people. It's a delusion. And it can be deadly.
Maggie didn't know how to answer. She wanted to shake him. All that stuff about the end of the millennium and the end of the world-what did that mean?