Angel of Storms (Millennium's Rule, #2)(107)
Tyen nodded. “Most people do. So is planning to kill a ruler, if you are the ruler or his supporters.”
“More than bad manners.” Baluka moved over to the covered window. “But to those who suffer under that rule, it is more like a song. One that you can’t get out of your mind. One that speeds your heart and sets your blood on fire.”
“I know the kind of song you mean. It makes death seem glorious and defeat impossible.”
The young Traveller turned to regard Tyen, the side of his face illuminated by the lamplight leaking between the curtains. “Death and the risk of defeat are an unavoidable part of war. I don’t think anyone who joins a rebellion is ignorant of that.”
“But they expect us to keep the risks as low as possible, or at least make their deaths count. If we treat them otherwise we are no better than the tyrants they seek to remove. ‘It is often wiser not to fight at all than attack before victory is sure’,” he quoted.
Baluka nodded. “If defeating the Raen could only be achieved through the sacrifice of most of the rebels, would the death of thousands be worth it for the freedom of countless people in countless worlds?” Would it? Baluka asked himself. Could I give the order to attack, if I knew that was the cost? He wasn’t sure, and that roused in him a little reluctant respect for Tyen.
A chill ran through Tyen. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Baluka regarded Tyen in silence, thinking that he would have tried to reassure a recruit in this situation. It was obvious that Tyen was not a natural leader. How did he end up in this position? Hapre didn’t tell me that part of the rebels’ story, only that Tyen was the previous leader’s adviser. Perhaps she expected me to read the rest from her mind. Ah, lom’s balls! He’s probably watching me thinking about this. I’ve got to get used to that. There’s a lot to learn.
He was right about that, Tyen mused. He was right about too many things. Here, finally, was a young man of considerable magical strength willing to take on the leadership of the rebels. The temptation to let him was strong, but Tyen knew that the next time he met the Raen the man would know he’d allowed someone potentially competent take charge.
He said I only had to report to him on their decisions, he reminded himself. It was me who decided I had to hold them back, for their own safety. And the sake of his own conscience. If he was going to keep the rebels out of a confrontation they couldn’t win, he would have to prevent this young Traveller usurping his position.
“Contrary to how it appears, I’m not sitting in the dark doing nothing,” Tyen told Baluka, letting a little hardness enter his voice. “I am keeping an eye on the minds about us, watching for the Raen’s allies. It’s much easier to do that when there are no distractions. If you have no more questions for me, please join Hapre–who I’m sure would appreciate help over criticism.”
Baluka’s head bowed and he took a step away. “I’m sorry. I will look for ways to be useful and avoid annoying people–though I suspect I’ll be more successful with the former.” He retreated to the door, where he paused. “And I’ll keep trying to think of a signal we could safely send out to all the worlds to rouse a rebel army without alerting the allies.”
I know you will, Tyen replied silently. He nodded. As the door closed, he turned his mind to more immediate threats, once again searching the minds in the local area for the Raen’s allies. All too soon, his attention was drawn back to the door by a loud and rapid knocking. He sought the source and drew in a breath as he read the news Volk had brought.
“The allies have killed new recruits at two arrival places,” the man said as Tyen stepped out into the corridor.
“Are the fake hiding places ready?”
“Half of them are.”
“They’ll have to do. It’s time to leave.”
CHAPTER 13
The three generals slowly faded from sight, each taking the rebels who worked with them. Tyen took a last look out of the window, and at the minds of the people living and working in the area. He found none watching and, with no other reason to delay, propelled himself into the space between worlds.
Instead of forging new paths through to the neighbouring worlds, as the generals were doing, he began skimming. He travelled fast, putting plenty of distance between him and the canal city. Crossing the sea, he stopped at the far shore to breathe, then began roaming back and forth, seeking signs of recent passage into the world.
At first he found none, and he began to wonder if the message to leave hadn’t reached any of the rebel groups, or that the allies weren’t roaming the world hunting for them as reported. The murdered groups could have been the result of an attempt by the allies to scare the rebels into leaving rather than a coordinated attack.
But new paths leading directly in or out of the world were not as easy to detect as those caused by skimming. It was like trying to find a column while blindfolded compared to locating a road. Skimming was what he expected the allies to be doing as they swept back and forth, looking for places rebels might hide in, then arriving and searching the minds of locals for thoughts about foreigners taking up residence recently.
When he finally detected a fresh path, it led out of the world. He cursed his and the other rebels’ bad luck as he skimmed away, knowing that if an ally followed his trail and detected that he’d paused, they’d stop to see why and notice the other path leading out of the world. They might guess who had made it and chase the rebels rather than Tyen. After all, Tyen was leaving the sort of traces an ally might make.