Angel of Storms (Millennium's Rule, #2)(42)

“There is no harm in that. My people call him the Deliverer.” At this new voice heads turned to a short, middle-aged man with long hair knotted into a ropey curtain. “He saved us when our world was dying.”

“And delivered you to mine, Kik, to steal our lands and enslave us,” another teacher replied. He looked remarkably similar to the middle-aged man, except his head was smooth and hairless.

Kik’s eyes narrowed. “That was never his intention. We were forced to take action after your people refused to share your resources with us, Areio.”

“That is a lie,” Areio said, pointing at him with his table knife. “We helped you, but it wasn’t enough. You wanted the best lands, the best of everything we had, and you wouldn’t work for it.

Kik rose. “You gave us unworkable land. You wanted us to starve!”

“We were all starving after your people came! We didn’t have crops to feed double the—”

As the argument continued other voices joined in, cutting across the pair’s retorts.

“Perhaps it was his plan all along.”

“That was nearly three hundred cycles ago. It’s not his fault that you can’t settle your differences. Just… get over it.”

“Peace! Peace! We are all here to learn and teach!”

“He rescued the people of my world, too, but there was a price. It was not worth it.”

“Rescued! He helped you wipe out an entire race! To the last child!”

“A race that had enslaved and tortured us. What would you do? Invite them to dinner?”

Tyen had never seen the teachers arguing so passionately about something not related to the running of the school. His ears rang from the noise. He glanced at Tarren, who was watching it all with a look of wry amusement.

“It’s only a rumour!” someone yelled over the voices.

“Yes! We don’t know if he has returned,” another added.

Silence followed, then a few people muttered under their breath. Kik glanced around and sat down. Some of those who had been arguing looked down at their plates and picked up their cutlery.

“Oh, he has returned,” a high voice said. “This is no rumour.”

All froze. Even those who had continued eating through the ruckus stilled, caught in the act of chewing. Heads turned to a thin, middle-aged woman sitting at one corner of the table. Demble taught the use of magic in art and music, Tyen recalled, and had shown him a method of shaping air to amplify noise. Her manner was reserved among the other teachers, but when she spoke it was often to cut to the heart of a matter.

He hadn’t seen her in a while, he realised.

“I returned today from my home world. During my visit Queen Hevinna requested I entertain her. The court was buzzing with the news that the Raen had been there a few days before. I broke the law against mind reading to learn if it was true, because I had to be sure.” To Tyen’s surprise, tears filled her eyes. “It is true. The Raen has returned. My queen says I must return to my family but…” She shook her head. “This is my home.”

A long silence followed. Tyen saw dismay on all faces. Even Kik did not look pleased.

“Will the school close?” someone asked.

Heads now turned towards Tarren and Corl, the oldest of the teachers. The two men exchanged glances.

“That’s up to the Heads to decide,” Corl said, his tone doubtful.

Ame huffed. “They can’t expect us to stay if we don’t want to. We’re all sorcerers. We’ve broken the Raen’s laws against teaching magic.”

“He does not forbid teaching magic,” Kik corrected. “He forbids the formation of schools, travelling between worlds without permission, and teaching others how to travel between worlds.”

“Everyone knows he kills sorcerers to prevent them uniting against him,” someone said.

“Nonsense! If he had there’d be no allies.”

“Who live only because they serve him!”

“If we return to our home worlds and stay put we will be safe enough,” another voice injected.

“How do we go home when travel between worlds is forbidden?” someone wondered.

“I suppose you’ll offer to serve him,” Ame said, glaring at Kik.

He shrugged. “I’d be honoured, but I doubt I’d be useful to one such as him.”

Voices rose in outrage. Tyen heard Tarren draw in a breath. “Quiet!” he called, pointing at a servant standing by the door. “Let the messenger speak.”

Others repeated the words until the noise lessened enough for the messenger to make himself heard. He looked around nervously and cleared his throat.

“The Heads have summoned all to attend a meeting tonight, an hour after dinner,” the man said.

A short silence followed his exit, then someone whispered. “Well, that confirms it. They’re closing the school.”

“No it doesn’t,” another disagreed. “They might want to wait and…”

“This will be the end of Liftre,” Tarren murmured as the teachers began to argue again. “Even if the Heads decide to stay put and see what happens, most will abandon it out of fear or respect for the Raen’s laws. Is was only his absence that made the creation of Liftre possible.”

Tyen stared at him in disbelief. “Close the school? Just like that?”