‘Seek,’ he answered promptly.
There was a soft, musical sound that seemed to soar higher and higher, enclosing, enveloping, almost caressing him. It was so beautiful that it brought sudden tears to his eyes.
‘And now you are mine,’ Emmy gloated.
‘I already was, Em. Is the Knife really singing?’
‘Oh, yes.’
‘What for?’
‘To let me know that you’ve been chosen. And, of course, that you’ll do exactly as I tell you to do.’ She gave him a sly look. ‘Sit, Althalus,’ she said.
He immediately sat down.
‘Stand up.’
He scrambled to his feet. ‘Stop this, Emmy!’ he said sharply.
‘Dance.’
He began hopping around. ‘I’m going to get you for this, Em!’ he threatened.
‘No, you won’t. You can stop dancing now. I just wanted to show you what the Knife can do. You’ll be able to do the same sort of thing with it – just in case Eliar or any of the others we’ll pick up later start getting out of hand.’
‘That could come in handy.’ He looked even more closely at the Knife-blade. ‘That one word is all I can make out. It jumps right out of the middle of those other squiggles.’
‘The other “squiggles” are intended for others.’
‘Why can’t I read them?’
‘Nobody can read it all, Althalus. Some of those words were intended for people who lived thousands of years ago, and others are there to be read by people who won’t even be born for several thousand more. Our current crisis isn’t the only one in the history of the world, you know.’
‘It’s enough to get my attention. Did it tell you where we go next?’
‘That’ll come after Eliar reads his instructions. Everything in its proper time and place.’
‘Anything you say, dear.’ He frowned slightly. ‘Let’s see if I’ve got this straight. Nobody except certain people can read the Knife, right?’
‘Exactly.’
‘Everybody else just sees those squiggles that look like some meaningless decoration?’
‘Didn’t I already say that?’
‘What would happen if I showed it to Ghend – or Pekhal, or Khnom?’
‘The screams would probably be very loud. The sight of the Knife causes unbearable pain to the agents of Daeva.’
‘Well, now,’ he said, grinning. ‘Maybe I’d better not use the Knife to cut bacon with, then.’
‘You wouldn’t!’
‘Only teasing, Em. That Knife’s going to be very useful, I think. I believe I’ll keep it very close.’
‘Sorry, pet. You aren’t the one who’s supposed to carry it.’
‘Who is?’
‘Probably Eliar.’
‘Are you absolutely sure I can control him? He is a professional killer, Em, so the first thing he’s likely to do if I hand him the Knife is stab me in the belly with it.’
‘There aren’t really any absolutes in life, Althalus.’
‘Oh, thanks, Em,’ he said sarcastically.
‘It’s a safe wager. The chance that he’ll kill you is about the same as the one for the sun coming up in the west this morning.’
‘I suppose I’d risk a little money on that one. Why don’t we wake him up and have him read to us?’
‘Let him sleep. After he reads the Knife, we’ll find out where we’re supposed to go next, and we’ll have to leave immediately. Let’s not start wandering around in the dark.’
He shrugged. ‘You’re the one in charge, Em.’ Then he looked at her curiously. ‘What did you do to Andine to bring her around? She didn’t really want to sell Eliar to me.’
‘I persuaded her to love me more than she hated him.’
‘I thought you couldn’t do that sort of thing out here.’
‘I didn’t create her love, pet. All I did was encourage it. Andine’s very young and very passionate. She loves – and hates – with her blood and bones, and she loves even more intensely than she hates. All I had to do to unleash her love was to be adorable. I’m an expert at that, if you’ll recall.’
‘I still think you’re cheating, Em.’
‘No, not really. Andine’s very pretty, and she smells nice. She’s soft and warm, and that voice of hers throbs like a bell. She’s very easy to love, and she responds to love with love of her own. I didn’t cheat her, Althalus. I did love her – and I still do.’
‘I thought you were supposed to love only me.’
‘What a ridiculous idea. Just because I love her, it doesn’t mean that I love you less. My love is boundless, you know.’
‘But now you’ve managed to sneak away from her, and that means that I’ve swindled her out of Eliar, the Knife and you – all in the same day. I really think we should get out of here, Em – almost immediately.’
‘She won’t wake up until morning; I’ve seen to that. When she does wake up, the first thing she’ll do is search her whole palace for me. The idea of sending out her soldiers won’t come to her until later.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Trust me.’
Eliar woke up just before dawn, and he’d evidently forgotten that he was securely attached to the tree, because he started struggling with his chain before he was fully awake.
‘Stop that!’ Althalus barked sharply. ‘You’ll hurt yourself.’
Eliar quit fighting. He held up one of his wrists and jingled the chain. ‘You don’t need to keep me locked up any more,’ he said. ‘I thought it over last night, and if you really do have an agreement with my chief, I’ll do what you tell me to do. If you’re lying about it, you’ll have to answer to him.’
‘Now you’re starting to make some sense,’ Althalus said approvingly. ‘I thought I might have to rattle your teeth a little bit before you started to get the point.’
‘I’m a good soldier, and I follow my chief’s orders. I don’t have to get any points or understand anything. I just have to do what I’m told to do.’
‘I think we’ll get along just fine’, Althalus said. ‘Hold out your hands. Let’s get rid of those silly chains.’
Eliar held out his wrists, and Althalus freed him.
Eliar stood up, stretching and yawning. ‘I didn’t sleep too well,’ he said. ‘Those stupid chains jingled and rattled every time I moved. What am I supposed to call you? Sergeant, maybe? I won’t call you “Master”, no matter what you do to me.’
If you ever call me “Master”, I’ll braid all your fingers and toes together. My name’s Althalus. Why don’t you call me that?’
‘Is that really your name? There’s an old story in our clan about a man named Althalus.’
‘I know. Chief Albron thought it was just a coincidence, but he was wrong.’ Althalus made a wry face. ‘My name’s about the only part of the story your people got right. The rest of it’s the biggest lie I’ve