The Waterless Sea Read Online Free Page B

mixed up in any of these plots and schemes. It’ s nothing to do with us. If you’ ve come here to ask us to help you overthrow the Emperor and put yourself on the throne instead, you’ ve come to the wrong place, my lad.’
    Heben was angry. He was too well-trained to let it show in his face, but his voice shook with suppressed passion. ‘I’ m not interested in the rebels and their plots! And I certainly don’ t want to be Emperor. That’ s not why I came here. I came to ask you to help your own kind, to help. . . to help chanters!’
    At last he had their full attention; they were all silent, waiting for him to go on. He drew a deep breath, but somehow he couldn’ t speak.
    Halasaa’ s unvoiced words sounded, gentle as a rain of falling dust. Something has befallen one close to you.
    â€˜Two,’ said Heben shakily. ‘Twins. Gada and Shada. It was my fault.’ He blinked away tears. ‘I took them with me to Teril. I thought the journey would be a treat for them. But if I’ d known that they’ d meet that chanter –’ He was unable to suppress the venom in his voice. He took his hands from the table to hide their trembling, and breathed deeply. He didn’ t see the five around the table exchange glances.
    When Heben had composed himself, he went on. ‘I let them explore the market by themselves, while I was on my father’ s business. That’ s where they met him. He showed them – taught them tricks, songs. Why did he have to choose them?’ he burst out. ‘Why couldn’ t he have left them alone?’
    â€˜Chanters know other chanters,’ said Calwyn, her face impassive. ‘Probably they chose each other.’
    Heben was struggling between politeness and his revulsion for all things magical. ‘I’ m sorry, my lady,’ he said at last. ‘I had forgotten that you are chanters too.’
    â€˜Not all of us,’ said Trout.
    Tell us what happened. Again it was Halasaa who urged him on.
    â€˜When we came home from Teril, they practised the – the songs. Secretly. They had enough sense for that. But one day they showed me.’ He closed his eyes briefly with the pain of the memory. ‘Of course I told them not to show anyone else, never to tell anyone! I warned them, I tried, I tried to protect them – But someone must have seen them, heard them. Someone told my father.’
    â€˜What happened to them?’ asked Calwyn.
    Heben stared at her. ‘The soldiers took them. By order of the Emperor, every child that shows the curse of chantment is handed over to the sorcerers.’
    They are your brother and sister.
    â€˜Yes. Not by blood. I am a third son – not very important, even in the Clans. I spent my days roaming my father’ s estate, and I found my family where I could. The twins were born on my father’ s lands, so I am their brother-in-land. Since they were orphaned, I have obligations to care for them, just as if we were related by blood. The land makes a bond between us.’
    Halasaa nodded. Yes. The land binds us all. This is as it should be.
    â€˜That’ s not what my father says,’ said Heben bitterly.
    Heben did not storm and rage; that was not his way. After the twins were taken, he would not rest until he’ d seen his father. At last Rethsec consented to receive him, in the lord’ s tent, seated in the high-backed chair of his lordship, and with all the men of the Clan around him: Heben’ s brothers, his uncles and cousins. The message was plain: Rethsec spoke as Lord of the Clan, not simply as his father. This was business of the Clan, not merely the family.
    â€˜We must ride after them. There’ s still time to take them back before they’ re given into the hands of the sorcerers!’ Heben cried.
    â€˜Those children are dead to us now,’ said Rethsec coldly. ‘Tonight we will hold the ceremony of mourning.