“Tyen,” the rebel leader said without taking his eyes from the crowd. “How close are they to being ready to leave?”
Stretching out his senses, Tyen flitted from mind to mind, catching thoughts of anticipation, fear, relief and disappointment.
“Just about,” he replied. “Frell has a couple of groups to sort out. Hapre is tackling the one group that didn’t get the right instructions.”
“Good. I confess, I expected you to find reasons not to be alone with me, but here you are.” Baluka glanced at Tyen. “I haven’t forgotten your promise.”
A chill ran down Tyen’s spine. “Neither have I.”
“But now that you are here I see it wouldn’t be fair to ask you to open your mind here, with so many watching.”
Tyen looked down at the waiting fighters and shrugged. “I did promise. It is up to you to decide if you will risk it.”
He watched as Baluka deliberated. He badly wanted to know what Tyen’s great secret was, but he understood that knowledge could be dangerous in the wrong hands, and he was all too conscious of his own inability to hide his thoughts. He sighed.
“I only need to know one thing: if the Raen reads your mind during the battle, will we lose?”
“No.”
Baluka nodded, but within he was seething with dissatisfaction. Tyen knew he would have to offer something more. Something Baluka could sympathise with. As he considered what to say he realised he could also ensure Baluka would not be tempted to sacrifice all in a last-ditch attack in the coming battle. He drew in a deep breath.
“But if he gets hold of Vella he will know everything I know.”
“Ah.” The rebel leader’s gaze darkened. “She is well hidden, this woman?”
“Yes and no.” Tyen resisted the urge to look down at his shirt. “I carry her. She is the book.”
“‘She is the book’?” Baluka echoed, not comprehending.
“The Raen’s predecessor made her into one. She can absorb all the knowledge of those who touch her.”
Baluka’s eyes widened. “All the knowledge? So you could use her to discover anybody’s secrets?”
All but the Raen’s, but I can’t explain how I know that. “But she must be held. And she can only respond when someone holds her.”
As the implications of that occurred to Baluka, he nodded. “I see. A powerful tool with a powerful flaw.” He was silent, frowning, for a little while. “But you don’t think of her that way, do you? You think of her as a woman.”
“She is a person. Not a whole person, but enough to have an identity and… real conversations.”
“A person who knows everything about you, and understands you as nobody else can.” Baluka shook his head. “No ordinary woman, perhaps no friend either, could ever measure up against that. Be careful, Tyen, or she’ll become the only companion you can ever tolerate.”
Surprised, Tyen stared at the rebel leader. Baluka’s warning seemed to vibrate to the core of him. He opened his mouth to deny that Vella, who had no body and admitted to having no proper emotions, could ever prevent him forming connections with whole, living women. Hadn’t he had Yira as a lover and then friend?
But I didn’t love Yira–not in a romantic way. She wouldn’t have returned it, anyway. And he’d never noticed Sezee’s interest in him, or even seen the potential for it, which he had regretted later. He hadn’t been looking for that sort of companionship, despite having longed for it previously.
He hadn’t needed to.
A shadow rushed towards them, stopped and sharpened into Hapre. She glanced back at Frell, who followed close behind.
“I did a circuit,” she told them. “Everyone’s ready.”
Baluka nodded. “A few quick words, then we will go. I’ll use Volk’s trick to amplify my voice, but the downside is you three will need to move away or shield your ears.”
“You should have the stage entirely to yourself, anyway,” Hapre decided, seizing the chance to escape.
Tyen and Frell followed as she descended to the sandy ground. Baluka waited until they had turned to face him, then lifted his gaze to the crowd.
CHAPTER 20
“For a thousand cycles and more we have been ruled by one man.” Baluka’s voice boomed out over the noise of the crowd. “Why?” he asked. “Not because he is the wisest. Not because he is the kindest. Not even because he is the smartest. No. Only because he is the most powerful.”
Looking at the closest rebels, Tyen saw grimaces and scowls. He read their anger and agreement. Baluka didn’t believe the Raen was stupid, Tyen knew. Suggesting so made the crowd happy, though. It made it bolder, thinking the rebels were, as a whole, more intelligent.