“I am sorry for your loss,” Tyen said as he guided them to Yira’s house. “Are you sure you want to do this? My father used to say you should never make a decision when angry, drunk or grieving.”
The women exchanged a look. In their minds Tyen saw that they were wondering how to explain that their marriages had not been love matches.
“We are past the shock,” the daughter, Moro, told him. “It has been many days since we learned of their deaths.”
“You do not want to return home to inform their families?”
The pair shook their heads, their elaborately looped plaited hair swaying. “If we return we will become the property of the patriarch,” the mother, Domo, explained.
Tyen smiled to show he understood. “Their loss is our gain.”
They described their world to him as they continued across the city. Little furred animals with long fluffy tails rode on their shoulders and the women explained they were poi-poi, both a pet and a defence against an insect of their world that laid eggs in the ears of sleeping humans. He brought Beetle out of the pocket of his aircart jacket when they asked if he had a pet, but the two poi-poi tried to attack it.
When they finally arrived he was glad to find food had been laid out for Yira and her endless stream of visitors. He ate as the women repeated their story.
“So all women learn magic on your world, if they have the ability, but it never used to be so?” Yira asked.
Moro nodded. “Inekera founded a school for women sorcerers thirty cycles ago, with the permission of the Raen. There was no education for us before then.” The woman’s smile was cold and steely. “From us she selected women to serve her, and some she sent away to serve the Raen and his allies.”
Yira’s eyes narrowed. “What was the nature of this service?”
The blonde plaits swayed. “For her, merely domestic duties. For the rest, we do not know exactly. None of those women have returned.”
“I count myself lucky that my daughter and I are not strong enough to have been selected,” Domo said. “I did not foresee I would lose my husband and son-in-law instead.”
“I acknowledge your grief,” Yira said, then leaned forward. “What else can you tell me about Inekera? What does she look like?”
“Closer to my age than my daughter’s,” Domo said. “Black hair. Pale skin. Tall.”
“So she has not learned to halt ageing?”
The mother shook her head. “I do not know. Perhaps she did not learn it until she was that age, and cannot make herself appear younger.”
“Perhaps…” Yira refilled the women’s glasses. “What have you seen her do with magic?”
Tyen watched as memories played out in the two women’s minds. They had seen Inekera do some impressive things, but most were showy rather than demanding. Yet he could feel Yira’s growing excitement.
“Does she stay in your world most of the time?”
“Yes.”
“And when she leaves, is it on a regular basis?”
“She comes here, on pilgrimage, three times a cycle.”
“When is the next visit?”
Domo considered. “Soon. I’d have to do the calculations, but in around twenty temple days.”
All three women wore chilling smiles, none of them needing to read each other’s mind to know what they were thinking. Neither did Tyen, but he looked anyway. The newcomers were excited, thinking that their world might be rid of a sorcerer who had sent away so many daughters to an unknown fate. Yira held her excitement in check, however, determined not to make any decisions until she was sure that what she was considering would work. They needed more information, both about Inekera and about other allies. And training. Much more training.
She rubbed her hands together. “So… what is the route from your world to this, and does Inekera trade with neighbouring worlds?”
Tyen remained silent as Yira extracted as much information as possible from the women, shaking his head when she asked if he had any questions for them. When he was alone with her again, she looked at him and laughed.
“Don’t worry, Tyen. I’m not going to take up my spear at the first opportunity. The rebels will guess what we’re contemplating from our questions, so we should show equal interest in all allies so that none can guess the target we choose.”
He nodded but didn’t bother trying to hide his discomfort. “But you are thinking of attacking one eventually.”
“Yes. Bring the group leaders here,” she said. “I want to discuss this.”
“They are only the strongest, not the smartest or best trained in strategy,” he reminded her.
“Yes, but I can’t risk consulting the weaker ones in case someone reads their mind, and I’ve got to discuss this with someone other than you.” She looked at him levelly. “I’m sorry. You’re smart, Tyen, and I trust you, but I need input of all kinds, even if a lot of it turns out to be reckless or impossible. Who knows? Maybe one of the leaders will have a brilliant idea.”
He shrugged. “So long as you keep listening to me, I’m happy.”
She grinned. “I’ll always listen to you, Tyen. You don’t say a lot, but when you speak it’s always worth paying attention.”
CHAPTER 10