deserved
anything he got and it was all one of Geste’s pranks, anyway. This
said, he broke contact.
Lady Tsien giggled and flirted and refused
to take Geste seriously, until at last Geste broke the connection
himself. Bredon was fascinated by her appearance; although she
looked human, she had small folds at the corners of her eyes, and
an odd color to her skin.
Hsin of the River said that it was none of
his business if Brenner had finally aggravated Thaddeus beyond
bearing. His skin was an interesting shade of brown, and his image
was accompanied by a flock of tiny, vividly blue birds.
The Nymph was not home, and could not
readily be located; Bredon regretted not getting a look at the
legendary beauty. She was thought to be visiting the Skyler, but
the Skyland did not answer.
Before them the battle still raged, though
darkness had fallen. The weapons used by both sides lit the skies
in intermittent flashes, and in that flickering, polychrome glow
Bredon saw several of the flitting silver drones tumble from the
skies. Others were blown to fragments as he watched. Whenever their
numbers seemed to be diminishing, though, a dozen more arrived to
take the place of those that had been lost.
When Geste asked for Aulden the Technician a
young woman’s heart-shaped face appeared, framed in red hair and
wearing a brilliant grin. Bredon noticed that despite the darkness
she appeared to be in full sunlight.
“Hello, Imp,” Geste said. “Could I speak to
Aulden? I need his help.”
Bredon had assumed that the woman was a
servant of some sort; hearing Geste address her by the name of
another Power was disconcerting. He looked more closely.
She was unquestionably beautiful, without a
blemish of any sort, but she lacked the radiant glory that marked
Lady Sunlight as something beyond mortal flesh. Her face was that
of a lovely little toy, not a goddess.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Geste,” she replied with a
comical pout. “He’s not here. Is there anything I can do?
I’d love to help you, whatever it is.” She smiled
fetchingly.
Geste smiled back, but only for an instant.
“I appreciate that,” he said, “but I think we’ll need Aulden,
too.”
“Well, he went to do some work for Thaddeus
a few days ago. He should be back any time, or you could call him
there...”
“For Thaddeus?”
“That’s right.”
Geste hesitated, troubled. Imp noticed
immediately, and her smile vanished, her green eyes suddenly
troubled.
“Geste, what’s wrong?” she asked.
“It’s Thaddeus—or Thaddeus and Brenner,
anyway. Thaddeus has an entire fleet of war machines attacking the
High Castle.”
“War machines?”
“High-powered drones. One of them attacked
me, as well. I think that must be the work he wanted Aulden for,
building war machines.”
“Oh, but Aulden wouldn’t !” Imp said,
shocked.
“Not willingly, I’m sure,” Geste answered
grimly.
“Not...? Geste, he wouldn’t... I mean...
Geste, if this is one of your tricks, I swear I’ll have Aulden
sabotage every machine you own!”
“It’s no trick. I promise you, Imp, it’s not
a trick. And it’s not just Aulden I’m worried about, or Brenner;
Sheila and Sunlight and Rawl were all last heard from at the High
Castle, and Khalid and O are missing, last heard from at Fortress
Holding.”
“Geste, you can’t ... really? All of
them?”
“Really. All of them.”
The heart-shaped face turned for a moment,
giving Bredon a glimpse of thick waves of reddish hair; Geste
waited.
Imp turned back and said, “They are all missing. If this is a trick, Geste, it’s a good one—and it’s
terrifying me. If it’s a trick, Geste, please, tell me now. I don’t
like being frightened.”
“I wish I could, Imp, but it’s true.”
“Thaddeus is really attacking Brenner? Seriously?”
“It looks serious to me; send something to
check for yourself, if you like.”
“Have you talked to Shadowdark?”
“Shadowdark?” Geste was plainly startled,
but only for an
anything he got and it was all one of Geste’s pranks, anyway. This
said, he broke contact.
Lady Tsien giggled and flirted and refused
to take Geste seriously, until at last Geste broke the connection
himself. Bredon was fascinated by her appearance; although she
looked human, she had small folds at the corners of her eyes, and
an odd color to her skin.
Hsin of the River said that it was none of
his business if Brenner had finally aggravated Thaddeus beyond
bearing. His skin was an interesting shade of brown, and his image
was accompanied by a flock of tiny, vividly blue birds.
The Nymph was not home, and could not
readily be located; Bredon regretted not getting a look at the
legendary beauty. She was thought to be visiting the Skyler, but
the Skyland did not answer.
Before them the battle still raged, though
darkness had fallen. The weapons used by both sides lit the skies
in intermittent flashes, and in that flickering, polychrome glow
Bredon saw several of the flitting silver drones tumble from the
skies. Others were blown to fragments as he watched. Whenever their
numbers seemed to be diminishing, though, a dozen more arrived to
take the place of those that had been lost.
When Geste asked for Aulden the Technician a
young woman’s heart-shaped face appeared, framed in red hair and
wearing a brilliant grin. Bredon noticed that despite the darkness
she appeared to be in full sunlight.
“Hello, Imp,” Geste said. “Could I speak to
Aulden? I need his help.”
Bredon had assumed that the woman was a
servant of some sort; hearing Geste address her by the name of
another Power was disconcerting. He looked more closely.
She was unquestionably beautiful, without a
blemish of any sort, but she lacked the radiant glory that marked
Lady Sunlight as something beyond mortal flesh. Her face was that
of a lovely little toy, not a goddess.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Geste,” she replied with a
comical pout. “He’s not here. Is there anything I can do?
I’d love to help you, whatever it is.” She smiled
fetchingly.
Geste smiled back, but only for an instant.
“I appreciate that,” he said, “but I think we’ll need Aulden,
too.”
“Well, he went to do some work for Thaddeus
a few days ago. He should be back any time, or you could call him
there...”
“For Thaddeus?”
“That’s right.”
Geste hesitated, troubled. Imp noticed
immediately, and her smile vanished, her green eyes suddenly
troubled.
“Geste, what’s wrong?” she asked.
“It’s Thaddeus—or Thaddeus and Brenner,
anyway. Thaddeus has an entire fleet of war machines attacking the
High Castle.”
“War machines?”
“High-powered drones. One of them attacked
me, as well. I think that must be the work he wanted Aulden for,
building war machines.”
“Oh, but Aulden wouldn’t !” Imp said,
shocked.
“Not willingly, I’m sure,” Geste answered
grimly.
“Not...? Geste, he wouldn’t... I mean...
Geste, if this is one of your tricks, I swear I’ll have Aulden
sabotage every machine you own!”
“It’s no trick. I promise you, Imp, it’s not
a trick. And it’s not just Aulden I’m worried about, or Brenner;
Sheila and Sunlight and Rawl were all last heard from at the High
Castle, and Khalid and O are missing, last heard from at Fortress
Holding.”
“Geste, you can’t ... really? All of
them?”
“Really. All of them.”
The heart-shaped face turned for a moment,
giving Bredon a glimpse of thick waves of reddish hair; Geste
waited.
Imp turned back and said, “They are all missing. If this is a trick, Geste, it’s a good one—and it’s
terrifying me. If it’s a trick, Geste, please, tell me now. I don’t
like being frightened.”
“I wish I could, Imp, but it’s true.”
“Thaddeus is really attacking Brenner? Seriously?”
“It looks serious to me; send something to
check for yourself, if you like.”
“Have you talked to Shadowdark?”
“Shadowdark?” Geste was plainly startled,
but only for an
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