The Draykon Series (1-3)

Lokant: Chapter Five

Eva permitted herself a small smile. 'They are at work, yes, but you must admit that many of them barely believe me. They think that I spoke of some other large, winged species, perhaps, or that some variety of shock damaged my ability to clearly interpret the events happening around me. I have even heard it said that I was under the influence of some one or other of the hallucinogenic substances that can be harvested in the Lowers. I was, after all, in the company of a youth of twenty-five and everyone knows that all young people are fond of recreational drugs. Few are giving the matter any real attention.'

Islvy smiled rather grimly. 'Is that so? Then they will be addressed on the matter.'

Eva shook her head. 'They cannot be forced to take me seriously, not without any real evidence other than my testimony, and Mr. Warvel's. Even if they could, there is only so far I can help them by describing what I saw. My eyewitness experience is of paramount importance in understanding recent events. At present there are only two of us who can claim that experience.'

'Mr. Warvel has been excused from his duties as Angstrun's aide, I understand?'

'Yes, he is currently working full time on research. It is my intent to join him at once. I do not believe this spell of quiet will last indefinitely; we will see something of these draykons before long, and it would be well to understand the possible consequences of that.'

Eva didn't add her private fears. Llandry's fate had been remarkable, but was it safe to assume that it was isolated only to her? Could there be others across the Seven who might likewise possess the latent potential to metamorphose? If so, it could be extremely important to identify them before they transformed for the first time. And Eva feared that those transformations may be triggered by proximity to a fellow draykon, as Llandry's appeared to have been. She needed to answer these questions, fast, before Llandry found her way home.

'Very well,' sighed the Guardian. 'You are already a Fellow of the university, yes?'

'I am. I have never before exploited the privileges of that post, but I will now.'

Islvy nodded. 'I sincerely regret your departure, but I wish you success with your new endeavours.'

Eva rose, recognising that as a dismissal. 'Thank you, Guardian Troste.'

The Guardian dropped her formality for a moment, and smiled with real warmth. 'Take care, Eva.'

Eva smiled back. 'And you, Islvy.'

Eva left the Guardian's office with a heavy heart. No matter the strength of her motives, it was hard to relinquish a role she had occupied for so long, and which had been the centre of her life for more than a decade. It would be strange to be excluded from the processes of government in the future, no longer summoned to meetings, her contributions and advice no longer sought. But she was beginning a new phase of her life, and the questions at hand were more than enough to excite and inspire her.

And Tren would be waiting for her at home. He had arrived early in the morning, as usual, and when she had left the house he was already deep into his study of Winnier's memoirs. Thinking of this, she quickened her pace.

She arrived home to find an empty box in the hallway of her house. The box was of the sort her tailor, Baynson, packed garments in when they were to be sent to the gentry. Strewn around it were wisps of scented paper.

Eva gave her coat to a servant, then followed the trail of discarded packaging into the study. Tren sat at her desk with several books and notebooks open around him. He was wearing at least three shirts, and several more were being used to pad the spines of the books he was studying.