As Ophia and Navieve slept, and Arie finished cleaning Ophia's birthroom, the others sat on the sitting room couches, weary from the healing. Canúden had sliced bread, spread it with jam, and served it to his guests, along with a bowl of naya fruit, which glinted violet and orange in the slanting sunlight. Lianna experimented with feeding Chadwick after a lesson from Arie; Lianna leaned against Emick, tense from the new pain of nursing.
Emick sipped from a mug of water, then broke the restful silence with, "I say, Skel, you seem to be a fabulous source of information."
Skel smiled as though she blushed, but the ebony of her skin hid any such show of emotion. "I do hope that, as a time mage, I have earned a bit of knowledge."
"Canúden and I saw Tavaris in Minara's tower," said Emick.
"Yes, we all saw him in the chamber," said Skel.
"You must know loads about him, since you are Rekaliputian. What can you tell us?" said Emick. "What do we need to fear?"
"Fear nothing, but prepare," said Skel. A strain of worry touched her face, a hesitation in her words as she stretched her fingers gently. "What do you know of him, each of you?"
Canúden shrugged. "Nothing, really. Apparently, from what I've gathered, he is a demon imprisoned in a little black ball. He wanted a body, so Minara devised this elaborate plan to create and then to steal Chadwick's. She's been maneuvering for hundreds of years, maybe."
Skel nodded slowly.
"Since Rekalipun is just north of Turbia," said Emick, "of course I've heard of him. Don't know much. Never studied mythology."
"Yes, my people have protected his prison for thousands of years," said Skel. She closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and relaxed into the cushions of the sofa in which she sat. "What you have said is but a speck of sand in a desert. He is not just any demon, for there are thousands. He is the first conceived in Briannel's Womb."
They stared at her. Then Emick said, "What is that supposed to mean?"
Sighing, she shook her head. "You Gungalis have forgotten so much in your Ancestor worship. We all dwell in Briannel's womb. It is the universe, all the substance of everything. We are born at the time of death, born into the Otherworld of the Taleni, which is as much more compared to this realm as life is from existence in the womb. Tavaris is the Lord of Waiting and Chaos. Entropy. Hallel, the second conceived, is the Lord of Love and Gathering. It is because of Hallel's power that objects come together and make things like stars and planets."
"Planets, like the moon?" said Emick.
Skel smiled weakly. "More or less. That is a subject of another lecture." She closed her eyes, breathed deep, and something stiffened about her posture. Her voice acquired a smooth, rhythmic tone. "As Hallel laid the foundations for this earth, Briannel and Yellel knew all their children. We are all Taleni, children of the Taleni. We are meant for great things. For us to accomplish these, Yellel and Briannel offered a way for us to... grow up. To learn to love, and to build, just as they learned to love and to build."
Skel opened her eyes, black pools of wisdom. The others stared at her. Emick could see that they were as confused as he was. She smiled a half smile and continued." The Taleni endow all their children, all the life on earth, with two gifts, the power to create new life and the power to die. The final power in life is always death. This birth, and then death, are necessary steps to become like them, adult Taleni, able to have children of our own." She paused, a knowing smile touching her lips.
"But people have babies all the time," said Canúden. "I just did."
"Yes,"said Skel. "You brought Briannel and Yellel's child to earth from the Otherworld through the conduit of your yuki. You will love and raise her, and she will be great and beloved in the world. Bringing life thus is a gift that all life shares, from the mightiest finnat tree to the tiniest ant. Miraculous, yes, but not unique.
"Tavaris lusted for this power to create life, to make a living realm like earth. Hallel's gift to build infuriated Tavaris. Unique among all of Briannel's children, Hallel had the power to build mortal worlds, while Tavaris had only the power to destroy and disperse. Tavaris lusted for Hallel's gift. To be what he thought Hallel was, he wanted to skip mortal life altogether and create a universe of his own."
"Create a what?" said Emick.
"He wanted a realm of his own, where he could experiment with the powers of creation. He said to Yellel, 'I am the eldest. Give me this power. I am ready.'
"Yellel said, 'It is not your time nor your gift. I cannot change who you are.'
"Tavaris pled. He studied. He gained a following of Briannel's children. He demanded the keys to make a realm. Yellel relented with this warning: 'You must have opposition to create a universe, and none of my other children have yet Hallel's gift to gather. Your universe will not result in life, even if you bring one third of my children with you.'
"'But why?' Tavaris said. 'Hallel was a creator, why can I not be?'
"Yellel said, 'Hallel did not insist upon doing it on his own. Your pride is what inhibits you. Learn humility, learn to love, and you, too, may create life.'
"'I am the eldest. I do not need anyone else!' insisted Tavaris.
"I imagine Yellel shook his head sadly as he said, 'You have much to learn, my son.'
"Yellel placed a black stone sphere in a silver crown, which Briannel provided. Tavaris swallowed the sphere and placed the crown upon his head triumphantly, as his followers cheered. Briannel blew her trumpet, which opened a hole into the Otherworld's wall. Tavaris stepped through, and found himself trapped in his Void."
"What! He imprisoned himself? Canúden said.
"Yes,"said Skel. "His own pride imprisoned him, and he seeks a way out. He failed to steal Chadwick's body, but that will not stop him. Beware, Minara is not done with you."
"But. She's dead," said Canúden.
"Nevertheless, I sense she still has a hold on your lives."
Skel's face turned pensive. "Canúden, you mentioned earlier that you knew a mage named Gizelle?"
"Yes,"said Canúden. "She was a dear friend. You knew her?"
"Not personally," said Skel. "My father, he knew her. She brought him fear."
"Your father knew her?" said Canúden.
"He was of the Rekaliputian Embassy when Gizelle was the Council Mage to Tutang the Ninth." Skel's fist pressed against her lips.
"She was on Galia's Council?" said Lianna.
"You did not know this?" said Skel.
"Her name isn't on the records," said Canúden.
"There was... scandal until she left the Council." Skel shook her head slowly. "It was because of her actions that your father acquired the Robes."
"Why... wouldn't he have acquired them?" said Lianna.
"You must know that Tutang the Tenth was not the son of the First San?"said Skel.
Lianna shrugged. "He had an older sister who died in childbirth, I thought."
"That is not how she died," said Skel. "According to my father, she is not dead, and neither is her son."
Faces in the room mimicked the cold Emick felt in his heart. Lianna's mind chilled, and she gripped his hand.
"He's still around?" managed Canúden. He scratched his neck with his free hand. "That's going to cause a bit of trouble for Emick, isn't it?"
"My senses tell me yes," said Skel.
"I have an aunt, then?" said Lianna. "What kind of woman is she? Where has she been all this time?"
"I do not know," said Skel. "But you will meet her soon. You have met her son, and he has already caused you grief."
"Who is he?" said Lianna. "I don't know any other kels. I mean, I know who all their fathers are."
"He was not raised as a kel," said Skel, "but I do not see all clearly. If his mother still lives, he could be legitimized."
They stared at Skel, except the babies. Navieve studied a white square of her blanket on Canúden's shoulder, and Chadwick slept.
"I get the idea that would be bad," said Emick. He squeezed his chin in thought.
"I can say this," said Skel. "If this man acquires the Robes, Gallel and Galia will fall to Tavaris. Likely this plague would spread to Turbia also, where Tavaris already has many sanctuaries. And then to my home, where my people have guarded his prison for hundreds of generations."
"But he has been freed," said Canúden, his voice flat as death. "Emick and I saw him in that witch's tower. How much damage could a free spirit do? He doesn't have a body to hold a weapon."
"He has devoted followers who do," said Skel. "And now they can see him in person. They want his peace so badly that they will crush the world to find it."