Wolf Star Rise: The Claidi Journals Book 2, Tanith Lee [desktop ebook reader .txt] 📗

witty put-down of Blurn’s. But Argul – isn’t there …

I now know he, too, astonishingly, has Tower blood. He’s related to Nemian – to Ironel – another of her grandsons! But it isn’t that. Somehow that’s easy to ignore.

Even in my head, I can’t quite see him. It’s like how, sometimes in the blackest of nights, you catch a glimpse of something at the corner of your eye, but when you turn, you can’t make it out at all—

‘Come with me,’ I said to Venn. Boldly, as I’d strode up to the Star – and shaking like then.

‘No, Claidi.’

‘Of course, you don’t want to leave the others? If the Star can be made to do different things, we can land it at the Rise, pick them up too—’

‘No, Claidi.’

‘She went over the sea, Venn.’

‘And I shan’t. Can’t, Claidi. I can’t.’

‘Why not?’

He shook his head. He looked away. Then he said, ‘When I wickedly stole your book and read it, I came to know you. In the only way I ever can come to know anyone, now. By reading about you, you became real for me. And – more than real. I’ve behaved like a pig all the way here. Do you know why? Of course you do, it’s the only reason you put up with me. I don’t want to lose you. To be without you.’

‘Then—’

‘But worse than that fear is the other fear. The fear of a world – of people. All of them real. And no book to read on them to put me right.’

I said, ‘But it won’t be like that. Not once you—’

He said, with his black eyes, Argul’s eyes, on the desk-controls that neither of us really understood, ‘I’m the unreal one. Just leave me where I am, where I can get by.’

I said, not meaning to almost, ‘Argul—’

‘Oh, Argul. Yes. And Argul is also the best reason of all for my staying here.’

‘Why?’

‘Why do you think, Claidi?’

‘But—’

Then he met my eyes. His did what they do in books, they flamed. ‘You both preferred Argul. Ustareth, and Claidi. I can’t – I damn well won’t try to compete with that.’

Then he got up.

And I jumped up.

‘Don’t leave me here – not yet—’

‘No, I’m going to talk to it – Yinyay. It’s all right.’

And he walked to the doors that open when you say ‘Open!’ and went through, to where Yinyay was all coiled up round one of the cupboards, her hair in the ceiling (dusting?), and the door shut.

Everything did change that night. For everyone. In the village. At the Rise. For us. For me.

Yinyay served tea in a while, without anyone saying how thirsty we were. And some cakes and fruit too.

She, Yinyay, sat coiled by the rest area table, and when we reached for anything, a tinsel strand of hair would get longer, and lift the plate or pot, and serve us.

I can’t remember what was said, much, at first.

He and she talked a lot about the ship which is a Star. Sometimes Yinyay showed how things worked, and I tried to concentrate. I might need to know.

I was angry with Venn. And that wasn’t fair.

And I was sorry.

And.

Presently, in a silence, I asked Yinyay what would happen to the mechanisms at the Rise. No one else had bothered.

‘I shall alter the circuits,’ said Yinyay. ‘Nothing need be upset at all.’

‘One thing, please,’ said Venn. ‘Please upset one thing.’

Then Yinyay said, ‘You want to stop the rooms of the palace moving. Nothing easier, prince. Princess Ustareth left memory for me that it might be required.’

And I said, ‘What else did she leave as memory – about Venn?’

Perhaps I shouldn’t have. It wasn’t my business. Venn wouldn’t let it be.

And Venn said, ‘Yinyay, I don’t want to know. Nothing about Ustareth. And I don’t want Lady Claidis to know, either. Understood?’

Yinyay’s hair fluffed up, then settled.

‘I have wiped it away,’ was what Yinyay said.

A doll-machine – so calm. I felt my eyes bulging with a cry I didn’t make.

Venn only said, ‘Yes.’

Yes.

So he’ll never know, and I won’t. Not from Yinyay or the ship.

But as for the Rise, it seems everything will be as before – except the rooms won’t move again. Which seems peculiar, I’d got so used to it.

Then Yinyay made a suggestion. (She does sometimes.)

‘Since the ship is now to go elsewhere, there’s no need to observe the circling route tonight. Would you prefer that?’

So the Star could stay on the cliff. This one night. And at the Rise, when they saw it didn’t come over – they’d know we had found it. Know I would go away. Although maybe they’d never doubt that Venn wouldn’t go with me.

He’d said, the villagers would see him back to the Rise. They could travel the jungle-forest in safety. He was glad, he said, they might start to visit the palace again, as they had in his childhood.

Doesn’t he see, the villagers too are people – and he isn’t nervous of them—

But then, they’re not the Hulta. Ustareth left the village too. That must make the difference.

He stayed and dined with me, on the Star. Neither of us ate much, but it was a nice dinner. Even if all the dishes came out of a slot in the wall.

Moths rushed to the cool light in the ship, and Yinyay’s hair fluttered them out again.

The village too would miss Star rise tonight.

After we ate, he took me for a walk along the little cliff-top.

‘Stretch your legs while you can. Yinyay says it will take ten days at least to get you back.’

The Star won’t be fast. Slow, gracious travel. They’ve decided that will be more comfortable for me.

We didn’t discuss what I should do with this ship once I arrive. That is, once I’ve found the Hulta – who may have gone anywhere, particularly if they’re searching for me.

I tried to ask Venn what he wanted me to do with the ship.

He wouldn’t talk about the ship.

He kept on telling me things about