Incarceron Part 7

"The blue box. By the astrolabe."

She groped, grabbing pens, papers, books, the box. Inside was the small syringe and the ampules; fitting one on carefully, she brought it to him.

"Shall I ...?"

He smiled gently."No. I can manage."

She brought the lamp closer; he rolled his sleeve up and she saw the innumerable scars around the vein. He made the injection carefully, the microinfuser barely touching the skin, and as he replaced it in the box, his voice was calm and steadier.

"Thank you, Claudia. And don't look so scared. This condition has been killing me for ten years and it's in no hurry. It will probably take another ten to finish me off."

She couldn't smile. Times like this terrified her.

She said,"Shall I send someone ...?"

"No, no. I'll go to bed and sleep."

Handing her the candle, he said,"Be careful how you go down the stairs."

She nodded, reluctant, and crossed the room. At the door she stopped and turned. He stood as if he had been waiting for that, closing the box, the dark green of the Sapient coat with its high collar glinting with strange iridescence.

"Master, that letter. Do you know who it was written to?"

He looked up unhappily."Yes. And it makes it even more urgent that we get into his study."

The candle flickered as she breathed in dismay."You mean ..."

"I'm afraid so, Claudia. The Queen's letter was addressed to your father."

5.

There was a man and his name was Sapphique. Where he came from is a mystery.

Some say he was born of the Prison, grown from its stored components.

Some say he came from Outside, because he alone of men returned there.

Some say he was not a man at all, but a creature from those s.h.i.+ning sparks lunatics see in dreams and name the stars.

Some say he was a liar and a fool.

--Legends of Sapphique ***

"You have to eat something."

Finn scowled down at the woman. She sat facing resolutely away from him, her hood over her face. She didn't say a word.

He dumped the plate and sat on the wooden bench next to her, rubbing his tired eyes with the palms of his hands. Around them the noise of the Comitatus at breakfast rang and clattered. It was an hour after Lightson when the doors that were not broken had sprung open with that great crack of sound it had taken him years to grow used to.

He looked up at the rafters and saw one of the Prison's Eyes watching curiously; the small red light stared unblinkingly down. Finn frowned. No one else took any notice of the Eyes, but he loathed them.

Getting up, he turned his back on it.

"Come with me," he snapped.

"Somewhere quieter."

He walked quickly, not turning to see if she followed. He couldn't wait any longer for Keiro. Keiro had gone to see about their share of the plunder because Keiro always saw to those things. Finn had realized long ago that his oathbrother was almost certainly cheating him, but he could never bring himself to care that much.

Now, ducking under an archway, he came out at the top of a wide staircase that curved elegantly down into darkness. Out here the noise was muted and echoed strangely in the cavernous s.p.a.ces.

A few scrawny slave girls hurried past, looking terrified, as they always did when one of the Comitatus even glanced at them.

From the invisible roof vast chains hung in loops like great bridges, each link thicker than a man. In some of them the uber-spiders had nested, creaming the metal with sticky web. Half a desiccated dog hung head-down from one coc.o.o.n.

When he turned, the Maestra was there.

He stepped forward, his voice low.

"Listen to me. I had to bring you. I don't want to hurt you. But back there, in the transitway, you said something. You said you recognized this."

Dragging back his sleeve, he held his wrist out to her. She flicked one disdainful glance at it.

"I was stupid to feel sorry for you."

Anger rose in him but he held it down.

"I need to know. I have no idea who I am or what this mark means. I don't remember anything. " Now she did look at him.

"You're a cell-born?" The name annoyed him.

"That's what they call it."

She said, "I have heard of them but have never seen one before."