They messed up?
Ah, no, dear. I have had a number of tenants since Hazielle. It is almost universally true that what you cannot bring yourself to door perhaps to avoid doingyou cannot believe anyone else would avoid. For instance: if you decry lying, but then do it yourselfand not in the way manners might dictateyou quickly assume that no one is honest. If you betray a trust for your own benefit, you assume that no one is trustworthy.
This eventually causes a spiral of ugliness and loathing. The reason I would stop you from doing something you despise is not necessarily because I would despise it. It is because of the effect it would have, in the end, on the way you view and interact with the important parts of your world. If you have no self-respect, your ability to respect anything or anyone else is in peril.
Kaylin thought about this as she ate.
Mandoran soon joined her, looking glum and exhausted. Had he been mortal, she would have attempted to send him back to bed. Since he wasnt, and given that he was up against the wall of Annarions frantic fear for his brothers safety, she decided against it.
Hes going to be the definition of anti-fun until we find his brother. Ive taken quite a personal dislike to Lord Nightshade. He pushed food around his plate as if the eggs were unappetizing. If it werent for his brother, we could try to learn to be quiet at a reasonable pace. The way things stand now, Annarion might as well be mortal.
And you mean that in the nicest possible way, of course, Kaylin replied.
Not really. Being on the receiving end of Kaylins glare, he glanced at Helen; her Avatar had been waiting, more or less patiently, in the dining room. She appeared entirely unruffled by his comment.
Look, I understand why mortals are in a rush about everythingthey get old and weak so quickly that they cant afford to take their time. Were not mortal. We have time.
We dont know what happened to Nightshade.
We know he isnt dead.
There are worse things than death.
One of which would be practicing with Annarion, Mandoran replied. Wincing, he added, Great. Now hes angry.
Kaylin was on Annarions side this time, but said nothing; the Hawks had taught her to leave Barrani arguments between the Barrani who were having them.
* * *
Thanks to Annarion and Mandorans not exactly silent disagreement, Kaylin was in no danger of being late for work. The midwives had called her out twice during the past three weeks; theyd sent a runner to the house each time. So far, Helen seemed unwilling to install active mirrors in the manse. Mirrors were modern necessities. Anyone of import used them to communicate, especially in emergencies. Since Kaylin was feeling surprisingly awake despite the hour, she turned to Helen to tackle the subject for a third time.
I need some sort of working mirror connection somewhere in the house. It doesnt have to be everywhere. It could be in one room. Or even only in mine. Marcus mirrors whenever he needs someone to shout at, and the midwives guild mirrors when theres an emergency. So does the Foundling Hall. I cant ask the midwives guild to send a runner between the endangered mother and this house and expect me to make it there in time. So far Ive been lucky, but I doubt that will last.
Helens expression flattened. There was a reason this was the third attempt at discussion. I have made some inquiries about the mirror network; they are incomplete thus far. I am perhaps remiss; I do not wish to insult either you or the people for whom you work. But the mirror network is not secure. I am almost certain such forms of communication would not have been allowed in my youth.
Almost everyone has some sort of mirror access. Everyone, Kaylin thought, who could afford it. She hadnt had a mirror when shed lived in the fiefs. She hadnt daydreamed about having one, eithershe hadnt really been aware of their existence until shed crossed the bridge. Some peoplemostly Barranihave even set the mirror network to follow them when they move from place to place. And if the Barrani are willing to use it, how dangerous can it be?
There are many things the Barrani doand have done in the pastthat you would consider neither safe nor respectable. Helen sighed. Understand that the mirror network is a magical lattice that underlays the city.
Kaylin nodded.
At the moment, it is a magic that I do not permit across my boundaries. It appears to have been designed to travel around areas of non-cooperation; it therefore skirts the edge of my containments. I have not disrupted it in any fashionit did not seem to be directly harmful. If you wish to have access to your mirror network, I would have to alter my protections to allow the grids magic to overlap my own, at least in part. I do not know who, or what, is responsible for the stability of the grid; I do not know who, or what, created the spells that contain it; nor do I fully understand the magic that sustains it.
Dont do it, Mandoran said.
Kaylin glared at him. Why not?
You dont let stray magic into the heart of your home.
Everyone else does.
So Id gathered. He winced. Teelas in a mood, by the way.
Great.
I dont know what kind of power your people haveI have to assume its not significant.
Big surprise.
But someone with significant power could transmit or feed an entirely different kind of magic through the lattice on which the mirror network is built.
Id think the Emperor would have something to say about thatmirrors function in the Palace.
Dragons arent as fragile as mortals, for one. LookIm not an Arcanist. There are no doubt some protections built into the mirror network to prevent its use as a weapon. I can imagine those protections being successful in most casesbut not all. Magic is not precise; its not entirely predictableas you should well know.
But the possibility of being used as a weapon is not the only threat the mirrors might pose. Its highly likely that they could transmit private information to outside observers. His expression darkening, he added, I meanTeela lets the damn network follow her.
Not for the first time, Kaylin wished she could be part of that internal dialogue. The communicationthe flow of informationis bound to mirrors. Teela cant just speak to me whenever she wants unless I carry a portable mirror on my personand those are way too expensive to give to a private. I can mirror Teelaand shell pick up if shes near a functioning mirror. Break the mirror, and you break the communication. And the mirrors arent any sturdier than regular glass.
If you were better at magic, Mandoran told her, you could easily do what Teela does. It wouldnt be expensive.
Kaylins magic lessons had been severely disrupted for the past two months, but the implication that she was incompetent was clear. She tried to swallow her defensive words because, blunt or not, he was only speaking the truth. She even managed to succeed, although swallowing food was easier. She focused on that instead.
If you allow your network access to this house, as opposed to the hovel you purportedly lived in before the Palace, Mandoran continued, the information to be gained could be a dangerto Helen. No one was interested in your previous home until Bellusdeo arrived. They might have had a great deal of interest in your palace residence, but Teela tells me the Palace is practically a magical stronghold. His expression made it clear that he didnt agree. And also made clear, after a moment, that Teela didnt think much of his disagreement and was letting him know.
The thought of Teela in lecture mode made Kaylin appreciate being left out. People mirror me when they need me. And when they need me, its an emergency. They dont have time to run halfway across the city to hand-deliver a message. She turned to Helen and added, Even Tiamaristhe Tower of Tiamarishas mirror access.
Helen frowned. Let me see, dear.
Kaylin was already thinking about mirrors made of water in the large, glyphed stone room of that Tower, Tara standing beside them, her eyes not quite human.
Is it only in that room that you have access to your network?
Kaylin frowned. No. Tara can create a mirror out of nothing if we need one.
Understood. I will look into this further. I am no longeras you knowwhat I was when I was first created. Information I once possessed has now been lost, and I must work the way you do. This was not in any way accurate, but Kaylin didnt quibble. It would be useful to have some contact with at least one of the Seven Towers; the Seven do not take unnecessary risks. She glanced at Mandoran. Perhaps you can be of aid in this regard.
Id like to be a guest, if its all the same to you. Mandorans answerwhich didnt appear to line up with Helens commentcaused Kaylin obvious confusion. Guests arent asked to do necessary workin large part because they cant be trusted with it. Mandorans smile was sharp, lean.
I am not Barrani, Helen replied, an edge of disapproval in her otherwise correct voice. Believe that I would know if you were misbehaving anywhere it was likely to cause damage. Her expression softening, she added, We would not have survived without your interventionand to intervene, you stood almost at the heart of my power. As such, there is now very little with which I would not trust you.
It doesnt seem like an adequate reward for good behavior, Mandoran replied. He was grinning unrepentantly; it made his entire face both younger and more compelling. I am, on the other hand, willing to entertain the prospectif helping out around the house gets me out of other duties.
I dont know why you say these things; you are just going to annoy your brother. Helens voice was now reproving.
Too late. Mandoran had apparently had enough of the breakfast hed hardly touched. He stood, turned to Kaylin and added, Sorry if we woke you up.
I had to go in to work today anyway.
Thats what I said, but Helen didnt agree.
* * *
As Kaylin left the dining room and headed toward the grandly lit front doors, there was another surprise waiting for her. The wide, curving stairs had a person on them. Bellusdeo.
Kaylin almost didnt recognize her. Gone was the fancy court dress that marked so much of her life in public; she was wearing pants and a tunic. The shirt beneath the tunic was beige, and if the cloth was a much more expensive weave than Kaylin could afford, it wasnt immediately obvious. Her hair had been pulled up off her shoulders; she wore no obvious jewelry.
Do I have something unpleasant on my face? Bellusdeo asked, her eyes a steady bronze.
Kaylin remembered to close her mouth. Noit just feels like its been so long since Ive seen it.
And absence has made your heart grow fonder?
Kaylin blinked.
Its a mortal phrase, I believe.
Mortal covers a lot of cultural territory.
True. I admit that I dont completely understand the usage. Im using it incorrectly?
I wouldnt say that, exactly. Are you coming with me to the office?
Im not dressed like this for Diamarts abominable, condescending lessons, no. Her smile deepened in exactly the wrong way. When he is recovered enough that apoplexy wont kill him, I think I will be, though.
The small dragon, having resumed his ownership of Kaylins shoulder, snickered.
Get it out of your system now, Kaylin told him. Id like to be taken seriously by the rest of the Hawks once we get to work.
He hissed laughter.
* * *
Youre going to find the office a lot quieter, Kaylin told Bellusdeo as they walked.
Why?
We lost four Barrani Hawks and a dozen Aerians; the Swords lost at least that many men and women. The office is still functioning; the duty roster is still being filled in all divisions that require one. Its not that no one dies in the line of dutythey do. But this is the first time weve lost Barrani.
Is it the first time the Barrani have been injured?
What? No, of course not. Barrani arrogance doesnt lend itself to caution. But nothing we run into on a regular walking beat is capable of taking down a Barrani. Kaylin exhaled. But we lost four in the battle with the ancestor. Four. We dont get a lot of Barrani applying for the force. Theyre culturally willing to swear to protect the citybut the serve part of our oath really gets stuck in their throats.
Bellusdeo chuckled. Some things never change.
No. The Barrani werent given funerals that the rank and file in the Halls could attend. The Aerians werebut half of the Aerian funeral service takes place in the air or in the Aerie, and not all of us could get there or participate in those. Grammayre asked the Aerie if they could hold the parts that take place inside the Aerie somewhere the wingless could reach, and they agreed. Most of them, anyway. One or two Aerians, raw with grief and anger at the loss, wanted their beloved departed to have nothing to do with the office that had indirectly ended their lives.
Kaylin hoped that the respect and grief of the Halls of Law would at least make them understand that their loss was felt, and felt keenly; that the lives of the lost had been respected and valued. She wasnt certain, though. Funerals hadnt been part of her childhood. A gathering of the living around the dead had usually had more to do with desperation than respect or comfort.
Why do you think they serve?
The Barrani probably do it because theyre bored.
Bellusdeo nodded. As an immortal, her thoughts on boredom resembled the Barrani opinion with which Kaylin was so familiar.
The rest of us? Kaylin shrugged. I cant speak for the others. But me? I wanted to be involved with something I could respect. I wantedand maybe this is stupidto be the good guy or the hero.
And now? I take it from your self-deprecating tone that you think the desire was naive.
A little. When I first met the Hawklord, I didnt feel naive. I felt that everyone else wasI mean, everyone who lived on this side of the Ablaynes bridge. Because theyd had it so easy. I still think that sometimes. She shrugged again. I wanted to be part of something bigger than me, in the end. I like the sense that were working on something together. That if justice and the law isnt perfect, its better than the alternative. Someone is always going to be at the top. Thats just a law of power.
But if the law can sometimes be used to protect those who dont have that power, its better than nothing. Do you think Im stupid?
Frequently, Bellusdeo replied, but her voice was gentle. But not in this. I wanted to be perfect, when I ruled. I wanted to be a queen who could be admired and followed; I wanted to make no mistakes. In that, I failed. But I considered the alternative worse: to not try. I learned from my mistakes. I made new ones. As I gained power, the cost of my mistakes grewbecause it wasnt just me who would pay for them. Its the one silver lining to the cloud of being powerless, here.