Chapter 5

Vaysh winced inwardly at his quickly spoken words. Why had he spoken? Despite years of experience concealing his feelings, faced with so many revelations all at once, Vaysh found he was having to exert quite an effort to mask his reactions. Making matters worse, Moon required access to his mind in order to communicate directly. Even though Moon's mindtouch was highly refined, conveying only words, Vaysh felt very much on the defensive.

He opted to cover himself. "Of course, none of us had to bear a pearl for him either." This wasn't a subject he particularly wanted to dwell on, but diverting attention from himself was an impulse he couldn't resist. "Did the delivery hurt you greatly?"

Moon shook his head mildly. "No, not much. And once the pearl hatched, it was hard to be angry. Apollo was such a dear child."

Vaysh felt his emotions rising once again. This har had shared aruna with Thiede unscathed and more that than, carried aruna to its furthest possible point. Vaysh had experienced something completely the opposite, enduring an encounter with Thiede that was far from gentle. Afterward he found he couldn't have harlings -- Thiede's or anyone other har's. Thiede had done better with Pellaz, bringing him through perfectly, the perfect candidate for the exalted role of Tigron. He and Pellaz had already sealed up any lingering bitterness long ago, but with this new har, his jealousy was inflamed even further.

"You take an awful lot for granted," Vaysh admonished, as carefully and icily as he could. "Thiede has become the Aghama, but your blind love of him--"

"Keeps him from realizing the pain he may have put others through while he was still in the flesh." This was Apollo, leaning back in his chair and tipping his wind glass towards his hostling. "You have to realize, Vaysh, that Moon here has held a rather unique perspective his whole life. I'm the one who was just out scouting the city trying to find out what hara are thinking, what's going on. Moon was just going to stay here brooding until we tried to visit the palace."

"Ah, then you are planning a visit then?" Vaysh asked, already having launched his own speculations.

"Yes," Moon affirmed, "we'd been planning to introduce ourselves to the Tigrons, the Hegemony, you, and--"

"Me?" Vaysh interrupted. "What, was I in your actual plan? I thought you didn't know who I was?"

"Correction: I didn't know what you looked like -- not now anyway."

Vaysh stared at Moon hard. "Not 'now'? Just what is that supposed to mean? Did you have a previous description of me?"

For the first time that night, Moon looked uncomfortable, squirming away a bit.

When he didn't supply an answer, Apollo decided to do it for him. "I personally don't know, but I bet Thiede told him about you... yes, I'm right, aren't I?" His hostling rolled his eyes and nodded. "Yes, that's it, Thiede told him about you."

"When did he do that?" he asked.

"Years ago, mostly," Moon replied, eyes averted. "you understand, in the years just before Apollo was born, I didn't see much of Thiede, as he was simply too busy.

"And I know all too well with what. If I'm calculating the timing correctly and Apollo was born at around the same time as Pell's rebirth, then while you were missing Thiede, he was with me... having... well, I think you know." He stared at the side of Moon's pale face. He would not spell it all out. He couldn't.

Finally Moon turned his head. "You are correct. I was not party to that while it was happening, although eventually I did learn of it -- afterward."

"He told you all of it then? Or his side at least?" No way did Vaysh expect Moon to be unbiased. Too much in love with Thiede, he probably went along with anything he said, Vaysh reasoned.

"He did tell me. He was very upset over what happened with you and told me more than once."

"How ironic," Vaysh sneered. "I can just imagine Thiede slinking off to you, his priest confessor. So, did you absolve him? Or did you just bask in the smug satisfaction of knowing that you'd escaped that sort of treatment, that you were so very special that--"

"No, Vaysh!" Moon cut in. "No, that's not how I saw it at all. Not smug. Guilty."

"I thought you said you weren't 'party to' what happened."

"That's true, but I felt guilty all the same, after Thiede told me." Moon rose off the bed and paced over to the window next to Apollo. "He came and told me how he'd failed. I wasn't happy with what he'd done, especially since I felt it was partially my fault -- making him so cocky."

"What do you mean?" Apollo asked.

"Yes, what do you mean?" Vaysh echoed.

"I mean that with me, Thiede had taken a 'nothing' and raised him up to greatness." He left his station at the window and paced to the door, where he leaned against the frame. "I was deaf, albino, living on my own, undereducated, and he managed to transform me into a shaman. I was powerful, successful, and adjusted to everything wonderfully. I wonder -- and I wondered then -- if maybe this made Thiede a little too overconfident, thinking every har would welcome his assistance and that he could work miracles."

Vaysh studied the small white har before him. He appeared completely sincere in his regret. "Don't blame yourself."

"Blame my father," Apollo popped in. When Vaysh and Moon both looked to him sternly, he laughed. "Well, that's what you're saying, and it's funny because everybody I talked to seems to do that. But things aren't up to him anymore, they're up to the Triad. And I for one am ready to get out of this house and march to the palace right now." He stood up abruptly. "Anyone care to join me?"