"I thought I could remember a group of objects on the nightstand on the eighteenth level," Maximilian said. "They were to do with the integrity of the structure. I think."
"I . . . I don"t think I can remember those."
"d.a.m.n it!" Maximilian said.
"We can"t go back, Maxel. We"ll just have to live with it."
"Or die by it," he said.
They sat in silence a little, then Maximilian spoke again.
"Ishbel, what if we reconstruct every level of the Twisted Tower on paper? Remember every object we can. Rebuild the Twisted Tower in plans and drawings. Plot every object. Then . . . maybe . . . maybe we might remember something."
She kissed his cheek. "You are tired, I am tired, and we are both too weary to think. Come to bed. We haven"t slept in a real bed for a very, very long time."
"We are going to need to do this, Ishbel."
"I know. But for now come to bed."
Then her eyes focussed on something a few paces behind Maximilian"s chair.
It was one of Elcho Falling"s servants.
She closed her mouth, wet her lips, still staring beyond Maximilian, then said, softly, "Maxel ."
"Hallelujah!" Eleanon cried as the scout reported back to him. "Maxel and Ishbel are home!"
He turned to Falayal, standing nearby. "We move in the morning," he said. "Get the word out. We rise before dawn and leave so we arrive at Elcho Falling as the sun rises. Falayal . . . it won"t be long, now. From tomorrow, Elcho Falling will be isolated from the outside world."
"And then ." Falayal said. "Are we ready?"
Eleanon grinned. "Yes," he said. "We are ready."
Chapter 5.
Elcho Falling.
Axis tipped his chair back, rested one of his booted feet against the edge of the table in the command chamber, and looked at Isaiah standing by the empty fireplace.
Isaiah returned his regard with one of his inscrutable expressions.
Axis shifted his eyes to Inardle, also sitting at the table.
She merely looked bored.
"Well," said Axis, "where is Maxel? He calls us from our beds before dawn, then leaves us sitting here while he, no doubt, breakfasts in luxury while we --"
The door opened and Maximilian and Ishbel came in. Both looked exhausted, their eyes dark shadowed and their faces pale.
Obviously not such a good breakfast, Inardle said privately to Axis, and he flicked a look her way, but did not respond.
"What is wrong?" Isaiah said, waiting until Maximilian and Ishbel sat down before he, too, took a place at the table.
"We"re sorry to have kept you waiting," Maximilian said. "Ishbel and I have had little sleep, what with this and that. Elcho Falling"s servant came to speak with us last night. Now we need to talk to you."
"No one else?" Axis said. "Not Georgdi, nor Insharah, nor StarDrifter, nor Kezial, or --"
"No one else," Maximilian said. "You are my core commanders."
"Not even StarDrifter?" Axis said.
"I wanted to keep it to the bare minimum," Maximilian snapped, "so that I might avoid as much unnecessary talk and query and questioning and d.a.m.ned arguments as I could. Trust me when I say I am now reconsidering you!"
From the corner of his eye Axis could see Inardle bite the corner of her lip, and he shifted his gaze so that he could not see her at all. He hoped Maximilian had not caught her amus.e.m.e.nt.
"I apologise," Axis said to Maximilian. "You"ve had a bad night. What"s wrong?"
"We face danger on several fronts," Maximilian said, "and that does not include Elcho Falling itself, which will be the battlefield." He looked about. "Is there no tea here? I would have thought that --"
"It is coming," Inardle said. "Just talk, Maxel. Don"t worry about the tea."
Maximilian sighed. "We face danger on several fronts. From the One, from the Dark Spire, and from Eleanon and the Lealfast."
He was going to say more, but just then there was a tap at the door, and a servant came in bearing a tray with tea and some breakfast biscuits on it.
Maximilian made an impatient gesture, despite his irritated query for tea a moment earlier, but Axis waved him into silence, rose, took the tray from the servant and placed it on the table as the servant left, closing the door behind him.
Axis poured everyone a mug of tea, then handed the mugs around, giving everyone a thick warm biscuit as well.
"And there ends my menial duties for the day," he said. "Maxel, speak, if you will."
Maximilian took the time to sip his tea. He crumbled his biscuit into pieces, but did not attempt to eat it.
"For the moment I will leave the problem of the One," he said, "and discuss the Lealfast and the Dark Spire. Eleanon and the Lealfast are closely connected to the Dark Spire. In the absence of the One -- or at least in the supposed absence of the One, for I do not doubt the One has kept his return hidden from Eleanon -- Eleanon has been the driving force behind the continued growth of the Dark Spire. He was the one who planted it in Elcho Falling, and he has been the one who has continued to nurture it, sending Ravenna to midwive its mischief.
Eleanon no doubt thinks that the Dark Spire will prove his main weapon against Elcho Falling. Ishbel?"
She continued. "Last night Elcho Falling"s servant came to us to talk about the Dark Spire."
"Not the One?" Isaiah said.
"Elcho Falling can do little against the One," Ishbel said, "certainly not while he hides within the spire, and likely not once he emerges if he carries with him the full power of Infinity. Elcho Falling does not believe it can expel the One again, as it did on his earlier visit. It thinks the One"s power has strengthened enormously during his journey through Infinity into the Dark Spire."
"But Elcho Falling has spoken of the Dark Spire," Axis said.
"Yes," Ishbel said. "I think the citadel fears the Dark Spire almost as much as the One. Essentially, the Dark Spire is a creation of both the power of Infinity and of the Lealfast. Eleanon thinks he controls it, but in reality the Dark Spire will likely prove far too powerful for him. Infinity will rope out of it once it has reached its full potential, and Eleanon, or any mortal who thinks to manipulate it, will be destroyed."
"But the Lealfast made the Dark Spire," Inardle said. "Hundreds of generations ago."
"They did," said Ishbel, "but not alone. They used the help of the Magi who had escaped Ashdod. The Dark Spire connects directly into the power of Infinity, particularly now the One inhabits it. The Dark Spire has also worked its way into the very fabric of Elcho Falling. It eats of Elcho Falling"s nature. It imbibes Elcho Falling. It plans to become Elcho Falling."
Maximilian took over the speaking. "But first it must destroy Elcho Falling as it currently exists. Or at least partly destroy it, enough that the Dark Spire can then recreate Elcho Falling in its own image, or to its own purpose. To be brief, the One and Eleanon intended to use the Dark Spire to destroy Elcho Falling, then to rebuild it to their own needs, and to control the power of Infinity that would flood out of it."
"The Dark Spire is intended to be the ultimate gateway into Infinity," Ishbel said. "It will channel the complete, dark power of Infinity into this world."
"Power the One will then control," Isaiah said.
"Aye," Maximilian said. "Currently Eleanon may think he is going to be the Dark Spire"s master, but in reality it will be the One who will control all this power. Elcho Falling tells me that the One is the only creature capable of controlling it, for once the Dark Spire takes Elcho Falling"s place, once it becomes Elcho Falling, then the dark power of Infinity will ripple out from this place and will, eventually, consume the entire world. Nothing will survive. Nothing. The Dark Spire shall be the ultimate Infinity Gate, and the power it will channel into this world will destroy it. The One will become master of death and destruction, and glory in it."
There was silence for a moment.
"Cheery news," Axis said, finally. "What can we do?"
"For the moment I do not believe Eleanon knows of the One"s return," Maximilian said. "The One will want Eleanon and the Lealfast to continue on their path -- previously agreed between them before Eleanon believed the One had gone and that he could become the spire"s only master -- which will be to nurture the spire, and to give it what aid it needs to grow to maturity when, so I believe, it will destroy Elcho Falling and take its place. Of course the One has other plans for that moment, but for the time being I believe Eleanon and the Lealfast remain critical to the spire"s continued development.
"Axis, I am going to place you and Isaiah in complete control of the Eleanon and Lealfast problem. If you can stop them, then perhaps we can stop the Dark Spire before it becomes too powerful."
"And you and Ishbel?" Axis said.
"We need to be elsewhere," Maximilian said. "You and Isaiah will take on this task. You are willing?"
Axis and Isaiah looked at each other, and both smiled.
"Aye, we can do it," Isaiah said, "and be glad of the duty."
"Good," Maximilian said, "you have my authority for anything that is needed. Everyone in Elcho Falling is under your command."
"Well, that"s this morning taken care of," Axis said with a grin. "What do you want us to do this afternoon?"
Everyone chuckled.
"And I?" Inardle said as the amus.e.m.e.nt died.
"You," said Maximilian, "I need to trace the Skraelings. I think they are going to be critical to Axis and Isaiah"s success. We need to know where they are, Inardle. And what they plan. You are now a River Angel. You should have the skills needed to track them down."
She smiled, pleased with her task.
"You and Ishbel said you would be concerned elsewhere," Isaiah said.
"We need to find a way to negate the One and stop the Dark Spire becoming a gateway into Infinity," Maximilian said. He glanced at Ishbel. "When we untethered the Twisted Tower from this world, we lost all the information within it. However, we think that if we redraw plans of each level of the tower and place within those drawings all the objects we can remember, then we may recall some vital information that can aid us against the One and the Dark Spire."
"Elcho Falling itself was no help?" Axis said.
Maximilian gave a shake of his head. "No. Elcho Falling is as flummoxed by the Dark Spire as any of us. Some things it controls itself, others it depends on its lord. I need to find the solution to the Dark Spire and to the One. I need to find a means to remove both the spire and the One. Axis, Isaiah, I am sorry to leave you with the burden of Eleanon, but Ishbel and myself need to do this and we need the time to do it -- which you need to give us. We have to spend however long it takes to remember every single object within the Twisted Tower, and its purpose."
"I notice that none of us have discussed StarDancer"s plan," Axis said quietly.
"His plan is impossible," Ishbel said. "None of us can trust Ravenna."
Axis looked down to his hands, loosely folded in his lap.
"You think StarDancer has the right idea?" Ishbel said.
Axis looked up again. "I think it is a terrible idea," he said, "but we need to consider it. Ishbel, we may need to consider it."
"Not unless you and Isaiah intend to fail in stopping Eleanon and the Lealfast," Ishbel snapped.
Axis was about to reply, but Inardle"s head jerked toward the window where the day had just dawned.
"Speaking of the devil," she said, "the Lealfast have arrived."
Chapter 6.
Elcho Falling.
They stood on the balcony, looking westward over the lake. Tens of thousands of Lealfast were landing, standing about in groups as they settled on the ground. They were chatting, relaxed and confident and seemingly oblivious to the regard they knew must be emanating from Elcho Falling.
There were footsteps from behind them -- Georgdi.
"They"re settling all about the lake," he said to Maximilian. "Surrounding us."
Maximilian gave a weary smile. "It is Axis" and Isaiah"s problem, now," he said, then he turned to the two men. "Ishbel and I will be in our eyrie at the very top of Elcho Falling. If you need us, climb upward through stairwell after stairwell. Eventually you will come to a blank sandstone wall. Place your palm upon it, so, and the door will open for you. I have instructed Elcho Falling to allow the two of you to enter."
Maximilian turned for one final look at the Lealfast, then back at Axis and Isaiah. "I wish you good hunting," he said, then he took Ishbel"s hand and left the balcony.
Georgdi looked at Axis, raising an eyebrow.
"Maxel and Ishbel are otherwise occupied," Axis said. He briefly outlined to Georgdi what Maximilian had told them earlier. Then he leaned on the balcony railing, looking over the view before them. "Eleanon has brought the Lealfast back to destroy Elcho Falling, thinking he can recreate it using the Dark Spire."
"How will he do that?" Georgdi said. "How would anyone think to tear this citadel apart? It is a veritable mountain. The Dark Spire is growing up through the citadel, yes, but at such a relatively slow rate that months will pa.s.s before the structure of Elcho Falling can be seriously compromised."
"The "eggs"," Axis said quietly. "They are scattered throughout the walls. Somehow they will hasten the process. But how? For the moment they simply sit there. How will Eleanon activate them? A word? An enchantment? A clap of his hands? How can we stop him if we don"t know what he plans?" He watched as wave after wave of Lealfast landed on the sh.o.r.es of the lake, then straightened and looked to Inardle. "Any idea?"