Colors of Chaos

XXV

HAVE YOU GRANTED any more medallions to farmers?” From where he stood with his back to the window Kinowin half-grinned at the younger mage.

“Yes, ser. Another six…so far. Only one of them had ever had one before. At least on the carts they presented.”

“Any more incidents like that farm woman?” The blonde mage touched his chin, then rubbed his jaw, his fingers remaining below the purplish blotch on his left cheek.

Cerryl shook his head, still wishing he hadn’t had to flame the old woman, yet he doubted he could have done otherwise.

Kinowin stepped toward the table at which Cerryl sat, then turned and looked at the blue and purple hanging. After a moment, he added, “How was your late supper with Anya?”

“Disturbing, in a way.”

“Why did you go with her?”

“I didn’t think it wise to upset her too much.”

A wry smile crossed Kinowin’s face. “Anything you do that crosses her will upset her. You know that, don’t you?”

“That’s why I went. I’m sure to upset her sooner or later. I’d prefer later.”

“Since you didn’t fall into bed with her, did she talk to you about her paradox? It’s not hers, really; it actually belongs to the first Black angel-Ryba. I find that rather symbolic…”

Cerryl swallowed. Was Kinowin saying that Anya was using the words of the first Black angel-the founder of Westwind and all its depredations? “About when Myral sees the future…is that…?”

Kinowin nodded, then quoted, almost in falsetto, “‘Perhaps our actions in trying to avoid his visions are what will make them happen.’”

Cerryl winced.

“It’s very effective,” Kinowin mused. “I even fell for it…for a bit.”

Cerryl couldn’t imagine Kinowin falling for anything.

“It’s very seductive. How can you know whether a vision is true? If it is not, and you oppose it, then do you bring it into being? Or…if it is true, and you oppose it, do you do the same? Because…if you can change things, how could the vision exist?”

The younger mage shivered. “Did Ryba…?”

“Oh, yes. At least, if you can believe the Book of Ayrlyn. Some call it Ryba’s curse.”

“I thought that was a forbidden book.”

“It is…until you’re a Guild member. In a season or so I’ll have you read it. You’re not quite ready.”

“Is it filled with lies, and I don’t have enough knowledge to understand which are lies?”

“No. It’s filled with truths, and you’ll have a great deal of trouble understanding how truths can be lies.” Kinowin snorted gently. “That’s always been the problem we’ve had in the Guild.” He eased away from the hanging and toward the single bookcase, stepping through the shaft of golden light wherein swirled white-golden specks of chaos dust. “A fact is. A stone exists.” The overmage walked over to the bookcase and lifted a volume, then replaced it. “You see this book. It is.” He laughed. “Sterol and Jeslek would die of mirth at rough-born and plainspoken Kinowin discussing truth. I have to laugh, too. What is truth? Oh, the philosophers will give you answers and words. But what no one-especially Myral-wants to admit is that there is no such thing as truth. That’s where Anya is right. We take a belief that what we do is the good thing to do, and we call it the true way. The Blacks do the same.”

Cerryl’s eyes widened.

“I’m not saying that I believe the Blacks. They’ve created more bloodshed indirectly than Fairhaven has with all its lancers. They talk of peace and order, but Recluce was founded on the blade of the greatest swordsman and weather wizard of all time, and to this day no other ruler has slaughtered so many in the name of peace and order.”

Cerryl waited.

“Men and women are not perfect. You have seen that. I’m certain Anya has told you about how all that most people want from life are coins or power or bodies in bed.” Kinowin shook his head. “She’s right. Those are what most people want. Where I differ from Anya is that I don’t think the members of the Guild are or should be ‘most people.’ That is what the Guild was founded on.” The overmage cleared his throat. “Did you know that in ancient Cyador, the first White land, west of the Westhorns, they had highways grander than ours, firewagons that sped tirelessly across them, and fireships that ruled the seas? Even the poorest of farmers had houses with stoves and water pumped from the ground. And the Blacks unleashed chaos and destroyed Cyador. They claim to be the supporters of order, yet they used chaos to destroy the greatest land Candar has ever known.”

“Colors of White tells some of that.” Cerryl’s voice was neutral.

Kinowin walked to the window again, glancing out into the midafternoon light. “The idea of ‘truth’ is one of the most dangerous tools any ruler can use. The only problem is that declaring that there is no such thing as truth is even worse. Then people have no anchor and nothing to believe in.” Kinowin turned to Cerryl. “You hear my words, but you don’t understand. Not really.”

Cerryl didn’t know what to say.

“Has your healer friend talked to you about what she does besides healing?”

“No. She’s still in Certis.”

“I know that. Earlier, I meant.” Kinowin shifted his weight so that he could look out the window and still watch Cerryl.

“Some things…like inspecting the water tunnels and using sleep spells on prisoners.” Cerryl frowned. “I can’t think of anything else.”

Kinowin turned from the window to Cerryl. “Can you truth-read?”

“Truth-read?”

“‘Truth-read’ isn’t the right term, but everyone uses it. Tell when someone speaks what they believe to be the truth-or when their words do not match the chaos and order within them?”

Should he tell Kinowin? Cerryl shrugged. If Kinowin could sense what Cerryl could feel, the overmage already knew. “Most times.”

“That will do. Your skills are being wasted on gate duty, and you need to learn more of how Fairhaven truly works. Myral and I have discussed this.”

Cerryl could feel his stomach tightening.

“What do you know of the Patrol?”

“Not much. They keep the peace. They supply the prisoners for the cleanup details at the gates.”

“You need to work with the Patrol. You have the skills, and Isork could use another mage. He and Huroan have but nine other mages, and that is far from sufficient.”

“What…do I do?”

“Tomorrow will be your last day at the gates. The morning after, report to Isork. The main Patrol building is the two-story square building on the other side of The Golden Ram. He will be expecting you.”

“Yes, ser.”

Kinowin shook his head as he gestured. “You can go. I wouldn’t tell anyone about our conversation. Sterol knows how I feel-and agrees partly. Jeslek and Any a will use it against you…later. There’s nothing they can do to me.”

Cerryl understood what Kinowin had not said-that none of the junior mages would understand. He wasn’t sure he understood.

As he walked slowly down the steps to the front foyer, he took a deep breath. What he didn’t understand at all was Kinowin. Anya-he could understand her wanting power, especially as a woman in the Guild and in Fairhaven. But why was Kinowin so concerned about him? There were anywhere from five to a half-score new mages that entered the Guild each year. Is he concerned because you remind him of when he was younger? Or because he had too many unanswered questions when he was young? Unanswered questions? Why had he never answered the question of what you do when you see a vision of what will be? Because there is no answer?

Cerryl pursed his lips and kept walking.