Savage Empire

Finally Aradia asked him, "What's wrong, Lenardo?"

"I know it is your custom, but to me it seems completely wrong to-to celebrate Nerius' death."

"We celebrate his life!" she replied. "His life and ours. I am the child of Nerius' body-his life is in me, and I celebrate that fact."

"It all seems so pointless," said Lenardo. "We worked so hard to save his life. He hadn't even recovered his full health yet-and then he died. What was it for?"

"Perhaps the day of Nerius' death was set in the stars," Aradia said. "There are those who say it is-it could be that if we had done nothing to heal him, he would have died that same hour. Do you not think, had he been given the choice, Nerius would have preferred to die.defending his people rather than to sleep away helplessly?"

"I'm sure he would," Lenardo agreed, but he could not shake off his mood.

"Lenardo," said Aradia, "you should have spoken for Galen today."

"No one spoke for Drakonius, although his soldiers were there."

"I do not think any close friends were among those troops. They feel the loss of a leader, fear over what will happen to them now, but not the breaking of a personal bond of friendship, as you do."

"That is why you spoke for Hron today?"

"Aye, and why Lilith did too. Hron was a weak man, but not an evil one. Speak for Galen now, Lenardo. Tell me what was best about him."

The nepvous, unpredictable, vengeful young man he had last Read was not the Galen Lenardo wanted to remember. He thought back to the boy as he had first known him. "He had intense enthusiasm. Each new lesson was a joy to him, and he made something I'd taught a hundred tunes fresh and new for me. He wanted to know everything at once, always eager to get on to the next lesson, the kind of student who breaks a teacher free of routine."

As he spoke, he felt better. Aradia smiled at him. "Are you glad you knew him?"

"Yes."

"Then celebrate that he lived, and that we all live yet to bring what good we can into the world." She took a brimming goblet of wine from one of the tables, handing it to Lenardo. "Let us drink together in celebration of life."

Lenardo took a sip, and Aradia took the goblet from him, raising it to her own lips and looking at him over the rim. When she had taken a swallow, she said, "You are free now, Lenardo. I have no more hold on you, the empire has none. All your promises are fulfilled. What will be your choice now?"

"I am a teacher."

"Are you? I need someone to teach us all what your powers can do. Think about what my father said before you go back to obscurity in your academy."

"Not at once," he replied. "First the negotiations-"

"You have decided to try to convince the empire to negotiate with us?"

"Yes."

"And what will become of you if you do, Lenardo? I care what happens to you. My people owe you their freedom. I owe you my life. At least accept my protection if you must return to the empire. If you go back unprotected, you will be accused of consorting with the enemy… and this time the sentence will not be exile."

"I accept your protection, Aradia. I will go as your emissary."

A warm smile lit her eyes, and suddenly she put down the goblet and threw her arms around him, kissing him. He made no attempt to avoid it. The embrace was over too soon-it was only when he found himself wanting more that Lenardo became disturbed at his reaction.

But as Aradia broke free, unconcerned, Lenardo told himself firmly that the gesture meant nothing more to her than when she kissed Wulf ston-a sisterly caress.

"Now come and dance with me," said Aradia.

"I don't know how," said Lenardo. "In the girls' academies, dance is taught as exercise, but the boys learn sword-play."

So Aradia went off to find another partner, and Lenardo watched the dancing. He thought of the future, regretting that he would soon leave Castle Nerius until he recalled that he would be back-back and forth between here and Tiberium while the treaty was negotiated, and thenAnd then… what?

How could he consider anything but returning to an academy-wherever Master Clement was rebuilding? But Aradia wanted him here, and the treaty would include bringing other Readers over the border, teaching them to work with Adepts. That would be his task, certainly! The idea pleased him.

They said he had changed. Lenardo had to agree: now that he saw all there was to do in the world, he would never again be satisfied to live apart from it. The academies were necessary, but so would be the liaison position he would hold. Best of both worlds, he thought, smiling to himself. You're as bad as the Adepts: all you want is everything!

But it was in a cheerful mood that he left the celebration, returning to his room in the castle. It occurred to him that he ought to try to report back to the empire, to let Masters Clement and Portia know that Galen was dead. He thought he could reach Adigia from here-it was farther away than Drakonius' stronghold, but he had spent most of his life there. Perhaps Master Clement was still there.

The stone castle was cooler than the night outside. Lenardo was the only one indoors, except for the cook's staff bustling hi and out lest anyone lack for one more bite of some delicacy.

He went up to his room, lay down, and left his body. He needed no landmarks to guide him to Adigia-a moment's concentration and he was "there," in his own room at the academy. The building was deserted. Unless he found a focus, he would have to retreat.

Reading through the town, though, he quickly found the active mind of the blind boy who was always Reading. Torio was in a room at the i

Torio-"

"Master Lenardo!" The leap of joy in the boy's mind was almost painful in its intensity. "Are you all right? At least you're still alive."

"I am alive. Galen is dead."

"Oh."Shock and sorrow, followed by hope. "Then you're coming home!"

"Not yet Torio, are you the only Reader hi Adigia? Why are you there alone?"

"There were complaints when Master Clement insisted I remain alone, but how else guarantee privacy if you contacted me? The people are afraid of further attack, here on the border. A single Reader can't help very much."

"I know," Lenardo replied. //I wish you could reassure them there is no danger of attack. It's true, for the Adept who was so determined to beat back the walls of the empire is also dead. But you ca

"Tiberium. They've housed the academy in a villa there, and the last I heard the senate was refusing funds to build elsewhere."

"Despite the women's academy in the same city?"

"They say, "You're Readers-avoid each other!" They claim the savages have taken so much land, and it costs so much to mount the army against them, that the money simply isn't there."

"There will soon be a change in their attitude. Now, you have one final duty in this plan, and then back to your studies. You are at a crucial point hi your education, Torio. I'm sorry it was interrupted, even for these few weeks."

//I don't know,// said Torio. //Master Clement told me not to get my hopes too high-those who show promise at my age often fail dismally.//

//Torio-he was reacting to Galen's betrayal. You are the best Reader for your age that I have ever seen-and that means you have the potential to grow into a better Reader than either Master Clement or I. Come now- you're old enough to know that teachers are human, too, and sometimes say things in the bitterness of disappointment that they regret later.//