Vesper, Ninth Day Before Kalends of May

Unnamed Quarry, Eastpoint, Bahim, Drum

The three of them went around the outskirts of Eastpoint and up a hill into a small coal mine against the base of one of the three peaks of the Drum Mountains. At the entrance of what seemed to be an abandoned shaft stood a tall, well-groomed, and darkly handsome man who was not in a rahl but a drab military gown, under which Logan could see he was lightly armoured. His eyebrows were perpetually furrowed, the effect of which Logan could not decide was gravity or sensuality.

“Jerome,” said Hazel, smiling. “You waited for me.”

Jerome kneeled and kissed the back of Hazel’s hand. As he stood back up he gave Logan a look of suspicion. Logan was almost offended until he saw that Jerome then gave Kate, who was lazily drifting a foot above the ground, a look of unambiguous distaste. Kate did not seem to notice.

“Hullo Jerome,” said Kate.

Without speaking a word, Jerome let the three pass.

Hazel opened up her palms and a small orb of light appeared before them, which guided them down the tortuous mineshaft. Though Hazel was deftly manoeuvring herself down the uneven slope, and Kate of course was bypassing the entire issue by floating down the shaft, Logan was having difficulty maintaining his balance.

“How do your men travel up and down these shafts if they do not have you to illuminate the way,” said Logan. His voice echoed slightly. “It is not as if they know Connexion.”

“There are ways to know the world other than Connexion,” Hazel’s voice echoed back. “Besides, some of my men know Connexion.”

“You believe that braxin can know Connexion,” said Logan.

“I do not believe,” said Hazel. “I know.”

Logan was taken aback. Hazel had not adopted the ideologies of the Young Kardas when he had last seen her. Logan had taught Hazel some Connexion then, which she had been able to learn because she was of mixed race. She delighted then, at the opening up of another world, and had urged him to teach her more. He had promised to teach her more if they met again. He had Sensed her Mind then, brimming with unadulterated joy. Perhaps he had fallen in love with her then. It mattered little now. What was for certain was that Hazel’s Mind was now completely hidden from his Sensing. She had been practicing Connexion on her own, there was no doubt about that. And it seemed that she was also teaching braxinConnexion as well, the thought of which filled Logan with the most ambiguous of feelings.

After a moment of silence Hazel said, “you will see.”

They walked the rest of the way in silence, until Logan saw light from around the bend, and suddenly he was in an open space, a cavern of sorts, where a dozen or so soldiers were playing a game of cards. The space was illuminated by four orbs of light, in each corner. The soldiers looked up in unison at Hazel.

One of the men, a broad-shouldered man with a visible scar running across his chin, stood up and whispered something in quick Bahim dialect to Hazel. Hazel nodded and said “yes, you may.” The man walked past Logan without acknowledging his presence and it took Logan all he had to not flinch when their shoulders brushed against each other. The large man climbed up into the darkness of the mineshaft through which Logan had just passed without any light.

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“Let us keep going,” said Hazel.

Logan and Kate followed her through another series of tunnels, passed a few more rooms populated by not only soldiers but also civilians and some children, until they finally reached Hazel’s private chambers. It was illuminated by a single orb of light hovering in the centre of the room.

“How do you maintain all of these orbs,” said Logan. “Surely you are not maintaining them when you are away.”

“I do maintain them,” said Hazel. “It is a kind of exercise, I suppose. Another benefit is that if the orbs begin dying out, my men know that I am in danger.”

“Has that happened,” said Kate.

“Once,” said Hazel, but said no more regarding this.

Then she turned to address Kate. “Thank you for bringing Logan here all this way,” said Hazel. “You can stay the night, in the spare chambers, but you should return the following morning.”

“Yes,” said Kate.

There was a moment of silence, in which Hazel must have spoken something to Kate using Connexion, at which Kate’s face fell and she floated glumly out of the chambers.

“So,” said Hazel, turning to Logan. She suddenly looked much, much older. It was perhaps the effect of the singular orb of light that formed a chiaroscuro over her face. “You owe me a debt,” she said.

“So I heard,” said Logan. “What is it that you want.”

“I have a job for you.”

Then Hazel stepped forward closer to Logan, very close to the point where Logan could feel her soft breath on his neck. Then she put both hands on Logan’s eyes. Logan allowed her to Transcend his Mind. Hazel showed Logan’s Mind the image of a young boy, with unruly hair and a robe marked with the emblem of the Anselm family.

“His name is Jack Anselm,” said Hazel. “Bring him to me.”

She removed her hands from Logan’s eyes.

“You will begin a war,” said Logan.

“Not if you are not caught,” said Hazel.

“Why do you need him.”

“You do not need to know that in order to carry out this task.”

“Hazel,” said Logan. “Why are you doing this.”

“Doing what.”

“Why have you joined the Young Kardas. Why do you risk the lives of your men for their mad ideologies.”

“Mad ideologies…” said Hazel, smiling. Then, turning away from Logan, she continued, “You must have tasted the sufferings of braxin. Disease, poverty… What do you believe will be the solvent for these horrors. Sound government? You know yourself that to suggest that would be in jest.”

And now Hazel’s voice fell into a whisper. “The people need freedom, Logan. Connexion is freedom.”

“tt will cost hundreds, if not thousands of lives.”

“You are concerned about lives now?” said Hazel, turning sharply back to face Logan. “Hundreds? How many lives have you taken by your own hand, Logan Floyd?”

Perhaps Logan’s face acquired a severity beyond what Logan had intended, as Hazel’s voice suddenly softened and said, “the freedom will be worths a thousand lives.”

“How can you be so confident of your victory?”

“We have loyal, competent men. We have Kate Rinehart. We will soon have Jack Anselm.”

“I am happy that you are not including me in that list,” said Logan.

“I know you would be unwilling,” said Hazel. “If I did not already know your answer, I would have extended a hand for you to join me.”

“I am not interested in freedom,” said Logan.

“I think you are afraid of freedom.”

Logan did not know how to reply.

“You are running away from everything that is worth fighting for,” said Hazel.

“It is not a sin to desire peace.”

“You are right,” said Hazel. “Once you return with Jack Anselm, I promise you peace.”

“I wish for a cottage near the woods.”

Hazel smiled at this and leaned closer to Logan. Logan thought that she was going to kiss him, but she instead reached out and touched the scar on his cheek.

“Is this from Kate?” said Hazel.

“Yes,” said Logan.

“That daredevil child.”

“Indeed.”

“Go now,” said Hazel. “It is indecent for a man to stay in a woman’s chambers for so long.”

And so Logan went.

When he left the room he discovered Jerome, the tall, dark man who he had seen at the mouth of the mineshaft, standing beside the door in the hallway.

Logan was not one to offer a greeting first and so he stood gazing steadily at the man.

Jerome gazed back without turning away.

Then Jerome said, “Will you join us.”

“No,” said Logan.

Jerome smiled, as if he expected that answer. “You will have no choice,” he said. “War calls for warriors.”

“It is up to the warrior whether or not he responds to the calling,” said Logan, turning away.

“Not if you are the Child of Light.”

Logan turned back towards Jerome, but he had already begun walking away.