The Everlasting by Tim Lebbon Page B

some third party had come between them. Others said Papa had gone mad with the imminence of aging and death, and wanted to take his best friend with him. Even at sixteen, Scott had believed that there was more than anyone could know.
    Nina continued wiping. She seemed to ignore Scott’s last statement. “So, the book. Your grandfather. Lewis. I suppose I should fill you in on some stuff while we clean your car.”
    â€œDid it hurt?”
    â€œCutting my throat? Of course. But it’s not the first time I’ve had to prove myself.”
    â€œI’m sorry.”
    â€œNot your fault.” She took another wad of tissues from Scott, lifted her rump from the seat, and started mopping up blood. “Papa craved immortality, Scott. You may have guessed as much.”
    â€œHe wanted to see beyond the veil.”
    â€œAnd that’s
why
he wanted it. To see into the Wide, to be there, to explore. His intentions were honest, though he was naive to believe it could be done.”
    â€œBut you’re immortal.”
    â€œAnd cursed. Let me continue.”
    Scott wiped at the windshield and wet the blooddrying there. It ran again, dribbling down to the dashboard, where he mopped it with tissues.
Could be diseased
, he thought, but he smiled and shook his head. She was immortal.
    â€œHe and Lewis found the pages when they were out in the desert during the war. Some old ruins, unearthed when a munitions dump was destroyed. They went in, dug around, and found seven carved stone tablets.”
    â€œParts of the Chord of Souls?”
    â€œSome of the original parts. Hidden for . . . a very long time.” Nina grew quiet and looked through the smeared windshield, seeing something a long way off and a long time ago.
    Scott continued cleaning, glancing at the woman every few seconds. He did not want to disturb her.
    â€œI carved one of those tablets,” she said quietly. “There were twelve of us. When we learned, when we knew, we had to write it all down. Present the Chord as one continuous spell, as well as all the other stuff. If only we hadn’t.”
    â€œWho did you learn from?”
    Nina shook her head. “No one can ever know. No one. It would change everything. So, they found these tablets, and they brought them home, and Lewis and your grandfather spent the rest of their lives trying to read them.”
    â€œThey never told anyone? Never asked for help from . . . I don’t know . . . the British Museum or something?”
    â€œNo. The lure of the Wide hit them early on. Perhapseven before they’d come home from Africa. Something as powerful and potent as the Chord of Souls can exude a spell . . . affect those around it without their even reading it.”
    â€œLike radiation?”
    Nina smiled. “I suppose so. Radiated knowledge.”
    â€œAnd how much did they learn?”
    â€œIt took them a long time, but slowly they started to discern the language of the stones. With every new word they translated, Papa became more certain that they were doing the wrong thing. He could see the wonders of the Wide, but he was also aware of how cursed it could be as well. It’s not a place meant for people, Scott. Not people like you and Papa. Not people like me.”
    â€œBut Lewis?”
    Nina turned to look at him, her face stern, and in her eyes he saw the trust of ages. “No. Not for people like Lewis.”
    â€œSo why didn’t Papa destroy the tablets?”
    â€œIt’s not easy to destroy them once you’ve read them.”
    Scott snorted. “What, some protective spell? A magical defense?”
    â€œNothing quite so romantic. It’s just that the more one reads of them, the more powerful the Chord of Souls seems . . . and as I said, such knowledge is not meant to be lost.”
    â€œSo instead of destroying them, Papa hid the tablets and killed Lewis to prevent him from reading more.”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œSo how