The Nemesis Blade by Elaina J Davidson Page B

raised
his thin, crooked eyebrows. “Send a direct call.”
    A wry smile.
“She probably would not acknowledge it, and we do not know where to
send to. Directions are endless in uncertainty.”
    Daisy gave a
sour smile. “A lover?”
    Give me
patience. “A Valleur seer.”
    Daisy’s entire
face underwent transformation. A huge smile beamed over his cheeks.
“You’re looking for Caballa?”
    Excitement
among the three Vallas. Teroux said, “Gods, man, you know her?”
    Daisy nodded
eagerly. “She is a familiar figure, comes and goes, and has for
more than two thousand years. She helped our farspeakers to their
level of proficiency.” He was then diffident. “She told me there
are other talents, and I need not feel less.”
    “And she is
right,” Tristan said. “When did you last see her?”
    Daisy’s eyes
went heavenward as he took his mind back. Fingers did some air
counting, and he looked back at Tristan. “Twelve days ago? Maybe
eleven.”
    The Vallas
grinned at each other and then, from Tristan, “Do you know where
she went?”
    The man shook
his head.
    “Damn,”
Tianoman bit out.
    “I do know
where she lives,” Daisy offered.
    All three
gaped at him.
    Daisy frowned.
“There’s no name for the world, but, well, she said it’s the world
of the Valleur First Father. You should know where that is,
right?”
    “Nemisin’s
world!” Teroux gasped out.
    “It’s
sterile!” Tianoman exclaimed.
    Daisy’s eyes
flicked from one to the other, again with uncertainty, but he said
nothing further.
    “Nemisin’s
world was renewed,” Tristan murmured, “by Lily, the Lady of Life,
and Saska. It took five years to coax a shoot of green and then
another five for natural precipitation … and then a further ten
years of constant vigil before they could call the renewal a
lasting success.”
    “How do you
know?” Teroux questioned.
    “I listen with
my ears,” Tristan laughed. “Try it sometime; the Elders have
interesting snippets from time to time.”
    “Caballa would
be drawn to it,” Tianoman murmured. “Hell, I want to see
it.”
    “Apparently
Saska lives there also,” Tristan said.
    “Saska was
less than honest when she told your father she didn’t know where
Caballa was,” Tianoman said.
    “Caballa no
doubt wants it that way,” Teroux said. “Tris, Torrullin probably
knows where to find her … and his wife.”
    “It occurred
to me as well.”
    Daisy shared
his gaze between the three. “Do you require a farspeaker?”
    There was a
kind of pondering silence in which Teroux and Tianoman looked to
Tristan to figure it out.
    He said,
“Torrullin knows where Caballa is, but they had some kind of
falling-out that prevents him seeking her out in person - right?”
Teroux nodded at him. “Caballa knows exactly where Torrullin is,
but may never be ready to fix it between them - hmm?” This time
Tianoman gave affirmation. “They avoid each other by staying away.
It isn’t enough to tell Torrullin where to find her, is it?”
    Tristan barged
on without awaiting reaction.
    “I still feel
we need to find her, although I’m not sure why. We could go to
Nemisin’s world, talk to her there or wait until she puts in an
appearance if she isn’t there now, but we’d have the entire Valleur
nation at our heels to protect us. Or we could send a call to
Nemisin’s world and hope she’s home or try until she is, but will
she acknowledge us? We are linked to Torrullin. We could speak of
danger, but I think she knows more than we do as to what danger is
where and to who, so that won’t work.” Tristan paused. “Daisy, I
believe we need the services of one your farspeakers.”
    Teroux
grinned. Tianoman was silent and expressionless.
    Daisy nodded.
“Follow me.”
    He led them
back into the circular chamber, tiptoed them around to the opposite
exit and then increased the pace. A number of rooms later, he
halted to knock on one of the first side doors they had encountered
throughout the