haven’t much time, you know.”
“We have time enough,” Portella insisted. “It will just take me a while, but do not fear. The fire dragons will not regain the upper hand in this weather, even if the gods are on their side.”
It took all my control to not lurch forward in amazement. Had the astrolabe jammed in a position to favor the fire people?
Michelle, on the other hand, did not possess the grace of indifference. She crossed her arms over her chest, giving the machinist team a glare wintry enough to bring a swell of pride to Lethe’s breast, I was sure. “The rete froze in the exact position to benefit them in war? How is that even possible? It was broken. It should be random, meaningless gibberish.”
“And it would have been,” Portella answered grimly, “if the ice dragons had been the only people to ever adjust its settings. But we were not. The fire dragons possessed this astrolabe for untold centuries, and in their time they not only forced our island to endure a perpetual summer, but also forced the stars to obey the path of their choosing.”
I frowned with Portella and Michelle, wishing to deny it, though I had no place in doing so. I was the lowest servant imaginable—a human, a prisoner, a captive, and a traitor to the ice people. If Michelle didn’t have a personal attachment to me, I would likely be dead, so I held my tongue.
Michelle, on the other hand, threw back her head and laughed. “You’re joking with me! The holier-than-thou fire people did the exact same thing to you that you did to them when you took over the palace?”
But our welcome was wearing thin. They were clearly busy, and four of the five returned to their efforts. Only Portella sighed, his eyelids drooping, as he realized that he was trapped in conversation with the new queen. Apparently he, as well as I, found her insufferable.
“Yes, my majesty,” he said. “The island should have four seasons, but never has. The rete was pre-set to a position which would favor the physiology of the fire people. That became clear to us when we first took the castle… and it took several days to reset the rete to our own standards. Now that it has been broken, many discs were fixed, but the rete returned to its presetting. Again, our team must dismantle its smaller pieces and turn the stars to a more favorable position. Until we do so, the fire dragons do have a… slight… advantage in battle.”
My heart leapt, even if I didn’t know whether or not I believed in such things. Theon believed in them, and his people believed in them, and what had neurology taught me so far except that belief was more than half the battle?
Now… if only I could find Theon again. Get hold of him. Get the message to him that he had a window in which the gods would tip the scale toward the fire dragons. I was certain he was safe, as news of his death would have traveled rapidly through the region. But where would he go after the shelter had been destroyed? Did he remain in the city?
The look on Michelle’s face was the exact opposite of mine. Her countenance was frozen. My mother had told me long ago that a liar’s face would freeze up when they were caught, even if it froze in a smile. A liar’s face would freeze up because they were afraid, and Michelle was afraid now.
“How long do you think—” she began.
“With all due respect, your majesty,” Portella interrupted, bowing, “the longer we discuss the mechanics of the astrolabe, the longer it remains an unknowing pawn of the fire dragon court.”
Michelle blushed slightly and took a step back. “Naturally,” she agreed, turning and beholding me. I smothered the light of hope in my eyes and prayed she hadn’t caught its glimmer.
“Let’s go, slave,” she commanded, sweeping past me and back into the hallway. “I’ve lost interest in the astrolabe. Let us return to my chambers so that I may have my afternoon nap. My doctor’s appointment can wait a while… While I
“We have time enough,” Portella insisted. “It will just take me a while, but do not fear. The fire dragons will not regain the upper hand in this weather, even if the gods are on their side.”
It took all my control to not lurch forward in amazement. Had the astrolabe jammed in a position to favor the fire people?
Michelle, on the other hand, did not possess the grace of indifference. She crossed her arms over her chest, giving the machinist team a glare wintry enough to bring a swell of pride to Lethe’s breast, I was sure. “The rete froze in the exact position to benefit them in war? How is that even possible? It was broken. It should be random, meaningless gibberish.”
“And it would have been,” Portella answered grimly, “if the ice dragons had been the only people to ever adjust its settings. But we were not. The fire dragons possessed this astrolabe for untold centuries, and in their time they not only forced our island to endure a perpetual summer, but also forced the stars to obey the path of their choosing.”
I frowned with Portella and Michelle, wishing to deny it, though I had no place in doing so. I was the lowest servant imaginable—a human, a prisoner, a captive, and a traitor to the ice people. If Michelle didn’t have a personal attachment to me, I would likely be dead, so I held my tongue.
Michelle, on the other hand, threw back her head and laughed. “You’re joking with me! The holier-than-thou fire people did the exact same thing to you that you did to them when you took over the palace?”
But our welcome was wearing thin. They were clearly busy, and four of the five returned to their efforts. Only Portella sighed, his eyelids drooping, as he realized that he was trapped in conversation with the new queen. Apparently he, as well as I, found her insufferable.
“Yes, my majesty,” he said. “The island should have four seasons, but never has. The rete was pre-set to a position which would favor the physiology of the fire people. That became clear to us when we first took the castle… and it took several days to reset the rete to our own standards. Now that it has been broken, many discs were fixed, but the rete returned to its presetting. Again, our team must dismantle its smaller pieces and turn the stars to a more favorable position. Until we do so, the fire dragons do have a… slight… advantage in battle.”
My heart leapt, even if I didn’t know whether or not I believed in such things. Theon believed in them, and his people believed in them, and what had neurology taught me so far except that belief was more than half the battle?
Now… if only I could find Theon again. Get hold of him. Get the message to him that he had a window in which the gods would tip the scale toward the fire dragons. I was certain he was safe, as news of his death would have traveled rapidly through the region. But where would he go after the shelter had been destroyed? Did he remain in the city?
The look on Michelle’s face was the exact opposite of mine. Her countenance was frozen. My mother had told me long ago that a liar’s face would freeze up when they were caught, even if it froze in a smile. A liar’s face would freeze up because they were afraid, and Michelle was afraid now.
“How long do you think—” she began.
“With all due respect, your majesty,” Portella interrupted, bowing, “the longer we discuss the mechanics of the astrolabe, the longer it remains an unknowing pawn of the fire dragon court.”
Michelle blushed slightly and took a step back. “Naturally,” she agreed, turning and beholding me. I smothered the light of hope in my eyes and prayed she hadn’t caught its glimmer.
“Let’s go, slave,” she commanded, sweeping past me and back into the hallway. “I’ve lost interest in the astrolabe. Let us return to my chambers so that I may have my afternoon nap. My doctor’s appointment can wait a while… While I
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