if I had put so much effort, thought, energy, and heart into a project, I would be loath to let it go.”
“What? What is this?” the king asked, frowning.
“The Alarm Project,” Roan said, urgently. “My king, after devoting what must have taken years of my life and countless hours of mental effort, I’d hate to have to put the fruits of it aside. When I was so near to proving my theorem I’d do almost anything to continue.”
“So would I,” Carodil said, shrugging her shoulders magnificently. “What of it?” She turned a cold and fishy eye to Roan.
“I’ve given my command,” King Byron said, lowering his eyebrows. “This fool project is to stop, at once, and it has.”
“Of course!” Carodil agreed, bowing to the king. “Brom has given me his promise to cease.” She turned to Brom, stretching out a hand to touch his shoulder. “Haven’t you, my friend?”
But the friendly gesture had a most unexpected effect. At the point of contact Brom started to waver. Crackly lines appeared on his face and body.
“He’s breaking up,” Thomasen said, alarmed. “What is this?”
In a twinkling, the broad, tall figure was reduced to thin, glassy shards that dissolved in the air. Carodil lunged for the Alarm Clock, but it, too, was insubstantial. When she touched the edge of the litter, the whole thing burst with a pop like a huge soap bubble. Carodil threw herself backward, covering her eyes. Everyone in the hall began to shout at once.
“They are not really here,” Roan shouted over the hubbub. “They’re already on their way. What he said about combined intellect is true. Using the crucible they’ve managed to create fully coherent images of Brom and his device. The real man is gone, and all his people with him! They must have left as soon as they finished their presentation.”
“Gone?” the king demanded. “Gone where?”
“Toward the Hall of the Sleepers,” Bergold gasped, his eyes huge with dismay.
“But we don’t know where that is!” Olmus said, pounding the floor with his stick. “No one does.”
“They must think they do,” Thomasen said, stroking his chin. “More than just a good guess. He must have foreseen that the king would forbid the endeavor, and we’d try to stop him. He knows he would be stopped as soon as he was found out. Brom wouldn’t risk his one chance on failure.”
“How about these?” Spar, chief of the guard, stepped forward and grabbed Fodsak’s arm. His men-at-arms crowded around the scientists. “They’re solid!”
“Only Brom was an illusion,” Roan said. “He’s the only one important enough to have to be in two places at once. These men and women remained behind probably because they haven’t got the stamina for such an undertaking.”
“They have defied my command?” Byron snapped, straightening up and staring at Carodil, who had shrunk a foot in height, and was losing stature even as Roan watched. “They intend to destroy our homeland for an experiment?”
“Your Majesty, I had no idea,” Carodil said. She was now only four feet high, and her voice was turning shrill. “I allow my people autonomy, so they will give their minds free rein.”
“So they could plot the destruction of us all?” the king asked.
The room became suddenly very cold. People huddled together. A sharp wind swirled brown leaves through the air. One whipped against Roan’s cheek, and he shivered, breaking the spell of immobility that had fallen over him. The tiny, futile motion of a leaf, helpless to control its own actions in the face of the wind, reminded him that he was not helpless.
“We’ll find them, my lord,” Roan said. All eyes turned to him, filled with sudden hope. “They can’t have gotten far.” He spun to hurry out of the audience chamber. The crowd parted before him.
“Stop them now, before any harm can be done!” the king called after him.
Chapter 5
Roan knew even before he passed the great doors that the party of
“What? What is this?” the king asked, frowning.
“The Alarm Project,” Roan said, urgently. “My king, after devoting what must have taken years of my life and countless hours of mental effort, I’d hate to have to put the fruits of it aside. When I was so near to proving my theorem I’d do almost anything to continue.”
“So would I,” Carodil said, shrugging her shoulders magnificently. “What of it?” She turned a cold and fishy eye to Roan.
“I’ve given my command,” King Byron said, lowering his eyebrows. “This fool project is to stop, at once, and it has.”
“Of course!” Carodil agreed, bowing to the king. “Brom has given me his promise to cease.” She turned to Brom, stretching out a hand to touch his shoulder. “Haven’t you, my friend?”
But the friendly gesture had a most unexpected effect. At the point of contact Brom started to waver. Crackly lines appeared on his face and body.
“He’s breaking up,” Thomasen said, alarmed. “What is this?”
In a twinkling, the broad, tall figure was reduced to thin, glassy shards that dissolved in the air. Carodil lunged for the Alarm Clock, but it, too, was insubstantial. When she touched the edge of the litter, the whole thing burst with a pop like a huge soap bubble. Carodil threw herself backward, covering her eyes. Everyone in the hall began to shout at once.
“They are not really here,” Roan shouted over the hubbub. “They’re already on their way. What he said about combined intellect is true. Using the crucible they’ve managed to create fully coherent images of Brom and his device. The real man is gone, and all his people with him! They must have left as soon as they finished their presentation.”
“Gone?” the king demanded. “Gone where?”
“Toward the Hall of the Sleepers,” Bergold gasped, his eyes huge with dismay.
“But we don’t know where that is!” Olmus said, pounding the floor with his stick. “No one does.”
“They must think they do,” Thomasen said, stroking his chin. “More than just a good guess. He must have foreseen that the king would forbid the endeavor, and we’d try to stop him. He knows he would be stopped as soon as he was found out. Brom wouldn’t risk his one chance on failure.”
“How about these?” Spar, chief of the guard, stepped forward and grabbed Fodsak’s arm. His men-at-arms crowded around the scientists. “They’re solid!”
“Only Brom was an illusion,” Roan said. “He’s the only one important enough to have to be in two places at once. These men and women remained behind probably because they haven’t got the stamina for such an undertaking.”
“They have defied my command?” Byron snapped, straightening up and staring at Carodil, who had shrunk a foot in height, and was losing stature even as Roan watched. “They intend to destroy our homeland for an experiment?”
“Your Majesty, I had no idea,” Carodil said. She was now only four feet high, and her voice was turning shrill. “I allow my people autonomy, so they will give their minds free rein.”
“So they could plot the destruction of us all?” the king asked.
The room became suddenly very cold. People huddled together. A sharp wind swirled brown leaves through the air. One whipped against Roan’s cheek, and he shivered, breaking the spell of immobility that had fallen over him. The tiny, futile motion of a leaf, helpless to control its own actions in the face of the wind, reminded him that he was not helpless.
“We’ll find them, my lord,” Roan said. All eyes turned to him, filled with sudden hope. “They can’t have gotten far.” He spun to hurry out of the audience chamber. The crowd parted before him.
“Stop them now, before any harm can be done!” the king called after him.
Chapter 5
Roan knew even before he passed the great doors that the party of
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