against the force of the gravity that was trying to dash him to the rocks below. When he had reached the edge of the cliff again, he scrambled across the wind-tossed grass on his hands and knees for several yards and then collapsed, shuddering violently.
Aphrael, all unconcerned, continued her stroll across the emptiness.
‘You’re getting fat, Sparhawk,’ Kurik said critically. ‘You need more exercise.’
Sparhawk swallowed very hard. ‘Do you want to talk about this?’ he asked his old friend in a choked voice.
‘No, not really. You’re supposed to be paying attention to Aphrael right now.’ He looked out at the Child Goddess with a faint smile. ‘She’s showing off, but she’s only a little girl, after all, so I guess it’s sort of natural.’ He paused, and a note of yearning came into his voice. ‘How’s Aslade been lately?’
‘She was fine the last time I saw her. She and Elys are both living on your farm, you know.’
Kurik gave him a startled look.
‘Aslade thought it would be best. Your sons are all in training now, and she didn’t think it made much sense for her and Elys both to be alone. They adore each other.’
‘That’s fine, Sparhawk,’ Kurik said, almost in wonder. ‘That’s really fine. I always sort of worried about what was going to happen to them after I left.’ He looked out at the Child Goddess. ‘Pay close attention to her now, my Lord. She’s coming to the hard part.’
Aphrael was far out over the surging waves, and she had begun to glow with a brilliant incandescence. She stopped, hardly more than a glowing spark in the distance.
‘Help her, gentlemen,’ Sephrenia commanded. ‘Send all of your love to her. She needs you now.’
The fiery spark rose in a graceful little arc and then shot smoothly down through the murky air toward the long, lead-gray waves rolling ponderously toward the rocky shore. Down and down she plunged, and then she cut into the sea with no hint of a splash.
Sparhawk held his breath. It seemed that the Child Goddess stayed down for an eternity. Black spots began to appear before the big Pandion’s eyes.
‘Breathe, Sparhawk!’ Kurik barked, bashing his lord’s shoulder with his fist. ‘You won’t do her much good if you faint.’
Sparhawk blew out his breath explosively and stood gasping on the brink of the precipice.
‘Idiot,’ Kurik muttered.
‘Sorry,’ Sparhawk apologized. He concentrated on the little girl, and his thoughts became strongly jumbled. Aphrael was out there beneath those endlessly rolling waves certainly, but Flute was there as well – and Danae. That thought caught at his heart, and he felt suddenly icy-cold.
Then that glowing spark burst up out of the sullen water. The Child Goddess had been an incandescent white when she had made her plunge, but when she emerged from the sea she glowed a brilliant blue. She was not alone as she rose once more into the air. Bhelliom rose with her, and the very earth seemed to shudder with its re-emergence.
All glowing blue, Aphrael returned to them, bearing that same golden box Sparhawk had cast into the sea a half-dozen years ago. The little girl continued her stroll and reached solid ground once more. She went directly to Sparhawk and held up the gleaming golden box. ‘Into thy hands, for good or for ill, I deliver up the Bhelliom once more, Anakha,’ she intoned quite formally, placing the box in his hands. Then she smiled an impish little smile. ‘Try not to lose it again this time,’ she added.
‘He looked well,’ Khalad said in a tight, controlled voice.
‘Aren’t you being just a little blasé about all this?’ Talen asked his brother.
‘Did you want me to go into hysterics?’
‘You saw him, then?’
‘Obviously.’
‘Where were you? I couldn’t see you around any place.’
‘Lord Vanion and I were right over there,’ Khalad replied, pointing toward the far side of the trail. ‘We were told to just keep quiet and watch. We saw you all come riding up the hill. Why did you jump off the cliff like that?’
‘I don’t want to talk about it.’
Sparhawk was not really paying very much attention to the others. He stood holding the golden box in his hands. He could feel the Bhelliom inside and, as always, it was neither friendly nor hostile.
Flute was watching him closely. ‘Aren’t you going to open the box, Anakha?’
‘Why? I don’t need Bhelliom just now, do I?’
‘Don’t you want to see it again?’
‘I know what it looks like.’
‘Isn’t it calling to you?’
‘Yes, but I’m not listening. It always seems to complicate things when I let it out, so let’s not do that until I really need it.’ He turned the box over in his hands, closely examining it. Kurik’s work had been meticulous, though the box was unadorned. It was just that – a box. The fact that it was made of gold was largely irrelevant. ‘How do I open this? – when I need to, I mean? There isn’t any keyhole.’
‘Just touch the lid with one of the rings.’ She was watching him very closely.
‘Which one?’
‘Use your own. It knows you better than Ehlana’s does. Are you sure you don’t feel some sort of … ?’
‘Some sort of what?’
‘Aren’t your hands aching to touch it?’
‘It’s not unbearable.’
‘Now I see why all the others in my family are so afraid of you. You aren’t anything at all like other humans.’
‘Everybody’s different in some ways, I suppose. What do we do now?’
‘We can go back to the ship.’
‘Can you get in touch with the sailors?’
‘Yes.’
‘Why don’t you ask them to sail across the gulf and pick us up somewhere on this side? That way we won’t have to ride all the way back to Jorsan again, and we’ll be able to avoid any chance meetings with Rebal’s enthusiasts. Some of them might be sober enough by now to recognize the fact that we’re not Edomishmen.’
‘You’re in a strange humor, Sparhawk.’
‘I’m a little discontented with you at the moment, to be honest about it.’
‘What did I do?’
‘Why
