The Deepcombers

Chapter Twenty Six

After he'd slept for eight hours on such a comfortable mattress, Lon found it strange that he should wake-up with aches and pains in the morning. Maybe it was rigors from the road as his mom labeled the stiffness his stepfather and stepbrothers experienced after they'd returned from timber contracts. They moved slow for a day or two before they got used to soft beds again.

Lon dressed and stepped into the hall. The passage was empty and all other doors were closed. He stood and listened but he could hear no movement or detect anyone else except the sentry at the stairs. He walked past him and wondered what he was thinking. He felt very small as he traipsed across the festival hall which looked even bigger during the day because of the way the morning light filtered through the holes in the front wall.  

Outside Winterhouse, all the Calbians he met bowed and pointed and seemed excited to spot him. Children giggled as they ran from his presence and new mothers curtsied as he passed. Lon was enormously pleased to be so esteemed and he politely returned all kind gestures with warm smiles.

In the cookhouse, the young lad gave silent thanks to Amon and Kluth that his day could begin with such a hearty breakfast of eggs, salt pork and buttered potatoes. Was this to be his routine now? Just like on the Annabelle, and in the labour camps in Remolin and in all the logging depots before that, shift work was always the same. After a few days everything became familiar and by the third or fourth day you realized the same activities would be your routine for months or years to come. Suddenly that was a nice thought. Atarskal would be a wonderful place to grow bored. He didn't think it was possible.

Outside again, the morning sun warmed his neck and shoulders as he sauntered uphill. He spotted Zed's wagon and followed the trail higher to the flagstone pad at the base of the linden. He stood there and gazed east. There was no black smoke to be seen. What was Clyde even talking about?  After work today he'd climb to that lookout station and try to find whatever was hidden up there and once aloft he'd also take a long gander to the east.

*

Lon had already completed several infusions all by himself before his counterparts arrived. His work product glowed white on the table and waited to be collected by Zed. The mystic also moved slower this morning and he offered only the barest greetings and slenderest of smiles when the other young masters arrived.  

"Good morning," Saeya said.

The day was scorching hot and Zed asked his teamsters to bring a sunshade for the medicine. With the water pool gurgling in the background the alcove was extra humid and soon everyone had sweaty skin. Lon unbuttoned his shirt and considered removing his trousers. Melcart almost spilled a vial when the wet glass slipped through his fingers. He caught it in time and shrugged.

"I'm melting." Mel said.

"I'm reminded of Giglo who chose the hottest day of the year to climb the Banta and slay the Icegor." Zed made conversation as he shifted the boxes under the sun blocker.

"Did that really happen?" Lon asked.

"Oh here we go," Val said.  

"Giglo bested the Icegor, yes." Zed replied.

"Which was otherwise doing no harm to anyone," Saeya said.

"What's a gor?" Lon asked and that quieted everyone.

Melcart looked down at his work, and Val retreated.

"A consciousness," Saeya explained. "A being, but not always." She looked at Zed for affirmation.

The green robed feigor smiled yes. "He chose the hottest day because the ice beast had less strength"  

"How did he best it?" Valari asked.