Free The River Wall by Randall Garrett Page B

barely understandable.
    “That was beautiful … so special … I feel privileged … I have never seen anything so remarkable….”
    He released them at last, and regained his composure. I gave him credit for not showing the least embarrassment over his impulsive gesture. “Lesara, it would be selfish of me to keep this memory for myself alone. It would please me greatly if you will dance before the family—at a time of your choosing, of course.”
    The glow of triumph faded from Lesara’s face.
    “The High Lord must leave soon,” the girl said. “I would not ask her to perform, and I—I cannot make the flame. That is her gift.”
    “With great respect for the High Lord,” Charol said, “I have not asked her to perform, and the flame is not the sole—nor even the greatest—beauty of that dance. You have allowed me to see a Lesara who is hidden from us, my daughter. I ask you to share her with the rest of the family.”
    “I—I will consider it, Respected Elder,” Lesara said.
    Charol nodded, then said to Tarani: “This performance was a treasured gift, High Lord. But we have yet to discuss the solution to your problem.”
    “On the contrary,” Tarani said. “Lesara and I have demonstrated that a solution is possible. Through an illusion, she can see the places
I
have visited, and share that vision with her maufa.”
    Lesara frowned.
    “Will that not work?” Tarani asked her.
    “It may, High Lord,” Lesara said. “But—I find this hard to explain—a maufa cannot
learn
in the same way you and I can. It must
know.
It knows where to go because I know, from my own experience, where it must go. I fear that my learning, through you, will not have that same sense of … sureness.”
    “I have some skill with animals,” Tarani said slowly. “Nothing so great as the skill of a maufel, but I once shared a bond with … a bird.”
    A look of pain flashed across Tarani’s face as she thought of Lonna, now dead; the look quickly passed.
    “Perhaps,” she suggested, “if I share my vision with you
while
you are bonded to a maufa …?”
    “Yes,” Lesara said, suddenly excited. “That might work—shall we try?”
    The two women moved toward the cage, as deeply absorbed in this new project as they had been entranced by the dance a few moments earlier. Charol looked at me and gestured toward the door. I nodded and followed him out, leaving the illusionist and the bird-handler to their task.

7
    We ate dinner with the family that evening, and served the Fa’aldu’s hunger for news with stories about the sha’um cubs. For a time, the crisis and the purpose were forgotten. They came back, full force, though, when we entered our apartment and I let the door tapestry fall into place behind us. “We have their help, now,” I said. “But to do what?” I sighed. “I still don’t know where to start.”
    Tarani came to me and hugged me, pressing the warmth and shape and strength of her body all along mine. It was inexpressibly comforting, and I held on and tried to return the comfort. After a moment, she pulled away.
    “I would share this burden if I could, Rikardon,” she said. “But though we are both committed to the need, only you have the knowledge to guide us.”
    “That’s part of the problem,” I said. “I know Raithskar because Markasset grew up there. I know something of the Ra’ira because of my contact with Zanek in the All-Mind. But Markasset didn’t know Ferrathyn, except as a presence that drifted in and out of his fathers house.” I grimaced. “I might have suspected something wrong with Ferrathyn right from the first, if I’d had full access to Markasset’s memories immediately. The Chief Supervisor came to Thanasset’s house and spent a good deal of time talking to Markasset. Before he became Chief Supervisor, I doubt he’d said a total of ten words to the boy.”
    “You have access to Markasset’s memories now,” Tarani said. “Did he know anything at all of Ferrathyn