much that lies between you. I see that, but it is still there. A light you hold, purely for each other. It is rare, especially down here in the frigid oceans.”
Silver tears streaked from his eyes. “If only Ran will grant a reprieve and save my Imogen, I will dedicate my life to her, and to using what I have learned to help us all.”
Carragheen was unmoved. “Thanks for the pep talk, Zorax. And the resolutions. But back to business. This sound weapon, could it be the culmination of your experimentation?”
Zorax shook his head, but less in denial than disagreement. His rich voice was thin and reedy. “You think my discovery was the reason Imogen was taken? And the Princess? I have known and coached her since childhood. I could not bear it.”
Carragheen lost hold of the thin thread that had anchored him to civility. He reached out and circled one large hand around Zorax’s throat. “I do not care less what you cannot bear,” he spat. I watched Zorax turn red under Carragheen’s hand, and I touched Carragheen lightly on the forearm. He tensed under my touch, but loosened his grip a little. “Just tell us what you know.”
“I believe the moment when Lunia saved you, Rania, she uttered exactly the correct collection of sounds, at precisely the right pitch, to cast a spell of protection over you, to counter the sound that was threatening to destroy you.”
He explained quickly that the word spell was merely shorthand, that it was simple physics really. One sound blocking another, stifling it. But what was not simple was how Mom could have known the correct arrangement to utter. Therein, Zorax insisted, lay the magic. He talked about how he believed that a perfect collection of sounds, a song, could achieve anything. After all, it was the basis of hydroporting.
Zorax believed it was essentially possible that it could move matter, shape new worlds.
It was simply a matter of finding the right patterns.
I needed more. “How can we find them? The right notes? If we find the girls tonight, if we get blasted with that thing, what do we sing?”
Zorax shrugged, and seemed genuinely remorseful that he could not provide the answers we sought. “I do not know, Rania. For me, evensong was the product of a long, careful series of experiments. You do not have the liberty of that time.” He considered Carragheen’s still-furious countenance and rushed on. “There is something, I don’t know if I’m right. The fact that your mother was able to find the right pattern at the right moment, it makes me think…”
“What?” Carragheen’s tone was sharp, insistent.
“It makes me think that if the right person, or perhaps people, sing from their heart at the right moment, with the right emotions, they may produce the correct pattern.”
“That’s a lot of mights.” Carragheen sounded far from impressed. “Too many, to my way of thinking.”
“I’m sorry.” Zorax held up his open hands. “It’s all I have to offer you.”
Chapter Fifteen
Sighs and Songs
Carragheen’s Pool
Mom, Carragheen and I formed a group.
Mom was utterly focused on the search, so I didn’t even contemplate discussing Kraken with her, even though there was now more to discuss. I mean, bad enough that Mom never told me she used to have a hot and heavy affair with the High Priest of Aegira. Then there was the nuts stuff he’d been spouting back at the meeting.
And the new information from Zorax.
Had Kraken always been a little psycho? Is that why she ended it? Or maybe he ended it ’cause she wasn’t nuts enough for him? And what the hell was the Queen going to do about him? I mean, it was pretty clear (to me at least) what he’d meant back there at the meeting. Whether he was responsible for Imogen’s disappearance or not, he obviously had some whole other evil agenda going on. An Armageddon for the land-dwellers.
Someone needed to rein the nutjob in, and, after what Carragheen told me about poor Leisen, I’d happily be just the someone to do it.
But I needed to know what Mom knew first.
Our group was allocated the southern quadrant of the city. We were to search it in rata, ever-widening swimming circles used for foraging and ceremonial parades. I didn’t tell anyone at the meeting about the cave. But I knew exactly where I was going, as soon as I could shake the others. I wasn’t having any hangers-on this time. Our small party split up, and I used the