The Infinity Gate: Darkglass Mountain: Book Three - By Sara Douglass Page 0,19

you expect us to believe that?” Axis said. “If you had decided that Eleanon and Bingaleal had chosen wrongly, why did you not tell me or Maxel what the Lealfast had done, and what they planned? Why did you leave it until so many lay dead?”

“How easy do you think it, StarMan, to abandon the loyalties of a lifetime for a new set?” Inardle said. “And how easy do you truly believe it could have been, to have come to you, and said, ’Oh Axis, all I have told you has been lies, but I am sorry for it, and as proof I shall tell you some secrets’‘ ? You would have hated me instantly, as you have now, and refused to listen to a word I said. I was trapped, trapped by conflicting loyalties and loves. There was nowhere for me to turn, and no one to believe me.”

“I abandoned the loyalties of a lifetime for a ’new set‘ ,” Axis said softly, “when I abandoned the Seneschal for the way of the Forbidden — the Icarii. I found my conscience a good guide. I suggest you might like to try that, too, one day. f you have a conscience.”

Inardle stared at him, her face losing its colour. “I stayed for love of you, Axis. That’s why I stayed. A bitter choice, I am sure you will agree.”

Then she sighed, and looked at Maximilian. “I do not blame any of you for not believing me. Nor for your distrust of me now. So, in order to alleviate just a little of that distrust, I shall tell you a secret, that when Eleanon or Bingaleal discovers I have spoken it, will be my death sentence.”

“Then speak it,” Axis snapped, “and earn your death sentence.”

Maximilian thought about reprimanding Axis, but decided that the man had good enough reason to be bitter. Inardle had truly played to all his weaknesses, as all his strengths, in gaining his trust.

He raised an eyebrow at Inardle. “And your secret is . . . ?”

“Elcho Falling is not secure,” Inardle said. “You know of the rose-coloured spires. But there is one other, made of pure magic and the power of Infinity, and perhaps beyond Infinity for all I know. It is what we know as the Dark Spire and it is a thing of great bleakness, of frightening potency. I believe that it is now somewhere within Elcho Falling. It is the only way the One could have gained access. Eleanon would have placed it here to aid and guide the One.

“And as long as it stays here, then we are all corpses walking. None of us can combat it.”

Eleanon and Bingaleal sat on the small hill north of Elcho Falling, arms resting on raised knees, chins resting on arms.

“There is nothing from the One,” Eleanon said. “Nothing. Whatever consumes his interest in Isembaard, it is not worry about us.”

“Do you mind overmuch?” Bingaleal said.

Eleanon’s mouth curved slightly. “No. But I’d like to know where he is and what he does. He’s moving south-west through Isembaard, probably to reach DarkGlass Mountain. Why, I wonder?”

“He feels safe there, perhaps,” Bingaleal said.

Eleanon grunted. “So he runs away, eh? Of what use is he to us now?”

“We do need to be careful, Eleanon.”

“We will be careful, brother.”

“What do you plan for the Dark Spire, Eleanon?”

Eleanon took a deep breath, and told him.

Bingaleal’s eyes widened progressively as Eleanon spoke. “Is this possible?”

“I believe so,” Eleanon said. “I do not know how I can get inside Elcho Falling again to do what I must . . . but if I can work that out, then, yes, it is possible. I have spoken to the Dark Spire, and it is ready. It has . . . grown.”

“The One will not object?”

Eleanon shrugged. “As I said, he appears to have lost interest in us for the moment. In any case, it will serve his purpose as well as ours.”

“And the Lealfast Nation?”

“They will need to come here. We seem to have acquired an empty encampment of thousands of tents for their comfort.”

“I will send word,” Bingaleal said, and Eleanon nodded.

“There is a prize sitting there,” he said, looking at Elcho Falling. “A portal into all the power we could ever want. A home that is more than we could ever want. The One had promised to achieve it for us, but now I doubt he could achieve the barbecuing of a small frog without someone holding his hand for the entire procedure. This