Read Online A Secret Atlas by Michael A. Stackpole - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Michael A. Stackpole
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How do
they benefit?”
“I do what I do for the world .”
“You little fool, I am the world!” Qiro spun and Keles flinched as the old man’s gaze met his in passing. “The world does not exist, does not exist until I place it on the map. You bring animals and plants back from places that are nothing and nowhere until I show their proper location. The Cataclysm left us buried in black ice. When the dark blizzards came,
people died. The world became naught but snow-choked valleys. Small communities
huddled within ruins of once vast Imperial cities. Our world shrank until I began to grow it
again.”
Qiro thrust a trembling finger at Jorim, but his gaze included Keles. “You are my eyes and
ears and feet and hands. You exist to serve me, give me information, not to indulge your whims picking flowers and trapping animals! And, worse, disgracing us here in Moriande
by engaging in common street brawling. You stand there with bloody evidence on hand
and face of all I have said.”
Jorim’s hands knotted into fists and his face flushed scarlet. As veins began to rise in his
neck, Keles stepped between the two of them. He pressed his right hand flat against
Jorim’s breast and felt the rage trembling through his brother.
“Stop it, both of you.”
“Don’t try to protect your brother, Keles. He has gone too far.” Qiro snorted. “I shall see to
it that this is a problem no longer. From now on, he shall go nowhere.”
Keles held his left hand palm up toward his grandfather. “Stop it. You don’t mean that.
You’re not that stupid.”
“What?”
“Don’t pretend you didn’t hear what I said.” You never heard it from me before, but
perhaps it is time you did. Keles looked at Jorim. “Back away. Calm down.”
“This is not your fight, Keles. It’s been coming for a long time.”
“I think you’ve done enough fighting for now, Jorim.”
A jolt ran through his younger brother. Tears began welling in his eyes as betrayal
weighted his words. “You, too, Keles? Nothing I do is good enough. I am lazy. I don’t do
my work. I am distracted. I have no discipline. I’m not like you.”
“Jorim.”
The younger man hesitated, his mouth opening and closing a couple of times before the
rage drained from him. “I didn’t mean that last.”
“You should have, Jorim. You should be more like your brother.”
Keles felt anger beginning to burn hotly in his chest. He turned to his grandfather. “No, he
shouldn’t be. I should be more like him.”
Qiro straightened up. His voice became a rime-edged whisper. “And exactly how do you
mean that, lyrkyrdin Keles?”
A fluttering started in his belly. Was it in a cold rage like this that you sent our father off on his last journey? The use of his formal title emphasized how much he had yet to learn, and reinforced just how angry his grandfather was.
“Despite only being ranked Superior, I have gone everywhere you have sent me. I have
learned everything you deigned to teach me. I have been good and dutiful. My reward for
all this was to be posted to the Stormwolf, and yet you never chose to tell me of the dual clocks? Had you decided I would go before you knew of them, thereby exposing me to the
risk of being lost or of bringing back inaccurate data, or was I just not important enough to
be told of this discovery? I should have been doing the geometry and preparing to use the
device.”
“So you believe I think you are untrustworthy.”
“Is there another conclusion I should draw from this?” Keles took a deep breath. “I don’t
think you trust any of us.”
“Meaning?”
Jorim answered. “Meaning that you are eighty-one years old. Meaning that Ulan is not, by
disposition and training, capable of taking over for you. Neither are his sons or grandsons.
Meaning that our father, who could have taken over for you, is long gone. Meaning that
Keles, who is best suited to taking over for you, is being sent away and not trained
they benefit?”
“I do what I do for the world .”
“You little fool, I am the world!” Qiro spun and Keles flinched as the old man’s gaze met his in passing. “The world does not exist, does not exist until I place it on the map. You bring animals and plants back from places that are nothing and nowhere until I show their proper location. The Cataclysm left us buried in black ice. When the dark blizzards came,
people died. The world became naught but snow-choked valleys. Small communities
huddled within ruins of once vast Imperial cities. Our world shrank until I began to grow it
again.”
Qiro thrust a trembling finger at Jorim, but his gaze included Keles. “You are my eyes and
ears and feet and hands. You exist to serve me, give me information, not to indulge your whims picking flowers and trapping animals! And, worse, disgracing us here in Moriande
by engaging in common street brawling. You stand there with bloody evidence on hand
and face of all I have said.”
Jorim’s hands knotted into fists and his face flushed scarlet. As veins began to rise in his
neck, Keles stepped between the two of them. He pressed his right hand flat against
Jorim’s breast and felt the rage trembling through his brother.
“Stop it, both of you.”
“Don’t try to protect your brother, Keles. He has gone too far.” Qiro snorted. “I shall see to
it that this is a problem no longer. From now on, he shall go nowhere.”
Keles held his left hand palm up toward his grandfather. “Stop it. You don’t mean that.
You’re not that stupid.”
“What?”
“Don’t pretend you didn’t hear what I said.” You never heard it from me before, but
perhaps it is time you did. Keles looked at Jorim. “Back away. Calm down.”
“This is not your fight, Keles. It’s been coming for a long time.”
“I think you’ve done enough fighting for now, Jorim.”
A jolt ran through his younger brother. Tears began welling in his eyes as betrayal
weighted his words. “You, too, Keles? Nothing I do is good enough. I am lazy. I don’t do
my work. I am distracted. I have no discipline. I’m not like you.”
“Jorim.”
The younger man hesitated, his mouth opening and closing a couple of times before the
rage drained from him. “I didn’t mean that last.”
“You should have, Jorim. You should be more like your brother.”
Keles felt anger beginning to burn hotly in his chest. He turned to his grandfather. “No, he
shouldn’t be. I should be more like him.”
Qiro straightened up. His voice became a rime-edged whisper. “And exactly how do you
mean that, lyrkyrdin Keles?”
A fluttering started in his belly. Was it in a cold rage like this that you sent our father off on his last journey? The use of his formal title emphasized how much he had yet to learn, and reinforced just how angry his grandfather was.
“Despite only being ranked Superior, I have gone everywhere you have sent me. I have
learned everything you deigned to teach me. I have been good and dutiful. My reward for
all this was to be posted to the Stormwolf, and yet you never chose to tell me of the dual clocks? Had you decided I would go before you knew of them, thereby exposing me to the
risk of being lost or of bringing back inaccurate data, or was I just not important enough to
be told of this discovery? I should have been doing the geometry and preparing to use the
device.”
“So you believe I think you are untrustworthy.”
“Is there another conclusion I should draw from this?” Keles took a deep breath. “I don’t
think you trust any of us.”
“Meaning?”
Jorim answered. “Meaning that you are eighty-one years old. Meaning that Ulan is not, by
disposition and training, capable of taking over for you. Neither are his sons or grandsons.
Meaning that our father, who could have taken over for you, is long gone. Meaning that
Keles, who is best suited to taking over for you, is being sent away and not trained
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