Page 104 of Cast in Atonement

“But you heard something from him, found something connected to him.”

This time, Serralyn’s gaze went to Teela.

Teela shook her head and picked up the thread. “We didn’t. Sedarias did, and she has Mandoran investigating; he’s the only one who’s almost as flexible as Terrano, and he’s not nearly as reckless.”

Kaylin thought Mandoran now repented his choice to remain behind. “Are any of you?”

Teela paused to consider. “As it is not relevant, I feel it wiser to keep my opinion to myself.”

“She’s worried.”

“She is far more worried now, yes. Before you ask, we do not have any connection to Evanton; his whereabouts remain unknown. But it is reasonable to believe that any avenue to reach him—or Terrano—will be, or must be, found within Azoria’s former abode.” She lifted her chin and turned toward Androsse.

The chancellor said, “I have spoken at length with Killianas; it was a difficult conversation for him, and no further information will be forthcoming from that quarter. Larrantin?”

“I would prefer you begin,” the scholar replied.

“Arbiters?”

“My preference would be not to speak at all,” Androsse said. “Given the gravity of the situation, the three of us have conferred, and I have worked against my personal preferences for privacy.”

Kavallac cleared her throat.

“But given our seniority,” Androsse continued, “and given the restrictions on Killianas, we will start.” Clearly this was akin to the royal we. “Azoria came to the library in her first year as a student in the Academia. Many of the students will seek out the library in later years, when their interest and academic focus have taken full shape. Azoria claimed that it was the knowledge that drew her; she had not yet decided on where to direct her focus.

“Indeed, she did not seem to have a single interest; she was interested in many things, and she researched them all with a depth seldom found in the student body.

“Serralyn previously found a book denoting ancient Barrani customs in the West March. We felt the book might be of interest given the subject of research; it was one of the tomes to which Azoria referred, and one that caused her research to grow in breadth as well as depth.

“She was interested in the botany of the West March, which included the more specific and less predictable botany of the green; she was—as are most Barrani who have yet to enter the green to bear witness to the regalia—very interested in the regalia as well. There was very little practical information about the ceremony, and the experiment with our young had not yet taken place.” As Androsse spoke, books appeared on the table behind the Arbiters—a table Kaylin would have sworn wasn’t there until the books dropped.

Teela responded to Androsse’s opening comment. “The High Court believes that her interest in the green was more than academic; it is possible that her study of extant information about the regalia centered more on the power the green might bestow than the ceremony itself. We know, from conversations with her former slaves, that she was very interested in the rumored sword the green protected. Very little is known about that weapon, but it is offered to those who might have the capacity to wield it, should they pass the green’s test.

“And that test is never passed,” Androsse said.

No one corrected him.

“The Barrani do not share secrets when it involves power. There were historical wielders of the weapon; we have confirmation that the green offered a test; confirmation of the signs that indicated that the green considered somebody worthy of taking that test, and confirmation that those considered worthy failed to pass it.” Teela also offered no acknowledgment that the green had selected someone it considered worthy of the blade. Or blades.

“It will not come as a surprise that Azoria was interested in those weapons; everyone was interested in those weapons to a greater or lesser degree. But it is our suspicion now that she had no interest in wielding them. I assumed that her interest in the botany had much to do with her interest in the weapons—and this is such a common interest, it was almost disappointing. She searched more broadly than most; she was stubborn. She did not believe anything was out of her reach if she put in the effort.”

The hint of approval in the words did not please Kavallac. “Apparently you were correct. We can only be grateful that her reach exceeded her grasp.”

“And if no one was intellectually ambitious, the Academia would have no reason to exist. Nor would the library,” Androsse snapped, more heat in the words.

“We have plenty of intellectually curious and ambitious students—we always did. Serralyn is an outstanding example.”

Kaylin winced on Serralyn’s behalf; the Barrani woman’s cheeks reddened the moment the Arbiter’s words sank in. Her eyes were now a mix of blue and gold. What was gold again? Oh, right. Surprise. Gold was replaced by green, but the blue never left her eyes; worry about Terrano—and possibly Evanton—anchored that blue.

“While I agree with your assessment,” the chancellor said, “Serralyn is only relevant to this discussion if we can reach an agreement about Azoria’s intent and the knowledge that might have allowed her to act on it.”

Androsse frowned. “I spoke more with her than the other Arbiters did, but I was not privy to those intents—whatever they may have been. She asked questions. She studied many things. I have mentioned the botany of the green, which I did not consider significant except in one way: I thought she might untangle that mystery, where other students spent more of their focus daydreaming about it.

“She expressed a strong curiosity about sentient buildings, and of course, as all Barrani of her age, the Ancients about which so little is known. It is not that research was not done—but that research had to be subtle or from secondary sources. None of the students—and I dare say almost none of the professors—had any interaction with the Ancients. Those that did encounter them had very little of use to say that expanded on our knowledge. We know the Ancients spoke in True Words. The Ancients created life, and also transformed it when the life created did not suit them. The reason for the lack of suitability was never made clear, possibly because it was not understood.

“Again, these studies were endemic among the students—Barrani, Dragons, even the mortals. There was nothing about the study itself that seemed dangerous or out of the ordinary; Azoria was, once again, more focused.

“Even her interest in True Names, and in the powers inherent in them, was not unknown. I cautioned her about this; too many of her kin attempted to remove themselves from their own True Names, considering their existence a very unfortunate vulnerability.

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