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look, and Lauria gave her a shrug. I
still haven t thought of a way to free that one. But the Weavers won t know
that.
We kidnapped Kyros to persuade the Weavers that the army had turned against
them, I said. Is there some way to send the other half of the message to the
army? Let them know that the Weavers are turning on them, and persuade them to
break off their own attack and turn on the Weavers?
Yes, Lauria said, and her eyes were suddenly fierce and intent again. We
can send them the old river-chain.
And a note.
We found paper and ink among the goods from the palanquin. Lauria spread out a
piece of paper, dipped the pen, thought for a moment, then wrote. She gave her
note to Zivar to read. What do you think?
Zivar read it aloud. The Weavers have turned on us prematurely, but never
fear; plans have changed. Their power will shortly be at an end. Move south
and ready yourselves. The bandits and the steppe are no longer a concern. Why
should they believe this?
Other than the fact that it s accompanied by the broken river chain? Lauria
looked Kyros over. It would help if it were clearly from Kyros, wouldn t it?
Kyros, take off your ring. She pointed at a ring on his finger a ruby nearly
the size of my thumbnail, set in gold. We ll send this along.
Kyros had been rubbing his eyes, still foggy from the drug. Now he
straightened up slightly. Let me sign the note, he said.
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Lauria narrowed her eyes. Why?
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Because you re right that the Weavers will likely turn on the army now. I d
like them warned.
Lauria thought that over, then handed him the pen. He dipped it in the ink and
carefully signed his name. Lauria blew on the ink gently to dry it, studied
the note, then shrugged and tucked the note, the ring, and the broken chain
into a silk-lined compartment built into the palanquin.
Zivar murmured to one of her djinn, and the palanquin rose and flew away.
Kyros watched it go, then said, I m thirsty. May I have something to drink?
Alibek sent his djinn to fetch water for us, and we had it fill our jug to
pass around. We let Kyros drink his fill and eat some of the food. There
wasn t much point in taking him with us if we were going to let him fall dead
from thirst on the walk. We gathered up the useful things from the palanquin,
bundling them together in knotted blankets and ripped-open silk pillows. I
loaded Kyros down with a share of the heavier stuff, then bound his hands. If
you try to run, I said, or if you try to hurt us, I will think up a very
painful and unpleasant way to kill you.
I believe you, Kyros said, and gave me a grim smile. I won t try to run. Or
try to hurt you.
He wouldn t run or try to hurt us today, anyway, I thought. Tomorrow might be
different.
Why did the Sisterhood of Weavers bind the southern great river? I asked
Zivar. Do you know? Is it covering anything?
I don t believe so, Zivar said. There s no reservoir, as there is with the
northern river. They just diverted it, through a tunnel under the mountains.
Perhaps they just wanted water in Persia.
Alibek, Lauria said, I think you should let me carry the black
spell-chain.
Why?
Because if anyone comes after us, we can use the black chain to kill with. If
you gave the order, the djinn might kill you. I think I could avoid being
killed. If not, well, I ll take my chances.
Alibek pulled the chain over his head and gave it to her. Who s the sorceress
who made it?
Kyros, Lauria said.
There was a shocked pause. I glanced at Kyros. He did not deny it. So Zivar
was right.
Better start walking, Zivar said, and we set out.
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CHAPTER TWENTY
L
AURIA
W
hen I closed my eyes for a moment to rest them from the glare of the sun, I
could see the river. First, the vast black pitcher, shimmering under the moon;
then the pitcher splitting open and water spraying out like white foam. A
tall, rangy pine tree was caught by the spray and ripped out by the roots as
the water boiled down the mountainside, and the torrential rush swept away
everything in its path. Trees, houses, boulders, animals trying to swim,
mountainsides washed away, mud& When I closed my eyes and meditated for a
moment I saw it all, and then a single bright red flower bobbing to the top of
the foam.
The river unbound.
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Even in my grief for my mother, and despite the horror of knowing what kind of
destruction
I d brought, I felt a dizzying sense of triumph. We had done it we had freed
the river. Whether the Sisterhood turned against the army or not, I thought
the renewed river would likely prove to be a serious distraction. The ordinary
Greek soldiers would be as shocked as the Danibeki slaves.
But we d exposed the gate. What if we couldn t destroy it? That gate had been
open for a long time before the
Penelopeians ever came along, but before Penelope figured out how to bind
djinni with spell-chains, that gate was used only by shamans, and I thought it
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