"Why didn't you answer?"

{Why didn't you return sooner?) "I haven't returned now."

And he hadn't. For all his senses told him he was below Rhomatum, Mikhyel's mind knew he was still with Dey- morin. He had put himself here, this time. He and Nikki and Deymorin, and he didn't want to be here physically.

And he sensed that that determination, coupled with the fierce anger that brought him here in the first place kept the Rhomatum creature from pulling him there physically.

{Not completely. Your brother won't let you go. By yourself. . . no you aren't strong enough.) "No?"

The smile widened.

{Any time you care to try, child. Any time.) "Not now," he said aloud, through the body that wasn't real. "You've a battle taking place overhead, you realize that."

"Yes-s-s. Rather amusing, isn't it? Children, trying to break free." The creature . . . yawned. And stretched. As if those creature comforts truly affected it.

"But they do, child. Now, about my children . . ."

"Your children are dying. Would you have that? Would you lose them altogether?"

"Children do that. They grow. They strive for indepen- dence. They're gone."

"We're not talking independence. We're talking gone forever. Would you have them destroyed?"

"If they destroy themselves, they have grown unwise, and I am well rid of them."

"They are not unwise. It's the humans controlling them who are stupid."

"Oh, well, that's different then, isn't it?"

The creature reached out and cupped his chin. "Do you want this, bud of Darius?"

"Yes!"

{Then best you leave now. Farewell, child.} ~ 8 9.

Mikhyel raced up through him and back to Deymorin.

On his heels, power, such as Nikki couldn't begin to com- prehend, surged through the rings. And iridescent lightning arced through the night sky toward Khoratum.

Somewhere between, it exploded in midair, a multi- colored fireball.

And Mikhyel and Deymorin disappeared.

{Deymio!} he shouted into the silence, and {Mikhyel!) And as the fireball faded and another surge of power rumbled the Tower itself {Here, Nik. Had to make sure of our heads. That was right} Another arc. A second fireball. And he wasn't certain whose eyes he was seeing with.

{above us. Everyone there all right?} {So far, but} This time, with the lightning came an audible roar of pure anger, the explosion, though miles away, shattered one of the priceless windows of the Towerblowing it outward.

And still the Khoratum Ring would not move. Nikki felt the creature's efforts flowing through him to Mirym, trying to force it to move, yet, it would not.

Mirym dropped to her knees, searching the floor blindly, then scrambled to her feet and thrust her hand among the spinning rings. A lightning-fast jab.

The Khoratum Ring shattered. And fell. Dust, nothing more.

Mirym collapsed.

And the lightning ended.

~ 8 ~.

When Mikhyel's head cleared they were no longer alone.

And what had been a perfectly black cave, out of light- ning's reach, glowed with a faint purple light emanating from the figure sitting cross-legged across from them.

"That," the Rhomatum creature said, tapping his fang with a long claw, "was no human, bud of Darius."

{Nikki!} Mikhyel called, and received dazed awareness in return.

"Oh, he's all right. You've disturbed my rest, child. Now, are you going to explain why?"

Deymorin stirred, pushed himself upright, clutching his head.

"You should be commanding the rings, you know," the creature said to Deymorin, who biinked, closed his eyes and tried again.

"Oh, you're sane enough. And, no, I don't mean at all to be ruled by such as you. * am not, I assure you, your silly rings." The creature stretched, and grinned. "A body feels . . . good again. Different . . . or perhaps memory faded. Now, who in the name of the essence that budded me was I just arguing with?"

{Who do you think?) The address was not a name, just an image of something drinking disgusting fluids that no self-respecting entity would touch.

"Naturally," the creature moaned aloud, then: {Get in here, you ill-mannered brat!} Mother arrived in a magnificent cloud of leythium lace . . . that settled over the Rhomatum creature like a shroud. A single claw caught and dragged the delicate lace down, one deliberate stroke at a time.

"Sorry," Mother said, when his fanged jaws appeared, and she settled herself comfortably on folds that stiffened beneath her like a chair. Or a throne.

fLazy.} Rhomatum's mind muttered.

*Smart.} Mother responded, f You're just jealous because you didn't think of it first, and now I've got the height advantage.) "What is it you want, brat? I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry. Freedom."

"Out of the question. You're not old enough."

"Age has nothing to do with it! Who just fought you to a standstill, you old fart?"

"Such language your humans have taught you."

"And such insipid prudery have yours instilled in you.

Conservatism does not become you, Father."

"Father." He propped his jowl again in his hand. "I sup- pose I am. How curious, putting such things into human concept. You're still an ill-mannered brat."

"But I'm strong. I'm clever. And I'm bored. I want no more to do with my dull, ridiculous sisters. They do nothing except drain my essence when I most want it, and all so they can grow their buds. Well, I'm not interested in their damned buds."

"So you set out to destroy them."

"Not at all. The humans did that. I just want free of them."

"And me."

"Can't have one without the other."

"All a matter of perception, bud. You're not as clever as you think. I believe I'll refuse."

"I'll fight again."

"Ah, but will you win?"

"My rings are free."

"You cheated."

"I placed allies in your Tower."

"As I said, you cheated."

"I told you I was clever."

"The human girl is good."

"Of course."

"And clever."

"Like her Mother."

"And Rakshi helped you."

"Rakshi always favors Mother."

Rhomatum frowned and tapped his fang again.

"So, you want your freedom. The normal method didn't work. You've still got to form a bud between us. I don't care to go to the effort required to make one. So, clever, cheating brat, what do you intend?"

"I'm so glad you asked." Mother smiled: fNikki, darling, come to your Mother.} {Will you stop at nothing?} "I want free!" {Come, Nikki.) "Mother, dammit, no"' Mikhyel, sprang up and grabbed her shoulders. She snarled and swiped, a swing strong enough to crush him, with claws sharp enough to gut him.

If the blow had landed. Instead, she held him with that bone-fingered grip.

{Khyel, you're mad.} That was Deymorin, which only confirmed his own suspicions.

{Cast-iron balls, though,} Rhomatum answered, which made a madman wonder why a leythium creature would use such an expression.

And Mikhyel began to laugh.

"Well, daughter?" Rhomatum interrupted. "Will you kill him? Or explain?"

Mother released Mikhyel and petted him and said she was sorry, which of course she was.

"Mother," he said. "Why? What do you need with Nikki?"

But Mother was distracted, now, with making certain she hadn't hurt him.

{Well, daughter?) Rhomatum's internal roar sent Mikhyel to his knees; Mother hissed at Rhomatum and patted Mikhyel and brushed his hair back, taking the pounding in his head with it.

"Still don't see it, do you? You saw what happened when Anheliaa went after Maurii's silly toy. These three will pro- vide a focus for us. A seed. A bud. Have us a baby, we will."

"Will that satisfy you?"

Mother shrugged, sending her veils fluttering. {For now.) Another fang-tapping consideration.

{Tell me, are your rings still spinning?) {Not at the moment.) {How pleasant for you. Go, then, child. But do be care- ful. They are a delicate species.) Mother spun about in a swirl of lace.

"Don't worry, my wonderful, my darling papa. I won't let anything happen to them. They are my special children."

[Whatever} The two strangely elegant creatures evanesced and then vanished altogether. And from the light-blinded darkness in their wake: "Deymorin? Khyel? Brothers, are you there?"

~ ~ 9.

It began with streams of pure color arcing from Rhoma- tum and Khoratum, to meet and shatter above their camp, and rain in tiny droplets to the ground. Those who sought to catch them discovered hands full of nothingness, but if Mikhyel shut his eyes and turned his face to the sky, they became pinpoint pricks of total sensationsight, taste, smell as well as touch . . . even his ears rang with sweet, delicate music.

It continued with great fireballs, exploding above them, filling the air with indefinable energy. And it ended with veils of glittering color that appeared destined to proceed well into the night, if not for days to come, as a new node was born.

Mauritum had made their play. They'd pulled the North- ern Crescent into their game. They'd wanted proof of who was in charge in Rhomatum; they'd gotten a display of power to put Boreton to shame.

He hoped it satisfied them all for a while.

Whatever value he and his brothers served the leythium creatures, they had little to actually do. They watched the display in silence for a time. Then Deymorin asked Nikki about Kiyrstin, who was fine, and Mirym, who was also fine, but would, he was certain, be under arrest by the time they returned.

Mikhyel wanted to object to that, but it was only pru- dent. Kiyrstin wouldn't let Lidye do anything stupid. And Mirym . . . * did what I had to . . . for the safety of my node. My source...

It had all been there, if only he'd had eyes to see.

So much had been there, for anyone to see.

Exhausted, Mikhyel sought a bedroll apart from every- one, even his brothers, and stretched out under the light of the budding node, strangely unafraid, though he'd never slept under the open sky before.

Nikki and Deymorin, thankfully, sensed his mood and left him to his thoughtsafter he promised to explain everything in the morning.

Morning. It was morning now. Well after midnight.

His twenty-seventh birthday. Or perhaps it wasn't. .Could it be tomorrow, if he hadn't yet been to bed?