Chainfire: Chainfire Trilogy Part 1

Nathan gestured again to the books stacked all over the four large tables. "While there certainly are copies of a number of books we've seen, and I've showed those to you, most of these books are new to me. For any library to deviate to this degree from the classic masterworks is unprecedented. Each library has its own unique volumes, to be sure, but this place is like another world altogether. Nearly every volume in here is an astonishing discovery."

Ann's caution awakened. She had the uncanny feeling that Nathan had at last arrived at the core of the labyrinth through which his mind traveled. One thing he had just said loomed in the back of her mind.

"Counsel?" She frowned suspiciously. "What sort of counsel?"

"It advises the reader that if their interest is not of a general nature but they instead have cause to seek more extensive and specific knowledge on the subjects therein, then they should consult the pertinent volumes kept with the bones."

Ann's brow drew even tighter. "Kept with the bones?"

"Yes. It referred to these caches as 'central sites. " Nathan leaned close again, like a washwoman with a load of dirty gossip. "The 'central sites' are mentioned in a number of places, but I've so far only been able to find where one of these sites was named: the catacombs beneath the vaults at the Palace of the Prophets."

Ann's jaw fell open. "Catacombs — That's preposterous. There was no such place beneath the Palace of the Prophets."

"None we knew of," Nathan said in a grave tone. "That doesn't mean it didn't exist."

"But, but," Ann stammered, "that's just not possible. It's just not. Such a thing could not have gone unnoticed. In all that time Sisters lived there we would have known."

Nathan shrugged. "In all this time no one knew of this place, here, beneath the bones."

"But no one lived right above here."

"What if the presence of catacombs beneath the palace was not common knowledge? After all, we know little of the wizards of that time, and not a great deal about the specific people involved in the construction of the Palace of the Prophets. It could be that they had reason to conceal such a place, just as this place was concealed."

Nathan arched an eyebrow. "What if part of the purpose of the palace-the training of young wizards-was part of an elaborate ruse to hide the existence of such a secret site?"

Ann could feel her face going red. "Are you suggesting that our calling was meaningless? How dare you even suggest that all our lives have been devoted to nothing more than a deception, and that the lives of those with the gift would not have been spared had we not.»

"I'm not suggesting anything of the kind. I'm not saying the Sisters were being duped or that what they did didn't spare the lives of boys with the gift and help preserve it. I'm only saying that these books suggest that there may have been more to it. What if there was not only the intent to have a place for the Sisters to practice their useful calling, but there was in part a grander purpose behind the place where they practiced that calling? After all, think of the graveyard above us; it has a valid reason to exist, but it also conveniently provides a shroud to hide this place.

"Perhaps such catacombs were deliberately covered over thousands of years ago with the intent of hiding them? If so, then by design we would never be aware of their existence. If it was a secret cache there wouldn't have been any records of it.

"From the impression I got from the references in these books, I have reason to believe that there were at one time books that were considered so disturbing and in some cases containing spells so dangerous that it was decided that they had to be confined to a few hidden 'central sites' as a precaution, so that they didn't end up in circulation, where they would be copied, as is the practice with most prophecy. What better way to restrict access'. ' Since these references speak of 'the books kept with the bones, I suspect that these other 'central sites' may be catacombs like the one said lo be beneath the Palace of the Prophets."

Ann slowly shook her head as she tried to lake it all in, as she tried lo imagine if there was any possibility that it could be true. She looked again at the table with the stacks of books that were mostly about Richard, and which they had never seen before.

Ann gestured. "And these, here?"

"What is there I almost wish I'd not read."

Ann clutched his sleeve. "Why? What did you read?"

His seemed to catch himself. He waved a dismissal, smiled briefly, and changed the subject.

"What I find the most troubling about the blank places in the books is their common thread. While not all of the missing text is in prophecy about Richard, I have determined that they all do have one thing in common."

"And what would that be?"