Stone of Tears

Pasha rose. “Well, I guess we better get to Richard’s lesson. It’s getting late.”

“Thank you both for coming. I rarely have visitors.”

Pasha leading, the three of them went toward the door.

As she passed through the doorway, Richard slapped his hand to the metal plate on the wall.

The door grated closed. Pasha beat her fists to the stone, as the slit had become too small for her to come back through. She shouted for them to open the door. As the stone sealed closed, her words were cut off, leaving Richard and Warren in silence.

Warren stared at the metal plate. “How did you do that? You are just a beginning wizard. You should not be able to effect a shield with your Han for a very long time yet.”

Richard didn’t have an answer for the question, and so he ignored it. Tell me what you meant about knowing what the Sisters would do to you if they caught you telling that kind of lie.”

Warren’s hand went to his collar. “Well, they would hurt me.”

“You mean they would use the collar’s magic to give you pain?”

Warren nodded as he took a knot of his robes in his fists.

“Do they do that often? Give us pain with the collar?”

Warren twisted the knot of robe. “No, not often. But to be a wizard, you must pass a test of pain. They come from time to time and give you pain with the Rada’Han, to see if you have learned enough to pass the test of pain.”

“And how do you pass the test?”

“Well, I can only imagine that when you can endure the pain without begging them to stop, you pass. They never tell me what must be done to pass.” His face had gone ashen. “I’ve never been able to keep from begging them to stop. Once you learn to endure what they give, they give more.”

“I thought it might be something like that. Thanks for telling me.” Richard stroked his beard. “Warren, I need your help.”

Warren lifted the sleeve of his robes and wiped it at his wet eyes. “What help can I give?”

“You said there are prophecies about me. I want you to study everything about me you can find. And about the Towers of Perdition, the Valley of the Lost. I also need to know everything I can about the veil.” Richard pointed at the book on the table. There was a drawing a few pages before you stopped on the prophecy. It was a teardrop shape. Do you know what it is?”

Warren went to the book and turned the pages back. This?”

“Yes. That’s it.” He remembered seeing it around Rachel’s neck, in his vision of her and Chase in the Valley of the Lost. An image of Zedd came into Richard’s mind. His heart thumped faster. That looks like the thing I saw. What is it?”

Warren gave him a puzzled look. The Stone of Tears. What do you mean you saw it?”

“What is the Stone of Tears?”

“Well, I’m not sure. I’d have to study about it, but I think it might have something to do with the veil, if drauka could be interpreted to have something to do with the underworld. What do you mean you saw it?”

Richard ignored the question for a second time. “Warren, I also need to know about the Stone of Tears, and everything you can find about the people who used to live in the Valley of the Lost. The Baka Ban Mana. Their name means “those without masters.” And about one they call the Caharin.”

Warren stared dumbly at him. This is all a lot of work.”

“Will you help me, Warren?”

Warren looked down, picking at his robes. “On a condition. I never get out of this place. Not that I don’t like working with the prophecies, you understand, but people think that I have no interest in anything else. I’d like to see the country around the palace—the woods, the hills.”

He twisted his fingers together. “I’m afraid of big places. The sky is so big. That’s the other reason I stay down here, because it feels safe to me. But I’m sick of living like a mole. I would like to try going outside and seeing it. Would you, well, show me the countryside? You look to me like someone familiar with the out-of-doors. I think I would feel safe if you went with me.”

Richard smiled warmly. “You’ve come to the right person, Warren. I was a woods guide, before all this started. I don’t know all the country around the palace yet, but I surely intend to. I’d really enjoy guiding you around. It would be just like old times.”

Warren’s expression brightened. “Thank you, Richard. I look forward to seeing open places. I need some adventure in my life. I’ll start right away on the things you want, but the Sisters give me work, so I must search when I can find the time. And I’m afraid that I must be honest; it will take a long time. There are thousands of volumes here. It will take months, just to get a good start.”

“Warren, this may be the most important thing you ever studied. You may be able to save time if you start by reading everything the Prelate has been reading.”

A sly smile came to Warren’s lips. “I thought you said you weren’t good with riddles. That is what I was thinking.” His smile turned to a concerned frown. “Why do you want to know these things?”