The Big Meow

“That studio fire, for one,” Helen said, sounding thoughtful. “The police connection is still a little murky. They didn’t do the kind of follow-up you would usually expect. And the local fire chief doesn’t seem to have been inclined to dig into causes, either. Almost as if somebody or other told him to just accept the studio fire department’s story and walk away…”

The Silent Man looked from Helen to Rhiow. Not that we don’t have our share of crooked cops, he said. The take goes way up the chain: has for years, now. And the fire departments are always squabbling over jurisdiction — famous for it. So I take your point. However – He gave Rhiow a look. Don’t think I don’t know a misdirect when I hear one, Blackie.

Rhiow’s tail started lashing with her exasperation. After a moment, embarrassed, she got it to hold still again – only to find the Silent Man soundlessly laughing at her as he cocked an eye at Helen. And you’re just as bad. Now, don’t start batting those big dark lashes of yours at me, sister! He gave Helen a mock-severe look. But all right… I know better than to push in somewhere I’d be more of a liability than an asset. I’ll sit this one out. How’ll I know what’s going on with you, though?

“We’ll find a way to get you word,” Rhiow said. “In fact, we have a silent partner working up the timestream from us who’d be perfect for the job. Assuming we hear from him before we have to go…”

She threw a glance at the windows. That eternal sunshine was already beginning to slant into afternoon; soon enough it would be early evening, and whether or not Ith had come through, they would have to go. “In the meantime,” Rhiow said, “if you’d like to drive us over within walking distance when it’s time, that’d be useful.”

The Silent Man nodded. “You don’t even like the idea of doing personal transports over that way?” Urruah said.

“No,” Rhiow said. “The less attention of any kind we draw to ourselves, the better I’m going to like it. Anyway, for now let’s get everyone together for a prebrief so that our silent partner will know the order of business. Who knows, he may come across something of use for him to look into…”

Urruah went off to gather everyone together. Shortly the whole team was gathered in the living room except for Hwaith and Aufwi. “Hwaith said he had something personal to attend to: he’ll meet us at Dagenham’s,” Urruah said. “Aufwi had to go deal with something gate-based… he’ll be along shortly.”

“All right,” Rhiow said. “So here’s the situation. As far as we can tell, there aren’t any overshadowed wizards involved in this operation. Judging from what we’ve found so far – especially the charm that secured the room where Arhu found the tablet drawings — Dagenham and his cronies have found and have been employing some fragments of wizardry, probably long phrases in the Speech, that are powerful enough for nonwizards to use as standalone operators.”

“Normally only a wizard can do spells,” Urruah said to the Silent Man. “Wizards in active practice are invested by the Powers that Be with a property called ‘enacture’. Without enacture in place, spells don’t run. But the Speech is the language that built the Universe… and some words and phrases in it are so powerful that even without enacture, they have the ability to change the world.”

Magic words… the Silent Man said. It’s like something out of a fairy tale.

“Lots of fairy tales have truth in them,” Rhiow said. “That’s one reason they last so long. But these fragments of the Speech can be found scattered around the landscape of human history like ancient relics or weapons. Some are worn down by long burial, almost unrecognizable. Some are clear to see for what they are, and can be still be used. We think it likely that Dagenham’s people have been using such fragmentary spells to try to control or command some of the minor dark powers associated with the Lone One: the idea being that the scavenger-powers have more energy to lend to the ehhifs’ intent.”

Leverage, the Silent Man said.

“Exactly. That’s something we can put a permanent stop to, and we’re going in tonight prepared to do that. But something worse is going on as well. My guess is that Dagenham or someone connected with him is preparing to enact another sacrificial murder, the latest in the sequence that this group of people, wittingly or unwittingly, has been facilitating. If they succeed, the Earth will move, and the sky will break, and powers from outside our sheaf of worlds will push in through the crack and try to establish a permanent presence here.”

Sounds bad, the Silent Man said.

His dry understatement was surprisingly calming, considering the way the mere description of the work that awaited them had made Rhiow’s stomach roil. It settled now, a little, though the reaction might be irrational. It’s like something the Great Tom would say, Rhiow thought. And why wouldn’t He speak through an ehhif if it suited him? The whole point is to speak and be heard…