Exodus of the Xandim (GOLLANCZ S.F.) by Maggie Furey Read Free Book Online Page A

making her feel so sad and restless. But if he was a friend, and therefore safe, maybe she
didn’t have to lose him after all. By now it was common knowledge that Queen Pandion would be selecting a representative from the Skyfolk to return with Yinze to Tyrineld and learn the
Wizards’ Earth magic. If only Kea could get herself chosen, then she wouldn’t have to be parted from him after all.
    She had a great deal going in her favour, for she had already been helping Yinze to form a bridge between the powers of Earth and Air. Surely that must put her ahead of any other candidate? So
confident had she been, that Crombec’s question had taken her completely by surprise. She only hoped her reply would sound sincere enough to convince him.
    ‘Well, it’s just that – you’ve been working so closely together these last months,’ Crombec floundered. ‘That is, you’re such good friends, I’d
begun to wonder . . .’
    Kea looked at him reprovingly. ‘Master Crombec, you’ve taught me everything I know. You of all people must surely realise that my work is my all-consuming passion right now. In the
future, when we both feel I’ve attained sufficient mastery of my skills, there will be time enough to start looking around for a suitable young man. In the meantime – well, I’m
just too busy for such nonsense.’
    ‘Oh. Good. Er . . . good.’ For once, the harp maker seemed at a loss for a reply. Kea slanted a glance at him out of the corner of her eye. Had she convinced him? As his shoulders
relaxed and he turned away, whistling, to his work, she realised that she had, and her heart beat a little faster with excitement. The scheme that she had been hugging to her heart for some time
was safe for a little while longer.
    While Kea drifted off to sleep that night, confident that her plan was still safe and secret, she had no idea that the very same proposition was being discussed at the palace, between Crombec,
Ardea, Queen Pandion and the Royal Council of advisers. Though she had dared to hope, however, it still came as a shock when, first thing in the morning, and barely out of bed, she found herself
summoned before the Queen. All at once, it appeared that her dream stood a chance of becoming reality.
    Kea’s hands were shaking as she dressed, and she barely noticed the brilliant sunshine sparkling on the white buildings of Aerillia as she flew across to the palace. Pandion was waiting
for her, not in the imposing hall of Audience but outside in the sunshine, on a wide balcony that overlooked the city, and Crombec and Ardea sat beside her, at a table on which were set a steaming
pot of liafa and a platter of sweet cakes.
    Kea made her obeisance, and the Queen nodded graciously. ‘Come and sit down, child,’ she said. ‘Break your fast with us.’
    To be in the presence of the Queen was awe-inspiring. To be sitting here, in the palace, drinking liafa with her, was just unbelievable. Kea, for once lost for words, sat down and took the cup
in unsteady hands, hoping desperately that she wouldn’t slop the hot, dark liquid all over the place and disgrace herself. Ardea and Crombec, sitting one on either side of her, came to the
rescue. Yinze’s mentor tipped a generous spoonful of honey into Kea’s liafa. ‘Take a drink and steady yourself,’ she said. Crombec put one of the little cakes on her plate.
‘Eat,’ he said out loud, his eyes twinkling kindly. ‘If your usual habits are anything to go by, I’ll wager you had no breakfast.’
    ‘The girl is here for more than breakfast,’ Pandion said briskly, making Kea drop the cake back to her plate, untasted. ‘I don’t have all day to dawdle over this
business. Kea’ – she turned to the winged girl – ‘as you may have heard, I am sending one of our students back to Tyrineld with Yinze, when he goes home. The chosen person
will study the Wizards’ Earth magic, as Cyran’s delegate has done with our magic during his time here. After