The Adversary - 4 by Julian May Read Free Book Online

lurid shadows, a partially buried warrior woman sent out a telepathic plea for aid.
    Soon Sister, the ex-Battlemaster reassured her. And his mindvoice lifted to encourage others: Soon help will come.
    Elizabeth searched.
    Had Felice really been killed? Had she flashed into extinction at the climax of the gigantomachy, taking Culluket with her?
    Reconstitute the memory; dissect and analyse it. Resolve the paradoxes by focusing on the critical moment of the girl's rematerialization after the split-second leap to North America, her dimensional translation. Aiken Drum, in the extreme of desperation, had called up the full force of his metaconcert. In replay, Elizabeth saw the slow crawl of psychoenergy vouchsafed to the King by the thousands of linked minds-and the diabolical augmentation by Marc just as the mental blast was about to pass through the helpless conduit of Felice's Beloved.
    Yes! Inexperienced though she was in the ways of offensive metafunction, Elizabeth saw how the Angel of the Abyss had planned this from the very beginning: the elimination of two great minds that threatened his schemes, and the coincidental death of the third, beneath contempt.
    But Culluket, the unwilling mental fuse, was the key.
    In memory Elizabeth saw Felice still poised within the synchronicity of the translation threshold, not yet fully emerged from her time-violating d-jump, seeing the mortal danger to her Beloved. Knowing instinctively how to thwart it and what the price would be.
    The girl had inserted herself into the metaconcert structure, invading the hapless conductor before his mind could disrupt.
    She had taken into herself the soul-bursting volume of energy, freely absorbing the entire quotient of destruction and thereby being transformed into an incandescent new Duality.
    The King, hanging senseless in the flashover, was cut free-his body momentarily dead, his mind wrecked: Both were susceptible of healing. Not so the body of Culluket the Interrogator Beloved, which was gone beyond saving along with the mortal form of Felice. Only their fused minds remained, bound together in a tiny speck of matter transmuted from the psychic energies by an indomitable will.
    Deep under thousands of tons of steaming rock at a shallow ford in the Rio Genii, a tiny thing like a ruby cylinder burned whitely at the core ...
    "I've found Felice." Elizabeth opened her eyes, transmitted the image to Minanonn. "And Cull, too."
    Elizabeth! They live?
    You might call it that. Or suspension. Or limbo.
    Such a state beyond understanding.
    Not myunderstanding! I have been. [Fiery cocoon image.] Tana-! You humans. But Cull ...
    ... is there of his freechoice. Lifeclinging.
    Suffering withoutend!
    Alive nonetheless in pseudoUnity.
    Lovetravesty! Abomination!
    Minanonn they are damned soulmates I tried to save her yes how I tried and thought I had foolishpride but she will be her own Centre and centripetency and refusing grace determined to burn as are Cull & Marc & O God sometimes I think even I ...
    Elizabeth your thoughts are riddles.
    I know. Ignore them.
    How can you compare yourself to others? I am simpleman warrior enlightened unto peace but still child before you & MarcAbaddon. If youtwo share sin it is one beyond myken. But Cull! He was Thagdalson mybrother. I knew his temptation.
    Unlike poor Aluteyn & somany others he knew truth but mocked it aloof alone outside intheend bored to death afraid of death personifying death.
    Now doomed to crave it. Enclosing her fire.
    I mourn my poor brother.
    As I mourn Felice.
    We can only pray and sing the Song for them.
    Something else I must do with your help. [Image.] Goddess! Surely no chance resuscitation?!
    We dare not risk it.
    ... So this why you bring roomwithoutdoors!
    Room programmed to my aura alone by Brede before her death. Once activated it admits me and no other. Not Aiken not even Marc. Understand! None must meddle with this terrible Duality hoping to revive and use it! I must make for it a dark