"I remember that love did not save me from a vile death."
And then StarGrace was gone, and StarLaughter had the time and space she needed. She sat down again, folding the material of her robe carefully to display her form to best advantage, and thought. The Hawkchilds would now work to her purpose, providing her, not only with a degree of protection from Qeteb (damn him for all time!) but also with hundreds of eyes to seek out WolfStar.
StarLaughter frowned slightly, chewing her lip. Who else could help bring her and WolfStar back together again? Ah! DragonStar! WolfStar would doubtless worm his way into DragonStar's camp sooner or later, and StarLaughter would need to gain DragonStar's trust in order to get WolfStar back.
So ... how to enlist DragonStar's trust and aid? StarLaughter thoughtfully cupped one of her breasts in her hand. Her body had tempted DragonStar once and no doubt could again ... no! She needed to keep herself pure for WolfStar. She must use guile rather than seduction.
Ah! StarLaughter giggled. She had the perfect idea! Not only would it appeal to DragonStar's desire to wrest Tencendor back from the Demons, and gain her WolfStar, it might also cause the Demons enough trouble that she and WolfStar would be able to rescue their son as well.
She sighed, happy, contented, and as dreamy as a thirteen-year-old girl in love for the first time.
Chapter 14
Envy
DragonStar sat in a great circular stone hall. It was flagged and walled with cream-coloured stone shot through with gold. Rose and sapphire glass windows rose to dizzying heights, their columns supporting a hammerbeam ceiling of golden wood. DragonStar had wanted somewhere quiet to sit, and Sanctuary had, as was its wont, provided him with this.
As with most things within and of Sanctuary, the peaceful beauty of the hall left DragonStar feeling uncomfortable. This perturbed him, not only because he was disturbed at the appearance of Sanctuary — it reminded him too much of the worlds the Demons had dragged him through — but because of the deep river of disquiet that ran through the peoples sheltering in Sanctuary. Stars! If they were bored and fractious here, then how would they cope with the eternal peacefulness of the Infinite Field of Flowers? Ah! DragonStar forcibly turned his mind away from his worries. No doubt his disquiet was caused by seeing Qeteb not only in Spiredore but at the gates of Sanctuary itself.
And by the unsettling sight of Niah.
"What is it about you, Niah," DragonStar whispered. "What?"
He sighed, and looked down. He sat cross-legged on the floor, the Enchanted Song Book in his lap.
The blue-feathered lizard was curled up at his back, and DragonStar leaned back against him comfortably.
Every so often the lizard snored, and whenever he did, a shaft of light glinted from one of his claws.
DragonStar paid no attention. More than anything else, he wanted to get out and do things, but he knew — as he'd told his
witches — that he needed experience as well as a thorough knowledge of the Enchanted Song Book before he could do anything against the Demons.
He opened the leather cover and slowly thumbed through the pages. The Book contained Songs, music and dance that symbolised the enchantments needed to defeat the Demons. They would mirror the Demons' own malevolences back to them and destroy them.
"And wipe them from the face of this land and of the universe for ever and ever,"
DragonStar whispered.
He thought about what Axis had told him. Caelum had tried one of these dances atop Star Finger, but had been consumed almost entirely by the hatred and malevolence the song contained.
DragonStar's fingers traced over a line of music: he could feel the emotion this particular song contained — envy. He ran his tongue over his top lip, stared at the form and melody of the song, then swiftly converted it to numbers and then symbols in his mind.
He felt sick with apprehension. Should he try it? See what happened ... Could he control the Song more than Caelum?
At his back the lizard stirred and sat up.
"Well, my beauty," DragonStar said. "What do you think I should do?"
The lizard yawned, then flexed one of his foreclaws.
"So," DragonStar said, "we try it."
What other choice did he have?
He rose to his feet and put the Book down. As the lizard had just done, DragonStar flexed a hand, then rose and traced the symbol in the air before him.
The lizard traced it with light.
And Envy filled the Hall.
A wizened old man stood before DragonStar and the lizard. He was twisted and humpbacked, his limbs stumpy, his hands contorted with arthritis.
He was naked, and his skin was sallow and slick with the sheen of sweat.
Lumps and moles covered his face; his eyes were like narrow slits that saw everything, noting them all down to be examined in the privacy of disenchanted silence.
He smiled, revealing crooked, yellowing teeth, and horrid thoughts consumed DragonStar's mind.
Caelum had enjoyed it all. He'd had forty years of love, forty years of respect, forty years oflording it over the peoples of Tencendor. So he'd died horribly — so what? Now he dwelt in the field of flowers, no doubt enjoying the adulation of everyone else who lived there.
And what was Drago, poor Drago to do. Why! destroy the Demons of course, whileCaelum continued to enjoy himself. He'd had only a few minutes of pain, while Drago hadforty years behind him, and more ahead.
DragonStar felt such consuming envy ripple through him that he literally growled. He felt his own back hunch over, and his hands twist into claws. Caelum was nothing but a spoilt bastard who'd had everything handed to him on a golden platter, while he, he, had to do all the hard work.
The misshapen figure of Envy capered about before him, clapping its hands, and howling with merriment. "Why don't you visit the Field of Flowers and destroy him forever," he whispered. "You can do it, you know. You have the power."
The lizard growled, and backed away a few paces.
