“Yes, I’m his sister-his baby sister,” Vivienne said.
“And you complain about me holding things back. I thought that Gad would have been older-as old as Ealdstan. Mortal enemies throughout time. Something like that.”
“No, he is a Simpson. His name is Alexander Douglas Simpson-Alex was named for him. He is twelve years older than I am-and five years older than James.”
“No. No, I definitely remember Ealdstan telling us about Gad.” She pointed a finger at Modwyn. “You lot had never heard of him, but Ealdstan said he is the oldest. The most dangerous of my foes.”
“I remember,” Modwyn said. “Ealdstan had his own reasons for saying that. He must have.”
“Which is another good question-where exactly is Ealdstan?”
“He left-before the invasion.”
“Do you have any idea where he went?”
Modwyn shook her head sadly.
“Really? Vivienne?”
“I had hoped that we might find some clue in his journals, but you know as well as I what we found there.”
“Why don’t I completely trust either one of you on that point?” Freya asked. “But getting back to Gad. .” She shook her head, bewildered. “How? Why?”
“He grew up being taught the knowledge, as we all did, though it was clear he was the most passionate of our three siblings. He began to make excursions on his own, staying longer and longer each time-days at first, and then weeks. He went to university at St. Andrew’s in Edinburgh. He went down to read Medicine but began pursuing his own studies, digging deep into ancient texts, lore, and legends. He went on many excursions, both aboveground and below. At that stage, it was hard for us to keep track of him, being as independent as he was, but I suspect he also began to travel to the mythic Otherworld, or Elfland, of the fairy tales.
“He did not finish his studies. His final year was incomplete. He simply left his rooms one night of his first term and was not seen again for twenty years. We were worried, obviously, but he left no trace or clue as to where he went. Apart from alerting the authorities to his absence, there was naught we could do.
“The next we saw of him, he appeared much older than twenty years could account for-he had white hair and a much slighter frame-and yet he also seemed more vital. His eyes twinkled, his hands were fast and nimble. In this he gave the impression that Ealdstan himself gives, albeit to a lesser extent-a less intimidating extent.
“It was myself who bumped into him in the streets of Edinburgh. There is much of the city there that is still buried, besides the Arthur’s Seat tunnels, and it is my belief that he was living in one of these rabbit warrens-possibly near Candlemaker Row, beneath West Bow. That is a place with many dark secrets. I caught him by surprise and persuaded him, against his will, to take tea with me.”
“What did he say-where had he been?”
“He obviously was loath to share his history with me, and yet wished to appear as though he were being completely open. He is clever, and therefore did not give much away, but he had travelled into another world, he told me, in which time passed quicker than in this. He had learned secrets forgotten to these lands, as well as magics of his own.”
“Why was he doing that?” Freya asked. “What-what was he after?”
“That I did not find out. He claimed it was all his private interest.”
“But. .?”
“But for that I know him. Growing up, he would do nothing without purpose. He loved games, games of all sorts, and nothing was so important to him as to win his games. I say ‘his games,’ since he would make up rules to games he felt were too simple. We-James and I-would not play with him if we could help it, since he was a notorious cheat. Nothing, not even his own rules, would prevent him from winning.” She rubbed her forehead as if it pained her. “I paint him with a dark brush, but I love my brother-I do. But I certainly do not trust him.”
“What about the yfelgopes? Where did he pick those up from?”
“I know little of them. Somehow, in a way unknown to me, he has willed them over to his cause. He has great appeal to those with unforgiving minds that are full of checks and balances. Jealous minds in which mercy and grace do not fit-worldly minds of perfect justice.”
“Perfect justice doesn’t sound so bad.”
“It is the worst sin of this world-it does not allow for forgiveness.”
“Coming back to the Carnyx-what are we going to do about that? Are we still going to go after it?”
“You would need me to find that,” Modwyn said. “And I would not willingly contribute to the destruction of Ni?ergeard.”
“Modwyn, Ni?ergeard was destroyed as soon as Ealdstan left. He had eight years to come back and rescue you-rescue you all. But he didn’t come back-we did. We’re what you’ve got. Where’s the Carnyx?”
“Godmund took it. He is with it now. He will protect it with every muscle in his body until the moment of need.”
“Modwyn, my queen,” Vivienne said, “that moment is soon here. Ecgbryt and my nephew Alex are even now awakening an army of the greatest warriors this island has ever known. They are bringing them here directly, and we shall deliver this city from its invaders, track down my brother, and deliver him to justice-in whatever form that takes.”
Modwyn sat silently. Frithfroth, at the door, made no sound.
“Trust us. What other choice do you have?” Freya asked. “Because right now, now that your spirit is back in your body, I think that anyone at all could walk into this tower without any trouble.”
“It has been years since anyone attempted-”
“Maybe so, but Daniel just walked out there and he hasn’t come back. As terrible as it is to think it, he may have been captured. If so, people will be wondering where he came from.”
Modwyn looked down to the knife in Freya’s hand.
“I suppose you could try stabbing yourself again, if I let you have this-or I could do it for you. It might be a little more permanent if I do, though, me being mortal-a lifiende.”
“Leave me to consider,” Modwyn said after a moment’s thought. “I would contemplate alone for a while.”
Vivienne pulled Freya to the side and whispered to her in a low, urgent voice, “We need to find the Carnyx; that is the utmost priority of our mission. Nothing else matters as much as that. If she were somehow to escape, or do away with herself completely, we could never find it.”
Freya nodded and turned back to address Modwyn. “Personally, I don’t trust you enough to let you out of my sight. You can think about it, but we’re going to stay in this room with you while you do. Take your time, we’ll be quiet.”
Settling themselves on opposite sides of the room to Modwyn, the women steeled themselves for a long vigil as Modwyn settled back into her bed. Freya turned her back on the wall of lamps and folded her arms, placing her head against the wall beneath a shuttered window. Her mind was now weighing and evaluating the information she’d received. Things were getting started-they were getting closer to the Carnyx, Alex and Ecgbryt should be well on their way to gathering the rest of the knights, and Daniel? What had happened to him? When things happened, she got the feeling that they would happen quickly. She had the feeling that she would need as much rest as she could grab.