Flux

they’d be close friends. Mother was more reserved, but she watched, and she never missed anything. And when we were children, if one of us was hurt or upset, she always knew, and she’d stroke our heads—see? just as I’m stroking yours—until we were calm again. My father had a quick temper, but I don’t remember her ever once raising her voice and I’m quite certain she never struck us.”
    A fly landed on Ennek’s slack face and Miner shuddered and shooed it away.
    “When I told my parents that Eudoxia and I were going to marry, Celsa drew me aside and held my hands and asked me whether this marriage would truly make me happy. I think she knew…. I loved Eudoxia, I sincerely did, but not…not like I love you. She was almost like a sister. But I wanted a family of my own and somebody…somebody to hold at night. To hold me. It wasn’t fair to Eudoxia, I know that now, but I honestly thought I could be a good husband to her. I told Celsa that I would be happy and she kissed me and wished me well.
    “My mother was so happy when my daughter was born. Marsa. She had my mother’s eyes and that firm chin, and even though she was only an infant I could tell she was as strong as Celsa, as watchful. She was…oh, En, she was so beautiful!” He was almost glad for once that Ennek was unconscious and couldn’t hear his voice break.
    “I think…. When I fell in love with Camens, I think my mother knew. Not the specifics, of course, but…. She’d look at me and her face would be so sad. I expect she was hoping I’d say something to her, but how could I?
    “The last time I saw my mother was at my trial. She had to stand there along with my wife and my father and everybody else…everybody who had known me, loved me. She had to hear what I’d done and what was to become of me. It was the only time I saw her cry. Just silent tears falling down her cheeks, and her face set like stone. And then she turned away.”
    Miner was crying now and he couldn’t go on speaking. He buried his face in Ennek’s hair and sent the gods another useless plea, this time hoping that his mother had found peace after his disgrace, that his family had recovered, that Eudoxia had found a man who could give her the love she deserved, that Marsa had grown up strong and happy. That wasn’t so much to ask for, was it?
    His sobbing had died out when something made him freeze. He couldn’t have said exactly what. He hadn’t heard anything other than the birds and the eternal sloshing of the ocean. But he had an odd feeling as if…as if someone were watching him. Cautiously, he lifted his head.
    There was nobody there. A gull was wheeling overhead, circling silently as if it wondered whether he and Ennek might be something good to eat. Perhaps it was the bird’s scrutiny he’d sensed. Or maybe it was simply the fever, which was raging worse than ever, making his skin feel hot and tight and his head feel muzzy.
    The gull whirled and called out once, then dove down to land on the pebbled beach only a few yards away. It regarded them in that unblinking way birds had and Miner could almost imagine a sharp intelligence behind its pale yellow eyes.
    “We’re not carrion yet,” he said. “You’ll have to wait a while longer.”
    It hopped over to his little fire, which had nearly died out, and poked among the discarded mussel shells. There was nothing edible left, and after a moment or two it gave up and resumed staring at the men. It was unsettling. “Go away,” Miner said, but the dispassionate words had no impact on the gull which, in fact, hopped a few feet closer.
    Miner sat up dizzily and tried to drape himself protectively over Ennek. “You can’t have him.”
    The bird opened its mouth and Miner expected it to call again—that slightly haunting sound that had been a backdrop to his existence in Praesidium.
    Instead, it spoke.
    It had a woman’s voice, highly accented in some exotic way but intelligible. “Which of you is the wizard?” it asked.
    Miner could only gape. He hadn’t realized his fever had reached the delirium stage.
    The bird fluttered its wings impatiently. “Which is the wizard?” it repeated, more loudly this time.
    “I…. But...but you’re….”
    The gull clicked its beak at him. “I have sensed the presence of a new wizard here. Are you the wizard or is it your companion?”
    “I’m not…I’m not a wizard,” Miner managed to say.
    The bird cocked its head. “Then it is he. Are you his