Shifting Stars by Gary Stringer (best fiction books of all time txt) 📗

Catriona and Mandalee shared a look – not the most promising start.

Clerics would have us believe that the cosmos is a plaything of the gods, and not to be understood by mortals. But that is what they said about magic, and yet through study, wizards can now do what clerics said was impossible without recourse to any gods. I put it to you that the world is inherently understandable, conforming to laws that we can begin to formulate. At least it should be.

Yet the stars will not behave.

For a while, they do. Sometimes for long periods, their positions in the heavens are entirely rational, sensible, predictable. Then, every now and again, at seemingly random intervals, there is a Star Shift, and some of them stray off course. The question is: Is something moving the stars, or is something moving our world relative to them? What effect might that have on Tempestria? This is to say nothing of the void storms – the vortex that swirls all around us. That seems to change its pattern at the same time as the Star Shift. Why? What are the void storms? Is there some link between them and the stars? Is the movement of one the cause of the other, or are both symptoms of the same problem?

In this book, I intend to present my evidence and hope to at least begin to answer some of these questions.

*****

I am not going to reproduce the entire book here, gentle reader, for reasons of copyright violation if nothing else. Suffice to say, what followed was mainly annotated diagrams and star charts along with wild, speculative theories about the forces that might be involved. It appeared to be superficially scientific in its approach, but as Mandalee said, “You could probably write a book all about the science of the flight of pink elephants, but that doesn’t make them real.”

Even Catriona might have been sceptical except for one thing. It was the thing that made her seek out this book in the first place. The other books she had read that referenced Shifting Stars if only to point and laugh. References that suggested this book contained a supposedly first-hand account of an event that connected to something very precious to Catriona. After flicking through the book, she found it, right at the end, just as Jacob showed up and joined them.

*****

A figure appeared, glowing with a light that made it hard to see them directly. I could determine neither race nor gender. I thought I could detect a strange aura and a kind of magic that defied identification. The mage produced a small wooden staff, approximately three feet in height, topped with a large blue crystal. I know not from where they got it, save that they seemed to open some kind of rift or perhaps a door to some other reality and simply pulled the staff into our world. This figure invoked some sort of magic on the staff, or possibly through it, and the crystal atop the staff sent a coloured lightshow high into the sky. The void storms twisted and danced in response, and that is when one section of stars changed their position in the heavens.

Who was this figure, and what were they doing? My investigations lead me to believe this has happened many times before. Every time it does, this glowing figure seems to be able to hide from the gaze of almost everyone there present. But among the masses, there is always a Chosen One who can see through their magic. Unfortunately, since they are the sole witness, they are disbelieved and even ridiculed. That is why I have written this book, in hopes that it will touch the minds of those who can see this threat for what it is.

Shifting Stars is not just an academic curiosity, but a warning to all. It is my opinion that whatever this strange magic is, we must find a way to stop it before there are any further such occurrences. For if they continue unchecked, I fear they are going to destroy the world!

*****

Literally bookending one’s academic work with ‘The world is wrong’ and ‘They are going to destroy the world’ is unlikely to give it much credence, but I’m sure, gentle reader, you will recognise much of this. Catriona and her two friends certainly did.

“That sounds like your Angel with your Crystal Mage Staff,” Jacob remarked.

“Yes, it does,” she agreed, “and if he’s right about that, then I’m not going to be so quick to dismiss the rest of it. I think the conclusion is all wrong, though: I don’t believe my Angel is a threat. Not after all they did to mend Quarthonia.”

Mandalee concurred, “Why fix a village if you’re going to destroy the world?”

“Seems a bit counter-productive,” Jacob agreed.

“Question is,” Mandalee put in, “was there a star shift on the day you met your Angel?”

“No idea,” Cat said. “I wasn’t paying attention to that. I was looking at the land. But I certainly intend to find out and also to verify the ‘evidence’ of star shifts in this book. I’m not going to dismiss it out of hand like most people, but I’m not going to accept it on faith, either. Looks like I have plenty more studying to do.”

“Somehow I think you’ll cope,” Jacob said with a wry smile.

“I think you’re right,” Mandalee agreed.

Cat gasped, and apologised, “I’m so sorry, you two!” She closed her book and tucked it safely away. “I haven’t even introduced you. That’s so rude!”

“That’s OK,” Mandalee assured her. “We met this morning when I fished him out of one of my demon traps, which I’m going to have to start calling ‘people traps,’” she added with an annoyed frown, “since so far that’s all they’ve caught.”

“I have some ideas about that,” Cat told her. Turning to Jacob, she teased, “How could you be so careless? Just watch where you’re going!”

“Hey, it’s not my fault! The Trickster pushed me in!”

“Oh, that old chestnut!” Mandalee groaned,