Asunder: A Gathering of Chaos by Cameron Hopkin (electronic book reader .txt) 📗

hubs they use here on the mainland, yes? We use the gasses those spores give off to heat our homes and cook our meals, but the Weaver Hands must maintain the hubs most carefully. Do you know what happens when too much pressure builds inside them? They burst violently and leave empty gaps on the water fifty meters across. It rarely happens these days. Now imagine if a hundred such hubs went up at once. It would destroy a quarter of the city. When a chaos wielder loses control, that is the kind of destruction that occurs… and no one knows when it will happen. It could be the very first time the wielder taps his power, or the tenth, or the ten thousandth. It is random. I have heard that emotional strain makes the event more likely, but I do not spend my time around such men, so I do not know. Others believe it – that is why anyone who owns a chaos wielder will go to great expense to keep them entertained and happy.

“Regardless, you see why I say that whatever you have in mind for this young man, you should rethink your plans. The risk is not worth the return. Whatever else others may say of me, I am known as an excellent judge of risk.”

“You say they are owned?” asked Gamarron. “Such powerful men must be difficult to capture.”

“They are, which is my entire point. Chaos wielders usually sell themselves into service. The different great cities all vie with each other to treat their wielders the best – to shower them with gifts, women, money – so that others like them will be drawn there also. They enter the Governor’s service in whatever place they choose or end up. They go into battle, or they create public works, or even serve as entertainment for whatever rich hangers-on are stupid enough to stay put when they begin to work their will on the chaos. They are owned. Few of them are sound enough of mind or heart to be terribly inconvenienced by the arrangement.”

“Are there many of these men in Megalith?” She could only see Gamarron’s feet through her knothole, but she imagined the black-robed savage stroking his beard in thought.

“He is the only one. The other cities and their Governors collect as many as they can, but traditionally the Seafarer Council has found it wise to appear neutral in order to keep trade flowing through Megalith. They always turned away any new chaos wielders who came stumbling through. Now, though, it appears that someone on the Council has decided that Megalith would be better served by having a little more power at its disposal.”

The two men fell silent for so long that Renna double-checked her hole to make sure they hadn’t left the room. She’d always avoided chaos wielders, but if Gamarron cared about this particular one, she would find out everything she could on the matter. Not a thought will cross that man’s mind without me knowing it from here on out.

The northerner king spoke. “I am most grateful for the information and the advice on this front. Now I find it necessary to probe the boundaries of our contract. You are, by every reliable report, the very best at what you do. I have paid you a great sum of money to complete certain tasks for me, with more yet to come. You spoke of the possibility of amending the contract to steal the Chaos Shard itself instead of the documents we expected to find. What if I change my mind? What if I want you to steal something else instead?”

The Sky City man steepled his fingers. Renna wished she could see his face, but all she could spy from her vantage point was the bald spot on his crown. “So long as I have not purchased supplies for the job – which I have not in your case; I was awaiting your return from the south – then I am willing to renegotiate the terms of our agreement for an equal or greater sum. I do reserve the right to refuse the job, in which case your funds will not be returned.” The crisp sing-song voice had the sound of something repeated so frequently that it became rote. “I will listen to your proposal.”

There was a shuffle and scrape from below that sounded like a chair, and Gamarron spoke with an unusual intensity. “I want you to steal the chaos wielder.”

Renna’s mind chased down the implications of that statement. He wants a chaos wielder! He must mean to use him to challenge the demon lord. Infinite possibilities bounded only by the imagination of the wielder – that might very well be sufficient to best the creature I saw in my vision. Really, what else could defeat it? Silence reigned in the chamber below. I don’t love the idea of travelling with a walking explosion. Having access to his power is a good idea, but he would need to be carefully managed. Besides, the thief will certainly say no.

She was not wrong. “I am not familiar with northerner humor,” said the Sky City man. “Is that what this is? I must admit the joke escapes me.”

“It is no joke, Master Kojan. I was not aware of it until I saw him, but the presence of the chaos wielder is essential to the success of my endeavors. You say he is owned, like a mule or a pair of shoes? Then he could be bought. I am certain I lack the funds, but what can be bought can also be stolen. For that I need your help.”

No, no, that’s all wrong. He won’t be convinced that way.

The foreigner gave a helpless laugh. “Good sir, it is entirely unfeasible. There is no man more well-protected in this entire city. Given that he is the Council’s only chaos wielder, he might very well be the best-protected man on the Mainland. Moreover, he is unlikely to be