CHAPTER 7 
CHAPTER 7 Aram guided Jason up a series of cobblestone streets away from the sea. They encountered few other people. Jason considered trying to run away, but the large man stayed close.
On a narrow street walled with tall townhomes, Aram thumped on a door.
“Where are we?” Jason asked.
“My place.”
“You knock at your own house?”
“My mother keeps it locked.”
Jason heard a lock being disengaged. The door opened to reveal a portly female dwarf with curly gray hair and kind, wrinkled features. She reacted to Jason with undisguised surprise.
“Who is your friend, Aram?” she asked sweetly.
“Don’t tell me she’s a giant,” Jason sighed. “Wait, no, the sun isn’t up yet.”
The little woman scowled at Jason, then threw Aram a questioning glance.
“He approached me tonight,” the big man told her. “I’m not sure what he’s after.”
The short woman stepped aside as Aram shoved Jason through the doorway with casual, implacable strength. By stumbling most of the way across the room, Jason barely managed to avoid falling flat on his face. Aram ushered him into a tidy parlor, motioning for Jason to take a seat on a sofa. Aram and his mother sat in armchairs. The room did not look like the bachelor pad of a hulking bouncer. Everything seemed soft and frilly. Apparently, Mom was in charge of the decor.
“You have a nice home,” Jason said, hoping to lighten the mood.
“Thank you,” the woman replied. “What’s all this nonsense about giants?”
Jason glanced at Aram, who returned the gaze in silence, tacitly seconding the inquiry.
“Well, I made a joke to your son about him shrinking at dawn, and he got really upset. Seemed like a touchy subject.”
The little woman considered Jason suspiciously. “Where have you heard about shrinking giants?”
“I was in their village a few days ago.”
They both looked at Jason like he was lying.
“I’m telling the truth.”
“For your sake, you’d better be,” Aram said, leaning forward. “Go on.”
“I went there by accident. I thought I had imperials after me. Turned out to be a lurker.”
The little woman gasped.
“An actual darkling?” Aram asked.
Jason shrugged. “All black, like a shadow come to life?”
Aram nodded skeptically. “Keep going.”
“I got to the giant village not long before sunset. The people were all little, like your mom. The houses were enormous, but they convinced me the giants had left long ago. Seeing all the little people running around, it seemed true. They invited me to dinner, and when the sun went down, they all changed into giants and then wanted to eat me.”
“But you battled your way to freedom,” Aram said sarcastically.
“No. I climbed up inside the chimney, and they would have gotten me, but the lurker caught up with me and frightened them away.”
“How did you escape the lurker?” Aram asked.
“I came here. They hate big towns. It stopped following me on the far side of the floodplain.”
“And you claim Tark sent you to me?”
“Yes. To help me rejoin him and Galloran.”
Aram chuckled. “Some good liars lean on extravagant details, but you abuse the technique.” His expression darkened. “Who are you? You never shared your name. Make no mistake, your life depends on a straight answer.”
Jason glanced from Aram to his mother. Neither of them liked that he knew about giants. They were certainly hiding something. If they were somehow affiliated with the giants, it most likely meant that Aram was an enemy. But if he was such a bad guy, why would Tark have recommended him? Could Tark have been totally wrong about him?
“Tark could have sent me anywhere,” Jason murmured. “He could have sent me to anyone. Why you? I don’t think you’re on our side.”
Aram frowned, eyes wary. “I’m not on anyone’s side. I have a few friends, sure. But I have a hard time believing Tark sent you to ambush me with secrets about my past. You might as well drop the innocent act. We all know where this is heading. Are you after money? Some kind of bribe?”
Jason furrowed his brow. Whatever connection Aram had to the giants was clearly a guilty secret. If Aram thought this was a shakedown, it would explain his paranoid behavior. “You’ve got this all wrong. I just wanted to hire you based on Tark’s recommendation.”
“Enough nonsense,” Aram’s mother interjected. “Who else knows you’re here? Who are you, really?”
As Jason looked from mother to son, he realized that they seemed braced for disaster. If he could convince them that he meant no harm, maybe he could still get the help he needed. And avoid Aram pounding him into hamburger meat.
“I’m honestly not here to connect you to the giants,” Jason said. “My name is Lord Jason of Caberton. My title was granted by Galloran. I am the former chancellor of Trensicourt. I have been in and out of the dungeons of Felrook, and I come from the Beyond.”
Aram smiled and shook his head. “I’ve never witnessed such shameless bluffing! So you are the mysterious Lord Jason who outwitted Copernum before disappearing into thin air.”
“You heard about that?”
“Everyone did, as you well know. You choose a grand alias to accompany a monstrous exaggeration. Except rumor has it Lord Jason accepted an invitation to Harthenham. End of story.”
“I broke out of Harthenham, was taken before Maldor, escaped Felrook, and returned to the Beyond. But I’m back. I learned some vital information that needs to be shared, and I left a friend behind in Lyrian.”
Aram shook his head, then looked to his mother. “This is absurd. What do we do?”
His mother raised her eyebrows. “Have you any evidence to prove your story?”
“What’s your name?” Jason asked.
“Moira.”
“Nice to meet you, Moira. I’m still dressed in clothes from the Beyond. See my boots? My pants? Have you ever seen clothes quite like them?”
“No,” Moira said. “Go on.”
“I can tell you details,” Jason said. “I can talk about the gong that grants audience with Maldor, or the inside of the lorevault at Trensicourt, or what a mangler looks like after you blast it with orantium.”
“How about the signet ring to Caberton?” Aram asked, holding out a hand.
“I don’t have it. I left it with a seedman before I entered Felrook. But the ring has a gem in it that glows when a certain chime is rung.”
“You mentioned orantium,” Aram pursued. “I don’t suppose you have any samples?”
“I used what I had blowing up a mangler.” He cupped his hand, fingers curling as if holding an invisible ball. “But the crystal sphere was about this big. The little mineral inside glows intensely for an instant before exploding.”
“Have you any physical evidence besides odd clothes?” Moira asked.
“When Tark and I escaped from Harthenham, he snatched some jewels.” Jason pulled the drawstring bag from his pocket.
“Tark was in Harthenham?” Aram asked.
“Long story,” Jason said. “But that was where we sealed our friendship. He gave me these to help me hire you.” Jason dumped the contents of the bag on a nearby end table. Aram and Moira gasped. Even Jason was impressed. He hadn’t laid them all out in the open before—diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and other precious stones, all cut to glittering perfection.
Aram picked up a red jewel, a green jewel, and a purple one, eyeing them closely. “These are real. This is a fortune.” He sounded amazed. “These are meant to hire my services?”
“At least some of them,” Jason said. “You seemed to think I was here to blackmail you. It’s the opposite. I’m on the run, Aram. I’m in over my head. I’ve told you enough that I’m at your mercy. I’m trusting you, because Tark told me I should. I only know you have a connection to the giants in the woods because of how you reacted when I teased you.”
Aram set down the jewels. “What’s to stop me from killing you and then keeping the gemstones?”
“Aram!” his mother exclaimed.
He held out a hand to silence her.
Jason scooted forward in his seat. “Nothing. Except that a lurker followed me here, and people have seen you with me. I know some important secrets, Aram, and Maldor knows I know them.”
Aram grunted. “Then you have already brought ruin upon us. What are the secrets?”
“You’ll be safer if I keep them to myself,” Jason said.
“Mother, step outside the room for a moment?”
“Aram, I deserve to—”
“Mother, just for a moment. If we end up in custody, you may not want these secrets in your mind.”
“Neither will—”
Aram held up a hand. “Enough. Please, just for a moment.”
She got up and walked out of the room. Aram fixed Jason with a brooding gaze. He spoke softly. “If the emperor traces you here, I’ll get treated like you told me whether I know your secrets or not. I want to know how dangerous your knowledge is.”
“Fine,” Jason said. “Have you ever heard of an Edomic key word that can destroy Maldor?”
“Vague rumors,” Aram said. “I never investigated the claim.”
“I learned the Word,” Jason said. “I had help from Galloran and a few others. The syllables were scattered all over Lyrian. I said the Word to Maldor, and it didn’t work. I learned that the Word was actually an elaborate fraud meant to sidetrack his worst enemies. I need to share what I learned with those who helped me, so others don’t waste their time.”
Aram shifted uncomfortably. “You swear this is true?”
Jason crossed his heart with his finger. “I’m probably the most wanted person in Lyrian.”
Aram bowed his head. After a moment he looked up. “You have really met Galloran? The true heir to Trensicourt? You know where to find him?”
“I’m going to Potsug to meet up with him and Tark. And to find my friend, another Beyonder who got left behind when I went home.”
“Mother?” Aram called.
A moment later she returned. “You’re running out of time,” she told him.
“I know. If the secret he shared is authentic, it could not be more deadly. Among other things, our guest may truly have been consorting with Galloran.”
“Do you believe him?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I’m afraid I might. Could you finish the conversation?”
Moira nodded, taking a seat while Aram arose and then hurried from the room.
“Do you intend us any harm?” Moira asked Jason, her eyes intense.
“No. I mean, harm might follow me here, but I’m not your enemy.”
The little woman exhaled and rubbed her thighs. “Harm will inevitably follow,” she agreed. “Aram and I have done our best to lay low for many years. Your visit marks the end of life as we’ve known it.”
“I’m sorry.”
“There have been rumors for years about Galloran surviving in hiding. He truly lives?”
“Yes.”
“You’re acquainted with him?”
“Yes.”
“He is still striving to overthrow the emperor?”
“He’s doing what he can. He has limitations. I’ve been helping him. So have others.”
Moira brushed an errant strand of hair from her eyes with a stubby hand. “It’s almost certainly too late.” She paused, staring down at her lap, then looked at Jason serenely. “I hope I’m still a good judge of character. You could be the answer to my deepest hopes and wishes.”
“What?”
“You see, I am dying. I’m not sure how many days I have left.”
“I … I’m sorry. That’s terrible.”
“Sooner or later, it happens to everyone.” She rubbed her torso. “Pain has been gnawing inside of me, escalating over time. It began mostly in my joints, and would come and go, but it now fills me, and it is becoming constant. I can no longer keep food down. I seldom sleep. Death would be a relief, except I fear for my son.”
“Why?”
“Aram is a special man.” Her eyes glazed over with tears. “A unique man. We have secrets too, Jason. We’ll keep yours if you keep ours.”
“Okay.”
“Swear by your life. Swear by all you hold dear.”
“I promise.”
“You wouldn’t be able to spend much time close to him without discovering his secret. You had better hold to your word. Aram will make you pay otherwise. Make no mistake, he is one of the most dangerous individuals in Lyrian. Yet he still has so much untapped potential. I’ve been waiting for him to wake up and fulfill his destiny. I know Aram could be great. His father was the truest man I’ve ever known. His father also happened to be a giant.”
Jason clasped his hands in his lap and nodded thoughtfully. “So he really does shrink at dawn.”
“Not as much as a full-blooded giant, just as he is not so enormous as a true giant at night.”
“And he keeps it a secret.”
“Only the two of us know,” Moira whispered. “And now you. Allow me to share a story. Years ago, in my youth, I lived in a hamlet on the peninsula, not far from the woods where rumors hinted that giants prowled. My father was the leader of the village. My stunted size was an anomaly. My mother, father, and two brothers were all quite tall.
“On occasion, I would venture into the woods. My family was overprotective, so when any chance arose to steal away, I always seized it. When I was a young woman, I met a little man in the forest. He was about my age, and hardly taller than me. His name was Thurwin. I had never seen another human dwarf before. He said he lived in the woods. I asked if he was afraid of the giants, and he laughed, assuring me he had wandered every corner of the forest and had never encountered one.
“We began to meet regularly. Thurwin made his amorous intentions known early on, showering me with compliments and staring at me as if I were a vision of loveliness. I was unaccustomed to that manner of attention, and though I acted coy at first, I had always longed for romance.
“By our tenth meeting we decided to get married. He told me he could never come to the village, nor could I visit where he lived, but instead he built a little cottage where we could rendezvous, and Thurwin devised a simple wedding ceremony consisting of private vows. It was all terribly romantic.
“After our secret nuptials, I still lived at home, but I saw my new husband at least two days out of each week. Months of secret encounters passed. One fine afternoon, in a shaded glen, I told him I was expecting a child. He chuckled, insisting I was mistaken. Perplexed by his confidence, I conceded that I could be wrong.
“Over time, the evidence of my condition grew. A couple of months later, when Thurwin beheld my belly unmistakably swelling with a child, he flew into a jealous tirade. I assured him I had been a faithful wife, and I began to weep. After I convinced him of my fidelity, he became very solemn. He asked me to remain with him until nightfall. We had never been together at night—he had always insisted it was too dangerous for me to roam the forest after dark.
“You can imagine my surprise when the sun went down and Thurwin expanded into a monstrous giant. I was not much higher than his knee. In time, he calmed me, explaining that if I were truly expecting his child, it would mark the first time a giant had successfully mated with a human.
“When I could no longer disguise my condition from my family, I pretended to have briefly eloped with a certain traveling merchant. After my tall tale, my family redoubled their smothering protectiveness. I was unable to visit Thurwin for the remainder of my pregnancy. Eventually, with the aid of a midwife, I became the mother of a healthy infant son.
“Some months after Aram was born, I began stealing away to the woods again, visiting our cottage and other locales I had frequented with Thurwin. It took a few trips before I encountered him. He was overjoyed to see me. I explained why I had been unable to return to the woods for some time, and he was very understanding. It was not long before I brought Aram with me to introduce the infant to his father.
“Then came the night that changed everything. I was nursing Aram, surrounded by my family, when somebody rapped on the door, hard enough to make the walls shudder. My father answered and was struck dumb. I heard a rumbling voice inquire about me. It was Thurwin, bearing a huge club.
“By the time I had rushed to the door, the screaming had begun. Thurwin looked distressed. He told me the giants were raiding our village and that I had to flee. He had tried to divert them elsewhere, but had failed. He had brought a saddled horse and apologized for not being able to warn me earlier.
“Behind him, giants were wreaking havoc. Burning buildings illuminated a variety of murderous atrocities. My father and brothers raced to meet the threat with weapons in hand. My mother dissolved into shrieking hysterics.
“Four giants rushed toward my house, and my father and brothers charged to intercept them. The giants slammed them aside almost effortlessly, hardly slowing to issue the fatal blows.
“Thurwin cried out for the giants to move on, but they came at me without hesitation. Shouting for me to ride away, Thurwin met them with his club. I mounted the horse in a panic, thinking only that I had to save my child. I believe Thurwin slew two of them before he went down. Once he fell, the remaining giants assaulted him mercilessly. I am grateful that I had a limited view.
“I returned the next day, accompanied by men from a neighboring community, to find my village razed, the populace massacred. Aram and I were the sole survivors. Everything of value that the men salvaged from the rubble was given to me. It amounted to enough for me to move to Ithilum and to begin a new life.
“Aside from having a tiny young mother as his only family, Aram enjoyed a normal childhood. But one night in his eleventh year, he shot up two feet when the sun went down, and I was forced to explain to him about his unusual parentage. From that day forward, he experienced incredible growth at sunset and the opposite at sunrise. We have managed to maintain this secret through all the intervening years, until today.”
“I’m sorry if I messed things up,” Jason said.
“Don’t apologize,” Moira insisted. “I have not finished. Aram has used his size to perform mercenary work at night over the years. He built and ran a successful smuggling operation and has seen his share of combat. For a time, he was something of a pirate, hiding in a private cabin during daylight hours, occasionally pretending to be his own assistant. Having retired with plenty of money in reserve, he now uses his bulk to knock heads together at the Dockside Inn.
“I’ve always known he was special and was meant to do great things.” Her voice cracked, and she paused to regain control of her emotions. “He has a hard exterior, a necessary adaptation given the secret he hides. But there is a goodness to him. I always yearned for him to find a way to employ his gifts for something more noble and meaningful than financial profit.”
Jason rubbed the arm of the sofa. “You want him to join us in our struggle against Maldor?”
Moira pursed her lips. “If Galloran lives, he must have found a way to strike at Maldor without getting caught. I would rejoice to see my son employing his talents on behalf of a man of such legendary character. Since my death is approaching, I will not dilute my opinion. Maldor is a scourge. Our freedoms are already limited. No individual is safe. Once he conquers all of Lyrian, a day not far off, the vise will tighten until all joy is squeezed from life. Even if Maldor cannot be defeated, the only people who will really live will be those who resist him.”
Moira shifted in her chair, looking over her shoulder toward a doorway. “Aram? Son, show yourself.”
A small man with a slight build—not quite five feet tall—entered the room. A loose tunic could not conceal the narrowness of his shoulders or the slenderness of his arms. The face was barely recognizable as Aram—the structure of his cheeks, less defined; the brow, less primitive; the jaw, narrower. “I’ve been listening for some time.” His voice had evolved from bass to tenor. “What use is there resisting a foe as invincible as Maldor?”
Moira faced her son. “Because you may discover he is not as invulnerable as you imagine.”
Aram huffed. “I imagine nothing. There is a good reason I have never joined either side of that battle. Those who work for Maldor either get drawn into permanent service or end up dead. Those who work against him get caught. The smart ones, the only ones who last, shun tasks directly involving the emperor.”
Moira frowned. “I do not have much longer, Aram.”
“Don’t say such things.”
“Whether or not I speak openly about my condition, the reality remains. You know I never approved of your chosen occupation. But neither did I hinder you. When a government becomes unjust, honor is often found among the lawless. Over the years, you have developed many talents that may now prove useful to an honorable cause.”
Aram shook his head. “Where’s the honor in suicide?”
“More honor than attends a life of indifference, idling away your years quashing brawls in a tavern. Galloran and whatever resistance he creates may represent the final hope, however bleak, of dethroning Maldor. If the emperor succeeds, he will soon bring all of Lyrian into bondage, and with his wars behind him, an age of tyranny beyond our imagination will ensue. Among the first to disappear will be the former pirates, smugglers, and mercenaries—all those with adventuresome and questionable histories. Act now, unite with those who understand how to resist and avoid the emperor, and your abilities could prove useful. Hesitate, and you will be destroyed.”
For a moment, Aram seemed taken aback by her intensity. Then he waved a hand toward a shuttered window. “Nobody loves the emperor. We all foresee darker times ahead. But why ensure misery striving for a futile cause? I would rather prepare to weather the storm than throw stones at the clouds.”
“You behave as though there is no hope.”
Aram turned to Jason. “Do you believe there is hope? Be honest.”
Jason shifted in his seat. “Well, yeah. There are still some amazing people who stand up to Maldor. Tark is one of them. I’ve seen conscriptors and manglers and displacers killed. I’ve helped the cause, fighting against Maldor, and didn’t get caught for a long time. After he nabbed me, I escaped. We’ve recently unraveled some secrets that were causing a lot of wasted effort. The information could start a revolution.”
Aram scowled. “It’s too late for resistance.”
“You don’t know that,” Moira said. “You could at least investigate. You know I’ve been fretting about these concerns for years. Our visitor brings an opportunity to move beyond conversation. A chance that may never come again. I want you to accept the assignment Lord Jason has brought you. If you meet Galloran, my final request is for you to aid his cause, however you can.”
Aram looked angry. His diminished size reduced the impact of the emotion to a childish petulance. “If I do anything to defy Maldor, you’ll be most at risk. I will not allow you to become endangered.”
Moira gave a faint smile. “I won’t be alive by the time I could be in any danger. If I was, I’d go into hiding.”
“You’ll need me with you through your final months.”
“Months? I’m probably down to days, Aram. I limit my complaints to downplay my condition, but, Son, agony has become my constant companion. My only hope is for your future. My only relief is in peace of mind. Grant your mother that peace.”
Moira stared in silence, tiny hands folded on her lap. Aram bowed his head. “I’ll … I’ll consider it.”