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Later, in the Beit Almovaar – which had once been the Beit Amiya – Kyroun met with some of the Adepts who had not joined Tiyana on the voyage to the Uloan Islands. They were all Fidi; none of the Matile Adepts were present. When he told the others what he and Gebrem had learned from Eshetu, their eyes widened and their mouths gaped in astonishment.
“How could anyone have survived such a shipwreck?” Eimos asked. “The fury of the storms would have reduced the Swordfish to kindling without your protection.”
“And why those four?” asked Ulrithana. “Why Ferroun?”
Kyroun suppressed a smile. The Shadimish Adept’s dislike of the administrator had continued even after what she had thought to be his elimination from her life.
“More to the point, what are we going to do about it?”
The speaker was Hara, a plain-faced, yellow-haired woman from Fiadol. She had been one of the last converts the Almovaads had acquired before sailing away from the seaport. Although Hara had never so much as dabbled in sorcery in her previous life, about which she said little, she had become an Adept almost as quickly as Byallis. She seldom spoke. But when she did, even Kyroun often listened.
“I could not determine whether or not they were captives,” the Seer said. “Either way, they will be in danger once the Emperor begins his campaign against the Thabas. They will have to trust in Almovaar for their protection until we arrive in Thaba territory. Once we are there, we can decide on how we will bring them back among us.”
“Perhaps they weren’t the only ones who survived the shipwreck,” Eimos mused. “There could be others.”
“Perhaps,” Kyroun agreed. “If there are, Almovaar has not told me. But then, he did not tell me of the survival of those four. And I do not know why. Almovaar does not tell me everything.”
“It is possible he did not want you to be disturbed in your task here,” Ulrithana murmured.
Hara and Eimos exchanged a wry glance. They knew Ferroun was the “disturbance” to which the Shadimish woman was referring.
“Possibly,” Kyroun agreed. “In the meantime, this news will not remain a secret for long. Nor should it. Soon, it will spread throughout Khambawe, and beyond. Many questions will be asked, by Believers and non-Believers alike. For now, our best – and only – answer is: ‘Almovaar will show us the way.’”
The others nodded their agreement.
“For now, we will continue our preparations for the homecoming of Tiyana and the others, who have succeeded beyond our highest expectations.”
“She bears watching, that Tiyana,” said Hara, narrowing her eyes. “She grows very strong, very swiftly.”
Kyroun turned to her.
“Almovaar will decide how strong she grows,” he said reprovingly. “And how swiftly.”
With that, the Adepts – with the exception of Ulrithana – departed the part of the House of Believers in which they had held their meeting. As soon as the others were gone, the Shadimish woman took the Seer’s hand, and he led her to the private quarters that had previously belonged to Gebrem.