Convergence Read online

  But five months went by, then eight and more, and the meager amount of silver still hadn’t run out. They all wore rags and usually went to bed hungry, but Parli still had silver to count at night when she thought the children were asleep.

  Then, about eleven months after her father’s death, Jovvi’s oldest brother disappeared. She and her last remaining brother searched everywhere for him, but no one had seen him nor did anyone see him again. It was supposed that he ran away from what could no longer be called a home, but he hadn’t even said goodbye to her. They’d been so close… Had he been afraid she’d beg to go with him, and hadn’t wanted her any more than their mother did?

  After that she and her other brother grew apart, so when the day came that he also disappeared without a word of goodbye, Jovvi wasn’t surprised. It had become a matter of everyone for himself, so Jovvi was surprised when she returned to the shack and Parli smiled at her.

  “The best for last,” she murmured, stroking Jovvi’s cheek once before turning back to her cooking fire. “Come and eat, Jovvi, so your beauty will come more quickly to full bloom.”

  Jovvi had had no idea what Parli was talking about, and grew even more confused when decent food was available more often than it had ever been before. She still wore rags, but at least she now had what to eat every once in a while. It wasn’t until she was almost twelve years old that the man and his bully boys came to get her, the man her mother had sold her to. That was when she realized that the baby hadn’t died and the boys hadn’t run away … and even though she was a widow her mother was pregnant again…

  “Now, that was when I first understood the meaning of fear,” Jovvi whispered to herself, gathering together the scraps of her courage. “But I survived it and the worse that followed, so I refuse to not survive this. There’s supposed to be a way to win, and all I have to do is find it.”

  All. That had been easy to say, but doing it would prove a good deal harder. The invisible wind of all those emotions buffeted her mercilessly and with ever-increasing strength, and simple determination would never get her across those twenty-five feet to escape and safety. She’d have to calm and balance the emotions, but the way she’d already tried hadn’t worked. Maybe if she ran…

  Jovvi sighed, discarding the idea of running without any further consideration. She’d been a very fast runner during her childhood, and could have managed a good deal of speed even dressed the way she was. But the strength of the invisible wind would overcome even the fastest runner in the world, knocking her off balance and off the walkway. No, she needed to find a way to shield herself from the buffeting long enough to get across the walkway, but how could she do that?

  In frustration she tried to soothe the raging around her again, and actually managed to calm a group, hold it, and then calm a second group. When she tried to hold those two and reach for a third, the whole thing fell apart and she was back to where she’d been. And she staggered a little under the renewed load, which brought the sour taste of fear back to her mouth. She had to get out of there, or all her plans would die along with her.

  And that wasn’t something she was prepared to let happen. She’d worked too long and hard to get where she was to let it all go to waste, not even if that gauntlet of unbalance stretched all the way back to Rincammon. There had to be a way to get past it—

  Jovvi stood very still as the idea came to her, making her wonder if she could do it after all. The key to getting out of there had to be going through the storm, since it wasn’t possible to go around it. Going through meant balancing the forces raging at her to keep from being knocked over, but that didn’t mean they all had to be balanced at once. She supposedly could have drawn in enough power to do that, but her sense of preservation told her she’d never be able to handle it. No, she had to hold and balance only two groups at a time, and that way she might make it.

  If she held one group on each side of her. If she released those two and took another two that would allow her to move forward. If she could stand fast until she had the second two groups balanced well enough to move between them. If, if, if…

  But there wasn’t any other choice and Jovvi knew it. Her face perspired freely now, echoing the strain the rest of her body felt, but there was no getting around it. She had to try her idea and make it work, or else her lifetime of struggle would have been for nothing. She took a deep breath, ignoring how uneven it was, and plunged into the first of it.

  Balancing the first two groups of emotion on either side of her was fractionally harder than it had been the last time she’d tried, showing she was seriously beginning to tire. That meant she had no time to waste, so she moved to the far side of her small island of calm, dropped the two groups, and reached for two more. She nearly lost her balance before the second two groups were calmed, but she couldn’t let herself notice that. She simply had to keep on with it, moving three or so feet ahead with every successful effort.

  By the time Jovvi was almost to the door, she was drenched in sweat and lightheaded. She reached to the last two groups automatically, but calming the railing storm made her clench her teeth and fists with the effort. She’d almost lost the previous groups too soon, and if she hadn’t been so exhausted she would have been terrified. But there was no strength to spare for terror, only for doing what had to be done.

  The calm in the last two groups took forever to come to full balance, but once it did Jovvi was able to reach the door. It had a simple latch string coming from a hole drilled through it, but pulling the string didn’t open the door. It lifted the latch so the door could be pushed open, and it took Jovvi a short while to figure that out. Once she did she stumbled through into what looked like a hall, finally able to let go of the power. If she’d had to hold it for even one more minute…

  Paying no attention to whether or not the hallway floor was clean, Jovvi used the wall opposite the door to help her sit down without falling down. The muscles in all four of her limbs had turned to quivering water, and she couldn’t understand why she hadn’t passed out. Fainting wasn’t something she’d ever actually done, but passing out after a time of incredible harshness…

  “There, there, my dear, it’s all over now,” a male voice soothed, and suddenly there was an arm around her shoulders helping to support her. “Here, drink this and it will make you feel better.”

  “This” was a cup of what looked like water, but when the man helped Jovvi to drink from it she found it was better than water. It began to return a small measure of strength to her almost immediately, so she drained it to the very last drop.

  “Yes, you will feel more like yourself in just a few minutes,” the man said as he took back the cup, giving Jovvi the chance to see that he was the man from behind the table in the outer room. “And now I can offer my congratulations for your accomplishment. Your first test is passed and behind you.”

  “First and last test,” Jovvi corrected, making no effort to be in the least pleasant or pleasing. After that ordeal she certainly looked a complete horror, so there would have been no point in trying to play the game. “My life is mine to live, not yours to threaten, so you will never get another chance to do the same again. As soon as I’ve recovered my breath I’m leaving, so you may summon a carriage for me at once.”

  “A coach is already on its way,” the man replied in something of a murmur, looking at her the way most men did when she stood fresh and lovely and smiling. “I’m afraid it won’t be taking you where you think it will, though, because this is not the last of your involvement with us. A series of sessions have already been scheduled for you, and you will appear for them. The law is quite clear on the matter, and even a woman as breathtaking as you must obey it.”

  The man’s hand had begun to stroke her arm where it had previously rested, bringing Jovvi as close to outrage as her exhaustion allowed. She quickly shifted out of reach of the fool who believed he could enjoy her without paying her price, and stared at him coldly.

  “I’ve made it my business
to have an adequate knowledge of the law, and I’ve never heard of the one you just referred to,” she told him flatly. “If you think you can bully me into going along even further with this madness, you’re very much mistaken. I’m not a fool and I never let myself be bullied.”

  “I quite believe that,” the man responded, looking at her with faint amusement but making no effort to follow. “In this instance, however, your knowledge is somewhat lacking. The laws covering applicants for High practitioner positions are a specialized and specific group, and therefore aren’t generally available to those people not directly concerned with the matter. If you wish, access to the main archives here in the city will be arranged for you.”

  “I do wish it,” Jovvi replied stiffly, showing nothing of the agitation she felt. The awful man sounded so sure of himself, and had even offered her the chance to see for herself…

  “But until the access is provided, there will be no other sessions. Furthermore, I’ll be taking a house here in the city—”

  “No, my dear,” the beast interrupted, still unperturbed but also unmoving. “The law does not need to be held in abeyance until you confirm it. Refusal to participate in the program is not allowed, and should you attempt to do so you are subject to arrest. Trial is swift and the sentencing mandatory, which is five years at hard labor in the deep mines. Only at the end of those five years would you again be free to pursue your life according to your own desires. Is this what you wish?”

  Despite what she’d so recently gone through, Jovvi discovered it was still possible for fear to touch her. The man was looking too smug for his speech to be a complete lie, which probably meant the mandatory sentence was the truth. Five years at hard labor in the deep mines, where not even starving miners worked voluntarily. Even if she survived, her career as a courtesan would be over, and survival would be far from certain. She would make it a point to check the law anyway, specifically for the loopholes this creature wasn’t likely to mention, but until then she had no choice but to cooperate.

  “Your expression tells me you’re prepared to be your usual gracious and agreeable self,” the man said after a moment, straightening from his crouch before offering her his hand. “With that in view we’ll get you on your way to the residence where you’ve been assigned and where you may rest. You need only remember that discussing the details of your test with anyone at all is strictly forbidden.”

  Jovvi reluctantly allowed him to help her to her feet, but only because standing up alone was probably beyond her and she needed badly to be out of that place. But once erect she was able to stand alone, and the man made no effort to retain her hand.

  “Your accommodation at the residence will be paid for by us, but your food and other necessities must be paid for out of your own pocket.” The man had begun to walk around the curve of the hallway, and Jovvi lost no time in following. “That may sound like a cruel burden, but after the sessions I mentioned there will be competitions, the winning of which will earn you bonuses in gold. Ah, your coach has arrived.”

  By then he’d reached and opened a door, which clearly led out of the building. Jovvi stepped out behind him to find that a coach did indeed seem to be waiting for her and one which had her trunk in its boot. These people seemed incredibly efficient, to get a coach there so quickly after her victory. And one that had also had the time to learn what luggage was hers and collect it. Such efficiency seemed to go beyond the normal bounds of the condition, but rather than mention it Jovvi decided to keep it in mind instead.

  “There you are, my dear,” the man said once he’d helped her into the coach. “The driver will take you where you’re supposed to go, and you’ll have the opportunity to rest before your first session. Perhaps we’ll even meet again.”

  Jovvi made no effort to answer that suggestion in words, but the cool look she gave the man was designed to say it all. Whether or not they met again made no difference whatsoever; Jovvi would not, under any circumstances, remember him. His rueful smile said he understood her intentions perfectly, but that ever-present amusement also said that what would happen remained to be seen. Then he gestured to the driver, and the coach began to move.

  It took only a few moments before they passed through an archway in the outer wall and were on the street, and then Jovvi was finally able to relax. There had been something disturbing about that entire area, and it was a positive relief to leave it. She hated the idea of not being able to get on with her plans, but there was a bright note in all that hampering fog: that bonus in gold the man had mentioned. It simply wasn’t possible to have too much gold, and if it turned out she had to participate in those competitions, she fully intended to make the most of the time.

  Once they left the area of the testing center, the drive became rather pleasant for Jovvi. The neighborhoods they passed through slowly improved to the point of being quite lovely, and possibly even the sort of area she’d been looking for. Large private houses were to either side of the street, but most of them couldn’t be seen by the casual passerby. Only occasional glimpses were visible, but those glimpses suggested the necessary combination of large-scale privacy and good taste.

  And then the coach turned into the drive of one of those houses, a pleasant surprise Jovvi hadn’t been expecting. She’d been certain they would house her in a hovel somewhere, just to further exercise their authority. Those with authority always exercised it, and sometimes those without authority tried to pretend otherwise. It was usually possible to tell the difference, especially if you studied the matter the way she had.

  The coach pulled up in front of a house that fit Jovvi’s mind picture perfectly, making her feel a good deal better. Her enforced stay here would not be a total waste of time after all, since living in a neighborhood let you look around quite easily for property on the market. But first she badly needed to refresh herself, not to mention spend a long, full night asleep in a real bed. If she’d been weary when she’d reached the testing center, now she was nearly done in completely.

  A woman and two male servants came out of the house but one of the men stopped to help Jovvi from the coach before joining the other at the boot. The woman waited at the top of the steps with a sweet smile on her unfortunately plain face, and when Jovvi reached her she gave a small curtsy.

  “Welcome to the house, ma’am,” she said sounding as if she meant it. “I’m Warla, and as soon as the men have your trunk I’ll show you to your room.”

  “Thank you, Warla,” Jovvi answered with automatic kindness, forcing herself to supply something of a matching smile. “I’m Jovvi Hafford, and I’m delighted to finally be somewhere that has no wheels. The day has been rather more strenuous than I expected it to be, so please excuse me if I’m less than completely cordial.”

  “Oh, you poor thing, you look as spent as my mistress did,” Warla sympathized, reaching a hand out but withdrawing it again before actually touching Jovvi. “She’s an applicant too, and returned in the same condition. Oh, the men have your trunk now, so we’ll go directly to your room.”

  Jovvi had been about to mention taking care of the coach driver, but the coach was already on its way out and Warla had turned to lead the way into the house. That made one less thing to worry about, so Jovvi simply followed the girl inside. Warla was obviously one of those sweet, innocent people the world sometimes produced, people whose sole purpose in life seemed to be helping others. Right now Jovvi needed that help, and was grateful to find it so easily to hand.

  The hall inside the entrance made Jovvi blink, as it was decorated in the exact way she’d been taught not to decorate. Too much of anything—including expensive things—made a clutter, and gave people the impression that you were trying to prove something. And distracted visitors from really impressive things like that magnificent staircase. Jovvi examined it with pleasure as she followed Warla in climbing it, promising herself one just like it once that testing nonsense was behind her.

  At the top of the stairs Warla led the way to the rig
ht, then stopped at the first door on the right. They’d passed a door on the left that probably opened into the master apartment, but the room behind the opened door was quite pleasant. It was about the same size as one of the ones in the suite she’d had in Allestine’s residence, and should be perfectly suitable for the short length of time she would be in it.

  She and Warla stood to one side while the men carried in her trunk, and once the servants were gone Warla turned to her with another of those shy smiles.

  “If there’s anything you need, just speak to one of the servants,” she was told with true warmth. “Or, if you like, you can ask me. Is there anything you need right now?”

  “At the moment I’d most enjoy knowing where the bath house is,” Jovvi answered, again trying to respond to the smile. “If I have to wait much longer before getting out of these clothes and into clean ones, I’ll probably cry.”

  “Well, of course you would!” Warla agreed earnestly, again reaching out then drawing back before touching Jovvi. “I’m sure I would do exactly the same. The bath house is not far out the back, along the path to the left and before the gardens. You really can’t miss it.”

  Jovvi thanked the girl, hoping it wouldn’t be difficult to send her on her way, and it wasn’t. Warla performed another small curtsy and left without even being asked, and Jovvi was impressed. As she went to the trunk to find something clean to wear, she considered trying to hire Warla away to be her personal attendant once she was properly settled. A discreet attendant with a sweet, giving nature was a precious jewel, as Jovvi knew from having had to put up with too many who weren’t.

  But that thought was for later, and getting clean again was for as soon as she could reach the bath house. There weren’t many people about as she made her way through the house, just quiet servants going about their business. Did that mean she and Warla’s mistress were the only two applicants in the house right now? That would be pleasant—or not, depending on what sort of woman Warla’s mistress was. And was there a master as well? She’d have to remember to ask.