“Yes, but I think that was abouttools, not about Shadow domination. He let it happen because he believed that it would help his cause.”
“Which we are not discussing, according to Lannagaros.”
“I did not say we are not discussing it,” the older Dragon replied. “Merely that it is separate from action. Our understanding of what was done, of how it was done, would suffice here.”
“But we don’t know what was done.”
“Indeed.”
“I don’t think the outcomes in the High Halls were either planned or intended,” Kaylin continued. “And I’m not sure they’re even stable. Spike is there, along with the will and intent of the building itself—but if the Shadow it once caged decides to leave, we’re all in big trouble.”
“But you didn’t counsel that it be destroyed?” This was not the first time Bellusdeo had asked.
“Let’s focus on the fact that we’re walking down an endless hall in a damaged building.” She exhaled, still thinking. “Do you understand how the outlands function?”
Bellusdeo immediately punted the question toward the Arkon’s back.
“No.”
Not promising, not really. “When we first decided to use the portal paths, the Hallionne set us down in a forest. I believe we were meant to follow the forest path to the next Hallionne. That’s not what happened—but that was what was intended. There were more dangers in that forest than we’d face in the forest above. And fewer bugs.
“The Hallionne could shape a form out of the outlands by desire or will or command or even instinct. They didn’t maintain control over what was shaped. So the outlands responded to their request because no other request overrode it. The Hallionne weren’t the only people who could influence the shape the outlands took.” She stopped walking.
“You lost the shape of that path.”
“Pretty damn quickly, yes. But there were no Hallionne fighting for control of it. There were just Arcanists and transformed Barrani.”
“Which would heavily imply that in the outlands—outside of the personal boundaries inscribed by their names and functions—the will of the Hallionne is no stronger than any other will. You have assumed that the border zone is, somehow, like the outlands; you feel there is a similarity.”
“I do now—but only because the cohort couldn’t see what the rest of us could. The rest of us saw the streets and buildings that conformed to the fief; we saw what we expected to see. The cohort, with the exception of Teela, didn’t. It was fog, and it was dense enough that they had to be led—but the fog cleared as they approached the central circle that also contained Killian. Or the building Killian is trapped in.
“If this is true—and if Candallar or one of the Arcanists somehow understood it, it wouldn’t be hard to force the streets to conform to a shape that better pleased them. Say a squat building with a giant eyeball embedded in its backside.”
“I don’t believe that the border zone is like the outlands,” the Arkon then said.
“Why?”
“Because the border zone did not exist until the Towers rose. I will, however, grant that there must be elements in common with the outlands as you perceived them. It is almost a pity that you did not retain Spike.”
“Not for the High Halls.”
“No—but for Killianas. What Spike saw, or could not see, would be useful, and it might better help you to solve this mystery. I will, however, grant that Candallar seems to have some element of control of his border zone. The building that we found seemed to be a fixed point—and from what’s been said by those who have dared to explore the border zones, the buildings are not fixed; they are solid and traversable, but they are not reliably located.
“The squat building seemed to be of newer construction and it seemed solid; you found it easily. And the eyeball, as you call it, in the back of the building is almost certainly Killian’s. Candallar, or someone with whom he has chosen to ally himself, was aware of Killian, or perhaps aware that Killian’s existence was not entirely extinguished.
“If this is the case, the only question I have is: How did they remove Killian’s eye? The eye is figurative. It is metaphorical. If you chose to gouge out one of your Helen’s eyes, she would nonetheless still have two eyes, should she retain the ability to manifest an Avatar at all.”
“Not all of the sentient buildings are awake. They can perform their functions while sleeping—many of the Hallionne do.”
“Tell me, does Killian appear to be awake to you?”
“...No.”
“Hallionne exist, as you’ve said, regardless of their state of wakefulness. But a wakeful Hallionne is something that even the Barrani who might reside there in safety are reluctant to trust. Is this correct?”
“Yes.”
“From what you have said—and your memory is a tangled, jumbled mess—the Consort woke the Hallionne as you traveled to the West March. The Hallionne had been in use before she woke them; they had served their primary function. Some of the Barrani did not choose to avail themselves of the hospitality of the Hallionne thus wakened by the Consort.”
