Burying the Shadow Read Online Free PDF Page A

been away. Too long. Out there, once our task - that of finding
a suitable soulscaper - had been successfully completed, we had
nearly forgotten the point of our travels. That is the allure of
travelling; all eloim succumb to it eventually, if only for a short
span.
    We had crossed
the inland sea from Sacramante, landing in the Lansaal port of
Zhijelih. This was a central point, and we could take our time,
travelling across the land towards Taparak. We had taken the
precaution of bringing our own transport with us from Bochanegra -
one of the fleeter Metatronim carriages, accompanied by members of
our human domestic staff from home; a driver, his boy, and a body
servant for each of us. These people were trusted individuals, to
whom our safety and comfort were of fundamental importance. While
it is impossible for eloim to make humans exactly like themselves,
it is possible to grant them longevity. Our immortal blood, while
not so potent as to grant immortality to humankind can, if imbibed
on a regular basis, at least double their lifespan. All humans in
eloim employ were subject to this practice. A rapid turnover of
domestic staff would be inconvenient to the throngs; just as the
servants learned to do their jobs properly, they would wither and
die. If their ichor intake was monitored carefully, a human might
well enjoy the bloom of youth for a hundred and fifty years. After
that, unfortunately, their own metabolism seemed to take over, and
they succumbed to a natural fading towards death. For reasons of
security, there was a strict rule among the throngs that longevity
should be bestowed solely upon the most loyal servants.
    We assumed
that many soulscapers would be wandering about Lansaal, which might
save us having to enter Taparak itself. Aware of the scrying
strength of the Taps, both Beth and I were anxious to avoid the
city, if at all possible. While there were no recorded incidences
of soulscapers recognising the eloim for what they were, we still
harboured a basic unease about the Taps. If anyone could penetrate
our disguise in the world, they could. And the concentration of
soulscaping ability to be found in Taparak was something neither
Beth nor I were eager to confront. What would happen if someone
suspected we were not like ordinary travellers? I dared not think
about it. All my people knew that the phenomenon soulscapers called
the Fear was eloim-born; ghost fragments of memories of despair
from the time of the Expulsion and Devastation - tragic events in
our history, of which we were forbidden to speak. It would be
catastrophic if this fact was discovered; old hatreds might rise to
destroy us. The Taps were a constant threat to eloim-kind because
of this. However, we respected the soulscapers because they were
the guardians of humanity’s health and sanity. And yet, because of
their penetrating insight into the minds of others, every time we
approached a soulscaper we risked exposure. Beth and I stalked them
because we had to, even though we feared them - but we feared their
city more.
    Beth, needing
action and spontaneity, husked more than a pretty soul or two on
the journey east. I myself had no desire to sup - anxiety about our
business crushed my appetite - and I took only modest refreshment
from my maid, when hunger became too pressing to ignore. As we had
anticipated, soulscapers were plentiful in Lansaal, so there was no
reason to delay our mission. I confess that I was not entirely
happy about that. From the first, this idea had been Beth’s rather
than mine, and I still questioned the wisdom of it. I feared
discovery and was unsure whether we would emerge victorious from
any direct confrontation with a soulscaper. What if they were
stronger than we were? Beth sneered at my fears, although I was
sure he was anxious about this himself. He refused to discuss it
though. I told him we would have to be circumspect in our approach
to these people - men and women alike - and yet the very nature of
our mission