The Ships of Air (The Fall of Ile-Rein) Read Online Free PDF

had been working on the Viller Institute’s defense project as long as Gerard. As the other primary sorcerer on the project, his role had been to stay in Ile-Rien to watch over things there; this evacuation had been his first chance to travel through the gate.
    Before Niles could continue, Gerard interrupted. “There’s a problem. We’re holding an enemy sorcerer called Ixion.” Gerard gestured toward the damp canvas-wrapped bundle Giliead was just depositing on the floor. “He isn’t a Gardier; he’s a native collaborator. He’s apparently perfected a consciousness-transference spell that can take effect at the moment of his death. Now he seems to be in some sort of comatose state. Giliead here is something of an expert on this subject and he believes it’s very possible that Ixion has another body waiting somewhere that he can transfer into if we attempt to harm this one.”
    “I see.” The crowd noise rose and fell around them, but Niles stroked his chin thoughtfully, eyeing the quiescent bundle as if they were standing in a quiet library. “No chance we could tempt him over to our side?”
    Gerard’s mouth twisted in distaste. “I rather doubt it. From what our allies tell us the Syprian sorcerers are all quite mad. My experience with Ixion certainly bears that out.”
    Niles’s frown deepened. He pulled a booklet with a printed cover out of his coat pocket and began to flip hurriedly through it. Tremaine stared. It looked like a tourist brochure. “What is that?” she demanded.
    “A map of the ship for passengers,” Niles explained. “There were bundles of them in the purser’s office. They come in handy since so many of the crew were assigned here just yesterday.” He glanced at Gerard. “Thorny problem. But this Ixion isn’t resistant to our spells like the Gardier?”
    “No, not resistant at all, fortunately.” Gerard pushed damp hair out of his face. “Does the ship have a brig?”
    “No, but there’s a secure area meant for stowaways. That’s where your Gardier prisoners have been packed off to.” Niles’s brows lifted as he studied the map. “The ship does have an extensive cold-storage capability.”
    Gerard smiled thinly. “That’s a thought.”
    Giliead touched Tremaine’s arm, asking uneasily, “What are they saying about Ixion?”
    Tremaine started. Listening to Gerard and Niles talk, she had almost drifted off. “They’ve thought of a place to keep him,” she explained, switching back to Syrnaic with an effort and trying to look alert. “A locked cold room somewhere.”
    He nodded, pressing his lips together. “I’ll take him there.”
    “No!” One of the Syprians protested. Tremaine craned her neck and saw it was Dannor. Of course . “You brought us here, you stay with us.”
    Tremaine saw Halian’s face suffuse with red. Ilias muttered something under his breath that hadn’t been included in the sphere’s translation spell. But it was obvious the others agreed, except maybe Arites, who was staring around in anxious curiosity. It’s a good thing they don’t know Niles is a sorcerer , Tremaine realized. Ilias knew from his brief visit to Ile-Rien, but he didn’t look inclined to mention it. The Syprians had gotten used to Gerard, but there was no telling how they would react to another Rienish sorcerer, especially as unsettled as they were now.
    Watching with concern, Gerard told Giliead, “It’s all right, we can take care of it ourselves. I still have a ward of impermeability on Ixion.”
    Giliead hesitated, threw a dark look at Dannor, then said reluctantly, “All right.”
    “Very well.” Gerard turned to Tremaine as Niles called over a couple of men to take Ixion. “Will you let me have the sphere?”
    She nodded, handing him the bag wordlessly. The lights were too bright, and everything was taking on a surreal tint, probably a product of her exhaustion. As he pushed off after Niles, Florian appeared, saying, “Were you the last, did everyone