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〃Don't do it; boss;〃 he said。 〃You've got nothing to prove。 I know you were pissed off that they didn't throw a party in Yzordderrex; but fuck 'em; I say…or; rather; don't。 Let 'em have their fish。〃
Gentle laid his hands on Monday's shoulders。 〃Don't worry;〃 he said。 〃This isn't a suicide mission。〃
〃So what's the big hurry? You're dead beat; boss。 Have a sleep。 Eat something。 Get strong。 There's all of tomorrow not touched yet。〃
〃I'm fine;'1 Gentle said。 〃I've got my talisman。〃
〃What's that?〃
Gentle opened his palm and showed Monday the blue stone。
〃A fuckin' egg?〃
〃An egg; eh?〃 Gentle said; tossing the stone in his hand。 〃Maybe it is。〃
He threw it up into the air a second time; and it rose; far higher than his muscle had propelled it; way up above their heads。 At the summit of its ascent it seemed to hover for a beat and then returned into his hand at leisure; defying the claim of gravity。 As it descended it brought the faintest drizzle down with it; cooling their upturned faces。
Monday cooed with pleasure。 〃Rain out of nowhere;〃 he said。 〃I remember that。〃
Gentle left him bathing the grime from his face and went to join Chicka Jackeen; who had finished explaining his intentions to his colleagues。 They all hung back; watching the Maestros with uneasy stares。
〃They think we're going to die;〃 Chicka Jackeen explained。
〃They may very well be right;〃 Gentle said quietly。 〃Are you certain you want to e with me?〃
〃I was never more certain of anything。〃 … With that they started towards the ambiguous ground that lay between the solidity of the Second and the Erasure's vacancy。 As they went; one of Jackeen's friends began to call after him; in distress at his departure。 The cry was taken up by several others; their shouts too mingled to be interpreted。 Jackeen halted for a moment and glanced back towards the pany he was leaving。 Gentle made no attempt to urge him on。 He ignored the shouts and picked up his speed; the Erasure thickening around him and the smell of the devastation that lay on the other side growing stronger with every step he took。 He was prepared for it; however。 Instead of holding his breath; he drew the stench of his Father's rot deep into his lungs; defying its pungency。 There was another shout from behind him; but this time it wasn't one of Jackeen's friends; it was the Maestro himself; his voice colored more by wonder than alarm。 Its tone piqued Gentle's curiosity; and he glanced back over his shoulder to seek Jackeen out; but the nullity had e between them。 Unwilling to be delayed; Gentle forged on; a purpose in his stride he didn't prehend。 His enfeebled legs had found strength from somewhere; his heart was urgent in his chest。
Ahead; the blinding murk was stirring; the first vague forms of the First's terrain emerging。 And from behind; Jackeen again。
〃Maestro? Maestro! Where are you?〃
Without slowing his stride; Gentle returned the call。
〃Here!〃
〃Wait for me!〃 Jackeen gasped。 〃Wait!〃 He emerged from the void to lay his hand on Gentle's shoulder。
〃What is it?〃 Gentle said; looking around at Jackeen; who as if in bliss had dropped the toll of years and was once again a young man; sweaty with awe at the way of feits。
〃The waters;〃 he said。
〃What about them?〃
〃They've followed you; Maestro。 They've followed you!〃
And as he spoke; they came。 Oh; how they came! They ran to Gentle's feet in glittering rills that broke against his ankles and his shins and leapt like silver snakes towards his hands…or; rather; towards the stone he held in his hands。 And seeing their elation and their zeal; he heard Huzzah's laughter and felt again her tiny fingers brushing his arm as she passed the blue egg on to him。 He didn't doubt for a moment that she'd known what would e of the gift。 So; most likely; had Jude。 He'd bee their agent at the last; just as he'd bee his mother's; and the thought of that sweet service brought an echo of the child's laughter to his lips。
From above; the egg was calling down a drizzle to swell the waters swirling underfoot; and in the space of seconds the patter became a roar; and a deluge descended; violent enough to sluice the murk of the Erasure out of the air。 After a few moments; light began to break around the Maestros; the first light this terrain had seen since Hapexamendios had drawn the void over his Dominion。 By it; Gentle saw that Jackeen's exhilaration was rapidly turning to panic。
〃We're going to drown!〃 he yelled; fighting to stay on his feet as the water deepened。
Gentle didn't retreat。 He knew where his duty lay。 As the surf broke against their backs; the tide threatening to drag them under; he raised Huzzah's gift to his lips and kissed it; just as she had done。 Then he mustered all his strength and threw the stone out; over the landscape that was being uncovered before them。 The egg went from his hand with a momentum that was not his sinews' work but its own ambition; and instantly the waters went in pursuit of it; dividing around the Maestros and taking their tides off into the wasteland of the First。
It would take the waters weeks; perhaps even months; to cover the Dominion from end to end; and most of that work would go unwitnessed。 But in the next few hours; standing at their vantage point where the City of God had once begun; the Maestros were granted a glimpse of their labor。 The clouds above the First; which had been as inert as the landscape beneath; now began to churn and roil and shed their anguish in stupendous storms; which in turn swelled the rivers that were driving their cleansing way across the rot。
Hapexamendios' remains were not despised。 With the purpose of the Goddesses fueling their every drop; the waters turned the slaughterhouse over and over and over; scouring the matter of its poisons and sweeping it up into mounds; which the exhilarated air festooned with vapors。
The first ground that appeared from this tumult was close to the feet of the Maestros and rapidly became a ragged peninsula that stretched fully a mile into the Dominion。 The waters broke against it constantly; bringing with every wave another freight of Hapexamendios' clay to increase its flanks。 Gentle was patient for a time and stayed at the border。 But he could not resist the invitation forever; and finally; ignoring Jackeen's words of caution; he set off down the spine of land to better see the spectacle visible from the far end。 The waters were still draining from the new earth; and here and there lightning still ran on the slopes; but the ground was solid enough; and there were seedlings everywhere; carried; he presumed; from Yzordderrex。 If so; there would be abundant life here in a little while。
By the time he'd reached the end of the peninsula the clouds overhead were begining to clear somewhat; lighter for their furies。 Farther off; of course; the process he'd been privileged to witness was just beginning; as the storms spread in all directions from their point of origin。 By their blazes he glimpsed the snaking rivers; going about their work with undiminished ambition。 Here on the promontory; however; there was a more benign light。 The First Dominion had a sun; it seemed; and though it wasn't yet warm; Gent