Page 77 of The Shape of Monsters
Amado interrupts. “If everyone agrees that the array must be completed to end the danger of earthquakes, let that be discussed.”
There is grumbling, especially from blue-haired Berrik, but Helica Silkhair levels Iriset with another cold look. “This designer would like to know more about the array and its purpose before discussing completion. Arraysdo things. This isn’t about completing it and there being no consequences.”
Iriset slides to her feet. “It’s magic,” she says, cheeky, because if this silk-chimera already doesn’t like her, why bother? “How does Helica Silkhair think Iriset and Lyric came to be here?”
“This designer does not guess without evidence, and there is little of that,” Helica says.
But the cardinal—the astronomer—leans forward. “Another world, perhaps? There are theories, well founded, in Lightning Revelation that other worlds exist among the stars, and even near to this world, relatively speaking. Perhaps the anomaly star was a gateway.”
At least two people snort, and the Moon-Eater laughs approvingly. Iriset looks at Lyric, who seems shocked. She says, “Not a bad guess. It could be true. Perhaps all fairies are from a different world.”
“Nonsense,” says the striking commander-philosopher. “These new friends speak the language of this city, and the array is obviously designed in the traditions taught by the Moon-Eater. There is no need to bring imaginary other worlds into this, Elfr.”
“Imaginary! Does Intrinsic Foundation stick so close to the ground it cannot imagine beyond known rocks and trees?”
Iriset ignores them, taking her stylus and the tiny funnel-anchors she made yesterday out of her bag. First she goes to the eastern point of the diagnostic display, between Lyric and Eliri. She does not let herself pay attention to Lyric, to how close he is and the tilt of his head as he studies her. Iriset plants her rising anchor, sticking it with ecstatic buttons, then tosses a thread of rising up and swings around to the southern point, where Amado nods to her. She does the same at her seat in the west, then gets to the north, between the arguing designerand astronomer. She clears her throat and moves between them. They lean back, affronted, and Iriset puts the anchor in place but doesn’t activate anything. “It doesn’t matter where Iriset is from,” she declares. “Because I know how to complete the array, and what it will do.”
Unfortunately, she thinks sourly. “The array,” she continues, once everyone is looking at her, “is a very core design at home. The most basic, one might argue.” Iriset nods at Shade, who stands, then leaps into the air. He walks up invisible stairs until he stands—floats—over the heart of the array. Then he stretches out like he’s lying splayed midair, his hair falling over his shoulders to trail down like vines toward the table.
“There are several layers to the power structure of the array, but what matters most right now,” Iriset says, “for the purpose of completing it, are four external channel points. That’s what the central knot is reaching for and not finding, which results in the release of excess energy.”
She nods, and together she and the Moon-Eater charge the force-threads, and the diagnostic array shivers. In the center, the spiraling knots flare and then snap out to each funnel-anchor—where the Great Steeples of Moonshadow City would be in relation. Every stray thread and strand stretches, pulls, and then resettles in an approximation of the Holy Design of the crater.
Iriset slides her gaze across the design, admiring its simplicity, but wishing it wasn’t the case. She glances at Lyric to find him already looking at her—she wonders if he ever looked away at all. He must recognize Aharté’s design in his bones. He says, “This alone will settle the metadesign.”
Narrowing her eyes at his use of a word he probably didn’t know until two minutes ago, she says, “It is enough.”
“It will completely redesign the architecture of the city!” complains the Chimera city planner, half in awe, half in horror.
“How can this even be contemplated?” the asshole Berrik demands. “Just because these strangers claim it?”
“And the Moon-Eater,” reminds Amado Chimera.
Berrik seems to draw himself together, and calmly but coldly says, “Since when has the Moon-Eater cared about the people of the city?”
Shade hums like it’s a good point.
“The destruction would be worse than the earthquakes and spider mines,” agrees Helica, but thoughtfully.
Mirea says, “That can be mitigated with careful preparation.”
“For small kings who agree,” Amado Chimera says. “This is a vast undertaking.”
“There will be many who do not,” Berrik says. “Formanyreasons.”
River says through pink smoke, “How is completing this a better outcome than the destruction of breaking the array?”
Iriset shrugs. “Controlled redesign instead of explosions. Warning, exact specifications.”
“Balance,” Lyric murmurs.
“But what is the power source?” the Chimera city planner asks, waving ans hands as if an might find the answer in midair. An seems less against it, and more simply overwhelmed.
“The Moon-Eater!” the Moon-Eater crows, talking to them from his ridiculous position.
“Is the red god so strong?” Eliri asks quietly. She knows the answer; she’s the only one besides Shade, Iriset, Lyric, and the missing Never who knows the answer.
The Moon-Eater grins. “When Iriset Sunderer takes this god apart, the energy unleashed will do everything.”
