His eyes opened slowly. ‘I have to go,’ he said.
Tarsha looked confused. ‘Where?’
‘I can’t stay here. I have to leave—now.’
Before Tarsha could protest, Jaden ran down the slope, but this time turned toward the grand stairway instead of the temple, and made his way to the left, to the opening through which he had first entered the hollow.
* * *
‘That was Jaden, a hopeful,’ said Vennoss as Jaden had left the room.
Dahla nodded, but continued looking in the direction Jaden had gone, seemingly curious about him still.
Vennoss tried to regain her attention. ‘Now, what have you found?’ he asked.
Dahla slowly turned back to him, taking a moment to settle her thoughts. ‘The Alliance has received reinforcements.’
‘How many?’ asked Vennoss.
‘I can’t say. Thousands.’
‘And in the south?’
‘More. All nations between Chiresk and Omada will fall.’
‘They move quickly,’ said Vennoss thoughtfully, ‘just as they did in the Tiquan continent.’
‘They are desperate for victory,’ said Blair.
‘They wish for an end beyond patience,’ added Adonis.
‘Yes,’ said Vennoss, ‘but the Resistance is weakening. This may not be the mistake it seems.’
‘Corsec cannot be allowed to fall,’ said Adonis.
‘Is it time to act?’ asked Blair.
‘The nations have had their chance. They have failed. The world is no longer theirs,’ answered Adonis.
‘No,’ said Vennoss, shaking his head as he stood up and paced the room. ‘We cannot interfere to that extent. Their right to life is equal to our own, and we haven’t the numbers to stand against the Alliance without them.’
Adonis and Blair exchanged looks of disapproval.
‘We are more powerful than in the beginning,’ said Adonis.
‘And so is the Alliance,’ said Vennoss. ‘It would be foolish to even try. The war must go on for longer. We must prolong it.’
‘Then we must make a stand at Corsec,’ said Dahla.
Vennoss turned and gave her a small nod. ‘Yes, if we can summon enough in time, that is what we must do. If we help the Resistance defend against the Alliance assault, it may help them gain a foothold in the war again. We need them to become the aggressors, and then we will help the Alliance while in Tiquan. There must be balance between them for the coming years, it is our only hope.’
‘How many do we need?’ asked Adonis.
‘It will depend on the size of the force. Can you give an estimate?’ Vennoss asked Dahla.
‘Fifteen, maybe twenty thousand from the west. Double that in the south.’
‘And a few hundred thousand across the land bridge,’ finished Vennoss. ‘The bulk of their army resides around Corsec, but they will be held off by the Diadon fleets.’ He said nothing for a moment as he began to pace again, this time slowly with his eyes directed to the floor. ‘If we can maintain position with the Resistance, we will be able to do it with as few as ten or eleven, but I fear circumstance may require a minimum of fifteen.’
‘Who can we call upon?’ asked Blair.
‘The three of you will have to be there. I know of some residing northwest of here that may answer us, but they will be stubborn. I will have to go myself to persuade them. If I am successful, that will give us another three. There are others scattered from here to Corsec. The last I saw them they were travelling alone. Dahla, see how many you can locate.’
Dahla accepted with a bow of her head.
Vennoss turned to Blair and Adonis. ‘The others can be reached at Ceahlin and Waikor. Your presence alone and the rumour of the Daijuar massing will be enough to draw them.’
‘That is still not enough,’ said Adonis.
‘I know,’ said Vennoss. ‘Take Jaden with you. You can continue his training along the way.’
‘He will not be ready,’ commented Blair dryly.
‘He will be assigned a lesser task. We need everyone we can get.’
Adonis and Blair bowed as they too accepted their task.
Vennoss released his breath. ‘We must move quickly.’
‘What if he does not wish to come with us?’ asked Blair.
‘I will come with you to speak to him,’ said Vennoss. ‘Come, we must go. Now.’
All three Daijuar and Vennoss walked briskly out of the hexagonal room through the corridor, Vennoss in the lead as the lights behind them dimmed to blackness. As they exited the temple the thick steel doors were locked by Adonis, and Vennoss began searching for Tarsha and Jaden, but saw only Tarsha walking toward them.
‘Where is Jaden?’ asked Vennoss.