One is Come Read online

  Chapter 7

  Bowl Call

  Light flickered in a cave that existed neither here nor there. Three identical pedestals squatted in the cave, forming a perfect triangle. Each perfectly black pedestal balanced one bowl on its top. One bowl, a shimmering blue, clear like glass, held water. One, made of metal so finely polished it appeared white, held small blue flames that provided the light in the room. The third bowl, a dark brown stone, appeared to have just plain sand in it.

  The water rippled in the blue bowl. The ripples, random at first, bounced off the sides of the bowl, and slipped into alignment, forming perfect circles. They met in the center of the bowl, colliding into each other and sending a drop of water flipping up. The drop paused and then shot unerringly toward the bowl of fire. The bowl pinged softly and hissed as the water drop struck the bowl and burst into steam. More rippling waves produced another drop, and another ping and hiss echoed off the walls.

  The flames shot up, lighting up the small room, except for its one doorway which was still completely hidden in darkness. The bowl of sand sparkled, a multicolored glittering of a million diamonds. The water also glinted as another drop rose from the blue bowl. A voice flared out of the flames, “I am here, cease your water works!”

  The drop fell slowly back to rejoin the water as the ripples became waves, seemingly too large to be held by the bowl. The waves matched the volume and pace of the voice that rose out of it. “Now is the time for us all to join in remaking the world.”

  The flames laughed, their flickering matching the tones of its voice. “And they call me melodramatic! What are you talking about, you underworld half-wit?”

  The waves repeated, “The One is come. By our ancient laws, I request a Speaking of the Three.”

  The flames dipped into a low, blue mass, a single pulsing flame for an instant, then flared again, full of reds and oranges. “Oh, that. So, who do think it is? Are you sure?”

  The waves flattened for a beat, then resumed. “That is the intent of the Speaking.”

  The flames spun, flashing yellows. “You are just guessing. I am not going to put forth all the effort of joining a Speaking without seeing with my own eyes. Have you touched Earth?”

  Waves in the water made a complex pattern and the voice said, “I will do that right now…”

  The room shone as a huge flame shot up. “No, you sly spring! Let’s make sure this is worth it.” The flames hissed softly. “Mucking about with humans. How tiresome.”

  The waves started to slow, the water flattening. It said, “You do me honor.” They picked up again. “May I ask how you will check if he is the One? If you were going to be close enough to do a Reading, might I ask a favor? I don't have a reason to stray from the Forms.”

  The flames flickered and laughed. “You slippery fish! You and your pet humans! What wild theory have you now?”

  “Yes,” the waves sloshed excitedly. “That is exactly how I found out the One. That family you told me of has such interesting energetic patterns, and even if the boy-child is not the One, the girl-child is transitioning through Awakening. You know that is a particular interest. Well, this girl-child exhibits type IV use of Fire, but seems to have absolutely no balancing Water talent. Imagine if she were the first human pure Fire user? The thesis I could write on the implications…”

  The flames flattened at first but picked up at the end. “Pure Fire user?” it interrupted. “Well, that is… um… mildly interesting.” A brief pause. “I will take a look.”

  “Oh, that would be most excellent, thank you,” the waves said.

  “We need not disturb Earth at this point,” the flames continued. “If need be, I will call the Speaking.”

  “As you say,” the waves demurred. The waves flattened until the bowl of water was still. The flames flickered once, and then dropped, casting the room back to its relative darkness.

  A soft crunching sound accompanied the bowl of sand’s pushing spikes up from its surface. A new voice spoke in the dimly lit cave. “What are you up to? Why did you not tell Fire I was here?”

  The impossible waves returned with their sloshing background. “You also must suspect Fire lies about her lack of involvement in humans. I wanted witness to my request. I can request the Head to observe a meeting.”

  There was the soft sound of shifting sand as the spikes became blocks, rising and falling. “Yes, that is your right.” A chuckle. “How clever to use the bowls to your advantage… but might Fire not guess?”

  “Might, and she might also respect the Head’s prohibitions about interactions with humans,” the waves replied.

  “As you do,” the sand said dryly.

  “No dragon was seen!”

  “Bah, that is the most basic interpretation!”

  “We must still live on the same planet,” the waves started.

  “Yes, yes, we do,” came the quick reply. “But never risk repeating previous horrors.”

  “Of course, we all live our history. But if Fire is too curious to not interfere…”

  “Yes, curiosity is strong in all of us—but you know the saying about curiosity and the dragonelle.” The blocks of sand became one solid block, rising and falling.

  “Prophecy says…” began the waves.

  “The universe will do as it will,” the sand interrupted firmly. “It needs no help from us. Heed well that you do not accuse Fire of interference, and then be caught in that very crime. Farewell, Water.”

  “My thanks,” the waves replied, but the bowl of sand was flat and still.

  After a moment the waves settled and the room fell into silence.