“Point two: Role has been called. Missing: Kahsh-Ka of the Elemental school – on sick leave, Sohar – paid vacation, Olidra-Ka – without leave. Please note this down,” Savas added, turning to the secretary keeping the protocol. Some of the assembled teachers rolled their eyes, but avoided groaning audibly. Savas took his job and himself very seriously, and that included the meetings.
“Point three. The purpose of today's meeting is to discuss our response to the disaster that destroyed the forachid chambers. Point four. We will have a full account of our current information of the disaster.
“Examiner Sohra-Ka is asked to please explain to the assembled what he saw upon his arrival at the caverns this morning.”
Sohra-Ka stood up reluctantly. Not that he was nervous about talking – in fact, he had had to explain what he was about to say several times already, and was more exasperated at having to repeat it yet again.
His nervousness was directed at something else that appeared to be a general source of apprehension to the other teachers too – including Savas, the chairman, although he did his very best to hide it behind his officiousness. At the back of the room, tightly grouped in a corner, sat three black-robed Vahnatai whose chests bore the insignia of a six-pointed star, encased in a hexagon, encased in a circle: The symbol of Law. The auditors had decided to send three of their number to listen in on the meeting after reacting to the news that the forachid had been destroyed with less surprise than a grim resolve. It was clear that they had been expecting something of the sort to happen.
The auditors – we must never call them inquisitors, Sohra-Ka reminded himself, they take that in very ill humor – wore hooded robes, keeping the hoods drawn over their faces even indoors. Their faces were partially hidden in the shadows, giving them a disconcerting appearance. Even though Sohra-Ka could not see their faces, he knew that their gaze held everything in the room, filing all observations away in their memory and passing them on to each other through the mental rapport that they allegedly kept going almost constantly. When they had first arrived at Oriath, Sohra-Ka had looked one of them straight in the eyes and had hastily withdrawn: The impression of the auditor reading his very soul and mind had been too much to bear.
He gathered his thoughts to the matter at hand, and prepared to recount his experiences at the forachid chambers yet again.
-----
“... and the path leading further into the levels seemed to have been blocked off completely. I doubt it would be possible to clear the passages without the aid of several geomancers, and even then it would likely take more than a day.”
“Your estimate of the damage is high,” Savas commented. “Are you saying that the cavern has been rendered completely unusable?”
“What remains of it will have to be seen once the way in is cleared and it becomes accessible. For now, it is as usable as anything with no entrance.”
One of the auditors spoke – the first thing he or the other two had said so far. “You mentioned stal'ra as a likely cause. What evidence did you detect for this?”
“Intense heat has been discharged in the halls, as I said. The walls have been sterilized by fire – scorch marks are visible in places – and the stone has even been partially melted. However, the destruction appears not to have been centered on a single spot as from an explosion. I do not know what other force could wreak that damage equally throughout the entire hall.”
“Where would---” the auditor cut himself short. “Right. You keep on using it in your tests. Safety regulations have not yet been drafted covering this, so the most I can do is advise. My advice is as ever.”
Sohra-Ka did not respond except with a nod of acknowledgement – he had nothing to add, and his authority did not allow him to decide on the way Oriath conducted its forachid test. Savas interjected instead: “Your advice has been noted.” And ignored, it lay on Sohra-Ka's tongue, but he resisted the temptation. There were far less stupid ways to end one's career.
“Let us then come to the next point. Point five,” Savas read from the agenda in the flat voice of bureaucracy. “Our immediate steps regarding the disaster will be the gathering of further information. We must find out exactly what happened in the testing halls and what caused it.”
He paused. “Jekkis-Ihrno, the word is yours,” he bowed slightly in deference to the venerable diviner who had raised his hand.
Jekkis-Ihrno was old even for one of his people, and his words were slow and somewhat wheezing. “It appears that the caverns are inaccessible physically. Making them accessible will take significant time. I would suggest that we conduct our preliminary investigation through remote divination without wasting time on hauling rocks around.” He sat down slowly.
A red-robed mage on the other side of the table raised his hand as well.
“Avjah-Ta, please speak your mind,” Savas addressed him.
“I respectfully disagree with Jekkis-Ihrno.” He licked his tongue nervously. “The chambers are still volatile, and it is well-known that the intense aura of stal'ra obscures the sight for days after.”
Jekkis-Ihrno spoke again. “With all due respect, your knowledge is out of date, Avjah-Ta. Advances have been made years ago that allow the mapping of places with a strongly saturated aura as well as anything. The stal'ra will be no problem.”
One of the auditors spoke. “It may not, but I would like to note at this point that the Agency will not accept the testimony of anyone but an accredited diviner from outside this institution. Fetching such a diviner will take longer than the clearing of the tunnels.”
Jekkis-Ihrno was fuming, but even he dared not argue with the authority of the auditors. He sat down yet again.
Savas went on in his agenda. “I would suggest sending a group of Keepers to the halls no later than tonight.” The Keepers were Oriath's own enforcers – each academy had their own, and they usually acted as investigators and judges in internal conflicts within the institution.
“Six Keepers should suffice, including any of the auditors who decide to accompany them.” A nod from the three robed figures indicated that they very much intended to.
“A vote among the whole staff is required before Keepers are sent on a mission beyond the boundaries of the campus. This is now Point five sub one. Staff is called to an open vote on the decision of sending the Keepers to the forachid.” Technically still inside campus grounds, Sohra-Ka realized. The vote was only required to allow the Keepers to act outside the tiny clearing that surrounded the entrance of the testing halls – an exclave that still belonged to Oriath.
“All in favor are asked to indicate thus with their right hand.” The decision was quickly made: If nothing else, sending the Keepers avoided the assembled staff having to spend hours coming up with another plan of action, and almost all hands were in favor.
Avjah's hand stayed down for several moments, but realizing he was outnumbered anyway, he shrugged and raised it. One of the auditors turned his head towards him and seemed to briefly examine his face, but then turned away again.
“The vote appears to be in favor,” Savas said after a brief pause spent muttering under his breath and counting off the various raised hands. “Please note this down.” The protocol keeper, having already written down the result after she had counted it herself, looked up in irritation, but did not say anything.
“Point five sub two. Six Keepers are to be chosen to be sent to the testing halls. Rabon-Ka, as present First Keeper you are asked to pick the ones you wish to send on this mission.”
Rabon-Ka did not need to think long. “This will be Korhem-Ka and Rahjis-Ka of the Elemental department, Avjah-Ta of the experimental biology department, Idris-Ka and Vahnol-Ka of the crystallomancy department.” He paused, then continued. “I will be going along myself.”
The list was strangely unbalanced, Sohra-Ka realized. Out of the many departments of Oriath, Rabon-Ka had chosen three from his own department. It seemed that only the geomancers were really needed to clear the rocks, and yet the group was made up of crystallomancers and one biologist.
But it was Rabon-Ka's prerogative to choose any of the Keepers – and besides, those who doubled as law enforcers as well as teachers were trained in all kinds of skills. The group would be competent.
The auditor who had been acting as spokesperson now added: “It is our will that two from among our number join your Keepers on their journey. By order of our commander, these will be Eedrah and Zifais.” He nodded first to his left and then to his right to indicate the auditors sitting at either side of him.
Zafas added: “Point five sub six. Note that down, please. The agenda has been covered. Does anyone have anything to add?” After a brief silence, he continued: “Very well. The meeting is adjourned.”
The squeaking sound of dozens of chairs being drawn over the floor, the shuffle of a hundred feet walking out of the room, the click of the door, and then: Silence.
