The Power and the Glory

Book 1 Chapter VI: The Curious Case of the Walking Dead

Would you like to live with your soul in the grave? -- Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights

Abihira's first successful necromancy (necromancing? She needed to find a good word for it) happened completely by accident. It was on her first visit to a different planet since her return home. For once she was visiting someone of her own volition, instead of ticking names off a list her parents gave her.

She hadn't seen Kitritúr Nenimyssvóeln for over four hundred years. Her old friend had inherited lands here, on the planet Muirus 9436, half-way across the galaxy from Vanerth[1]. Abihira had only visited Muirus 9436 once before. Her impression of the place was that it was tiny, unimportant, and its code numbers were a blasted nuisance to remember. Unfortunately they were necessary. Leave them off entirely and she might end up getting on a spaceship for a completely different part of the galaxy. Forget some of the numbers and she'd find herself sent to one of its moons.

She knew better than to try a transportation spell. They were rarely reliable at the best of times. Attempt to travel thousands of light-years by one, and she'd end up in a black hole or somewhere equally undesirable. So there was nothing for it but to pack some clothes and set off for the spaceport.

Irímé had arrived the day before. For the next week at least he would be dragged into the middle of endless wedding preparations, and it was useless to even think of trying to talk to him yet. Since she had nothing better to do, and would go stark raving mad if forced to look at another menu or list of decorations, now was the perfect time to go visiting.

The spaceship covered the distance between the two planets in less than a day. Abihira watched Muirus 9436 grow steadily larger through the windows. An idea began to form in the back of her mind as they entered its atmosphere. It took on form as they landed in the spaceport. By the time she picked up her suitcase and walked off the ship, it was almost definite.

Kitritúr had once helped her in several of her experiments with not-dark-but-not-exactly-light magic. She had volunteered to be turned into a frog, been put under mind-control (that failed miserably, since she did the exact opposite of what the spell told her to), helped steal bone fragments from the royal physician's stores, and generally done things that would leave normal people worrying about her sanity. Who better to help Abihira with necromancy?

As soon as she entered the main spaceport she found Kitritúr herself waiting. At first she didn't recognise her. Gone were the long flowing outer robes of the Saoridhians. Instead Kitritúr wore the brocade skirt, tunic, and capelet commonly worn on Muirus 9436. Abihira blinked and did a double take.

Her surprise must have shown, because Kitritúr burst out laughing. "Your face! You look like you've seen a ghost!"

What an astonishingly appropriate remark, considering what Abihira was thinking about.

Kitri abruptly stopped laughing. She took a step forward and stared very hard at Abihira. She was so much shorter than her old friend that she had to crane her head back to look her in the face, and Abihira had to look down at such a sharp angle that her chin was almost touching her collarbone. Abihira took a step back to spare both of them a sore neck.

"You're planning something, aren't you." Kitri sounded simultaneously curious and apprehensive.

"Perhaps," Abihira agreed.

There was a short silence. Well, as much silence as was ever possible in a busy spaceport. Kitri's face went through a series of complicated emotions, beginning and ending with reluctant resignation.

"Please tell me you won't turn me into a frog again."

Abihira laughed. "Don't worry. There are no frogs involved. At all."