✅ End of the Rainbow

Part 43: Blazing Ambition

"Belmadir!" he growled, "You need to stay in shelter. What are you doing up here?"

The scientist looked over his shoulder, and then went back to working.

"I think authority has gone to your head, Irv." He spoke slowly and carefully, slotting every word into place as carefully as he did the crystals in his machines. "Her Excellency instructed you to protect me, not to give me orders."

"The d..." Lord Irvetrani started, and checked himself. He didn't need another argument about the name of their enemy, taking attention away from the actual discussion of tactics. "Those things are barely a hundred miles from the city. We never know when they're going to attack."

"And whose fault is that?"

"Enough!" Orsertro snapped, leaning against the door frame. Like Irvetrani, he was in full battle armour. But his helmet was held comfortably under one arm, and he was chewing a piece of straw to calm himself down as he looked out over the city. Both of the others waited for him to speak.

"Belmadir, we've taken a big risk putting so much time and effort into this machine of yours. Do you have any idea how much power it costs to send ships to Saturn and back for materials? So you could at least act like you recognise how much we're banking on your judgement. There's no need to pick a fight here."

"Thanks for the –"

"And you, Irvetrani?" the Knight turned to his friend, and the emotional agitation was obvious. Even without the opals glowing fire-bright all across his armour, Irvetrani would have known he'd made some mistake. "Why are you giving Madir orders? You heard what the Princess said as well as any of us. You're the backup plan here, we don't need your powers."

"I'm here because–"

"You're here in case this device doesn't work. To ensure that the demons don't destroy it, and make sure Madir gets a second chance. Right?"

"And I intend to do that. But I can't protect him if–"

"Listen to yourself! It's always about the fight! We are going to protect him, so that if his machine doesn't work the first time, he will be able to work towards a second attempt. How does that work if your protection is interfering with his work? He can't afford to stop and argue semantics."

"He doesn't look stopped to me." They both looked down at Belmadir. He was kneeling in front of a soul cabinet, a solid block of crystal as large as a man. And one by one, he reached inside it, guiding shards of various gems to their correct positions. He always seemed to be calm when he was working, hands moving with geometrical precision. Orsertro could move just as precisely when he needed to, and it was a task he could probably have helped with, but this was one computing machine that only Belmadir truly understood. He didn't have Orsertro's innate talent for creation, but he could look at components that the others had shaped, each understanding their individual powers, and he could see how all those parts fit together. When it came to powers that concerned the use of other powers, or devices whose abilities had previously been restricted to the immortal lords, Belmadir really knew what he was doing. He was the one who didn't just use his ability, but understood it, and that meant he could envision plans and devices that the others couldn't even dream of.

"I cannot allow my movements to be perturbed by the agitation of those around me," he said calmly, while reaching for another sapphire from the pile beside him. "Every piece must be aligned to within microns, so I must remain calm. If the chance of unexpected death bothered me so, I wouldn't be attempting this project. When I first proposed upgrading the city's heart in this way, I knew that it would likely be the end of me."

The others had returned to staring out of the windows, over the city and over the sea. They knew exactly what he was saying, they'd all been there for the discussions about whether this was a good idea. But for Belmadir, even the simplest explanation seemed to be a mantra. He'd keep on repeating those words until he reached the end of the train of thought, even if there was nobody else listening. He said that following a rational stream of consciousness helped to steady his hands, if anyone ever questioned him about it.