The Rite of Spring: The Fourth of the Eye

The Rite of Spring: Fragment 4

The Fourth of the Eye
in which the Spymaster of the House of the Eye considers some trifles

Life is not always how you expect it to be. When I was young, and served the Eye in the dark places of the world, watching over the activities of the enemies of the God, I saw only a part of the picture. It is now that I am old, and rarely leave this House, that I see the whole picture. No longer must I go out and look for what goes on in the dark places; others do that... And not all of them know that they serve the Eye. Take the Warden of the Foot at Midnightshead - a man (as I suppose) whom i have never met. A good servant of his House, I am sure. Indeed, I know that he (if he be he) is a good servant of his House, for his intelligence reports are copious, precise, excellent. He sends one on the Day of the Mouth of each week; and it happens that his pigeons almost always arrive in the evening of that day. And it happens - it just happens - that one of my people has an arrangement with the person who takes that duty in the pigeonloft at the House of the Foot.

I have often thought of the Warden, perched high in his remote eyrie, writing those careful reports. I remember passing through there once in my youth; I remember the high, windowless outer wall of the hostel, completely spanning the width of the edge they call the Dragon's Dining Table, it's smooth plaster gleaming pale rose among the blacks and greys of that awful vertigous wilderness, as I and my companions raced to beat the rising sun.

Thus it was from the Warden of the Hostel of the Foot at Midnightshead that I first heard of the flight of Aonan a'Aonach. I though of that long perilous edge, and imagined the scenes it must have witnessed, as I read his dry report. I have it here, still:

From the warden of the Foot at Midnightshead, to the Intelligencer of the Foot, greetings. Further to your inquiry re Aonan a'Aonach, I can confirm that she is seeking to enter the Place. A skirmish was observed at the outer end of the Pass on the Evening of the Ear last; I sent a party out under cover of darkness and they reported the discovery of three Rhichonic corpses, all male, and one Coiremhiconic corpse, also male. Among the Rhiconic was one Ryvoan, warrior, lately of the Guard of the God, and known to have been escorting Aonan. All the corpses had been partially devoured. The corpses of three horses were observed in the East Cwm, together with one further human corpse, believed male. These corpses cannot be recovered from here. However, a dragon hunter has been observed over the past two nights in the Cwm, and he may have further intelligence.

A party of merchants who arrived in the early hours of this morning report meeting a band of Coiremhiconic in the gates of the pass. The Coiremhiconic avoided contact. From this I conclude that Aonan was neither captured nor slain, as if she had been the Coiremhiconic would certainly seek to make this as widely known as possible.

It seems probable that the Rhiconic party were denied passage of the pass by the Coiremhiconic, and have retreated to the plain. I shall continue to keep watch for Aonan, but suggest that the wardens on the other passes should also increase their vigilance.

Now there's what I call a useful report. Not only his observations, but his expert analysis; so useful, as we of this House have had much less opportunity to study the barbarian tribes. I knew of the young lady's significance already from earlier reports from the same excellent source, and knew that our intervention in her affairs could be of inestimable value in our - negotiations - with our allies beyond the Rim.

Not all my sources of information are as reliable as the Warden at Midnightshead. Not every pigeonmaster is open to the same sorts of persuasion. So a message from the Ear has a little piquancy added by its rarity. This one was the fruit of a young novice of this House who has become exceeding adept at hawking:

From the Auditor at Midnightsfoot to the Ear to the Ground, Greeting. I have observed that one Skiary, believed of the Eye, is here, and is asking questions of all those coming down from the pass regarding one Aonan a'Aonach. If my knowledge of events beyond the Rim is correct, this would be the daughter of the current chieftain of the Ricnic. The Foot are also seeking the same person.

There are matters in this which I was not pleased to learn. That the Ear should have associated Bre Skiary with this House grieved me; that he should have made his interest so obvious grieved me further. Yet on balance the message was most useful. If the Foot were now seeking the good Princess within the Place, they must have evidence that she had indeed made passage of the Pass; Bre Skiary's activity confirmed this to me. He is a man who lets little slip past him. And the Ears' report of the 'current' chieftain of the Rhichonic also pleased me; in the ignorance of one's enemies lies one's strength.

So much for the intelligence which was not intended for my eyes. Among the flow that passes across my writing board each day, there are, of course, some written for my eyes only. The effort of decoding these is often well repaid. Here is an example:

From the Least of the Eye to the Fourth of the Eye, greeting. I learn from our Friends Outside that the Princess Aonan is certainly within the Place. I learn from a bibulous footman that her body has not been found. They seek a certain dragon hunter who may know more; so shall I.

This little scrap pleased me well. The Eye has many dedicated servants who walk the world unannounced, and through them sees many things which might otherwise pass unnoticed. But few of them are as acute, as certain in their reading of the world's pulse, as was Bre Skiary.

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