Infelice clenched her fists. Bells clamored wrath in the caldera until the bones trembled, all of them—except the ones which Jeremiah had merged.

“And do you conceive that I regard your threat? Wildwielder, you do not desire comprehension. You have inquired concerning the shadow upon the hearts of the Elohim , but you do not attend when you are answered. It is this.” She slapped a gesture at Jeremiah. “His purpose for us is an abomination, more so than our doom in the maw of the Worm. But it is not the worst evil.”

“All right.” Linden did not waver. The Staff held steady in her hands. “Let’s take this one step at a time.” Jeremiah was still working, as undisturbed by Infelice as he was by caesures. Apparently he had completed one wall of his construct. Now he began to meld a similar structure atop the second of his foundation-bones. He only needed to be left alone. “If there’s something that you want me to understand, help me with it.”

Before Infelice could interrupt her, she said, “Whatever Jeremiah is making, he needs bone. But why these bones? What are they? Where did they come from? How did they get here?”

The Elohim’s raiment displayed jewels and exasperation. “Wildwielder, I will not suffer this. You ask for the history of the Earth entire. I will say only that they are the remains of quellvisks.” Her bells sang distaste under the dulled sky. “It does not concern you that they once made war upon the Elohim. In a distant age, they were destroyed. Their bones we deposited here, in Muirwin Delenoth, which signifies the resting place of abhorrence, as an emblem of our disdain for such affronts.”

—destroyed. By Infelice and her people.

Linden frowned as though she wanted to understand. “That doesn’t help.” She had no interest in extinct monsters. “It doesn’t matter how long ago you killed them. They’re still just bones. I’ll try a different question.

“Why were the Ranyhyn suddenly in such a hurry? For God’s sake, they spent two days just walking. Then they decided to run.

“Maybe if you explain what changed, I’ll understand.”

Infelice brandished her fists. For an instant, her chiming collapsed into cacophony. Then she mastered herself.

Melodious again, she answered, “An implausible threat approaches the Timewarden’s wracked mate. Long and long within her frail confines, she has readied herself to confront him, she and turiya Herem with her. But now the minions of noisome Horrim Carabal advance against her. They cannot harm her. However, they endanger the skest that ward and sustain her. By so doing, they hope to weaken her.