Sharra's Exile
Marion Zimmer Bradley
 Lew and Kennard Alton have already spent two years on Earth since Sharra's awakening (see The Heritage of Hastur). Despite numerous attempts, Terran medics were not able to restore Lew's hand, due to destruction on the molecular level of Lew's DNA by the Sharra Matrix. But with the help of the constant monitoring of his father, Lew is recovering his mental control and escaping Sharra's domination. Lew and Kennard Alton have been away from Darkover for three years without any contact with the Comyn. Regis Hastur is now 18 years old and has recently completed his training in the Guard. He is now being trained in governance of a Domain by attending sessions of the Cortes. His paxman and bredu, Danilo Syrtis, is being prepared to rule the Ardais Domain and has spent the previous winter doing so in the Hellers. Danilo is now the adopted Heir of Lord Dyan Ardais who is no longer molesting him or other cadets. The young men meet in Thendara the day before the new season of the Comyn Council. They spend the evening in a tavern and debate about the future Darkover. Lerrys Ridenow, heir to Ridenow of Serrais and a senior Guardsman, and his two close friends, Rakhal (Rafe) Scott and Marius Alton later join them. Dyan Ardais comes also into the tavern with his new minion, Merryl Lindir-Aillard, the half-brother of Lady Callina Aillard, who wishes to replace her on the Council. Merryl mocks Marius for his Terran blood, but a fight is prevented by the intervention of Gabriel Lanart, a cadet member of the Altons, and who is in charge of the Guard during Kennard's absence. Regis and Danilo finally end the evening with Dyan who informs them that he just had a son with Marilla Lindir (Merryl's twin sister). Danilo will be in charge of the child. Dyan also congratulates Regis about his forthcoming son by Crystal di Asturien. Lew and Kennard have been away from Darkover for five years now. As they arrive on Vainwal (a pleasure planet), they meet by chance Diotima Ridenow, who is there on holiday with two of her brothers, Lerrys and Geremy. The first meeting between Dio and Lew is somewhat awkward, but Kennard is eager to associate with other Darkovans, particularly others with laran, and invites the Ridenow to dine. After dinner, Lew and Dio dance together and they both feel a deep attraction to each other. The day after, they hunt together, using hawks and riding horses. They eventually fall in love and, despite her youth, Dio is courageous enough to bear a full telepathic contact with Lew, understanding and sharing the suffering he has endured since bonding with the Sharra Matrix and Marjorie's death. Lew spends one year on Vainwal with Dio. He had never fully recovered from his ordeal, but Dio has managed to heal him and remind him of his humanity. Moreover, she helps Lew distance himself from his father; due to sharing powerful Alton gifts, and Lew's need for psychic healing, they have been unnaturally and uncomfortably close during their exile. Dio discovers that she is pregnant, and she and Lew decide to keep the child. At the beginning of the pregnancy, everything goes well. Kennard convinces Lew and Dio of the importance of an official wedding, and Dio finally confesses Lew that she deliberately became pregnant, because her brother Lerrys threatened to bring her back to Darkover (and space travel is not allowed for pregnant women). The strange result of a prenatal examination precipitates Lew to try to monitor Dio, but during this attempt he is nearly ensnared again by Sharra. Kennard is now too old and infirm to make an attempt. Forty days before Dio's time, Kennard receives a message from Dyan Ardais: he must go back to Darkover otherwise the Comyn Council will give the Alton Domain to Gabriel Lanart. Kennard asks to Lew to come with him, but Dio gives birth prematurely to a still-born monster (a consequence of Lew's DNA problems). Lew sees the monster, and is unable to keep its image out of his mind when he visits Dio. When she reaches this image, she has a nervous breakdown and medics send Lew away from the hospital. He spends some time with Empire administration in order to make legal arrangement for the cremation of the remains. During this time, Lerrys comes to the hospital and takes his sister away from Vainwal. Lew, thinking that Dio no longer wants to be with him, decides not to follow them. Shortly after, Kennard dies and sends during his last living instant a strong telepathic order, with the full Alton gift, to Lew: "You must go back to Darkover, fight for your brother's rights and for the honor of Alton and the Domain." Regis is woken up very early by Marius Alton. Marius tells Regis some disturbing: his close friend Rafe Scott is staying with him in the Alton house in Thendara and he seems to be suffering from a telepathic sickness related to Sharra Matrix. Regis feels anxious because he has just dreamed about Sharra. He therefore goes to the Alton house and manages to reach Rafe. They three young men begin to wonder about the return of Lew or Kennard: one of them might have brought back the matrix. This is all the more dangerous as Rafe reveals that Kadarin and Thyra are still alive. Regis feels uneasy, as the return of the Altons might be a consequence of the warning he gave to Dyan about the Council's discussion on giving the Alton domain to Gabriel Lanart. The first day of the sixth Council season after the Alton departure happens shortly after these events. Prince Derik, who has still not been crowned due to his mental instability, seems to be unduly influenced by Merryl. The Council proposes to give the Alton Domain to Gabriel Lanart. But two challengers appears: Marius Alton and Jeff Kerwin (née Damon Aillard-Alton and called Ridenow). The situation grows more and more confused, as Derik announces that the Aldaran Domain is going to be reunited to the Comyn by means of the wedding he has arranged between Callina Aillard and Beltran Aldaran. The Council is then interrupted by the arrival of Lew Alton in the Crystal chamber. The Council is recessed for half an hour. Lew uses this time to dress in Darkovan clothes and to announce Kennard's death to his family (Marius, Jeff, and Gabriel). Dyan himself is deeply distraught by the news. When the Council resumes, Danvan Hastur asks to the Council to delay the choice of the Alton Lord for seven days. The Council must now consider the problem of Callina's wedding. Of course Callina does not want to marry to Beltran. But the older and most influential members of the Council (especially Danvan and Dyan) think that this marriage could be a good method to reunite the Comyn in order to face Terran colonialism. In fact, only the youngest members of the Council such as Danilo, Regis and of course Lew seem to remember Sharra's awakening and Beltran's responsibility in these events. Lew also finds it outrageous that a Comynara, a Keeper, and the head of a Domain in her own right should be forced into a distasteful marriage. After the end of the Council, Regis has a debate with his grandfather Danvan about the relationship between the Terran Empire and Darkover. Danvan maintains a parochial outlook and wants to avoid any Terran "contamination" of the Darkovan population. Regis seems far more open minded. The situation caused by Derik's thoughtless acts and Merryl's machinations will be difficult to resolve. Declaring the betrothal void would announce Derik's status as a mere figurehead, and could reopen hostilities between Aldaran and the rest of the Comyn. As the discussion is going on, Javanne and Gabriel rejoin Regis and Danvan for dinner. Despite Danvan wishes, Gabriel does not want to challenge Lew for the Alton Domain. During the evening, Sharra tries to enslave Javanne. But Regis manages to free her, acting based on an intuitive and ancestral knowledge of Sharra's true nature: Comyn's hereditary enemy. Meanwhile, Lew has gone with Marius and Jeff to the Alton House in Thendara. Rafe finds out some raivannin, a laran suppressing drug, for Lew which enables him to silence the voice of his father in his head (constantly repeating his final order "go back to Darkover, fight for your brother's rights"). Lerrys Ridenow comes to order Lew to give Dio a divorce, arguing that she does not want to see him anymore. The next morning, Marius tells Lew that he has spent a summer in Caer Donn, with Beltran. Marius thinks that he has the Aldaran gift, but he was not tested. Upset, Lew goes to the Terran HQ in order to file for divorce from Dio. He meets the new Terran Legate, Dan Lawton who asks him to rejoin the Terran side in the Comyn Council. Lew tells Lawton the story of Sharra's awakening and learns from him that Kadarin is sought by Terran forces and he had been seen a few days ago in Thendara. On his way back home, Lew encounters Dyan who asks him also to rejoin his side in the Council, against the Ridenow who want tighter relationship with the Terran. But the debate between them is quite rough and Lew offends Dyan deeply, when he reminds him that he is not a matrix technician. Regis Hastur visits with Callina Aillard in the Comyn Tower. Callina tries to understand how Regis was able to rescue Javanne from Sharra. Callina asks Regis to convince Lew to bring the Sharra's matrix in the Comyn Tower, under the safe guard of Ashara. But Regis senses something off in her demeanor. Just before Regis' departure, he learns that Beltran has started his journey Thendara at the head of a massive army. Regis encounters Lew on the way to the Alton townhouse. During their talk, Sharra appears to them as a telepathic image. The two men start running toward the townhouse. When they reach it, they have to face a group of soldiers. The group is led by Kadarin and has set fire to the house. They flee, taking away the Sharra's matrix and leaving the dead body of Marius. Lew has been wounded during the fight and Jeff heals him. After that, Gabriel has Marius' body carried to the chapel in the Comyn castle. Marius is buried two days later in Hali. A small procession goes there: Gabriel, Lew, Linnell, Jeff, Andres (an Alton retainer), and rather surprisingly Lerrys Ridenow. Regis and Dyan rejoin them in order to pay homage to Marius. During the ride back to Thendara, Regis tell Lew of a strange rumor among the Guards about an Alton child. Gabriel and Lew have no idea about who could have fathered such a child. Back in Thendara, Lew goes to the Comyn Tower in order to visit Callina. He is looking for a way to destroy Sharra and would like to meet Ashara. During their discussion, Callina enters a brief trance, for a moment, she looks remote and stony. She then states that Ashara will perhaps see Lew. Callina tells Lew about her fears. She is afraid by Ashara and moreover, the Council is trying to pressure her to accept a marriage with Beltran, in order to save the peace. Lew and Callina understand at this moment that they have very strong feelings for each other, beyond the normal rapport of two powerful matrix workers. Regis and Danilo have just spent the night together. Danvan Hastur disapproves this union and behaves toward Regis as if he were a child. Regis leaves his grandfather rather angry and joins Danilo and Dyan for breakfast. They talk about the political situation: Dyan would like to solve the Alton succession. He wants Lew to give up the Domain to the mysterious Alton child. Moreover, Dyan wants to ally with Beltran in order to use Sharra to threaten the Terran and force them to leave Darkover. It is obvious that Merryl Lindir-Aillard, Dyan's minion, has used his influence on Derik in order to force Callina to marry Beltran. Regis leaves Dyan with some fear and anger. On the threshold of the Crystal Chamber, he meets Lerrys Ridenow. They have a quite rough debate: Lerrys thinks he Council is directly responsible for Marius' death. After this talk, the Council begins. Much to Dyan's disappointment, there is no challenge against Lew. Lerrys makes a short speech in which he urges the Council to make Darkover a full member of the Terran Empire and to give more democracy to Darkovans. He gets expelled from the Council. After this strong intervention, a di Asturien wants the Council to discuss about the wedding between Derik and Linnell. He finds that this sort of inbreeding is dangerous for the Comyn. But Danvan rejects his demand. Finally Danvan calls Beltran Aldaran for the seventh domain, much to Lew's indignation. Lew tries to convince the Council that Beltran is dangerous. He says that there is a blood feud between Beltran and him, and forgiving blood feud is not honorable among Comyn. Callina asks Beltran if he has sworn allegiance to the Compact, the most sacred of Comyn laws. He plans to do so as soon as he will be accepted in the Comyn and he plans also to give his Terran weapons to his promised wife, Callina herself. Callina resigns herself to marry with Beltran in order to avoid war between Aldaran and the Comyn. The handfasting will be held at Festival Night. Suddenly, a giant fire form of Sharra appears in the Council: Beltran and several other Comyn lords fly away from the room. After the disappearing of Sharra's illusion, Danvan declares the Council Session closed for the current year.Lew remains alone with Regis in the room. In fact, Sharra's illusion was created by Regis himself, despite the telepathic dampers. Regis has an extremely strong laran, that he does not fully understand. Lew goes back to the Alton apartments in the Comyn Castle, but he feels restless. He cannot refrain thinking of Sharra and he finally decides to go and see Callina in the Aillard apartments. Linnell is there with Callina and Regis. Callina asks Lew to follow her to the Comyn tower to see Ashara. Ashara knows about the Sharra matrix. She explains to Callina and Lew that Sharra is a goddess and the matrix is a door through which she can reach our world. The only way to defeat her is to use the Sword of Aldones, a holy weapon kept in the rhu fead, the holy Chapel at Hali. But in order to get the sword, Callina and Lew need to find someone who is of Comyn blood and was not reared on Darkover, in order to avoid traps that protect the rhu fead. After the meeting with Ashara, Callina and Lew use one of the giant screens built during the ages of chaos in order to teleport people. They bring back to Darkover the perfect twin (the Cherilly duplicate) of Linnell, the young nurse that took care of Dio on Vainwal. On the morning of the Festival, Regis goes to the Terran headquarters in order to meet up with Rafe Scott. On his arrival, Regis has a discussion with Dan Lawton, the Terran Legate. Lawton wants to capture Kadarin and threatens Regis with sending the Spaceforce in Thendara if the Comyn do not manage to catch Kadarin. After this, Regis speaks to Rafe and frees his matrix from the influence of Sharra. Rafe wants to meet with Lew in the Comyn Castle and Regis says that he will try to arrange a meeting. On his way back to the Castle, Regis stops to see Beltran offering his Terran weapons to Callina. In a strong telepathic rapport with Dyan Ardais, Regis manages to destroy all the weapons. He discovers this way that Dyan has the Alton gift. In the Alton apartment of the Comyn Castle, Regis meets Lew. They are soon joined by Rafe. He conducts them to the Aillard apartments where they see for the first time the young Marja, daughter of Lew and Thyra. Marja was conceived during Lew's captivity by Kadarin and Beltran in Caer Donn, while he was drugged and delirious. The six year old child seems to already have had her laran awakened. Lew leaves Marja in Andres's care and goes to seek Callina. They spend a few moments with Linnell's duplicate, Kathie Marshall. She is still very tensed and close to madness. In order to protect her, Lew put a sort of barrier around her mind. During the Festival ball, Lew dances with Kathie who seems to calm down. After this dance, Lew meets again Callina. She is dressed in a black gown which looks like the night flecked with stars. In fact, she is dressed as the legendary Camilla, who was ravished and made an unwilling bride. This is a direct insult to Beltran. Lew has a rather heated debate with Callina because she seems resigned to marrying Beltran. Because of Lew's hatred for Beltran and his objection to Callina being treated as a pawn, he is unable to understand why she would do this. Lew suddenly sees Dio. They quarrel about Dio's departure from Vainwal, and it is discovered that Lerrys lied to her and to Lew in order to separate them. Moreover, Dio is jealous of Callina. She understands that Lew is in love with both of them, but resents that she cannot share the full telepathic rapport of powerful trained matrix workers. The ball continues, and Derik seems completely drunk. Just before the moonlight dance (a dance for pledged couples), Lew sees a strange man dressed as a harlequin. But he forgets him while dancing with Dio. After this dance, he has a talk with Linnell about Derik's public drunkenness. Linnell says that Derik never drinks because of the effect that it has on his already unstable mind, and it seems that someone deliberately put alcohol in a fruit tasting drink so as to have Derik to drink it. Merryl has taken him away from the Ball, to limit the spectacle. After that, Danvan Hastur celebrates the marriage between Callina and Beltran. During the dance that closes the handfasting, Lew suddenly recognizes the woman who is dancing with the harlequin: Thyra herself! The harlequin is in fact Kadarin. At the end of the dance, they attempt to use Sharra in order to compel Lew to follow with them again, but Regis uses his new born gift in order to rescue Lew. Sharra then lashes out and manages to kill Linnell. She also teleports Kadarin and Thyra out of the Comyn Castle. As Gabriel arrests Beltran, Regis goes to seek Prince Derik: the young man is also dead. His shields were weakened by the drinks and he couldn't resist Sharra. Regis is now Heir of the Domains. The next day, Terran forces begin to seek Kadarin in Thendara. Unfortunately, this is not easily accepted by Darkovan and Regis composes a personal message for to Legate Lawton, urging him to withdraw his men. He goes to look for Dyan, believing that he might be a good messenger. He finally discovers him in the Aldaran apartments, where he is having a discussion with Beltran. Dyan reveals his plans: he wants to use Sharra against the Terrans, in order to expel them from Darkover. But in order to do that he needs someone with the Alton gift: Sharra cannot be operated without this gift. Regis flees the Aldaran apartments to avoid revealing to them that Dyan himself has the Alton gift. Lew spends the night after Sharra's attack with Dio who heals him and tells him that Lerrys has fled Darkover. On the next day, he prepares to go to the rhu fead with Kathie and Callina: they need to get the Sword of Aldones, the only weapon able to defeat Sharra. Dio and Regis would like to help them, but Lew refuses arguing this might be to dangerous. They go out of the Comyn Castle through a secret exit starting from the Alton apartment and they ride to the Hali lake. They enter the rhu fead and Lew places Kathie is under his mental domination, allowing her to pass through the Veil. Inside, Kathie is able to reach the Sword of Aldones, a matrix shaped as a sword. But when they exit from the rhu fead, they find Kadarin and Thyra waiting for them. Kadarin tries to get the Sword but he is repelled by it. Thyra becomes completely unhinged as she demands her daughter, and she strikes Lew with her dagger. He is grievously wounded. Dio and Regis are going back to the Comyn Castle when they receive a telephatic scream from Marja. Dyan and Beltran had tried to kidnap Marja, to use her powerful Alton gift to control the Sharra matrix as they had once forced Lew. When they arrive in the Alton apartment, they find Andres's body. The loyal retainer was killed by Beltran when he tried to protect the girl. Shortly afterwards, Regis reaches Dyan's thoughts. Dyan has become aware of his gift and has chosen to serve Sharra. But before doing so, he managed to hide Marja in an unknown place, out of reach from Beltran. Just after that, Regis learns from Danvan that Dan Lawton is looking for him. Regis and Dio go to the Terran Headquarter and Regis authorizes Lawton to send a helicopter to Hali in order to rescue Lew, Callina, and Kathie. When the helicopter comes back, Lew is nearly dead, but Regis gets the Sword of Aldones and turns himself into Hastur, Son of Light. He heals Lew instantaneously. Lawton puts Kadarin and Thyra in jail . After that, Regis tries, with the help of Callina, to clense Lew's matrix but he cannot, the bond with Sharra seems too strong. After this failed attempt, Lawton arrives to tell them that Thyra has disappeared. Suddenly Lew is teleported to the forecourt of the Comyn Castle. The final battle between Hastur and Sharra begins. Regis and Callina are on one side with the Sword of Aldones, while Thyra and Kadarin wield the Sharra Matrix. Lew is torn between them, until Dyan arrives and frees Lew from Sharra. The battle goes on and Regis manages to strike Sharra with the Sword of Aldones. Kadarin and Thyra disappear with Sharra. After the battle, Dyan's dead body lies on the ground of the forecourt. If, in the end, he had chosen to join Sharra, she would have defeated them. Callina is also dead and Lew finally understands that she was almost entirely possessed by Ashara, and that she was willing to marry Beltran to escape her. Regis' hair has turned completely white. After the death of so many Comyn, Darkover needs to change: it is going to become a full member of the Terran Empire. Lew goes into voluntary exile with his wife Dio and his daughter Marja. He is going to be the first representative from Darkover to the Imperial Senate.