Shandie squirmed just a little and tried to swallow a yawn.
It was a nuisance being down on floor level, instead of one step up. But he could see the back of the Gold Throne and the Opal Throne beyond that, in the middle, and all of the others when people didn’t get in front of them. Lots of people were fussing around, getting ready. Grandfather hadn’t been brought in yet.
All the seats were full, ‘cause this was a very-special-important formal ceremony. Today the wardens would come! He shivered a little, and glanced at the White Throne on his right and the Blue Throne on the far side, but they were still empty. He was almost in back of the Gold Throne, near the aisle. People were still coming in and squeezing into their seats. Ever so many people, though; he’d never seen the Rotunda so packed.
And lots of people coming and going on the floor, ministers and secretaries. There was Marshal Ithy with his gold uniform and the red crest on his helmet. Lots and lots of lords.
This would be a bad seat if the sun came out. The Rotunda got very hot in summer, but today was rainy. Trouble was, all these people were making it stuffy. Mustn’t yawn!
“Think the wardens’ll go for it?” The old senator was still mumbling. “Wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t show up. That’d show him! Show us, too! Sneaky business. Never saw so much grease. Mm? What?” There was a mumbling sound, and then he spoke more quietly. “Resolution, indeed! Should have been a formal Bill, three readings and recorded vote.”
Mumble, mumble. “Yes, but it’s from two dynasties back. Emshandar always talked of updating it; never got around to it. Anyway, it says next of kin, not some upstart halfbreed flunky!” There were more hushing sounds.
The floor was clearing, notables hurrying out so they could make a formal reappearance. Shandie’s attention wandered to the big table before the Opal Throne. Those things lying on it must be Emine’s sword and buckler! He’d never seen those, and he couldn’t see very well now, and he tried to make himself a little taller, and Moms flashed a frown at him and he subsided quickly. See them later . . .
“Sneaking it through in the middle of the order paper?” the old man said, snorting. “All over before half the Senate knew what was going on! Oh, I think the wardens may argue. They’ll want Orosea, you wait.”
A fanfare drowned him out, and the crowd stilled. Then everyone stood up, so Shandie did, ‘cept in his case it was more standing down and he could see even less. The Council was coming in through the south door, dividing at the Blue Throne to pass around either wall, passing on the outside of the thrones; he’d never seen this properly, ‘cause he was usually part of it. The hall was very still, except for a shuffle of footsteps. Half the parade went right by in front of him, but he didn’t look up to see their faces. He knew when the marshal came along, though, in his shiny uniform and a smell of new leather. He liked Marshal Ithy. He told Shandie war stories.
“A good man,” rumbled the old senator. “Very sound. The Zark thing . . . time we showed those pinkos!” He chortled. “Besides, they’re due to be milked again, mm? Get those taxes down . . .” Hushing noises . . .
The parade joined again at the north end, and advanced to the center and the Opal Throne. And here came Ytlibane, striding by in his purple-hemmed toga. The old senator growled, then winced as if someone had trod on his toe or jabbed him in the ribs.
They’d changed precedence! Usually Moms would be last in the left-hand line, just behind Ythbane, and Shandie last in this line after Consul Uquillpee, going along the east side on a north day, looping back to meet in the center. And here was Grandfather, in a carrying chair. Asleep. He slept all the time now. Oh, dear. He did look old today, and ill.
Someone sniffed loudly in the senatorial benches above Shandie’s head. ”Evil-begotten shame . . . ten years younger than I am, you know . . . fought beside him at Agomone. Good man. Great man.” Sniff! “Evil-take-it shame to see him go like that . . .”
And Grandfather was not going to be put on his throne! The chair was placed by the dais, but then the bearers departed. Shandie was surprised, and the old senator mumbled angrily. So did some others. Now everyone was sitting down again. Shandie scrambled up on the bench beside Moms, who looked down at him and nodded absently. Then she turned her attention back to the action, the men and a few women standing before the throne, three or four of the very old ones on chairs.
The Rotunda was ever so quiet. Even the noisy senator had gone quiet. The dean of the Senate was being led forward. Marshal Ithy said he was older’n anyone ‘cept Bright Water. He did something and was led back to his seat.
A herald began to read out the joint resolution, all whereases and be it therefores.
Shandie felt a yawn coming on, and stopped it, and realized it was quite a while since he’d needed to yawn. He wished the bench had softer cushions. Leather was hard and he wasn’t used to sitting still, only standing still. He hoped the ceremonies wouldn’t go on too long, because he might need some of his medicine soon.
Thump! Ythbane had just put the Imperial seal on something. Must be the resolution. Had he said his usual things about Grandfather accepting it? Shandie had not been paying attention.
Now what? Ythbane undressing?
“God of Whores!” the noisy old senator behind rumbled. “We going to have a whole coronation ceremony now?”
Ythbane had taken off his consul’s toga. Shandie glanced up at Moms, but she didn’t seem upset that he was standing there in just his tunic like a servant. Now Consul Uquillpee was helping him put on a purple toga. Like Grandfather’s! That didn’t feel right, somehow.
The deaf old senator didn’t think so, either. He was getting even louder, going on about Imperial Honors. But Moms was smiling, so it must be all right.
Ah! Here came the big moment. Shandie felt a tremor of excitement cut through his wooziness. One day he was going to do this! One day he would call on the wardens to acknowledge him as rightful imperor. One day he would put his arm in the straps on Emine’s buckler like that, and take up that sword, and then walk all around the throne like that, holding them up for the audience to see. They weren’t very impressive. The buckler was all dented, and the sword was bronze, too. Why wouldn’t a great imperor like Emine have had a good steel sword? Shandie felt cheated, somehow.
Now Ythbane had completed his circle and was facing the Opal Throne. Suddenly Moms grabbed Shandie’s hand and squeezed it very tight, and he looked up at her in surprise. She was chewing her lip, watching Ythbane intently.
The old senator tried a whisper, and in the cavernous silence it came out loud as a bugle: “One gets you five they won’t show.”
No one else said a word. Ythbane went up one step. “Won’t honor a mongrel,” the senator growled. The second step. Ythbane was in front of the Opal Throne.
He turned to face across at the White.
Why was he waiting like this? Was he scared, a little, maybe?
Ythbane struck the sword against the buckler and produced a dull Clank! Shandie felt a surge of disappointment. He’d expected a bright, ringing Clang! that would echo away for a long, long time. No wonder the sword and buckler were both so batteredlooking, if every imperor in three thousand years had bashed them together like that.
Then came a long hissing sound from all around the rotunda as the audience drew in its breath. A lady was sitting on the White Throne.
Well! She wasn’t so old) Moms looked older’n that. She wasn’t green, either. About the same middlebrown shade as Shandie himself; maybe a little yellower. Floor-mat color, coconut. Her hair was black, and coiled up on top of her head. She wasn’t beautiful, certainly, but not ‘specially ugly. There was something odd about her chiton, though. It sort of glowed a bit, and the folds were kind of misty, as if the cloth were flowing fog. It made Shandie woozier, so he looked away.
Ythbane saluted with the sword. If Bright Water did anything, Shandie missed it, because when his eyes went back to the White Throne, it was empty again.
A rumble of disgust came from the old senator. From several old senators, from the sound of it. Ythbane had turned to the east now, and Shandie instinctively froze. He could only see the back of the Gold Throne, anyway.