The darkness of his eyes burned brighter. “On what grounds?”
“Failure to give the imperor a son. There are precedents.”
“There are,” Shandie admitted grimly. His knuckles showed white now. “And the children?”
“I remain at court as their governess. They will be in my charge, completely, whether or not you remarry. Or I remarry.” He bared his teeth. ”By the Gods, you drive a hard bargain, my lady!”
“So your wooing will be all pretense? However I choose, I lose?”
“By the Gods!” he muttered again. “Anything else?” She could hear Ylo’s laughter.
“That’s if I refuse you. I may have conditions for accepting you, you understand—a limit of one formal function a month, perhaps . . . And I shall require at least two years to decide.”
“’That’s all?”
“That’s all for now.”
He sighed. “I accept the stakes. I can refuse you nothing.” Their eyes met. He smiled. Could he actually be pleased by her new assertiveness? “I mean it! I will swear any oath you ask. I will pay any price and risk anything to win your love—when you are ready to love again.” Suddenly the smile became a mischievous grin. “I did warn you that Ylo had given me lessons, didn’t I?”
It was so much what Ylo might have said that it brought tears to her eyes, but she laughed in spite of them.
“And me, too!” she said, and then fumbled hastily for a handkerchief.
Moments later, a footman delivered a loaded tray. Thereafter Shandie sat and ate like a starved man, and talked.
Mostly he spoke of Ylo.
5
Meanwhile, in a corridor of the castle . . .
Krasnegar had not changed at all. Not a thing. World capital of dull. The same soup bubbled in the same pots, the same seagulls stood on the battlements, the same dogs erupted all over a long-lost friend. The only difference was that Kadie was not around to share it. Kadie was never going to be around again. When Gath mentioned her to their friends, they became confused and upset and changed the subject.
Friends? The imps seemed devious, curious, and garrulous to him; domestic jotnar were a wishy-washy imitation of the wild variety he had come to know. All this peace and serenity was going to take a lot of getting used to, an Evilish lot! Gath had not faced death even once in the last hour. What he needed was exercise and entertainment to stop him moping about Kadie.
This was the most promising future he could find ”Gath!” exclaimed the burly redhead.
“Oh, hello, Brak!” Gath said airily, rising from the bench he had been waiting on. Yes, he was a handsbreadth taller than Brak! He had known, but it was good to see. Wonderful! Best thing yet!
Behind Brak stood Arkie and Koarth. They had grown, too, but Brak was in front and clearly still the leader.
“Where have you been?”
“Oh, all sorts of places,” Gath said modestly. “Helping my dad the warlock, mostly.”
“The what?”
“Warlock.” Gath flexed his arms hopefully. There was a fifty-fifty future of Brak calling him a liar now, and Gath slaughtering him. Arkie and Koarth exchanged interested glances.
But Brak peered up at the returned traveler for a long, cautious moment and apparently disliked what he saw.
“That’s great news for Krasnegar,” he muttered.
“This is Longday. I was at the Nintor Moot this morning. Very interesting.”
“This morning?”
“You heard what I said.”
This time the pause was longer. Arkie coughed. Koarth hummed and tapped a boot on the flagstones.
Brak wiped his forehead. “We’d like to hear about that, Gath,” he said faintly.
Gath sighed. Hopeless! “That’s a fantastic ear you’ve got, lad. I wonder you can hold your head straight. Did I do that, or has someone else been giving you lessons?”
“That was you.” Brak pulled a grin, although it displayed hints of desperation. “We both put up quite a show that day, didn’t we, Gath? The guys talked of it for weeks. I know I knocked you out in the end, but you did a lot more damage to me than I did to you . . . we could kinda call that one a draw, couldn’t we?”
Gath’s mouth felt full of tooth, because an hour or two ago Jaurg had replaced the piece Brak had broken off. Maybe Brak wasn’t too bad really, especially compared with Vork or some of the men of their age in Gark. It was sort of good to see him again. Gath returned the grin. “I suppose we could.”
Brak released a long breath of relief. Arkie and Koarth welcomed Gath back. Gath said it was good to see them all. “Er, which throne did your, er, the king, get?” Koarth asked. “The gold.”
“Why not north?”
“Wasn’t available. Of course, as East, he runs the Imperial Army. Keeps him busy, you know. And he’s rewriting Emine’s Protocol. With the help of some pixies. Funny people, pixies.” Three sets of blue eyes blinked, but no one questioned.
Gath yawned. “I’m heading down to the Beached Whale for a beer or two. Wanna come along and hear about the Nintor Moot?” And there would be action there later . . .
“They won’t let us into the Beached Whale!” Brak said. Puke! No, they wouldn’t! This was Krasnegar. Mom made all the rules here. Gath frowned and reached for prescience. Oh, of course! “Then let’s go and find my friend Jaurg. He’ll get us in.”
The game again:
And many a broken heart is here
And many a broken head;
But tomorrow, By the living God,
We’ll try the game again!
— Masefield, Tomorrow
POSTSCRIPT
MINUTES
of a joint meeting of
THE WARDENS
and
THE COUNCIL OF SORCERY
held at Hub,
LONGDAY, 2999
The meeting was called to order at noon. The Warden of the Day, having taken the Chair pro tempore and having called for nominations for Chairman and no other nominations having been received, the said WARLOCK KING RAP was elected CHAIRMAN by acclamation. The Chairman requested that the meeting elect WARLOCK LITH’RIAN as SECRETARY and this was unanimously approved.
THE CHAIRMAN REMARKED THAT with the mundane population of many areas presently enduring severe hardship of famine, disease, and civil disorder, the advantages of employing sorcery as a force for good had never been more obvious or necessary;
THAT divine intervention having released all votaries of the late Sorcerer Zinixo, the unique opportunity to craft a new order of occult affairs must not be wasted;
AND THAT until the new protocol had been drafted and ratified, he hoped the Wardens and the new Council of Sorcery would work together in harmony to resolve all problems before they could become troublesome.
THE SECRETARY then distributed a draft agenda. On MOTION by Witch Grunth, the Agenda was unanimously adopted.
Item 1: The matter of Thume.
MOVED by Delegate Raim, SECONDED by Delegate Countess Ymmi:
BE IT RESOLVED that the sorcerers of Thume, having agreed that they will not appoint a replacement Keeper, are hereby authorized, for an interim period of one year, to expel intruders, provided they employ no unnecessary force; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Protocol Committee shall consider Thume’s distinctive vulnerability and devise legal protection for it on a pennanent basis.
IN FAVOR: Wardens Grunth, Lith’rian, and Raspnex, Delegates Fial’rian, Ishist, Moon Baiter, Raim, Shup-Uth, Thoik-Esh, Proconsul Thrugg, Tik Tok, Twist, Countess Ymmi, and Wirax.
OPPOSED: Delegate Furkar.
MOTION CARRIED
Item 2: The matter of Nordland.
MOVED by Delegate Countess Ymmi, SECONDED by Delegate Ishist:
BE IT RESOLVED that the Warden of the East is hereby authorized and instructed to deputize a force of not more than twelve sorcerers to constrain the Nordland fleet within its own territorial waters by means of such weather as he may deem appropriate for the duration of the present fighting season; the Warden of the North having waived his prerogative in this instance, without prejudice.
IN FAVOR: Wardens Grunth and Lith’rian, Delegates Fial’rian, Ishist, Moon Baiter, Raim, Tho-ik-Esh, Proconsul Thrugg, Tik Tok, Countess Ymmi, and Wirax.
OPPOSED: Delegates Furkar and Shup-Uth.
ABSTAINED: Warden Raspnex, Delegate Twist.
MOTION CARRIED
Item 3: The matter of the Impire.
MOVED by Delegate Countess Ymmi, SECONDED by Warlock Lith’rian:
BE IT RESOLVED that in areas of civil unrest, use of sorcery to assist the military in restoring law and order is permissible, provided always that the minimum necessary force is used; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this edict shall be proclaimed at the conclusion of this meeting.
IN FAVOR: Wardens Grunth, Lith’rian, and Raspnex, Delegates Fial’rian, Ishist, Moon Baiter, Raim, Tho-ik-Esh, Proconsul Thrugg, Tik Tok, Countess Ymmi, and Wirax.
OPPOSED: Delegates Furkar, Shup-Uth, and Twist.
MOTION CARRIED
Item 4: The matter of Dwanish.
MOVED by Warden Raspnex, SECONDED by Delegate Countess Ymmi:
BE IT RESOLVED that the Warden of the North is hereby authorized and instructed to negotiate immediate withdrawal of Dwanishian forces within national borders, or to impose such withdrawal by force.