‘you never wrote any poetry for me, Sparhawk,’ Ehlana accused her husband.
‘the Elene language is limited, my Queen,’ he responded. ‘It has no words
which could do you justice.’
‘nice try,’ Kalten murmured. ‘I think we all might want to spend a bit of
time on some correspondence at this point,’ Dolmant told them. There are
all sorts of arrangements to be made. I’ll put a faSt ship at your
disposal, Ambassador Oscagne. You’ll want to advise your emperor that the
Queen of Elenia’s coming to call.’
‘With the Archprelate’s permition, I’ll communicate with my government by
dispatch rather than in person. There are social and political
peculiarities in various parts of the empire. I could be very helpful in
smoothing her Majestys path if I went with her.’
‘I’ll be very pleased to have a civilised man along, your Excellency,’
Ehlana smiled. ‘You have no idea what it’S like being surrounded by men
whose clothes have been tailored by blacksmiths.’
Talen entered the chamber with an excited
expression on his face. Where have you been?’ The question came from
several parts of the room. ‘It’s such
a comfort to be so universally loved that my
activities arouse this breathless curiosity,’ the boy said with an
exaggerated and sardonic bow. ‘i’m quite overwhelmed by this demonstration
of affection.’ Ambassador Oscagne looked quizzically at Dolmant. ‘It would
take far too long to explain, your Excellency,’ Dolmant said wearily. ‘Just
keep a close watch on your valuables when that boy’s in the room.’
‘Sarathi,’ Talen protested. ‘I haven’t stolen a single thing for almost a
week now.’
‘That’s a start, I suppose,’ Emban noted. ‘Old habits die hard, your
Grace,’ Talen smirked. ‘Anyway, since you’re all dying to know, I was out
in the city sort of nosing around, and I ran across an old friend. Would
you believe that Krager’s here in Chyrellos?’
PART TWO
Astel
CHAPTER 7
Komier, My wife’s making a state visit to Matherion in Tamul. We’ve
discovered that the present turmoil in Lamorkand is probably originating
in Daresia, so we’re using Ehlana’s trip to give us the chance to go there
to see what we can find out. I’ll keep you advised. I’m borrowing
twenty-five Genidian Knights from your local chapterhouse to serve as a
part of the honour guard. I’d suggest that you do what you can to keep
Avin Wargunsson from cementing any permanent alliances with Count Gerrich
in Lamorkand. Gerich is rather deeply involved in some kind of grand’ plan
that goes far beyond the borders of Lamorkand itself. Dolmant probably
wouldn’t be too displeased if you, Darrellon and Abriel can contrive some
excuse to go to Lamorkand and step on the fellow’s neck. Watch out for
magic, though. Gerich’s getting help from somebody who knows more than
he’s supposed to. Ulath’s sending you more details. – Sparhawk.
isn’t that just a little blunt, dear?’ Ehlana said, reading over her
husband’s shoulder. She smelled very good. ‘Komier’s a blunt sort of
fellow, Ehlana,’ Sparhawk shrugged, laying down his quill, ‘and I’m not
really very good at writing letters.’
‘I noticed.’ They were in their
ornate apartments in one of the Church buildings adjoining the Basilica
where they had spent the day composing messages to people scattered over
most of the continent. Don’t you have letters of your own to write?’
Sparhawk asked his wife. ‘I’m all finished. All I really had to do was
send a short note to Lenda. He knows what to do.’ She glanced across the
room at Mirtai, who sat patiently snipping the tips off Mmrr’s) claws.
Mmrr was not taking it very well. Ehlana smiled. ‘Mirtai’s communication
with Kring was much more direct. She called in an itinerant Peloi and told
him to ride to Kring with her command to ride to Basne on the Zemoch-Astel
border with a hundred of his tribesmen. She said that if he isn’t waiting
when she gets there, she’ll take it to mean that he doesn’t love her.’
Ehlana pushed her pale blonde hair back from her brow. ‘Poor Kring,’
Sparhawk smiled. ‘She could raise him from the dead with a message like
that. Do you think she’ll ever really marry him?’
‘That’s very’ hard to say, Sparhawk. He does have her attention, though.’
There was a knock at the door, and Mirtai rose to let Kalten in.
‘It’s a beautiful day out there,’ the blond man told them.
‘We’ll have good weather for the trip.’
‘How are things coming along?’ Sparhawk asked him. ‘We’re just about all
ready.’ Kalten was wearing a green brocade doublet, and he bowed
extravagantly to the queen. ‘Actually, we are ready. About ‘the only things
happening now are the usual redundancies.’
‘Could you clarify that just a bit, Sir Kalten?’ Ehlana said.
He shrugged. ‘Everyone’s going over all the things
everyone else has done to make sure that nothing’s been left out.’ He
sprawled in a chair. ‘We’re surrounded by busybodies, Sparhawk. Nobody
seems to be able to believe that anybody else can do something right. If
Emban asks me if the knights are all ready to ride about one more time, I
think I’ll strangle him. He has no idea at all about what’s involved in
moving a large group of people from one place to another. Would you believe
that he was going to try to put all of us on one ship? Horses and all?’
‘That might have been just a bit crowded,’ Ehlana smiled. ‘How many ships
did he finally decide on?’
‘i’m not sure. I still don’t know for certain how many people are going.
Your attendants are all absolutely convinced that you’ll simply die without
their company, my Queen. There are about forty or so who are making ‘
preparations for the trip.’
‘you’d better weed them out, Ehlana,’ Sparhawk suggested. ‘I don’t want to
be saddled with the entire court.’
‘I will need a few people, Sparhawk – if only for the
sake of appearances.’ Talen came into the room. The gangly boy was wearing
what he called his ‘street clothes’ – slightly mismatched, very ordinary
and just this side of shabby. He’s still out there,’ he said, his eyes
bright. ‘who?’ Kalten asked. ‘Krager. He’s creeping around Chyrellos like a
lost puPPY looking for a home. Stragen’s got people from the local thieves’
community watching him. We haven’t been able to figure out exactly what
he’s up to just yet. ‘if Martel were still alive, I’d almost say he’s
doing the same sort of thing he used to do – letting himself be seen.’
‘How does he look?’
‘worse.’ Talen’s voice cracked slightly. It was still hovering somewhere
between soprano and baritone. The years aren’t treating Krager very well.
His eyes look like they’ve been poached in bacon grease. He looks
absolutely miserable. ‘
‘I think I can bear Krager’s misery,’ Sparhawk
noted. He’s beginning to make me just a little tired, though. He’s been
sort of hovering around the edge of my awareness for the last ten years or
more – sort of like a hangnail or an ingrown toenail. He always seems to be
working for the other side, but he’s too insignificant to really worry
about.’
‘Stragen could ask one of the local thieves to cut his throat,’ Talen
offered. Sparhawk considered it. ‘Maybe not,’ he decided. ‘Krager’s always
been a good source of information. Tel Stragen that if the opportunity
happens to come up, we might want to have a little chat with our old
friend, though. The offer to braid his legs together usually makes Krager
very talkative.’ Ulath stopped by about a half hour later. ‘Did you finish
that letter to Komier?’ he asked Sparhawk. ‘He has a draft copy, Sir
Ulath,’ Ehlana replied for her husband. ‘It definitely needs some polish.’
‘You don’t have to polish things for Komier, your Majesty. He’s used to
strange letters. One of my Genidian brothers sent him a report written on
human skin once.’ She stared at him. ‘He did what?’
‘There wasn’t anything else handy to write on. A Genidian Knight just
arrived with a message for me from Komier, though. The knight’s going back
to Emsat, and he can carry Sparhawk’s letter if it’s ready to go.’
‘It’s close enough,’ Sparhawk said, folding the parchment and dribbling
candle wax on it to seal it. ‘What did Komier have to say?’
‘It was good news for a change. All the Trolls have left Thalesia for some
reason.’
‘Where did they go?’
‘Who knows? Who cares?’
‘The people who live in the country they’ve gone to might be slightly
interested,’ Kalten suggested. ‘That’s their problem,’ Ulath shrugged.
‘It’s funny, though. The Trolls don’t really get along with each other. I
couldn’t even begin to guess at a reason why they’d all decide to pack up
and leave at the same time. The discussions must have been very
interesting. They usually kill each other on sight.’
There’s not much help I can give you, Sparhawk,’ Dolmant’ said gravely when