officials appeared to be in shock, others scurried aimlessly, bahbling.
Several were clustered at the main door, imploring the
knights to let them out.
Oscagne, his diplomat’s face imperturbable, approached the
dais. ‘Surprising turn of events,’ he noted, as if he were speaking
of an unexpected summer shower. He studiously adjusted his
black mantle, looking more and more like a judge.
‘Yes,’ Sarabian agreed, his eyes still lost in thought. “I think
we might be able to exploit it, however. Sparhawk, is that dungeon
down in the basement functional?’
‘Yes, your Majesty. The architect was very thorough.’
‘Good.’
‘What have you got in mind, Sarabian?’ Ehlana asked him.
He grinned at her, his face suddenly almost boyish. “I ain’t
a-tellin’, dorlin’,’ he replied in outrageous imitation of Caalador’s
dialect. “I purely wouldn’t want t’ spoil th’ surn-prise.’
‘Please, Sarabian,’ she said with a weary sigh.
“Jist you watch, yet Queenship. I’m a-fixin’ t’ pull off a little
choop my own-self.’
‘You’re going to make me cross, Sarabian.’
‘Don’t you love me any more, mother?’ His tone was excited
and exhilarated. ‘Men.’ she said, rolling her eyes upward.
“Just follow my lead, my friends,’ the Emperor told them.
‘Let’s find out how well I’ve learned my lessons.’ He rose to his
feet. ‘Lord Vanion,’ he called, ‘would you be so good as to return
our guests to their seats?’
‘At once, your Majesty,’ Vanion replied. Vanion, forewarned
of Zalasta’s treachery, was completely in control. He barked a
few short commands, and the Church Knights firmly escorted
the distracted officials back to their chairs.
‘What was he doing?’ Ehlana demanded of her husband in a
tense whisper. ‘Why did he try to attack Danae?’
‘He didn’t, love,’ Sparhawk replied, thinking very quickly.
‘he was trying to attack Aphrael. Didn’t you see her? She was
standing right beside Sephrenia.’
‘She was?’
‘Of course. I thought everyone in the room saw her, but
maybe it was only me – and Zalasta. Why do you think he ran
away so fast? Aphrael was right on the verge of jerking out his
heart and eating it before his very eyes.’
She shuddered.
Emperor Sarabian moved to the front of the dais again. ‘Let’s
come to order, gentlemen,’ he told them crisply. ‘We haven’t
finished here yet. I gather that you were surprised by the revelation
of Zalasta’s true position – some of you, anyway. I’m disappointed
in you, my Lords – most of you for your profound
lack of perception, the rest for not realizing that I could see
through Zalasta – and you – like panes of glass. Some of you
are traitors, the rest are merely stupid. I have no need of men
of either stripe in my service. It is my excruciating pleasure
to announce that at sunrise this morning, the Atan garrisons
throughout Tamuli moved out of their barracks and replaced all
imperial authorities with officers from their own ranks. With the
exception of Matherion, the entire Empire is under martial law.’
They gaped at him.
‘Atan Engessa,’ Sarabian said.
‘Yes, Sarabian-emperor?’
‘Would you be so kind as to eliminate that lone exception?
Take your Atans out into the city and take charge of the capital.”
‘At once, Sarabian-emperor.’ Engessa’s grin was very broad.
‘Be firm, Engessa. Show my subjects my fist.’
“it shall be as you command, Sarabian-emperor.’
‘Splendid chap,’ Sarabian murmured loudly enough to be
heard as the towering Atan marched to the door.
‘Your Majesty,’ Pondia Subat protested weakly, half rising.
The look the Emperor gave his Prime Minister was icy. ‘i’m
busy right now, Subat,’ he said. ‘You and I will talk later extensively.
I’m sure I’ll find your explanation of how all of this
happened under your very nose without even disturbing your
decades-long nap absolutely fascinating. Now sit down and be
quiet.’
The Prime Minister sank back into his chair, his eyes very
wide.
‘All of Tamuli is under martial law now,’ the Emperor told his
officials. ‘Since you’ve failed so miserably, I’ve been obliged to
step in and take charge. That makes you redundant, so you are
all dismissed.’
There were gasps, and some of the officials, those longest in
office and most convinced of their own near-divinity, cried out
in protest.
‘Moreover,’ Sarabian cut across their objections, ‘the treason
of Zalasta has cast doubt upon the loyalty of each and every one
of you. If I cannot trust all, I must suspect all. I want you to
search your souls tonight, gentlemen, because we’ll be asking
you questions tomorrow, and we’ll want complete truth from
you. We don’t have time for lies or excuses or attempts to wriggle
out from under your responsibility or guilt. I strongly recommend
that you be forthcoming. The consequences of mendacity
or evasion will be very unpleasant.’
Ulath took a long honing-steel from his belt and began to draw
it slowly across the edge of his axe-blade. It made the sort of
screech that sets the teeth on edge.
‘As a demonstration of my benevolence,’ Sarabian continued,
‘I’ve made arrangements for you all to be lodged here tonight,
and to provide you with accommodations that will give each of
you absolute privacy to review your past lives so that you can
answer questions fully tomorrow. Lord Vanion, would you and
your knights be so good as to escort our guests down to their
quarters in the dungeon?’ Sarabian was improvising for all he
was worth.
‘At once, your Majesty,’ Vanion replied, clashing his mailed
fist against his breastplate in salute.
‘Ah, Lord Vanion,’ Ehlana added.
‘Yes, my Queen?’
‘You might consider searching our guests before you put them
to bed. We don’t want any more of them hurting themselves
the way the Chancellor of the Exchequer did, now do we?’
‘Excellent suggestion, your Majesty,’ Sarabian agreed. ‘Take
all their toys away from them, Lord Vanion. We don’t want
them to be distracted by anything.’ he paused a moment. ‘Actually,
Lord Vanion, I rather think our guests will be able to concentrate
a little better if they have something tangible about them
to emphasize their situation. It seems that I read something once
to the effect that the prisoners in Elene dungeons wear a kind
of uniform.’
‘Yes, your Majesty,’ Vanion told him with an absolutely
straight face. “it’s a sleeveless smock made of gray burlap – with
a bright red stripe painted down the back, so that they can be
identified in case they escape.’
‘Do you suppose you might be able to find something along
those lines for our guests?’
‘if not, we can improvise, your Majesty.
‘Splendid, Lord Vanion – and take their jewels away from
them as well. Jewels make people feel important, and I want
them all to understand that they’re little more than bugs. I suppose
you’d better feed them as well. What do people usually
eat in dungeons?’
‘Bread and water, your Majesty – a little gruel once in a while.’
‘That should do nicely. Get them out of here, Vanion. The
very sight of them is starting to nauseate me.’
Vanion barked a few sharp commands, and the knights
descended on the former government.
Each official had an honor guard of armored men to escort
him – in some cases to drag him – down to the dungeon.
‘Ah – stay a moment, Teovin,’ the Emperor said urbanely to
the Director of the Secret Police. “I believe there was something
you wanted to say to me?’
‘No, your Majesty.’ Teovin’s tone was sullen.
‘Come, come, old boy. Don’t be shy. We’re all friends here.
If you’re in any way offended by anything I’ve done here today,
spit it out. Milord Stragen will be happy to lend you his rapier,
and then you and I can discuss things. I’m sure you’ll find my
explanations quite pointed.’ Sarabian let his mantle slide to the
floor. He smiled a chill smile and drew his rapier again. ‘Well?’
he said,
“it would be treason for me to offer violence to your Majesty’s
person,’ Teovin mumbled.
‘Good God, Teovin, why should that bother you? You’ve been
involved in treason for the past several years anyway, so why
concern yourself with a few picky little technicalities? Take up
the sword, man. For once – just once – face me openly’. I’ll give
you a fencing lesson – one you’ll remember for the rest of your
life, short though that may be.’
“I will ‘ not raise my hand against my Emperor,’ Teovin
declared.
‘What a shame. I’m really disappointed in you, old boy. You
may go now.’
Vanion took the Director’s arm in his mailed fist and half
dragged him from the throne-room.
The Emperor of Tamuli exultantly raised his rapier over his
head, rose onto tiptoe, and spun about in a flamboyant little
pirouette. Then he extended one leg forward and bowed extravagantly
to Ehlana, sweeping his slender sword to the side. ‘And
that, dear mother,’ he said to her, ‘is how you overthrow a
government. ‘
‘no, Lady Sephrenia,’ the queen said flatly a half-hour later