“—and the truth,” said Pons.
“Yes,” agreed the dynast. ‘And the truth.”
“Your Majesty, if I may speak freely—”
“Since when, Pons, do you do anything else?”
“Yes, Sire,” The Lord High Chancellor smiled faintly. “What if we were to allow these wretched people admittance, establish them— say—in the Old Provinces. The land is almost completely worthless to us now that the Fire Sea has retreated.”
“And have these people spread their tales of a dying world? Those who think the earl a doddering old fool would suddenly begin to take him seriously.”
“The earl could be handled—” The Lord High Chancellor emitted a delicate cough.
“Yes, but there are more like him. Add to their numbers a prince of Kairn Telest, talking of his cold and barren realm, and his search for a way out, and you will destroy us all. Anarchy, riots! Is that what you want, Pons?”
“By the ash, no!” The Lord High Chancellor shuddered.
“Then quit prattling nonsense. We will portray these invaders as a threat and declare war against them. Wars always unite the people. We need time, Pons! Time! Time to find Death’s Gate ourselves, as the prophecy foretold.”
“Majesty!” Pons gasped. “You! The prophecy. You?—”
“Of course, Chancellor,” Kleitus snapped, appearing slightly put out. “Was there ever any doubt in your mind?”
“No, certainly not, Your Majesty.” Pons bowed, thankful for the chance to conceal his face until he could rearrange his features, banish astonishment and replace it with abiding faith. “I am overwhelmed by the suddenness of … of everything, too much happening at once.” This, at least, was true enough.
“When the time is right, we will lead the people forth from this world of darkness to one of light. We have fulfilled the first part of the prophecy—”
Yes, and so has every necromancer in Abarrach, thought Pons.
“It remains now for us to fulfill the rest,” Kleitus continued.
‘And can you, Your Majesty?” asked his chancellor, obediently taking his cue from the dynast’s slightly raised eyebrow.
“Yes,” answered Kleitus.
This astonished even Pons. “Sire! You know the location of Death’s Gate?”
“Yes, Pons. At long last, my studies have provided me with the answer. Now you understand why this prince and his ragtag followers, arriving at precisely this moment, are such a nuisance.”
A threat, Pons translated. For if you could discover the secret of Death’s Gate from the ancient writings, then so could others. The “ripple” you experienced did not enlighten you so much as terrify you. Someone may have beat you to it. That is the real reason this prince and his people must be destroyed.
“I stand humbled before your genius, Majesty.” The chancellor bowed low.
Pons was, for the most part, sincere. If he had doubts, it was only because he had never quite taken the prophecy seriously. He hadn’t even truly believed in it. Obviously, Kleitus did. Not only believed in it, but had gone about fulfilling it! Had he actually discovered Death’s Gate? Pons might have been dubious, except for the sight of those fantastic images. The visions had sent a thrill through the chancellor’s mind and body as nothing else had done these past forty years. Recalling what he’d seen, he felt, for a moment, quite wild with excitement and was forced to discipline himself severely, wrench himself back from bright and hopeful worlds to the dark and dreary business at hand.
“Your Majesty, how are we to start this war? It is obvious the Kairn Telest do not want to fight—”
“They will fight, Pons,” said the dynast, “when they find out that we have executed their prince.”
CHAPTER * 19
FIRE SEA, ABARRACH
PRINCE EDMUND TOLD HIS PEOPLE WHERE HE WAS GOING AND WHY. They listened in unhappy silence, afraid of losing their prince, yet knowing that there was no other way.
“Baltazar will be your leader in my absence,” Edmund announced simply, at the end. “Follow him, obey him as you would me.”
He left amid silence. Not one found words to call out a blessing to him. Although in their hearts they feared for him, they feared a terrible, bitter death even more and so they let him go in silence, choked by their own guilt.