blank oblivion in Arell’s arms.
I was in my own bed when I awoke, and I can’t really say how
much time had passed. Arell sat at my bedside, and I vaguely
noticed that the windows had been barred while I slept. ‘Your
father’s here, Pol,’ Arell told me when my eyes opened.
‘How nice of him to take the trouble,’ I replied bitterly. Arell had
not poisoned me, and I felt somehow betrayed by that fact.
‘That’s about enough of that, Polgara.’ Arell’s tone was crisp.
‘People die. It happens. This isn’t the time for accusations or
recriminations. The death of a loved one can either tear a family apart or
it can bind the survivors closer together. which do you want it to
be, Pol?’ Then she stood up, smoothing the front of her grey dress.
‘Don’t go looking for anything sharp, dear. I’ve had your room
purged of everything with an edge, and stay away from the
windows. Now get dressed, wash your face in cold water, and comb
your hair. You’re a mess.’ Then she left, and I got out of bed to lock
the door behind her.
It was evening again, though I couldn’t tell you what day it was,
and father came knocking at my door. ‘It’s me, Pol. Open up.’
‘Go away,’ I told him.
‘Open the door, Pol. I need to talk to you.’
‘Get away from me, father.’ Even as I said it, I knew that it was
more than a little silly. No lock in this
world will keep my father
out if he really wants in. I gave up and opened the door.
He was all business, though his face was bleak. He bluntly
reminded me that our overriding responsibility now was the Rivan
line. Riva himself was totally incapacitated by his grief, and
somebody had to assume his duties – both as king and as the guardian
of the Orb. Daran was only twenty, but he was Riva’s heir and
therefore the only possible choice. ‘The Angaraks have eyes
everywhere, Pol,’ father reminded me, ‘and if there’s any sign of weakness
here, you can expect a visit from Ctuchik – or maybe even from
Torak himself.’
That brought me up short. I pushed my grief and desolation back.
‘What do we do?’
‘You’re going to pull yourself together and take charge here. I’m
putting Daran into your hands. I’ve talked with Brand, and he fully
understands the situation. He’ll help you as much as he can, but
the ultimate responsibility’s still yours. Don’t fail me, Pol. I’ll take
you to Brand’s quarters. He’s talking with Daran there right now.
They’re Alorns, Pol, so keep a tight rein on them.’
‘You’ll be here, won’t you.
‘No. I have to leave.’
‘You’re not even going to stay for the funeral?’ That shocked me
for some reason. Father’s always been a bit informal, but
‘I’ve got the funeral in my heart, Pol, and no amount of ceremony
or preaching by some tiresome priest is going to make it go
away.’
It was only an off-hand remark, but it reminded me that I had a
score to settle with a certain priest of Belar. If Elthek, the Rivan
Deacon, hadn’t pretended to be so hysterically afraid of witchcraft,
my sister might have received proper medical attention soon enough
to save her life. A desire for revenge isn’t really very admirable, but
it does tend to stiffen one’s back in the face of sorrow. Now I had
two reasons to get hold of myself – Elthek and Ctuchik. I had enen-iies
on both sides of the theological fence.
Father took me to Kamion’s book-lined study, and then he left
US.
‘There are precedents for a regency,’ Kamion told my sorrowing
nephew and me, ‘quite a few, actually. The fact that a man’s a king
doesn’t automatically exempt him from ordinary human incapacity.’
‘Lord Brand,’ Daran objected, ‘the people won’t accept me as their
ruler. I’m too young.’
‘Your father was even younger than you are when he established
the kingdom, Daran,’ I reminded him.
‘But he had the Orb, Aunt Pol.’
‘Right. And now you have it.’
He blinked. ‘Nobody but father can touch the Orb.’
I smiled at him. I suppose it was a sad smile, but the fact that I
could do it at all surprised me. ‘Daran,’ I said, ‘your father put your
hand on the Orb before you were twenty-four hours old. It knows
who you are.’
‘Could he take the sword down off the wall?’ Kamion asked me
intently.
‘I’m not entirely positive. I’ll look into it.’
‘That would give his Highness’ regency a visible sign of legitimacy
and head off objections from any quarter.’
‘I think I’m getting a glimmer of an idea here, gentlemen,’ I told
them. ‘I’ll have to speak with my Master about it and with Riva
himself – but if I’m right, there won’t be any objections to Daran’s
regency from anyone.’
‘And then I can deal with the Rivan Deacon,’ Daran said, his
young face hardening.
‘Would you care to define “deal with”, your Highness?’ Kamion
asked politely.
‘I haven’t entirely decided yet, Lord Brand. I’m torn between
running a sword into his belly and twisting it or burning him at the
stake. Which do you prefer, Aunt Pol?’
Alorns! ‘Let’s get your authority firmly established before the
blood-bath, Daran,’ I suggested. ‘Let Elthek worry for a while before
You run your sword into him or start using him for firewood. We
have other things to take care of first.’
‘I guess you’re right, Aunt Pol,’ he conceded. ‘Do you have the
authority to close the harbor, Lord Brand?’
‘I suppose so, your Highness,’ Kamion replied, ‘but why?’
‘This is an island, Lord Brand. If we close the harbor, Elthek can’t
get away from me.’
‘Oh, dear,’ I sighed.
It was much later when I was alone in my chambers that I was
finally able to reach out with my mind. ‘Mother, I need you.’ Then I
waited, growing more apprehensive by the moment.
‘ Yes, Pol?’ Her voice was filled with fathomless sorrow.
‘Can Daran take up his father’s sword?’
‘Of course he can, Pol.’
‘And will the sword respond to him in the same way it responds to
Riva?’
‘Naturally. What’s this all about, Pol?’
‘Alorn politics, mother. Riva can’t function just now, so Daran’s going
to have to rule the Isle until his father recovers. I want to head off any
arguments before they even get started.’
‘Don’t overdo things, Pol.’
‘Of course not, mother.’
It’s always been my opinion that funerals should be private affairs
for just the immediate family, but my sister had been the queen of
the Rivans, and that called for a state funeral.
‘The Rivan Deacon will officiate, of course,’ Kamion advised my
nephew and me. ‘It’s unfortunate, but
‘No. He won’t,’ Daran said firmly.
‘Your Highness?’
‘Elthek killed my mother. If he even comes near the funeral, I’ll
chop him all to pieces. There’s a chaplain here in the Citadel. He’ll
officiate.’
‘That’s your Highness’s final word on the matter?’
‘It is, Lord Brand.’ Then Daran stormed away.
‘I’ll talk to him, Kamion,’ I said quietly. ‘The Deacon won’t
officiate, but I do want him to be present. Something’s going to happen
that I want him to see.’
‘Secrets, Pol?’
‘Just a little surprise, old friend. I’m going to make the transfer
of power very visible.’
Elthek was offended, naturally, but Kamion was smooth enough
to unruffle his feathers, using such terms as ‘personal spiritual
advisor’, and ‘the wishes of the immediate family’.
The formal funeral was conducted in the Hall of the Rivan King,
and my sister’s bier was directly in front of the throne where Riva,
sunk in bottomless melancholy, sat brooding over his wife’s pale
body.
The priest who officiated was a gentle, kindly old man who was
clearly not a Cultist. He gave us what comfort he could, but I doubt
that any of us heard much of what he said. Elthek, the Rivan Deacon,
sat near the front of the Hall, his face filled with injured pride. He
was a tall, thin man with burning eyes and a grey-shot beard that
reached almost to his waist. At one point during the family
chaplain’s sermon, I caught Elthek glaring at me, and then his face twisted
into a smirk that said volumes. He seemed almost delighted that
I’d failed to save my sister’s life. He came very close to joining Belar
out among the stars at that point.
Beldaran was interred in a hastily prepared royal mausoleum at
the end of a long hallway inside the Citadel, and Riva wept openly
as the heavy stone lid of the crypt slid gratingly over her. Then
Kamion and I escorted him back to the Hall. I’d spoken with my
distraught brother-in-law for a time just before the funeral, so he
knew exactly what to do. ‘My friends,’ he addressed the assembled
nobles and clergy, ‘I will be going into seclusion for some time. The