hide from me. I always know when you’re around.’ I paused. ‘Well?
What do you think?’
‘I think you’re taking a lot of chances, and you’re moving too
fast.’
‘I have to move fast, father. I can’t be certain just who’s in that
Murgo’s pocket.’
‘That’s exactly my point. You’re hanging your whole scheme on
the two who just left, and you only met them this morning. Are
YOU sure they can be trusted?’
I treated him to one of those long-suffering sighs. ‘Yes, father,’ I
replied, ‘I’m sure. Mangaran has a lot to gain, and he does have a
few faint tinges of patriotism lurking around his edges.’
‘ What about the girl? Isn’t she awfully giddy?’
‘That’s a pose, father. Asrana’s very clever, and she’s got at least
as much to gain as Mangaran has.’
‘I didn’t exactly follow that, Pol.’
‘A part of the Arendish problem is the fact that women are little
more than domestic animals here. Asrana’s going to help take over
the government, and when Mangaran’s elevated to the throne, she’ll
be right next to the seat of power. She’ll be someone to reckon
with here in Asturia after tonight. This is her only opportunity to
seize any kind of power, and she won’t do anything to spoil that
chance.’
He squinted. ‘Maybe,’ he conceded dubiously.
‘Trust me, father. Will you do it?’
‘Do what?’
‘Make that speech tomorrow morning?’
‘Why don’t you do it?’
‘You remember what I just said about domestic animals? This is
Arendia, father. No Arendish man’s going to listen to anybody
wearing a skirt. I’ve got to move on to Vo Mimbre, so I don’t have time
to convince a crowd of half-drunk Asturian males that I’m not a
poodle or a common house-cat. Look at it this way, father. If you
make the speech, you get all the credit for what I’ve done – and
you didn’t have to do any of the dirty work.’
‘I’ll think about it. Why do you let that silly girl call you “Polly”?
If I tried that, you’d set fire to my beard.’
‘Yes, I would, so don’t even think about it. Actually, I wasn’t
entirely sure of Asrana’s commitment until she called me “Polly”.
Once she did that, I knew I had her in my pocket.’
‘Could you trot that past me again?’
‘She’s pushing, father. Asrana always pushes. I let her get away
with it in order to keep her right where I want her.’
‘I will never understand women.’
‘Probably not, no. Oh, before you start composing your speech
for tomorrow, would you do me a favor?’
‘More than likely. What did you need?’
‘Oldoran’s bodyguards are at supper right now. Do something to
their wine. I want them all to be falling-down drunk before they go
on duty.’
‘I thought you didn’t approve of drinking.’
‘This is a special occasion, father, and special occasions allow us
to bend the rules just a little bit. I want to hold down the bloodshed
as much as possible this evening. It’s important that Oldoran’s
removal from his throne appear to be administrative rather than
military.’
‘You’re very good at this, Pol.’
‘Thank you, father. Now, go to the guardroom and incapacitate
the duke’s bodyguards. Then start working on your speech while I
get on with overthrowing the government.’
just after supper, a sturdy peasant with a diffident air about him
approached me. ‘Lord Mangaran asked me to speak with you,
my Lady,’ he said politely. ‘He said you wanted to send
somebody a message. I’m supposed to deliver it for you. My name’s
Lammer.’
it was a bit obscure – this was a conspiracy. after all – but I got
his point. ‘Are you a good messenger?’ I asked him.
‘There’s none better in all Asturia, my Lady. Did you want a
demonstration?o
‘I’ll take your word for it, Lammer. I want my message to reach
his brain at a specific moment.’
‘I can manage that, my Lady.’ He squinted. ‘I’ll be up in the
gallery on the right side of the throne-room,’ he advised me. ‘I’ll
send the message on its way and be halfway back down the stairs
that lead up to the gallery before it even arrives in his brain.’
‘Excellent fellow. I’m going to go change clothes now, and then
I’ll go to the throne-room. Deliver my message as soon as I enter
the room.’
‘Yes, my Lady.’ He paused. ‘Um -‘ he said, ‘who? Who’s
supposed to get the message, I mean?
I told him and a flicker of a smile touched his lips. Then I went
to Asrana’s set of rooms to change. I used the gown I’d worn at
beldaran’s wedding. It was striking enough to get everyone’s
attention, certainly, and I was very familiar with it, since I’d watched
Arell put in every stitch.
No, of course I hadn’t carried it to Arendia with me. It was still
hanging in my wardrobe back in father’s tower. I do have certain
advantages, after all.
Asrana came in just as I was touching up my hair. ‘My goodness,
Polly!’ she said. ‘What a stupendous gown! But isn’t it just a trifle
daring?’
‘It’s intended to be, Asrana,’ I told her. ‘All manner of things are
going to happen when I walk into the throne-room, and I want to
be certain that everybody notices me.’
‘Oh, you can be sure that they will, Polly. It might disrupt the
Plan, though. Everybody’ll be so busy looking at you that they’ll
forget to overthrow the government.’
‘Something’s going to happen that’ll remind them, dear,’ I assured
her. ‘Now go get Mangaran for me. Send him here and then go to
the throne-room. Circulate around and tell our people to get
ready. Things are going to happen rather quickly once I enter the
room.’
‘Could you be a little more specific?’
‘No, I don’t think so. I want to surprise everybody. Don’t you
like surprises?’
‘Not when I’m in the middle of a plot, I don’t.’ She looked at the
sideboard where several decanters stood.
‘No!’ I told her quite firmly. ‘Don’t even think about it! I want
your head on straight tonight.’
‘My nerves are strung a little tight, Polly.’
‘Good. I want them to be. Don’t dull your edge, Asrana. Now
scoot.’
She left, and Mangaran rapped on the door a few moments later.
‘You wanted to see me, my Lady?’
‘Yes. Come in and close the door.’
He did that.
‘Go directly to the throne-room from here, my Lord,’ I instructed.
‘Ease your way through the crowd until you’re about five feet from
the throne. Oldoran is there, isn’t he?’
He nodded. ‘He sort of regained consciousness after supper, and
his servants helped him to the throne. His eyes are open, but I doubt
that very much is registering on his brain.’
‘Good. As soon as I enter the throne-room, something rather
startling is going to happen. I’ll shout some instructions, and you’ll
follow them. We’ll hustle the duke out of the throne-room. It’ll look
as if it’s for his protection, but it’s really an excuse to get him on
his way to that monastery. I’ll come into the room where you take
him and give him a quick medical examination, and then we’ll come
out to make the announcement that he’s going into seclusion “for
reasons of health”. You’ll be taking over the government at that
point. Try to sound regretful about it.’
‘Exactly what is going to happen, Lady Polgara?’
‘You don’t need to know that, my Lord. I want your reactions to
be very genuine. If I surprise you, they will be. I’ll be giving you
instructions, so just follow them. Under the circumstances, they’ll
be completely rational, so nobody’s going to question you. Now go
to the throne-room. I’ll be along in just a few moments, and that’s
when things will start.’
I want you all to notice that I was very carefully keeping a great
many details to myself. Arends have a tendency to want to be
helpful, and I didn’t want anybody stepping in to lend a hand at exactly
the wrong moment.
I paused for a long moment before leaving Asrana’s apartment,
gathering a kind of calmness about me. There were a number of
things I had to do in almost the same instant that Lammer’s message
reached its mark. Very few in the throne-room were actually privy
to our little scheme, and I was going to have to channel everyone
else’s thinking in a specific direction. I wasn’t going to leave any
openings for speculation. I wanted them all to interpret the event
that was about to take place in one specific way.
Then I drew in a deep breath and went out into the corridor that
led to the throne-room.
I paused in the shadowy doorway to the great hall to make certain
that everyone was in place. Mangaran was near the left side of the
throne. Oldoran, his eyes unfocused, sat in his accustomed place.