with Ran Vordue in person. That’s probably the only thing that’s
going to convince him.’
‘Would His Imperial Majesty consent to such a meeting?’
‘He will if we send the right messenger. My father’s lurking about
somewhere nearby – keeping an eye on me, I think. I’ll suggest that
he take a little trip to Tol Honeth – for reasons of his health.’
‘Is he unwell?’
‘He will be if he doesn’t make that trip when I tell him to.’ I
considered it. ‘I don’t think the meeting should take place here in
Vo Mimbre,’ I said. ‘Let’s not alert the opposition. Tol Vordue would
be better, I think. I’ll talk with father about it and see what he
says. This plot we’re up against has been months in the making,
Mandorin, and it’d take us more months to unravel it. A meeting
between Corrolin and Ran Vordue would cut across all that tiresome
business. Corrolin will come back to Vo Mimbre with the keys to
his dungeon already in his hand.’
‘I had not thought that affairs of state could move so rapidly, my
Lady,’ he marveled. ‘Things here have a more leisurely pace.’
‘We don’t have much leisure, Baron. Corrolin’s advance parties
will be leaving Vo Mimbre tomorrow morning, and the rest of his
force won’t be far behind. If we don’t move fast, there’ll be too
Much momentum for us to turn things around. Oh, one more thing.
Please keep this entirely to yourself. We don’t need anybody else
involved. Anytime more than two people know a secret, it’s not a
secret any more. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go give my father his
marching orders.’
I left Baron Mandorin with a troubled expression on his face and
went directly to my own quarters. I closed the door behind me and
took a few precautions. Kador did have that Grolim in his party,
after all. ‘Father,’ I sent out my thought then, ‘I need you.’
‘For someone who’s pretending to be so independent, you’re calling Me
out of the bushes fairly often, Pol,’ he complained.
‘Stop trying to be funny. I want you to go to Tol Honeth and tell Ran
Vordue about what’s going on here in Arendia. It’ll probably get his
attention. I want him to go to Tol Vordue to meet with Duke Corrolin
and explain – very patiently – that he hasn’t got the faintest idea about
what’s behind all these pseudo alliances. Have him send an official
messenger to Mandorin, and the baron will get him in to meet with Corrolin. I
want the duke to meet with Ran Vordue personally in Tol Vordue before
the week’s out, and I don’t want anybody here in Vo Mimbre to know
about that meeting.’
‘ I’ll carry the message myself, if you’d like.’ That was a surprise. ‘Is
there anything else I can do for you?’
‘You might see if you can think up a way for me to get Corrolin out
of Vo Mimbre and on downriver to Tol Vordue without having about
half of his court trailing along behind,’ I suggested. ‘It’s got me a little
baffled.’
‘I’ll think of something. I’ve probably said this before, Pol, but you’re
very good at the sneaky side of politics.’
‘Why, thank you, kind sir. You’re not so bad yourself,, you know..,
‘Yes, but I’ve had more practice. Are things coming to a head
here?’
‘They’re getting close, so don’t dawdle, father. Let’s step right along
here.’
The next morning we all watched fifty or so Mimbrate knights,
mounted and steel clad, go clanking out of the court yard with
banners flying. It was probably only on an off-chance that I heard the
words, ‘Bear-Cult’ come from somewhere in the crowd. I circulated a
bit, and I didn’t actually have to go far in search of a repetition. It
seemed that everybody in the palace was talking about that peculiar
alorn aberration. It was obvious that Ctuchik’s underlings had been
busily spreading wild stories. The goals of the Cult were absurd
enough already, but the rumors that were circulating that morning
left absurdity far behind. The purpose, obviously, was to stir hatred,
fear, and distrust. It had been the unity of Torak’s brothers that had
defeated the Dragon-God during the War of the Gods, and Ctuchik
was doing everything in his power to dismember that unity.
I suppose I might have tried to squelch all those rumors, but I’d
long since discovered that there’s no real way to stop a rumor once
it’s gained a foothold.
It was late afternoon of the following day when father’s thought
resounded in my head. ‘Rejoice, my beloved daughter,’ he announced,
fOr I, with all my unspeakable skill, have accomplished the task you dropped
in my lap.’
, Will you please be serious, father? Did Ran Vordue agree to meet the
duke ?
‘Of course he did. Have I ever disappointed you?’
,Frequently, as a matter of fact. Have you got his message?’
‘It’s somewhere in one of my pockets, I think. Oh, incidentally, when I give
the letter to Corrolin, I’m going to suggest that he make a religious pilgrimage.
‘A what?’
‘I’ll ask him to put on some humble-looking clothes and ride on
downriver to that monastery at the mouth of the River Arend that’s just across
from Tol Vordue. The duke’s right on the verge of going to war, and
Arends always make some show of praying for victory before they go out
to do violence upon their neighbors. It’s a quaint custom of the race. A
pilgrimage is sort of private, so Corrolin won’t be taking much of an escort
with him – just you and Mandorin, if I can arrange it. It shouldn’t be too
difficult to slip him across the river to Tol Vordue once we reach the coast.
Was that sort of what you had in mind?’
‘It should work out just fine, father. When will you be arriving here in
Vo Mimbre?’
‘Tomorrow morning. I’m going to have to stop and get something to
eat. I guess I startled Ran Vordue so much that he forgot his manners. He
didn’t off-er me any supper, and I’m absolutely famished. I’ll see you
tomorrow, then. Sleep well, Pol.’
And I did that. I’d probably deny it were someone to suggest it,
but I always feel more secure when father takes a hand in something
I’m working on. He has his faults, but once he gets down to business,
he’s as inexorable as the tides.
The next morning I suggested to Baron Mandorin that we might
want to ‘go out for a little ride, just to stir up our blood’, and once
we were some distance to the north of the city, we entered a fairly
extensive grove of trees and found my father dozing beside a merry
little stream that burbled busily over stones back in amongst the
trees. He opened one eye as we dismounted. ‘What kept you?’ he
asked us, and when he stood up, I saw that he was wearing a coarse
brown monk’s robe made of burlap.
‘What’s this?’ I asked him.
It’S just my uniform, Pol,’ he replied. ‘I’m going to be duke’s
escort as we ride on downriver.’ Then he looked at Mandorin.
‘amazing,’ he said. ‘Your hair hasn’t turned white yet.’
Mandorin gave him a puzzled look.
‘You’ve been associating with my daughter, haven’t you?’
‘Will you please drop all the joking around, father?’ I demanded
with some exasperation.
‘Probably not, but we can talk about that later. How’ve you been,
Mandorin?’
‘Well, Ancient one, well.’
‘I’m glad to hear it. If I remember correctly, there’s a small room
back behind the duke’s throne. It’s where he usually hangs his robe.
Go on back to Vo Mimbre and ask him to step in there for a moment.
Pol and I’ll be waiting for the two of you there. I’ll talk with Corrolin
for a bit, and then we’ll set out for the monastery.’
‘What if -‘ I started.
He sighed that long-suffering sigh that always irritates me. ‘Please,
Pol,’ he said. ‘I’ve already covered all the “what-ifs”. Go ahead,
Mandorin. Pol and I’ll be waiting in that cloak-room.’
Mandorin remounted, took Lady’s reins, and rode off, and then
father and I fell back on our alternative mode of transportation and
were safely ensconced in that half-hidden little attiring-room about
a quarter of an hour before the Baron of Vo Mandor even got back
inside the palace.
‘Ah, there you are, your Grace,’ father said when Mandorin and
Corrolin entered the room. ‘We’ve been waiting for you.’ He didn’t
even bother to rise.
Father had draped his monk’s robe across the back of an
unoccupied chair, and the duke saw only a seedy-looking vagabond with
bad manners sitting in a room where he had no apparent business.
‘What doth this mean, Baron Mandorin?’ he demanded sharply of
our friend.
‘My Lord,’ Mandorin replied, ‘I have the distinct honor to present