Sara Douglass – The Serpent Bride – DarkGlass Mountain Book 1

by the size of Isembaard. It was three times, at least, the size Tencendor had been.

Axis” eyes drifted to the northwest of the map, where Tencendor should have been.

There was nothing there save a broken line showing where once the coastline had been,

and the chilling label: The Lost Land of Tencendor.

“As you can see,” Isaiah said, “my cartographers have produced a perfectly up-to-date

map.”

Axis nodded, not trusting his voice.

Isaiah tapped a small city on the east coast of Isembaard. “The original Isembaard rose

from this small eastern city of the same name—the Tyranny takes its name from the city that

gave it birth. When Isembaard was still a small city and not the vast empire it is now, the tyrants

of Isembaard depended almost entirely on warfare for their reputation, and for the means to feed

their people.”

“How so?” said Axis. “Surely a state is the stronger the less it engages in war?”

“The city of Isembaard was small, surrounded by poor land,” said Isaiah. “How else was

it to grow, and strengthen, if it did not accrue lands unto itself? Isembaard needed to expand in

order to survive. It needed its leaders, its tyrants, to be successful and ambitious war leaders, in

order that the needed land be accrued.”

“Ah,” said Axis. “So over time Isembaard „accrued” all the nations I have seen on your

maps? The „dependencies”? A city become an empire?”

“Yes,” said Isaiah. “Bit by bit. It has taken us centuries.”

Axis thought about the vast amount of territory within the Tyranny, and the different

peoples contained therein. “It must be difficult,” he observed, “ruling such an immense area and

peoples.”

“It is,” said Isaiah, and Axis thought he saw that fleeting shadow cross the tyrant”s face.

“Does the Tyrant of Isembaard still rely on the ancient methods of keeping people

happy?” Axis asked. “Continual expansion? Warfare? Does your throne depend on victory in

war, Isaiah?”

Isaiah turned his head to look at Axis fully. “You know the answer to that, Axis. Why

else allow you to listen to my conversation with Lister?”

Axis looked back at the map. “You called Lister your „northern ally,”” he said, “and from

my own experience I know Skraelings prefer ice and snow above all else.” He ran a hand slowly

up the map, then tapped the area above Gershadi and Viland. “He”s up here. In the frozen

northern wastes.”

Isaiah tilted his head in agreeance.

“And you want to invade „north,”” Axis said. He fell silent, concentrating on the map.

“By the stars, Isaiah,” Axis said eventually, “you have allied with Lister and the

Skraelings with only one possible objective. The kingdoms above the FarReach Mountains:

Pelemere, Kyros, Escator, perhaps even the Outlands. You intend to sandwich the Northern

Kingdoms between you, yes? Two arms, two pincers, icy ghosts from the north, desert warriors

from the south.”

“A sound strategy, surely,” Isaiah said.

“But such a risk,” said Axis. “Not merely relying on an alliance with Skraelings, for the

stars” sakes, but such a massive invasion into lands so far from your home.” Axis studied the

map once more. “Frankly, I would have tried for something more achievable that didn”t

necessitate a Skraeling alliance…the Eastern Independencies, for example.” He tapped the map

down in its lower eastern corner. “I can”t think why you have not „accrued” them already.”

Isaiah did not answer, and Axis looked at him curiously. “By the gods,” Axis said softly

after a moment or two. “You have tried for the Eastern Independencies, haven”t you?”

“I campaigned against the Eastern Independencies in my second year on the throne,”

Isaiah said. “The campaign proved to be…difficult.”

Stars! Axis thought, recalling Lister”s earlier remark about the generals. Isaiah was very

uncertain of his throne. He had one military disaster behind him and he could not afford

another—not with both a nation and some restless generals expecting a military victory resulting

in the acquisition of yet more new territory.

“Why,” Axis asked, “were the Eastern Independencies so hard to—”

“That is not the issue now,” Isaiah said, his tone tight, and Axis knew this was not the

time to push the point.

“So instead you ally with the Skraelings in the frozen northern wastes,” Axis said. “An

interesting alliance.”

“It cannot fail,” Isaiah said. “The Central Kingdoms, the Outlands, and their allies will

not be able to resist us.”

Axis was trying hard to reconcile this Isaiah with the one who had handed him the Goblet

of the Frogs. He realized, very suddenly, that there was no contradiction at all. Isaiah was a man

genuinely unsuited to tyranny, which made him immensely vulnerable, which in its turn made

him even more determined to win for himself a great military victory that resulted in the

conquering of vast lands.

The only question in Axis” mind was why Isaiah was so determined to cling to his throne.

Axis thought that Isaiah was not one who needed the magnificence of throne and title and power

of life and death over millions in order to bolster his self-esteem.

So why the need to ally with the Skraelings in order to achieve military victory? Why

embark on a course which would result in the death of tens of thousands?

“I need a friend here at court,” Isaiah said, his eyes watching Axis carefully as if he could

understand the train of Axis” thoughts. “I have none. No one I can trust.”

“If you want me to be your friend, then tell me why you want this invasion so badly. The

real reason, Isaiah.”

Isaiah held his gaze for a moment. “And so I will tell you,” he said, “when I am certain I

can trust you.”

Axis laughed softly, shaking his head. “Why do I find it impossible to remain angry with

you, Isaiah?”

“Will you be my friend, Axis?”

“I will not aid you to invade the Central Kingdoms. I will not, under any circumstances,

condone any action that sees you ally with Skraelings.”

“Be my conscience then, if friendship is too difficult.”

Isaiah”s eyes twinkled, and Axis again shook his head in amusement. Isaiah was

impossible to dislike.

“Your conscience, then,” Axis said.

“Good,” Isaiah said, taking Axis” hand, and Axis sensed that Isaiah was truly relieved.

“Now,” said Isaiah, glancing at one of the windows, “it grows dark, and I fear I am late

for an appointment with wife number fifty-nine. Can you find your way back to your apartment

by yourself?”

Axis was struck firstly by the fact that at least Isaiah trusted him enough to allow him to

wander the palace, and secondly by the casual mention of wife number fifty-nine.

“How many do you have?” Axis asked, aghast.

“Um, eighty-four, I think.”

“So many?”

“I find myself displeased by a woman”s body when she is pregnant. So as my wives fall

pregnant, I send them back to the women”s quarters and take to myself another wife. Also, many

of the dependencies send me wives, hoping thus to garner my favor.”

“And you love none of them.” It was not a question.

“They are meaningless to me, Axis. I do not have an Azhure in my life.”

The sudden mention of his wife upset Axis more than he”d thought possible. He was

shocked to find his eyes filling with tears as a terrible ache consumed him.

“I am sorry, Axis,” Isaiah said, the man of deep compassion now fully returned.

Axis nodded, then turned away.

Two hours later Axis lay awake in his chamber, hands behind his head, staring into the

darkness.

Azhure.

He hadn”t thought much about her since Isaiah had pulled him back into life, but Isaiah”s

words earlier brought home to Axis how much he missed her.

I do not have an Azhure in my life, Isaiah had said.

Neither, now, did Axis. She was dead, he was alive, and Axis had no idea if he would

ever see her again. Who knew how many otherworlds there were? Who knew whether, once he

died from this life, he would return to Azhure”s side?

Besides, how long was he to live now?

The thought of enduring perhaps fifty years without his wife kept Axis awake throughout

the night.

“Damn you, Isaiah,” Axis muttered as the dawn light slowly filtered into his chamber, but

there was no anger in his voice, only an infinite sadness.

CHAPTER SIX

Palace of Aqhat, Tyranny of Isembaard

Isaiah did not go back to his private quarters after talking with Axis.

Instead, restless and uncertain, he went down to the dark stables, saddled a horse (waving

back to their beds the four or five grooms who hurried sleepy-eyed to serve their master), and

rode the horse to the Lhyl.

He pushed the horse across the river, then rode south along the river road to where rose

the great glass pyramid called DarkGlass Mountain. Isaiah did not once raise his eyes to look at

it, but rode directly to a small door in its northern face, where he hobbled the horse, and entered.