“You asked me that on the first day we met, as I recall,” Ishbel said.
“Tell me what happened once Maxel had walked away from you, Ishbel.”
Ishbel gave a little shrug. “I became angry—at myself. I couldn”t believe I”d allowed
myself to sink so low. So, Salome, that is my only secret.”
Salome”s eyes drifted to the cloth-wrapped goblet, and she slid Ishbel a sly glance, but
did not comment on it.
“How do you feel for Maxel?” she asked.
“Exhausted,” Ishbel said, then gave a soft laugh. “I am exhausted with loving him, and
am enjoying not having to do so.”
“Well, then, you are finally your own woman,” Salome said, rising to her feet with
admirable grace considering her advanced pregnancy. “Ravenna is angry.”
“She thinks I will ruin Maximilian”s life, and the entire world besides.”
“Venetia had a talk with me this morning,” Salome said. “She worries about her
daughter.”
“I do not,” Ishbel said.
“Perhaps you should,” Salome said, then leaned down to give Ishbel a good-night kiss,
and departed.
Maximilian was fast asleep in his tent when he was startled awake by a hand on his
shoulder.
“Doyle?” he said, rising onto one elbow.
“My lord,” Doyle said, his voice tight, “there is something I need to tell you.”
Far distant, the Lealfast fighters glided through the night. They journeyed in their magical
form, almost transparent crystals of snow that sliced through the air against the wind. At night
they were invisible; during the day they could be seen only in numbers, and only then as a filmy
gray cloud high in the sky.
As they flew, Eleanon, Bingaleal, and Inardle talked, traveling far enough away from the
others that they could not be overheard.
“The One is extraordinary,” Bingaleal said, as he had said many times on their journey
north toward Maximilian.
“He is dangerous, too,” Inardle said.
“He promises more for us than Maximilian,” said Eleanon.
“But at what price?” Inardle said. “What shall he ask of us?”
“We have always thought that only the Lord of Elcho Falling had the power to achieve
what we needed,” said Eleanon.
For a moment the three Lealfast shared the dream to which all Lealfast aspired.
Wholeness. Freedom from their half-and-half nature—half Skraeling, half Icarii. The Lealfast despised both Skraeling and Icarii and yearned for their own future, their own identity.
Wholeness.
Formerly they had thought only the Lord of Elcho Falling had the power to strip them of
both their Skraeling and Icarii blood, but now…
“Now, there is the One,” Bingaleal said, “and suddenly we have a choice. Inardle, we
must consider that choice, and we must keep our choices open. The nation depends on the
decisions the three of us make.”
“But we must not be hasty,” Inardle said.
“Indeed not,” said Eleanon. “We fly to Maximilian, we consider him, and then we learn
as much as we can about the One and what he offers, and then we consider him as well. We shall
not be hasty. But we shall do whatever is needed to better the Lealfast. But for the moment, our loyalty shall be publicly with Maximilian. Until…”
“We find a better choice,” said Bingaleal, “and are certain in that choice.”
Far below them a tiny dot scampered south.
It was the rat which had crawled from the Goblet of the Frogs, and it was moving
supernaturally fast.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The Sky Peaks Pass
Maximilian drew the razor down the side of his cheek, then flicked off the soap and
bristles into a dish of water at his feet. He drew the razor down his other cheek, and then again,
flicking away the soap and bristles after each pass, and then over his chin.
Axis sat on a chair in the command tent, watching the Lord of Elcho Falling as he shaved
in the predawn. Maximilian looked more relaxed than Axis had seen him in a while, and he
wondered at it. Axis had spoken to Insharah very early this morning, and the soldiers were more
edgy than ever. They didn”t know why they were sitting here in the snow when back home their
land was, for all they knew, being torn apart and their families slaughtered.
Maximilian would somehow need to pull a miracle down from the sky if he wanted to
retain control of the army.
The Lealfast.
“What will happen today, Maxel?” Axis said. “Tens of thousands of Lealfast are,
presumably, going to descend from the sky. It might not do much for the mood of the camp,
which is already restless. Do you have any…” Axis stopped, searching for the word.
Maximilian wiped the razor on a cloth, then set it to one side. “Plans?” He picked up a
towel and wiped his face and neck clean of soap, then handed the towel to Serge, who cleared
away the shaving paraphernalia. “Yes, of a kind. Axis, I need you to assemble as much of the
army as you can manage by midafternoon, in the space surrounding that small hill about four
hundred paces away to the north. You know it?”
Axis nodded. It was a good place for one man to address a huge crowd.
It was also a good place for one man to be obliterated by an angry mob.
“I can”t protect you there, Maxel,” Axis said softly.
“I know. I live or die by my words and actions today.”
“You seem very calm about it.”
Maximilian gave a slight shrug.
“Have you heard from Eleanon?”
“Yes. He and his fighters are close, gathered about an hour”s flight from here. They know
when to arrive, and where. Don”t worry, Axis. I will be careful with the introductions.”
“What do you want me to do with the generals?”
Maximilian didn”t answer immediately, considering Axis. “The generals?” he said after a
moment. “At the front again, as they were when we met Malat and Georgdi. Now, Axis, you
have a couple of hundred thousand men to organize. Best get to it.”
Axis gave Maximilian a measured look—the man was keeping something from him—but
in the end he just nodded a farewell as he rose and left.
It had been a very long time since Axis had command of an army, and never one of quite
this size. He had yet to feel out his chain of command through all of the units, and still depended
very greatly on Insharah to relay his orders through the mass of men.
Still, Axis had spent a goodly portion of the nights on the long trail sitting about
campfires talking, and entertaining with his harp and voice, and although there was initial
disquiet and muttering, by noon most of the army was moving, as asked, north toward the hill
where Maximilian would address them.
They took no gear with them and only hand weapons—Axis had thought about ordering
they take no weapons at all, but knew that, firstly, he”d never be able to enforce such an order
and, secondly, weaponless men were even more likely to be moved to anger and action when
faced with a strange and unnerving situation than those who at least had a sword or knife to
hand.
Once the bulk of the men were moving, Axis and Insharah walked toward the generals”
tents. Axis wasn”t looking forward to talking to them, and even less to persuading them to attend
this gathering.
“They”ve been too quiet these past days,” he said to Insharah as they approached
Lamiah”s tent. “I should have spoken to them earlier.”
Insharah shrugged. “No doubt they”ve been plotting and planning,” he said, and then
there was no more time for words as they halted before the sentry at Lamiah”s tent.
“Your master is in?” Axis said to the man.
“Washing, my lord,” the guard said. “He would not wish to be disturbed before he is fully
garbed.”
“Lamiah is a laggard indeed,” Axis said, “if he still wanders undressed at this time of
day.”
He stepped forward, meaning to enter the tent, but the sentry grabbed at his arm. “My
lord—”
The sentry got no further, for Insharah wrenched him back.
“Watch what you do, man!” Insharah barked, and Axis sent the sentry a hard look before
he lifted the tent flap and stepped inside.
It was empty. Empty, that is, save for a stripped camp bed and dirty dishes with
congealed and mouldy scraps stuck to their surfaces.
There was no man, let alone a general, washing.
Axis froze to the spot, then suddenly he was outside, running for the tents of Armat and
Kezial.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The Sky Peaks Pass
Ravenna wandered the rapidly emptying camp. No one paid her any attention, which
suited her purpose yet still managed to annoy her.
She wasn”t sure what to do. Over the past day and night—mostly spent wandering,
walking, thinking—she”d tried to think of what she could do to negate Ishbel”s danger. It was
obvious that Maximilian would take Ishbel back and would heed no warning, no matter how