The Hidden City by David Eddings

Komier and Bergsten. We’re going to need the Church Knights

in Cynesga and Arjuna, not in Edam or Astel – or here in

Matherion. Let’s have them ride southeast after they come down

out of the mountains of Zemoch. We’ll have the Atans in Sarna,

the eastern Peloi and the Church Knights we’ve already got in

Samar, the Trolls in the Tamul Mountains and Komier and Bergsten

on the western side of the Desert of Cynesga. We’ll be able

to squeeze the land of the Cyrgai like a lemon at that point.’

‘And see what kind of seeds come popping out,’ Kalten added

bleakly.

Patriarch Emban, First Secretary of the Church of Chyrellos,

was a man who absolutely adored lists. The fat little churchman

automatically drew up a list when any subject was being discussed.

There is a certain point in most discussions when things

have all been settled, and the participants start going back over

the various points. Inevitably, that was the point at which

Emban pulled out his list. ‘All right then,’ he said in a tone that

clearly said that he was summing up, ‘Sparhawk will take ship

for Beresa, along with Milord Stragen and young master Talen,

right?’

‘it puts him in place in case Berit and Khalad do, in fact, have

to ride all the way down there, your Grace,’ Vanion said. ‘And

Stragen and Talen have contacts in Beresa, so they’ll probably

be able to find out just who else is in town.’

Emban checked that off his list. ‘Next. Sir Kalten, Sir Bevier

and Master Caalador will sail south on a different ship and go

into the jungles of Arjuna.’

Caalador nodded. ‘I’ve got a friend in Delo who has contacts

with the robber bands in those jungles,’ he said. ‘We’ll join one

of those bands, so we’ll be able to keep an eye on Natayos and

pass the word if Scarpa’s army starts to move.’

‘Right.’ Emban checked that off. ‘next. Sir Ulath and Sir

Tynian will go to the Tamul Mountains to stay in touch with

the Trolls.’ He frowned. ‘Why is Tynian going there?’ he asked.

‘He doesn’t speak Trollish.’

‘Tynian and I get along well,’ Ulath rumbled, ‘and I’ll get

terribly lonely if there’s no one around to talk with but Trolls.

You have no idea of how depressing it is to be alone with Trolls,

your Grace.’

‘Whatever makes you happy, Sir Ulath.’ Emban shrugged.

‘Now then, Sephrenia and Anarae Xanetia will go to Delphaeus

to advise Anari Codon about all these recent developments and

to explain what we’re doing.’

‘And to see what we can do to make peace between Styricum

and the Delphae,’ Sephrenia added.

Emban checked off another item. He said, ‘Lord Vanion, Queen

Betuana, Ambassador Itagne and Domi Kring will take the five

thousand knights and go to Western Tamul Proper to join with

the forces they have in place in Sarna and Samar.’

‘Where is Domi Kring?’ Betuana asked, looking around for the

little man.

‘He’s standing guard over Mirtai,’ Princess Danae said. ‘He’s

still about half afraid she might try to kill herself.’

‘We could have a problem there,’ Bevier observed. ‘Under

those circumstances, Kring might not be willing to leave

Matherion.’

‘We can get along without him if we have to,’ Vanion said. ‘I

can deal with Tikume directly. Having Kring around would

make it easier, but I can make do without him if he really thinks

that Mirtai might do something foolish.’

Emban nodded. ‘Emperor Sarabian, Foreign Minister Oscagne

and I will stay here in Matherion to hold down the fort, and the

Child Goddess will keep us all in touch with each other. Have

I left anything out?’

‘What do you want me to do, Emban?’ Danae asked sweetly.

‘You’ll stay here in Matherion with us, your Royal Highness,’

Emban replied, ‘to brighten our gloomy days and nights with

the sunshine of your smile.’

‘Are you making fun of me, your Grace?

‘Of course not, Princess.’

To say that Mirtai was unhappy would have been the grossest

of understatements. She was in chains when Kring brought her

into the council chamber with a hopeless kind of look on his

face. ‘Nothing I say even reaches her,’ the Domi told them. ‘I

think she’s even forgotten that we’re betrothed.’

The golden Atan giantess would not look at any of them, but

sank instead to the floor in abject misery.

‘She has failed her owner.’ Betuana shrugged. ‘She must

either avenge or die.’

‘Not quite, your Majesty,’ Sparhawk’s daughter said firmly.

She slipped down from the chair in the corner from which she

had been watching the proceedings. She deposited Rollo in one

corner of the chair and Mmrr in the other and crossed the room

to Mirtai with a businesslike look on her small face. ‘Atana Mirtai,’

she said crisply, ‘get up off the floor.’

Mirtai looked sullenly at her, then slowly rose, her chains

rattling.

In my mother’s absence, I am the queen,’ Danae declared.

Sparhawk blinked.

“you’re not Ehlana,’ Mirtai said.

i’m not pretending to be. I’m stating a legal fact. Sarabian,

isn’t that the way it works? Isn’t my mother’s power mine while

she’s away?’

‘Well – technically, I suppose.’

‘Technically my foot. I’m Queen Ehlana’s heir. I’m assuming

her position until she returns. That means that I temporarily

own everything that’s hers – her throne, her crown, her jewels,

and her personal slave.’

‘i’d hate to have to argue against her in a court of law,’ Emban

admitted.

‘Thank you, your Grace,’ Danae said. ‘All right, Atana Mirtai,

you heard them. You’re my property now.’

Mirtai scowled at her.

‘Don’t do that,’ Danae snapped. ‘Pay attention. I am your

owner, and I forbid you to kill yourself. I also forbid you to run

off. I need you here. You’re going to stay here with Melidere

and me, and you’re going to guard us. You failed my mother.

Don’t fail me.’

Mirtai stiffened, and then she broke her chains with an angry

wrench of her arms. ‘it shall be as you say, your Majesty,’ she

snapped, her eyes blazing.

Danae looked around at the rest of them with a smug little

smile. ‘See,’ she said. ‘Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?’

CHAPTER 4

It was a small, single-masted coastal freighter with a leaky

bottom and patched sails. It definitely did not skim the waves.

Berit and Khalad wore their mail-shirts and travelers’ cloaks and

They stood in the bow looking out across the leaden expanse of

the Gulf of Micae as the wretched vessel wallowed along. ‘is

that coast up ahead?’ Berit asked hopefully.

Khalad looked out across the choppy water. ‘No, just a cloudbank.

We’re not moving very fast, my Lord. We won’t make the

Coast today, I’m afraid.’ He looked aft and lowered his voice.

‘Stay alert after the sun goes down,’ he instructed. ‘The crew of

this tub is made up of waterfront sweepings, and the captain

isn’t much better. I think we should take turns sleeping tonight.’

Berit glanced back along the deck at the assortment of ruffians

loitering there. ‘I wish I had my axe,’ he muttered.

‘Don’t say things like that out loud, Berit,’ Khalad muttered.

‘Sparhawk doesn’t use a war-axe. Krager knows that, and one of

these sailors may’ be working for him.’

“Still? after the Harvest Festival?’

‘Nobody’s ever figured out a way to kill all the rats, my Lord,

and it only takes one. Let’s both behave as if we’re being

watched and every word we say is being overheard – just to be

on the safe side.’

‘I’ll be a lot happier once we get ashore. Did we really have

to make this leg of the trip by sea?’

‘it’s the custom.’ Khalad shrugged. ‘Don’t worry. We can hold

off these sailors if we have to.’

That’s not what’s bothering me, Khalad. This scow waddles

through the water like a whale with a sprained back. It’s making

me queasy.’

‘Eat a piece of dry bread.

‘i’d rather not. This is really miserable, Khalad.’

‘But we’re having an adventure, my Lord,’ Khalad said

brightly. ‘Doesn’t the excitement make up for the discomfort?’

‘No. Not really.’

‘You’re the one who wanted to be a knight.’

‘Yes, I know – and right now I’m trying to remember why.

Patriarch Emban was very displeased. ‘This is really outrageous,

Vanion,’ he protested as he waddled along with the others

toward the chapel in the west wing. ‘if Dolmant ever finds out

that I’ve permitted the practice of witchcraft in a consecrated

place of worship, he’ll have me defrocked.’

‘it’s the safest place, Emban,’ Vanion replied. ‘The pretense

of “sacred rites” gives us an excuse to chase all the Tamuls out

of the west wing. Besides, the chapel’s probably never really

been consecrated anyway. This is an imitation castle built to

make Elenes feel at home. The people who built it couldn’t have

known the rite of consecration.’

‘You don’t know that it hasn’t been consecrated.’

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