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.’