day or two earlier.”
‘Well we didn’t,’ Sparhawk said flatly, forcing back his own
disappointment and frustration. ‘So let’s make the best of it and
salvage what we can.’
‘With Zalasta getting further and further away with every
minute,’ Kalten added bitterly.
‘Don’t worry, Kalten,’ Sparhawk told him in a tone as cold as
death. ‘Zalasta can’t run far enough or fast enough to get away
from me when I decide to go after him.’
‘Are you busy, Sarabian?’ Empress Elysoun asked tentatively
from the doorway of the blue-draped room.
‘Not really, Elysoun,’ he sighed. ‘Just brooding. I’ve had a
great deal of bad news in the last day or so.’
‘i’ll come back some other time. You’re not much fun when
you’ve got things on your mind.’
‘is that all there is in the world, Elysoun?’ he asked her sadly.
‘Only fun?’
Her sunny expression tightened slightly, and she stepped into
the room. ‘That’s what you married us for in the first place, wasn’t
it, Sarabian?’ She spoke in crisp Tamul that was not at all like her
usual relaxed Valesian dialect. ‘Our marriages to you were to
cement political alliances, so we’re here as symbols, playthings,
and ornaments. We’re certainly not a part of the government.’
He was rather startled by her perception and by the sudden
change in her. It was easy to underestimate Elysoun. Her single-minded
pursuit of pleasure and the aggressively revealing
nature of her native dress proclaimed her to be an empty-headed
sensualist, but this was a completely different Elysoun. He
looked at her with new interest. ‘What have you been up to
lately, my love?’ he asked her fondly.
The usual,’ she shrugged.
He averted his eyes. ‘Please don’t do that.’
do what?’
‘Bounce that way. It’s very distracting.’
It’s supposed to be. You don’t think I dress this way because
I’m too lazy to put on clothes, do you?’
is that why you came by? For fun? Or was there something
more tedious?’ They had never talked this way before, and her
sudden frankness intrigued him.
let’s talk about the tedious things first,’ she said. She looked
at him critically. ‘You need to get more sleep,’ she chided.
‘I wish I could. I’ve got too much on my mind.”
‘i’ll have to see what I can do about that.’ She paused. ‘There’s
something going on in the Women’s Palace, Sarabian.’
‘Oh?’
‘A lot of strangers have been mingling with the assorted lapdogs
and toadies that litter the halls.’
He laughed. ‘That’s a blunt way to describe courtiers.’
‘Aren’t they? There’s not a real man among them. They’re
in the palace to help us with our schemes. You did know
that we spend our days plotting against each other, didn’t
you?’
He shrugged. ‘It gives you all something to do in your spare
time.’
‘That’s the only kind of time we have, my husband. All of
our time is spare time, Sarabian, that’s what’s wrong with us.
Anyway, these strangers aren’t attached to any of the established
courts.’
‘Are you sure?’
Her answering smile was wicked. ‘Trust me. I’ve had dealings
with all the regular ones. They’re all little more than butterflies.
These strangers are wasps.’
He gave her an amused look. ‘Have you actually winnowed
your way through all the courtiers in the Women’s Palace?’
‘More or less.’ She shrugged again – quite deliberately, he
thought. ‘Actually it was rather boring. Courtiers are a tepid lot,
but it was a way to keep track of what was going on.’
‘Then it wasn’t entirely – ?’
‘A little, perhaps, but I have to take steps to protect myself.
Our politics are subtle, but they’re very savage.’
‘Are these strangers Tamuls?’
‘Some are. Some aren’t.’
‘How long has this been going on?’
‘Since we all moved back to the Women’s Palace. I didn’t
see any of these wasps when we were all living here with the
Elenes.’
“Just the past few weeks then?’
She nodded. ‘I thought you should know. It could be just
more of the same kind of thing that’s been going on for years,
but I don’t really think so. Itfeels different somehow. Our politics
are more indirect than yours, and what’s happening in the
Women’s Palace is men’s politics.’
‘Do you suppose you could keep an eye on it for me? I’d be
grateful.’
‘Of course, my husband. I am loyal, after all.’
‘Oh, really?’
‘Don’t make that mistake, Sarabian. Loyalty shouldn’t be confused
with that other business. That doesn’t mean anything Loyalty does.’
‘There’s a lot more to you than meets the eye, Elysoun.’
‘Oh? I’ve never tried to conceal anything.’ She inhaled deeply.
He laughed again. ‘Do you have plans for this evening?’
‘Nothing that can’t be put off until some other time. What did
you have in mind?’
‘I thought we might talk a while.’
‘Talk?’
‘Among other things.’
‘Let me send a message first. Then we can talk for as long as
you like – among those other things you mentioned.’
They were two days out of Tiara on their way around the west
end of the lake on the road to Arjuna. They had camped on the
lake-shore some distance from the road, and Khalad had shot a
deer with his crossbow. ‘Camp-meat,’ he explained to Berit as
he skinned the animal. ‘It saves time and money.’
“you’re really very good with that crossbow,’ Berit said.
Khalad shrugged. ‘Practice,’ he replied. Then his head came
up sharply. ‘Company coming.’ He pointed toward the road with his knife.
%’Alunir’ Bertt noted, squinting at the approaching riders.
‘Not all of them,’ Khalad disagreed. ‘The one in front’s an
Bene – an Edomishmanr judging from his clothes.’ Khalad
wiped his bloody hands on the long grass, picked up his crossbow
and re-cocked it. ‘just to be on the safe side,’ he explained.
They do know who we really are, after all.’
Berit nodded bleakly and loosened his sword in its scabbard.
The riders reined in about fifty Yards away. ‘Sir Sparhawk?’
the Edomishman called out in Elenic.
“Maybe,’ Berit called back. ‘What can I do for you, neighbor?’
I have a message for you.’
i’m touched. Bring it on in.’
, ‘Come alone,’ Khalad added. ‘You won’t need your body-gards.’
‘i’ve heard about what you did to the last messenger.”
‘Good,’ Khalad replied. ‘We sort of intended for word of that
to get around. The fellow had a little trouble being civil, but I’m
sure you have better manners. Come ahead. You’re safe – as
long as you’re polite.’
The Edomishman still hesitated.
‘Friend,’ Khalad said pointedly, ‘you’re well within range of
my crossbow, so you’d better do as I tell you. Just come on in
alone. We’ll conduct our business, and then you and your Arjuni
friends can be on your way. Otherwise, this might turn
unpleasant. ‘
The Edomishman conferred briefly with his bodyguards and
then rode cautiously forward, holding a folded parchment above
his head. ‘i’m not armed,’ he announced.
‘That’s not very prudent, neighbor,’ Berit told him. ‘These are
troubled times. Let’s have the note.’
The messenger lowered his arm slowly and extended the
parchment. ‘The plans have changed, Sir Sparhawk,’ he said
politely. ‘Astonishing.’ Berit opened the parchment and gently took
out the lock of identifying hair. ‘This is only about the third
time. You fellows seem to be having some difficulty making up
your minds.’ He looked at the parchment. “That’s accommodating.
somebody even drew a map this time.’
‘The village isn’t really very well-known,’ the Edomishman
explained. ‘It’s a tiny place that wouldn’t even be there if it
weren’t for the slave-trade.’
‘You’re a very good messenger, friend,’ Khalad told him.
‘Would you like to carry a word back to Krager for me?’
‘i’ll try, young Master.’
‘Good. Tell him that I’m coming after him. He should probably
start looking back over his shoulder, because no matter how this
turns out, one day I’ll be there.’
The Edomishman swallowed hard. ‘i’ll tell him, young
Master.’
‘i’d appreciate it.’
The messenger carefully backed his horse off a few yards and
then rode off to rejoin his Arjuni escort.
‘Well?’ Khalad asked.
‘Vigayo – over in Cynesga.
‘It’s not much of a town.’
‘You’ve been there?’
‘Briefly. Bhelliom took us there by mistake when Sparhawk
was practicing with it.’
‘How far is it from here?’
‘About a hundred leagues. It’s in the right direction, though.
Aphrael said that Zalasta’s taking the Queen to Cyrga, so
Vigayo’s got to be closer than Arjun. Pass the word, Berit. Tell
Aphrael that we’ll start out first thing in the morning. Then you
can come and help me cut up this deer. It’s ten days to Vigayo,
so we’re probably going to need the meat.’
‘He hath been there,’ Xanetia told them. ‘His memories of the
Hidden City are vivid, but his recollection of the route is imprecise.
I could glean no more than disconnected impressions of
the journey. His madness hath bereft his thought of coherence,
and his mind doth flit from reality to illusion and back without