“And now, brothers and friends,’ Dolmant said, ‘we have a rare occasion here today. For the first time in history, a queen will address us.’ He smiled ever so faintly. “I would not for the world offend the mighty kings of western Eosia, but I must in all candour say that Ehlana, Queen of Elenia, is far lovelier than they are, and I think we may be surprised to discover that she’s as wise as she is beautiful. ‘
Ehlana blushed charmingly. For the remainder of his life, Sparhawk was never able to discover how she could blush at will. She even tried to explain it to him a few times, but it was quite beyond his understanding.
The Queen of Elenia rose and stood with her face downcast for a moment as if in some confusion at Dolmant’s prettily turned compliment. ‘I thank you, Your Grace,’
she said in a clear, ringing voice as she raised her head.
All traces of the blush were now gone, and Ehlana had a very determined expression on her face.
Sparhawk’s heart gave a sudden suspicious lurch. ‘Get hold of something solid, gentlemen,’ he warned his friends.
“I know that look on her face. I think she has a few surprises in store for us here. ‘
“I too must express my gratitude to the Hierocracy for allowing me to be present,’ Ehlana began, ‘and I will add my prayers to those of my brother monarchs, asking God to grant these nobles of the Church wisdom in their deliberations. Since I am the first woman to ever address the Hierocracy in such circumstances, however, might I ask the indulgence of the assembled Patriarchs %
will forgive me. I am but a woman and not very old. And we all know that young women are sometimes silly when they become excited.’ She paused.
‘Excited, did I say?’ she continued, her voice like a silver trumpet. “Nay, gentlemen, say instead that I am enraged!
This monster, this cold bloodless beast, this – this Annias murdered my beloved father. He struck down the wisest and gentlest monarch in all Eosia!’
‘Aldreas?’ Kalten whispered in disbelief.
‘And then,’ Ehlana continued in that ringing voice, ‘not content with breaking my heart, this ravening savage sought my life as well! Our Church is tainted now, gentlemen, besmirched because this villain ever professed holy orders. I would come here as a supplicant, a petitioner, to demand justice, but I will wring my own justice from the body of the man who murdered my father. I am but a weak woman, but I have a champion, gentlemen, a man who at my command will seek out and find this monstrous Annias even though the : beast seeks to hide himself in the very bowels of Hell itself. Annias will face me. I swear this to you all, and generations yet unborn shall tremble at the memory of his fate. Our holy mother Church need not concern herself with dispensing justice to this wretch.
The Church is gentle, compassionate, but I, gentlemen, am not.’ So much for his queen’s apparent submission to the dictates of the Church, Sparhawk thought.
Ehlana had paused again, her young face Lifted in vengeful resolve. ‘But what of this prize?’ she asked, turning to look pointedly at the shrouded throne. “Upon whom will you bestow this chair for which Annias was willing to drown the world in blood? To whom shall this piece of ornate furniture descend? For mistake me not, friends, that’s all it is, a piece of furniture, heavy, ungainly and, I’m sure, not very comfortable. Whom will you sentence to bear the awful burdens of care and responsibility which go with this chair and which he will be forced to carry in this darkest hour of our holy mother’s life? He must be wise, of ~course, that goes without saying, but all of the Patriarchs of the Church are wise. He must also be courageous, but are you not all as brave as lions? He must be shrewd, and make no mistake, there is a vast difference between wisdom and shrewdness. He must be clever, for he faces the master of deceit – not Annias, though Annias is deceitful enough, not Otha, sunk in his own foul debauchery. but Azash himself. Which of you will match strength and cunning and will with that spawn of Hell?’
‘What is she doing?’ Bevier whispered in a stunned voice.
‘Isn’t it obvious, Sir Knight?’ Stragen murmured urbanely.
‘She’s selecting a new Archprelate.’
‘That’s absurd!’ ~Bevier gasped. “The Hierocracy chooses the Archprelate!”
‘Right now, Sir Bevier, they’d elect you if she pointed that small pink finger at you. Look at them. She has the entire Hierocracy in the palm of her hand.’
“You have warriors among you, reverend Patriarchs,’
Ehlana was saying, ‘men of steel and valour, but could an armoured Archprelate match the guile of Azash? You have theologians among you, My Lords of the Church, men of such towering intellect that they can perceive the mind and intent of God Himself, but would such a man, attuned to the voice of Divine Truth, be prepared to counter the Master of Lies? There are those versed in Church Law and those who are masters of Church politics. There are those who are strong, and those who are brave. There are those who are gentle, and those who are compassionate. If we could but choose the entire Hierocracy itself to lead us, we would be invincible, and the gates of Hell could not prevail against us!’ Ehlana swayed, raising one trembling hand to her brow.“Forgive me, gentlemen,’ she said in a weak voice. ‘The effects of the poison with which the serpent Annias sought to steal away my life do linger yet.’
Sparhawk half-started to his feet.
“Oh, do sit down, Sparhawk,’ Stragen told him. ‘You’ll spoil her performance if you go clanking down there right now. Believe me, she’s perfectly fine.’
‘Our holy mother needs a champion, my Lords of the Church,’ Ehlana continued in a weary voice, ‘a man who is the distillation and essence of the Hierocracy itself, and I think that in your hearts you all know who that man is. May God give you the wisdom, the enlightenment, to turn to the one who even now is in your very midst , shrouded with true humility, but who extends his gentle hand to guide you, perhaps not even knowing that he does so, for this self-effacing Patriarch perhaps does not even know himself that he speaks with the Voice of God.
Seek him in your hearts, My Lords of the Church, and lay this burden upon him, for only he can be our champion!’
She swayed again, and her knees began to buckle. Then she wilted like a flower. King Wargun, his face awed and his eyes full of tears, leapt to his feet and caught her even as she fell.
‘The perfect touch,’ Stragen said admiringly. He pirmed.
‘Poor, poor Sparhawk,’ he said. ‘You haven’t got a chance, you know. ‘
‘Stragen, will you shut up?’
“What was that really all about?’ Kalten asked in a baffled tone.
“She just appointed an Archprelate, Sir Kalten,’ Stragen told him.
.Who? She didn’t mention a single name.’
‘Isn’t it clear to you yet? She very carefully eliminated all the other contenders. There’s only one possibility left. The other Patriarchs all know who he is, and they’ll elect him just as soon as one of them dares to mention his name.
I’d tell you myself, but I don’t want to spoil it for you.’
King Wargun had lifted the apparently unconscious ehlana in his arms and was carrying her towards the bronze door at one side of the chamber.
.Go to her,’ Sephrenia said to Mirtai. “Try to keep her calm. She’s very exhilarated right now”- and don’t let King Wargun come back in here. He might blurt something out and ruin everything.’
Mirtai nodded and rushed down to the floor.
The chamber was alive with excited conversation.
Ehlana’s fire and passion had ignited them all. Patriarch Emban sat with his eyes wide in stunned amazement. Then he grinned broadly, and then he covered his mouth with one hand and began to laugh.
obviously possessed by the Divine Hand of God himself,’ one nearby monk was saying excitedly to another.
‘But a woman? Why would God speak to us in the voice of a woman?’
‘His ways are mysterious,’ the other monk said in an awed voice, “and unfathomable to man.’
It was with some difficulty that Patriarch Dolmant restored order. “My brothers and friends,’ he said. ‘We must, of course, forgive the queen of Elenia for her emotional outburst. I have known her since childhood, and I assure you that she is normally a completely self-possessed young woman. It is doubtless as she herself suggested. The last traces of the poison still linger and make her sometimes irrational. ‘
.Oh, this is too rare,’ Stragen laughed to Sephrenia. “He doesn’t even know.’