Sethra Lavode Read online

  "Very well. I concluded, in the first place, that if I were in command of an army determined to attack the city from the west, I should place my headquarters somewhere within five or ten miles of the city on Lower Kieron Road."

  "Not the Hartre Pike?"

  "Lower Kieron is not only wider, it is also flatter, which provides more places where a headquarters might be established."

  "And therefore?"

  "Therefore, I searched, and I found the headquarters at the site of Barlen's Pavilion, which Your Majesty may or may not be familiar with."

  "Oh, I know it; but how did you recognize it?"

  "It is not difficult, Majesty, to find a headquarters that has been abandoned in a hurry."

  "How, it is not?"

  "Not in the least. In the first place, there was an abandoned flag with the Duke's sigil."

  "Well, yes, I understand how that would be a good indication."

  Khaavren bowed. "But, even without that, there were pieces of paper scattered everywhere. One cannot have a headquarters without paper, and one cannot abandon a headquarters quickly without leaving a great deal of it behind. To be sure, much of the paper had been burned, and much had been scattered about by the winds, but there was certainly enough left to leave no doubt about what the place had been used for."

  "Very well," said the Empress, "and so you found the headquarters. But they were not there, were they?"

  "Oh, no. As I have had the honor to say, it was abandoned."

  "So then, finding it was not of great use."

  "On the contrary, Your Majesty. Finding the headquarters was so useful that, once I had found it, I knew that my quarry could not escape me."

  "But, how can that be?"

  "Why, all I had to do was to inspect it."

  "Inspect it? But, for what?"

  "Why, for indications of how they had fled, and where they were going."

  "What sorts of things would tell you this?"

  "Does Your Majesty wish to know this?"

  "Certainly I wish to know. You perceive, I asked."

  "That is true. Well then, Your Majesty will soon see."

  "Very good. And so, you inspected the abandoned headquarters area?"

  "I covered the ground as thoroughly as a redhound searches the grasslands for waterfowl to startle for a skilled slingman."

  "Well, and what did you find?"

  "In the first place, certain papers, crumbled and thrown at the fire, but not destroyed. That is to say, there were many such, but two in particular struck my eye."

  "And what were these interesting papers?"

  "They were both addressed to a certain Grita—someone who is of considerable importance to me, but not to Your Majesty, and someone who is, moreover, now deceased—and they both contained phrases such as, we have lost this round, or, we have suffered a severe set-back."

  "Or, from our standpoint, we have won."

  "Well, yes, that is true; it is all a matter of perspective."

  "Yes. Go on, then."

  "But each expression was slightly different, and neither of the notes were complete."

  "So you concluded that these were…?"

  "Drafts of a message to be sent to Grita, who, in addition to being important to me, as I have said, is someone of no small importance to Kâna and Habil."

  "Drafts…"

  "The Pretender or his cousin had written these messages, and, the phrasing not being entirely correct, had abandoned the effort and, presumably, tried again, until it satisfied the writer."

  "Well, but what then?"

  "There were phrases on these notes that indicated thoughts such as, we will make contact with you when we are safe."

  "Well, and then?"

  "Why, this proves that they had a means of escape in mind."

  "How, does it?"

  "I give you my word, if they were simply running, with no destination in mind, it would have been phrased differently."

  "Yes, I can see that."

  "Moreover, there was suggestion that this Grita was not alone—but, rather, that there was another whom Grita was to inform of the circumstances. Of course, as it happens, I know who that other person was."

  "Illista."

  "How, Your Majesty knows this?"

  "Never mind, Captain. Continue. You were saying that the note suggested that someone was with Grita."

  "It also suggested to me something else."

  "And that was?"

  "That the two of them—that is to say, Kâna and Habil—were likely to be escaping alone, and together."

  "I understand the together, this is implied by the we, but why alone?"

  "Because Grita, to whom this note was addressed, was not there in their encampment, otherwise, why write a note? Moreover, I know where she was. And she was important, or why be concerned that the expression of thoughts is exactly right? In such an undertaking as this, well how many conspirators can there be who are important; that is, who cannot be abandoned when all is lost? One? Perhaps two? They wanted no one with them who would slow down the escape, or would attract the attention a large group attracts. And so, if there were one or two who were not present, who else would accompany them in their escape?"

  "I believe I understand. So what did you do then?"

  "Oh, I continued searching."

  "And what did you find?"

  "Water bottles."

  "Water bottles?"

  "Exactly. Water bottles."

  "How many?"

  "Ten."

  "Is this significant?"

  "Extremely."

  "How so?"

  "Because Kâna and Habil did not take them along when they fled."

  "But, because some water bottles were left behind does not mean that other water bottles were not taken."

  "Oh, certainly. But how many water bottles would there be in a headquarters area? Certainly not hundreds—they would be in a commissary area, or the supply depot, which is different, although perhaps nearby. Not hundreds, then, and probably not scores. A dozen, perhaps? Fifteen? Even twenty?"

  "Well, and if there were twenty?"

  "If there were twenty, and our friends only bothered to take ten, then that limits how far they expected to travel without stopping: they would not have wanted to stop on the road more than necessary. Now if it was twenty, that perhaps means very little; yet I was inclined to think there were not so many."

  "And this meant?"

  "First, that they did not plan to travel far on the first day—in other words, that they had arranged a safe place to hide in case of disaster, and that it was not far away. And permit me to add, Majesty, that from what we know of Kâna and his cousin, this didn't startle me."

  "Very well. What else?"

  "If they were only going a short distance, they had no need to spare their horses."

  "Yes, I can see that this is useful information. But then?"

  "Cha! Your Majesty, if, knowing that I was looking for two horses, riding together, and galloping as fast as they could go, I could not identify the tracks of these horses leaving the headquarters area, well, I am not the tracker I thought I was. Your Majesty must know that with stride, shoeing, size, and weight, well, it is unlikely that a close observer will be unable to identify the tracks of a particular horse."

  Zerika took a moment to work out all of the negatives in the sentence, then said, "Well, I understand that. But surely you could not track them on the road, with its hard pavement, and hundreds of horses a day on it even if there were tracks to be seen!"

  "I had no need to. Once I knew which horses I was looking for, and knowing that they planned to leave the road soon, I had only to look each time I came to a side road and see if those tracks were there."

  "And did you find these tracks?"

  "Certainly I found them; how could I not? They turned off onto a small road."

  "Which you followed?"

  "Exactly. Fortunately, there was still daylight, so I did not have to use a lantern, whic
h would have slowed me down."

  "Well, and then?"

  "After a short time, and a few additional turnings, I found a little cabaret with the tracks of their horses leading directly to it."

  "And then?"

  "And then?" Khaavren shrugged. "There is little enough left to tell, Majesty. I then went to the room, acquired admission, and begged the Duke and his sister to have the goodness to accompany me back to Adrilankha. They consented, and here we are."

  Khaavren finished this recital with another self-deprecating shrug.

  "Captain, you astonish me."

  "That is very gratifying, Your Majesty."

  The next day, Zerika had a private audience with the Pretender and his cousin, the results of which have not, alas, come down to us. Later that day an executioner's star was constructed outside of Whitecrest Manor, and, after a few hours to arrange their affairs, the Marchioness of Habil and the Duke of Kâna were executed by having each limb struck off in quick succession, concluding with their heads. To their credit, it must be admitted that neither uttered a cry or a complaint, Kâna himself only observing, "I believe that I should not have made a bad Emperor, if I'd had the chance."

  Chapter

  the One Hundred First

  how the gods considered the events which had lately occurred in the empire

  We return now, for a last time, to the realm of the gods: the Halls of Judgment. On this occasion, a judgment is in progress, but not, as is usual, the judgment of the shade of a deceased mortal, but, rather, the living embodiment of one of their own number, that being, as the reader has no doubt already deduced, the god known as Tri'nagore.

  We may consider, then, that he is standing in the middle of the circle we have already described, and is, moreover, held in place, although no bonds are visible, while the Lords of Judgment consider his actions, and the appropriate punishment. Tri'nagore himself has said little while they spoke.

  "Above all," observed Verra, "it was stupid."

  "Stupid?" said Barlen.

  "Say rather, treacherous," said Ordwynac.

  "Not in the least," said Verra.

  "How, it was not treacherous?"

  "Not as you mean it," said Verra.

  "Would you care to explain?" said Barlen.

  In answer, Verra addressed Tri'nagore, saying, "Why don't you explain why it is you thought it was safe to permit a Jenoine to enter our world?"

  As this word was pronounced, several of the gods made various signs and gestures.

  "I did not," said Tri'nagore.

  "You did not think it was safe?" said Barlen.

  "I did not give Those We Do Not Name access to our world."

  "He is lying," suggested Ordwynac.

  "No, he isn't," said Verra.

  "But then, if he is not," said Ordwynac, "how did Those We Do Not Name Except For Verra Who Does gain access?"

  "I don't know," said Tri'nagore.

  "I do," said Moranthë.

  "How, you do?" said Barlen.

  "Certainly."

  "And would you care to tell us?"

  "I should be glad to."

  "Do so, then."

  "It was necromancy."

  "Necromancy?"

  "Yes."

  "Who was the necromancer?"

  "His name is Loraan."

  "But," said Ordwynac, "we have been able to determine that this Kâna made a pact with our friend here."

  "Certainly," said Verra. "In order to counteract the effects of witchcraft."

  "And that is all?" said Barlen.

  "That is all," said Verra.

  "But," asked Kelchor, speaking for the first time, "why did he help him at all, knowing that we had determined to aid Zerika?"

  "As I said," remarked Verra, "he was stupid."

  "That is all very well," said Barlen. "But might we prevail upon you to be more specific?"

  Verra shrugged. "He was gambling that Kâna would win, that's all. If Kâna won, and he had a pact with him, well, more power for Tri'nagore. You must understand that he gets lonely with a few score of Easterners on this world, and perhaps twice as many on his own world, and a handful other places. But give him an emperor who is beholden to him, and it would be another matter."

  The gods glanced back and forth, considering this remarkable chain of reasoning, and, at the same time, curious about whether their associates found it plausible.

  At length, Kéurana said, "That's stupid."

  "So I have explained, sister," said Verra.

  Tri'nagore stood silent, indifferent, as if this conversation had nothing to do with him.

  "For my part," said Kelchor, "I am inclined to believe it."

  "As am I," said Moranthë.

  The gods studied Tri'nagore with various expressions of puzzlement, disbelief, annoyance, and disgust.

  "Well," said Barlen, "what do we do with him?"

  "Nothing," said Trout.

  "How, nothing?" said Barlen.

  "He is no longer able to manifest on that world," said Trout. "That is sufficient."

  "And this council?" said Nyssa.

  "I suspect," said Moranthë, "that no inducement could convince him to manifest here for a hundred millennia."

  Barlen chuckled. "As for that, I suspect you are right."

  The others of the gods nodded their agreement.

  "You may go," said Barlen.

  Tri'nagore vanished without a word.

  "So then," said Ordwynac to Verra. "It worked as you wished it to."

  "Nearly," said Verra.

  "The pact with the Dragonlord certainly proved fruitful," said Kelchor.

  "It is kind of you to say so. But what is most important is that, once more, we have kept the world safe, and now the Orb is back, and the Empire is well on its way to returning."

  "I do not disagree," said Ordwynac. "I freely confess that you were right. In a hundred years, the Empire will be as it has always been."

  "Twenty years," suggested Kelchor.

  "I wish to observe," said Verra, "that certain parties will be appearing before us for judgment soon—parties who have played no small rôle in these events."

  "Well, what of it?"

  "There are certain of them that I should like to reward appropriately."

  "You know very well," said Barlen, "that we neither reward nor punish, but, rather, make judgments for the common good."

  "I know very well," said Verra, "that you have always insisted that this was the case, in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary." Barlen appeared about to argue, but Verra said, "Come, can I not claim this as a boon?"

  Barlen sighed. "Very well. For my part, I have no objection. You may judge them as you will. You may consider it a reward for your victory."

  "I would prefer to think that it has been a victory for all of us," said Verra.

  "That is a good opinion to hold," said Ordwynac.

  Chapter

  the One Hundred Second

  how the empress showed her gratitude and khaavren obtained a leave of absence

  The celebration for the victory of the Battle of Adrilankha lasted an entire week. During this week, the only merchants who were open were those selling comestibles and potables, and they did such a brisk business that their capacity was strained to fill the orders. Few of these orders, be it understood, were for the official celebration; but there is nothing like an official celebration to spawn and encourage scores of unofficial ones.

  The streets were chaos, littered with broken bottles, cracked paving stones, pieces of door, bits of paper, occasional residue of fires both sorcerous and mundane, exhausted city guards, and other signs of celebration. There was one organized procession, on the second day after the victory (that is to say, the day after the executions), in which Her Majesty rode through the streets escorted by the army, to the cheers of a people who were by this time delighted to be celebrating as much as for the actual cause. It wove its way around the city, even crossing over the Iron Bridge into South
Adrilankha and making its way up the River Road before returning on the Two Pennies Bridge, by which time, darkness having fallen, it became a procession by torchlight, which is always a moving experience.

  In addition to this procession, there were dozens of spontaneous parades, smaller, often begun by squadrons of the army and requiring Khaavren to act as a police-man to bring them under control and put them into one of the stockades that had been hastily thrown up to house the prisoners taken in the battle.

  On the third day of the celebration Sethra Lavode gave the orders to move the army out of the capital, which helped a little.

  Morrolan was often seen at Whitecrest Manor during this week, visiting with Her Majesty or with Khaavren.

  On the fifth and last day of the celebration, Zerika summoned all of those most concerned in the victory to the manor. The covered terrace being too small for such a gathering, the Countess of Whitecrest volunteered the ball-room, which was tastefully decorated for the occasion by a single Imperial sigal, a banner with the Phoenix, another banner with Zerika's arms (gold crossed with red, an Orb, a scepter), and the finest chairs that could be procured. There were gathered the Council of Princes, and other representatives of the Great Houses, as well as those Peers who were able to be there. Sethra Lavode and several of her officers occupied one side. Pel remained quietly in the background. Khaavren occupied a position by Her Majesty's left hand, his eye running over those assembled carefully, though more from habit than from any need.

  Daro, Piro, Ibronka, and Röaana were as near Khaavren as could be contrived. Ibronka and Piro, out of respect for Khaavren's sensibilities, avoided any physical contact with each other. Ritt stood next to Röaana, looking as if he would have preferred to not attend.

  Brudik, Lord of the Chimes, announced the arrival of Her Majesty. Everyone would have stood for her entrance, save that there was no room for chairs, and so everyone was already standing.

  When the room had quieted and Her Majesty had seated herself, Zerika distributed distinctions as follows:

  The Sorceress in Green was appointed to be Court Wizard and special counselor to Her Majesty.

  Sethra the Younger was made Warlord, the Enchantress having informed Her Majesty that, the crisis now being over, she wished to retire to Dzur Mountain. Sethra the Younger could not keep the delight from her countenance, and bowed repeatedly, murmuring thanks in which her words could not be distinguished.