Magnus glanced at the alien magician and Pug could almost read his sons thoughts: few humans, including Pug, Miranda and Magnus, could even begin to approach the mind-discipline of a novice of Uskavans order. Salavan minds were far more complex than human ones, despite Uskavans insistence this was only because the Salavans were an older race and had been practising mental arts for thousands of years.
Pug nodded, a slight expression of resignation on his face. Indeed. I fear my dreams may be portends of coming disaster. Or, they may simply be a manifestation of my concerns over the Dasati.
Magnus said, Father, we must prepare as if they are coming.
I know. Pug looked at each member of the inner circle of the Conclave. Send word to our agents who are placed in all the royal courts. I want to know about every ambition, plot or intrigue, and any situation that could be turned to our advantage. If we must, we shall bribe and threaten to secure help in such a conflict.
Pug fell silent for a minute. He remembered the Riftwar; for twelve years, while the Tsurani had fallen upon the Kingdom and the Free Cities, Queg, Great Kesh and the lesser kingdoms to the east had watched with keen anticipation, seeking any opportunity to advance their own cause at the Kingdoms expense. Should the Dasati come, we must have friends in high places who will argue that every nation needs to respond quickly, no matter where the invasion strikes.
Magnus said, Father, that is all well and good should an attack happen in Triagia all the monarchs on this continent have some sense of vulnerability should aliens set foot on close by soil they would be equally vulnerable and will unite, but what if the beachhead is some deserted shore of the Sunset Islands, or down in the grasslands of Novindus, or the high plateau of Wynet?
A more difficult task, then, said Pug. He looked at his council, pausing a moment to study each face. Miranda seemed as enigmatic as a stranger. She often kept her own counsel and took matters into her own hands. They had fought more than once over the years about her putting agents into the field without consulting him or giving orders that he disagreed with. He smiled slightly. As long as his wife was involved, Pug could never be accused of ruling the council of the Conclave of Shadows. She nodded slightly and returned his smile, and he knew this time she was in full agreement.
Rosenvars lined face looked as if it was fashioned from sunburnt leather. His reddish hue was accentuated by a shock of unruly blond hair, now rapidly turning white. It seems to me, he said, that we might be well served if we started leaking a rumour or two.
Pug was silent for a moment. To what end?
The magician from Salmater smiled and Pug recalled the first time he had met him, sitting in the corner of an ale house, dispensing sage advice, minor charms and outright lies with equal abandon to anyone whod stand him the price of a drink. Since coming to the island, he had stayed relatively sober, and his drinking bouts were few and far between.
Rumours are wonderful things, when employed correctly, said Rosenvar. His voice tended to rumble as if it started somewhere deep within his bowels and slowly worked its way up through his throat. Ive seen entire cities turned on their collective ear by the right rumour, Pug. Rulers distrust official reports and credible witnesses, but a juicy rumour ah, thatll set them running around like turkeys in a storm, heads turned upwards with mouths agape, trying to drown themselves in the downpour.
Pug chuckled. He enjoyed Rosenvars turns of phrase. Very well, but what rumours?
Rosenvar lost his smile. Word is Duke Erik is ill, perhaps dying, in Krondor.
Pug nodded. So I have heard.
Miranda said, He is the last.
Pug knew what she meant. He was the last survivor of Calis company of Desperate Men, those prisoners given their freedom in exchange for making the journey down to Novindus at the start of the Serpentwar, and the only man of rank still serving who had survived the conflict. Erik knew what distant dangers could mean. Then we start in Krondor?
It seems wise, said Rosenvar. There are a couple of rumourmongers who have various highly placed officials of the Western Realm among their clients. If we start something vague enough to not cause an immediate response, but something familiar enough to Lord Erik that hell feel obliged to warn the Prince of Krondor well, its a start.
Magnus said, And if the Kingdom of the Isles takes the warning seriously, so will Great Kesh.
And if Great Kesh and the Kingdom start to marshal their defences, so shall every other kingdom in their vicinity, added Miranda.
But we can only hold them alert for so long; we must not rush this, said Rosenvar.
Pug said, We need Erik around long enough to make this work.
Nakor said, Ill go to Krondor and visit the Duke. Ill make him well for a while.
Pug nodded. Nakor had travelled with Erik, Calis on the journey to Novindus when they first encountered the Emerald Queen. The old duke would trust Nakor.
Pug said, Rosenvar, I need you to coordinate what rumours to start, where, and when. We have some well-placed agents in nearly every capital of importance on Midkemia. But I want to ensure its a gradual discomfort and concern, not instant blind panic.
Understood, he replied, standing. Well draw up a list of ideas to put the rulers of the world on edge. He smiled slightly. Slightly on edge.
To Uskavan, Pug said, If you would, Id like the names of your very best students. We may need to dispatch them to work in the field soon.
The alien magician nodded, rose, and departed with Rosenvar, leaving Pug, Miranda, Nakor, and Magnus alone in the cave. Pug looked at his older son and said, Wheres your brother?
Down in Stardock, I believe. He should be delivering some supplies, but no doubt he lingered for the festival.
Miranda said, Lingered to spend time with that widow, you mean.
Pug shrugged. Let him grab whatever joy he can, beloved. We dont need him back here for anything special, and I expect hes enjoying himself.
Magnus looked at his mother and asked, Shall I find him, or return to Kelewan?
Miranda glanced at her husband. Which?
Neither. Go to Novindus and continue Nakors work on the Talnoy. The Great Ones of the Assembly of Tsuranuanni can muddle along without you for a while. When Nakor returns from Krondor, Ill send him back to you and you can go back to Kelewan.
Nakor smiled. Dont break anything before I get there.
Magnus glanced with a wry smile at the little gambler, nodded, reached inside his robe and pulled out a golden orb. He clicked a switch and suddenly vanished.
Miranda came to stand behind her husband and put her arms around him. Youre worried.
Im always worried, said Pug.
No, this is something more. She studied her husbands face. You sense something?
Nakor said, I think I know what youre going to tell her. I will go to Krondor and see that Duke Erik stays alive long enough to help us. He glanced at Pug and Miranda and said, You two really do need to talk to each other more often. Really, he repeated, picking up his rucksack and staff, then vanishing from before their eyes.
Pug closed his eyes a long moment, then answered his wifes question. Yes, I do sense something. And its growing. I dont know what to call it, but it feels more intense than mere foreboding.
Pug closed his eyes a long moment, then answered his wifes question. Yes, I do sense something. And its growing. I dont know what to call it, but it feels more intense than mere foreboding.
A premonition?
The dream troubles me, love. I think something is approaching and when it emerges, the struggle will be more fearful than anything we could ever imagine.
Given what we have seen, husband, thats quite a lot.
Once, during the time of the Great Uprising, Tomas and I faced a Master of the Dread. We bested the creature, though it took all of our magic and no little guile. Then at the end, in Sethanon, I beheld a Dreadlord a Greater Dragon, with all her magic and might, could barely contain it.
But the Dread come from one of the lower planes, while these Dasati are from the second. Surely they are only slightly more dangerous than men?
Pug held his wifes hand. You know more than I do on many subjects, Miranda, but scholarship has never been your first love. She furrowed her brow but said nothing, acknowledging the truth in his words.
He sighed and lowered his voice. Its the nature of beings from the lower levels of creation to absorb the life force from those from the higher. Think of it as water running downhill; just the touch of a Dasati would cause damage after only a few moments.
The Dread are the most fearful beings able to reach this level of reality and survive; creatures from the depths below them draw so much energy to themselves so fast that they are destroyed when they reach our plane, unless they employ powerful magic to keep themselves alive. No, its the fact the Dasati are from but one level below us that makes them so fearful to contemplate, my love. He sighed as if fatigued. Nakor understands, for he has spent more time studying the Talnoy than anyone else. He glanced at the mouth of the cave. The others will discover what Im telling you; no need to create any risk of panic.
The Dasati are mortal like ourselves, but if they reach this level of reality, they will slowly draw life force from around them, from the very grass they tread upon, so that even should we establish a military stalemate, as we did with the Tsurani during the first Riftwar, they would eventually wither us to defeat. Also, the flow of life force towards them makes them harder to kill and ourselves weaker. The longer we are locked in struggle, the more difficult victory will be. And we must remember the numbers; if Kaspar is correct and he saw a true vision of that world, they would not send thousands of warriors, but tens of thousands. If they find us, we must react and react quickly. We cant have the monarchs of Midkemia fully understanding what we must face, at least for a while, else fear might overwhelm their resolve.
Miranda studied her husbands face for a while, then said, We shall do everything we can.
I know, he said. Now, we both have work to do.
How are you going to return?
He smiled. Ill walk. The fresh air clears my head and helps me think.
She kissed his cheek. Ill see you at home.
Before she could vanish, he said, Wait a minute! Did you see Nakor use an orb to leave?
Not that I noticed.
He smiled. Another of his tricks, I expect.
She smiled in return and then was gone. No one could transport herself better than Miranda. She had been trying to teach Pug and some of the others how to do it without the aid of patterns or the Tsurani orbs, but few achieved it through mind alone, and then only to very familiar locations.
Pug concluded that Nakor must have studied with her. The wily little man was right, he and his wife did need to talk more.
Pug left the cavern and stopped at its mouth. It was late afternoon on Sorcerers Isle and by the time he reached the Villa it would be almost suppertime. He took one more look around the cave and then started his walk home.
The Royal Chirurgeon shook his head and spoke softly to the attending squire. I fear he will not make it through the night. The two figures were dwarfed by the enormous chamber in which the Duke of Krondor lay dying. A single candle burned on the table next to the bed.
Shall I inform the senior squire, sir? asked the young man, a blond-headed rail of a lad no more than fifteen years old. The senior squire served Prince Robert, ruler of Krondor these last eight years, and heir apparent to the Kingdom of the Isles.
The hour is late. I shall check on the Duke again very soon. If his condition worsens, there should be time enough to wake the Prince.
Yes, sir. Shall I stay?
No need, said the old healer, his face drawn with worry and fatigue. Hell not rouse and I have other patients to care for; the stomach flux has struck the royal nursery, and though it may not be fatal, the wrath of the Princess is sure to be if I cant get the children to rest through the night.
The healer snuffed out the single candle next to the bed and he and the boy left the Dukes large sleeping chamber, closing the door quietly behind them.
A moment later a figure stepped out of the shadow behind a large curtain. He crossed the room to the bed and touched his fingertip to the still-warm candle wick, and the flame instantly reappeared. Glancing down at the recumbent figure, he softly said, Oh, Erik, you dont look so good.
Nakor had known Duke Erik when he had been a boy, fresh from the smiths forge, tall, with huge shoulders and the strength of three men. He had also been born with a temper, which had almost got him hung for murder, but in the end he had served the Kingdom of the Isles well and had risen in rank to Knight-Marshal of the West, and held the title of the Duke of Krondor under young Prince Robert.
Nakor now looked down on an old man, past eighty years of age. His skin was like old parchment drawn tightly across his skull. His shoulders showed none of the massive strength of his youth, and were lost beneath the voluminous nightshirt he wore.
Nakor retrieved a vial from his rucksack and pulled out the stopper. He administered a single drop on the dying mans lips and waited. Eriks mouth moved, slightly, and Nakor poured in another drop. He repeated this application for almost fifteen minutes, a drop at a time, then sat back on the side of the bed and waited.
After a few more minutes, the Dukes eyes fluttered, then opened completely. He blinked, then said in a soft, hoarse whisper, Nakor?
The little man grinned. You remember me?
With a deep intake of breath followed by a long sigh, Erik von Darkmoor once a sergeant in Calis Crimson Eagles, veteran of the Serpentwar, hero of the Battle of Nightmare Ridge and now Duke of Krondor and Knight-Marshal of the Western Realm sat up and said, Youre damned hard to forget, old friend.
You look better, said Nakor.
Erik moved his arms and said, I feel better. What did you do?
Nakor held up the vial. I bought you some time. I need to talk to you.
Then hurry, said the Duke sitting back. He chucked, a dry raspy laugh. By all accounts I dont have much time wait, how did you get in here?
Nakor waved the question away. I just waited until no one was looking then came in through the window.
Erik smiled. Like old Duke James when he was a boy, then?
Something like that.
So why are you troubling a dying man?
I need you not to die for a while, Erik.