We can make more detailed plans later, Vanion said. Lets get Berit and Khalad on their way first. Whats the customary route when someone wants to go overland from here to Beresa? He unrolled a map and spread it out on the table.
Most travelers go by sea, Oscagne replied, but those who dont usually cross the peninsula to Micae and then take a ship across the gulf to the mainland.
There dont seem to be any roads over there, Vanion frowned, looking at the map.
Its a relatively uninhabited region, Lord Vanion, Oscagne shrugged, salt marshes and the like. What few tracks there are wouldnt show up on the map.
Do the best you can, Vanion told the two young men. Once you get past the Tamul Mountains, youll hit that road that skirts the western side of the jungle.
Id make a special point of staying out of those mountains, Berit, Ulath advised. There are Trolls there now.
Berit nodded.
Youd better have a talk with Faran, Sparhawk, Khalad suggested. I dont think hell be fooled just because Berits wearing your face, and Berits going to have to ride him if this is going to be convincing.
Id forgotten that, Sparhawk admitted.
I thought you might have.
All right then, Vanion continued his instructions to the two young men. follow that road down to Hydros, then take the road around the southern tip of Arjuna to Beresa. Thats the direct route, and theyll probably be expecting you to go that way.
Thats going to take quite a while, Lord Vanion, Khalad said.
I know. Evidently Krager and his friends want it to. If they were in a hurry, theyd have instructed Sparhawk to go by sea.
Give Berit your wifes ring, Sparhawk, Flute instructed.
What?
Zalasta can sense the ring, and if he can, Cyrgon can, too and Klael will definitely feel it. If you dont give Berit the ring, changing his face was just a waste of time.
Youre putting Berit and Khalad in a great deal of danger, Sephrenia said critically.
Thats what we get paid for, little mother, Khalad shrugged.
Ill watch over them, Aphrael assured her sister. She looked critically at Berit. Call me, she told him.
Maam?
Use the spell, Berit, she explained with exaggerated patience. I want to be sure youre doing it right.
Oh. Berit carefully enunciated the spell of summoning, his hands moving in the intricate accompanying gestures.
You mispronounced Knjernsticon, she corrected him.
Sephrenia was trying without much success to suppress a laugh.
Sephrenia was trying without much success to suppress a laugh.
Whats so funny? Talen asked her.
Sir Berits pronunciations raised some questions about his meaning, Stragen explained.
What did he say? Talen asked curiously.
Just never mind what he said, Flute told him primly. Were not here to repeat off-color jokes about the differences between boys and girls. Practice on that one, Berit. Now try the secret summoning.
Whats that? Itagne murmured to Vanion.
Its used to pass messages, your Excellency, Vanion replied. It summons the awareness of the Child Goddess, but not her presence. We can give her a message to carry to someone else by using that spell.
Isnt that just a little demeaning for the Child Goddess? Do you really make her run errands and carry messages that way?
Im not offended, Itagne. Aphrael smiled. After all, we live only to serve those we love, dont we?
Berits pronunciation of the second spell raised no objections.
Youll probably want to use that one most of the time anyway, Berit, Vanion instructed. Krager warned Sparhawk about using magic, so dont be too obvious about things. If you get any further instructions along the road, make some show of following them, but pass the word on to Aphrael.
Theres no real point in decking him out in Sparhawks armor now, is there, Lord Vanion? Khalad asked.
Good point, Vanion agreed. A mail-shirt should do, Berit. We want them to see your face now.
Yes, my Lord.
Now youd better get some sleep, Vanion continued. Youll be starting early tomorrow morning.
Not too early, though, Caalador amended. We purely wouldnt want th spies t oversleep therselfs an miss seein y leave. Gittin a new face dont mean shucks iffn y dont git no chance t show it off, now does it?
It was chill and damp in the courtyard the following morning, and a thin autumn mist lay over the gleaming city. Sparhawk led Faran out of the stables. Just be careful, he cautioned the two young men in mail-shirts and travelers cloaks.
Youve said that already, my Lord, Khalad reminded him. Berit and I arent deaf, you know.
Youd better forget that name, Khalad, Sparhawk said critically. Start thinking of our young friend here as me. A slip of the tongue in the wrong place could give this all away.
Ill keep that in mind.
Do you need money?
I thought youd never ask.
Youre as bad as your father was. Sparhawk pulled a purse from under his belt and handed it to his squire. Then he firmly took Faran by the chin and looked straight into the big roans eyes. I want you to go with Berit, Faran, he said. Behave exactly as you would if he were me.
Faran flicked his ears and looked away.
Pay attention, Sparhawk said sharply. This is important.
Faran sighed.
He knows what youre talking about, Sparhawk, Khalad said. Hes not stupidjust bad-tempered.
Sparhawk handed the reins to Berit. Then he remembered something. Well need a password, he said. The rest of us are going to have different faces, so you wont recognize us if we have to contact you. Pick something ordinary.
They all considered it.
How about ramshorn? Berit suggested. It shouldnt be too hard to work it into an ordinary conversation, and weve used it before.
Sparhawk suddenly remembered Ulesim, most-favored-disciple-of-holy-Arasham, standing atop a pile of rubble with Kuriks crossbow bolt sticking out of his forehead and the word ramshorn still on his lips. Very good, BeritahSir Sparhawk, that is. Its a word we all remember. Youd better get started.
They nodded and swung up into their saddles.
Good luck, Sparhawk said.
You too, my Lord, Khalad replied. And then the pair turned and rode slowly toward the drawbridge.
All weve really got to work with is the name Beresa, Sarabian mused, somewhat later. Kragers note said that Sparhawk would receive further instructions there.
That could be a ruse, your Majesty, Itagne pointed out. Actually, the exchange could take place at any timeand any place. That might have been the reason for the instructions to go overland.
Thats true, Caalador agreed. Scarpa and Zalasta might just be waiting on the beach on the west side of the Gulf of Micae wanting to make the trade right there, for all we know.
Were going to an awful lot of trouble here, Talen said. Why doesnt Sparhawk just have Bhelliom go rescue the Queen? It could pick her up and have her back here before Scarpa even knew she was gone.
No, Aphrael said, shaking her head. Bhelliom cant do that any more than I can.
Why not?
Because we dont know where she isand we cant go looking for her, because theyll be able to sense us moving around.
Oh. I didnt know that.
Aphrael rolled her eyes upward. Men! she sighed.
It was very resourceful of Ehlana to slip her ring to Melidere, Sephrenia said, but locating her would be much easier if she still had it with her.
I sort of doubt that, dear, Vanion disagreed. Zalasta of all people knows that the rings can be traced. If Ehlana had still been wearing it, the first thing Scarpa would have done would been to send Krager or Elron off in the opposite direction with it.
Youre assuming that Zalastas involved in this, she disagreed. There is the possibility that Scarpas acting on his own, you know.
Its always better to assume the worst, he shrugged. Our situation is much more perilous if Zalasta and Cyrgon are involved. If its only Scarpa, hell be relatively easy to dispose of.
But only after Ehlana and Alcan are safe, Sparhawk amended.
That goes without saying, Sparhawk, Vanion said.
Everything hinges on the moment of the exchange then, doesnt it? Sarabian noted. We can make some preparations, but we wont be able to do anything at all significant until the moment that Scarpa actually produces Ehlana.
And that means that we have to stay close to Berit and Khalad, Tynian added.
No. Aphrael was shaking her head. Youll give everything away if you all start hovering over those two. Let me do the staying close. I dont wear armor, so no one will be able to smell me from a thousand paces off. Itagnes right. The exchange could come at any time. Ill let Sparhawk know the very instant Scarpa shows up with Ehlana and Alcan. Then Bhelliom can set him downwith kniferight on top of them. Then well have the ladies back, and well be more or less in charge of things again.
And that brings us right back to a purely military situation, Patriarch Emban mused. I think well want to send word to Komier and Bergsten. Were going to need the Church Knights in Cynesga and Arjuna, not in Edam or Astelor here in Matherion. Lets have them ride southeast after they come down out of the mountains of Zemoch. Well have the Atans in Sarna, the eastern Peloi and the Church Knights weve already got in Samar, the Trolls in the Tamul Mountains and Komier and Bergsten on the western side of the Desert of Cynesga. Well 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.
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?