The hideous apparition in the doorway continued to bellow horribly graphic descriptions of its plans for the faculty of the Contemporary History Department.
Were there any other questions about Trolls? Ulath asked mildly, but none of the assembled academics heard him over all the shouts, screams and the tipping over of chairs.
It took the better part of a quarter of an hour to restore order once Ulath had dismissed his illusion, and when Itagne reapproached the lectern, the entire audience was huddled closely together near the front of the auditorium.
Im touched by your eagerness to hear my every word, gentlemen, Itagne smiled, but I can speak loudly enough to be heard at the back of the hall, so you neednt draw so close. I trust that the visit of Sir Ulaths friend has cleared up the little misunderstanding about Trolls? He looked at Quinsal, who was still cowering on the floor, gibbering in terror. Splendid, Itagne said. Briefly then, Prince Sparhawk came to Tamuli. Elenes are sometimes a devious people, so Sparhawks wife, Queen Ehlana, proposed a state visit to Matherion and concealed her husband and his friends in her entourage. Upon their arrival, they almost immediately uncovered some facts which we had somehow overlooked. First, Emperor Sarabian actually has a mind, and second, the government led by Pondia Subat was in league with our enemies.
Treason! a thin, balding professor shrieked, leaping to his feet.
Really, Dalash? Itagne asked, against whom?
Whyuh Dalash floundered.
You still dont understand, do you gentlemen? Itagne asked the faculty of Contemporary History. The previous government has been overthrownby Emperor Sarabian himself. Tamuli is now an Elene-style monarchy, and Emperor Sarabian rules by decree. The previous governmentand its Prime Ministerare no longer relevant.
The Prime Minister cannot be removed from office! Dalash screamed. He holds his position for life!
Even if that were true, it suggests a rather simple solution to the problem, doesnt it?
You wouldnt dare!
Not me, old boy. Thats the Emperors decision. Dont cross him, gentlemen. If you do, hell decorate the city gates with your heads. Lets press on here. Id like to cover a bit more ground before our customary recess. It was the aborted coup attempt that finally brought things to a head. Pondia Subat was a party to the entire conspiracy and he fully intended to stand around wringing his hands while the drunken mob murdered all of his political enemies, evidently including the Emperor himself.
If Professor Dalash wants to scream treason he might take a look at that. We discovered much in the aftermath of that failed coup, not only concerning the treason of the Prime Minister, but of the Minister of the Interior as well. Most important, however, was the discovery that it had been Zalasta who had engineered the entire plot, and that he was secretly allied with Ekatas, High Priest of Cyrgon, the God of the supposedly extinct Cyrgai.
At this point Prince Sparhawk had no choice but to retrieve Bhelliom from its hiding place and to send to Chyrellos for reinforcements. He enlisted other allies as well, not the least of which were the Delphaewho do in fact exist in all their glowing horror.
This is absurd! Contemporary Historys reigning bully-boy, the crude and muscular Professor Pessalt sneered. Are we supposed to believe this nonsense?
Youve already seen a Troll this evening, Pessalt, Itagne reminded him. Would you like a personal visitation by a Shining One as well? I can arrange it, if youd likebut outside, please. Wed never get rid of the stink if you were dissolved into a puddle of slime right here in front of the platform.
Dean Altus cleared his throat meaningfully.
Yes sir, Itagne assured him. Ill just be a few more minutes.
He turned back to the audience. Now then, he continued quickly, since the subject of the Trolls has come up again, we might as well go into that and clear it away once and for all. As youve noticed, the Trolls are real. They were lured to Tamuli from their home range in northern Thalesia by Cyrgon, who posed as one of their Gods. The real Troll-Gods have been imprisoned for eons, and Prince Sparhawk offered them an exchangetheir freedom in return for their aid. He then led a sizeable force to northern Atan, where the misguided Trolls had been stirring up turmoil in hopes of forcing the Atans to return to defend their homelandwhich would have left us effectively defenseless, since the Atans comprise the bulk of our army.
Sparhawks move seemed to play right into the hands of our enemies, but when Cyrgon and Zalasta unleashed the Trolls, Sparhawk called forth their Gods to reclaim them. In desperation, Cyrgon reached back in time and produced a huge army of his Cyrgai. Then the Trolls, true to their nature, ate them.
You dont really expect us to swallow this, do you, Itagne? Professor Sarafawn, Chairman of the Department of Contemporary History and brother-in-law of the Prime Minister, demanded scornfully.
You might as well, Sarafawn, Itagne told him. Your wifes brother isnt dictating official history any more. From now on, the Emperor wants us to give our students the plain, unvarnished truth. Ill be publishing a factual account in the next month or so. Youd better reserve a copy, Sarafawn, because youre going to be required to teach it to all your students in the futureassuming that you have a future at this institution. Next years budgets going to be a little tight, I understand, so a number of departments will probably have to be dropped. He paused. Are you any good with tools, Sarafawn? Theres a very nice little vocational school at Jura, I hear. Youd just love Daconia.
The Dean cleared his throat again, a bit more urgently this time.
Sorry, Dean Altus, Itagne apologized. Im running past time, gentlemen, so Ill just briefly sum up one more development. Despite their crushing defeat, Cyrgon and Zalasta were by no means powerless. In a bold stroke, Zalastas natural son, one Scarpa, crept into the imperial compound and abducted Queen Ehlana, leaving behind a demand that Sparhawk give up the Bhelliom in exchange for the safe return of his wife.
Following the recess Dean Aldus has been so patiently awaiting, I will take up Prince Sparhawks reaction to this new development.
Part One Berit
1
A chill haze was rising from the meadow, and thin clouds had drifted in from the west to obscure the cold, brittle sky. There were no shadows, and the frozen ground was iron-hard and unyielding. Winter was inexorably tightening its grip on the North Cape. Sparhawks army, girt in steel and leather and thousands strong, was lined up along a broad front in the frost-covered grass of the meadow near the ruins of Tzada. Sir Berit sat his horse in the center of the bulky, armored Church Knights watching the ghastly feast taking place a few hundred yards to the front. Berit was a young and idealistic knight, and he was having some difficulty with the behavior of their new allies.
The screams were remote, mere rumors of agony, and those who were screaming were not actually peoplenot really. They were no more than shades, the scarce-remembered reflections of long-dead men. Besides, they were enemiesmembers of a cruel and savage race that worshipped an unspeakable God.
But they steamed. That was the part of the horror Sir Berit could not shrug off. Though he told himself that these Cyrgai were deadphantoms raised by Cyrgons magicthe fact that steam rose from their eviscerated bodies as the ravening Trolls fed on them brought all of Berits defenses crashing down around his ears.
Trouble? Sparhawk asked sympathetically. Sparhawks black armor was frost-touched, and his battered face was bleak.
Berit felt a sudden embarrassment. Its nothing, Sir Sparhawk, he lied quickly. Its just He groped for a word.
I know. Im stumbling over that part myself. The Trolls arent being deliberately cruel, you know. To them were just food. Theyre only following their nature.
Thats part of the problem, Sparhawk. The notion of being eaten makes my blood run cold.
Would it help if I said, better them than us?
Not very much. Berit laughed weakly. Maybe Im not cut out for this kind of work. Everybody else seems to be taking it in stride.
Nobodys taking it in stride, Berit. We all feel the same way about whats happening. Try to hold on. Weve met these armies out of the past before. As soon as the Trolls kill the Cyrgai generals, the rest should vanish, and thatll put an end to it. Sparhawk frowned. Lets go find Ulath, he suggested. I just thought of something, and I want to ask him about it.
All right, Berit agreed quickly. The two black-armored Pandions turned their horses and rode through the frosty grass along the front of the massed army.
They found Ulath, Tynian and Bevier a hundred yards or so down the line. Ive got a question for you, Ulath, Sparhawk said as he reined Faran in.
For me? Oh, Sparhawk, you shouldnt have! Ulath removed his conical helmet and absently polished the glossy black Ogre-horns on the sleeve of his green surcoat. Whats the problem?
Every time weve come up against these antiques before, the dead all shriveled up after we killed the leaders. How are the Trolls going to react to that?
How should I know?
Youre supposed to be the expert on Trolls.
Be reasonable, Sparhawk. Its never happened before. Nobody can predict whats going to happen in a totally new situation.
Make a guess, Sparhawk snapped irritably.
The two of them glared at each other.
Why badger Ulath about it, Sparhawk? Bevier suggested gently. Why not just warn the Troll-Gods that its going to happen and let them deal with the problem?
Sparhawk rubbed reflectively at the side of his face, his hand making a kind of sandy sound on his unshaven cheek. Sorry, Ulath, he apologized. The noise from the banquet hall out theres distracting me.
I know just how you feel, Ulath replied wryly. Im glad you brought it up, though. The Trolls wont be satisfied with dried rations when theres all this fresh meat no more than a quarter mile away. He put his Ogre-horned helmet back on. The Troll Gods will honor their commitment to Aphrael, but I think wed better warn them about this. I definitely want them to have a firm grip on their Trolls when supper turns stale. Id hate to end up being the dessert course.