Do that. And dont get any ideas about trying to eliminate potential competition in advance. Your bad-boys wouldnt be up to it, and my friends and I would sort of be obliged to take it personally.
Stop that. Sephrenia chided her sister as the four of them moved through the corridor-like streets of Delphaeus toward the home of Codon, the Anari of Xanetias people.
Edaemus is doing it, Aphrael countered.
Its his city, and these are his people. Its not polite to do that when youre a guest.
Xanetia gave them a puzzled look.
My sisters showing off, Sephrenia explained.
Am not, Aphrael retorted.
Yes you are too, Aphrael, and you and I both know it. Weve had this argument before. Now stop it.
I do not understand, Xanetia confessed.
Thats because youve grown accustomed to the sense of her presence, sister, Sephrenia explained wearily. Shes not supposed to flaunt her divinity this way when shes around the worshippers of other Gods. Its the worst form of bad manners, and she knows it. Shes only doing it to irritate Edaemus. Im surprised she hasnt flattened the whole city or set fire to the thatching on the roofs with all that divine personality.
Thats a spiteful thing to say, Sephrenia, Aphrael accused.
Behave yourself then.
I wont unless Edaemus does.
Sephrenia sighed, rolling her eyes upward.
They entered the southern wing of the extended city-building that was Delphaeus and proceeded down a dim hallway to Codons door. The Anari was waiting for them, his ancient face filled with wonder. He fell to his knees as the light that was Edaemus approached, but his God dimmed, assumed a human form, and reached out gently to raise him to his feet again.
That is not needful, my old friend, he said.
Why, Edaemus, Aphrael said, youre really quite handsome. You shouldnt hide from us in all that light the way you do.
A faint smile touched the ageless face of the Delphaeic God. Seek not beguile me with flattery, Aphrael. I know thee, and I know thy ways. Thou shalt not so easily ensnare me.
Oh, really? Thou art ensnared already, Edaemus. I do but toy with thee now. My hand is already about thine heart. In time, I shall close it and make thee mine. And she laughed a silvery little peal of laughter. But thats between you and me, Cousin. Right now we have other things to do.
Xanetia fondly embraced the ancient Codon. As thou canst readily perceive, my dear old friend, momentous changes are afoot. The dire peril which we face doth reshape our entire world. Let us consider that peril first, and then at our leisure may we pause to marvel at how all about us is altered.
Codon led them down the three worn stone steps into his low-ceilinged chamber with its inwardly curving, white plastered walls, its comfortable furniture, and its cheery fire.
Tell them whats been going on, Xanetia, Aphrael suggested, climbing up into Sephrenias lap. That may explain why it was necessary for me to violate all the rules and come here. She gave Edaemus an arch look. Regardless of what you may think, Cousin, I do have good manners, but weve got an emergency on our hands.
Sephrenia leaned back in her chair as Xanetia began her account of the events of the past several months. There was a sense of peace, an unruffled calm about Delphaeus that Sephrenia had not perceived during her last visit. At that time, her mind had been so filled with obsessive hatred that she had scarcely taken note of her surroundings. The Delphae had appealed to Sparhawk to seal their valley away from the rest of the world, but that seemed somehow unnecessary. They were already separateso separate that they no longer seemed even human. In a peculiar way, Sephrenia envied them.
Infuriating, arent they? the Child Goddess murmured. And the word youre looking for is serenity.
And youre doing everything in your power to disturb that, arent you?
Theyre still a part of this world, Sephreniafor a little while longer, anyway. All Im doing is reminding them that the rest of us are still out here.
Youre behaving very badly toward Edaemus.
Im trying to jerk him back to reality. Hes been off by himself for the past hundred centuries, and hes forgotten what its like having the rest of us around. Im reminding him. Actually, its good for him. He was starting to get complacent. She slipped down from her sisters lap. Excuse me, she said. Its time for me to give him another lesson.
She crossed the room and stood studying him with her large, dark eyes. The God of the Delphae was so engrossed in Xanetias account that he scarcely noticed Aphrael and, when she held out her arms to him, he absently picked her up and settled her into his lap. Sephrenia smiled.
And most recently, Xanetia concluded her report, young Sir Berit hath been given further instruction. He is to turn aside and go to the town of Sepal on the coast of the Sea of Arjun. He hath advised the Child Goddess of this alteration of direction, and she in turn hath made the rest of us aware of it. It is the intent of the Troll-Gods to transport Sir Ulath and Sir Tynian to Sepal and to conceal them there in what they call No-Time. It is their thought that when our enemies produce Queen Ehlana to exchange her for Bhelliom, they might leap from their concealment and rescue her.
No-Time? Codon asked, his face puzzled.
Suspended duration, Aphrael explained. Trolls are hunters, and their Gods have found a new place of concealment for them so that theyre able to stalk their prey unseen. Its clever, but it has its drawbacks.
Edaemus asked her something in that language Sephrenia had tried several times to learn but had never really been able to grasp. Aphrael replied, speaking rapidly in a rather dry, technical tone and making intricate gestures with her hands.
Ah, he said finally, lapsing back into Tamul and with an expression of comprehension flooding his face. It is a peculiar notion.
You know how the Troll-Gods are. She made a little face.
Didst thou in truth wring acceptance of thine outrageous demands from them?
I had something they wanted. She shrugged. Theyve been trying to think up some way to escape from Bhelliom for three hundred centuries now. They didnt like my conditions, but they didnt have much choice.
Thou are cruel, Aphrael.
Not really. I was driven by necessity, and necessitys neither cruel nor kindly. It just is. I kissed them a few times when I stopped by a couple of days ago, and that made them feel better. It did once they realized that I wasnt going to take a bite out of them, anyway.
Thou didst not! He seemed aghast.
They arent so bad, she defended her action. I suppose I could have scratched them behind the ears, but that might have insulted them, so I kissed them instead. She smiled. A few more kisses and Id have had them licking my fingers like puppies.
He straightened, then suddenly blinked as if realizing for the first time where she was sitting. She gave him another of those mysterious little smiles and patted his cheek. Thats all right, Cousin, she told him. Youll come around eventually. They always do. And she slipped down from his lap and walked back across the room to rejoin her sister.
Thats my place! a burly fellow of indeterminate race asserted threateningly as Kalten dropped his saddle-bags and bed-roll on a clear spot under a large tree.
It was, Kalten grunted.
You cant just walk in here and steal a mans place like this.
Oh? Is it against the law or something? Kalten straightened. He was at least a head taller than the other man, and he bulked large in his mail-shirt. My friends and I are going to be staying right here, he stated flatly, so pick up your bed and all this other trash and go someplace else.
Im not in the habit of taking orders from Elenes!
Thats too bad. Now move away. Ive got work to do. Kalten was not in a good humor. Alcans peril gnawed at him constantly, and even slight irritations rubbed his temper raw. Some of that must have showed on his face. The other man backed off a few steps.
Further, Kalten told him.
Ill be back, the man blustered, retreating a few more steps. Ill be back with all my friends.
I can hardly wait. Kalten deliberately turned his back on the man he had just dispossessed.
Caalador and Bevier joined him. Trouble? Caalador asked.
I wouldnt call it that, Kalten shrugged. I was just establishing some rank, is all. Any time you come into a new situation, you have to push a few people around to make everybody else understand that youre not going to put up with any foolishness. Lets get settled in.
They had erected their tent and were gathering leaves and moss for beds when Narstil stopped by. I see youre getting set up, Ezek, he said to Caalador. His tone was conciliatory, though not quite cordial.
A few finishing touches are about all thats left, Caalador replied.
You men make a good camp, Narstil noted.
A cluttered camp is the sign of a cluttered mind, Caalador said. He shrugged. Im glad you stopped by, Narstil. We hear that theres an army camped out not far from here. Do they cause you any problems?
Weve got an agreement with them, Narstil replied. We dont steal from them, and they leave us alone. Thats not a real army in Natayos, though. Its more like a large band of rebels. They want to overthrow the government.
Doesnt everybody?
Narstil laughed. Actually, having that mob in Natayos is very good for my business. The fact that theyre all there keeps the police out of this part of the jungle, and one of the reasons they tolerate us is because we rob travelers, and that keeps people from snooping around Natayos. We do a fairly brisk business with them. Theyre a ready market for just about everything we steal.
How far is this Natayos place from here?
About ten miles. Its an old ruin. Scarpahes the one in charge over theremoved in with his rebels a couple of years back. Hes fortified it, and hes bringing in more of his followers every day. I dont care much for him, but business is business.
Whats he like?
Hes crazy. Some days hes so crazy that he bays at the moon. Hes convinced that hell be emperor one day, and I expect it wont be long until he marches his rabble out of those ruins. Hes fairly safe in this jungle, but just as soon as he gets out into open country, the Atans will grind him into dog meat right on the spot.
Are we supposed to care about that? Bevier asked.