The situation here is painfully obvious, Im afraid. Weve taken Ehlana hostage. You will behave yourself, wont you, old boy? The tiresomely obvious part of all of this is that you can have her back in exchange for Bhelliom and the rings. Well give you a few days to rant and rave and try to find some way out of this. Then, when youve come to your senses and realize that you have no choice but to do exactly as youre told, Ill drop you another note with some rather precise instructions. Do be a good boy and follow the instructions to the letter. Id really rather not be forced to kill your wife, so dont try to be creative.
Be well, Sparhawk, and keep an eye out for my next note. Youll know its from me because Ill decorate it with another lock of Ehlanas hair. Pay very close attention, because if our correspondence continues for too long, your wife will run out of hair, and Ill have to start using fingers.
And its signed Krager, Vanion concluded.
Kalten smashed his fist into the wall, his face rigid with fury.
Thats enough of that! Vanion snapped.
What are we going to do? Kalten demanded. We have to do something!
Were not going to jump eight feet into the air and come down running, for a start, Vanion told him.
Wheres Mirtai? Krings voice had a note of sudden alarm.
Shes perfectly all right, Domi, Sarabian assured him. She was a little upset when she found out what happened.
A little? Oscagne murmured. It took twelve men to subdue her. Shes in her room, Domi Kringchained to the bed, actually. There are some guards there as well to keep her from doing herself any injury.
Kring abruptly turned and left Melideres bedroom.
Were tiring you, arent we, Baroness? Sarabian said then.
Not in the least, your Majesty, she replied in a cool voice. She looked around at them. Its a bit cramped in here. Why dont we adjourn to the sitting-room? Id imagine well be most of the night at this, so we might as well be comfortable. She threw back her blankets and started to get out of bed.
Stragen gently restrained her. Then he picked her up.
I can walk, Stragen, she protested.
Not while Im around, you cant. Stragens customary expression of civilized urbanity was gone as he looked around at the others, and it had been replaced with one of cold, tightly suppressed rage. One thing gentlemen, he told them. When we catch up with these people, Elrons mine. Ill be very put out with anybody who accidentally kills him.
Baroness Melideres eyes were quite content, and there was a faint smile on her face as she laid her head on Stragens shoulder.
Caalador was waiting for them in the sitting-room. His knees and elbows were muddy, and there were cobwebs in his hair.
I found it, your Majesty, he reported to the Emperor. It comes out in the basement of that barracks the Church Knights have been using. He looked appraisingly at Sparhawk. Id heard you were back, he said. Weve managed to pick up a little information for you.
I appreciate that, Caalador, Sparhawk replied quietly.
The big Pandions almost inhuman calm had them all more than a little on edge. Stragen was a bit distracted after what happened to the Baroness here, Caalador reported, so I was left more or less to my own devices. I took some fairly direct steps. The ideas were all mine, so dont blame him for them.
You dont have to do that, Caalador, Stragen said, carefully tucking a blanket round Melideres shoulders. You didnt do anything I didnt approve of.
I take it that there were a few atrocities, Ulath surmised.
Let me start at the beginning, Caalador said, brushing his hands through his hair, trying to dislodge the cobwebs. One of the men wed been planning to kill during the Harvest Festival managed to evade my cut-throats, and he sent me a message offering to exchange information for his life. I agreed to that, and he told me something I didnt know about. We knew that there were tunnels under the lawns here in the imperial compound, but what we didnt know is that the ground under the whole citys honeycombed with more tunnels. Thats how Krager and his friends got into the imperial grounds, and thats how they took the Queen and her maid out.
Prithee, good Master Caalador, stay a moment, Xanetia said. I have seen into the memories of the Minister of the Interior, and he had no knowledge of such tunnels.
That wouldnt be hard to explain, Anarae, Patriarch Emban told her. Ambitious underlings quite often conceal things from their superiors. Teovin, Director of the Secret Police, probably had his eye on Kolatas position.
Thats most likely it, your Grace, Caalador agreed. Anyway, my informant knew the location of some of the tunnels, and I put men down there to look around for more while I questioned various members of the Secret Police who were in custody. My methods were fairly direct, and the ones who survived the questioning were more than happy to co-operate.
The tunnels were very busy on the night the Queen was abducted. The diplomats who were forted up in the Cynesgan Embassy knew about the scheme, and they realized that wed kick down their walls as soon as we found out that the Queen was gone. They tried to escape through the tunnels, but I already had men down in those rat-holes. There were a number of noisy encounters, and we either rounded up or killed just about the entire embassy staff. The Ambassador himself survived, and I let him watch while I interrogated several under-secretaries. Im very fond of Queen Ehlana, so I was quite firm with them. He looked at Sephrenia. I dont think I need to go into too much detail, he added.
The tunnels were very busy on the night the Queen was abducted. The diplomats who were forted up in the Cynesgan Embassy knew about the scheme, and they realized that wed kick down their walls as soon as we found out that the Queen was gone. They tried to escape through the tunnels, but I already had men down in those rat-holes. There were a number of noisy encounters, and we either rounded up or killed just about the entire embassy staff. The Ambassador himself survived, and I let him watch while I interrogated several under-secretaries. Im very fond of Queen Ehlana, so I was quite firm with them. He looked at Sephrenia. I dont think I need to go into too much detail, he added.
Thank you, Sephrenia murmured.
The Ambassador didnt really know all that much, Caalador continued apologetically, but he did tell me that Scarpa and his friends were going south from herewhich may or may not have been a ruse. His Majesty ordered the ports of Micae and Saranth sealed, and he put Atan patrols on the road from Toea to the coast, just to be on the safe side. Nothings turned up yet, so Scarpa either got away ahead of us, or hes gone down a hole someplace nearby.
The door opened, and Kring rejoined them, his face gloomy.
Did you unchain her? Tynian asked him.
That wouldnt be a good idea right now, friend Tynian. She feels personally responsible for the Queens abduction. She wants to kill herself. I took everything with any kind of sharp edge out of the room, but I dont think its really safe to unshackle her just yet.
Did you get that spoon of hers away from her? Talen asked.
Krings eyes went wide. Oh, God! he exclaimed, bolting for the door.
If hed only yell at us or bang his fist against the wall or something, Berit murmured to Khalad the next morning when they gathered once again in the blue-draped sitting-room. All he does is sit there.
Sparhawk keeps his feelings to himself, Khalad replied.
Its his wife were talking about, Khalad. He sits there like a lump. Doesnt he have any feelings at all?
Of course he does, but hes not going to take them out and wave them around for us to look at. Right now its more important for him to think than to feel. Hes listening and putting things together. Hes saving up his feelings for when he gets his hands on Scarpa.
Sparhawk sat in his chair with his daughter in his lap. He seemed to be studying the floor, and he was absently stroking Princess Danaes cat.
Lord Vanion was telling the Emperor and the others about Klael and about their strategic disposition of forces: the Trolls to the Tamul mountains in south-central Tamul Proper, the Atans to Sarna and Tikumes Peloi to Samar.
Flute was sitting quietly on Sephrenias lap. Berit noticed something that hadnt occurred to him before. He glanced first at Princess Danae and then at the Child Goddess. They appeared to be about the same age, and their bearing and manner seemed very much alike for some reason.
The presence of the Child Goddess was having a peculiar effect on Emperor Sarabian. The brilliant, erratic ruler of the continent seemed dumbfounded by her presence and he sat gazing wide-eyed at her. His face was pale, and he was obviously not hearing a word Lord Vanion was saying.
Aphrael finally twisted round and returned his gaze. Then she slowly crossed her eyes at him. The Emperor started back violently.
Didnt your mother ever tell you that its not polite to stare, Sarabian? she asked him.
Mind your manners, Sephrenia chided.
Hes supposed to be listening. If I want adoration, Ill get myself a puppy.
Forgive me, Goddess Aphrael, the Emperor apologized. I seldom have divine visitors. He looked at her rather closely. I hope you dont mind my saying so, but you rather resemble Prince Sparhawks daughter. Have you ever met her Royal Highness?
Sparhawks head came up sharply, and there was a strange, almost wild look in his eyes.
Now that you mention it, I dont think I have, Flute said.
She looked across the room at the Princess. Berit noticed that Sephrenias eyes were also just a bit wild as Flute slid down out of her lap and went across the room to Sparhawks chair. Hullo, Danae, the Child Goddess said in an offhand sort of way.
Hullo, Aphrael, the Princess replied in almost exactly the same tone. Are you going to do something to get my mother back home?
Im working on it. Try to keep your father from getting too excited about this. Hes no good to any of us when he flies all to pieces and we have to gather him up and put him back together again.
I know. Ill do what I can with him. Would you like to hold my cat?
Flute glanced at Mmrr, whose eyes were filled with a look of absolute horror. I dont think she likes me, she declined.
Ill take care of my father, Danae assured the little Goddess. You deal with these others.
All right. Aphrael paused. I think well get on well together, she said. You wouldnt mind if I stopped by from time to time, would you?
Any time, Aphrael.
Something very peculiar was going on. Berit saw nothing unusual in the conversation between the two little girls, but Sparhawks faceand Sephreniasclearly showed that they were both very disturbed. Berit kept his expression casual and looked around. Everyone else had faintly indulgent smiles on their faces as they watched the exchangeall except Lord Vanion and Anarae Xanetia. Their faces were no less strained than Sparhawks and Sephrenias. Evidently something titanic had just happened, but for the life of him, Berit could not fathom out what it might have been.