Eddings David - Tamuli - 01 - Domes of Fire Page 5

  sniffed loudly.

  Mirtai rose to her feet, put her dagger

  away and crossed the room to Talen. She reached out her hand, and he

  flinched away. 'Oh, stop that,' she told him. She laid her hand on his

  forehead. 'You've got a fever.'

  "I didn't get it on purpose.'

  'We'd better get him to bed, Mirtai,' Ehlana said, rising from her chair.

  'We should sweat him first,' the giantess said. 'i'll take him to the

  bathhouse and steam him for a while.' She took Talen's arm, firmly.

  'You're not going into the bathhouse with me!' he protested, his face

  suddenly aflame.

  'Be quiet,' she commanded. 'Send word to the cooks,

  Eh'lana. Have them stir up a mustard plaster and boil up some chicken

  soup. When I bring him back from the bathhouse, we'll put the mustard

  plaster on his chest, pop him into bed and spoon soup into him.'

  'Are' you going to just stand there and let them do this to me, Sparhawk?'

  talen aPPealed.

  'i'd like to help you, my friend,' Sparhawk replied, 'but I've

  got my own health to consider too, you know.'

  "I wish I was dead,' Talen groaned as Mirtai pulled him from the room.

  Stragen and Ulath arrived from Emsat a few days later and were immediately

  escorted to the royal aPartment. 'You're getting fat, Sparhawk,' Ulath

  said bluntly, removing his ogre-horned helmet. 'i've put on a few pounds,'

  Sparhawk conceded. 'Soft living,' Ulath grunted disapprovingly. 'How's

  Wargun?' Ehlana asked the huge blond Thalesian. 'His mind's gone,' Ulath

  replied sadly. 'They've got him locked up in the west wing of the palace.

  He spends most of his time raving.' Ehlana sighed. "I always rather liked

  him - when he was sober.' "I doubt that you'll feel the same way about his

  son, your Majesty,' Stragen told her dryly. Like Platime, Stragen was a

  thief, but he had much better manners. 'i've never met him,' Ehlana said.

  "You might consider adding that to your next prayer of thanksgiving, your

  Majesty. His name's Avin - a short and insignificant name for a short and

  insignificant fellow. He doesn't show very much promise.' 'is he really

  that bad?' Ehlana asked' Ulath. 'Avin Wargunsson? Stragen's being

  generous. Avin's a little man who spends all his time hrying to make sure

  that people don't overlook him. When he found out that I was coming here,

  he called me to the palace and gave me a royal communication to bring to

  you. He spent two hours trying to impress me.'

  'Were you impressed?'

  'Not particularly, no.' Ulath reached inside his surcoat and drew out a

  folded and sealed sheet of parchment.

  'What does it say?' she asked.

  "I wouldn't know. I don't read other people's mail. My guess is that it's a

  serious discussion of the weather. Avin Wargunsson's desperately afraid

  that people might forget about him, so every traveller who leaves Emsat is

  loaded down with royal greetings.'

  'How was the trip?' Sparhawk asked them.

  "I can't really say that I'd recommend sea travel 'at this time of

  year,' Stragen replied. His icy )blue eyes hardened. "I want to have a

  talk with Platime. Ulath and I were set upon by some brigands in the

  mountains between here and Cardos. Bandits are supposed to know better

  than that.'

  'They aren't professionals,' Sparhawk told him. 'Platime knows

  about them, and he's going to take steps. Were there any problems?'

  'Not for us,' Ulath shrugged. 'The amateurs out there didn't have a very

  good day, though. We left five of them in a ditch, and then the rest all

  remembered an important engagement somewhere else.' He went to the door and

  looked out into the hall. Then he closed the door and looked around,

  his eyes wary. 'Are there any servants or people like that in any of your

  rooms here, Sparhawk?' he asked. 'Mirtai and our daughter is all.' 'That's

  all right. I think we can trust them. Komier sent me to let you know that

  Avin Wargunsson's been

  in contact with Count Gerrich down in Lamorkand. Gerrich's taking a run at

  King Friedahl's throne, and Avin's not quite bright. He doesn't know

  enough to stay out of the internal squabbles in Lamorkand. Komier thinks

  there might just possibly be some sort of secret arrangement between them.

  Patriarch Bergsten's taking the same message to Chyrellos.' 'Count

  Gerrich's going to start to irritate Dolmant if he doesn't watch what he's

  doing,' Ehlana said. 'He's trying to make alliances every time he turns

  around, and he knows that's a violation oF the rules. Lamork civil wars

  aren't supposed to involve other kingdoms.' 'That's an actual rule?'

  Stragen asked her incredulously. 'Of course. It's been in place for a

  thousand years. If the Lamork barons were free to form alliances with

  nobles in other kingdoms, they'd plunge the continent into war every ten

  years. That used to happen until the Church stepped in and told them to

  stop.' 'And you thought our society had peculiar rules,' Stragen laughed

  to Platime. 'This is entirely different, Milord Stragen,' Ehlana told him

  in a lofty tone. 'Our peculiarities are matters of state policy. Yours are

  simply good 'common sense. There's a world of difference.' 'So I gather.'

  Sparhawk was looking at all three of them when it happened, so there was

  no doubt that when he felt that peculiar chill and caught that faint

  flicker of darkness at the very outer edge of his vision, they did as

  well. 'Sparhawk!' Ehlana cried in alarm. "Yes,' he replied. "I know. I saw

  it too.' Stragen had half-drawn his rapier, his hand moving with cat-like

  speed. 'What is it?' he demanded, looking around the room. 'An

  impossibility,' Ehlana said flatly. The look she gave her husband was a

  little less certain, however. 'isn't it, Sparhawk?' her voice trembled

  slightly. "I certainly thought so,' he replied. 'This isn't the time to be

  cryptic,' Stragen said. Then they all relaxed as the chill and the shadow

  passed. Ulath looked speculatively at Sparhawk. 'Was that what I thought

  it was?' he asked. 'So it seems.' 'Will someone please tell me what's

  going on here?' Stragen demanded. 'Do you remember that cloud that

  followed us up in Pelosia?' Ulath said. 'Of course. But that was Azash,

  wasn't it?' 'No. We thought so, but Aphrael told us that we were wrong.

  That was after you came back here, so you probably didn't hear about it.

  That shadow we just saw was the Troll-Gods. They're inside the Bhelliom.'

  'inside?' 'They needed a place to hide after they'd lost a few arguments

  with the Younger Gods of Styricum.' Stragen looked at Sparhawk. "I thought

  you told me that you'd thrown Bhelliom into the sea.' 'We did.' 'And the

  Troll-Gods can't get out of it?' 'That's what we were led to believe.'

  'You should have found a deeper ocean.' 'There aren't any deeper ones.'

  'That's too bad. It looks as if someone's managed to fish it out.' 'it's

  )logical, Sparhawk,' Ulath said. 'That box was lined with gold, and

  Aphrael told us that the gold would keep Bhelliom from getting out on its

  own. Since the Troll-Gods can't get out of Bhelliom, they were down there

  too. Somebody's found that box.'

  'i've heard that the people who dive for pearls can go down quite deep,'

  Stragen said. 'Not that deep,' Sparhawk said. 'Besides, there's something

  wrong.' 'Are you just now realising that?' Stragen asked him. 'That's not

  what I mean. When we were up in Pelosia, you could all see that cloud.'

  'Oh, yes,' Ulath said fervently. 'But before that - when it was just a

  shadow - only Ehlana and I could see it, and that was because we were

  wearing the rings. This was definitely a shadow and not a cloud, wasn't

  it?' 'Yes,' Stragen admitted. 'Then how is it that you and Ulath could see

  it too? Stragen spread his hands helplessly. 'There's something else too,'

  Sparhawk added. 'The night I came home from Lamorkand, I felt something in

  the street watching me - several somethings. They weren't Elene or Styric,

  and I don't think they were human. That shadow that just passed through

  here felt exactly the same. ' "I wish there was some way we could talk

  with Sephrenia,' Ulath muttered. Sparhawk was fairly certain that there

  was a way, but he was not free to reveal it to any of them. 'Do' we tell

  anybody else about this?' Stragen asked. 'Let's not start a panic until we

  find out some more about it,' Sparhawk decided. 'Right,"Stragen agreed.

  'There's always plenty of time for panic later - plenty of reason too, I

  think.' The weather cleared over the next few days, and that fact alone

  lifted spirits in the palace. Sparhawk spent some time closeted with

  Platime and Stragen, and then the two thieves sent men into Lamorkand to

  investigate the situation there. 'That's what I should have done in the

  first place,' Sparhawk s
aid, 'but Sarathi wouldn't give me the chance. Our

  revered Archprelate has a few blind spots. He can't seem to get it through

  his head that official investigators aren't going to ever really get to

  the bottom of things.' 'Typical aristocratic ineptitude,' Stragen drawled.

  "It's one of the things that makes life easier for people like Platime and

  me.' Sparhawk didn't argue with him about that. 'just tell your men to be

  careful,' he cautioned them. 'Lamorks tend to try to solve all their

  problems with daggers, and dead spion don't bring home very much useful

  infornation.'

  'Astonishing insight there, old boy,' Stragen said, his rich

  voice dripping with irony. "It's absolutely amazing that Platime and I

  never thought of that.'

  'All right,' Sparhawk admitted, 'maybe I was being just a little obvious.'

  'We saw that too, didn't we, Platime?' Platime

  grunted. 'Tell Ehlana that I'm going to be away from the palace for a few

  days, Sparhawk.'

  'Where are you going?'

  'None of your business. There's something I want to take care of.'

  'All right, but keep in touch.'

  'You're being obvious again, Sparhawk.' The fat man scratched his paunch. 'i'll

  talk with Talen. He'll know how to get in touch with me if the queen

  really needs me for something.' He groaned as he hauled himself to his

  feet. 'i'm going to have to lose some weight,' he said half to himself.

  Then he waddled to the door with that peculiarly spraddle-legged gait of

  the grossly obese. 'He's in a charming humour today,' Sparhawk noted.

  'He's got a lot on his mind just now,' Stragen shrugged. 'How

  well-connected are you in the palace at Emsat, Stragen?'

  "I have some contacts there. What do you need?'

  'i'd like to put some stumbling blocks in the way of this accommodation

  between Avin and Count Gerich. Gerich's beginning to get a little too much

  influence in northern Eosia. Maybe you ought to get word to Meland in Acie

  as well. Gerrich's making alliances in Pelosia and Thalesia already. It

  doesn't seem reasonable that he'd overlook Deira, and Deira's a little

  chaotic right now. Ask Meland to keep his eyes open.'

  'This Gerrich's really got you concerned, hasn't he?'

  'There are some things going on in Lamorkand that I don't understand,

  Stragen, and I don't want Gerrich to get too far ahead of me while I'm

  trying to sort them out.'

  'That makes sense - I suppose.'

  Khalad came to his feet with his eyes slightly unfocused and with a thin

  dribble of blood coming out of his nose. 'You see? You over-extended

  again,' Mirtai told him. 'How' did you do that?' Sparhawk's squire asked

  her. 'i'll show you. Kalten, come here,'

  'Not me,' the blond Pandion refused, backing away.

  'Don't be foolish. I'm not going to hurt you.'

  'isn't that what you told Khalad before you bounced him off the

  flagstones?'

  'You might as well do as I tell you, Kalten,' she said.

  'You'll wind up doing it in the end anyway, and it won't be nearly as

  painful for you if you don't argue with me. Take out your sword and stab

  me in the heart with it.'

  "I don't want to hurt you, Mirtai.'

  'you? Hurt me?' )Her laugh was sardonic.

  'you don't have to be insulting about it,'

  he said in an injured tone, drawing his sword. It had 'all begun when

  Mirtai had passed through the palace courtyard while Kalten was giving

  Khalad some instruction in swordsmanship. She had made a couple of highly

  unflattering comments. One thing had led to another, and the end result

  had been this impromptu training session, during which Kalten and Khalad

  learned humility, if nothing else. 'Stab me through the heart, Kalten,'

  Mirtai said again. In Kalten's defence it should be noted in passing that

  he really did try. He made a great deal of noise when he came down on his

  back on the flagstones. 'He made the same mistake you did,' Mirtai pointed

  out to Khalad. 'He straightened his arm too much. A straight arm is a

  locked arm. Always keep your elbow slightly bent.'

  'We're trained to thrust from the shoulder, Mirtai,' Khalad explained.

  'There are a lot of Elenes, I suppose,' she shrugged. "It shouldn't be all

  that hard to replace you. The thing that makes me curious is why you all

  feel that it's necessary to stick your sword all the way through somebody.

  If you haven't hit the heart with the first six inches of the blade,

  another yard or so of steel going through' the same hole won't make much

  difference, will it?'

  'Maybe it's because it looks dramatic,' Khalad said. 'You kill people

  for show? ThaCs contemptible, and it's the sort of thinking that fills

  graveyards. Always keep your blade free so that you're ready for your next

  enemy. People fold up when you run swords through them, and then you have

  to kick the body off the blade before you can use it again.'

  'I'll try to remember that.'

  "I hope so. I rather like you, and I hate burying

  friends.' She bent, professionally peeled Kalten's eyelid back and glanced

  at his glazed eyeball. 'You'd better throw a bucket of water on our friend

  here,' she suggested. 'He hasn't learned how to fall yet. We'll go into

  that next time.'

  'Next time?'

  'Of course. If you're going to learn how to do this, you'd better learn

  how to do it right.' She gave Sparhawk a challenging look. 'Would you like

  to try?' she asked him. 'Ah - no, Mirtai, not right now. Thanks all the

  same, though.' She went on into the palace, looking just slightly pleased

  with herself. "you know', I don't think I really want to be a knight after

  all, Sparhawk,' Talen said from nearby. "It looks awfully painful.'

  'Where have you been? My wife's got people out looking for you. '

  "yes. I saw them blundering around out in the streets. I had to go visit

  Platime in the cellar.'

  'Oh?'

  'He picked up something he thought you ought to be

  aware of. You know those unauthorised bandits in the hills near Cardos?'

  'Not personally, no.'

  'Funny, Sparhawk. Very funny. Platime's found out

  that somebody we know is sort of directing their activities. '

  'Oh? Who's that?'

  'Can you believe that it's Krager? You should have killed him when

  you had the chance, Sparhawk.'

  ,Chapter 3

  The fog drifted in from the river not long after the sun went down that

  evening. The nights in Cimmura were always foggy in the spring when it

  wasn't raining. Sparhawk, Stragen 'and Talen left the palace wearing plain

  clothing and heavy traveller's cloaks and rode to the southeast quarter of

  town. 'You don't necessarily have to tell your wife I said this,

  Sparhawk,' Stragen noted, looking around with distaste, 'but her capital's

  one of the least attractive cities in the world. You've got a truly

  miserable climate here.'

  'It's not so bad in the summer-time,' Sparhawk

  replied a little defensively.

  'I missed last summer,' the blond thief said. 'I took a short nap one

  afternoon and slept right 'through it. Where are we going?'

  'We want to see Platime.'

  'As I recall, his cellar's near the west gate of the city. You're taking us

  in the wrong direction.'

  'We have to go to a certain inn first.' Sparhawk looked back over his

  shoulder. 'Are we being followed, Talen?' he asked.

  'Naturally. '

  Sparhawk grunted. 'That's more or less what I expected.' They rode on with

  the thick mist swirling around the legs of their horses and making the

  fronts of the nearby houses dim and hazy-looking. They reached the inn on

  Rose Street, and a surly-appearing porter admitted them to the inn yard

  and closed the gate behind them. 'Anything you find out about this place

  isn't for general dissemination,' Sparhawk told Talen and Stragen as he

  dismounted. He handed Faran's reins to the porter. 'You know about this