Page 44 (2/2)

‘Bread and water, your Majesty – a little gruel once in a while’

‘That should do nicely Get the to nauseate hts descended on the foruard of ar hieon

‘Ah – stay a moment, Teovin,’ the Emperor said urbanely to the Director of the Secret Police ‘I believe there was so you wanted to say to me?’

‘No, your Majesty’ Teovin’s tone was sullen

‘Come, come, old boy Don’t be shy We’re all friends here If you’re in any way offended by anything I’ve done here today, spit it out Milord Stragen will be happy to lend you his rapier, and then you and I can discuss things I’m sure you’ll find my explanations quite pointed’ Sarabian let his mantle slide to the floor He sain ‘Well?’ he said

‘It would be treason for me to offer violence to your Majesty’s person,’ Teovin mumbled

‘Good God, Teovin, why should that bother you? You’ve been involved in treason for the past several years anyway, so why concern yourself with a few picky little technicalities? Take up the sword, ive you a fencing lesson – one you’ll reh that ainst my Emperor,’ Teovin declared

‘What a shao now’

Vanion took the Director’s ared him from the throne-room

The Emperor of Tamuli exultantly raised his rapier over his head, rose onto tiptoe, and spun about in a fla forward and bowed extravagantly to Ehlana, sweeping his slender sword to the side ‘And that, dear overnment’

‘No, Lady Sephrenia,’ the queen said flatly a half-hour later when they had gathered again in the royal apartment, ‘you do not have our permission to withdraw You’re a member of the royal council of Elenia, and we have need of you’

Sephrenia’s pale, grief-stricken face went stiff ‘As your Majesty coency We don’t have time for personal concerns Zalasta’s betrayed us all, not just you Noe have to try tofair,to be You’ll be queen one day, Danae Now sit down, keep your mouth shut, and learn’

Danae looked startled Then her chin came up She curtsied ‘Yes, your Majesty,’ she said

‘That’s better I’ll make a queen of you yet Sir Bevier’

‘Yes, your Majesty?’ Bevier replied

‘Tell your Cyrinics to hts on the walls and tell the the pitch Zalasta’s on the loose out there He’s completely lost control of himself, and we have no idea of what forces he has at his co, so let’s be ready – just in case’

‘You sound like a field-marshal, Ehlana,’ Sarabian told her

‘I am,’ she replied absently ‘It’s one of ic Zalasta ht throw at us?’

‘Easily, h You sahat happened to him when Bhelliom blew his cloud apart It’s very painful to have one of your spells broken Sephrenia knows him better than I do She can tell you whether or not he’s desperate enough to risk that again’

‘Well, Sephrenia?’ Ehlana asked

‘I don’t really know, your Majesty,’ the sht ‘This is a side of hione ’

‘We’d better be ready for hi Kolata in here Let’s find out just how far this conspiracy goes’

Sparhawk drew Sephrenia to one side ‘How did Zalasta find out about Danae?’ he asked ‘It’s obvious that he knoho she really is Did you tell him?’

‘No She told me not to’

‘That’s peculiar I’ll talk with her later and find out why Maybe she suspected soht have been one of those hunches of hers’ He thought for ato kill you? It seeht have been his target’

‘I could never believe that, Sparhawk’

‘At this point, I’’ He hesitated ‘Xanetia knew about him, you realize She told us earlier’

‘Why didn’t you warn me?’ Her tone was shocked

‘Because you wouldn’t have believed her You’re not really inclined to trust her word, Sephrenia You had to see Zalasta’s treachery for yourself Oh, incidentally, she did save your life, you’ll reht’

‘Don’t scolda difficult enough time as it is’

‘I know, and I’m afraid nobody can make it any easier for you’

Kolata proved to be very cooperative His weeks of confineness to kill hiht have felt ‘I really don’t know,’ he replied to Oscagne’s question ‘Teovin ht Zalasta’s proposal to inally’

‘Then you haven’t been involved in this affair since you were first appointed to office?’

‘I don’t think "this affair", as you call it, has been going on for that long I can’t say for certain, but I got the io’

‘You’ve been recruiting people for longer than that’

‘That was just ordinary Tane I knew that the Prime Minister was an idiot as soon as I took office You werepeople to counter your doral parts of metropolitan Tamuli’

‘We can discuss jurisdictional disputes some other time, Kolata It was Teovin, then? He’s been your contact with the enemy?’

Kolata nodded ‘Teovin and a disreputable drunkard nas with Prince Sparhawk before, I understand Everyone in our loose confederation knows hier – when he’s sober’