Rebel of Antares (27 page)

“But—”

“And there are no buts about it, Jaidur!”

“Queen Lildra—”

“She has not been crowned yet. But that is beside the point. Your mother didn’t even know your sister Velia was married until after she was dead. D’you think I’ll let you get married and not have your mother share in the joyous day?”

“Father—”

“Now, Jai, do listen,” said Jaezila. “Look, I’ll fly back home and tell mother.”

“It might,” I said, “be more becoming for Jaidur to fly himself and tell his mother he is going to be married.”

Jaidur’s nostrils pinched in. Jaezila looked at me and laughed. I stared back, no doubt wearing that grim old face of mine that, seemingly, had no power to arouse resentment in Jaezila.

“You said you wouldn’t tell your children what to do or order them about, father. Well?”

I breathed hard. We’d won a resounding victory, the rebellion had been a triumph. Queen Fahia was gone no one knew where, and I doubted many cared. Prince Babb was dead. The wizards had fled the country. We were going to see that Lildra was properly crowned and seated on the throne and then we were going to turn our undivided attention on Hamal and mad Empress Thyllis. All this we would do. But here and now, my concern was for Delia. It was unthinkable to me that she should be deprived of the day of her son’s wedding. And I’d said so.

About to state what seemed to be an obvious fact, that I was not ordering my lad about but merely pointing out to him what was seemly conduct, I was interrupted.

Lildra stepped forward. Jaidur watched her with the simmering violence of a volcano about to erupt.

“Majister,” she said to me in her firm voice, “you are right and yet you are wrong. Jaidur owes love and respect to his mother, but it is we who are to live our lives together. We wish to begin aright, but we cannot allow the past to rule us.”

That seemed fair enough, by Vox. But, all the same... Delia’s half-brother, Vomanus, who had always seemed to us to be a feckless adventurer, had married in what amounted to secrecy. Valona, who was not Valona the Claw, was Vomanus’s daughter. That explained the nagging feeling I’d had that she reminded me of someone I knew. But Delia had been — for her — put out that Vomanus had not told us of his wedding. If her own son Jaidur acted in what was to me a thoughtless fashion, then Delia would be hurt. And I couldn’t allow that, if it was possible to prevent that damage.

I said so.

In the end the marriage was postponed for long enough for a fast flier to reach Vallia and return. I could well understand the urgency. The Queen of Hyrklana had to be seen to be firmly seated on the throne, and a powerful husband as king would give the added reassurance. There would be other factions besides ours still in the field. Vad Noran, for one. I wondered how he would view his new sovereign, and if he would take up arms against her. If he did — by Harg! — I’d chop him finer than best mincemeat. At least, that is what I said to Lildra, in reassurance.

Finishing the discussion, there in that sumptuous chamber in the palace of the high fortress of the Hakal, I said, “It is settled. I will fly to Vallia and tell the empress myself. I think she will put aside whatever is afoot to attend your wedding, Jaidur. But if she is absent about business for the Sisters of the Rose—”

“That will be all right.” Jaezila spoke firmly. “I will come with you, Jak — father — oh, by Vox! Jak it is going to be.”

That pleased me. We made quick preparations for the trip, choosing a voller of speed and comfort. “At least she will not break down, as the Hamalian vollers do,” I said. We had still not settled that score with Hamal; now that we had Hyrklana as an ally we had circumvented that problem. The rankle remained.

Among the many urgent tasks to be done in Hyrklana, two very close to my heart would be extraordinarily difficult to deal with. I was a guest in this country. I had no power. All I could do was trust that Jaidur would carry out, not just my wishes, but actions I considered necessary and actions suited to the son of the Emperor of Vallia — even if those actions might not be regarded as expected of a King of Hyrklana. The young devil would find out a little of what being a king meant, then. I thrust aside the contemptible thought, that Jaidur’s ascension to the throne, where he would co-reign with Lildra, might transform him into a tyrant. Zair forfend!

Quick and practical, Jaezila organized the flier and we took off for Vallia. I did not much like leaving Hyrklana at this moment, when rival factions might seek to oust Lildra before she was even crowned, but I was determined that Delia should be at her son’s wedding. The voller was sleek and fast and superbly equipped, for she had come from Fahia’s private flierdrome and was accounted a zorca of the skies. We flew for Vondium.

The reception was tumultuous. I will make no attempt to describe the crowded events of that brief visit. Suffice it to say that before I realized it I was up to my eyebrows in work — as usual. This time I had no intention of being waylaid by affairs of state. My return to Hyrklana was an affair of state. Let my pallans chew on that, by Vox! That a whole retinue of people should elect to accompany Delia, Jaezila and me seemed only natural.

Delia, after a first quick flash of an emotion I could identify and did not mention, was enraptured at the idea of Jaidur being married.

“He’s always been a wild young tearaway. Marriage should steady him — although he has been splendid in doing what he has for the Sisters of the Rose.”

“There are dark debts still outstanding...”

“I hate to think of them, but yes, my heart, there are...”

“It is in my mind that Vallia is entering a great period of prosperity. Our comrades do well everywhere.”

“The whole island will be reunited soon. Events move on apace.” Then she laughed and I felt the world give its topsy-turvy tug at my heart. “And another thing, Dray Prescot. Lela tells me you informed her you were married to some woman or other called Thylda. Well, husband, what have you to say to that?”

I groaned. “By Zair! You had to find out!”

Then, for a space, we shut out the grim world of Kregen and devoted ourselves to each other, and, later, Delia stretched like a drowsy cat before a fire, purring, and said, “Anyway, Thylda is not such a bad name, after all.”

When we went down to the voller, Unmok the Nets limped up, out of the watching throngs. He cradled his middle left stump. He looked happy if a trifle dazed. He had been treated famously.

“So, Jak the Shot, your secret was a secret after all.”

“Unmok! You Och rascal — and what are you doing now?”

It turned out he was, as he put it, “Still looking around.”

I laughed. He looked surprised that I could laugh like that. I glanced at Delia. “Unmok will astonish us all one day, when he has decided what he will do in life.”

Unmok made his peculiar Och grimace. “There is a nice little bangles and beads shop in the Kyro of Drak the Munificent I have seen. But also, I have been offered a part interest in a fancy mazilla silk works. As Ochenshum is my witness, I am not sure—”

“Well, just remember we are still partners.”

“Partners! With the Emperor of Vallia?”

“Of course. I may be only a hairy apim, but I do not forget my debts.” We talked for a space and then it was time to leave and we moved toward the voller. Unmok yelled the remberees.

Delia smiled. “I find Unmok absolutely charming!”

How gloriously superb she looked! Radiant, glowing, absolutely wonderful, the most fascinating, clever, willful, shrewd, the most absolute woman in two worlds. And she said to me as we walked toward the voller, “I’ve missed you, my heart. And now Jaidur is off and running. Drak manages things well. I own to no qualms for him. And Dayra—”

“Ros the Claw.”

“Aye, Ros the Claw. Those villains she calls friends have been in hiding, lying low. But we have not heard the last of them. And now, you have told me nothing about this Princess Lildra.”

“I told you of Princess Lilah, her mother, and the manhounds. Lildra is — rather nice. There is a lot she does not know, owing to her peculiar education and upbringing—”

“She gets on with Lela?”

Jaezila, our daughter Lela, walked ahead of us, swinging along in her russet leathers, her rapier cocked up, her brown hair brilliant in the lights of the suns. I nodded. “Yes. They get along famously.”

“And do you think Lildra—?”

I laughed. We observed the fantamyrrh climbing into the airboat. And I laughed. “Silly woflo! She will love you as all men and women love you.”

Delia turned to look at the half-ruined palace spread out beneath us and the proud city of Vondium below. She sighed.

“I do hope so, Dray. I really do hope so.”

The Lord Farris spared airboats to take the wedding guests, on my assurances that they would be returned and with them a fleet of brand new vollers from the yards of Hyrklana. We took off and the flags fluttered and the trumpets pealed and the breezes blew in our faces. The windrush caught Delia’s hair and swirled it back so that the outrageous auburn tints glowed. Her face regarded me with that look of love and passion to which I responded as I always have, as I always will, by Zair. We retired to the cabin for a space and the fleet flew on across the oceans to Hyrklana.

The relief I experienced when we landed at being told that nothing untoward had occurred during my absence revealed much of my own apprehension. Had Lildra been overthrown, had Jaidur been slain, I would not have been surprised and would have blamed myself...

The wedding was lavish.

It went on for ten days of riotous carousing and solemn ceremonies, of much pomp and magnificence and of quiet talk and planning. So many of our friends were there as to make the heart of a warrior kick with expected action.
[5]
So Delia’s son and my son Jaidur wed his Princess Lildra, and immediately thereafter the pair were enthroned and crowned as King and Queen of Hyrklana. I tried not to regard this as nepotism gone mad, megalomania rife, but it was a near thing, I can tell you.

The dark shadow I feared lay across my mind during all these glittering ceremonies. Hyrklana rejoiced today; tomorrow her people must go up against Hamal. And then, when Hamal had been shown the true path, together, united with all Paz, we would face the menace of the Shanks, the true and fearsome enemies.

And after the Shanks, who knew what other monstrous foes we would face?

My son Drak said to me, “Well, I have seen that rascal Jaidur married off. Now I must fly back to Vallia. We have had disquieting news out of the southwest.”

My ears pricked up, but all Drak would say was, “We defeated those rasts down there, but I begin to see another reason why you are so set against using mercenaries.”

“You’d better tell me—”

“With your leave, I’ll be off.” A stiff-necked bunch, this family of mine. “It may come to nothing, and you have work here.”

“I have. You’ll be ready to march against Hamal?”

“The midlands are being cleared by Kov Turko. As soon as we can establish new frontiers and fresh bases, we will be clearer to march. If a job has to be done, it has best be done well.”

“Vallia is in good hands with you and the council, Drak. I trust you. If you are having difficulty in the southwest—”

“It is nothing. Rumors only. Our spies are busy.”

I sniffed.

He went on, “And Princess Lildra is lovely. Jaidur is a lucky fellow.”

“She’s a queen now, and Jaidur is a king. Deuced odd.”

“Damned odd!”

And we both laughed.

Delia came in and Drak said the remberees. Jaezila would be staying with us. We had an invasion to plan and kingdoms to run. Delia and Jaidur spent a long time together. While that right tearaway I had first met as Vax, Vax Neemusjid, might regard me as a ruffian, he set great store by what Delia said. The world belonged to young people. And, by Zim-Zair, I was young! The Savanti had insured that by their own superhuman powers. I felt young and hot and strong, and Hamal and danger lay ahead. I went galloping out for a gut-jolting ride astride a fine zorca and the blue radiance came stealthily dropping down over me.

The giant form of the Scorpion, limned in blue fire, hovered over me.

With the sound of a mighty rushing wind the crimson radiance of the Star Lords enveloped all the world of Kregen. The thin voice keened.

“Dray Prescot! You are wanted urgently. There is a mission set to your hands—”

I interrupted. I took a whooping breath and started in calling the Everoinye all the blackguard names I could put my tongue to. I finished: “And I’ve a lot to do here that means much to me and Kregen, although not much to you, it seems. Have I not done as you wished, and is not Lildra now Queen of Hyrklana?”

“That is sooth. But you are your usual onkerish self. Listen! Our kregoinye has failed in Hamal. It is urgent that his task be concluded, for there is no time loop available. Why do you think we talk thus to you, when we could hurl you into Hamal without a second thought?”

“Why?”

“Debate that with yourself. The answer is obvious. You will go to Hamal and perform the task we set to your hands and then you may find advantages you had not bargained for.”

I felt the amazement. The Star Lords? Talking like this?

The thin voice from the crimson radiance went on: “We have changed our plans, Dray Prescot, from the time when you were first brought to Kregen, all naked and raw. You seem to possess a spark of understanding we thought absent from you. Times are changing.”

I gaped. These were the superhuman entities, who had once been men like me and were now aloof, remote, impossibly unknowable?

“Do you grant me a boon?”

I was talking about clothes and weapons, and they knew it.

“No.”

“Well then, give me time to make the proper remberees to those I love here.”

“That is granted you, Dray Prescot. With the first rays of the twin sons, you will be transmitted to Hamal.”

The crimson radiance paled. There had been no interference from the acid green of Ahrinye nor from the warm yellow of Zena Iztar. The Scorpion leered down, and I fancied his bloated figure had a much more friendly appearance. I felt as though I were dreaming. The blue fire returned, the winds blew, and once again I was galloping astride the zorca headlong for Huringa.