The Invisible Hands - Part 1: Gambit (39 page)

32
The last day of the year Anaxantis and his guests, or at least those

who had stayed and were so inclined, went for a long walk. It was prepared in much the same manner as the previous outing, with this difference that at the furthest rest stop horses and carriages were waiting for those who felt too tired to return on foot.

Emelasuntha and Sobrathi walked by themselves, followed at a distance by some ten attendants of the Tribe of Mekthona.

“So, tomorrow it's back to Soranza,” Sobrathi said, slightly out of breath.

“Yes. There's a lot to be taken care of, and my son had an interesting idea, though I suspect he hasn't told me everything.”

“I wonder where he did get that particular habit,” the baroness said with an innocent look at her friend.

“Sarcasm doesn't become you, dear.” Emelasuntha smiled.

“Were you planning on bringing me into the loop any time soon?

You've been cooped up with him several times, for hours on end.”

“And most enjoyable hours they were too. Most of the time, anyway. I'm still not certain, though, what his long term plans are. I tried to pry them out of him without seeming to. Every time I thought he was going to confide in me, it was as if I ran into a barrier. Whatever I tried, I couldn't get past it.”

33
“How vexatious that must be for you.”

“Sarcasm, dear. Mind the sarcasm,” the queen said absentmindedly. “You know,” she continued after a while, “I got the distinct impression that Ehandar has something to do with it.”

“You think he, eh, inspired some of his decisions?”

“No, not exactly, but he is definitely an important factor in his calculations.”

“How important?” the baroness asked, businesslike.

“As important as it gets. My son is in love with him.”

Sobrathi's mouth fell open. She wasn't watching where she was going and stepped into a puddle of mud.

“Damn it,” she exclaimed, angry at her own clumsiness.

“No need to curse, dear,” Emelasuntha, who hadn't been paying attention to her friend, said. “These things happen. They were both under a lot of stress. I always sensed Anaxantis was attracted to him.

Only, I thought it was an infatuation. The way a younger sibling looks up to an older brother. Not this. Never this.”

“That could complicate things.”

“Exactly what I thought. Anaxantis is clever, but love can make a man blind.” She sighed. “It will be a lot of trouble to find out what Ehandar's plans are. Even more so as we can't raise my son's suspicions. He made it clear that his precious brother was out of bounds.”

“Hm, can he be trusted, I wonder,” the baroness mused. “I mean, you're certain Anaxantis is in love with him, but is the reverse true?”

“Yes, that is the crux of it, isn't it?”

Anaxantis was walking between Timishi and Lorcko.

33
“When are you sailing?” he asked. “I suppose you have a lot of arrangements to make first.”

“No, not all,” Timishi replied. “Rodomesh replaces me. I made him a frishiu and my heir-presumptive as long as I have no issue of my own. He was accepted as such by the Vrangmàhai. He's watching over the kingdom now. I'll just send a messenger explaining why he'll have to do it a while longer.”

“Iramid is in the capable hands of the steward of our House. He's third generation. No worries there,” Lorcko added.

“You trust him?” the prince asked.

“Completely,” Lorcko replied. “And I check the books.”

“That leaves only the preparation of the ships,” Anaxantis said.

“Tomar tells me he hired most of the crew. So you can divide your warriors over the four vessels.”

“In a sort of auxiliary, kind of supervising, staying in the background, keeping their hands off of everything way, Timi,” Lorcko said, throwing a concerned look at the Mukthar quedash.

Timishi shrugged and grinned.

“There's too few of us to do much harm to four big ships, àjemisha.”

“So you keep saying,” Lorcko replied, but he didn't sound convinced.

“I'll give you the best maps I have, with the most reliable sea routes,” Anaxantis said. “I'm afraid their reliability stops south of the Ximerionian waters, but they give the exact location of the Ronicerian Isles. It would have been far easier to just coast southwards until you reach Tyleme, but I want you to sail around them and avoid Father's navy.”

33
“That seems the most prudent course of action,” Lorcko concurred.

“Anyway, the sooner we leave, the better.”

Anaxantis smiled.

“I'm glad to hear you're quite eager to sail.”

“He has his reasons,” Timishi replied before Lorcko could answer.

“Some of them are even related to our mission.”

The Mukthar quedash chuckled.

Ehandar was walking with his pupils who were chattering animatedly and traveling twice the distance, as they were darting around, playing and fighting.

Brand of Gisswing and Echron of Syrdunn, much more restrained, were walking on either side of the prince.

Echron looked with mild disapproval at all the immature

shenanigans of the other squires.

“Is there any news of the southern border?” Brand asked. His sharp face looked expectantly at Ehandar.

“Not that I know of,” he answered. “My brother thinks the high king has a plan, but we're not certain just what it is. I have sent a few friends to the capital to find out more, but I haven't heard anything yet.”

“We're not running any great risks, are we? I mean, up here in the Highlands?” Echron asked.

“Just to be on the safe side, my brother has decided to man the southern border of Amiratha. Nothing to worry about though. I guess it's just a precaution.”

33
“His brother this, his brother that,”
Echron fumed silently.
“To
hear him speak you would think Ehandar is the younger one. It's not
right. He should be making the important decisions.”

“Guys, guys, easy,” Ehandar shouted at Orrigar of Stennwick and Yothan of Birchland. The playful banter they had been engaging in had degraded into fighting in earnest.

He ran up to them, and separated them by putting himself between them. He laughed, putting an arm around each of the two fighters.

“Save it for real enemies, guys,” he said.

“I was only going to show him just how much of a pussy I was,” Orrigar grumbled.

“Well, yeah, after you called me a coward,” Yothan spat back.

“Did you really call him a coward?” Ehandar asked.

Orrigar looked at the ground.

“It was just something to say,” he said, flushing under Ehandar's stern gaze.

“No, it wasn't,” the prince said. “Accusing someone of cowardice is a very serious allegation.”

Orrigar kept his head down, then he looked up.

“Are you mad at me, Ehandar,” he asked in a small voice.

“No, but I'm not too happy with you either. A nobleman should understand when he's made a mistake and put things right.”

“Put things right?”

“Apologize.”

Orrigar bit his lip. It took him a full minute, but then he turned to Yothan.

33
“I'm sorry, Birchland. I didn't mean it. You're not a coward.”

Ehandar looked expectantly at Yothan, who looked back

questioningly.

“Now you,” the prince said, prodding him on by firming his grasp on the squire's shoulder.

“Oh, all right. Let's forget it, Stennwick.”

“That's better,” Ehandar said. “By the way, did you practice that new move I taught you? No reason to give up exercising just because it is the end of the year. If you haven't, I'm so going to trounce your butts next time it won't be funny anymore.”

Both squires vigorously denied having been slacking, demonstrat— ing their prowess with air swords.

The boisterous laughter of the threesome made some heads turn in their direction.

They had come to one of the prearranged resting places.

Anaxantis beckoned Hemarchidas to come to him.

“Lethoras,” he shouted to the other Cheridonian who was talking with some Clansmen. “Could you come over here, please?”

The prince started to walk slowly away from the other guests, a cup of warm wine in one hand.

“Lethoras, today please,” he called out.

“Coming, coming,” the answer came.

“Anaxantis, please, the guy has a wooden leg. Show some mercy, will you?” Hemarchidas whispered.

33
“I am,” the prince answered, in an equally soft tone. “He would be

terribly hurt if we treated him as a cripple who needs special consideration. I won't do that to him.”

“Here I am. Where is the fire?” Lethoras joked when he had caught up with the other two.

“In the South,” Anaxantis said. “Which is why I need you in the Plains. Bortram is a good man, and so is Marak, but we can't leave them to guard the Somertian Mountains on their own. I want them to concentrate on the passes. Somebody needs to keep an eye on the military, the burgeoning new settlements and the Kingdom of the Wolf Mukthars. Rodomesh is ruling it in Timishi's absence. Pay him a visit.

A friendly, courteous visit.”

“Don't you trust them?” Lethoras asked, surprised.

“Of course, I trust them,” Anaxantis answered. “Completely. But as someone said, not an hour ago, I also check the books. Don't make it too obvious, but take a good look around is all I'm asking.”

“Anything else?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. Try to put an end to the activities of those marauding rogue gangs. Also, send a small expedition to the Marbahari Desert. If my maps are correct there should be at least two oases.

I want them occupied.”

Lethoras whistled.

“Oh, it's a project with a very low priority, but it should be done eventually. See what you can arrange.”

“With Lethoras gone as well, you'll be left all alone at Lorseth,” Hemarchidas said. “Is that wise?”

Anaxantis shrugged.

“It can't be helped. There are not that many capable men I can trust, and besides I'll have my hands full. There's always Tomar — I 33
know, you don't consider him a warrior, but he's a good friend. And

don't forget the rest of the Clan.”

“Even so,” Hemarchidas said, “it kind of feels as if you're scattering us to the four winds.”

Anaxantis looked at him.

“Again, it can't be helped, but I sure am going to miss you guys.”

He smiled in an effort to seem unconcerned. “Anyway, Lethoras, I made you a duke after the Zinchara. Tomar tells me he offered you several tracts of land in the plains to choose from and name as you please. However—”

“With one thing and another always getting in the way, I haven't gotten around to it.”

“Fine,” the prince said. “Then I'll decide for you. I'm elevating Mirkadesh to a duchy, and you are its first duke.”

“Oh, I don't know—”

“It makes perfect sense. You are already its military governor. In fact both titles are almost equivalent, because that's what dukes used to be. It puts an end to the rule of that Assembly of Elders of theirs, though if I were you, I would keep them on in some advisory capacity.

Don't take everything away at once.”

Lethoras sighed.

“You've made up your mind, I see.”

“Yes. Find me that treasure of the Renuvian Plain Robbers. Tomar would be so pleased if for once I brought him money, instead of spending it.”

The three of them laughed out loud.

“And we may need it.”

33
Late in the afternoon the party had returned to Landemere Castle.

A page brought Anaxantis the request of Sir Threnn for a private interview. Sighing he acquiesced.

“What can I do for you?” he asked, trying to dissimulate his eagerness to leave the room he used as temporary office.

“My excuses for this imposition, My Lord,” the old man replied. “I tried to get hold of Doctor Tollbir, but he can't be found.”

“No. As far as I know he is on some private expedition to the mountains in the east. He said there are some rare herbs to be found there, though I suspect the real reason is he got tired of our company.”

Sir Threnn looked a bit forlorn around.

“I'm sorry I can't help you,” the prince said.

“Maybe you can after all, My Lord,” Sir Threnn, who had clearly come to a decision, said. “You see, it's about the pills.”

“What about them?”

“Would one pill be sufficient for two persons? I mean to make sure that—”

“I don't know,” Anaxantis interrupted him quickly. “And I'm not the one you should ask. But the dose seems to be measured out to be sufficient for just a single person. I expect there is a safety margin.”

Sir Threnn looked expectantly, almost imploring at him. Suddenly he understood.

“Ah. I see. You've decided… to make the journey together?”

The old man nodded.

“What's the use? What am I to do without her? We had made our peace with the fact that our time was over. I can't make peace with 33
living without her. Why? To regret every single, painful moment that I

miss her?”

The prince remained silent. He took the little silver box out of his pouch, opened it and looked at the contents.

“I gave Lady Athildis one of the pills because her end is inevitable.