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six months to find the peasants and drag them back before things get truly
desperate."
"Sir," Alim said, "they took the harvest with them."
"What? And you let them get away with it?"
"I didn't know they were gone until this morning!"
"Get your men. Ride after them. Make them come back!"
Alim was shaking his head. "There are only three of us up today, my Lord," he
whispered. "Most of my men are sick."
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"Sick?" he demanded. "Why wasn't I told immediately?"
"Sir, the peasants seemed -- "
"Never mind now. What's wrong with your men?"
"It's their stomachs. Something they ate, I think. Bad meat, perhaps, my
Lord."
The curtains behind the throne stirred and Voyith stepped out. Nissav ignored
him until the chamberlain coughed lightly.
"What is it?" Nissav said impatiently.
"It seems the wells have been poisoned, my Lord," Voyith said. "I went to
draw a pail of water this morning and noticed an odd smell. I made one of the
dogs drink it. He died from convulsions shortly thereafter."
"Who would do such a thing?" Nissav demanded, paling with rage and shock. But
even as he spoke he knew the answer: his chamberlain.
But Voyith said, "I know nothing of the matter, my Lord. Perhaps it was the
peasants. They seem to have left."
"I'm sure," Nissav said, but he studied his chamberlain more carefully now.
The old man seemed to be smiling as he stroked his pendant and studied the new
captain of the guard.
Soon, Nissav thought, you will have to send your landrexi away. And then I
will kill you myself. The idea gave him a little comfort.
18
The Fall of Saliin
Demons are a difficult matter: they are of our world, but not truly a part of
it. They are shadows of real creatures from the reflections our Earth casts
across eternity. They crave existence as a thirsty man craves water or a
hungry man craves food. Beware, for they are more dangerous than any host of
earthly creatures.
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-- Pere Denberel
Far Lands and Shores
Nollin stood by the wheel discussing their course with Klaff. It was noon;
the sun above was hot and bright, making the sweat trickle down his back and
sides. He'd been working hard all day beside his men, shunning all thoughts of
Loanu and what she had tried to do.
She came up behind him when he wasn't looking. "Nollin Lammiat," she said, "I
would speak to you."
Even before he turned, he knew he couldn't escape. He'd put off facing her
too long; now he'd have to listen to her and tell her his plans. Well, he'd
been expecting it.
"Carry on," he told Klaff, then turned to Loanu and nodded toward his cabin.
"Let's go inside."
She followed him into the chartroom and closed the door. She seemed subdued,
and that puzzled him. It was almost as though their turning back hadn't
surprised her.
"Why didn't you tell me we would return to Saliin?" she said.
"I thought you wanted to go back."
"Yes, of course, my champion... but how can I help you if you fail to tell me
your plans?"
Nollin dropped into a chair and frowned, for an instant giving way to anger.
"How can offering to give Hilan both ships help?" he demanded.
"I wished to return to Saliin."
"I knew that already."
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She smiled. "It worked, Nollin Lammiat, that you must admit."
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, but he had a strange
feeling she'd planned it all.
"You must believe me," she said, "when I tell you that I will never do
anything to harm you or your ship. But we had to return for that pendant. I
knew Hilan could never seize the Serpent, that you would respond to any such
threat by finding a path that would satisfy all concerned. You have done so;
my faith in you is thus rewarded."
Nollin frowned, surprised and a bit confused. She had manipulated him with
far more subtlety than he would have believed possible. Swallowing, he had to
admit she'd succeeded in everything.
And Hilan had been right, too: she'd used them both. She'd even counted on
their refusal to be used and made it part of her plan. He swore never to
underestimate her again.
She laughed lightly, like a child. "Do not be concerned, my champion. What I
did will serve you as well as me. I am not a fool."
"But I am," he said bitterly.
"Is it a fool who loves his brother, his ship, and his own life? No, Nollin
Lammiat, you are no fool. You are cleverer than most. But remember this: I
serve Shon Atasha the Creator, and you can never hope to outwit His purposes.
It is He who guides me, He who steers our passage. I will protect you and your
men, lead you to your fortune, but my first loyalty is always to Him. To serve
you both, I must have the pendant."
"I think I understand," Nollin said. He knew he could never hope to outwit a
god. It was a depressing thought.
"Good," Loanu said. "Then we understand each other."
He nodded. I understand, he thought. But I don't have to like it.
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"I have asked a friend to help us take the pendant," she said. "He is a
wizard, and he serves the god Derethigon. I will summon him when we reach
Saliin."
"What can he do to help?"
She smiled mysteriously. "That remains to be seen."
They sailed past small, deserted-looking fishing villages, including Yasne.
There Nollin looked at the dark, empty houses and thought of the children. He
almost ordered the ships to stop, to see if they might do anything for the
people, but managed not to. It was a difficult, painful choice. He still
remembered those empty, desperate faces staring at him as they left. He still
felt the villagers' pain.
"It was for the best," he whispered.
Over the next two weeks, the winds blew fair and they made good time. At last
tall cliffs appeared to their right, topped by scraggly clumps of grass.
Nollin recognized the shore and knew Saliin lay just ahead.
Here they dropped anchor. They would set out after nightfall, when Mur and
most of his men would be asleep.
As they waited, Nollin brought out heavy crossbows from the ship's stores.
Their iron-tipped bolts could penetrate the finest steel armor; they would be
more than enough to kill landrexi.
"Nollin," said Loanu from behind him. "This is Ker, the wizard who will help
you take the pendant."
Nollin turned. A man in a white robe stood next to Loanu, smiling faintly.
His short hair and beard were brown, his eyes blue, and he nodded a greeting.
"Welcome," said Nollin cautiously.
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"You seem uneasy," said Ker, looking from him to Loanu and back again. "Is
something wrong?"
Nollin hesitated. "I've never held much store by wizards. Every one I've met
has tried to kill me."
The wizard laughed. "Please, be at ease. Neither my god nor Loanu's would
bring ill to you; your fate is bound to theirs as surely as mine. Great events
are happening, and you may well play a key part in them."
"What do you mean?" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]