Part 17 (1/2)
”The test!” breathed Prigo.
They all went quietly into the area behind the stairs. The portal was of heavy gondawood ma.s.sively reinforced with iron, and it had a single keyhole as high as a man's index finger. Anigel gripped the amber, which shone like a miniature lantern in the gloom, and touched the lockplate.
The dungeon door swung open on greased hinges. Beyond was a steep staircase illuminated by guttering flambeaux set in widely s.p.a.ced wall brackets.
”It worked!” Prigo whispered. ”The magic really worked! There'll be no turning back now.”
Ga-Bondies gave a tiny, fearful moan.
”May good luck attend all of our endeavors,” the Eternal Princess Raviya said in a soft voice. ”Come along, boys.” She set off in the direction of the gatehouse with the three officials trailing after.
Old Prince Widd kissed Anigel lightly on the cheek and also ambled away, singing a sea chantey of the Engi Isles while the wine bottles in his aims clinked an accompaniment.
”Ready?” Jiri said to Anigel.
”Take my hand,” the younger queen commanded. With the other, she held tight to the amulet, speaking aloud to it. ”Black Trillium, do again as you did in my youth, when you saved me from doom. Conceal me from the sight of all persons.”
The Queen of Galanar gave a great start. Suddenly it seemed that she stood alone in the tall doorway.
Except there was a warm hand in hers.
”Now it really begins,” said a voice from the air. Jiri felt herself drawn forward, and began to descend the dungeon stairs.
Chapter Eighteen.
”YOU were wise,” said Jiri to her invisible companion, as they moved down into the bowels of the castle, ”not to trust Hakit Botal or the Duumviri too far. My three sons-in-law are competent rulers, but they are also thoroughgoing pragmalists who would ally with the Frost Demons of the Sempiternal Icecap if they thought they could preserve the commercial prosperity of Imlit and Okamis by so doing.”
”I know,” said Anigel. ”That's why I had Raviya accompany them in spying out the gate: to minimize the temptation for a last-minute betrayal.”
”Oh, they want to escape as badly as we do, sweeting. But they're afraid for their skins. We royals are beloved by the people of our countries. I know that my own subjects would stop at nothing to get me back alive and in one piece, and I'm sure that your people feel the same. But elected officials command no such devotion. Poor things! They are quite replaceable, as one griss egg may subst.i.tute in a cake recipe for another accidentally broken. In the case of Hakit Botal, many citizens of his country would dance in the streets if they knew he had been kidnapped.”
”Surely not! National pride, if nothing else, would deter them.”
”Well, perhaps.” Jiri's eyes had a gleam of insidious humor. ”Still, a pompous woth like Hakit must be galled to the tripes at having to rely for rescue upon a woman. Even one so intrepid as yourself.”
There was a low laugh. ”He should meet my two sisters! I am the least formidable Petal of the Living Trillium, and by no means as bold as I may seem. I will need to lean heavily upon you in this venture, Jiri. You are the one having a truly valiant character.”
”Tosh,” scoffed the Queen of Galanar.
The voice coming out of the air was heavy with portent. ”My magic may get us through the castle gate, but it is still a long way to Brandoba-as dear old Raviya pointed out. While we are bound to harm no person while we are within the castle, the oath does not hold true once we are outside and fleeing for our lives. Once, long ago, I killed a man. Nevertheless, I know I could not now bring myself to inflict grievous harm upon a human being, even if we are attacked by pursuers. And yet there may be no alternative to fighting if this escape attempt of ours is to succeed.”
Jiri squeezed her companion's unseen hand. ”Leave all that to me and the others.”
Moving swiftly and silently, the two women came to the foot of the steps, where there was a kind of vestibule. On one side was a rusty portal labeled ARMORY, and on the other a gate of iron bars that shut off the pa.s.sageway leading to the prison cells and the gaolers' watchroom.
”Let's take a peek inside the armory,” Jiri suggested. ”There may be some weapons we can use later.”
At the touch of Anigel's amber, the door swung inward upon a pitch-black interior. The queens hastened through and shut the door behind them. Immediately Anigel became visible, with the amulet around her neck s.h.i.+ning so brightly that the place was lit up as clearly as in daylight. There was not much to be seen within the dank stone chamber, which was festooned in its upper reaches with dusty lingit webs. The army of Orogastus had obviously taken the best of the swords, halberds, and maces, leaving behind dulled and notched blades, overly heavy poleaxes, and spears with crooked shafts. Numbers of open wooden chests contained a few smaller implements of battle, as well as dented helmets and s.h.i.+rts and vests of tattered chain mail. There were none of the wondrous ancient weapons of the Vanished Ones that Haramis had mentioned.
Anigel said, ”Do you see anything that you or the others might make use of?”
Queen Jiri was delving in one of the chests. ”Well, I'm no warrior. My dear late husband, Collo, took care of that sort of thing when Sobranian tribal kings made occasional forays against the western marches of Galanar. But this might eventually come in handy, and I can tuck it away easily enough.”
She held up a simple instrument that consisted of a wooden handle, attached by a chain to a short, thick rod of steel.
”A war flail. When I was a girl, I'd often help with the thres.h.i.+ng at the royal farmstead where we took our holidays and grew special delicacies for the high table. I used a thing similar to this, but much less lethal, to beat the grain from the chaff.” She smiled grimly. ”I could swat a stinging bot on the wing in those days, or flick a single petal from a meadowsweet. Mayhap I haven't lost the knack.”
Anigel repressed a s.h.i.+ver. ”Remember our oath to do no harm within the castle.”
”An oath extracted under duress is nonbinding. Any hedge-lawyer knows as much.” She tucked the flail into a pocket of her gown.
”Please! We must perform this feat without violence! I cannot forswear my Black Trillium!”
Jiri sighed. ”Oh, very well.”
”I will need your help now to dress,” Anigel said. ”I have decided not to use our veils in the deception after all, but rather some of this gear instead. It will be more effective.”
Jiri chuckled. ”Yes. I think you are right. Are there any other changes of plan?”
Anigel shook her head. ”Just put on a good performance when you reach the guardroom, laying the groundwork for my grand entrance.”
The three gaolers sat at a rough table, finis.h.i.+ng their supper of bread, cheese, and beer. The occupants of the cells were quiet for the nonce as they consumed their more meager fare. Only a small number of prisoners remained, now that most of the exalted hostages had been set free.
”I almost miss them,” said the burly sergeant, whose name was Vann. ”It's going to be d.a.m.ned dull down here without them.”
”You'll miss that fat Queen of Galanar, for sure,” sneered one of the guards, a wiry man with a grotesquely scarred face, who was missing one ear.
”Shut your trap, Ulo,” the sergeant growled, ”if you know what's good for you.”
”The whole watch knows you were cozying up to her,” the third guard said, wiping beer suds from his mustache. He was at least sixty years old, but still fairly st.u.r.dy. ”And not just because she was a vision of beauty, eh?” He sn.i.g.g.e.red and his mate joined in.
Vann slammed his fist down onto the table. ”Belt up, d.a.m.n you!”
”Or what?” Ulo inquired insolently. ”You'll punch our noses? Kobit's right: You were taking bribes from Queen Jiri. Telling her Matuta knows what secrets, in exchange for her jewels. That's treason, that is. Lay a finger on either of us and we'll have a word with the two Star Men upstairs.”
”You can't prove a thing,” Vann bl.u.s.tered. ”And if you try-”
”Hsst!” The guard named Kobit started up from his stool, eyes wide. ”You hear that?”
Vann rose and stumped to the door of the guardroom. One of his legs was gone just below the hip, replaced by a carven peg. ”Merciful Mother Matuta!” he exclaimed, then fell back in astonishment. ”It's herself!”
Queen Jiri of Galanar, magnificent in purple velvet, a white silk veil, and a diadem of enameled leaves and flowers, came into the chamber smiling. ”Good evening, men.”
The gaolers mumbled a response, touching their foreheads. Vann addressed the royal visitor with some anxiety. ”Madam, you aren't supposed to be down here.”
”No?” Queen Jiri seemed surprised. ”But the doors were all open and unguarded, and so I thought to-”