Part 39 (1/2)
”And are they as I a.s.sumed?”
Marietta made no eye contact with him this time, in fact she seemed to stand
more rigidly apart from him. ”Your Highness-” She stepped forward and whispered, ”Catriona, really, don't you-””Yes or no?” The imperious tone left no room for equivocation.
Marietta regained her composure. ”Yes. They are what you a.s.sumed.”
The queen showed no visible response to the news, but her voice was very tight when she responded. ”Thank you, Marietta. Tell Tibbus I appreciate his swiftness.” She paused to clear her throat. ”Please leave us now.”
Archer thought her a.s.sistant was going to argue, but she merely tightened her mouth and nodded, then left quietly through the door they'd entered yesterday.
”Mr. Archer, I must have more information from you.”
He faced her squarely. ”I have told you all I can.”
”Perhaps and perhaps not. I would like to speak with Baleweg.”
”As I said yesterday, he's not comfortable at court. It would draw undue attention to him and that wouldn't be wise for Talia, or for you.”
The queen considered this, then said, ”I would ask something else of you, then.”
”What would that be?”
”I want more information on the Dark One. To better help me understand just how powerful Chamberlain's sway might be. I need to know how far his
a.s.sistance with Chamberlain reaches. I feel it likely extends beyond attempting to thwart our mission to return the healer to court.”
Archer agreed she had a point, but said nothing.
”I understand the wisdom of keeping the Old One at a distance from this court, but in lieu of that, I would like you to go to him and request his help in this matter. Surely he knows more about his counterpart than he's revealed thus far.”
”Why not do something about Chamberlain now? Remove him from
parliament, strip him of his t.i.tle and power.”
”With or without the Dark One's a.s.sistance, Chamberlain is a danger to me.
As I said before, I do not have the proof I require for a swift judgment in parliament. There would be severe political repercussions if I failed, and Chamberlain has a large enough following as it is.”
”Loyalty that comes under penalty of threat-”
”-is still loyalty,” the queen rejoined. ”I will reward the Old One's a.s.sistance in whatever manner he wishes.””It's been my experience that Baleweg is not motivated by reward.””Ah, yes. His loyalty is to our departed royal healer.” She paused a long moment, as if deliberating, then abruptly said, ”As this has been a day for revelations, there is another matter I must discuss with you. Something that has nagged at me since meeting Miss Trahaern yesterday. It regards a story told so long ago I'm sure it's more myth than fact, but at the risk of appearing ridiculous, I ask anyway.” She eyed him steadily. ”I have no real understanding of what powers the Old One and the Dark One have mastered, but the myth stands that they can transcend time and move from place to place by the sheer power of their minds.” She focused on him directly. ”Do you
know anything about that?”
For several moments Archer debated what to reveal but realized that there was no point in skirting the truth any longer. ”I know that their powers are great.
And yes, the manipulation of time is among their achievements. I don't know how they do it, or all the rules of nature that allow it to happen. But it does.”
”d.a.m.n.” Her quiet vehemence surprised him. ”How stupidly arrogant and
blind I have been.” She suddenly gripped her head and it was clear she was in an extreme amount of pain. Archer went to step forward, but she stopped him immediately. ”Come no closer.” She took a moment to manage the pain, but Archer remained concerned. He understood her illness to be the sort that ravaged the body from the inside, not contagious in anyway. Maybe she simply couldn't stand the fact that she must appear so weak in front of another.
That he could understand.
”Should I call for Marietta?”
She shook her head. With her eyes still squeezed shut, she asked, ”Is that where you found her? In another time?”
Archer saw no reason to hedge any longer. ”Yes.”
She opened her eyes, her expression severe, but the resentment was aimed at
herself. ”My father was certain Eleri had managed to leave this time. No one believed him, no one. Even after he married and I was born, he persisted in his belief. As I grew older, I joined those who thought my father was merely clinging to false hopes. I pitied him his weakness and thought him a fool.”