Part 25 (1/2)
Amulpha allowed herself an audible and derisory puff
130 of breath. ”If you were going to do that, Majesty, you would have done it right away. It is too late now. Be- sides”-the smile was genuinely amused this time-”you made the mistake of receiving me in state, I am sure that the word has already gone out.”
Varodias tipped back his head and appeared to study the ceiling. ”You have been grossly deficient in your judgment, both in your actions and in your opinion of us.” The voice floated out. People who did not know him, and almost no one did, would have a.s.sumed that the Emperor was in an amiable mood. The neatly ta- pered beard descended slowly until he was looking di- rectly at the Mother Supreme. His hands were still.
”While it is true that the Crown and the Church are supposedly inseparable, the same is not true of Emper- ors and individual Mothers Supreme.” He smiled, but there was nothing amiable about it. ”My condemnation would be of the misguided priestess, not of the organi- zation, and it is by no means too late for that.”
”Is Your Imperial Majesty trying to threaten me?”
Amulpha asked, striving to match his lightness-
Varodias' smile returned. ”My Wisewoman tells me that obesity can put too great a strain upon the vital organs. Then again, a glutton may choke on a sweet- meat.”
The laugh started low in the Mother Supreme and rose until she threw back her head and gave it free rein.
It was a totally spontaneous release of tension and it disconcerted the Emperor. She wheezed; she wiped her eyes. The intrigues of men were so crude when com- pared to the machinations of women, she thought, and she had ruled more than two thousand women for lon- ger than she cared to admit.
”Nicely done. Majesty,” she said, controlling her- self, ”but I am not so easily replaced. The hierarchy is loyal to me and to my way of thinking. No compla- 131.
cent vessel of your choosing would be elected and the next Mother Supreme might well be even less to your liking.”
She paused and looked at him levelly and, despite the disparity in the height of the chairs, it was an ex- change between equals. It was Varodias who looked away first.
”What do you suggest?” he asked,
”Oooh”-it was a drawn out and soothing sound- ”an alliance of necessity at the very least. There are forces abroad that need to be dealt with.”
”Agreed, but how?” He stopped himself and held up a hand to stave off a reply. He tucked his lower lip between his teeth and bit down gently.
The gesture heartened the Mother Supreme. She had taken an enormous risk and the rapid beating of her pulse told her so. That the Emperor was showing signs of indecision was a relief. The worst was behind her, though she would have to play him carefully from here on in,
”There are a number of factors that would have to be brought to bear,” she said cautiously, ”most of them political.”
Varodias nodded, reviewing the possibilities in his mind. He was aware of the general unrest in the realm, but none of his spies had reported a concentrated effort to get him off the throne. The Mother's argument did make some sense, however, and it was always best to antic.i.p.ate trouble and strike first. His eyes darted to- ward her. He did not like this woman. She showed too little respect, for one thing, but she was intelligent and as much of a survivor as he was. He knew that, behind his back, people said that he ruled by personal whim.
The fools did not realize that behind each seeming whim there was a calculated vigilance. When it came down to it, his fortunes and those of the Church were linked.
132 ”We do not think,” he said graciously, ”that the Em- peror and the Holy Church should be quarreling.
Rather, we should be searching our minds and our hearts for the solution to the present dissatisfaction among the people, who are your congregants and our subjects.” The head inclined slightly and then rose im- mediately.
The Mother Supreme exhaled gently and inclined her head in turn. It would not do to let him see how close to rattling her he had come. ”I do agree. Your Imperial Majesty,” she said. ”There is, of course, one obvious way to distract the public mind, to deflect the energy into a more profitable channel, and that is to open the Outland.” She gave a little shrug that stayed at the level of the shoulders. ”As I said, a political decision.”
”Would that it were that simple,” Varodias replied, sadness in the cadence. ”We have been trying to do that for years, but we have been thwarted by the Magical Kingdoms and by Isphardel. We promised our valiant soldiers at the close of the dreadful war that their loyal service would be rewarded by a grant of land in the captured territories”-his fingers began drumming on the arms of the chair-”and we have been prevented from keeping our sacred word.”
Mostly because the land wasn't fit for settlement be- fore now, Amulpha thought, but she kept it to herself.
”Infidels will never do anything to help us,” she said.
”They lack the moral framework from which the knowledge of right and wrong flows.” She smiled and her hands made motions that suggested hesitation.
”There are a couple of things that Your Imperial Maj- esty might, consider....”
Varodias' hands were calm again. ”Would you care to elaborate?” he said smoothly.
”An ordinance against retainers, perhaps? If coupled 133.