Part 121 (1/2)

35

Followed by generals, bodyguards, Lord Agon, and a bluff Ceuran named Otaru Tomaki, Logan and Lantano Garuwas.h.i.+ strode into the throne room. Logan knelt before the throne, as did the other Cenarians; the Ceurans bowed low; Lantano Garuwas.h.i.+ inclined his head, rings clacking in his long red hair.

”Arise,” Queen Graesin said. She was warmly regal in a soft red gown with emerald piping, and matching jewels at her ears and throat. She descended the seven steps to where Garuwas.h.i.+ and Logan stood. ”Duke Gyre,” she said, smiling, ”you have served us excellently. We shall reward you as richly as you deserve.” She turned to Lantano Garuwas.h.i.+. ”Your Highness, it is an honor. Be welcome in our court.” with emerald piping, and matching jewels at her ears and throat. She descended the seven steps to where Garuwas.h.i.+ and Logan stood. ”Duke Gyre,” she said, smiling, ”you have served us excellently. We shall reward you as richly as you deserve.” She turned to Lantano Garuwas.h.i.+. ”Your Highness, it is an honor. Be welcome in our court.”

Logan barely kept from breathing a sigh of relief. So she had gotten his letters after all. There had been something odd in her replies, a lack of the expected sneer. Perhaps she had decided that with her rule secure, she should start acting more like a queen.

”Please, call me Garuwas.h.i.+. I am no king, yet,” Lantano Garuwas.h.i.+ said, with a little smirk and something more besides. The traditional Ceuran doubled silk half robes over loose trousers tended to hide a man's build, but Garuwas.h.i.+ could have dressed in a pile of old sheets and still oozed masculinity. His hair shone like red gold, pulled back in a pony tail and interwoven with dozens of other strands, like a tiger's stripes. His jaw was p.r.o.nounced, his face lean and clean shaven, shoulders broad, waist small, sleeves cut shorter than usual either for freedom of movement or to show thickly muscled arms. Terah Graesin, Logan saw, appreciated them; Garuwas.h.i.+ returned her glances boldly.

”Nor am I a queen, yet,” she said. ”Though it would please me greatly if you would be my guest at my coronation.”

”I would be honored. And perhaps by this time next year, you can be my guest at mine.”

”May I show you around my castle?” Terah asked, extending her hand to Garuwas.h.i.+ and dismissing the rest of them.

From the looks in their eyes, Logan expected Lantano Garuwas.h.i.+ would be mounting the ramparts in no time.

36

Her name was Pricia. She was the fourteen-year-old concubine who had wept for her friends and not for herself when Garoth died. She'd hanged herself with a silk belt. She was naked, her clothing folded neatly in a pile to one side, all her beauty gone. Her face was discolored, eyes open and bulging, tongue protruding, s.h.i.+t running down her fair legs. Dorian touched her and found her body only slightly cooled. From his touch, her body swung slightly. It was obscene. Dorian rubbed his face. bulging, tongue protruding, s.h.i.+t running down her fair legs. Dorian touched her and found her body only slightly cooled. From his touch, her body swung slightly. It was obscene. Dorian rubbed his face.

He should have known. The concubines had probably learned that Garoth's body had been recovered even before Dorian had. For the G.o.dking's bodyguards, the recovery meant a small reclamation of honor. To the concubines, it meant death.

The former G.o.dking's wives would be expected to join him on his pyre. Only the virgins and the concubines the next G.o.dking desired would be spared. Dorian had said he was claiming no one. The women thought they would all be burned.

”When did you figure it out, Hopper?”

”Your Holiness?” Hopper asked. ”I'm not sure I understand the question.”

”Try again.”

Hopper cleared his throat, fearful. ”I was with the rest of the concubines. Pricia came into this room to fetch something. I had no idea-”

”Try. Again,” Dorian said coldly.

Hopper searched Dorian's face, his eyes wide, panicky. He must have seen something that satisfied him, because he said, ”Ah.” The mask of fear dissolved and he bowed. ”I knew you were an Ursuul after I told you that you seemed different. An eccentric slave would continue as before. A pretender would redouble his efforts to appear servile.”

”What is your position within the G.o.dking's Hands?” Dorian asked.

”I am their chief,” Hopper said, inclining his head.

So it was as Jenine had suspected. Who better to keep an eye on the G.o.dking's people and secrets than a eunuch whose awkward gait made him seem a buffoon? Hopper was at the confluence of the G.o.dking's eunuchs, concubines and wives, and servants. Through them, he had eyes on every important Vurdmeister, aetheling, and general in the realm. ”How did you really lose your toes?” Dorian asked.

”When His Holiness your father offered me the position, he said that would be part of the price. I welcomed the chance to make such a sacrifice.” He smiled ruefully. ”Being gelded, on the other hand, wasn't so welcome.”

”He offered? Did you have the option to refuse?”

”Yes. His Holiness was always fair with us.”

It was a new side to Garoth Ursuul, a kinder side than Dorian had known. It was unsettling. ”Why didn't you expose me?”

”Because I didn't have anyone to report to, and I didn't know what you were trying to accomplish. By the time I did, you had accomplished it. It was, if you will pardon my presumption, one of my few failures as Chief of the Hands.” was, if you will pardon my presumption, one of my few failures as Chief of the Hands.”

No wonder he didn't know what I intended. I didn't intend it.

Hopper swallowed. ”Your Holiness, I suspect some of the aethelings and Vurdmeisters know what I am. I guard against mundane spying, but I have not the means to stop their vir.”

It was astonis.h.i.+ng how Dorian had blundered into success. He'd kept Hopper in the throne room the day he had seized power. The Vurdmeisters had come into the room and had seen not only a fearless Dorian, but Hopper off to one side, tacitly endorsing him. How much weight had that carried?

Dorian suddenly felt sick to his stomach. He suspected it was a lot.

He looked again at Pricia's body dangling in the room. Death was so common here that life wasn't considered sacred. Or did the cause and effect run the other way?

”What is your name, Hopper? Your real name.”

”I was ordered to forget-I'm sorry, sire, my name was Vondeas Hil.”

”I thought Clan Hil was annihilated.” Garoth had used the krul to wipe them out.

”The G.o.dking saved me from...” he hesitated. ”From the fleshpots. He thought I had potential. I did my best to prove him right.”

The fleshpots. So the krul and their feeding habits were no great secret.

”Vondeas Hil, I will remember your name and the sacrifices you have made. Will you serve me as the Chief of my Hands?”

Vondeas bowed low.

”I have questions for you. Where are my two hundred missing Vurdmeisters?”

”Vurdmeister Neph Dada sounded a religious summons when His Holiness your father died. He called all Vurdmeisters to help him bring Khali home. Currently, your Hands believe them to be in your eastern lands.”

Eastern Khalidor was spa.r.s.ely populated. There were no major cities there, and hadn't been since Jorsin Alkestes had turned Trayeth.e.l.l into Black Barrow. ”They're at Black Barrow?” Dorian asked.

”In its vicinity, at least. We don't know the exact location. Spies who've attempted to infiltrate the camp haven't returned.”

Well, that at least was one problem that could wait. Meisters and magi, Vurdmeisters and archmagi had been smas.h.i.+ng themselves against Black Barrow for centuries. Neph Dada at the head of two hundred Vurdmeisters was a serious problem, but at least Dorian would have until spring to consolidate his forces-and Neph wouldn't bother putting together an army. All Dorian's former tutor cared about was magic. Still, it was a problem that bore looking into. All Dorian's former tutor cared about was magic. Still, it was a problem that bore looking into.

”Redouble your efforts. I want to know what they're trying, and what-if anything-they've accomplished.”