Part 28 (1/2)
He hesitated before answering in a sarcastic voice. ”What would you have it say? *I, the king, promise not to interfere with the running of the secret organization that I created.' How would I explain such a doc.u.ment to my counselors?”
She shrugged. ”Sign a doc.u.ment saying that this land is under your protection, but not subject to your rule. We will take care of the rest.”
The monarch gritted his teeth in anger. He did not want to sign his name in connection with these proceedings, and he did not want to lose the freedom of altering his agreement with the a.s.sa.s.sins whenever he chose.
”Well?” prompted the woman.
He set his jaw stubbornly. ”Very well. But remember, your loyalty is still sworn to me.”
The woman turned, so only Adesina could see her grim smile. ”Of course, your Majesty.”
A robust middle-aged man nodded. ”Yes, this will do very well.”
Another woman, more burly than the first, shook her head. ”I still do not agree with this endeavor.”
They all turned to look at her, but only the king voiced his question. ”Why not?”
”You said you wanted an army of a.s.sa.s.sinsa”the best a.s.sa.s.sins in the world. This will not be possible.”
The king's face hardened. ”What is your reasoning?”
She shrugged. ”We are too few. We, alone, cannot teach great numbers to be as skilled as ourselves. It would take many years.”
The robust man gestured carelessly. ”It will take many years regardless. Especially to build the organization to the scope that His Majesty requests.”
The king mulled this over for a while. He paced the stone floors that Adesina had often paced herself. When he came to a decision, it was with a degree of uncertainty. He tried to make his voice seem unconcerned, but no one was fooled. ”I will search out other skilled a.s.sa.s.sins to aid you in this undertaking.”
”They must be subject to our approval, of course,” insisted a tall man.
The ruler a.s.sented reluctantly. All six a.s.sa.s.sins nodded in satisfaction, but the king had a sneaking suspicion that the situation was far too precarious. It would be too easy for things to get out of hand.
In spite of this fear, he agreed to press forward. His visions of power and glory were too great to pa.s.s up.
”We shall begin immediately,” said the reedy woman.
Once again, the scene grew hazy as Adesina was pulled out of the memory. It was a bit jarring, and she didn't like it. She looked at the young man, who seemed preoccupied by the gra.s.s at his feet.
She couldn't help asking, ”How long did they allow you to live, knowing such secrets?”
He kept his eyes on the ground as he answered. ”I lived only as long as I served a purpose.”
There was much on Adesina's mind as she followed her mother to the wooden door the next night. She thought of the lives taken by this secret organization, simply because they ceased to be a benefit. She silently shuddered at such cold-hearted practices, and felt a growing dread at the understanding that was forming in her mind.
This time the wooden door took them to a beautiful marble hall filled with light. Unlike the other ”resting places,” which had seemed rather solitary, this hall was filled with people. They lounged on large pillows, discussing a variety of topics in lively voices. The expanding sound of music echoed through the hall, but it was difficult to see where it came from.
E'rian stood in place for several moments, swaying to the music with her eyes closed. Finally, she looked at her daughter with a smile. ”I love music.”
Adesina smiled in return. ”Me, too.”
In all honesty, music had never really been a part of her life until she had met Ravi. Since then, it had become a powerful influence over her. Her guardian seemed to take music with him wherever he went, and Adesina began to a.s.sociate music with all the qualities that personified Ravi. He was a source of strength, her comfort in hard times, calming, encouraging, a voice of reason, and so much more. In its own way, music had become those things to her as well.
The L'avan seemed to share the deep love of music that Adesina a.s.sumed was part of Rashad nature. It was not uncommon for her companions to suddenly break into song and have everyone join in. They had begun teaching some of the songs to her, but she preferred to listen rather than add in her voice.
E'rian walked over to the group of music connoisseurs and managed to detach one of them, leading him over to where her daughter was waiting. He was a short, balding man with snub features and a fussy air. ”So, you want a memory, do you?”
She immediately took a dislike to his tone of voice, but her mother acted as if nothing were wrong. ”Yes, that is correct.”
The man sighed as if it were a great imposition. ”Will it be just the one?”
She rolled her eyes while E'rian smiled patiently. ”Yes.”
He reached out his hand, which Adesina gripped harder than what was strictly necessary. The man flinched, but did not pull away. The blanket of light whisked them into the warren of his memories.
She opened her eyes to find them standing in a well-lit study. The wall hangings were blood red in color and the large window was covered by a gilded screen. The king from the previous memories sat at a large desk filled with books and doc.u.ments. It was clear that several years had pa.s.sed, as evidenced by his graying hair and the weary expression on his face.
The door opened to admit a young page. ”Your Majesty, there is a messenger here for you.”
He waved a hand disinterestedly. ”Send them in.”
The woman that entered was the thin a.s.sa.s.sin from the fortress. Her dark hair was also streaked with gray and pulled tightly back, giving her an even more severe look than before. She was dressed like a servant, but anyone who looked her in the eye could see that she served no one but herself.
She locked the door behind herself and turned to face the king. ”Greetings, your Majesty. And congratulations on the birth of your son.”
He was surprised to see her. ”Why are you here? Are there any problems with the a.s.signments I have given you?”
She smiled briefly. ”No, no problems.”
The monarch frowned. ”Well?”
The a.s.sa.s.sin seated herself without asking permission. ”I come with a request from the fortress.”
Adesina frowned at the woman's manner of speaking. It was seemingly pa.s.sive, but behind the calm tones it was clear that she was the one in control rather than the king.
His expression was immediately wary. ”What do you want?”
”Children.”
He couldn't have looked more bewildered. ”What?”
The woman was entirely at ease, as if her request was completely ordinary. ”Children, your Majesty. All the orphan children in the realm.”
The ruler was speechless, so the woman continued with her address.
”We want a system put in place so they can be transported to the fortress undetected, as well as all future orphans. We also want a rumor spread that impoverished families can turn their children over to the traveling workers for excellent care and a respectable future.”
”Who are these traveling workers?”
She waved a bony hand. ”Artisans who go from village to village looking for work.”