„You've done it again. Destroyed another kingdom. This time by inaction."
He rose and walked away, went out to the wind-swept wall and stared into the canyon's deeps. Radeachar hovered over his shoulder. Had the Unborn possessed a voice, it would have whined.
Dahl sat his horse apathetically. He had given up on escaping. These men watched him too closely. They kept him at the heart of their company. There were almost four hundred of them now, all hard veterans, managed by their Duke himself.
„Gales is coming," Sir Mortin called.
Dahl looked up. Gales and a half dozen scouts had returned from the checkpoint where the road left Altea for Kavelin. Gales reined in before the Duke. He looked puzzled.
„Well, Colonel? Can we cross?"
„Yes, Your Lordship. Easily."
„Why the long face?"
„Because there's no one at the checkpoint. The Alteans say they left day before yesterday."
„That's unusual?"
„Very. It's alarming. I'd guess it means all the troops are being gathered in anticipation of fighting farther east."
„There was no threat of war when you left?"
„None, Your Lordship. The King had irons in the fire, but the only reason I can imagine for mobilization would be internal."
„We'd better join Inger as fast as we can. Damn, but I wish we'd heard something. This silence is ominous."
Gales nodded. „Absolutely."
Dahl's heart quickened during the conversation. Fighting between the King's men and the Queen's? Kristen would be in danger. He had to get away. Somehow, anyhow, he had to elude these men.
Gales turned and rode ahead once more. The Duke spurred after him.
Gales turned when the Duke called after him. „Your Lordship?"
„I wondered if you'd noticed our guest's reaction to your news."
„I'm sorry. I didn't."
„He was thoroughly distressed. You haven't been able to enlist him?"
„He won't even listen."
„Pity."
„Ragnarson's people are that way. He inspires them with loyalty."
„You sound like you admire him. Eh. No matter. Save the excuses. Maybe Haas can help anyway. Without being on our side."
„Your Lordship?"
„He's quite taken with Ragnarson's daughter-in-law, right? You said she was sent into hiding before the Captures match."
„She was, yes."
„Think he knows where she is?"
„It's possible."
„Let him escape. Have him followed. If he goes to her, we're that much ahead. If he doesn't, we're out nothing. He isn't that important."
Gales nodded, concealing his disgust. „Eliminating po tential pretenders would make things a lot easier."
„That's what I was thinking."
„He'll get away tonight. Someone will make a stupid mistake."
„Good, Colonel. Good. And this is the border? Yonder lies the fabulous kingdom of Ravelin?"
„That's it, Your Lordship. Not much different from any other kingdom, just to look at." Gales nudged his mount forward. Not much different, he thought. But sweeter than most. He felt like he was coming home.
Trebilcock dropped into a chair in Prataxis's office. „She's still stalling," he said. „I gave her a deadline. Told her I couldn't hold Credence longer than tomorrow. I think I'll have to throw in a little something extra, just to get her off the pot."
Derel nodded. He didn't look up. He flipped a sheet of paper across. „Look at that."
Michael read it. „Where'd it come from?"
„Your friend Dantice. Along with a good-bye. Said he'll see you someday, maybe down Tamerice way. Thought he was making a funny poem."
„Uhm. So. He was right all along. Bragi did do it. Six days ago?"
„He'll be in Throyes by now." Derel pointed. A small, crude map lay before him. He was using a compass to estimate distances. „And maybe done."
„Done?"
„Or done for. Is Credence ready? If Dantice knows, it won't be long before the whole country does. I'd guess we don't have much more than twenty-four hours."
Michael strained, grunted as he got to his feet. „I'll tell Credence. He'll want to up the level of alert. Then I'll get to work on the Queen. Maybe we can get her out before the news breaks."
A young signalman burst into Liakopulos's chambers unannounced. „Sir ... Sir ... You'd better come to the tower, sir."
„What's wrong, lad? You look like you've seen a ghost."
The youth gulped several times before saying, „It ... it may be ... it may be worse. Sir, the King may be dead."
Liakopulos surged up. „What?"
„The message wasn't all in when Sergeant Tipke sent me, sir. But Maisak says there was a battle. Some of the men just got back. They claimed everyone else was dead."
„All right." Liakopulos grabbed his swordbelt and cloak. „Let's go. And calm down. There must be some mistake."
There wasn't. Liakopulos had the message repeated. It didn't tell him much more, or anything different the second time round, though it did so at some length. It added that survivors of the battle were just beginning to trickle in.
„That's a hopeful sign. Message to the commander of the Maisak garrison," Liakopulos told the signals sergeant. „Hold all survivors there till the whole story is clear. And don't relay anything to Vorgreberg without my personal okay. And Sergeant, I want you and your men to go into seclusion. I don't want any wild stories getting out before we know exactly what's happened. Understood?"
The sergeant was a veteran of both the civil and Great Eastern Wars. He understood. „I'll see to it, sir."
„Who has the next watch?"
„Romin, sir."
„That the Marena Dimura fellow?"
„Yes, sir."
„Very good. Carry on, then." Liakopulos returned to his quarters, tormented. Suppose the King was dead? His legal responsibility was clear. He had to inform Vorgreberg, facilitate an orderly transition. But what was his moral responsibility? As the law stood, power would pass to people bitterly opposed to everything Ragnarson, Fiana, and the old Krief had tried to build.
Where did he stand in the equation? Assuming Ragnarson had gone down, and Sir Gjerdrum and Baron Hardle with him, he now controlled the army. He and Credence Abaca. And the army, even weakened by defeat, could be a kingmaker.
He did not want that responsibility. He had come to Kavelin to repay a debt to Ragnarson, not to juggle its crown. „Ye Gods above and below, attend me. If that message be true, make it false. Take this off my shoulders."
Inger couldn't tear her gaze away from the body. Cold sweat covered her. She began shaking. Ladies-in-waiting guided her to a chair well away from the window. Very, very softly, huskily, she said, „That could have been me. If Karl hadn't stepped in front of the window when he did, that could have been me."
Hunsicker ducked away from the window, came to her. He was pale. „The man who loosed that shaft was one hell of an archer, My Lady. It had to come all the way from Fiana's Tower."
„I don't care where it came from, Hunsicker. I don't care if the bowman was skilled or lucky. What I care about is that a man is dead, and it would have been me but for fate's intercession." She strained for control. Her shakes sub sided. „I've had enough. They win. Send for Trebilcock."
„But My Lady... ."
„No more arguments. No more stalling. Karl is the last sacrifice to my cousin's ambitions. I want Trebilcock here within the hour, and you not being able to find him won't be an acceptable excuse."