"It is late and I was resting. Why have you had me roused and brought here?" His creaky, indignant voice was muffled somewhat by interrupted rest, further indication of his having been brought to the Basilica hastily.
"You do not know?" Adramalik asked.
"No," Agares said flatly.
"You were telling ... who was it, Lord Nergar ... ?"
"Baphomeres."
"You were telling Baphomeres that you felt Lilith was better off wherever she was. That is what you said, is this not so?"
"What of it, Adramalik? She is. No one could doubt that, not even you."
"Baphomeres is one of Nergar's demons ... a lowly, covert Security functionary, actually." He saw Agares wince slightly. "As for me, it is not my place in the court of Beelzebub to judge him and his relationship with his Consort. Is it yours?"
Agares stared at the Chancellor General. He was now attentive and on guard, the gravity of the interview obvious to him. His silvered eyes glittered intensely.
"Perhaps not."
Nergar cleared his throat. "Can you tell us anything regarding the disappearance of the Consort?"
Agares looked down.
"I can only tell you what you know already, that she departed, incognito, from the Sixth Gate. No one knows where she went from there."
"Had you seen her shortly before her departure?" Adramalik asked.
"Yes."
"How did she seem?"
"She was understandably distraught. Her handmaiden had just been—"
"We know," said Adramalik without feeling. That one had gotten what she deserved. "Did you comfort the Consort?"
Agares looked at him angrily, small flames licking from his flared nostrils.
"Remember to whom you are speaking, Chancellor General. I am the Prime Minister of Dis, the capital of Hell. I resent your collective implications, I resent I your having brought me here at this time of night, and ... and I resent you."
"That is as it may be, Duke Agares, but your behavior is now an open question."
Agares looked from one demon to the other and, after a long moment, said evenly, "As Prime Minister it is my duty to look after the well-being of the Prince's interests. That includes, by my understanding, his Consort."
Adramalik considered this. "There is a difference between looking after his interests and countering whatever the Prince has implemented as his personal policy. By comforting the Consort you chose to counter his punishment of her through her handmaiden."
"The very real question for you to ponder," Nergar interjected, sounding very reasonable, "is just how is the Prince going to feel about your role in all of this? Especially now that his Consort has not been brought back to him."
"My role?" Agares sputtered. He jerked his thumb at Adramalik. "Ask him why Lilith has not been returned."
Adramalik clenched his jaw. The pain was back with teeth, and Agares' bluntness was almost too much to suffer.
"The Prince already has," said Nergar, "and the Chancellor General is paying, in his own small way, for it. It is now time for your master, through us. to turn to you."
"I have told you what little there is to say. Do I feel that Lilith is better off now? I have already said as much. Did I help her leave Dis? No. And you will never prove otherwise. Now," Agares said, rising, wavering slightly, "may I retire to my chambers?"
Adramalik stood as well; he felt fractionally better on his feet. "You may, Prime Minister, but I would not expect too much rest, if I were you. We are, after this interview, bound for the Rotunda and must deliver our conclusions to the Prince. You will be sure to hear his response before the night is over."
Agares' hand balled into a fist even as he swallowed hard. Focusing on neither of them, he turned brusquely and, without another word, strode stiffly from the room, followed by his unwelcome escort.
"What do you suppose he will do?" muttered Adramalik, looking at the Prime Minister's retreating form.
"What any demon would in his circumstances. Attempt to destroy himself." Nergar looked pleased at the prospect.
"Better Abaddon's Pit than Beelzebub's wrath, eh?"
Nergar nodded as he rose. "Well, yes, actually."
Adramalik steadied himself as another clawing wave of agony shot through his body. As he passed through the threshold on his way to his chambers, he caught sight of Nergar smirking at his obvious discomfort from the corner, but the pain was so intense he ignored him. As Adramalik lurched into the corridor, he promised himself he would not forget Nergar when the time was right.
ADAMANTINARX-UPON-THE-ACHERON
As soon as what was left of the victorious Great Army of the Ascension had returned, Lilith excitedly left her chambers to seek out Sargatanas. Apart from the lines of returning soldiers, the streets as well as the landings leading up to the palace steps were relatively open. Once before the huge doorway she saw that her progress was not going to be so easy; small groups of demons gathering down on the plaza below had formed into larger crowds and were waiting to enter. Once inside, she found traversing the palace corridors difficult; the milling about of demon clerks eager to hear of the battle slowed her progress to a crawl but also allowed her to hear snippets of battlefield news. Sargatanas had, she gathered, been brilliant against the worst Dis could marshal. He had been wounded. And some of his generals, along with their armies, had been destroyed.
Lilith made her way toward the Audience Chamber, but she soon found that she was far from alone in that goal. When she arrived at the outlying arcades she could see that a huge crowd had gathered around the base of the dais; it seemed as if Adamantinarx had emptied its streets and avenues into the great circular chamber.
Tales of the passing of Valefar found their way to Lilith in incomplete fragments, shreds of conversation caught as sad whispers in halting Angelic from the murmuring crowd. She had taught herself the language from books but never heard it spoken and wondered why now it was; when she had pieced the words together she had to stop and, supporting herself by a column, catch her breath. It had been hard not to let slip anything about their shared past in Dis; it would be harder still not to let her grief show. He had been an extraordinary demon, she thought, wise and undeniably noble. And now he was gone, leaving that other noble demon Sargatanas to fight his noble war without him.
As she moved toward the foot of the dais the crowd parted for her, but-still, she heard quite a bit. The battle had been won, but by all accounts the price had been heavy. The complete destruction of Adamantinarx's military backbone—the phalangites—the end of Earl Bifrons, and the resultant chaos within his legions that had led to their massive casualties all had left the city weakened. At least the same or worse can be said for the state in which Dis must find itself. The Fly must be enraged! How happy that makes me!
Lilith climbed the steps noting that more demons were coming down than going up. All who passed her saluted in some manner or another, each according her the honor as was their custom in their own wards. She spotted Zoray, deep in conversation with three other officials, and went to him. He disengaged from the demons and greeted her warmly as she gained the top of the dais, but she could sense immediately that something was wrong. Clusters of conversing demons obscured her view of Sargatanas, but Zoray navigated through them until both he and Lilith stood before the throne.
Bathed in the red light of the oculus, it stood empty, flanked dutifully by Eligor's Guard.
"I thought you should see for yourself, my lady," Zoray said softly. "He has not been seen since the first day of his arrival in Adamantinarx. He ordered that the court language be changed to Angelic in Valefar's honor and then he was gone."