“But he’s really on our side,” Rod argued, “because he’s fighting the same enemy—the shaman, Mughorck.”
They sat in a small chamber—only forty feet square—of the royal castle in Runnymede. The Oriental carpet, tapestries on the walls, gleaming walnut furniture, graceful hourglass-shaped chairs, and silver wine goblets belied any urgency. But even though the fireplace was cold, the talk was heated.
“He doth say Mughorck is his enemy,” Catharine said scornfully. “Yet, might he not be an agent of just that fell monster?”
Rod spread his hands. “Why? For what purpose could Mughorck send an agent who couldn’t possibly be mistaken for a Gramarye native? Not to mention his handful of cronies who don’t even speak our language.”
“Why, for this very purpose, lad,” Brom O’Berin grunted, “that we might send them in to strengthen our attack, whereupon they could turn their coats, warn their fellows, and have a hedge of spears for our soldiers to confront when they land.”
“Okay,” Rod snorted, disgusted. “Farfetched, but possible, I’ll grant you. Still, it just doesn’t feel right.”
Catharine smiled wickedly. “I had thought ‘twas only ladies who would decide great matters by such feelings.”
“All right, so you’ve got a point now and then,” Rod growled. “But you know what I mean, Your Majesty—there’s some element of this whole situation that just doesn’t fit with the hypothesis that Yorick’s an enemy.”
Catharine opened her mouth to refute him, but Brom spoke first. “1 take thy meaning—and I’ll tell thee the element.”
Catharine turned to him in amazement, and Tuan looked up, suddenly interested again.
“ ‘Tis this,” Brom explained, “that he doth speak our language. Could he have learned it from Mughorck?”
“Possibly, if Mughorck’s an agent of the Eagle’s enemies,” Rod said slowly. “If the Eagle taught Yorick English, there’s no reason why Mughorck couldn’t have, too.”
“Still, I take thy meaning.” Tuan sat up straighter. “We know that Yorick doth hold the Eagle to be some manner of wizard; if we say that Mughorck is too, then we have pitted wizard ‘gainst wizard. Would not then their combat be with one another? Why should we think they care so greatly about us that they would combine against us?”
“Or that Mughorck would oust Eagle only to be able to use the beastmen ‘gainst us,” Brom rumbled. “Why could we be of such great moment to Mughorck?”
“Because,” Fess’s voice said behind Rod’s ear, “Gramarye has more functioning telepaths than all the rest of the Terran Sphere together; and the interstellar communication they can provide will in all probability be the single greatest factor in determining who shall rule the Terran peoples.”
And because the Eagle and Mughorck were probably both time-traveling agents from future power-blocs who knew how the current struggle was going to come out and were trying to change it here, Rod added mentally. Aloud, he just said sourly, “It’s nice to know this chamber has such thick walls that we don’t have to worry about eavesdroppers.”
“Wherefore?” Tuan frowned. “Is there reason to question the loyalty of any of our folk?”
“Uhhhhhh… no.” Rod had to improvise quickly, and surprisingly hit upon truth. “It’s just that I brought Yorick along, in case we decided we wanted to talk to him. He’s in the antechamber.”
Catharine looked up, horrified, and stepped quickly behind Tuan’s chair. The King, however, looked interested. “Then, by all means, let’s bring him in! Can we think of no questions to ask that might determine the truth or falsehood of this beastman’s words?”
Brom stomped over to the door, yanked it open, and rumbled a command. As he swaggered back Rod offered, “Just this. From Toby’s report, the beastmen’s village is very thoroughly settled and the fields around it are loaded with corn, very neatly cultivated. That settlement’s not brand-new, Tuan. If the Eagle had come here with conquest in mind, would he have taken a couple of years out to build up a colony?”
The young King nodded. “A point well-taken.” He turned as the beastman ambled in, and Catharine took a step back. “Welcome, captain of exiles!”
“The same to you, I’m sure.” Yorick grinned and touched his forelock.
Brom scowled ferociously, so Rod figured he’d better butt in. “Uh, we’ve just been talking, Yorick, about why Mughorck tried to assassinate the Eagle.”
“Oh, because Mughorck wanted to conquer you guys,” Yorick said, surprised. “He couldn’t even get it started with the Eagle in the way, preaching understanding and tolerance.”
The room was awfully quiet while Tuan, Brom, Catharine, and Rod exchanged frantic glances.
“I said something?” Yorick inquired.
“Only what we’d all just been saying.” Rod scratched behind his ear. “Always unnerving, finding out you guessed right.” He looked up at Yorick. “Why’d Mughorck want to conquer us?”
“Power-base,” Yorick explained. “Your planet’s going to be the hottest item in the coming power-struggle. Your descendants will come out on the side of democracy, so the Decentralized Democratic Tribunal will win. The only chance the losers will have is to come back in time and try to take over Gramarye. When Mughorck took over we realized he must’ve been working for one of the future losers… What’s the matter, milord?”
Rod had been making frantic shushing motions. Tuan turned a gimlet eye on him. “Indeed, Lord Warlock.” His voice was smooth as velvet. “Why wouldst thou not wish him to speak of such things?”
“For that they are highly confusing, for one.” Catharine knit her brows, but the look she bent on Rod was baleful. “Still, mine husband’s point’s well taken. For whom dost thou labor, Lord Warlock?”
“For my wife and child, before anyone else,” Rod sighed, “but since I want freedom and justice for them, and you two are their best chance for that condition—why, I work for you.”
“Or in accord with us,” Tuan amended. “But hast thou other affiliations, Lord Warlock?”
“Well, there is a certain collaborative effort that…”
“…that doth give him information vital to the continuance of Your Majesties’ reign.” Brom glanced up at them guiltily. “I ha’ known of it almost since he came among us.”
Some of the tension began to ease out of Tuan, but Catharine looked more indignant than ever. “Even thou, my trusted Brom! Wherefore didst thou not tell this to me?”
“For reason that thou hadst no need to know it,” Brom said simply, “and because I felt it to be Lord Gallowglass’s secret. If he thought thou shouldst know it, he would tell thee—for, mistake not, his first loyalty is here.”
Catharine seemed a bit mollified, and Tuan was actually smiling—but with a glittering eye. “We must speak more of this anon, Lord Warlock.”
But not just now. Rod breathed a shuddering sigh and cast a quick look of gratitude toward Brom. The dwarf nodded imperceptibly.
“Our cause of worry is before us.” Tuan turned back to Yorick. “It would seem, Master Yorick, that thou dost know more than thou shouldst.”
Yorick stared. “You mean some of this was classified?”
Rod gave him a laser glare, but Tuan just said, “Where didst thou learn of events yet to come?”
“Oh, from the Eagle.” Yorick smiled, relieved. “He’s been there.”
The room was very still for a moment.
Then Tuan said carefully, “Dost thou say this Eagle hath gone bodily to the future?‘’
Yorick nodded.
“Who’s he work for?” Rod rapped out.
“Himself.” Yorick spread his hands. “Makes a nice profit out of it, too.”
Rod relaxed. Political fanatics would fight to the death, but businessmen would always see reason—provided you showed them that they could make a better profit doing things your way.
But Tuan shook his head. “Thou wouldst have us believe the Eagle brought all thy people here and taught them to farm enough to support themselves. Where’s the profit in that?”