Phoenix

"Yes," said the King. He turned toward Aliera. "You may go. The others will be staying."

Aliera stared at him. "Is that how you keep your word?"

"I never gave my word," said the King. "Even by implication."

"I'm beginning to take a dislike to you," I said.

He ignored me. "Go. You have your peace. I'll take the assassins."

I thought the idea that, after all of this, I was going to die here after all was rather silly. So did Aliera, apparently, for she drew Pathfinder and the sensation of it filled the room. That was enough of a distraction to give me time to grab Spellbreaker, my cloak, and my rapier swung it around so the sheath went flying in the the direction of the King. One of the guards bravely stepped in front of it and went down clutching at his chest- I'll tell you about my sheath sometime.

I stepped over to Aliera and we stood back-to-back waiting for them to charge. This would have been a perfect time for Sethra and Daymar to have come through. Aliera whispered, "It's going to be a while yet; they're exhausted " "Great," I said. "Attack," said the King. "The door," I said.

Aliera led the way with Pathfinder, followed by Aibvnn while I guarded their back and sides, jabbing wildly with my rapier and swinging just as wildly with my cloak I think the cloak did more damage than my sword but Pathfinder, well, there were screams. Loiosh and Rocza flew into everyone's face and added to the confusion

Let's just say we reached the door and leave 'it at that all right? Once there, there were a few more of them in the hall, but they seemed less inclined to tangle with Pathfinder than the others had been, and then we were outside.

"Now what?" said Aliera.

"Run," I suggested.

"Where?"

"Follow me," said Aibynn.

"Just a moment," said Aliera. She pointed her weapon at the door and muttered something under her breath while making arcane gestures with her free hand. The door collapsed, burying a few guards with it and leaving three of them between the door and us.

They looked at the door, looked at Pathfinder, looked at each other.

"Well?" I said.

"They said nothing. We took off, following pretty much the same route I'd taken before.

"What was that ?" asked Aibynn.

"Pre-Empire sorcery," I said.

"What's that?"

Pretty effective," I said. I looked back. The three guards had decided to help dig their friends out of the rubble of the ruins of the front hall rather than to follow us. Wise.

We kept our speed up until we were rather deep in the forest, then we paused to catch our breath.

"Thanks, Aliera."

"Think nothing of it. I hope I didn't upset a plan."

"You did. That's why I said thank you. How did you acquire Boralinoi?"

"Courtesy of the Empress."

"Does she know he isn't really guilty?"

"He's guilty. Maybe not of killing the King, but he's guilty."

"Is that what the Empress said?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'll be damned. How did you get here so fast?"

"Sethra. Daymar. Aibynn. The Orb."

"The Orb?"

"Yes."

"I see." I turned to Aibynn. "How did you happen to come along?"

He shrugged. "I thought I might be able to help you get out."

"How?"

"Well, I could drum."

I looked at him. "Loiosh, do you trust him?"

"I don't know."

"Yeah. Me neither. This could still be—"

"I know."

Rocza fluttered off my shoulder and landed on Aibynn's. He seemed startled, but handled it gracefully enough.

"She trusts him, boss."

I looked at Aibynn, then looked at Rocza. I sighed "Drum away," I said.

"Let's sit down," said Aibynn.

We did so.

He began to drum.

Lesson Seventeen

DEALING WITH UPPER MANAGEMENT II

I studied the white hallway and said, "Either the Imperial Palace or—"

"It's not the Imperial Palace," said Aliera.

Aibynn was still sitting down. He seemed rather drained and tired. He stopped drumming and smiled wanly.

"How," I said, "did this happen?"

"Ask him," said Aliera, indicating Aibynn.

"Well?" I said.

"Sometimes," he said, "when you drum, you . . . it's hard to describe. You reach places. Didn't you feel it?"

"No," I said quickly, just as Aliera was saying "Yes."

"Boss—"

"Well, okay, maybe," I amended. "But why this place?"

"It was what you two were both thinking about." That was true; I'd been thinking how pleasant it would be to give Verra a piece of my mind, but why would Aliera have been thinking about it?

I said, "Why you?" at just the same moment she said it to me. I shrugged, turned to Aibynn, and said, "So all this time, you've really been nothing more than a drummer?"

For the first time, he seemed really surprised. "you mean you didn't believe me?"

"Let's just say I wondered."

Aliera stood up and said, "Let's go."

She seemed to know her way, so I followed her. It was only a short walk, this time, until we reached the doors which were standing open. There was no cat this time I thought I saw something or someone disappear behind the throne, but I wasn't sure. In any case, the goddess was there.

She said, "Hello, Aliera, Vlad."

"Hello, Mother," said Aliera.

Mother?

"Who is your friend, and what brings you here?"

"His name is Aibynn," said Aliera. "He brought us here to save our lives."

Mother?

"I see. Shall I send you back, then, or is there something I can do for you?"

Mother?

"Send us back, Mother. We—"

"Excuse me," I said. "Do you mean that literally?"

"Mean what?" said Aliera.

"You're calling her 'Mother.' "

"Oh, yes. Why? You didn't know?"

"You never told me."

"You never asked."

Vlad."

"Of all the—never mind. Goddess, if you'd be kind enough to send them back, I would have words with you that they don't need to hear."

Aliera stared at me. "I don't like your tone

I started to snap at her, but the goddess said, "It's all right, Aliera. He has some cause."

She looked unhappy, but said, "Very well."

"We can't take long," said the Demon Goddess, "or you'll be late for your appointment."

"Appointment?"

"With the Empress."

"I have an appointment with the Empress?"

"Yes. Morrolan has the message waiting for you, but I may as well tell you myself."

I licked my lips. "In that case," I told Aibynn, "I'll meet you outside the Imperial Wing of the Palace."

"All right," he said, still appearing exhausted.

The goddess said, "You interest me, drummer. Perhaps, sometime, you'd care to play for me."

"Sure."

I could have warned him that accepting work from the Demon Goddess didn't always work out the way one would like, but I thought it might be tactless. Aliera walked up and kissed Verra on the cheek. Verra smiled maternally. It was very strange. Aliera stepped back and nodded; she and Aibynn vanished.

I was about to start in on the goddess when a small girl emerged from behind the throne. I caught myself and said, "Hello, Devera."

" 'Lo, Uncle Vlad."

"Why were you hiding?"

"I can't let Mama see me yet."

"Why not?"

"It might upset things."

"Oh. So she"—I indicated the Demon Goddess—"is your grandmother?"

Devera smiled and crawled up into her lap.

"Boss, is it just me, or is this really weird?"

"It's both of us."

Verra said, "I'm sorry all of this had to happen."

"You bloody well should be."

"I did help save your life."

"Yeah. People have been doing that a lot. Thanks, I suppose."

"Is there something you want to say to me?" "Yes, Goddess, there is. You've gone a good way toward messing up my life, and, what's more, manipulated events such that, through my actions, hundreds of people have died. I don't care what your motivations were; I don't, want to have anything more to do with you. Okay?"

Devera looked unhappy, but didn't say anything. Verra said, "I understand, Vlad. But I won't hold you to that. You don't even know who you are yet. You're beginning another life now. Wait until you know what sort of life it is before you make decisions like that."