«I thought we had agreed to bury old disputes! » Elric said, dose to anger, for the guilt of what he had done was still in him.
«Aye.» nodded Kargan. «A man who can’t forget the past is a man who cannot plan for the future. I say Elric's logic is good! »
«You traders were always too reckless with your ships and too gufllible when you heard a smooth-tongue. That's why you now envy our riches.» Young Jemed of Filkhor smiled in his thin beard, his eyes on the floor.
Kargan fumed. «Too honest, perhaps, is the word yon should have used. Southerner! Belatedly our forefathers learned how the fat Southlands were cheating them. Their forefathers raided your coasts, remember? Maybe we should have continued their practice! Instead, we settled, traded and your bellies swelled from the profits of our sweat! Open! I'd not trust the word of a Southern-»
Elric leaned forward to interrupt, but was interrupted himself by Hozel who said impatiently: «The fact is this. The Theocrat is more likely to concentrate his first attacks on the East. For these reasons: The Eastlands are weak. The Eastlands are poorly defended. The Eastlands are closer to his shores and therefore more accessible. Why should he risk his recently-united strength on the stronger Southlands, or risk a more hazardous sea-crossing?»
«Because, » Elric said levelly, «his Ships will be magic-aided and distance will not count Because the South is richer and will supply him with metals, food-»
«Ships and men, » spat Kargan.
«So! You think we already plan treachery» Hozel glanced first at Elric and then at Kargan. «Then why summon us here in the first place?»
«I did not say that, » Elric said hastily. «Kargan spoke his own thoughts, not mine. Calm yourselves-we must be united-or perish before superior armies and supernatural might! »
«Oh, no! » Hozel turned to the other Southern monarch. «What say you. my peers? Shall we lend them our ships and warriors to protect their shores as well as ours?»
«Not when they are so ungratefully spurned, » Jerned murmured. «Let Jagreen Lern expend his energies upon them. When he looks toward the South he will be weakened, and we shall be ready for him! »
«You are fools! » Elric cried urgently. «Stand with us or well all perish! The Lords of Chaos are behind the Theocrat! If he succeeds in his ambitions it will mean more than conquest by a human schemer-it will mean that we shall all be subjected to the horror of total anarchy, on the Earth and above it. The human race is threatened! «
Hozel stared hard at Elric and smiled. «Then let the human race protect itself and not fight under an unhuman leader. Tis well-known that the men of Melnibone are not true men at all.»
«Be that as it may, » Elric lowered his head and lifted a thin, white hand to point at Hozel. The king shivered and held his ground with obvious effort. «But I know more than that, Hozel of Argimfliar. I know that the men of the Young Kingdoms are only the gods' first mouldings-shadow-things who precede the race of real men, even as we preceded you. And I know more! I know that if we do not vanquish both Jagreen Lern and his supernatural allies, then men will be swept from the boiling face of a maddened planet, their destiny unfulfilled! »
Hozel swallowed and spoke, his voice trembling.
«I've seen your muttering kind in the market places, Elric. Men who prophecy all kinds of dooms that never take place-mad-eyed men such as you. But we do not let them live in Argimiliar. We fay them slowly, finger by finger, inch by inch until they admit their omens are fallacious! Perhaps well have that opportunity, yet! »
He swung about and half-ran from the hall. For a moment the other Southern Monarchs stood staring irresolutely after him.
Elric said urgently: «Heed him not, my lords. I swear on my life that my words are true! »
Jemed said softly, half to himself: 'That could mean little, There are rumours you're immortal.»
Moonglum came close to his friend and whispered: «They are unconvinced, Elric. Tis plain they're not our men.»
Elric nodded. To the Southern nobles he said: «Know his: Though you foolishly reject my offer of an alliance, the day will come when you will regret your decision. I have been isolated in my own palace, my friends have been insulted and I curse you for the upstart fools you are. But when the time comes for you to learn the error of this decision I swear that we shall aid you, if it is in our power. Now go! »
Disconcerted, the Southerners straggled from the hall in hence.
Elric turned to Kargaa Sharpeyes. «What have you decided, Sealord?»
«We stand with you.» Kargan said simply. «My brother Smiorgan Baldhead always spoke well of you and I remember his words rather than the rumours which followed his death under your leadership. Moreover, » he smiled broadly, it is in our nature to believe that whatever a Southern weakling decides must therefore be wrong. You have the Purple Towns as allies-and our ships, though fewer than the combined fleets of the south, are smooth-sailing fighting ships and well-equipped for war.»
«I must warn you that we stand little chance without Southern aid, » Elric said gravely. I'm doubtful if they'd have been more than an encumbrance with their guile and squabblings, » Kargan replied. «Besides-have you no sorcery to help us in this?»
«I plan to seek some tomorrow, » Elric told him. «Moonglum and myself will be leaving my cousin Dyvim Slorm in charge here while we go to Sorcerers' Isle, beyond Melnibone. There, among the hermit practitioners of the White Arts, I - might find means of contacting the Lords of Law. I, as you know, am half-sworn to Chaos, though I fight it, and am finding increasingly that my own Demon-God is somewhat loathe to aid me these days. At present, the White Lords are weak, beaten back, just as we are on Earth, by the increasing power of the Dark Ones. It is hard to contact them. The hermits can likely help me.»
Kargan nodded. «Would be a relief to us of the Purple Towns to know that we were not too strongly leagued with dark spirits, I must admit»
Elric frowned. «I agree, of course. But our position is so weak that we must accept any help-be it black or white. I presume that there is dispute among the Masters of Chaos as to how far they should go-that is why some of my own help still comes from Chaos. This blade that hangs at my side, and the twin which Dyvim Slorm bears, are both evil. Yet they were forged by creatures of Chaos to bring an end, on Earth at least, to the Masters' rule here. Just as my blood-loyalties are divided, so are the swords' loyalties. We haw no supernatural allies we can wholly rely upon.»
«I feel for you, » Kargan said gruffly, and it was obvious that he did. No man could envy Elric's position or Elric's destiny.
Orgon Kargan's cousin-in-law, said bluntly: «Well to bed now. Has your kinsman your full confidence?»
Elric glanced at Dyvim Slorm and smiled. «My full confidence-he knows as much as I about this business. He shall speak for me since he knows my basic plans.»
«Very well. We’ll confer with him tomorrow and, if we do not see you before you leave, do well for us on Sorcerers' Isle.»
The Sealords left. Now, for the first time, the Regent of Vilmir spoke. His voice was clear and cool. «We, too, have confidence in you and your kinsman, Elric. Already we know you both for clever warriors and cunning planners. Vilmir has good cause to know it from your exploits in Bakshaan and elsewhere throughout our territories. We, I feel, have the good sense to bury old scores.» He turned to the Merchant Princes for confirmation and they nodded their agreement
«Good, » Elric said. He addressed the gaunt-faced archer, Rackhir, his friend, whose legend almost equalled his own.