"I want to know how many Earthmen there are, and whether it would be possible for us to get at them if we moved carefully. Perhaps they won't even be there; they may have deserted the base. But make sure, and don't go into the base itself, even if it looks deserted. Understand?"
"I understands," Dran said. "I goes immediately?"
"Immediately," Norvis said.
The small Bronze Islander left without further word. Norvis waited for him to close the door, then leaned forward and clasped his hands on his desk, looking abstractedly at the inlaid pattern in the wood.
The threads were beginning to come together now. Kris had proven to be three times the leader Del ever was—and the School lay in ruins, the Temple was a husk, Kiv was dead, and the power of the Council broken. Nidor's downward slide had been checked—maybe.
The whole thing hinged on whether the Earthmen were actually gone or not. Norvis' mother, Sindi iRahn peKiv Brajjyd, had told him about the base when he was young.
His father, Rahn peDorvis, had run away from the Bel-rogas School for some reason—Sindi had never said why—and Sindi had followed him. Rahn, taking a shortcut across the mountains on his way to Vashcor, had stumbled on the Earthmen's lair, and Sindi behind him. Rahn had been caught, and by some mysterious magic had had all memory of his visit removed. Sindi, unobserved, had seen all.
Norvis knew his mother had told the truth; the base was out there. It presented a potential threat to Nidor as long as it remained. How could they proceed with the job of rebuilding, if the Earthmen might be still on the planet?
Norvis needed information. Dran, a trained seaman, was observant. He should be able to bring back plenty of information. And it's information we need, Norvis thought grimly. We don't know nearly enough about the Earthmen—yet!
Chapter XXI
Kris peKym looked out his win-dew over Holy Gelusar and frowned. He had driven the Earthmen from Nidor; he had purified the Council. But the emergency was not yet over; he had much yet to do.
His attention was distracted by a motion at the corner of his eye. It was someone mounted on a magnificent blue-gray deest, trotting across the Square of Holy Light.
He smiled as he recognized Marja geDel. She deserved a magnificent deest; she was a magnificent woman. The rifle-armed guards around the Square nodded deferentially as she passed, giving honor to the betrothed of the Leader. Kris smiled. He had not asked her yet, but there was no question about it.
Or was there? Come to think of it, he'd better make sure. His position on Nidor would be just that much more secure if he were a family man.
The girl cantered her animal across the Square, dismounted before the Temple, and tethered her deest. She hadn't looked up. It would have been undignified for her to wave at him, or for him to call to her. She entered the door below, disappearing from Kris' sight.
He returned to his desk and sat down. Within less than a minute, there was a rap at the door.
"Come in, Marja."
She opened the door, smiling radiantly, and closed it again behind her. "Do you have any more work for me this morning?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. Sit down a minute."
She frowned in puzzlement at his brusque manner. Kris ignored the expression, pulled a piece of paper toward him, and began writing.
"Kris—"
"Wait till I've finished, Marja."
He wrote deliberately, clamping his lips. When he was through, be lifted his eye and handed her the paper. "Take this list into the market center first. Have the stuff delivered if you can't carry it. That last item you'll have to look for—but don't take anything less than the best."
She read through the list. "All kinds of clothing—and furniture— and ... and a house!" She looked up. "Kris, what is this?"
He rested his chin in his palm and grinned at her. "If you're going to be Marja iKris, you'll have to have the best of everything, won't you?"
"Oh, Kris! When?"
"Three days is the proper time after announcement, isn't it? I'll announce it today."
"Fine," she said happily. "You'll have to ask Norvis peKrin first, though."
"Norvis? Why Norvis?"
"Didn't you know? Father signed guardianship of Ganz and me over to Norvis in case of his death—he did it several years ago."
"No, I didn't know that," Kris said. "But do you need a guardian? You're old enough to know what you're doing, you and your brother."
"Nevertheless, you'll ask Norvis. This has to be done properly."
"Anything you say. You'll have both him and Ganz as escorts, then?"
She smiled. "I think that would be the best. While you're talking to Norvis, I'll see to this list. But I'll need money."
"Don't worry about that," Kris said expansively. "Since the cobalt's back in the Bank, all that Dimay scrip I bought up at half price is worth face value again. Just tell the merchants to collect from Norvis, that's all."
She leaned over the desk and kissed him before she left.
It was more than the customary three days before the marriage could take place. On the scheduled wedding day, four more priests turned up with claims for the Elderhood, and each of them had to be considered in turn by the Council. Annoyed, Kris postponed the wedding two days and presided over a hearing, Marn peFulda at his side.
Two of the priests turned out to be of the Clan Shavill, and the younger of the two had to be sent back to his village with regrets. That left three vacancies in the Counciclass="underline" the clans Nitha, Sesom, and Gormek. Rumor had it that a Grandfather Gasus peNils Gormek was going to sail soon from the Bronze Islands, but so far there was no sign of him.
Also, by a solid vote of acclamation, the thirteen Elders decided to appoint Merchants' Party Leader Kris peKym Yorgen as Executive Officer of Nidor, the investiture to take place on the day of the Feast of the Sixteen, Clans, which fell a day after his revised wedding date.
The wedding itself was a simple affair, held in the little Temple of Kivar on the southern side of the city. The Elder Grandfather Marn peFulda Brajjyd officiated.
The little temple held only a few people. The Council Elders attended, and a few personal friends, but the streets were blocked off by Peacemen to prevent the curious gawkers from interfering.
Norvis and Ganz stood on either side of Marja, who was dressed in the traditional purple cloak of maidenhood. Behind them was the altar, before them the open door of the temple. Kris stood in the doorway, resplendent in the black-and-red uniform of the Hundred Men.
Off to one side, Grandfather Marn gave a signal, and Kris strode toward the altar. Four paces before the trio, he stopped and said: "Norvis peKrin Dmorno, Ganz peDel Vyless, I greet you, I come to declare my love for the woman you have sworn to protect."
"Will you swear to protect her as we have?" Norvis asked.
Kris' answer was a long and involved oath, which he couldn't remember and had to read from the Book of Liturgy. When it was over, Norvis said, "If she will accept your oath, we will relinquish claim."
"I accept him," Marja said.
"Then we charge you, Kris peKym, to take her and feed her and clothe her and protect her. She is yours."
Marja stepped forward, and, as she did, Grandfather Marn raised his hand. "Hold! I ask both of you—have you asked the Great Light's blessing on this union?"
"We ask your blessing now, O Ancient Grandfather," Kris said. "And we ask that you pray for us."
Grandfather Marn gave his blessing and the ceremony was over.
It was over, and Norvis, for one, was glad of it. He watched Kris ride off on a deest with Marja in the saddle in front of him, while the Hundred Men led them on a triumphal parade to their new home.