He put his hand to his head. He knew he was too tired from his relentless journey to think clearly. But these were Eldric’s close friends. They would advise him. He walked over to them and saluted. ‘Lords. Ordan Fainson. Commander of the Lord Evison’s High Guard. May I speak?’
Arinndier returned his salute without rising, and motioned him to sit down.
Ordan told his tale quickly and simply and the Lords listened intently and without interruption, though Hawklan could feel their mounting alarm. At the end, Ordan took the bundle from his tunic and gave it to Arinndier without comment.
Hawklan looked at the figure resting on the blood-stained kerchief. It meant nothing to him but, glancing around, he saw it meant a great deal to the Fyordyn.
Hreldar’s face had become harder. The face of a man confirming and confronting his worst fears. Darek’s face was torn between belief and doubt, while Arinndier simply scowled and shifted his injured shoulder. The movement was unnecessary and painful and Hawklan watched him closely, waiting for him to emerge from behind the shield of self-inflicted pain that he found more acceptable than the truth of what he was looking at. When he did so, his face was contorted with anger.
‘Commander, are you insane?’ he shouted. ‘You know what this is?’
Ordan bridled a little but stood his ground. ‘Yes, Lord,’ he replied. ‘I know exactly what it is. It’s my Lord’s message to the Lord Eldric, sent to ask for help in extremity.’
Arinndier muttered to himself.
‘What does it mean?’ ventured Hawklan.
Darek started a little and then turned to him. His face was pale and his manner uneasy. He looked faintly embarrassed as he spoke. ‘It’s the fourth figure from a Festival Shrine. The figure of Ethriss.’ He seemed reluctant to continue. ‘It should never be visible. The appearance of the fourth figure is a portent of the Second Coming of… Sumeral.’
‘Madness,’ muttered Arinndier, nursing his injured shoulder again. ‘Evison’s stirring up trouble because the King declared him a rebel.’ But his tone carried no conviction.
‘Nonsense,’ Darek said impatiently. ‘Evison’s been badly treated by the King, but he’s neither rebel nor troublemaker. I’ll ask you to recall our discussion before we went to meet the King.’ He gave a soft mirthless laugh. ‘Our last night of innocence.’
Arinndier blustered. ‘Eldric was unwell. I formalized things to avoid embarrassing him.’
‘No,’ said Darek. ‘He was perfectly well and perfectly rational and he said nothing that wasn’t fit for Gather-ing. You’ll perhaps recall also that we agreed first face proof for what he submitted.’ He became heated. ‘Everything that’s happened since has been like a waking nightmare. That first face proof has been enhanced with time and you know it.’
Arinndier turned his face away angrily with a con-temptuous oath.
‘Enough,’ said Darek coldly. ‘Have you been so long away from the Geadrol, Lord, that you forget its ways so totally? I’ll put your indiscipline down to your wound and your fatigue.’
Arinndier stepped towards him, eyes blazing.
Darek’s jaw tightened angrily and snatching the figure from his friend he held it up close to his face. ‘In Ethriss’s name, Arin, think. You know Evison. He’s got even less imagination than Eldric. Do you think he’d have done this for no reason?’
Under the impact of Darek’s uncharacteristic pas-sion, the resentment and anger abruptly drained out of Arinndier like water from a shattered bowl. He bowed his head. Sympathy replaced Darek’s anger.
Hawklan took Arinndier’s arm, and looked round at the anguished Lords and the Goraidin, standing bewildered at this outburst.
‘Lords,’ he said. ‘Isloman and I are here because we believe this, too. Sumeral is risen again, and Dan-Tor is His agent. He’ll unleash His corruption on the whole world if we don’t oppose him. Even now, this very division among you here is a small victory for Him.’ Before he could be questioned, he splashed practicalities in their faces. ‘But our immediate problems are simpler,’ he said. ‘You have a known foe. You must obey Lord Eldric’s orders and continue to his estate as quickly as possible and prepare to face Dan-Tor.’ He took the figure gently from Darek and looked at it closely. It was beautifully and intricately carved. Its slightly raised right arm seemed to point to yet another new direction for him.
‘Isloman and I will return with Commander Ordan to find out what happened to Lord Evison to prompt him to send this… ancient… message. We’ll meet you at Lord Eldric’s stronghold as soon as we’re able.’
Chapter 44
At the Palace gate, Eldric paused to compose himself. The wind tugged at his red cloak and, looking down at his shadow, he congratulated himself on the armour he had chosen from the many that Astrom and his friends had offered him. It would impress the crowd with its classical imagery and it would enable him to defend himself very effectively if Dan-Tor chose to offer violence.
Slowly, he unhooked a large horn from the horse’s saddle and with half an eye on a passing cloud, he blew a great blast on it just as the sunlight flooded into the square. The effect was electric. When the echoes died away, the whole crowd stood expectant, motionless and silent, awaiting Dan-Tor’s response. The challenge had been issued.
Dan-Tor himself, however, was no mean manipula-tor of crowds, and he delayed his appearance until the effect of Eldric’s entrance had begun to ebb away and a wisp of restlessness was beginning to rustle through the waiting people.
Slowly the great double gates of the Palace opened and, equally slowly, Dan-Tor walked through the widening gap, out into the bright sunshine. He wore a simple undecorated brown robe of office and carried no visible weapons. The high cowl of his robe threw his face partly into shade and Eldric was unable to see his eyes. Some way behind him came Dilrap and Urssain. The former twitching a little less than usual, the latter also apparently unarmed but exuding the menace that his uniform had come to mean in the City.
Eldric glanced at Dilrap. The Queen says he’s to be trusted, Yatsu had told him, but Eldric knew he could expect no aid from him this day. To survive, Dilrap would have to help bring him down.
‘Stay,’ said Eldric in a commanding tone. ‘That’s near enough. The people are gathered here to listen to your Accounting, Lord Dan-Tor. We must needs keep our distance, for their sakes.’
Dan-Tor bowed slightly and raised his hands in acquiescence. ‘Lord Eldric,’ he said pleasantly and clearly, so that his voice projected well across the square. ‘It’s in deference to your past service to the King that I come to meet you in this… ’ he waved his hand searchingly, ‘in this strange fashion. You’re a fugitive from custody. Your co-conspirators ravaged the City to release you. I should order the Mathidrin to arrest you immediately, but I can see that would only cause more bloodshed, you’ve so deceived the people.’
‘Enough!’ said Eldric. ‘You draw conclusions prema-turely. Don’t insult either me or the people by such contempt for the Law. This is no strange meeting as you know full well. It’s the meeting of accuser and accused, as demanded by the Law. The time and the place are unusual, but they are also irrelevant. The form is not. We will hear and test each other’s evidence freely and openly. If you choose not to do this you risk the immediate verdict of this jury here.’
There were some cries of encouragement from the crowd but, keeping his gaze on Dan-Tor, Eldric held up his hand to silence them. He wished he could see the man’s eyes more clearly. His face seemed affable and relaxed, but his eyes? He reached up and adjusted his helm slightly to throw his own eyes more into the shade.
Dan-Tor shrugged regretfully. ‘Unlike you, Lord Eldric, I’ll do nothing which might endanger these people. I’ve only the best interests of both the people and Fyorlund at heart in these times of treachery and danger, when trusted Lords… ’