Girin stood up, then raised his left arm and beckoned. “Come here, actor.”
Wey and Coira exchanged horrified glances.
The princess found it touching how Rodario was trying to help her but was in a quandary. If the Lohasbrander came to the conclusion that she had overstepped the terms of the agreement, her mother’s life would be in danger; but at the same time she did not want the actor to make this sacrifice. She was amazed at the bravery he was exhibiting. There was more man in Rodario than she had assumed on first meeting him.
The actor moved over to the desk and Girin studied him closely. “All right, show me how you did it,” he challenged, leaning back in his chair. “Show me your fake magic.”
“I… need time to prepare!” said Rodario, pushing up his sleeves. “Right then, for example, the ball of fire. Here you’d have a little device with special plant seeds. When I press the igniting trigger and the flint…”
Girin shook his head. “No, I don’t want explanations. I want to see the real thing.”
“I’d have to go back to Mifurdania to get my equipment.” Rodario shrugged his shoulders. “Can’t do it otherwise. Perhaps we’ll get lucky and meet those alfar that are spying round here secretly in Weyurn.”
“Of course,” said Girin in superior tones. “Alfar. We see them here all the time. Saw one the other day doing some fishing by the lake.” The orcs grunted with laughter.
“Don’t you believe me?” He turned to Coira. “She had to take on three of them yesterday, or they’d have infiltrated Weyurn. Probably scouts. On the shore you’ll see the remains of a night-mare carcass. They’re probably still near at hand. Tell that to the Dragon. There’s more than one who’s not keeping to agreements, then.”
Prases was sunk deep in thought. Then he sent one of the orcs over to the mainland.
Coira had to suppress a smile. Rodario had cleverly diverted attention from himself. It was clear that Girin could not allow himself to be negligent in such a matter.
“But,” said the Lohasbrander, facing Rodario again, “whatever the truth about the alfar story you’ve just fed me, it doesn’t remove your guilt.” He motioned to another orc and the creature approached the actor. “I will take you with me to Mifurdania and confront you with the guards that survived the attack. If they think it’s possible that they confused Coira with you in women’s clothing, then the blame can be lifted from the Weyurn ruling family and nobody is harmed.” Girin nodded to the queen. “For you, Rodario the Howevermanyeth, the journey is over, one way or the other. When you arrive the contest could be finished and you will learn the name of the winner before the executioner lays your head on the block.”
The actor had gone pale; his hands were fastened behind his back with a chain the orc took from his belt. But Rodario was still standing tall, with his chin slightly raised.
Coira looked over at her mother again and tried to read in her eyes what the queen was thinking.
“I was telling the truth, Prases,” said Rodario. “But what if the orcs don’t agree? How reliable are they?”
“If it turns out they are sure that it was indeed Coira who was responsible for the attack on the prison, Wey will suffer the consequences.” Girin sounded indifferent. “Those are the terms of the treaty you signed,” he told the queen. “The Dragon insists the terms are strictly observed and does not want to be the only one to keep to the agreement. You can thank your own flesh and blood.”
“No. She won’t have to. Coira had nothing to do with it,” Rodario repeated. He was dragged to one side by the orc and forced to stand next to the desk.
“Mother, what do you say?” asked Coira, her hands on her belt that lay loosely round her hips. “The alfar would not stop for Prases if they encountered him and he were to stand up to them?”
“Hardly,” said the queen. “And we’d have to ask the Dragon for support immediately to help us get rid of the invaders who threaten our island.”
“What are you talking about?” barked Girin, switching his gaze from mother to daughter and back. “There are no alfar here, and they certainly would not dare to attack an envoy of the mighty Lohasbrand. The consequences would be unthinkable.”
Wey got up slowly from her chair, her hands folded in front of her, like Coira’s. “I have waited so long for the opportunity to be freed from these fetters, Prases,” she announced with dignity, pride in her eyes. “The gods listened and sent them to me. On this notable orbit. Thanks to you and to the alfar.”
Girin guessed what was coming and sprang up from his chair. “Quick! Kill them both!” The orc drew a huge sword and was about to attack Coira, while the four guards pulled at the chains holding the queen’s collar. The circumference of the ring narrowed.
Rodario tripped up one of the orcs, but not sufficiently to bring the creature to the floor. It stumbled, though, and took a couple of moments to regain its balance.
Red lightning hit face and breast; the orc let out a shrill scream of pain and fell burning onto the marble flagstones. Even the dark blood issuing from its wounds was in flames. Rodario could not tear his eyes away.
White trails of energy laid themselves round the ring and prevented it being pulled any tighter. Then the flashes worked their way along the chains to the hands of the Lohasbrander guards. With a hiss their fingers caught fire, as if they were made of dry wood.
The flames traveled up with amazing speed, slipping under the armor. Smoke issued from the guards’ collars. The soldiers dropped the chains and beat at their clothing trying to extinguish the flames. Seconds later they were on the floor, burned black.
The iron ring around Wey’s neck burst open with a clang and fell, glowing, to her feet. The queen looked at Girin, who had drawn his sword and was standing by the great window, trembling all over. “Did you really think I had no more magic power, Lohasbrander?” she said angrily.
“The Dragon will come and annihilate you!” he said. “He will destroy the whole of Weyurn; it will be overwhelmed in a sea of fire and the lakes will boil away.”
“The Dragon will learn nothing of this. But he will be told about you and the alfar who fought you. In the palace. You will be portrayed in a heroic light. You should be pleased about it.” Coira smiled and stepped over to Rodario. A quick flash and his bonds were released. “We shall implore him to seek out the alfar. Because, of course, we care about the future of Weyurn, just as he does, even if for different reasons. He will take up our offer, that much is certain.”
“But before that,” Wey went over to him, “you must die, to bring our story to a fitting end.”
Girin struck the window with his sword, shattering some of the panes. A strong gust of wind swept in through the opening, blowing objects around. The curtains flapped, papers and cloths and empty glasses landed on the stone floor. The air was filled with noise. “Never!” he screamed and jumped out, knowing that though it was a considerable fall he would eventually hit the lake waters.
Rodario did not want to leave it to chance as to whether or not the man died. Surprisingly fast he bent over one of the dead guards, drew a dagger and hurled it at the falling figure.
The blade hit Prases in the back of the neck. His body went limp and the hand released the sword. Rodario was satisfied. The women rushed forward and watched the corpse fall. They saw Girin as a black dot flying to meet the waves.
“That must be… at least eighty paces down. The impact of the water would have broken his neck, anyway,” said Rodario with enjoyment. “He just didn’t think it through.”
Coira wondered if Rodario’s good aim had been more luck than judgment. She could not decide. Together they saw how the Lohasbrander plunged into the waters of the lake and disappeared. “Do we need his body?” Wey asked them.